Finally Rode the Indian Helicopter

The Rickshaw.

Since the park I wanted to visit today was across the river, I figured it would be a good idea to get a rickshaw. I could have gone for the auto version (three tires, no doors) but the cycle one was calling my name. I felt every bump and dip but rather enjoyed the adventure. I especially liked my driver: Babu Khan.

Babu Khan immediately asked me if I was married. I said yes per usual. I told him my husband's name was Bob and that he sold motorcyles for a living. Babu Khan really liked this and told me he has eight children, hence the Khan after his name. Kham apparently means great. And having eight kids puts you in that category here. If you get what I'm saying...

Anyways, Babu wanted me to book him for the day but I told him no no no, just the park! But since he told me how to get into the park for free and was waiting for me when I returned, I figured it would be good karma to give him some more business. "Across the river and to the markets Babu Khan!" I told him. Most guide books tell you this is a bad idea. Rickshaw drivers receive a commission for taking you to shops so your prices automatically go a bit higher. As usual, I am too soft for India and decided a few extra dollars in Babu's pocket was fine by me. He did in fact take me to a wonderful jewelry store where I purchased exactly the necklace I have been looking for. It's two strands of coral (real!) and silver. I was also super pumped at my bargaining skills.

When we left the shop, I told Babu Khan that I didn't want to do anymore shopping. "No more?" queries Babu Khan. "No more," I reply. "Oh, one more shop! Just look no buy, they give me 30 rupees just to bring you. You don't need to buy anything." Once again, the old heartstrings were tugged and I said, "Okay Babu Khan."

Off we helicoptered to a new store. This one was a carpet shop. Immediately the salesman insisted I come into the workshop and he could show me how the rugs are made. He sat down at the loom and explained the intricate process that stems from Kashmir. "Are you going there?" he asks me. I say, "no no no Kashmir not very safe right now!" He nods and suggests I spend $400 on a rug instead of going to Kashmir. We had a great looming lesson and he showed me wonderful other handicrafts, but I managed to walk out without a new rug.

Babu Khan and I laughed at this foolery, I had so much fun I even suggested we go to another shop! However, he took me to yet another rug shop. I got the same lesson in looming and the same story on families in Kashmir. However, the rugs were nearly irresistible and I found myself winning the bargain. $200 for a handwoven Indian rug. I nearly bought it but then snapped to it and realized that would be a lot of beer money in Thailand. I guess I am finally learning. I just kept repeating to myself, "Stephanie, you are homeless."

After that, I decided enough was enough so Babu Khan and I helicoptered back to my hotel so I could get ready to head to my next destination: Varanasi.

As I finally post this (maybe a week since I wrote it), I can't believe the luck I had in finding new friends and new fun in Varanasi. I promise to catch up come tomorrow or the next day, but yes, I have plenty to share!

Twitter

I'm beginning to think twitter would be loads more useful than a blog. Events occur both irregularly and unexpectedly to such a degree that quickfire updates would be hilarious in order to track daily life. If I were a twitter or tweeter or whatever it may be called, here are some things I would share:

--The keyboard I'm currently typing on barely works, the letters are large stickers, and all the websites are in Korean.
--Just crossed four lane highway and managed to survive.
--First Indian blackout interrupts late night enjoyment of Bollywood music videos.
--Treated myself to vegetable omelete. Vegetable includes lettuce and only lettuce.
--Made friends with Canadians at breakfast. Decided to find bootleg beer tonight and watch the sunset.
--Ordered second cup of coffee. Took 45 minutes. Not sure if it is in fact coffee.
--Monkeys are running through major cities like it is their personal jungle.
--Young Indian lads use farm tractors to drive through the city. I think this is to replace a personal vehicle.
--Saw first dead cow on the side of the highway. From the looks of decomposition, I would say it died two weeks ago.
--Fifteen school children are spilling out of one tiny autorickshaw.
--"Would you like ride on Indian helicopter?" Apparently that refers to a cycle rickshaw.
--Hallllo. Hellllo> HAALLLOOO! Small Indian children follow me down the street practicing the one English word they know.
--Israeli mom and daughter take my picture in front of Taj Mahal. Mother insists I go to Holy Land.
--Meet lovely Canadian family. Israeli mother comes up to group and insists we all go to the Holy Land.
--Took wrong entrance to see Fort Agra. Walk around moat to discover no way out. Indians hate to tell you that you are going in the wrong direction so many people watched me do this and did not say a word.
--Taking picture of monkey. It jumps out of bush and up at me. I scream. Many Indians laugh.
--Feel like celebrity. Woman has just followed me down highway while filming me with her video camera.
--Much walking. Very hungry. Want french fries and beer. Not a possibility.
--Stop at restaurant. Am sitting alone. 4 Koreans come in. The restaurant staff makes them sit with me due to lack of seats. It was awkward. But now we are friends.
--Managed to buy last minute train ticket to Varanasi. Managed to get in the emergency quota. Woohoo. Finally transportation is working in my favor.

