Morsels

Books books books

Goodreads.com appears to be spreading like wildfire. I love all my reading friends. Are there others out there who share a love for books, words, pretty cover designs? Join us. (Here's me.)

Some misery does not love company

Now that I'm finally almost back to normal after the post-India funkiness, Wes got sick yesterday with pretty much the same thing. He looked just as miserable as I felt when I was really sick. It's also awful to be the nonsick one, because there's nothing you can do (except bring crackers and club soda). But he's recovering.

Work work work

The last three evenings (yes, that included the weekend), I've done some work at home. This is due to the horror that is our biggest special issue of the year—which means for the next two weeks, I kind of have three jobs. But once it's over, work will seem so easy. Until the next horror.

India—wow

Had a crazy dream last night. (What else is new?) I was back in India with my family, but somehow it was like Star Wars and Roman times combined. On a series of islands. And we kept running into my aunt and uncle in various places, and their adopted son kept hitting on me. And also I was being chased by large, scary men...they even followed me into a ladies' washroom (in India, obviously, because it was fairly primitive). And then there were lots of stairs, big buildings and we were flying on hovercraft over the water. All in all, pretty adventurous.

But really, about the India not of my dreams: It was amazing. I haven't written much here, since I've been so busy working and recovering, but I have so many stories. (Plus photos—coming slowly. See my India photo album.) I'll start with some details:

• A strange thing about India is there are cell phone towers everywhere. They don't really have landlines, so pretty much everyone has a cell phone. We'd see old men sitting by the road with cell phones. Guys riding bicycles, motorcycles, driving any manner of contraption (rickshaw, car, truck, bus, tractor, camel wagon), all with cell phones.

• As my brother warned me the first day we were there, being white, female, young and short-haired, I got a lot of looks from everyone. Pretty much any foreigner is subject to stares (lots and lots of them), but I probably had more than usual. By the end of the trip, I was pretty used to it. I actually had to readjust getting home and not have people stare at me (and not have people all over the place in general).

• Now, certain exhaust smells remind me of India. Especially a little diesel and some burning oil.

• I was completely amazed at the Indians' driving skills. Considering the small roads and massive amounts of traffic—not to mention the pedestrians, animals and potholes—their reflexes and multitasking abilities are incredible. One driver in particular, Mahendra (who had been driving Matt around Pune, to and from work, for about a month), surprised us all when we drove out to the Ajanta and Ellora caves. We took mostly small roads (I hesitate to call them "highways") and went through dozens of villages, which were always crowded. On our way there, the drive took something like five hours. On the way back, Mahendra cut it down to three. We never got passed. I only wish I had a video of some of that drive. He made his own way.

• Transportation in general is another whole thing in India, compared with the US. We rarely saw just one or two people in a vehicle. Whole families ride (small) motorcycles: small child in front, then dad, then older child, then mom (sidesaddle). Often, mothers ride behind their husbands holding an infant on their thigh. They rarely wear helmets. Their saris flutter in the wind.

• For an architecture nut like me, India is amazing. (Especially after living a year in Santa Fe, land of faux-adobe.) We saw so many palaces, forts, caves and monuments, all stone and carvings and pillars. So many beautiful places. The Taj Mahal, among others. Ajanta Caves. Ellora Caves. Yeah. Lots more.

• Despite the many hours of travel (20-some each way in planes and airports, plus several hours driving each day), the shots and pills, the crazy pace and the two-week recovery process, I'd do it all over again.