I have to remind myself how much and why I love living in this city. My trips to Delhi and Goa, while fun, are deceptive and they make me distrust and dislike my "home town." But when I come back home I fall in love again with the place. There is just so much to love.
The other day we took a boat ride down the Ganga- seeing the sunrise, passing by villages, and heading past the ghats. A former program participant was with us, he now lives in Delhi and is in charge of Fullbright in India, and it was through him that again saw this place as amazing. I needed to be told why people love Varanasi, what brings them back and back and back. On the boat I was able to see the city in a far more relaxed and peaceful way. The sun hitting the buildings, the people all bathing, the cows meandering, and our boat slowly passing it all by made for an very touching pictures. I now walk the ghat twice a week, and each time in the silence of the night, I am reminded about how lucky I am to live here, how fast this is all going, and how I want to cath and grab every second that passes through my fingers. Varanasi is opening up to me in the most wonderful of ways, and I know I need/will come back. I have meet some people from Europe that have been living here for over 20 years-- I wonder if I could hack that one
Lately I have been searching and really thinking about what I want to do when I get back home, and everyday the list grows longer. I am happy I have my mom there to give me my needed dose of reality. I would like to stay in India over the summer, but I just don't know if I could hack the heat- 120 degrees daily. I would like to come back home to Rockford and hang with my family (anybody have a job for me?). I would like to move back to Madison. And now the newest in the string of outrageous ideas: San Francisco, my friend just signed on an apartment for the summer in the Mission. But as my mom told me: one of the most expensive cities in the US and also in the state with 3rd highest in unemployment. Blah Blah Blah- but she is right.... sigh :)
The semester is ending and I have a bit of work to do: but enjoyable work: finishing some silk weaving, going around town and collecting samples of different silks, brocade styles, and regional textile designs. I have an outline to write and small five pager to do to. But after those things I have my break and then the real work begins when I come back home: PROJECT, COLLECTING DATA FOR MY PROJECT, miniature painting, wrestling, and learning learning Hindi! This is really a great way to learn
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