Kites, Cameras, Camping!

Uttarayan - The Kite Festival in Ahmedabad, India was a soaring success! Another big Thanks goes out to Ravi for convincing me to take that 39 hour (versus 40+ as I had expected. SO much better) train ride west - it was more than worth it!

Upon arrival in Ahmed, I took a quick bucket shower (although I needed a little more ;) and joined a group of locals and two Russian girls, Nastia and Sveta, on a small trip into town. They, like me, had been coaxed into coming west by Ravi and we quickly became friends. The next day, the three of us took an audio guided tour around town, visiting some of the major sites and markets. Small streets teemed with people not only buying their usual items, but also searching for the sharpest string (who would have thought string should ever be sharp?), multicolored and neatly spun, the freshest snacks of toasted and roasted goodies and of course the best kites, precisely shaped. That evening, we attended Alpesh's Birthday, which in proper Indian style, had a DJ, plenty of dancing and delicious home cooked food (and Gujarati dishes became one of my favorite Indian foods)!

On day one of the festival, the three of us foreigners arrived at the house around 11am, much much too late for the serious kite flyers of Ahmedabad, some of whom started as early as 4am! Friends and family sat around the living room stringing hundreds of kites (which is an art we learned) and soon enough we were up on the rooftop with millions of others ready to take to the skies. We all tried our hand at kite flying - kite fighting is quite a bit more advanced for a beginner like me and I am sad to say I lost every time! I was simply in awe of the scene and could barely put my camera down! After a brief lunch break, the flying resumed.

Every telephone and electrical wire were decorated in brightly colored tissue tatters and shards of wicker. Tens of thousands of fluttering rainbow manta rays, hopes and joys, slicing through the air, rising and falling, battling for space, for supremacy, rooftops suddenly bursting into raucous cheers of victory, bonding of generations, of neighbors and even of cultures - everyone wanted a chance to teach us! Kites littered the roof, patiently waiting their turn to soar. As the day progressed, food and freshly brewed chai appeared, music intensified and came from more and more directions, fervor grew and above all the cacophony, the city's huge smile could be heard.

The sun set slowly, relishing the sight of the polka-dotted sky and before the last rays dropped below the horizon, the fireworks began. Again, unlike regular fireworks displays, there was no one focus point. All around us, bursts of light and sound and color echoed the excitement of the day and the whole city partied into the night. And the BEST thing about the festival? We got to do it all over again the next day!! Day two brought even more serious kite-fights, everyone using up the rest of their kites in friendly competition. I was determined to get mine up and away on my own and somewhat managed that goal before another swooped in and cut me. I even conducted a little salsa lesson in the afternoon! The locals we met, besides opening their homes, serving us tasty food and teaching us about everything, were just the most friendly and fun people to spend the day with! My heartfelt thanks goes to Alpesh, Anshu, Dhara, Hiral, Kushal, Veeral, and all the rest of the gang for making us feel so welcome!

The next day, we did a little more sight-seeing including a visit to Ghandi's Ashram and ate the best thali (Gujarati) that I have ever had. In the evening, Anshu and Alpesh (professional photographers), gave me the honor of a photoshoot in Indian traditional dress! I love photography and I love dressing up so what more could I ask for!! I had a lot of fun, but I also learned a couple of things: 1) I am not a natural model and much more comfortable behind the camera! 2) As much as I would like to believe otherwise, when it takes nearly an hour to make the sari look right on you (including taping jewelry to your ears since you are the only female in India without piercings), I doubt I have a drop of Indian blood in me! :)

Early the next morning, about 20 of us met to go camping. Most were on motorbikes as we sped off to the countryside, away from the noise and pollution of the city. I watched the swish and swoops of skirts and saris pass by as if the gods looked down upon the dull greys, greens and browns, cement and bricks and grabbed a paintbrush to say "Let there be life. Let there be color!" We reached the peaceful Polo Retreat with 15th century ruins, a quiet river and a couple small hills to climb in time for lunch from an open flame. During the course of the day, we cooled off in a pond, played catch and frisbee, (the foreigners) signed autographs for a group of sweet school children, very excited for the chance to practice their english and then came the campfire!