So heading off to Varanasi tomorrow night -- it is an incredibly holy site in India as many people bring their dead families here to then drop them in the Ganges. It is believed there is no in between life and death if you die in Varanasi. You go straight to heaven. Should be quite the interesting experience.

India Man-ia

I will be the first to admit that in Goa, I let my guard down. I will even freely admit to the fact that for the last three nights I stayed there, I chose to stay in a room off a courtyard (behind a family's home) that did not lock from the inside. I sat on the beach wearing a bathing suit and drank beer. I walked to and fro wearing shorts. This might not seem like a big deal but we're talking about India. I knew North India would be different but was not expecting the change so suddenly aka the moment I began my 24+ hour trek to Jaipur.

I sat with two families from Mumbai and the father of one of them, Neeraj, started to ask me about my trip. As we were talking, I noticed how he brought everything back to somehow explain that India is the greatest country/civilization out there -- oddly reminiscent of the father in My Big Fat Greek Wedding:

"Mathematics, numerology, astrology, organic food, engineering, and the Latin language all originated in India," he tells me. I listened, nodded, kinda smiled.

All of a sudden he stops listing accomplishments and turns the conversation to American girls. He told me that Indian girls do not travel to America by themselves and was surprised to find me, an American girl, travelling to India by myself. He asked me if my boyfriend was okay with this. I told him it was okay because my boyfriend didn't like to go on trips. Please note: I think by the end of India, I might actually convince myself I either have a boyfriend or am married as I seem to tell people it so often. It tends to soothe older men and women and also means I am off limits to the Indian boys who like to stare and ask if they can take a picture with me.

Anyways, Neeraj continues, "I always thought they (American girls) were so easy from television but then I happened to meet one a few years ago and realized all women -- American or Indian -- just really want a man to take care of them," he looked to me to see if I agreed, so I decided to nod my head. It seemed to be easier to agree with this man and then gradually begin to ignore him. The next thing he wanted to talk about was whether or not I thought it was okay to live with a man before marriage. I guess ignoring him would not be so easy... I have heard that Indians are fascinated by this and was intrigued to hear his opinion. I was not, however, expecting for him to compare living with a boyfriend before marriage to the marketing slogan "if you sell the product -- you fail. You must sell the reasons to buy the product."

I thought about telling my new friend the old saying, "why buy the cow when you can milk it for free" but the holiness of the cow in India stopped me. Since cows can do anything they want here in India (including eating a plastic bag filled with pineapple I left on the beach while I went to swim or standing on the railroad to delay a train for 2 hours), I didn't want to offend this man. I excused myself to go to the toilet (which in fact is a hole in the ground that leads to nothing, just the train tracks) and came back to open up a book, ending the conversation.

Men are definitely what worry me the most about North India. I managed to only be harrassed by the female vendors on the beach and street in Goa. It is not that I think the men will harm me, I just hear they are very intense in terms of stares, questions, etc. Neeraj on the train did not disappoint in his queries, and I guess I have to get used to it.

The moment I stepped off the train in Jaipur (where I currently write using the wireless internet from my hotel -- what luxury!), a man asked me if I needed a taxi and continued to follow me up the stairs, across the overpass, and down through the station. He was then joined by four other men all offering to take me to a hotel, asking me if I was Australian, French, Russian, or whatever other country blonde people must come from. I ignored it all and waited for the specific license plate number of the van from my hotel. Some men tried to throw me, guessing I might be staying at a place called Palace something (most hotels in Jaipur are palace something apparently. They told me they were here on behalf of my hotel or that there was a better one to go to. I stayed brave and finally my specific ride pulled up.

