Random things

I have sent the pictures that I thought you would like to see - they gave structure to what I wanted to share. Now that I have no new pictures, I thought I would try to convey two events that were 'awareness shifts' for me. I get into the groove here (past life influence I'm sure) but the reality that I am FROM THE WEST comes in the guise of things like: we're walking down the street in Nashik last night, we turn a corner. No one is holding my arm. I find my self wanting to be on the RIGHT side of the road (on coming traffic side), AAACH...wait, that's not right. Luckily there was no traffic, but my friend sees me 'wander' and grabs me. "You're doing that 'right/left' thing again". Yeah....I have to remember it too on stairways, hallways, etc. At first it's annoying because no one else is following the 'right way' and then I remember it's me.

It takes awhile, but the staring thing only bothers me a little now. You'd think I'd be over it b now since it's my third visit. Still bothers me. If they would just either smile, or say hello or SOMETHING. Yes, I'm a blondish head in a sea of shorter, darker people. And, like so many cultures that have a gradation of skin color, fairness is revered(even if you cant help it). So I know they're not used to seeing fair skin (so watch more western movies) but as another friend shared with me - some actually still wonder "what does she like to eat?" "why does she do this (fill in the blank)?", "does she cry?", "she smiles so much" and a thousand other questions about someone from another culture I assume they have some knowledge of.

I'll forget and laugh out loud in public - or any other normal thing for me - and it's such an oddity. And for the most part, since they are not shy about staring, so I am reminded of my public faux pas. Some women have actually stood next to me and just stared - even if I look at them; or look at them and smile (which is what I do when I'm not sure what else to do).

Children are most likely to come up and start speaking English, so that's pretty fun - adults will encourage it sometimes as well. I think I would much rather them ask me questions than just stare. I remind myself that some just know of Americans from our television sit coms or 'soap operas' and I want to tell them we're not all like that.

I had a massage yesterday to ease the muscle pain from the rickshaw incidence. It wasn't as good as my usual massages at home (Uday are you reading this?) but she managed to help some. I've never had anyone pour a half cup of oil on my head - took me three shampoos to get my normal hair back) and she used an herbal muscle thing to help. I'm feeling much better today and the bruises are starting to fade. She shared with me that her daughter has the same birthday as Jesus (December 25) and that her husband expired three years ago. Everyone in the US is Christian you see - and that is often a conversation starter with me. I think I made it clear that I didn't want to talk - I like to concentrate on my breathing when I have a massage - so she just carried on.

Since I'm 'on vacation' (you see I started out coming here to talk to people about working abroad) I'll tell you what an average day is like. Up at around 7 a.m., lights come on about 8 a.m. so I can use the computer and the water gets heated. I 'clean up' and go downstairs where Auntie Joshna, who is visiting to get her passport and visa taken care of, has already prepared chai masala for me and anyone else who is up. Sometime later - a breakfast is served. POHA....yum. It's flattened rice with curry leaves and not so hot spices

I take a walk around the roses, check my emails, blog, straighten my room, visit with whomever stops by (like the gardener, the floor sweeper Mughda-bai, neighbors) and then head upstairs to bathe and dress. We visit for awhile, read, have lunch, and then take a nap. It's about 90 outside now, so I'm not going outside until after nap. Nap is usually 2 p.m (when the lights go off again) to 4 p.m. Today, we'll not sleep so long because we're going to "THE MALL" at 4 with Vaishali. I'll put on lots of mosquito repellent after nap and we dress nicely and GO OUT...either walking, shopping, to a museum, etc. It's much cooler then.

We come back and have dinner - watch TV, visit, maybe people drop by or curious people have seen the American and come and ask my friends about why I'm here. If we have lights, then I'll work on the computer or call home; then around midnight we go to bed. This is only MY schedule. If I were to live here - I wouldn't be taking naps and I'd have to deal with the 'no lights' issue whatever I tried to accomplish for the day. Also, shops close in the afternoon for people to go home and eat, etc.