Who of us has not stared into a fire and become lost in flickering thought? I certainly appreciate that aspect of American culture - the good ol' camp-fire (unfortunately no s'mores out here)! We did however procure a couple bottles of inebriant, once again I find myself embroiled in illegal activity, for Gujarat is a dry state and mostly vegetarian. We played a form of charades, shared fireside banter and later in the night even listened to a few hindi limericks and sang our favorite Bollywood tunes! A fantastic day all together, we savored the last bits of warmth, before settling into sleep. Morning called us to the top of a hill for a 5 hour hike - something else I have really missed lately and then we were back on the bikes heading south.

I decided at the last minute to continue on to Mumbai from there, so my friends helped me get on the right bus and I was off! I've been here over a week now and had quite a few adventures - that update to come soon (hopefully)!

An epic journey ahead

2009 has begun just as I would like it to - flights, buses, rickshaws, cars and motorbikes! Tonight, I can add trains to that list since I will be on the looongest ride of my life - 40+ hours!! I have been convinced by a new friend of mine, Ravi, to attend a huge Kite Festival in Ahmedabad which is on the opposite side of the country. He has promised crowded skies of swooping and slicing kites with glass lines, kids chasing in the streets and every rooftop full of celebrants, good food and music... how could I resist?? Plus a big group is going camping afterwards near some old Mughal ruins - bonus! :)

My layover in Dhaka was once again eventful,

but this time, instead of chatting with two strangers, I got to see one of my favorite people in the whole world - Alisa! We spent a ridiculously short 24hours catching up, musing, analyzing, laughing, exploring, shopping and thankful for this incredible opportunity to see eachother in Bangladesh of all places! Alisa even got so excited, she decided to play an impromptu game of hide-n-seek :) Ahh, that's my Lis! I hope for many many more random meet-ups like this!

Wish me luck with this grand journey (on the rails/in life :) and I will try to update you all after the festival!

**As per Ravi's comment, Yes, once I arrived, I realized the ruins were actually beautiful temples and cenotaphs ruined not built by the Mughals!

Year in Review (and what a year!)

Back in Bangkok for my first flight of 2009 and I thought I'd write a little summary of 2008 in recognition of what was one of the best years of my life!

2008 started off in the company of my dear Kodak Kids in Sunny California during the Rose Parade. We rang in the new year properly with champagne, good food and dancing and then all got up early for a long days work. Little did we know, that our upcoming 'month off' would actually set us free of Kodak Inspiration and on a hunt for the next. I spent half of January with my wonderful friends Kev, Keith, Crafton, Rhi, and new friends Sarah, Pat and Lu on the snowy slopes of Eagle and Vale, Colorado facing below freezing temperatures, snowboarding crystal powders and tromping up to lakes of ice on snowshoes. The hottub and spiked hot chocolate are also not to be forgotten!

The second half of the month and into February, I had the luxury of adding 3 new countries to my list and reuniting with more wonderful people. First, I met me Mom in Ireland (said with an Irish accent ;) and we toured around the cold, grey, but still bonnie green countryside. We also did a wee bit of site-seeing in England including stonehenge and London and munching on our first authentic 'fish-n-chips'. Next stop was the Netherlands, picked up by my dear friend Sebastiaan who took his job of official Dutch tour guide seriously. One week was hardly enough, but I saw more than I could have expected, including the famed windmills, Gouda, Amsterdam and his lovely parents (who make the best pancakes in Holland). I even got in some club dancing with his friends and a night of salsa as well! Finally, I flew back to the UK for a crazy mixed-up pick-up by my buddies Fergus and Kev. I spent one splendid week in their company, bowling, museuming, running, dancing, eating, staying up past midnight to watch THE game (the SuperBowl for my non-American readers ;) and learning more than necessary about Rugby. A truly disheartening farewell with wishes given in pence and revolving door goodbyes sent me on my return to the states to figure out what next.