I got in as fast as I could, slammed the door shut and asked if everybody gets into the car with such speed. The driver laughed and took me to my new hotel. It feels like paradise. I have a bathroom in my room and the bed is not mere plywood. I cannot wait to go to sleep and wake up, ready to brave the markets, and a whole new gauntlet of Indian men.

Liar Liar Pants on Fire

I find myself telling odd lies sometimes. Part is to amuse myself and part is because it makes life easier. It is amazing how many inquiries Indians have in the span of just a few seconds.

My most frequent lies:

--Yes, I am with friends. They are waiting for me over there.
--Yes, I have been to India many times before.
--I am from Canada.
--My name is Steven (Stephanie is apparently difficult to pronounce)
--Yes, I have a boyfriend.
--I am married.

I think I will keep a running list of lies. I might even try to make them more complex. I love games and we all know I love fabricating stories about myself.

Cursed With Deb's Bargaining Skills

I might be too nice for India. Walking down the street or the assorted dirt paths in abundance around these beach towns, one inevitably runs a gauntlet of hawkers. Selling fruit, dresses, bangles, anything you want.

There is an infamous story of my mother on her honeymoon attempting to bargain with a Mexican woman. Deb told her that she could get the exact same thing for the same price at a stall down the road (this was a lie, the item was in fact one of a kind), the woman selling it told her to simply go there and buy it at the other place for the lesser price. Deb was stumped.

I find myself in a similar position, though not as aggressive.

One lovely hawker found me the room I am currently staying in so I felt obligated to give her my business. I went in to find something nice to sit on at the beach but walked out with 12 bangle bracelets, a t-shirt, and a sarong. When we talked of price, she said, "Two" so I responded, "Two hundred?" She clarified, "Two thousand." I was shocked, but she quickly brought her price down, we bargained, I kinda won... but still paid way too much. Either way, she gifted me an anklet, called me her new best firend, and said I brought her great luck.

By the way, when I say I walked out of her stand, I mean to say I was led by her neighbor who insisted I come look at her dresses. I ended up buying two of them and a bracelet (note: this is not due to my material desires but her exceptional persuasion skills). This too was all in the name of new friends and "good luck."

There are some though who will follow you around until you absolutely ignore them for fifteen minutes while they stare at you or they will make you promise to "maybe look tomorrow." I was greeted this afternoon from one who dragged me into her shop and said that I had promised to look. She told me to look without buying, which I did. It took forever to leave as she threatened me with all the things my other new friends had promised me. I will not be her friend anymore, if I don't buy anything. I bring her no good luck (and then I worry that I will have bad luck in return), if I don't give her fifty rupees. I managed to leave without buying anything but just barely.

All in all, I very much enjoy the people I have met here at the beach, especially the locals. I feel like they look out for me as I have tried to do for them. I know it will be very different as I head up north on Tuesday (the 24 hour train ride that I have been looking forward to) and am trying to prepare myself.

It must be said, I do enjoy the first two women I came into contact with. Every time I pass by I stop and we chat for a while. They seem quite the entrepeneurs while simultaneously watching over their young children. I have such a strong good feeling after talking to them. I have thought about them so much after first meeting that I have decided to give them gifts before I leave. To the one with the beautiful three-year-old child who looked at me with her cute smile, wrapped an anklet around my leg, and said "you buy?" I will leave my beloved hologram kitty cards. To the one who seems forever perfectly put-together one, I will gift her some flavored lip gloss that comes in a fancy animal print case with a built-in mirror. For some reason, I feel connected to these women and would like to pass on whatever generosity I can (beside from being a terrible bargainer).


I am glad that I had this experience to enjoy and relax as I know I will be overwhelmed in the weeks to come in India. Knowing when to accept kindness and give it in return, or to reject it because your instinct says so, is something that has come in handy in past travels and will continue to do so.

I do promise to be a better bargainer as I head north in search of the perfect sari. It is one of my goals (both to bargain and to own a sari). I am thankful I had the opportunity to practice (though yes, I am terrible) at bargaining. In the future, I hope to be either a) better at bargaining or b) abstaining entirely.

Disclaimer: The room my new best friend offered me is the classic hippie sanctuary found in Anjuna (the beach I am currently found at). At first, I thought the blanket had palm tree decorations but quickly realized they were marijuana leaves. Also, my neighbors include old Scandinavians who have been here for 20+ years and are missing half their teeth. Disclaimer 2: The hippies are not my two new best friends; one invited me to a party and I declined.

