eat pray (run) love

If you’re not overwhelmed you’re doing it wrong. I feel safe and happy here, but the craziness that is india will overwhelm anyone…unless you grew up here.

 

I have felt like crying a few times, mostly because I’m still working through jet lag. Jet lag is terrible. I slept so much on the plane I thought I would be fine, but I was so wrong. I try not to nap, but eventually cave and take at least an hour nap during the day which results in waking up at 4 am. I’m an insomniac.

As sunrise neared yesterday I decided to venture out for my first run in India. I’ve done a little bit of yoga before I go to bed, and that’s kept my sanity so far, but the runner in me needed to experience what pounding the pavement was like in India.

I found this little park called Sanjeeviah park which is opposite of the famous Buddha statue here in Secunderabad. I actually found this place by using the terrain option of google maps. I was planning on walking there, but an auto rickshaw was right down the road from my hotel and I figured this would be a good time to get used to this type of transportation since there was little traffic. Despite his minimal English skills, I made it there and saw dozens of “walkers” entering the palm tree filled park. It was 5 rupees (less than a penny) to enter, and the first bound I took left me in awe. To my left was a murky lake, then a launch off for boats where three guys probably around my age pushed their kayaks in for a morning row. I kept their pace for a bit until I stopped circling the rim of the lake. The humidity swarmed my lungs and as I glanced up I saw a man in a quiet, meditative headstand. The park had a paved main trail and some well crafted dirt off shoots. Honestly, I was expecting a more elaborate sunrise. The sun was a bright magenta dot that rose quietly. I took my Garmin watch along and was pleased it works in India.

My lungs have gotten used to the snowy, cold, dry air of the midwest, but this shook things up for me. This whole trip has shook things up for me.

At breakfast the other day I finished my meal and they gave me a silver, tin bowl with hot water and a cut up lime or lemon. I left it since I didn’t know was it was for. I messaged  when of my indian friends back home and explained what it was. He said to drink it, as south Indians find it good for the digestive system. Yesterday I went to a new restaurant nearby. I took a few minutes to look over the menu, and one of the waiters came up bringing a menu and said “here’s Chinese food” then flipping a page, “and pizza.” “Oh ok,” I responded politely then ordered myself some daal (lentils dish) and roti (bread).

This is the second time something like this has happened, when I went into a multi level store looking for sarees, a worker approached me with a confident “hi” and directed me to the 4th floor where the western clothes were. I told him I was looking for sarees, but he continued saying “tunics and jeans” probably because that was what I was sporting at the time. India is a trip. I came her to be immersed in Indian culture, and everyone thinks I just want to eat pizza. Makes me laugh.

Now at the end of my meal of daal, they offered me a similar tin bowl like at breakfast, so I confidently took a sip. One of the workers came over grinning ear to ear and quietly said, “not to drink, for your hands,” doing a cleaning motion with his finger tips.

I felt my face take on the bright pink shade of the sun this morning.

 

Xoxo With shanti,

Mel