saturday

well,

today is my last full day here. i leave tomorrow night around 11:30pm to go to the airport. i am feeling a little sad. i was beginning to think i am not terribly excited about coming back to india. but then, i started reading this book called "shantaram" and my mind did a complete reverse. this is an excellent book, people, and for those of you who like a good story, you must get it.

this book is so good at describing the thing about india that i like the most. the author puts in in these terms...india is all about the heart, and indians are quick to love. this is so very true and wonderful and beautiful. and when i was reminded of this i looked around, and i felt it. despite the jerks on the train, despite the dirt everywhere, despite the absolute insanity...indians are all about the heart.

i ran into a friend of mine i amde on my last trip and i had chai with him. maybe i told you this in my last post...but after having chai, he told me i was now his best best BEST friend. this is what i mean by indians being quick to love. this is such a sweet notion for a 24 yr old man...in the US would this happen? no way!

i got som henna done yesterday on my hands and feet for my trip home. i love the feet but the hands are a little cheesy. i got black henna vs the natural red henna. then i bought some henna to bring home with me for a ladie's night henna party. i realized that the black henna is actually hair dye!! very funny...now i am feeling a little embarrassed byt this hair dye covering my hands. when indians see it, they are probably rolling their eyes and laughing at my naive tourist self.

i have been talking to some interesting foreigners here at the restaraunt in delhi. i met a black woman form nyc last nigh and it was really interesting to see her talking to indians. she is here buying stuff to sell at street fairs. hmm...maybe an idea for me?? anyway, i also chatted with an intersting british lady this AM and also and australian man who was having some trouble with a tour operator here who he was actually planning on SUING. i think he is wasting his energy, but whatever. in india, you must have the capability to just cut your losses sometimes or else you will drive yourself nuts. this is NOT the western world. and if you get caught in one of their money scams, you just lose money. i think you need to be smart enough to not get involved in the 1st place.

today i am going shopping. i have a list of gifts to buys and i am excited. then tomorrow i meet up with arnab, my indian friend from myspace. we talked on the phone yesterday and he had the most proper british english with the indian lilt, it was delightful. he and i are having lunch. i also will meet up with hema from the jewelry school to talk about what she might like to try to teach at penland. i am going to try and hook her up with a teaching job there sometime. either for traditional jewelry techniques or traditional embroidery techniques. i hope it works out and they want her to teach because then she can come visit and stay with me and i can show her around!!!!

so...that's the agenda. i'm feeling like my eyes need to drink everything in before i go. my mouth needs to eat delicious meals, and i need to relish the two days i have left. i am SO EXCITED to come home, though! so much fun things to do there....though i am also remembering all the busy work i have to take care of such as booking hotels for craft fairs, getting my booth in order, ordering electricty for the craft fairs, ordering materials to make jewelry, blah blah blah....i will put off those thoughts for a few more days, though.

namaste
jo