Where to Goa

I guess I should try to quickly change my mantra from "Sometimes a girl needs to treat herself" to "A girl treats herself to a trip to Asia, maybe she should now be more careful with money." I am currently staying in a town called Candolim here in Goa. The place I am staying is right on the beach and there were only two rooms available when I arrived. One was a windowless room tucked far away in the back of the property and the other one (for a mere $3 more) was a bungalow type room on the third floor with a view of the Arabian Sea. Guess which one I chose... My new home has 3 walls and the 4th consists of a balcony and straw walls that can be raised up and down. It is a wonderful place where I can stare out at the beach and all the cows that roam freely down it.

I am also starting to make some friends. There is quite an interesting mix here at Candolim; Goa is infamous for its ability to attract UK tourists, hardcore yoga-ers, and backpackers. I am amazed at the abundance of old UK couples who wander around with matching tatoos. I have never been there, but maybe this is like the Indian version of Daytona Beach?

The interesting thing is that I was not even planning on coming to this town. I was going to stay in the capital for a few days and make some day trips to the beach and to the inland spice plantations. However, with another experience of "sometimes you don't get what you want in India," when I attempted to buy a train ticket to leave here, the woman at the station told me that there were no trains available until Monday and that I couldn't purchase a ticket until Saturday. It was a bit frustrating, but I decided to turn the negative into a positive and hopped on the first bus I saw heading to the beaches. There are worse things in life, I suppose. It was actually quite fun to take the local bus and I am looking forward to more trips on it. I think taking different modes of transportation might end up being my favorite part about this country.

I won't spend too much time talking about my overnight train to get down here, but I will say that it could possibly be the best new improv game. I purchased tickets for a 3 bed sleeper car with air conditioning, expecting it to be a small room with 3 bunks but in fact 3 means 8 people will be crammed in. I lucked out in a sense though because the people in it were hilarious. I had a middle-aged Croation couple, an 82 year old man from Canada, and an Indian-American family from Colorado. We all bonded as the husband from Croatia preached to us about universal love and the 82 year old man kept passing gas (loudly). If I ever manage to leave Goa, then I will have a 24 hour train ride ahead of me and hope that the people I share it with will be just as entertaining.

That's all for now...

My First Boat Ride in India

I guess this is really the way my blog will work. Everyday I will set out on an adventure that will eventually turn into a harrowing tale of near death and then once I have survived I will find a computer to tell you about it.

This morning I took a boat to go explore Elephanta Island (a series of rock-cut temples). I was looking forward to it as my first solo adventure and not so nervous as these types of tours are regulated by the government.

So we set sail across the Arabian Sea and I am reminded of other peaceful boat rides... to see seals... a day trip to Monhegan Island, etc... except here there are no announcements, no signs for life jackets, in fact no one seems to be in charge. The only sound is the clanging of a bell signaling for anyone in our path to kindly (and quickly) move out of the way. It was actually quite the picturesque outing as the Gateway to India Arch faded slowly into the background and we headed out to sea. That is, until our boat hit some waves and the boat started swaying to and fro.

Now, I love the water and love to swim and boats don't really bother me. In fact, a little swaying makes things kind of interesting. But then the creaking started. This was a two level boat (10 extra rupees to sit on top, I was watching my budget and chose the bottom level) and everyone on the first level started to look up at the ceiling. It literally sounded as if the boat was going to split open and the roof would cave in.

This wouldn't be worrisome except for the fact that a man who had been sitting off to the side and I guess somehow operating the boat suddenly jumped up and started to inspect the boat as if he too believed it was about to crack. If he was worried, I figured I should be. At that moment a few things went through my head... at least I am a good swimmer... too bad my camera will get wet... and uh-oh Tom is going to be pretty displeased if I have to call and tell him that my boat sank to the depths the Arabian Sea.

Note: my dad has told me on numerous occasions not to take overcrowded ferries (this boat was not overly populated so I guess I followed his directions) and that if I end up in a Thai jail, I will be disowned.

