Things I miss

Notice in the title, I say things. Not people. So don't think I am just being materialistic and that I only miss things. I was thinking yesterday about certain conveniences that I really don't think about while I am at home, or that annoy me when I am home. But when I am gone, I realize just how much they make my life easier. So here are some of them that I have thought of recently.

Cars-Normally, I am not a fan of cars. I don't like driving, gas is expensive, and they pollute the air. But oh my goodness, they make life so much easier. It takes me several times longer to get anywhere here. I don't mind the walking so much, though sometimes I get very tired. But when it is too long to walk, waiting on the bus becomes rather a hassle. It makes me miss the ease of just walking outside, jumping in the car (preferably with someone else driving, but either way), and going where I need to go. I don't need to worry about arriving late because the bus is late for whatever reason, and I don't have to get to the bus stop early in case (miracles of miracles) the bus is early.
The bus is however a far more social experience than riding in a car. As long as it is kept appropriate, I actually rather enjoy spending the time with people.

Convenient food-I don't even have a microwave, but it's so easy to take a piece of pizza (made on our spinny pizza maker) and pop it in the toaster oven, and pretty soon, it's warm and the cheese is melted, and it's ready to eat.

In the same vein...Ovens-Most people here don't have ovens, and where there are ovens, they're not so great. It either takes forever to bake something, or the oven burns whatever you're making. I really enjoy cooking on the stove, but there's something to be said about being able to bake cookies whenever you feel like it.

Long showers-I guess I should clarify. I can take long showers if I please. However, what I miss are long showers that remain hot for longer than 3 minutes. I am becoming an expert at super fast showers.

Water-Obviously we have water here, but I am talking about 2 specific types of water. First, drinking water that comes out of the tap. Water I can brush my teeth with without bringing a bottle of water into the bathroom with me. I guess I could, but I don't want anymore intestinal parasites than those I have already probably picked up. Oops...that was probably TMI :~) I also miss having hot water that comes out of a tap. It's so much easier to wash dishes when I don't have to haul hot water.

Washing machine-There's a machine at Farley, but you have to haul water to it, and then haul the water away also. There are other places I can have my clothes washed, but I have to carry my clothes quite a ways. A washing machine in the house is a lovely thing. I'm not so concerned about the dryer. I am totally fine hanging my clothes to dry, but having a washer that is close by that I don't have to carry water for is nice.

I'm sure I could think of a lot more things, but those are the main things that make my life easier.

Alone, yet not alone am I

I’m in the homesick period of my trip. Luckily for me, I tend to be homesick for roughly the 1^st 2 weeks of my trip, and then I am fine. I still miss home, but it’s not really what I would call homesickness. It’s more of a dull ache. Like when you strain a muscle, and the pain doesn’t keep you from doing anything, but you feel it there constantly. That’s about how my loneliness feels.

I think things are compounded by the fact that when I left, I was still trying to resign myself to the fact that Skye is gone. Skye is my horse that died less than a week before I left home for anyone that doesn’t know. Usually, I can lessen the amount that the loneliness bothers me by saying, ‘eh, it won’t be that long til I see them again.’ But with Skye, that is not the case. He won’t be there when I get home. And I really didn’t have the time to get my mind used to that fact before I left. Which makes it a lot harder. Some part of me is still going to expect him to be there when I get home.

I’m really enjoying my time here in Mumbai, and I am looking forward to getting to Ooty, but I am also hoping that my homesickness goes away quickly like it often does. People seem to think that I don’t miss anyone or anything while I am gone. I am having adventures, so who cares about people? But that is not the case. It’s actually fairly hard for me to leave. I go because I love to travel, and I know that it is what I am supposed to be doing, but it’s not just all easy.

But I know I am not alone. No matter where I am, God is with me. I sometimes have to remind myself of that when I have those moments where I feel like I am surrounded, but at the same time, I am totally alone. There are people all around me, but no one who actually knows me, or truly cares. But the one who is always with me, knows me more deeply than anyone else ever could, and he cares about me more truly than anyone ever has or will. And while it would be nice to have a physical person who could travel with me, I have the one that I really need already with me. 

What makes life normal?

I’ve come to realize that this whole plan of keeping up with a blog is falling apart quickly. As I go through the day, I think of lots of things I want to write. But then in the evening, I am either tired, busy, or talking to Anu (my couchsurfing host). And now I am staying in a place that does not have internet. So I am trying to get caught up a little bit by typing in a document that I can post later.

Mumbai is so crazy different from Ooty, and then in some ways, it is very similar. There are random things that people do that I just look at it and say, ‘yep, that’s India.’ It’s weird how fast you get used to things. I mean, really, I have not spent that much time in India. But the way people act, and the way life is, it just seems normal. Yeah, sometimes it drives me nutty, but so does stuff at home that I have grown up with. But it’s not really a culture shock or anything.

