5 Reasons to GO[a] to India

(What happened after the Camp) (Mostly in Goa)

We arrived back from the camp in dire need of a shower or five and grateful for the warmer weather. While it was a massive effort to trek out of Avalanche, I would go 10x as far because it was simply so beautiful.

#1 - If you go to India, you can wear a saree. I would like to take this moment to tell you it's not as comfortable as it looks. It doesn't look comfortable, you say? That's cos IT'S NOT!
Much respect to the women who wear this every day, with all the day-to-day tasks. I guess you get used to it....but much respect anyway.
However, it was rather fun to wear it for a day (for the wedding).



#2 - If you go to India, you can meet an elephant. This one (Ellie) smiled at me. Not even kidding. Ellie also took me for a ride, and when I paid [the man sitting on top of Ellie] Ellie took the money in his trunk and passed it up. I hope they split it 50/50.



#3 - If you go to India, you can jump extra high. People will try and jump into your photo though, so beware.



#4 - If you go to India, you can stay in these amazing huts right on the beach! For as cheap as a cheap hut right on the beach in India. Not even kidding. The one of the left was ours. You might be surprised to know that the bright orange colour lulls you off to sleep at night.



#5 - If you go to India, you can take your friends. Probably, you won't have as fun friends as mine, but try anyway. They absolutely totally make it the best time ever!

Indgrish

Ah India.

You make me laugh. Your Indgrish (India English) is hilarious.

A few favourites from the last few weeks:

In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia now....

with a few more stories from India still to come....

Too Much Happy

My new friend Arookooma is an elephant who became a lion and he lives inside a Bollywood musical. Life is too good not to sing.

During the last week, we've been camping at Avalanche.

It's this secret spot that took us 2 1/2 hours by car, 10 hours night train, 5 hours steam train, 1 hour crazy bus ride, 1 hour army truck-craziest-ride-of-my-life, and a 2 hour hike to reach. It's away from everything - from the crazy noise and pollution of the Indian cities and towns. It would have been quiet, peaceful and relaxing.

Except that we brought along a gypsy tribe. Mostly kids, 60 of them made the trek with us to reach this amazing camp.

There was no peace. No quiet. No relaxation. On the agenda was kayaking, abseilling, archery, and more....these kids had never done anything like this and the looks on their faces was priceless as they felt themselves 'balance' on water or be held by a rope on a cliff face for the first time.

I can't explain how big this new experience was for them. It was quite cold in Avalance - we were almost 3000 meters up and most of the tribe had never been in cold weather in their lives. Quite a shock to discover 0 degrees for the first time!

The change in the camp over the few days was amazing. The change of atmosphere was tangible, with much tension in this new place changing to a real joy among the tribe by the end, and a tangible peace.

Not just a crazy an experience for them - it's been quite a ride for me as well. My name to the Indians sounds like Kali - the indian goddess of darkness. I should have made up a new name from the beginning but at least they all remembered my name.

I now have excellent thigh muscles from all the squatting. My thighs will be huge by the end of this trip.

I now know that using your clothes for a pillow is not all it's cracked up to be. Especially when your clothes are dirty. Very dirty.

Washing your hair with a tiny bucket is ok. Washing alongside lots of Indian gypsy girls is quite the experience. Please nits, stay away. I like my nit-free hair!

Curry for breakfast lunch and dinner is ok. I'm quite converted. Actually I'm quite converted to Indian food. They had the audacity to give me eggs and toast for breakfast the other morning and I was surprised to find myself disappointed! Ah!

Life IS a musical. Arakooma joined my activity group (the Lions) because he'd lost track of his group (the Elephants). I was treated to his singing morning noon and night, as he found himself attached to me most of the time. At first I tried to lose him. He had way too much energy for me - but he was too sleuthy for me and we became friends.

He loved everything, and one day he asked me if I was happy. I said yes, very happy. I asked him the same. With fists clenched and the biggest smile on his face, he told me he was too much happy. Too much happy. What a wonderful place to be in!