Back to the boat... as I tried to decide what part of the roof would collapse first in order to plot my escape route (and noticed others doing the same), the man apparently in charge of operating the boat quickly disappeared into a hatch and the rocking stopped. I don't know what he did, and it was probably a combination of his actions and the maybe smaller waves, but everyone on the boat breathed a sigh of relief as we continued on our way to the Island.

Whew. So after that lovely experience with my first Indian boat ride, I arrived at Elephanta to climb a very long set of steep steps to reach the opening of the caves. I will attempt to upload pictures of the carvings and temples although I must admit I was pretty distracted by the numerous monkeys and ended up taking most of my pictures of them pruning themselves and their little friends. What can I say? I am an animal lover.

FYI in case you were wondering, I have managed to see two cats here. They were both strays but happen to live in the garden behind my flat.

Overall, today's adventure was quite lovely although I am still trying to acclimate to the different ways people do things here. For example, on the boat ride back, the man next to me finished a can of soda and then tossed it over his shoulder into the Arabian Sea. No one seemed to blink or take notice but it is rather appalling to see such behavior and know that it is a regular occurrence over here. On the positive side, there is the rather fun body language including the infamous head bobble. I am not sure exactly what it is, but it seems to occur when someone doesn't understand what has just happen so they jiggle their head side to side. Not quite a shake, not quite a nod.

Stay tuned: tonight involves my first overnight train ride in India as I make my way south for a few days. In Goa, I have been warned to stay away from Israelis who have just finished their commitment to the army as they are very much the party people. Let's see if I can find them. So far my experience of alcohol in India has involved Mati (my kind hostess/the equivalent of a homestay mother) and her maid opening a bottle of Bourdeaux to inspect and pour me one glass of wine. They told me they were unfamiliar with it and asked if the special label and year of 2003 meant anything... needless to say, it was a very good glass of wine.

Of course, I am also looking forward to seeing a cleaner version of the Arabian Sea and all the historical sites the Portuguese have left for me to find.

PS I hope you are understanding how much I am loving this.

Learn Something New Everyday

Finally a post from India! After sleeping nearly 24 of the first 36 hours upon reaching Mumbai, I finally awoke from my jet lag induced coma and am starting to sum up the things that I have learned since my arrival here. There a few lessons that I would like to expand on, but the first is that India is not as scary as people like to make it out to be. Yes, I have been relatively isolated in my flat overlooking the back cove of the sea since getting here; however, when I got to the airport, I was able to figure out exactly how to make my way out the door and find my cab driver. This might not seem like a big deal but from what I was told, I thought it would be near impossible. Subsequent experiences today reinforced the belief that India is not as aggressive and I am not as frightened as I was led to believe I would be. If anything, I am reminded of how much I love to travel internationally.

Anyways, moving on to some lessons I have learned:

(1) My toilet is not in fact broken --

When I first got to the flat (apartment) I am staying at in Mumbai, I was so tired that I failed to notice a bathroom inside my room. Once I realized it was there and went to use it, I became convinced the toilet did not flush after putting toilet paper in it, jiggling the handle, jiggling it some more, and getting no response. Under the circumstances, I figured walking away and trying again later would be the best option. There was a bucket of water with a pitcher next to the toilet but I didn't want to explore that option yet... So using my investigative skills throughout the afternoon, I listened to hear if other toilets were flushing in the flat, and they were, so I knew mine was meant to as well. Finally, I went back in determined to make it work. After many more jiggles of the handle and one last frustrating push down as far and hard as it could go, something like a tidal wave occurred in the toilet. I am going to try and video tape this because let me tell you, the flush of this toilet looks like geysers I saw in Yellowstone. It comes all the way up from the front of the bowl, curls back over the top, and at least 60% of the water falls outside the toilet (clean water not dirty in case you were wondering). Needless to say, I now look forward to going in there and watching it flush.

(2) Red lights are meaningless here --

I have noticed that most cab drivers throughout the world like to drive fast, and the one that picked me up at the airport was no exception. At first I was just looking at the view as we passed through the streets, but then I started to notice the fact that we never once stopped. I started to pay a bit more attention and realized that as the street lights turned from green to red, the cab sped up! Now, this is not the norm so I watched really closely and realized that it didn't matter the color of the light... my cab driver, all bus/truck drivers, and really anyone on the road... everyone just drives around with complete disregard to traffic symbols. This tendency increases when the sun is down. I know that around the world there is limited regard for pedestrians, but this observation takes it to a whole new level in India (especially when we are talking about the intersection of five different roads).

