Happy Birthday Anna!

Tax day is also Anna's birthday, so the entire program plus Sam went out to dinner at a restaurant called drumstick. This is an appropriate name since they have a drum kit and guitars that the boys played after dinner.

The food was really good, except for the pineapple fried rice. I guess it's not yet pineapple season in the mountains. Nor is it mango season, because they're still 120 rupees per kilo every time we ask the fruit man.

Anyway, Anna got chocolate tea for her birthday drink. We weren't exactly sure what it was, because it had tea leaves in it but smelled like chocolate. Thoughts?

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Baaaaaaaack

The internet cut out for a while, and then we came back from spring break and moved into hotels (which was actually the same as spring break, given that I've been living with Liz for about a month now). That, combined with the fact that I suddenly have a ton of work that takes almost no intellectual capacity, made me angry. Tibetan class today involved fortune telling by picking cards that depicted different parts of the Buddha's life. Also, it was raining.

Sadly, the combination of these things make me feel like I have less interesting things to write about, but I'm getting back in the game because maybe blogging is what I've been missing. So hopefully the return of the blog will coincide with the return of fun activities. On the way to lunch Nellie, Liz and I saw the smallest puppy ever with a cute Indian child. Clearly on the upswing.

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Predicament

My laundry (two buckets' worth) is soaking in the bathroom. I want to rinse it out and hang it up to dry so it will be clean tomorrow (not that it matters, since I have way too much clothing). However, it is freezing and if I rinse the soap out of my clothes my hands will almost assuredly go numb. So I am going to let my laundry soak a little longer.

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Puri Photos

Julia, Liz, Nellie, and me on the shores of Puri.

Julia and I put our feet in the Bay of Bengal. Liz and Nellie didn't join because they didn't have sandals, and because some Indians use parts of the beach as a toilet (not the part we were on). The fishermen double as life guards and wear ridiculous hats.

I ate a whole fish for dinner two nights in a row. It had probably been caught that day. As you can see, it was completely covered with peppers, tomatoes, and whole cloves of garlic (I kid you not). Did I mention it was delicious?

The four of us went to the Sun Temple in Konark. This photo doesn't do justice to how big it is. It's huge, and no longer a living temple (i.e. no one prays there). Instead, it's an archeological site, and has a ton of amazingly intricate carvings, including tantric carvings. Also, it was really sunny and hot (major plus. I am wearing a jacket again in McLeod. Le sigh.)

Spring Break in Photos: Delhi and Agra

Humayun's Tomb at sunrise. Liz and I went here after our overnight bus ride. This is a photo tour of our whirlwind 30 hours in Delhi and Agra, which included not having train tickets back from Agra to Delhi and carrying our bags everywhere.

I really enjoy self timed photos. We are on top of part of a tomb. There were Indians exercising in the park, which is the only time I've seen people exercising over here. The complex has 160 people entombed.

Then we went to the Lotus Temple, which is a Bahai'i temple that is silent inside and gorgeous. It has no decorations, just ros and rows of pews and high ceilings. It reminded me of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York.

Then we went to the house where Gandhi lived his last 144 days, and stood on the spot where he was shot.

Cliche Taj Mahal photo. Which is also fabulous. The Taj Mahal is gigantic and gorgeous and brilliantly white and you should check out the story behind it if you don't already know it.

Spring break

My internet phone decided not to work for the first part of our travels, while Julia, Nellie, Liz and I were in Puri. It was kind of nice to read our books, eat a lot, and not do too much else, so I'm on blog break until the end of holiday, as they call it here. I leave you with the fishing village at sunrise.

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Happy birthday part 2

Elizabeth and I had meat for dinner in an air conditioned restaurant with silverware and waiters and modern chairs. We both had forgotten how to sit up straight and put napkins on our laps and eat with forks. We also felt underdressed. What does this tell you about our normal lifestyle?

All that food was less than 15 dollars. Thanks mom!

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