Weird things I do now.

I realize that I've been pretty weird my entire life, but I was reflecting a little today on how I've become even.more.weird. 

I...

- only paint the nails on my left hand... because I eat with the right. 

- see elephants and monkeys often... and get excited every time. 

- ride side-saddle on the back of motorbikes and scooties.... and somehow manage to maintain balance.  

- use excessive hand motions and sound effects in every conversation. Language barrier. 

- feel self-conscious if I don't have a scarf draped across my shoulders. 

- make 'cowboy coffee' every morning by boiling the ole grinds with the water over the gas stove. 

- put things in the sun to heat/re-heat. Like this homemade syrup...

- say 'cheers' all the time... while having tea with village leaders, coffee with friends, or water at the bus stop. Cheers!

- carry an umbrella for rain AND shine. Everybody's doing it. 

    

“The little things”

Mornings.

Fresh flowers.

Tea.

The ability to read and write. Um… journaling.

 Laughter.

CORN FLAKES. 

Sweet questions I've been asked.

-       Are you six foot?

-       What’s your weight? (heck no)

-       How much did it cost to fly from America?

-       Did your parents let you come alone?

-       Did you take good rest?

-       Did you take bath?

-       Your handwriting is not join, no? (Nope. Sorry. I don’t always write in cursive)

-       What are you thinking? (If you only knew...)

-       Are you Hindu or Muslim?

-       Where is your husband? (I left him at home for a few years. haha)

-       Will you teach at our school?

-       What do you wear in America?

-       What are your friends’ names? Are they girls or boys?

-       What do Native Americans look like? Why are they called Indians? What languages do they speak?

-       Do you know Hannah Montana? (yeah... we're best friends)

-       Are you friends with Michael Jackson?

-       Is Obama your father? (yes. duh)

-       Are you married?

-       What day is teacher’s day in America?

-       What is sugar made from in America?

-       Will you teach me English?

Lists. And diarrhea.

I love lists.

So I'm going to share some with you.

The only list I've got right now is a little disgusting, but it's a reality here, so just bare with me.

Nicknames for diarrhea:

Hoobastank.
Pudding Poop.
The Squirts.
The McNasties.
The Runs.
Delhi Belly.
Bloatation.
Projectiles.
The Trotskies.
Fart Fog. (personal favorite)
Explosives.
Backdoor Trots.
Salad Shooter.
Montezuma's Revenge.
Anal Leakage.
Wrong-Way Vomit.
Colon Blow.
Whistlebelly Thumps.
Poop Soup.
Butt Nuggets.
Willies.

I'd like to give a shout out to all my friends on this side of the waters that helped compile this sweet list. If you've got any to add, just send 'em my way.

First Impressions. 5 senses.

Touch.
Dirt. Grime. Naan. Stacks of fabric. Rupees.

Taste.
Rice. Curry. Spices. Chai. Dust.

Smell.
Fresh flowers in the market. Fart and gasoline. Diarrhea. Chai Tea. Incense. Train squatty. Intense BO.

See.
Color. Faces. Idols. Worship. Ganges River. Christmas lights. Fresh veggies. Creepy mannequins. Traffic.

Hear.
More car horns than I ever thought possible. Foreign languages. "T.K." (it means okay). Chants. Call to prayer. Eager market venders repeating the three English words they know over and over.