And most importantly...

(3) The Indian Multiplier Effect: If you think something will take a certain period of time, you should multiply that by four and then you will have the actual amount of time it will take you to accomplish your goal --

Today, my new friend Marcel came around to pick me up, show me around Mumbai, and purchase train tickets. The good news is that today I bought my train ticket to head south to Goa (the infamous beaches, once inhabited by the Portuguese). The bad news is that I was unable to purchase a return ticket due to random bureaucratic restrictions (foreigners may not use Indian currency to purchase tickets in advance of 4 days... only 5 foreigners a day may ride certain trains... etc).

The first place we went to was a travel agency that apparently did not sell train tickets so we moved onto their other branch that did. Unfortunately, foreigners can only buy train tickets at the train station so it was off to the historical Central Terminal for more waiting. Once there, I got into line behind six other foreigners thinking the process would be relatively quick. Two hours later, I had made friends with most people in the line and realized we were all trying to head to Goa. After many rounds of the other foreigners saying, "well this is India," it was finally my turn to discover that you can only use rupees for tickets intended for that very day or the next. As I said, at least I have a ticket to Goa but will now have to wait my turn in Goa to buy a return ticket!

Looking forward to new lessons to learn as I set forth on the beginning of the rest of this adventure. Things to look forward to tomorrow include Buddhist caves off the coast of Mumbai and an overnight train trip to Goa for some sun. I will stay there for a few days before starting the trek north to Delhi and Agra (the Taj Mahal). The news says there is a cold spell passing through Northern India but I am not convinced it will be so alarming for me... already it is about 80 degrees out and people complain of the cold (and I am afraid of sunburn).

2 Flights Down, 1 To Go

As promised, here is an update from the wifi hotspot McCafe in Kuwait International Airport. I have made it successfully across the Atlantic, Europe, most of the Middle East, and am now awaiting the last leg of my plane travels. Something I did not quite take into account is the fact that I do not speak nor understand nor read a single word in Arabic. This has been quite interesting as my latest international travels have all been to Spanish speaking countries. Luckily, Kuwait Airways is super fancy and provided my menu in Arabic and English. However, the in-flight entertainment is in Arabic. Alas, I am impressed I figured out how to sign onto blogspot as the directions were all in Arabic.

Even with the lack of video, I have been keeping busy. Most of my flights have involved sleeping and making new friends. Note to self (and others contemplating international travel): No alcohol is served on Kuwait Airways, remember to stock up on duty free booze before flying home in May. Maybe on the Kuwait to Mumbai flight I will do my angel cards.

People I have met so far include a family that lives in Damariscotta, ME, a woman traveling to Chile (three cheers for airport bars), a super preppy girl who did not enjoy Kuwait Airways and decided to sit next to me instead of what she referred to as "a woman looking near death," and a nice couple on their way to Sri Lanka. My favorite incident though might have been when a man came up to the preppy girl and asked if she was a stewardess because she was wearing a trendy blazer. Let me tell you, she did not enjoy that, but it's okay because I did.

So I should be off as I would rather not miss my connection to Mumbai. I was sad that it got dark so early flying over the Kuwait desert, but hopefully the sun will be up and in full force as I fly into India. I can't wait to start taking pictures and plan on attempting some from the sky! Maybe by the next blog post I will have some nifty ones to share.

Time to Go!

Thank you to all the family and friends who have helped make this dream become a reality. I can't believe the day I have been waiting for is finally here. Today I shoot off to Asia and know that whatever awaits me is a game changer -- aka exactly what I am looking for these days. Cheers to new doors opening and old ones slamming shut. This is an entirely new phase in my life, and I have never felt so ready for a new experience to go along with it.

If you wish to get in touch with me, feel free to send emails, facebook, or sign up for skype! You can search for me there. Send me your mailing address (unless you feel certain I already have it because I have asked you a million times) and you might just receive a postcard from halfway around the world!

As it happens, I remain the (proud?) owner of a mini computer and have decided to take my chances and bring it along. This should make for better communication AND it even has a webcam. Mumbai is 10 and 1/2 hours ahead of Eastern Standard, so when you sign on at night, there is a chance you could see me in my early morning glow. As my travels continue, I will move farther away from you all in terms of time zones, but that might make getting in touch easier.