One insane string of flights (London-Frankfurt-Atlanta-Daytona-Atlanta-LA-Seattle) brought me safely back into WA to see my parents and I even had time for a Tuesday Pot-Luck Dinner with some of my favorite people in Seattle (shout out to Craig, Neils and Brandon!) before my luck held true and a friend of mine hired me for a job beginning the following week. I barely had time to repack my bags before I was on my way to the Big Easy, New Orleans, Louisiana! I worked as a guide for Rustic Pathways assisting HS Students in their quest to volunteer their spring break helping residents and victims of Hurricane Katrina. We built houses, restored wetlands, cleaned neighborhoods and gave our time to the foodbank. It was a fantastic experience and the absolutely incredible music scene of NOLA was the icing on the cake! A HUGE Thank you is owed to my friend Mike and my sbrpnola08 girls, Lauren and Deanna! The three of us had a brilliant time once the work was over road-tripping parts of LA, AL, MS and FL!

During the 6 weeks in N'awlins, I applied and got a position with Rustic in India, which I had wanted to see for years. The month of May was a month of reunions seeing long lost friends in Seattle, Arlington, Portland, Hillsboro and good ol' Salt Lake city. The best part was seeing 3 new arrivals (I think I had about 6 or 7 births announced this year!), the little ones of my friends are just the cutest babies in the whole world!! :)

Half way through the year on June 1st, I landed half way around the world in New Delhi, India. Met by two of my newest friends and co-workers, Scott and Shira, I ventured into the country I would spend most of the next 10 months of my life. The rest of the Rustic Staff, Kalsang, Eric, Tina, Braden and Dalas trained hard in Mcleod Ganj (home of the Dalai lama) before being joined by our darling students for weeks of volunteer work with Tibetan refugees (building a basketball court, english conversation, road repair, tree planting and cultural experiences). It was wonderful working with these kids and learning alongside them. Dealing with sickness abroad is not easy when it comes to yourself, but looking after 18 ducklings is much more difficult! Time flew and before I knew it, the yoga and mud-digging and meditaion and momo making and Tibetan dance parties were over and I was off on my backpacking India adventure!

Tina joined me on an epic trip to Amritsar and the Pakistan border before we parted ways and I journeyed up north. In summary, Manali was a calm little mountain town but ladakh/kashmir (not to mention the 20-24 hour bus trip there and back) was strikingly beautiful! I have never been someplace where the sky is so blue and the people so warm. My birthday adventure of bike riding down from the worlds highest motorable pass was brilliant with two new travel-buddies Emma and Ange and the monasteries and stupas some of the most impressive buildings I have ever seen!

Emma and I returned to a normal elevation for a true backpacking schedule of Manali-Shimla-Chandigar-Haridwar-Rishikesh where she stopped off for some yoga and beetles nostalgia whereas I met up with Austrian friends of mine that I had known in Athens, but now live in Delhi. I cleaned up, relaxed and hit the road again with Tina and Shira to Jaipur, one last fling before we parted ways (yet another sad farewell) and I continued on a tour of Rajasthan, one of Indias most colorful states.

Its hard to summarize Rajasthan, but Jaipur (beautiful fort and palaces), Jodhpur (another impressive fort and my first Indian wedding), Jaisalmer (camel jockeying and desert fireworks), Mt. Abu (cool lake and ice cream), Chittorgarh (Asias largest fort at 700 acres and royal hospitality), Pushkar (2 weeks of swimming, learning Hindi, hiking to temples and good friends) and finally Bundi (perhaps my favorite place in India, spending 3 weeks with my adoptive Indian family, dressing up in a sari and even being on the 9pm news!).

A second reunion with my dear friend Sebastiaan, followed by a month through Agra (the majestic Taj Mahal), Orchha (a secret Indian garden), Kajuraho (Kama Sutra Temples), Varanassi (Indias most sacred city for Diwali, Indias most popular festival) and into Nepal for Himalayan trekking and site-seeing! Sebas and I left eachothers side from Darjeeling and I had just over a week to spend in Calcutta before I flew to Thailand (with an eventful 25hour layover in Dhaka).

