Bharat

Instead of rehashing each thing I did during my month in India, I am going to take the more concise (and easier) route of telling you one thing I did each day. Sound good?

Well, too bad. I'm in charge here.

Day 1: watched people play cricket in a park in Mumbai
Day 2: went to Elephanta island and learned the story of Shiva
Day 3: got my picture taken on the old woman's shoe
Day 4: woke up super early to see the dock madness
Day 5: finished a 29 hour train ride in Kochi
Day 6: enjoyed an ayurvedic massage
Day 7: couldn't find a rickshaw at three in the morning
Day 8: saw elephants, deer, squirrels, butterflies, bison, warhogs, and other animals in Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
Day 9: took a ferry through the backwaters to Aleppi
Day 10: rented a house boat for the day and ate dinner with some new friends
Day 11: had our ticket checked four times on the train to Goa
Day 12: bought a horribly written book on how to learn Hindi in 30 days
Day 13: cheered Shane on during an open mike music night on the beach
Day 14: got a new tattoo
Day 15: arrived in Bangalore and met with my couch surfing host
Day 16: made fisherman's sandwiches
Day 17: attended Festival of Life 2009 and listened to Delirious, an evangelist, and Hillsong
Day 18: missed the banana crumble
Day 19: worked on a farm for the first time in my life
Day 20: acquired groceries and bread at the local grocer and baker
Day 21: irrigated lettuce and rice
Day 22: didn't ask the Dalai Lama inappropriate questions
Day 23: blistered my hands digging beds for eggplants
Day 24: built a bonfire for 60 Indian kids from an elite school in the North
Day 25: harvested vargue while the kids "helped"
Day 26: drove a scooter to a jazz concert
Day 27: left Auroville... :(
Day 28: nearly missed my train
Day 29: received food from my train compartment friends
Day 30: flew home [to Cairo]

*BONUS SECTION*

hours spent traveling by train: 91
motorcycle accidents: 1
motorcycle accidents involving children: 1
cows attacked by: 2
movies watched: 7
states visited: 5
souvenirs purchased: 4
money spent: too much
homeless kids seen: too many
friends made: a lot
life experiences that will never be forgotten (assuming no blows to the head): 1

Tune in next week for the pre-game on my second—and final—semester at AUC.

P.S. I have uploaded pictures to my Picasa account. Enjoy.

India

So... I'm in India. Have been for almost two weeks now. I'm not in the mood to recount all my adventures, suffice to say they've been life-alteringly fantastic, as per usual.

Tomorrow I set out for Auroville, the place where I shall be working for a couple of weeks. Everything I've heard about it sounds great, such as the friend of a friend who went for two weeks and stayed for two years, and the other friend of the same friend who went for two weeks and stayed for five.

I think that sounds like a good idea?

Anywho... I've been keeping a pencil and paper journal so far, so if you're actually interested in hearing about India and my story about it, ask me to look at it sometime. Assuming I come back. :)

Talk to you later, when/if I return to Egypt, I suppose. Bye.