so i just went for a quick night with my friends at the shack and hokey dokey. the place was totally empty, and since the cooks had gone to bed, i asked if i could cook us a meal, as long as they teach me how to make the indian dishes. it was SO fun! we cooked chicken biryani, a rice dish with a chicken curry buried in between the layers; and cheese garlic naan. one of the chefs didn't speak english, so they were teaching me to tell him to hurry up in hindi, so this is what i learned (spelled phonetically):
"doe cheese garlic naan baggin kor" = 2 cheese garlic naans, make it fast!
we made it an early night since i was being picked up at 8:30am to go to see the kids. that was great. hokey dokey took me to 2 of their schools, and one of the "slums", which was really just a compound of cloth tents in the middle of an open field. the ppl residing there are the ones that make all those straw baskets that you pay loads for in the markets. some of the kids had cuts and infections treated on their feet-- since none of them wear shoes, despite each being given a pair. then there were many with major lice and the volunteers will have to go back and shave all their heads to get rid of it. they basically pulled out a couple of mats and sat the children down with colored pencils, coloring books and chalkboards. all the girls were cute about showing off their coloring. they endured about 30 minutes of learning A-B-C's and then we headed off. all of the children at all 3 locations were so cute and friendly. they waved hi with smiles from ear to ear. the one i'm holding took over me like a boss, and grabbed my hand and dragged me everywhere to play ball with him. so cute. the ride back to my hotel on the motorbike was one of the best rides i've ever been on. the landscape was beautiful and it was so nice to feel the wind blowing in my face, and feeling the contrasts between the hot beating sun and the coolness of the shade.
then the tall glass of norwegian-persian water finally made it over to my beach. it was great to be able to see him again before we both leave this country tomorrow. he's like me, easy to make friends, and he had brought these 2 local guys he'd spent the last 2 days with. they stayed for about 15 minutes, enough to propose a "business opportunity" for me to get a free ticket to travel to europe or back home to the us, as long as i brought some of their goods with me. i politely rejected. when they left, i looked at my friend and i was like, you are not serious are you? get the hell away from them! he knows and is glad to be leaving india tomorrow too.
then i was disappointed that my masseuse friend had ripped me off today, after i paid him even more than what he asked for yesterday. im beginning to believe that this is just the true nature of indians- survival of the fittest. dog eat dog.
so now this is my last night, and unfortunately, i didn't make plans with any of my friends here because my friend from home was supposed to be coming with her aunt. but she got sick, and i only just now found out when i checked my email. i'll just go get a nice dinner and then head back to my hotel to watch a movie. i don't feel like going to the shack.
these few irritating experiences make it a little sweeter than bitter to leave. i love india, but i am really tired of all the cheating. goa is definitely my least favorite part of india, and even though i do hope to return to india someday, goa will never be revisited.
my journey westward begins tomorrow with a 7am flight to mumbai, a 5 hour layover there, and then a voyage to london, to see some of my favorite people that i met on my work trip to australia. funny that many of us are no longer employees with that company! but it's always the ppl i meet abroad on these wonderful trips that become some of my best and favorite friends. dutch girl and i have been keeping in touch almost everyday, she's still up in rajasthan and leaving on saturday. handsome hotel manager has also been messaging me everyday and still wishes i'd let him come here to goa. tall glass of water is coming to nyc march 20th and i offered him my place to stay. hokey dokey proposed that we meet in mexico or peru sometime next year. and the pals from springboard are eagerly awaiting my arrival in my beloved london, and we keep in touch as often as possible too.
pretty soon i'll have mapped out the globe, and i'll have myself a place to stay on every continent!
namaste india! shukriyya for a wonderful time here!!
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