Next up was a family reunion with my parents, a little island hopping in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, a reunion with Ange and meeting some of her great friends in Bangkok. Finally, I spontaneously flew up to Chiang Mai and happened to meet a couple fantastic Indian/Nepalis that I spent my Christmas and New Years with... Without saying too much, there is possible romance ahead in 2009 - yes, this coming from the perpetually single and on-the-move-Jessie. Only time can tell!

2008 saw me in 9 new countries (31 total now with Bangladesh to be 32), 10 states, 31 flights, 4 road-trips, reuniting with a couple dozen of the most fantastic friends a girl could have and more memories than I could possibly keep straight if it wasnt for my camera, journal, blog and facebook ;). My love goes out to all those that read this (and onto those who dont as well :) and my only wish is that 2009 is even better for us all (which will be quite the feat)!!!

Island Hopping

This month I have added 4 countries to my list and spent the majority of my time on islands, which is out of the ordinary for me. I am currently at the Koh Samui airport, waiting for my 31st and final (I think!) flight of the year to Chiang Mai - back to the mainland!

I was finally able to meet up with my parents on the island nation of Singapore. It truly is one of the cleanest big cities that I have ever been to and the people are proud of it! I used the very easy metro system to get into town and met my parents sitting at a cafe outside their hotel - what a relief it was to see them after all the shuffling around! Big hugs all around :).

They had already booked us a trip over to Bali, Indonesia since although Singapore may be a shoppers heaven (I've never seen so many shopping malls!) it did not have much character. We did however visit little India and my first meal shared with my parents was introducing them to some of my favorites acquired in the 6 months that I was there.

The resort in Bali was the nicest place I have ever stayed. We had a little villa near the gorgeous pool (including waterfalls, cave poolside bar and personal jacuzzi seats). A games area with pool, foosball, darts and pingpong was fun and to spite the heat outside, our place was a refrigerator, well stocked with fresh fruit and water. My favorite part was the outdoor shower that was a fantastic experience the one night that it rained (the hot and cold water combining to make a most relaxing clean! We feasted on Balinese Barbecue and watched golden dancers twist and weave to the eery bells and flutes of local music. We drove through local artisan villages to visit silversmiths and woodcarvers and ate another delicious meal with a view of the islands main volcano. On our last day, we snorkeled in the reef and fed the fish with bread. They ate right out of our hands and I absolutely loved it! That was the pinacle of the trip for me - there in the open water with both of my wonderful parents feeding exotic fish an afternoon lunch :). We also stopped on Turtle Island and fed sea turtles, held a couple exotic birds and I even played with the cutest bat you've ever seen and a giant snake!

We returned to Singapore for some shopping and a night safari which was quite fun. I got to try out a therapy that is banned in the states by putting my feet into an aquarium full of nibble fish that feel like little vibrations and suction eating your dead skin cells. Your feet emerge smooth as can be! Very cool. It was a sad goodbye when I boarded my next flight to Phuket, Thailand, but it made my holidays complete. This is my first Christmas away from home and spending time with my parents was much needed!! I love you Mom and Dad!

I met a few friends on Phuket island for Mandy's Birthday. Another Thai paradise, we stayed in the magnificent Indigo Pearl resort (Thank You Kerry!) and with the theme of a tin mine that used to exist there, the attention to detail was incredible. With 3 pools, 2 of which were adults only infinty pools and shops, several restaurants and bars, big grassy areas to lounge on and right across from the beach, you couldn't ask for much more. We had a great time lighting lanterns at night, sending our wishes into the starry skies and playing on the beach. We snorkeled in even clearer water than Bali and this time the fish favorite was bananas - I must have fed thousands! They crowded in, an inch from my face, nipping anything they could get close to, I even held one by its tail! Ha, brilliant.

Next stop, Kerry and I hopped a ferry over to PhiPhi Island, which although beautiful as well, was a bit overdeveloped and being squashed by construction everywhere. Accommodation was expensive, but we tracked down a decent place through the throngs of beach clad vacationers. Unfortunately, something came up back in Bangkok and Kerry had to leave the next day so I made my own plans to move on as well to Krabi, famous for its limestone cliff climbing. Before I left however, I watched the local women, swathed in Thai batik sarongs, taking advantage of the receding tide, sift through stones and naked coral for hidden crabs and enjoyed a Singapore Sling (the real Sling from the famed Raffles Hotel cost about $23!!) while catching up on my journal. In the evening, I had one of the best massages of my life - a traditional Thai massage, stretching me like salt water taffy! The next morning, with a breakfast of fresh fruit, the tide having come back, I walked along the waters edge strewn with boulders carved in the seas image, undulating and lapping at the land. I couldn't resist getting in the water once more but soon enough it was time to go.

