Such a Flirt

I’ve heard from multiple people that typically month 8 is the hardest for racers.

Well, here I am, month 8…

In India. 

A place I was not excited to come to.

A place that is always hot and always sticky.

A place that serves curry constantly.

A place that has some very interesting smells. 

A place filled with people who do this funny head shaking thing that means…well I’m still not quite sure. 

Needless to say, I kind of just wanted to skip month 8 and head right to month 9, Nepal.  But, contradictory to my prayers last month, our India visas came through.  So here I sit, in India…

And I really like it…some things I even love…

I love that I saw more Christmas lights driving through the country in the middle of the night that I do on my entire street at home on Christmas. 

I love that in order to avoid heat, most people come out at night and stay up late.

I love how the women dress.  They wear Sari’s and Punjabi’s, both of which are so colorful and modest and are blasted comfortable.    

I love that most of the women regardless of age have their noses pierced.

I love that everyone gets henna tattoos.  Not only do they look wonderful, but it also means I don’t have to hide my real tattoo. 

I love riding rickshaws everywhere.  I have my occasional “we’re going to die” moments, but they just remind me to thank God for life. 

I love so many things about this place and they were all unexpected. 

The one thing I don’t think I’ll ever get used to (other than the heat and men wearing skirts) is the fact that I am not allowed to smile at anyone.  When a woman smiles at a man it is considered flirting.  Perfect.  By the time I’d been in the country 10 minutes I’d already flirted with like 50 men.   On the plus side, it’s definitely a personal record. 

India has been such a pleasant surprise for me.  Just another reminder why God doesn’t answer every prayer.  If He had, my visa wouldn't have come through and I wouldn’t be experiencing this colorful, wonderful place.