No pics today, just some random thoughts...
I love Italian. We went out for pizza tonight, again! Cecilia and I decided that we eat more pizza here than we do at home. In fact, I feel like my whole diet has been carbo-loading since I got to the ashram. At meals they often serve rice, potatoes, and bread... all at once. I feel like I'm gonna wake up one morning like the Goodyear blimp. So minus a few Indians at dinner, I was the only non-Italian speaker at the table. I could follow, somewhat, the conversation, but it didn't matter because it's just such a beautiful language. I love how they say "Madonna!" sort of like we say, "My God!"
I've decided that a scarf is the best accessory to have in Varanasi, key for covering your mouth when you take a rickshaw anywhere. The dust and pollution here are awful. I have a case of what I'm calling "Varanasi lung" right now, basically just coughing and congestion, with occasional burning eyes thrown in for good measure. Are they sure that Mexico City is the most polluted place on the planet? Have they been to Varanasi?
The other thing I love here is the lack of regulation. For example, the other day I was eating an Indian snack, a bar made mostly of sesame. I know it also had some sugar and cardamom in it, but after that I can't be sure. The last ingredient listed was "etc." Really, et cetera? What does that mean? A bunch of fake stuff that if we told you, you wouldn't want to eat this? At least in the U.S. they tell what kind of fake stuff is in it, all those things that you can't pronounce.
And on that note, it's off to bed. Madonna!
Etc!
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