empty nests

i woke up this morning concerned about what my visitors were eating for breakfast. was there enough food? could they find the coffee? but when i modestly put on my nightgown and walked out to the living room my next thought was that no one came home last night. oh my, where could my dad have stayed out all night. It truly took about 3 minutes of walking around to realize that no one was here any more, and i was alone in the nest, again.

i love having visitors, but it truly wipes me out. since living here, i've realized how much i love planning other people's travel, and i love taking care of them. it's particularly useful here in india where everything takes ridiculous loads of effort.

my dad and becky's liking of india far exceeded my expectations. they really came in running and never really stopped. if jet lag affected them, i'd never know...they were probably awake more than i was:) the last few days of their journey they hung out with charlie (eamon's sis) and explored parts of delhi that i have never seen!

we had a great dinner on becky and charlie's last night at a place called Park Beluchi.


the same day they left, my dad went to pushkar with my friends gene and chris. i met him there on saturday morning with my friend kate. we spend 2 very colorful days in pushkar. it was incredible. i keep saying how seamless the trip was, because honestly NO TRIP in india has gone that well for me. perhaps it was because someone else found the hotel? perhaps i was so worried that everyone was ok that i didn't realize it sucked? or maybe just one time in this crazy country the stars alligned for me and my father:) and india just worked....

**kachunk, katchunk. the power just switched over. i have no idea what that means, but that's how is sounds**

pushkar, in midwestern rajhastan, is where teh annual camel fair takes place. people walk there camels from all over in hopes of a sale. the fair coincides with a religious festival as well. pushkar is home to the india's only brahma temple...i've posted some info below if you are intrigued.
here are some pics from the trip.



it's been a great weekend so far (despite this morning's scare). went with some friends to see quatum solice last night. i forgot how nice that ONE mall in delhi is:) was also fascinated by the m.a.c. makeup store's indian line...not that i wear make up or anything. but it had fun packaging. then last night i cleaned my bathroom. amazing how many toilitrees one person can really own.
this morning i vowed to start working out again, so i walked around the hood with my ipod, hit up the grocery store, and came home and was very domestic. i tended to my compost. eew. it's so nasty. there were so many larvae in there, it reminded me of my fruit fly project from 9th grade. but my plants are happy:). then i made some pesto with my garden basil and some gazpacho. i'm pretty impressed with myself.....i've also started packing for FLORIDA! that's right. i saved my professional development money for 2 years and my department and i are heading to orlando for the ACTFL conference. highlights? well surely all the great new teaching tools i'll see, but really the family who i will see on the way! get ready for pictures of mickey mouse, eloise and ian!
xoxo

hasta pronto!






IMPORTANCE: http://www.pushkar-camel-fair.com/about-pushkar.html Pushkar is among the five dhams or pilgrimages that are held in high esteem by Hindus, the others being Badrinath, Puri, Rameswaram, and Dwarka. It is said that in battle lord Brahma killed the demon Vajra Nabh with a lotus flower, whose petals floated down to earth and landed in three places in and around Pushkar where lakes sprang up. According to legends, Pushkar Lake was surrounded by 500 temples and 52 palaces (several rajas and maharajas maintained palaces here for pilgrimage) at one point. The Brahma temple is the most important temple here and is, in fact, the only Brahma temple of India. Pushkar Fair - Rituals and Traditions These five days are a period of relaxation and merry-making for the villagers, despite being the busiest for them, as this is one of the largest cattle fairs in the country. Animals, mainly camels, are brought from miles around. Trading is brisk as several thousand heads of cattle exchange hands. All the camels are cleaned, washed, adorned, some are interestingly shorn to form patterns, and special stalls are set up selling finery and jewelry for the camels. Camels at the Pushkar fair are decorated with great care. They wear jewelry of silver and beads. There are silver bells and bangles around their ankles that jingle-jangle when they walk. An interesting ritual is the piercing of a camel's nose.

amazing.

i half chuckled, half gritted my teeth on my taxi ride to school today reminicing of last night's amazing race. much to my surprise AXN is running the CURRENT programming of the amazing race, one day late of course. survivor too! now, if i could only get grey's.....ah. back to the story.

if you are a watcher- and you saw the amazing race this week-i must tell you- IT'S ALL TRUE. i had to call my buds here and tell them to turn it on so that i would have some people to laugh with. living here is THAT WEIRD. and THAT frustrating. and THAT dirty. so it looks like you got a peak into my life!

keeping my fingers crossed for presidential goodness tomorrow......

updates

i went to bed last night with great appreciation of the lie-in that would be this morning. i got up early to send dad and becky off to agra, and went back to bed. somehow i woke up feeling more unsettled than rested, amazing what a bad dream or two can do.

the last couple of weeks have been "full on" as eamon would say. charlie, eamon's sister, came into town last friday. we battled our way up to the train station on saturday morning (man, you DON"T want to be in a taxi accident in delhi) and went up to rishikesh/ himalayan river runners beach to spend the diwali holiday there. it was lovely, but also full on. the camp was filled for the first few days with 45 welsh kids on holiday. relaxing? nonetheless we managed to do LOTS of rafting. i have somewhat perfected the art of "GET DOWN" and holding on to the raft when it flips. diwali was welcomed on the beach with beautiful candles, and small fireworks. it was lovely.

on wednesday i headed back to delhi with mrs. chadda who is one of the more unique indians i've ever met. the train ride back was eventful. stories about that will come......
so my train arrived at 11pm. i got home at 12pm. dad and becky's flight was suppossed to arrive at 1:30am. it didn't. 4:15am bedtime followed by a 7am wake-up is ROUGH.

but the fun continued, dad and becky trucked all around delhi and met me at school in the pM. we went to ACSA for a drink, and then to Nizamuddin to watch a singing ritual that pays respect to Niza-muddin. My dad thought it was the most "in it" he's ever been. might have been something about the millions of people down narrow allies, the absense of shoes, and the little turban he was wearing....it was a trip

we finished the night with a meat fest at Karim's with some of my besties here.
and truly...the celebrations just continued on Friday with 2 halloween parties, and on saturday with LOTS of great shopping.

the house feels super quiet now that everyone is gone, but charlie returns tomorrow night, and dad and becky on wednesday night. everyone except my dad leaves on friday, when we will leave for the pushkar camel fair. whew.