I loved his joy and his singing and dancing made me laugh. He'd skip round trees and throw his arms out while he sang. I think he really thought he was in a musical. His and the gypsies' joy was beautifuly contagious.

Am loving India and am so thankful for the wonderful time in Avalanche. A few more days here in Mamallapurum (with a wedding included) and then we're on to Goa.

Too much happy.

Of MICE (actually rats) and MEN (naked) (stoned) (angry)

The rats I've seen here are the size of small dogs. If I was a small dog, I would not want to meet one of these in a dark alley.

The men I've seen here are not the size of small dogs. They live in a world of social graces far different to my own. A visit to a Jain temple in Kolkata yielded some interesting results. Sometimes cool unique stuff happens and I'm really happy to be in the right place at the right time. This was NOT one of those times. Too much nakedness and nowhere to hide. Other people taking their shoes off and bowing low on the ground before the NAKED man with the very large stomach. I was wearing hiking shoes. These babies don't just come off at a moment's notice. And so I stand there awkwardly. Bowing doesn't show off my best features anyway.

STONED foreign man sat next to me that evening doing the best he could to hammer his hash flat (to save 20 rupees on the postage) so that he could post it home. I could have done a much better job, however I wish to stay out of jail for the next 20 years.

ANGRY man was our taxi driver. We managed to haggle a good price for our trip home , however I feared for my life many times during that journey. So much anger. It seemed like a good idea at the time - to save 10 rupees (20 cents) but imagine if I died because of scrimping on 20 cents?!

India English makes me laugh all the time.

Favourite advertisement of the week?

www.matrimonyclassifieds.com

Four Pictures and a Padlock

As of yet, I am quite uneducated about where I'm actually heading in India.
However I did buy a padlock this week. And an extra camera battery. I am somewhat prepared.
I did a google search on one of the areas we're going and came across the previous pics.
Quite excited.

Cinderella: A Grumpy Teenage Stepdaughter.

On the home stretch now. 2 weeks left of uni and then completo! (not a real word)
Unfortunately this last 2 weeks involves self-motivated study. Exams. Not my forte.

I feel like I've found my feet at uni mostly now. Or at least, I've found my feet walking to the cafe for regular coffee consumption. Trying to find a good balance of being involved in happenings around campus. Trying to break out of myself and live with courage.

CALL+RESPONSE went really well. Have I not blogged since then!? Had an amazing response, 10x more people than we hoped for and I'm thinking of ways to continue this good story into the next semester. Would be good to find people who are keen to be involved and join forces.

I'm loving Donald Miller's thoughts in A Million Miles. Don't even have my copy currently, its on loan, but his encouragement to live a good story follows me around. I shared this with a few friends last night and Don, you probably should start giving me a percentage of sales. I can sell this book to anyone.

In particular, I was thinking that in order to live a good story, the character must overcome conflict to reach his goals. In any movie we root for the main guy because we think his cause is worth it. Because something about his goals was attractive to us.

Or as I read in a completely unrelated book today:

A fairy story about two slightly plain sisters and a mildly menopausal stepmother trying to do the right thing toward her grumpy teenage stepdaughter wouldn't have worked. Hence, Cinderella is reduced to good and evil, selfish versus selfless, beauty versus ugliness.

I want to chase things that are worth it. To have goals that are attractive. Part of something bigger.

So I set a new (short-term) cause/goal/adventure. A climax to the current chapter? Plans for India in Jan/Feb. Gotta use that backpack again. Stretch my itchy feet. Help them last another year walking that uni cafe route. (I have secret plans for Europe again in a year. Sssh.)

But first, got to survive exams. I learnt (and promptly forgot) the German word for the 'home stretch' & 'sprint at the end of a race' etc yesterday. I have the memory of a goldfish.
Anyway, I'd like to use that word now to describe the next couple of weeks.
But my goldfish ate it. I'll have to get back to you on that one.