Alone again, I hadn't figured out my direction from Krabi just yet, when a group of guys asked if I wanted to share a taxi into town. They had a flight to Koh Samui (where my parents and I had originally planned on going) and at $40, I decided to join them. I sacrificed the rock climbing for a good deal on a flight and the next day I found myself on island #5. The group split since most of them were looking for a wild and crazy beach to party all night on and I was looking for something a little more quiet. Nick, from London and I found some beach bungalows on a splendid little beach on the north side of the island. Ahh to be lulled to sleep every night by the sound of waves! :) Nick was great company and he also introduced me to the Heros TV series which was our nightly entertainment - I was hooked! We both tried windsurfing for the first time, SO much fun and NOT as easy as it looks! I also sprung for yet another massage and this was my new BEST! In a cute little open air hut with sheer curtains and a mere 5 meters from the rolling waves. The sensation of Tiger Balm simultaneously heating while the sea breeze cooled was intense. A floral scented cold compress on my eyes and face, she actually walked on my back and rolled me up onto her knees, suspending me and stretching me in the air! Wow, if only I had that every week!

Once Nick left to meet his friend on Koh Tao, I hired a motorbike (about $5 for 24hrs!) to explore the rest of the island. Dotted with numerous elaborate golden temples, shimmering with mirror work and watched over by giant Buddhas. I drove through palm plantations, hiked up dirt tracks looking for good view/picture points, bought more succulent fruits along the way and raced down the roads, topping out at a whopping 70k/hr, the winds narrowing my eyes and whipping my ponytail, my helmet slipping down making me feel like a super hero on vacation :). Ahh, I love the freedom of a motorbike! The next morning, I woke up early to visit one more site, I had the "Big Buddha" all to myself and a fantastic view of the island. !!!

Now, back in the mainland, I am looking forward to exploring Chiang Mai. I have no idea where I will be for Christmas... wish me luck on finding a suitable place to celebrate!

Bali Bound!

Well, it looks like what I thought would be a nice relaxing holiday visit with my parents and then some exploration of Thailand has turned into nothing of the sort!

As I mentioned before, I narrowly missed the mob heading to the Bangkok airport and my parents were not so lucky. After waiting a few days to see if the situation would be ameliorated, my parents chose to redirect to Singapore since they had a limited window for their vacation. After nearly a week absorbing the comforts of my friends' gorgeous flat, getting manicured, pedicured and massaged, my hair cut and even joining in an evening of "footy" (soccer) and attending a marvelous Ball/All-night-dance-party (Huge THANK YOU to Ange and Kerry!!), I managed through sheer luck to get a ticket on the train heading south that was sold out for a week and off I went!

If I thought I was on easy street being in Thailand, coming from India, I was wrong. While things were definitely more comfortable, the first thing I was told as I borded the luxurious train, was that the rails were flooded and we would have to get off early and manage a bus from there. 16 hours brought me to the border region where I processed through customs into Maylasia and in another 10hours I rolled into the capital, Kuala Lumpur. Once again, my friends are AMAZING and Kerry helped me connect with Mandy who was more than happy to invite this stranger into her fabulous flat (with rooftop pool and sauna) for a good nights rest. I am truly blessed!

A series of emails with my parents found that flights from Singapore to KL were canceled with the reopening of the bkk airport since they want to keep it from over-crowding (?) so as a desperate attempt to finally reunite us, I have a flight there tomorrow and then all three of us, with any luck, wing our way to Bali for some much needed (my parents anyway) R&R& hopefully some Asian culture!

PS: This makes flight #28 and country #31!!!