So anyways this is me saying farewell. I will be back, I promise (after all, it is good night and not good bye). And I will do my best at staying in touch! Maybe the next post will come from Kuwait... maybe I will have a chance as I do my usual JFK pub crawl... but definitely expect some wild news from this lady. The odds are slim that International Steph will avoid interesting, blog-worthy situations.

Once again, thank you to all those who have supported me (or admonished me), pushed me, and applauded me as I decided to take on this endeavor. I would not be the lady that I am today without you.

Until next time, just remember -- the greatest glory in living is not in never falling, but in rising everytime we fall.

Disclaimer: By future wild stories, I must say that safety is key. Before following through on any adventure in Asia, I will ask myself the three key questions that I learned last summer: does this satisfy all three requirements of safe, fun and enriching?

Advice From Others

Going to foreign lands, it is always wise to seek advice from others. It is truly amazing how many people I have been in contact with -- from friends, family, family friends, friends of family -- everyone wants to share a story or impart some wisdom before I leave.

The fun advice though tends to come from those that you have not solicited it from. This occurs frequently when making small chat with people and you would normally seem relatively boring due to the fact that you don't have a job or something so you decide to tell them all about your upcoming travels in Asia. My new eye doctor especially liked to chat about this since he had just gotten back from Vietnam. I wish I knew his name but the nurse had me take out my contacts before I met him which rendered me absolutely blind and unable to focus on much new information.

Anywho, Mr. New Eye Doctor started telling me about how facial reconstruction is his specialty and then asked if I have ever heard of mopeds. Note: Although he was young, he acted like he had never heard of a moped before going to Vietnam. I told him yes but that I was not planning on going on one if I could help it. I also cracked a joke and said I was thinking about investing in a helmet. Well, Mr. New Eye Doctor Who Actually Prefers Facial Reconstruction did not find that funny at all and told me that a helmet could save my brain but not my cheekbone (he actually said a more technical term). "You would look like you are missing half your face and it could never be repaired," were his actual words I believe.

Well, okay then. I was left speechless. I was also really confused because I still couldn't see much more than huge blobs. Luckily, he let me leave after that lecture and I was able to go put my contacts back in.

At least not everyone is so pessimistic... Now I will share my positive experience with the woman who gave me the best nugget of advice thus far -- Juliana, who works at American Express where I went to purchase traveler's cheques and rupees (the Indian currency in case you were curious).

Meet my new best friend Juliana...

We took an instant liking to each other, her being Indian and me being about to go there. She even thought I had already been to India as my knowledge of her country was so abundant! Yes, I am perfect. However, even without our common interest in her country, I think we would have gotten along fabulously -- we are both good-looking, smart, and funny ladies.

So she ordered me my rupees on Monday, especially requesting small bills for my convenience, and I was on my way. As is the manner of dear friends, she promised a speedy delivery so I wasn't too surprised when today, she called and told me they had arrived! I hopped in the Mount (my other best friend, who I am driving constantly these days in order to celebrate his 100,000 miles while I am still in the country) and drove up to see Juliana. Upon arrival we started chatting some more about where I would be staying in Mumbai, what I wish to see, what to look out for, etc. When I asked her where she was from, she replied, "Goa." "Goa!" I cried, "I plan on going there! It looks beautiful there and I love beaches."

Let me tell you, I wish I had a camera when I said that because Juliana put on the biggest smile and then looked at me in a manner I wish I had captured. If I could explain the look, I would say it meant "I am sneaky and have a wonderful place for you to go to but by the way I am sneaky and you must go to where I tell you!" and that doesn't even begin to explain.

And what beach prompted such a look? "BAGATOR BEACH," Juliana tells me, writing down the name. She looked back up at me, winks and says, "It is a nude beach."

Thank you American Express for giving me my new best friend, Juliana. While the young Mr. Eye Doctor did not know what a moped was, Juliana the middle-aged Indian woman could suggest a nude beach. In her country where propriety is emphasized.

To wrap this up and leave one last final food for thought, one email I recently received from an advice giver who doesn't know me at all said, "If you are embarking on a trip like this, my guess is that you have an adventurous spirit and will NOT want to come back permanently." She also suggested I think about teaching overseas. It hadn't been something I was planning on, but hey, advice is advice and some of the suggestions least expected could be the best ones.

