-Walking onto Air India to see Indian air hostesses in saris, bindis, and henna and realizing that I was on my way to India.
-Not being able to leave! Trapped in Delhi airport.
-Waking up in Galder village outside to sunrise, rooster, and baby goats.
-Halloween pagan ritual in Galder with dancing, music, pumpkins, and Indian children. And Dianna's halloween mustache.
-Hiking in the Himalaya mountains above Mcleod Ganj. And doing it with Australians who were seeing snow for the first time.
-Hiking down the Himalayas alone, in complete solitude and exercise, serotonin induced bliss.
-Molly being proposed to on overnight train.
-Seeing Bollywood movies: Golmaal Returns and Om Shanti Om.
-Watching Diwali celebrations from rooftop restaurant in Udaipur.
-Choki Dhani, the make believe village outside of Jaipur. Sitting on the floor, eating off of dishes made from banana leaves, seeing traditional performances, and getting unforgettable five minute Indian upper body and head massage.
-Being woken on overnight train to ragged beggers with a young girl patting my arm, saying shamelessly with her hand outstretched, "200. 200. 500. 800. 800 Rupees. 600? 600. " while the rest smirked and stared.
-Vomitting on overnight train, running back and forth to bathroom alternating with the six sick, unfortunate others, and hanging my head over the Indian train bathroom hole in the ground watching the ground pass below.
-In one day, having my ass grabbed in the subway and a man telling me, "you are very beautiful. I would like to f**k you."
-Roadside romeos. All of them.
-Girls getting noses pierced in Udaipur: being led upstairs from shop into what was clearly someone's bedroom, having nose rings cleaned in what was quite probably beer, and having noses pierced by hand by a woman who claims to have pierced Melanie B.'s nose (one of the Spice Girls.)
-In Udaipur, after nose piercings, being told pick-up lines by Indian boy and being invited on his motorcycle--all three of us--for tea. "If I could I would rearrange the alphbet and put U and I together." "Oh, you look tired. It must be because you've been running through my mind all night."
-Indian Thalis with endless food. Indian food, period.
-Not having to jump through hoops to find vegetarian food and instead watching the carnivore men in our group jump through hoops just to find food with meat.
-Indian buses. Full of people, no shocks, game-of-chicken like driving, and driving with passengers on the roof.
-Indian rickshaws. Pushy, mad drivers who weave through traffic and risk your life to make better time...and for their own sick pleasure.
-An audience of men watching us sit and read on an Indian train that were then shooed away by armed military guards.
-India's ability to make anything out of dairy (chai tea, every existing dessert, palak paneer and many curries) and India's complete lack of any sort of lactose intolerance enzymes at any pharmacies. Anywhere.
-Last dinner in India with Abby. After a stressful day, a cheap meal in a hole in the wall restaraunt that made both a perfect last meal in India and Thanksgiving dinner.
-Volunteering in Rogpa shop in Mcleod Ganj and dancing with Richie behind the counter while making sandwiches.
-Making a mural for a charity shop in the Dali Lama's home in exile!
-Getting my ear cleaned (only one) in Delhi on the street.
-Being called "didi" (sister) by six sisters in Galder village.
-Giardia!
-Paying less than $2 USD for a doctor visit and three differents medications combined.
-Indians staring.
-Feeding monkeys with Ama La in Mcleod Ganj as a dozen closed in on me.
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