Trouble in Thailand

Many of you have been asking if I am alright with all this turmoil in Thailand so here is a quick update.

As I hopped in a taxi and directed it to my friends place, we zoomed down the highway towards town and I noticed what I thought was a parade going the opposite way. Flags awaving and car-fulls of people jammed the road. "What is that?" I pointed and the taxi driver casually answered, "The mob". "The mob? What mob?" He just smiled. I learned later that I had narrowly missed these anti-government protesters taking over of the airport, trapping thousands of passengers inside and stranding hundreds of thousands that were scheduled to leave in the coming days.

They say that an average of 30,000 people arrive at that airport every day and with that many people cancelling flights, hotels, tours, not shopping or eating out - not to mention the planes carrying food, mail and other products into and out of Thailand - this standoff is crippling. The trouble is, most of the yellow clad protesters (you wear red if you support the current government like highschool tug-of-war teams) are from the villages and are there just to boost the numbers. They are getting paid 500 a day to be there versus their average 100 baht income so why not? It's not hurting them at all! Most probably don't have any idea of the repercusions for their country. The government and military don't want to admit anything is really amiss and also want to avoid any violence so they continue to throw pebbles, ie not do anything that has any effect and life goes on as usual in the city.

Will there be a coup? No one knows. Will it get violent? The 'state of emergency' declared guarantees the military can get away with more, but no one wants that so... Who knows. All I know, is that my parents were supposed to arrive on Friday for a much needed vacation and have had to be rerouted all the way down to Singapore so I am off on a two day train ride to meet them. What a hassle! Wish me luck riding through malaysia which itself does not have the best reputation for travelers... all part of the adventure right?!

One Day in Dhaka

That's 24 hours plus one to be exact, that I spent in the Dhaka (capital of Bangladesh) airport. I prepared myself with a blanket and snacks for the long wait, only to find out that Biman Airways would actually put me up in a hotel and feed me, only to find out that in order to leave the airport I had to buy a $20 72 hour visa with either USD or local currancy, of course I had neither so it was back to plan A - sleeping in the lounge. Lounge really is a misnomer, because all I was provided was a hard plastic chair to lounge in, but Ive had worse places to sleep that's for sure!

Here is a brief outline of my stay:

10:30am- My 25th flight of the year lands gently in Dhaka and all 28 passengers climb out onto the tarmac and walk into the airport. I am pleasantly surprised with the large, modern and spotlessly clean building and am immediately met by a man inquiring whether I am proceeding on to Bangkok. "Follow me Madam".

11:30am- I have learned that I could have spent the day in a hotel, but that the government insists I pay $20 cash in order to set foot on their soil so I am shown the restaraunt where I can eat my meals and relegated to the waiting lounge.

12:45pm- I tell the waiter that I will take lunch at 1pm and settle into my new book, Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie; a very good book so far.

1:00pm- No Lunch arrives so when I signal the server he indicates it's actually already...
1:30pm (apparently Bangladesh is half an hour ahead) and was confused about when I actually wanted to eat. So now I get my bland dal, plain rice and chicken drown in one layer of 'curry' and one of oil. I also notice pods of all-white clad people mulling about like airport disciples. I could definitely relate and considered joining their ranks but then decided they might be in a little deeper than I. Or, perhaps the airport had lost all of their luggage and gave them sheets to wear. I later find out they are pilgrims on their way to Mecca.

4:00pm- I've read quite a bit, watched a little Indian Idol (so bad, so hilarious!) and listened to my ipod when two ladies in purdah sit in front of me and soon after strike up a conversation. They become my companions for the rest of the evening as their flight did not leave until early the next morning and it was incredibly interesting speaking with them! Some of the first questions they ask me is if I am married, how old I am (*gasp* and not married??), and if I am traveling alone. One had her face completely covered and when I asked if she was married, she laughed and said she was only 16 - it is hard to tell just by the eyes! Once we established a relationship, I asked if they ever got tired of wearing all black and they said no, they were used to it. They wore colors under their long jacket, but it was for their protection so men would not look at them. The mother (who I guessed to be about 50), noticed I was reading a 'Learn Hindi' book and could not supress her excitement. For the next hour or two I was quizzed on all sorts of Hindi, most of which I must say I hadn't a clue. They would both speak to me from either side at the same time, neither minding that the other was also speaking, making it very difficult to even attempt to learn, but also an amusing process. Eventually, dinner time rolled around and I was spared future examination.