Either way, keep the advice coming because I certainly enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I am not endorsing nude beaches nor has this become a concrete destination in my itinerary. I am actually a bit uncomfortable when it comes to nudity.

Spirituality & Stephanie

Not exactly two words that normally go together...

Although I love to read my horoscope, it took a while for me to dabble into deeper experiences with the more advanced kinds of readings. Maybe I am relatively gullible or just love to attach meaning to the words in my horoscope but it holds my attention on a daily basis and today's made me chuckle since I had mentioned a feeling of financial restraint in a previous post (the one about my lack of social life in case you forgot). Let me share:

January 4, 2010 LEO -- All of a sudden the urge to keep spending money has passed - and passed quickly, too. The shopping buddies you refused to let out of the gate will probably get a big kick out of seeing you like this, but once you are done putting up with good natured ribbing, you'll at least be able to congratulate yourself for being the first one to quit while you were ahead.

When these words of psychic wisdom resonate with my life, I am prone to contemplate delving deeper into my interest... which actually leads me back to last summer when I went for my first psychic reading. Skeptical didn't even begin to example how I felt as I headed into the room, but as my new psychic Amy began to shuffle the cards, two popped out, and she began to tell me the meaning of them... I was sold. There were two people on my mind as the reading began and those were the two people she started to describe. As the reading continued, she threw out terms and names that the average person would not know about me. I would elaborate but that is just too difficult to do on a blog (even for the most experienced of bloggers). Plus, it is personal.

Recently, as I reflected on Amy, my horoscopes, and my current status as a member of society, I decided to invest in some Angel cards the other day. Angel cards are also known as oracle cards. There are a few ways to use them, but my goal is to use them once daily while abroad (and I have started to do this now) and see what messages might be revealed. There can be full-fledged readings or just daily messages. Each card represents a different angel (yes, I know this seems a little wacky but I am starting to believe) and meaning. You can also have some of the angels blocked coming to you. The important thing is to open yourself up to receiving these messages and understanding their meaning.

I know. This is really a longshot and you probably didn't consider it coming from me.

But considering the fact that I am about to leave for a new part of the world where I will be exposed to religions on a whole different level than what I am used to and rituals are an integral part of daily life, I have decided to leave myself open to come to a new understanding of faith. I am not a terribly religious person, but I do have faith in certain ideas. And honestly, how can one abstain from thinking about this when they are in the country that saw the birth of both Hinduism and Buddhism? In fact, India is home to more temples than any other country (as I learned from a recent IMAX viewing). I am definitely looking forward to learning more about religion once again. I was once fascinated but pushed it aside. Let us see what happens now that I explore once again.

I do believe that this is all connected to being open to new experiences and new ideas, which I am more than willing to do at this point in my life. Finally.

Note: my New Year's spiritual resolution is to leave myself open to all these messages. After all, even if it is a tad questionable, what else should I do on 23 hour train rides from Mumbai to the Taj Mahal? Besides befriending strangers (and International Steph returns)...

PS If you have not, I recommend a reading.

The Cast aka My Special Travel Buddy

Just got off the phone with the fabulous lady that will be accompanying me for Part 2 of Steph's Spiritual Journey -- the Thailand and whatever comes next section.

To the left we have Ms. Gemmer (who sadly is not joining us). She is one of my nearest and dearest friends from a little camp in the Berkshires (she also recently decided to move into the North End of Boston with one of my kookiest friends). Luckily, Ms. Gemmer was able to convince her friend to the right to come work with us about 5 years ago. That was how I met the smart-looking (Hannukah?) package. Who knew that was the beginning of a beautiful friendship that would eventually evolve into travel buddies? There were a couple of moments where we thought we might get along... like the time Becca threw up in the sink and made Jordan plunge it... but that was just food poisoning, right?

Anywho. Back to the matter at hand. This fun and wholesome almost-grad student will be my partner in crime from February to May. Beware though -- even though she has managed to elude any nicknames (ahem, International Steph), I think she might end up giving me a run for the money.


After all, she did introduce me to the North End rice ball (I think?).

So EXCITED for such fine company.

Disclaimer: I was honestly just looking for a reason to use the Christmas present picture (and maybe including creepy Stride Rite boy). PSA: 10 DAYS!