today

Yesterday Punnu and I went to his work party. Feeling really overwhelmed by the heat I declined even a sip of alcohol, drinking 5 glasses of water instead. Even so, I woke up this morning with my entire body, toes to finger-tips bone-aching, head screaming, rash forming on skin hot like black tar in summer. Not a hang-over so...

1. malaria: -
2. dengue fever: -

After generally uncomfortable hospital misadventures, blood tests etc, it's just good ol' fashioned heat exhaustion that's to blame.

Instead of singing and dancing and putting on mehndi at the wedding ceremony I was supposed to attend this evening I am periodically putting frozen things on my head and hiding out in dark cold rooms until my body readjusts. Also watching Kar Wai Wong's, "My Blueberry Nights," with Norah Jones, Jude Law etc. Did you know Nora Jones is half Indian?! Her father is the famous sitarist Ravi Shankar. Her whole same is Gheetali Norah Jones Shankar. !

Anyway.

This one time I graduated from college

1. victorious

2. ????

Spoiled Rotten

September 15 - 24
Barcelona (Gaudi), Paris (fancy Francian pastries), Bologna (carbohydrates with fatty tomato sauce) etc.

Uske baad, home and all of those lovely things

August 19, 2008

Today I went to Delhi-Network coffee hour at the Hyatt in South Delhi. I've never seen so many blonde-haired wealthy women in my life, save maybe when I was in Finland a couple months ago. It was all very strange, ladies-who-lunch style. There was a short lecture on Dengue fever and how to best manage protecting your children (Citronella patches? Where can they be found? Spray/lotion? Candles? Fog? Do you spray yourself or have it done professionally? What if your children lick their skin? Rub their eyes? Isn't DEET bad for you? AHHH). One naturally spoken statement included, "Make sure your servants close the windows when..." The nice South African lady I spoke with had only taken a rickshaw once in her many many months in Delhi. After speaking with her I suddenly felt very rugged, tough, and brave. And knowledgeable too. I will start volunteering at their office this Thursday, helping newcomers to Delhi get settled and learn more about the city. :)

Right now I am doing what I do often, which is research and compare prices for products I'll use in my Lotus Odyssey line, and work on the in-progress web-site. Thus far I've settled on a beautiful white merino wool scarf hand-knitted by Panchachuli Women Weaver's, a bright silk/cotton summer scarf hand-woven by Dastkar, and organic body products from another environmentally sustaianble organization. Now I'm collecting names of funky botiques around the globs who sell similar products so I can send them a catalog. If you can think of any let me know!

I'm feeling a constant, weepy home-sickness these days. I think 3 months away is enough. I want clean refreshing Michigan wind, the sound of waves, to pet my aunt and uncle's dog Nelson and the farm cat George, to cook food at home, and talk for hours with everyone I know and love.

Besides my moping, which Puneet doesn't let me flounder in for long, I'm being generally productive. Actually, time is running out and I've got a ton to do for the Lotus Odyssey (my biz name!). Other than that I'm making plans for the fall which should include a Spain/France/Italy trip with my dad is mid-September, taking the GRE in October, and heading to Mexico in November.

I'm so lucky. :)

Love, T

Dharamshala

Almora, Uttaranchal, India, Eastern Hemisphere, Globe

left to right: Me, the so-called, "mother of Panchachuli," and my lovely Kavita Aunty in Almora. We spent the day running around to different villages, chatting it up with the local ladies.

More pics and stories to come...