8:00pm- Dinner was served to all Biman transfer passengers at the same time so once the clock hands hit 8, about 150 people streamed in and by
8:15pm- the din of diners and their clattering cuttlery was over as most had seemingly inhaled the dal/rice/chicken combo.

10:00pm- Besides a brief break when my new friends retired to the prayer room, I have engaged in an animated conversation with them. They are eager to speak with a western girl as much as I am eager to hear from them. The 16yr olds eyes dart to and fro and points out a man passing us saying "See, he is looking at me" to support her purdah style (I think to myself, it might be because you are in purdah, I looked at you to... but keep it to myself). She also admits to me that she really likes Tom Cruise, "Ah, if only he wanted two wives!" she jokes.

We cover whether I eat pork, beef, wine. I am proudly shown the new jewelry they have purchased and asked why I wear none. The mother tells me she hopes I marry soon to which I reply I will when I find the right one, to which she laughs and says "No right one, not important. Important you marry." She tells me that although her older daughter is getting her MD, she felt it was time for her to marry (at 20yrs old) so she engaged her to a man in another country. She laughs again, when telling me that he daughter was 'furious' and worried she would not be able to complete her studies but graciously the groom-to-be has said that after the wedding she can stay until she finishes her studies. The 16yr old nods and says "There just comes a time when you have to get married". Aye aye. I am so glad I am not in that position but I am just as glad that I am getting this very interesting interaction!! So rarely I think, is someone like me, bearing my calves and all, let into this inner ring. Fleetingly, the teenager furtively removed the part that covered her face to adjust it and I was shocked to see her! It was quite strange to suddenly see the face that you had already been talking to and had an image of...

1:00am- I have felt tired on and off but even cuddled up in my blanket there are too many bright neon lights and shuffling noises to allow for sleep. A young girl sits in front of me, turns to observe me a couple time and then comes to sit right next to me, soon followed by her older sister. Turns out, they are from Bangladesh and moving to California. Both speak halting english but are SO interested to speak with me! "What are you wearing" is their first question since I was wrapped in my blanket. They want to fit in. I enjoy the interview and relish their excitement towards the new life head of them. I am their very first American and newest friend.

4:00am- I should be sleeping by now so as I start to curl up, the mother catches me with "Can I ask you something, no worry? No feel strange?", "Of course" I say. "I ask you in english and you answer in hindi okay?", "Okay I ask? One-two-three? Ek-do-teen?" she says delaying her own question. I can hardly wait to hear it. "So with your age... I mean, you had boyfriend yes? So... you have sexual experience?" Ha! I was not sure how to respond. I had already admitted to the wine and the pork and the boyfriend(s) but what do you say? I was very pleased that we clearly had established a trust enough that she could voice her curiosities especially in front of her young daughter who's framed eyes betrayed her intrigue. I did have experience I told her, not as much as some my age, but it had to be with the right person, which I hadn't yet found I repeated. "You don't... miss it?" Haha, this was brilliant! That line of questioning ended with her repeating her wish for me that I marry soon, very sweet.

7:00am- Breakfast time and my friends left to board their flight back to India. We exchanged emails and they insisted I stay with them if I am ever in town.

11:30am- My flight is finally boarding. I have my big backpack with me as well as my carry-on since I had to reclaim it and despite asking where I check it back in, I am directed right through security and onto the plane. "That's not going to fit in here Madam". "I know, I asked where I was supposed to put it..." "Well, we don't have a full flight so we can just strap it down in the seat next to you." Okay, easy enough for me. It's just like not getting my passport checked for my ticket in Calcutta (they just saw my printout and issued me a ticket) - security is not the same as it is in the states! And I was off to Thailand, flight #26, country #28, total of 3 hours flight time from Calcutta to Bangkok took me 28, but I would absolutely not have traded the experience for a direct flight!