me, my twin and cyclopse.

this is an adventure that happened almost a year ago but it still makes me laugh...

So, my big toenail fell off today. Popped right off in my language teacher’s sitting room. Like a crazy uncle’s old glass eye, just popped right out.
If you recall, I dropped a freezer door on it. So, sooner or later, I knew this would happen. But now, this bald, glass eye of a big toe just stares me in the face, no blinking, no turning, just staring, like a big glass Cyclopes. And I was nervous that my teacher would see it, and feel, how can I say, disgusted. So ever so quietly, ever so stealth-like, I covered this giant boat of a big toe nail with my foot as I peered deep into the black heart of Bengali gerunds, you know, verbal nouns. I’ll be honest, it was hard to concentrate on translating compulsive sentences when I knew my big toe had shed off a layer much the size of the ancient land mass eurasia. But quickly when she walked out of the room, I grabbed the toe shell, and hid it in my language bag, safe and sound, until a welcoming gaping trash receptacle would grace my path. Of course I had to save it to show sarah and Kristin. Ahem, they were impressed.
So, now me and Cyclopes are just sitting Indian style on my new chair as I type you my adventures of the day. The internet is, surprise surprise, down for the evening but trusty Word is always ready for me. and Cyclopes

Also, I decided on my walk home from language class, (it’s a dark and long walk home, well by home I mean to the metro…and its usually about 8pm by the time I leave protima didi’s house and probably a 15 minute walk) anyways, I’ve decided that if I had to choose a super hero power to have in India, most definitely it would be the invisible cape trick. You know, where you wear a cape or something, and Poof, no one can see you. Especially on long dark walks home when most young guys are out in full flair. And me being the stunning beauty that I am, I suppose men here have just not seen such a shining start as i. as I quote often to my roommates,
sometimes you just cannot dim a shining star.
Although tonight men seemed to be in rare form. Thankfully not a one took a grab for my booty, although I was ready with some visions of kickboxing skills if it happened. But it seemed like everyone around me stared as if my twin was coming out of the right side of my upper vertebrate. Please, sirs, you’ll have to excuse my twin, she doesn’t get out much.
So, just me and my twin and Cyclopes plodding along today, running errands. Making servant team schedules. Learning loads of new vocabulary at language class. Doing laundry. Misunderstanding people. And nodding in phony agreement anyways…
Just me, my twin and Cyclopes.
What a day.
What a day.

Oh and by the way, the rat under our dishes cabinet, still lives.
In fact he’s probably reeking havoc in our kitchen even as we speak.

...almost a year later, and two rats later we are cleansed (at least for now) of the filthy creatures...and i have a real toe again. ol cyclopse hasn't reared his head in many months, at least not until i drop another freezer door on my foot.
ha. peace.

happy one year.

happy anniversary. one year since i left for india. and stepped into beautiful kolkata.
i stumbled across this little verbal process from 28 Jan 07. thoughts from the past, enjoy.

1 week in India.
Already one week finished. i think today more than normal i'm feeling it sink in, that i'm not just visiting, no longer the intern. i'm here for a longer haul. i'm here for better or for worse.
i feel the gulp in my throat, and the tension in my heart. hear the tremble in my words.
i'm here.
i'm missing my family and friends and feeling their absense today. the newness will wear. and the daily will come and with it, responsibility and growth and pain and joy.
i'm afraid and excited.
fear to fail. to extend. to forget.
fear of not being good enough whisper in the corridors of my mind...
but i also hear Christ's voice, "invite Me inside".
i also hear the voice of confidence. to remind. and rebuke.and press on.

my mind, like a pot boiling over. unable to grab hold and strain through each word. thoughts of home melt together with this new reality of life. in some ways i feel completely out of control. in most ways, i am.

i think further down the road, to 3 years from now. to 6 months from now, to next month...week...day.
and i remind my battering old hag of a mind, to take a day, a moment at a time.
one step at a time please.
wait in line.
one thought at a time.

Taj Mahal or bust

well, finally brushing off the dust of normal kolkata life as i settle back in. no more holidays to contend with, final goodbyes are concluded as i sent my dear little brother through imigration at 4am, and i find myself sort of looking around asking, well now what. certainly it will be a busy year, full and uncertain and beautifully messy. as most moments tend to look here.
its been a sweet time with the younger chachi. thank you all for your prayers and support as he made the long trip over.
tomorrow is my one year aniversary of being back in india, on staff with WMF. hard to believe a whole year has come and gone; the moments i stepped away from my family in chicago to board that good ol, duck taped Air India flight to k town seems both vivid and so distant in my mind. i'm thankful for a year of learning, traipsing through mistakes and victories to discover more of who i am and more of God's love for people. i'm hoping this pattern continues as i face head on, or at least put one step in front of the other towards a year before me.
hand to the plow an old friend used to remind me.
so, here i am, in the steps of many before me, tilling up soot as i keep my hands where they are.
peace.

two chachis on a whirlwind adventure.

well, its our final moments at the great taj mahal. chachi has gotten a bit of a bug that he didn't intend to digest here in agra. but besides the emergancy bathroom rushes, we're both doing great. went to a big old fort today that was really amazing, so much history to take in. and then of course the taj itself in all its marbley shining mosquish glory. i really is unreal to be standing next to this huge looming monument, the pics we took, well it looks to me like chach and i were just superimposed on a blue screen ha! we actually could have stayed in kolkata and gotten the same effect at the local kodak shop, for much cheaper price no?
the train ride from delhi was a bit, well, unplanned...with no ticket in our hands, we rushed to the train station in hopes we might get on the train leaving in just 15 minutes, and with a general seating ticket we attempted and failed at loading onto the cattle car with a bout 1000 of our closest new friends, so instead we illigally rode in the next class up with the rest of the overflow cattle car seating, standing the entire three hour trip to agra. hmmm. interesting isn't the word i would use...welcome to india chach.
but our hotel has been nice with "a decent view of the taj" as their sign modestly boasts, and safe or somewhat safe food to take in.
off again to delhi tonight and then home again to k town tomorrow. which i'll be honest, i'm quite ready to arrive to. delhi, not my favorite of places in the known world. if i wanted crowds and rickshaw drivers ripping me off, well i'd just stay home, at least there i can speak to them. ha.

anyways, more to come and lots of great pictures once i get back to k town.
peace and do think of chachi, not much fun to have the bug when you're traveling.

belated new years, but still happy.

wow, well the holidays have whisked by leaving me wondering how they even happened. it was a busy day full of sweet times with our SB friends complete with goat byriani, bollywood dancing in our living room, and of course lots of great present giving...then there was our british christmas feast complete with flaming pudding and interesting meat dishes, and lots of explanations on the queen... and some kiwis i didn't know doing the haka, yes its was a very interesting christmas evening. and then before i knew it, 2008 had turned around to face us all. ringing in the new year on our varanda with all our favorite brits we watched the kolkata skyline light up with fireworks as we toasted in a new season.

not to mention my little bro has rolled into town, bearing an overwhelming amount of gifts from home, nothing says merry christmas like pounds of coffee and dark chocolate. mmm. its been great to share life with him here. it takes while to get the kolkata legs working, but he's doing great and its been an incredible encouragement to have him with me for a few weeks.

on thursday we head to the taj mahal for a little brother/sister bonding travel fest time. there's many new years thoughts yet to come and some deeper reflections from the past on reserve. but for tonight i'll just share a few holiday pics and better call it a night.

happy belated new year to you all.