Observations – Redux – March 16

1. Coming Home
I leave the Ashram one week from tomorrow morning, March 24th. I leave Delhi on the 26th and Taipei, almost at midnight, on the 27th. Because of crossing the International Dateline I will have two March 27ths (to make up for the January 21st I lost), so will land in San Francisco about 5 hours BEFORE I leave Taipei. Last time this happened – when I was coming home from China - I thought about how I could commit a crime right after my return and be able to prove I was in China at the time of the crime. I could actually try it this time. Perhaps I won’t.

I have such mixed feelings. Last night at Arati (evening prayers) at Rishikesh with Kavita I kept staring at the “monkey foot bridge”(where monkeys wait to pounce on you to get any food you have) and told myself to put this memory in a safe place so I could bring it up whenever I want to re-examine it. I found myself looking at the big, fat, red Indian sun sinking over the Ganga and thought, “will I ever see it again?” I found myself staring at everything saying, “this is the last time I will see the Rishikesh bazaar,” “this is the last time I will see Kavita’s house,” and so on. On the other hand, I think I drove in my last taxi in the Haridwar area – still have Delhi taxis to deal with. That is no loss!

I also can’t wait to get home. I have missed my family and friends and my beloved, beautiful California. I miss Pacific Grove, my wonderful neighbors in the “four corners” (the four houses at the intersection of Bentley and Heacock), my colleagues at MS Quality of Life Project, the Aquarium staff . . . everybody. Helen, save a date in early April for a road trip. I hope the wildflowers will be out in Jolon. And, to think, I will be a passenger in your car that actually has seat belts! What a concept.

But my heart also clutches when I think about leaving the 68 children I have fallen in love with here at the Ashram. At this point I don’t think I am going into Haridwar again so will not be able to download more photos until I get to the hotel in Delhi. I have so many of the Ashram and school children to share with you, photos of the water carriers and Mussoorie, and so on. If I can’t download them in India, check my blog one last time after the 28th when I am finally back home.

It is all bittersweet.

2. Donna’s suggestions on what you should pack if traveling to a developing nation.

When I reread my first blog entries I have to laugh. What a mess I made of packing – all because I gave away one of my checked bags to the Ashram. But if I were re-doing the journey I would still give them one of my bags – they really need the poundage to carry supplies for the Ashram children. So, if I had to do it all over – what are the most important things to bring?
1. My bed pad from REI. It wasn’t thick but it made an incredible difference. Indian beds are really hard and I have a hard time sleeping on them without it.
2. My sleeping bag – yes I could have used a thick Ashram Indian duvet but the problem I had with them is that they are incredibly heavy and not all that warm. They are REALLY heavy. My sleeping bag provided incredible warmth and it was light. Loved it.
3. My flannel sheet – absolutely indispensable in those first freezing weeks.
4. My REI head light – the light that is on a band that I wore around my head (think coal miner). Who would have thought? The problem is that in every single place I slept I had to get up to turn out the lights when it was time to go to sleep. I have trouble falling asleep to begin with – and getting out of a toasty bed to walk across a FREEZING room to turn off the light was completely unacceptable. Instead, I would turn off the light, jump into bed, turn on the headlight and read as long as I wanted. My roommates never complained of light bothering their eyes.
5. My little (again REI) flashlight – excuse me, torch. I kept it in my purse at all times. I have trouble with depth perception in the dark – and sometimes I was out later than I thought I would be. My flashlight made my late ventures so much safer
6. My flash drive (actually a gift several years ago from my beloved cousin, Bonnie – the blue bracelet one, Bonnie, remember?). I could write my blog entries on my laptop, tweak them until I was happy, and then transfer them to the Ashram computer via the flash drive. Then they could get posted onto my blog. Same with my photos. Many Internet café folks helped me find inaccessible USB ports to connect my flash drive.
7. My 12 clothespins – I used them for the obvious reason but also to hold my place in my Nancy Drew notebook, hold papers together, hold my Punjabi suit tops on the hangers (they would slide off), etc. When one broke I mourned it – had to do the wash one day sooner!
8. A shawl. I bought a light wool one very early in my time here – what a blessing! If the wind came up I just tucked it around me. If my legs were cold in bed, I wrapped it around them. I had not packed warm clothes for Mussoorie – who thought? My feet were freezing when I went to bed one night and they would not warm up. I finally took off my socks, wrapped the wool shawl around them and they were so toasty warm in just a few minutes that I kicked the shawl off. I used it to supplement a hotel pillow that was too soft, used it to sit on a seat that was really cold. It may not be the cleanest shawl at this time – but it was indispensable.

3. Things I wish I HAD brought:
1. Flip flops – Major mistake. Bathrooms here are not as hygienic as we like. I never wanted to go barefoot in a bathroom. I was a fool not to remember to bring a pair – but, DUH, they are sold everywhere - so soon bought a pair here that I love. I am now using them exclusively. It is getting hot and I can’t bear the thought of socks and shoes.
2. Plastic water bottle – I had one but threw it out somewhere in transit – too bulky to hide from China Air. Instead I kept refilling water bottles I bought here in India – but they get wrinkled and squishy in my purse after a week or so.

4. Delhi
Well, folks, I made a big decision. I decided I was being a weenie about Delhi and I should stretch myself right to the very end. So, guess what I did? I cancelled the expensive reservation at the Imperial Hotel and went to the opposite extreme – I have a new reservation at the Y. Yes, the Y. However, it is an excellent Y. Betsy stayed there on her way into India and described it as having rooms like the Ashram. They have a good dining room and lounge area, computer rooms etc. It's in a good neighborhood, at a central location. So, I called and booked a single room with my own bath and hot shower. It is $35 a night instead of $350! I also have the name of her taxi driver who drove her around for 2 days – will call tomorrow and book him as well. However I do intend to have tea at the Imperial – and will remember tea at Harrods. Where are you, Jenna, Pattie, Stephanie and Melinda so we can recreate it together? Mary, were you with us? Ah, memory is such a challenge these days?

By the way, don’t feel sorry for me. I am using the money I save to help pay for the rent of a condo in Maui – I am going with Stephanie, Dan, Lee and Celeste for 8 days at the end of April. I can already feel the tropical breezes (and the banana kahlua coladas) calling me – and I can’t wait to have 8 days with my beloved children that I miss terribly and the two people they (and I) love What fun we are going to have. Nermala, who lives in Maui, and I have already agreed to meet for lunch. I also have to pick the day I will pretend I am staying at the Hyatt – and sneak in and use their pool – maybe the finest pool I ever swam in. It’s so great to be “of a certain age.” They NEVER suspect me of being an interloper.