- the head bobble.
- kids who run up to you grinning to wave and say “hi!”
- kids who run away from you grinning when you respond in kind (not the running part, just the waving and saying “hi!”).
- cows.
- being encouraged to go to this dude’s cafe where he serves cannabis oil in coffee. “it’s like, boom shaka laka” (I am not kidding).
- the smells of the market (flowers and incense and oils).
- bright white teeth set against lovely dark skin.
- snickers bars with hindi wrappers.
- pairs of men/boys holding hands (not gay, just affectionate).
- pair of girls holding hands (wearing identical school uniforms).
- my Sanskrit professor repeating “listen properly, friends.”
- Sharath saying “why you rush, Japanese? you hungry?”
- (speaking of hungry…) masala dosa, idles, samosa, and some sweet ball of sugar I discovered at a (wait for it) “sweets shop.”
- and coffee.
- young coconuts and all they conceal.
- the guy who hacks the coconuts open with a (rusty) machete.
- the hacking open of the coconuts with a (rusty) machete.
- breakfast!
- beautiful smelling strings of flowers.
- the fact that I have a gang of Indian dudes who hang out at the house who we literally refer to as “Prakash and the boys.”
- Prakash and the boys.
- diversity of roommates (I may not hear English spoken for 2 months, which means I’ll be confused for 2 months).
- Nicolas tucking rupees into the top of his doti and saying it is “like a strip teaser, no?”
- bad ass, world traveling, multi-lingual, nonprofit running, rock climbing Yogis.
- Waking up at 4:30 to the sound of 75 people chanting “vande gurunam…” across the street.
- chanting “vande gurunam…” across the street.
- Practice.
- Practice.
- Practice.
January 10, 2011
Love love love