WHY I CAME TO INDIA

THERE ARE TIMES IN LIFE WHEN YOU REALIZE “WOW, THIS IS SOMETHING I WILL PROBABLY NEVER EXPERIENCE AGAIN!”

A COUPLE NIGHTS AGO I WENT TO DINNER WITH A GROUP OF ABOUT 10 FOREIGN INTERNS. (MOSTLY AMERICANS, ONE BRITISH GUY, AND MAYBE ONE OR TWO AUSTRALIANS.) WE WENT TO A PLACE CALLED KARIM’S – IT WAS REALLY GOOD – BUT IT WAS ALL MEAT. :( SINCE I AM ABOUT 90% VEG. IT WASN’T MY USUAL FARE, BUT I PARTOOK OF THE FESTIVITIES, AS THE RESTAURANT WAS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. (WELL, MOST OF THE FESTIVITIES – I WAS NOT ABOUT TO EAT THE BRAIN STEW.) WE ORDERED MULTIPLE DISHES AND ATE COMMUNALLY – WITH OUR HANDS – LITERALLY 12 DISHES - NOT ONE VEGETABLE IN SIGHT! (I HAVE TO SAY THAT IT WAS SPICY, GREASY, FUN!)

AFTER DINNER, SOME OF THE INTERNS HEADED HOME, WHILE SOME HEADED OUT TO A SPORTS BAR TO WATCH SOME SOCCER. I DECIDED TO HEAD HOME, AND 3 OF THE GUYS WHO WERE GOING OUT WERE GOING MY DIRECTION, SO THEY AGREED TO CATCH A RICKSHAW AND DROP ME BY MY PLACE. WELL THIS WAS A VERY UNIQUE RICKSHAW RIDE. AFTER ENDING UP AT THE WRONG PLACE, AND HAVING TO ARGUE WITH THE DRIVER TO TAKE US TO THE RIGHT PLACE - HIS STOPPING NO LESS THAN 6 TIMES FOR DIRECTIONS - WE WERE FINALLY ON THE WAY TO MY APARTMENT.

DURING THIS RIDE – I HAD ONE OF “THOSE MOMENTS.” FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVEN’T HAD THE PLEASURE OF RIDING IN A MOTOR RICKSHAW – IT IS SIMILAR TO A GOLF CART. SO…THE 4 OF US THAT DECIDED TO RIDE IN THIS 1 RICKSHAW WERE IN FOR AN ADVENTURE. BEING A GIRL, I GOT PART OF THE SEAT. MY FRIEND DAVID SAT BESIDE ME, AND ADAM, THE BRITISH INTERN, SAT BESIDE HIM. THAT LEFT DAN, THE AUSSIE, WHO ASSURED US THAT HE COULD SIT ON THE SIDE OF THE RICKSHAW – ESSENTIALLY A METAL BAR WHERE A DOOR WOULD NORMALLY BE. WELL DAN IS A VERY TALL FELLOW, SO ALTHOUGH HIS BUM WAS ON THE BAR, HIS LEGS WERE ON ME – SO IN REALITY, HE WAS SITTING ON MY LAP. (SIDENOTE: BY THE END OF THE RIDE – I REALIZED THAT A MUSCULAR 6’ SOMETHING MAN IS NOT AS LIGHT AS HE LOOKS!)

WELL, THERE I WAS – CRUSHED INTO THIS LITTLE CORNER – WITH MY FRIEND, A BRIT, AND AN AUSSIE ON MY LAP – DISCUSSING EVERYTHING FROM SOCCER TO POLITICS – AND I HAD TO LAUGH TO MYSELF! WHAT A MOMENT IN TIME. WHEN WILL I EVER BE IN THAT SITUATION AGAIN - WITH SUCH INTERESTING PEOPLE – WHO LET’S FACE IT – I WILL MOST CERTAINLY NEVER SEE AGAIN AFTER I LEAVE INDIA? I COULDN’T HELP BUT THINK HOW MUCH BRAIN POWER THERE WAS IN THIS ONE LITTLE CART – WHAT THESE PEOPLE MIGHT DO IN THE FUTURE TO CHANGE THE WORLD – AND I THOUGHT - WOW, ONE DAY WHEN ONE OF THESE GUYS HAS DONE SOMETHING REALLY GREAT, AND SOMEONE SAYS TO ME “HEY, WERE YOU EVER CLOSE TO SO-AND-SO ,” – I CAN SAY IN ALL HONESTY “WELL, THERE WAS THIS ONE TIME IN INDIA…”