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India equals...

--going to a chinese restaurant last night! the UN would be proud.

--a dog who shows his friendliness by biting you continuously. seriously, he likes me though.

--an astrologer who gives out his cell number and also mostly negative predictions for the new year.

--hot weather. different parts of my body choose to sweat profusely in shifts. yesterday it was my thighs. the day before the backs of my knees. today my left armpit.

--a multitude of holidays. there was one last week (new year) and another one this week (religious). this namely means sweet sweet desserts.

--my sister. girly time and shopping. oh and in case you were wondering, shopping malls smell the same everywhere. exactly disturbingly the same.

--you want the traffic? you can't handle the traffic!


photo courtesy of Flickr and Bill Rini

--a vacation within a vacation to Ooty, a hill station in the south. it was bee-ooty-ful. no, i won't apologize for that.

--a tour guide/aspiring photographer who takes plenty of privileges with his "too good. very good. you will remember it for years, madam" photo shoot and when he tries to pose you at the edge of a cliff and you try to protest, he coos "don't worried, madam! if you slip, it's broken bones but you listen me please and slip you no!"

--roadside carrot vendors. an excellent afternoon snack. the carrots, not the vendors.

--turning on the TV to discover the Indian John Basedow.

--reading a 1000-page novel about an ex-con's adventures in Mumbai that continues to astound. about halfway through.

--occasional Internet because this keyboard hates the letter O.

--roping fruit and watching it fall with a satisfying thud only to discover it's not ripe enough. it was well worth the experiment.

--music everywhere. but everyone also sings.

--discovering Indian bread pudding (double ka meetha). priceless.