incredible india

i made it home from india. my hair is washed, my nails are cleaned, my digestive system may never be the same again. this was the toughest trip i’ve ever taken in many respects. the logistics were difficult, modes of transport were unreliable, the poverty was unbelievable, the people were varied and intriguing. it was one bizarre experience after another, with little time to internalize and reflect; a constant assault on the senses. our emotions ran the gamut. shocking, stunning, surreal, incredible india. goats wearing sweater vests, spongy breads soaked with rich curries, airport riots, races to the bathroom, relentless beggars, sanitation nightmares, evening curfews, monstrous victorian buildings and slick furniture stores sandwiching shanty towns, roads completely congested with cows/hawkers/rickshaws/pedestrians/motorcycles/packs of dogs, rip-offs/scams, huge curious eyes, intimate religious rituals, beautiful fabrics in vibrant colors, slowly blooming but warm smiles… this list could span pages, but i’m going to need some time to marinate in this experience before i can relay it with any accuracy or depth.

"So far as I am able to judge, nothing has been left undone, either by man or nature, to make India the most extraordinary country that the sun visits on his rounds. Nothing seems to have been forgotten, nothing overlooked."
Mark Twain

i hope you enjoyed the holidays. i can’t imagine an experience that could have put the commercialism and greediness of the christmas season in a more telling light. india is the world’s second most populous nation, home to 1.03 billion people. we mostly witnessed life in the cities where a huge chunk of the poplulation was poor to an extent that most people i know would have trouble even imagining. day after day, watching families scavenge for food, squat on land overrun with garbage piles, beg for necessities, cook dinner over a fire in the middle of a sidewalk in busy downtown bombay. it makes you think about the lot you drew in life, how different your circumstances could have been and makes you uncomfortably aware of your good fortune and health. it also made me incredibly thankful for the family and friends i have. thank you all for taking such good care of me during the holidays and throughout the year with your love. although your affection and friendship is the most valuable gift, i also appreciate the contributions you make to me materially.

it really was like a childhood xmas this year…i had wrapped packages to tear into that brought lots of goodies from afar. the overwhelming consensus was that i need to eat more, lots more. 10-4, roger good buddies. i’ll get to gobbling up all the welcome foodstuffs as soon as my digestive system agrees to cooperate with me again. i sincerely thank you all.