Namasthe everyone!
Well, this isn't really my blog, but I have the privilege of contributing to the twins' adventures, so I thought I'd write a little somethin somethin. After about two weeks in India, I've finally passed my travel hump - I've gotten violently sick for a day and now feel fine. Thats right, while Emma and Dimity often have a "shy ass" while travelling, I seem to find that mine will often not shut up. Well, at least it didn't come at a bad time... like on a small boat. Yeah, So we were on a small boat floating through beautiful canals for 3 days when it hit me at about 4 in the morning while rocking gently back and forth in the little on-board bathroom. All I can remember is a flurry of immodium pills, crowded buses, only naan bread for all meals, and two helpfull girls. When I awoke healthy, I was on a hut on top of a cliff overlooking the Arabian sea.
With all that behind me now though, I like to think that my body is fully acclimated and can handle anything. I will therefore be eating from streetcarts, sidewalk stalls and out of trashcans from now on. Im really trying to fit in as a local. I even bought a "lunghi" yesterday or a male skirt. ALL Indian men wear them in the south; they are a simple piece of cloth wrapped around the legs in a variety of ways (think Ghandi). I highly enjoy wearing mine (and I don't know if its a local custom or not) with nothing underneath. A british traveler got a rude surprise when he stumbled into my bathroom stall without knocking the other night - I havent exactly gotten the hang of the whole wrapping part yet.
We have been extremely pleased to discover Indian peoples' great kindness and inability to be aggressive. It is very refreshing after having spent time in South America and, especially, in China. While you might get pestered once in a while on the beach or at a market, most peddlers feel it neccessary to greet you, introduce themselves, ask about your background etc. Then all you have to do is smile a bit, say no a few times, throw in a head wobble, and theyre off (in most cases). What is a head wobble you ask? It isnt a yes, nor is it a no - think of the head of a curious dog, now think of a mirror image of that, now multiply that by 50. (go ahead - give it a try with a big goofy smile on your face, you will understand it better). It simply means that you have someones attention - so heads are often wobbling whenever you are talking to a local. Our first response was to chuckle, but now we wonder - should we wobble as well? I sometimes do, but feel very silly.
So far it has been all beaches. Goa, and now Kerala. Having been very recently in Brazil, its hard not to notice the extreme contrast. Brazilian locals (no matter the age, sex, or body fat percentage) wear dental floss between their asscheeks and are proud of whatever they have or dont have or have way to much of. Indian locals wear long pants and long sleeves on the beach, and the women even swim in their full saris (long dresses). This doesnt stop the European women from frolicking topless though. I have yet to see any signs of Capoeira here in India, as yoga is extremely popular with the foreign backpacking crowd. I resent the fact that people probably think I am a yogi when I do handstands and such on the beach. I am tempted to start a capoiera class here and put up my own flier among the billions of yoga fliers that says: "Come learn CAPOEIRA on the beach at sunset ... yoga is for pussies".
Right, I don't want to make this too long, and I hope that I haven't offended any of the Kirwan clan with foul language or to much discussion of bowl movements (im sure the frischs dont mind). I will try to post again later, from up north.
-Bobby
