Changing climates

The sun's been shining and I have ventured away from home a bit- to the local strip mall. Driving feels different because my reflexes have changed- I don't trust other driver to follow road rules. The only good thing is that I drive alot slower for now. This week I venture into the city to run errands and to begin to reconnect with old colleagues and friends.

By the way, thanks for the phone calls. I will call soon.

I very much have the feeling that this place is deserted despite the fact that everyone was outside enjoying their reprieve from a wintery blast this past week. I find myself searching for the vendors, people on the sidewalks, betel nut spittle, the incessant background noise of honking cars...I took my dog for a walk near home. Normally it's a peaceful walk for me as I talk to him and think or plan, but this particular time I felt a little scared. What solitude looks like has changed temporarily I think.

These days life is in a holding pattern again.

Jetlag

I am in the US again. It's been less than 48 hours. It's almost 7am and the sun hasn't even peeked out yet. I am so used to the sun waking me up with its brilliance. The weather on the east coast is dreary. I can't sleep.

Observations in Mysooru (Mysore)

One- a tree seemed to be planted in the middle of the road. i was told that it was not planted but served as a manhole cover as the steel lid was missing.

Two- I saw five sane adults playing with mud on a sidewalk. In fact they were searching for gold. They gather the dust and dirt on the streets near the goldsmiths' shops and mine the dirt for gold bits. Then they sell the bits back to the goldsmith.

Three- I learned that often the cows, buffaloes, and goats that I see in the road belong to people who let them graze in the street. These people live in villages that have become trapped in cities as the city has sprawled out rapidly over the years.

Homeward bound

I am not sure if anyone still reads this thing as i am a bit deliquent about updating. Anyway, FYI: heading to the US in less than two weeks. I have mixed feelings about leaving, but I am happy to see my family and friends after so long.

I was in Mumbai again just a few days ago and I remembered that exactly 20 years ago I was petrified of that city and now I love it and all of its chaos,and more importantly i feel at home there. Just as I have become comfortable in this country and have finally stoppped missing New York, I am leaving.

My mom claims that I am a wanderer and one of her favourite jokes about me and my sister that she tells people is that we were born with wheels on our feet. On some level this is true- just as I begin to stop thinking about my environment and seeing only what exists in my microcosm i become restless and seek change. This experience has been different in that I am very much entrenched in my personal life here, but I haven't stopped noticing the world around me. I love how alive and curious I feel all of the time. There is so much more to learn here and I am still open to learning . Hopefully I will create the chance to come back and live in this country again.