january 2, 2007

halloo! your country, madame?

well, nainital is looking up. just in time because i return to delhgi in the morning. i am taking the chance on another bus. well, there really is no other option, anyway! so i leave tonight at 9 pm and the tour guy SWORE to me we will be in delhi by 6am. i asked "no stop...start...stop...start?" he said "no no, staright through!" i'm not sure if i believe him....but we'll see. indians are very good at telling you what you want to hear.

so yesterday was fun! i hung out and relaxed, read my book on the balcony of my hotel. walked down the street to buy my bus ticket and found the frenchies having lunch. so i joined them, and it was a delight to speak to some westerners after feeling so lonely for a day or so. we had fun converstaions about what america is really like. it is interesting to hear the other world view of america. sad, really. they were really nice and funny and it was a good chat.

then i went for a boat ride in the lake, which wasn't exactly thrilling, but the views were nice. i felt like i had to do it as part of being a tourist here, you know.

then i went and got a day member ship to the nainital boating club. this si the british architecture place i was telling you about before. it was so cool! it felt so royal in there! i drank a beer and read my book. it got cold so i joined some indians near the fire and we had good conversations about america (again) and about india and the differences. the man i mainly talked to , mr. sah, was a retired english professor at the local university. i also met the chemistry professor who was younger and very nice as well. of course we got on the subkect of dating, and mr. sah asked me if i have sex with my boyfriends!!! i do not think he was coming on to me or anything, i think he has heard that all american girls are whores, and he wanted to know what was what. i told him no, i have never had sex. really, i was only bending the truth. i felt there was no way i could explain to him how things work and have him understand. it got complicated and i veered away from that topic.

people also have trouble when finding out i am a jeweler (sonaar). they think this must make me very rich. or they think i import/export. it is just unheard of almost for a woman to make the jewelry herself. but whatever.

so i had a great night's sleep, although i feel i am fighting a cold, probabvly due to the horrible bus ride and messed up sleeping i had going on. my new hotel was fantastic, worth the splurge on money just to be warm. and it was fascnating to watch indian tv morning news. i loved it!

i found out that there is all this fog in delhi whihc is messing up the trains and planes. i thought miss kora manheimer's flight might be affected and indeed it has been. she is running a day late, which is fine because i am too. i am looking forward to talking to another native english speaking person. already i am back in halted english communication mode. "My country U.S.A...india!! i love!! 3rd time india!!!"

so this morning i went and had a delightful breakfast by the lake...scrabled eggs on toast with french fries and chai. then as i was walking back to the hotel i was accosted by a man with pics f his horse ride tour. rs 500. so i said okay, come get me in 15 minutes. off wen went up to te top of the mountain where i saw many lovely views. i hopped on my horse and he hopped on his and we were off! it was wonderful! i mean, the views were frigging amazing! i could see so far as the weather to day is lovely and the sky is perfectly blue. i found out i am not exactly in the himalayas, but in the kumao mountains which are technically the foothills of the himalayas. he said we are at 7500 ft??? but i am no good with such measurements and i could have misunderstood him. i will google it for next time and let you know. but my horse was very nice and very used to the path. we went to 4 different look out spots and it was awesome and well worth the money. then i got dropped off and walked back down to nainital on this road where i got to go by all the local's houses and it was fun peeking inside and seeing their yards and stuff. i got some great pics! totally amazng views, really!!!! and it was delightfully warm in the sun!

so i am going to take it easy the rest of the day. read my book...drink some chai or perhaps some nescafe! ha! the nescafe actually tastes very good...it is the unpastuerized milk. i am remembering about being patient in india, about taking things as they come, about beng willing to just do nothing and appreciate it. these are all lessons i often forget in real life, so perhaps the more i learn them here, the more they will carry over to my real life. do you think? i hate the phrase "be in the moment" but here, that is actually what i am learning to do.

so, until tomorrow my friends!
hey, and thanks to those who have emailed, keep 'em coming...it helps me feel connected and i need it! thanks!
jo