Valentine’s Day - February 14

I am eating, get ready, a piece of See’s candy! Can you believe it? I can’t. A new arrival at the Ashram brought a box with her and passed it around at dinner in honor of St Valentine’s Day. I hadn’t realized it was Valentine’s Day but I happily took a piece. I put it in front of me on the dining table – above the usual rice and 2 types of veggie curry. Oh, it was BEAUTIFUL. I love See’s candies – I know them so well I know what is inside most of the pieces in a box. I was uncertain about this one, though. I knew it was too round to be my absolute favorite (chocolate butter cream) but prayed it was not one of the icky date ones. I had to wait an hour to eat it given the advice from Ravishankar about sweets and meals. So there it sat. I stayed downstairs for a half hour talking with folks then came up and emailed an ashram in Rishikish to make a reservation for a 3-day visit AND booked a different hotel in Delhi. I have decided to end the trip on a grand scale. Seeing as I was already paying $250 a night for the Delhi hotel that is in a lousy location I decided to pay an extra $100 a night and go to one of the top hotels in Delhi – The Imperial. Pattie, Mary, Jenna and Melinda – remember tea at Harrods? It’s the equivalent place – and has afternoon tea! It is also right off Cannaught Circle – the major shopping area of Delhi. I decided that after 10 weeks of a bucket shower I am going to end it RIGHT!!! I am excited – and talk about a change in feeling about my return to Delhi.

I made the reservation, got the confirmation, and then came back and took the first bite of the See’s candy. Thank goodness – it was another favorite – a raspberry truffle. I ate it slowly - savored every single luscious bit. Never has See’s tasted so good. Never. And it was dark chocolate - which I usually avoid. Ah, what deprivation does. YUMMMM.

The bad news is I think I am finally catching the illness that has been going around. I felt the first scratchiness of a sore throat early this morning. Ate breakfast with a colleague who is an acupuncturist. He gave me some herbs to take (pill form, thankfully) and they have dried me up nicely. He’ll give me a treatment if I want it – right in my room. So, one day Ayurvedic, the next, Acupuncture.

The dhobi returned all my clothes today – I bless my dhobi. Again, the clothes were interwoven into one beautiful work of art. I love taking apart the layer of socks. I took a photo and will post it when I am able. Otherwise, I have taken it easy. Spent a good hour in the sun to bake out the chest congestion – it felt wonderful. Some monkeys arrived, the dogs barked, the men-who–watch-for-monkeys were on the chase. It IS comical. The men run and blow a loud whistle, the dogs get into an absolute frenzy, and the monkeys wait until the last moment then pop over the wall to escape. They are a nuisance – they eat the crops, try to get into the building where they create chaos and can be a tad menacing. But you just have to laugh when you watch it all unfold.

It is still very cold at night. It is better (get ready – my underwear dried in just 24 hours!) during the day, but, oh, the nights. I have not worn my jacket to bed in a week or so – but still wear my nightgown, silk long underwear, bathrobe and thick socks. I crawl into my wonderful flannel king-size sheet (doubled over), stick my feet in the bottom well of the mummy bag, and then flop the unzippered rest of the bag over me. I can’t keep it zippered because I need to have it upside down – I put the part that you usually tighten around your face over my face at night. In fact I create a little igloo. I have the flannel sheet loosely over my face then I tuck my head into the pocket of the mummy bag that is meant for the back of your head. When I bend my knees, there is suddenly space in my igloo. I put on my headband with the attached light and I read. I am toasty warm within 20 minutes or so. I have to do all this because it is too cold to read with my head or, God forbid, my arms, outside of my igloo. When I am ready to sleep I am usually a little too warm so I create an itty-bitty opening to the outside COLD world.

Yes, I keep telling myself, the incredible Himalayas are only 100 miles away. Yes, I know it will get warmer. Yes, it may actually be hot by the time I leave – but not now. Of course I must remember, I came in the year of the record cold spell in North India!