India, Elephant, Monkeys, and Broken things.

Listening to: Random Electronica courtesy of Annemarie, my dapper sitemate.

Hello my lovely readers, I have missed you. Hopefully it is likewise on your end. It is right?!?!?

“Where have I been?” you ask. I went to a place called India. It was a fantastic journey and experience, and I was able to see a number of great places, meet countless people, most of them good. I also had some epic travel adventures, and some unanticipated craziness.

I want to tell you my entire story of India, and surely I will. First, I need to mention a few other things about my life.

I got home the other day to not working internet. This wasn’t a huge deal, as it happens, right? But, I went to the cyber to use the internet, and my computer’s hard drive crashed, puttered out, decided to say goodbye. It was 6 years old, so not a surprise. I didn’t lose too many documents, and very little music. I lost my typing venue, and some software. I also lost the ability to listen to music or watch shows/movies. All is all, it sucks, but it could have been worse, and I took that compy everywhere, so it took a beating.

To be honest, I think this might a blessing in disguise. Had it happened a few months ago, I would have been smack in the midst of applications for schools. Those are done and sent now, and while I still have some randomness with schools to deal with… nothing major, and the documents I lost have all been sent into their respectful homes.

I have three months left here (what!!!! 3 months!!!) in this village that I call home, and now I will be able to spend ample time with my friends here, and not have the distraction (which I contain with internet) pulling me from any of that time. I can also focus on reading, and spending time outside. Certainly I will be around the internet a few times a week, to check the email and keep in touch. Even Peace Corps Morocco regularly contacts via email, and it is expected that us volunteers check once a week, for regular updates etc. So I would never really be completely out of contact. Oh globalization, you amaze me again.

This also means I will not be able to update this blog as often, as I will have to use a friend’s computer to type it out before going to the cyber beforehand (oh French style keyboards are the worst, and take forever to type anything!)

I still want to give you the low-down on India, and the trip, but it will come in pieces. Patience my readers is a virtue.

As the title leads you to believe, I saw an Elephant and Monkeys. I saw the Elephant in the middle of New Delhi, on my final day in India. Just walking, turned a corner, and was like “Whoa, guy on an elephant.” In the middle of a city containing 10-15 million people.

Monkeys were everywhere, and specifically there were two kinds that I saw; Langurs and Macaques. They were much more active than the tame very chill Barbary Macaques we have here, and I saw a few get up in arms at some people, stealing bags of food, or screaming at people. I was wary of them, as I didn’t want my sunglasses or anything else taken… or my face eaten. Not saying that they would do that, but they would. I know it. They looked mean.

While I will save the details on many things for later, let me tell you a few things about India and my trip.

I was delayed 3 days in Paris, thanks to Easyjet screwing up my flight from Morocco to Paris, causing me to miss my Saudi Airlines flight. This was a massive annoyance, and a terrible way to start off the trip. Though, if I had it to do over again, I would do it the same. Why?… because on the flight, I met a new friend, from the US, and she welcomed me into her and her brothers Parisian adventure. They were fantastic people, and without them I would have froze on the mean streets of Ol’ Paris. We had an amazing time, took many pictures… many jumping in front of monuments… and even drank hot wine! Christmas was grand due to being in Europe, and thanks only to Nina.

India was full of the following:
1. People
2. Fantastic food, both home cooked and restaurant bought
3. Sickness (I was wretchedly sick with flu for 5 days)
4. Pollution (Delhi and Mumbai are ridiculous in their pollution)
5. Fantastic

As I said, I will explain over a series of blog posts. BUT, now, on to my final words.

SO my lovely readers; my friends, family, and random folks… I want to discuss my return to the place called America.

I will be spending a month after I finish in Morocco in Italy, with a few friends from here. We will be crashing a Villa on the Adriatic Coast. Beaches, and relaxing will abound, and the goal is to enjoy my time with friends, unwind, and ready myself for the States.

This means come early June, I will be back State-side. I want to see so many of you, and I hope to have a few months before starting school or work to do so. I will spend much time with family, taking trips to see extended family as well in Illinois. BUT, I am excited to see your lovely faces, and to just give you all hugs, and catch up!

So I will surely be in touch more, and I wanted to drop this little tidbit of info out in this post. More details to come later for sure!

That’s all for now, more on India as I have the time to get the details and the thoughts out, as well as more on being back in Morocco. Take care of your heads (literal translation from Tamazight) and talk to you soon!