The whole thing of driving on the left side of the road is an example of this. Some of you may know that when I come home, I have issues with driving on the right side of the road. Ok, that’s stupid. I was 21 before I came to India (which is the only country I’ve been to so far where they drive on the left). So I had 21 years of seeing people drive on the right side of the road, and 3 years driving (well, 3 legal years…) myself. That’s what I should be used to. But driving on the left is a lot easier for me. I have to make myself think to figure out which side I’m supposed to be on at home. So watch out if you see me driving around in June.

There is really no such thing as on time here. Some people might say that I should be used to that after growing up with my Dad. But compared to Indians, Dad is super punctual. Scary, I know. Half the time, it seems like there is no concept of on time. The train will get there when it gets there. Your driver (for people who have drivers) will show up when he shows up. He might be late if he has to get chai. Or he might be late for some reason you’ll never know. You can try talking to people about their punctuality, and they will be very contrite, and apologetic, but nothing will change. Except you. You’ll either get to the point that you can’t handle it anymore, or you’ll get to the point where you are used to it, and you learn to be more patient.

Culture shock is really nothing more than a person having their view of what is “right”, and not being willing to accept that to someone else, they’re the crazy one. If you’re going to travel, you have to be open to the fact that, outside of your country, things will be different. And it’s way easier to accept the culture you are in than it is to try to change a whole culture. You’ll also learn a lot more. Maybe some things at home are better, maybe some things where you go are better. Some will be equal, but you’ll never know if you don’t give it a chance.

Like chai breaks in India. Those are great. We don’t do things like that. You grab tea or coffee, and drink it while you work. Here, lots of people have specific times for breaks. They’ll have their chai, and perhaps a biscuit, drink it in a couple of minutes, and then get back to work. They don’t spend all day sipping their chai, but it gives a nice respite from their work. And I think it’s brilliant. Wouldn’t go over so well at home if I said, ‘ok, I’m gonna take a chai break.’, although it’s really no worse than a smoke break (but that’s a whole other thing…), but it’s very pleasant.

It’s not so much what makes life normal that you should worry about. Worry about what makes you happy. And what brings glory to God. Beyond those things, normal is obsolete. Who cares if people think you’re crazy no matter what country you’re in. I’d rather be crazy and happy than normal and always worried about what people think. 

And I'm here.

Wow, ok, I was planning on being a little bit better about updating this before I left. But everything just got so hectic, I never took the time. So I am in Mumbai right now. I am spending about a week in Mumbai, because everyone says that I should see more of India than just Ooty. And yeah, I already have...
I got in last night around 9:45. Then I had to get my luggage, find an auto, etc, etc. The auto ride ended up being over half an hour (and they gypped me on the price, which isn't a surprise), and it was sheer craziness. The late hour, combined with the ride, reminded me of my first time in Manaus, speeding through town with Jon, worrying the whole time that I was going to die. Obviously, neither trip killed me, but both of them were very interesting. And the whole auto ride, I was absolutely fascinated, watching Mumbai go by. I love seeing new places and new things. :~)
Mumbai is a town that is a study in contrasts. On the one hand, it is a huge city. And it seems like a huge city. The traffic is like Chicago, except almost less civilized. Lines showing where lanes in the road are, are merely suggestions that most people ignore. There are 3 different speed limits, depending on what sort of a vehicle you are driving, but I do not think that anyone pays attention to them. Everyone swerves around, trying to get to their destination the quickest. But then you have people strolling across the street as though they are in small town America, where hardly any traffic goes through, and they certainly do not have to concern themselves with the traffic. No one would hit them of course.
Then you have fancy hotels and buildings, with homeless people living in their shadows, along the median of the road. Some have small shacks to live in, some don't even have that much. I see things like this, and I am shocked, but the Indians don't even notice it.
When I arrived at the place that I was going to be staying, I had to walk all around this apartment complex, trying to find the place I was supposed to be. The guards gave me directions, but they weren't very clear. I was trying to figure out where to go, and I looked up at the sky. The first stars I saw looked very familiar. There weren't many stars that were visible, between the tall buildings blocking them, and the light drowning them out. But these stars were stars that I would recognize any time I saw them. They were the shoulders of Orion. If you know me very well, you know that I absolutely love Orion. And I don't even know why. I think partly because Orion is a constellation that I see no matter where I go. Every time I have traveled, I have been able to find Orion. When I walk outside at night, he is the first constellation I look for. So to see him as soon as I looked up was really neat. It was like God was giving me something familiar to see, even though I was in such a foreign place.
I'll try to post updates a little more regularly after this :~) Once I get an adapter so I can plug my computer in at least. I need to go now and try to conserve my battery.