I wish I had something really profound to say here. I wish I had some great image to display or a story to tell. But being as I’ve been working off of 4 hours of sleep, I doubt any of those will happen.
But to be honest, everything is slowly becoming normal. I’m used to crossing the road, dodging whizzing taxicabs literally missing me by inches. I have no problems walking down the road to a local dive for some local fried squid and a glass of the local beer, shooing away the local tourist-piranas with their useless crap with a simple “Neh, neh”. In fact, my co-American traveller has found an even better way of disbanding the various children trying to sell cheap drums or carvings: Just super-lowball them. It’s quite funny, once they realize that they cannot immediately win, they simply horde some poor low-shorts-wearing-Austrailian or a flock of Japanese tourists.
I’ve only spend around 3 weeks here, but I feel as if my soul has blended in with the rest of the city. I don’t really fear it anymore. I look forward to my nightly high-speed adventures through the downtown streets, window fully down, smelling the damp night air with its jasmine/sweet-trash/fecal matter/sandalwood/corriander/pollution aroma. The air here changes like the bands of the Aurora Borealis, ever shifting smoothly on a whim. I am used to hearing many conversations in Hindi, and while not understanding the language, I am beginning to understand the body language (Including the head-bobbing-signaling-a-yes thing. Man, nothing prepares you for that).
Bombay has changed me in ways unimaginable. I almost never want to leave this magical place. It will pain me greatly to have to say goodbye to this wonderful land.
“This is not a job, this is a vacation.” Yea I hate you. Well you enjoy your company-bought delicious food in some foreign land, while I enjoy International Talk Like a Pirate Day in a country that can actually appreciate it. Suck it, matey!
you blog has inspired me to actually apply for a passport. i think my first stop is going to be scotland within the next year. jenny said she would go. care to join?
YARRRRRRGH! I be celebratin’ it too, matey!
Matt, sure! When are you thinking of going? Think we can make a quick detour through Germany? ;-D
Avast yeee matey. Happy Talk Like A Pirate Day to yeeee!
So there’s a “jasmine/sweet-trash/fecal matter/sandalwood/corriander/pollution aroma” over there, huh? well, my condo just smells like sweet, sweet trash.