I’m sitting on an Air India plane, in a middle seat instead of the aisle seat I requested and should have received (but obviously didn’t). It’s late and I’m tired, and I’m trying not to think too much, but it’s impossible not to think because it’s my last night in India. Tomorrow I’ll be home [...]
Archive for September, 2010
It is
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged acceptance, culture, India, reflection on September 9, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
The miss lists
Posted in Uncategorized on September 9, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
I can’t believe it: my time in India is almost over. Part of me is so ready to go, but part of me can’t believe I’m leaving. Things I miss about home: 1. Health. Simply put, I’m sick of being sick. In the past month I’ve been bed-ridden in two cities and I’ve fainted in [...]
Surprises
Posted in Uncategorized on September 7, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Nawang Dorjee is the principal of the TCV College in Bangalore, and we’ve been communicating with him through e-mail for several months. Since the beginning I’ve been a little scared of him, mostly because his writing style seemed somewhat harsh to me. Lately, as we’ve gotten closer to our first meeting, I’ve tried to imagine [...]
Hospital hopping: From Mcleod Ganj to Bangalore
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Bangalore, health care, India, sick, St. Martha's Hospital on September 5, 2010 | 2 Comments »
I thought I was in the clear. With just a few more days until my departure from India, I assumed I had outsmarted any more sneaky illnesses. No more parasites for me, home-free at last. Or not. I woke up Sunday morning but never really woke up, and within an hour of leaving my bed [...]
Loving it
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged adventure, Bangalore, India, rickshaw on September 4, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
In a speedy rickshaw on the way home after dinner, we weave between lanes toward the YMCA guesthouse. We almost hit a motorcycle driver and cars are honking, but I don’t mind at all. It’s been a good, exhausting day, and I’m feeling happy. I think back on the afternoon’s activities. Ashley and I spent [...]
Final Stop: Bangalore
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Bangalore, India, masala dosa, YMCA Guesthouse on September 3, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
During a taxi ride from the airport into Bangalore, I look out the window with a sigh of relief: I think there will be room to breathe here. In addition to snack shacks and heaps of garbage near the road, I see lots of green, and some empty spaces in the highway lanes—a wonderful relief [...]
At the library table
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged culture, Delhi, education, India, students, Tibet, Tibetan Youth Hostel on September 2, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Kunsang is a Tibetan college student with a purple t-shirt and a thick puff of black hair. He was born in Tibet, and at the age of about 13 he convinced the government to publish an anthology of his articles and poems (smart guy). In a streak of rebellion, he slipped in a few extra [...]
Of fainting and french fries
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Delhi, India, McDonalds, metro on September 1, 2010 | 1 Comment »
I’m standing on the Delhi metro, near the back door that doesn’t open or close. It’s lunchtime and we’re heading to Connaught Place, a hub in Delhi that’s known for its good hotels and restaurants. The train is packed with people, but Ashley and I are clearly the only foreigners on board. It’s humid and [...]
