Indian Ideas

 I know I've been back from India for a while now, but let's just say that internet in Arua has been, well, annoying, lately.  I've FINALLY gotten all my blogs, and even a few photos (!) posted.  Sorry for the delay.  Getting home from vacation has meant getting caught back up with work and house stuff, so it's taken a while.  But at least it's all there now...

If you know me and my weirdness at all, you know that I'm a listmaker, and that, while no one would necessarily say I'm overly observant, I do make observations from time to time.  They're usually more about generalites rather than specifics, but they make an impact on me... sometimes I laugh, sometimes I cry, sometimes I just think, "That's weird."  Yes, I know.  I'm the one that's weird.  But I digress... I got to make LOTS of observations last month in India... and because it's my blog, I'm going to share them with you.  Enjoy.  (Or at least humor me!)

• ·      It’s really difficult to drink coffee in the middle of turbulence.
• ·      It’s a sad thing when you get overwhelmed by an airport.
• ·      Airplanes fly around Iran to get to India.
• ·      McDonald’s French fries are even better than I remembered!
• ·      It doesn’t matter where you go—kids are just cute.
• ·      I have really missed winter weather.
• ·      Delhi is a very livable city—especially compared to Arua!
• ·      Random cows wander the streets in the middle of the city of 14 million people.
• ·      Parks are a great thing.
• ·      I had no idea I was as thirsty for worship as I was… am.
• ·      I like to shop.
• ·      Cow patties are multi-purpose: fuel, home insulation, paper weight, you  name it.
• ·      That haze in the air isn’t smog.  It’s just dust.
• ·      Public urination is more common in India than in Africa.  Didn’t think that was possible.
• ·      Children here are either a commodity or a burden.
• ·      A car horn isn’t just a way to let someone know they’ve ticked you off.  It’s a whole way of communicating.
• ·      No matter where you go in the world, kids love McDonald’s.
• ·      Part of an ATM guard’s job is to work the card reader for the white tourists who can’t.
• ·      Everything fades.
• ·      I’m amazingly grateful that I don’t have to live this life in fear of the next one.
• ·      Traffic sucks.  And after an hour and a half of it, horns suck too.
• ·      I despise the smell of mothballs.
• ·      Being in a warm bed on a cold morning is one of the best surprises you can wake up to.
• ·      Friends who challenge you to think and be better are a blessing.
• ·      I miss my girlfriends.
• ·      Slow is good.
• ·      Sometimes it’s just fun to be a tourist.
• ·      I really like to shop.
• ·      India is a feast for the senses.  I wish I could stay at the table for another 3 weeks or so.
• ·      Culture is cool.
• ·      I haven’t sweated in over a week!
• ·      I’ve really missed working with a youth group.
• ·      For future reference: Emirates only allows 66 pounds of luggage total per person- NOT 2 fifty-pound bags!  That’ll throw a wrench in your plans!
• ·      I ate McDonald’s 4 times in one week—an all-time personal record.
• ·      There’s nothing like a delayed flight and almost-missed connection to make you really enjoy traveling.
• ·      Sign of a great airline: warm towels.
• ·      The Arabian Peninsula just looks like a whole lot of sand.
• ·      We flew over Djibouti.  I just think that’s a fun word to say.  Djibouti.
• ·      I like paisley.