Highlights & Lowlights of My Indian Experience- Part 1

BEST PLACE VISITED- Himalayas- the Indian side of course! Went to Mcleod Ganj, residence of exiled Tibetan government, including the Dalai Lama. Very peaceful and full of greenery, unlike the other parts of India I visited.

WORST ILLNESS ACQUIRED- Heat exhaustion. I had forgotten to wear my hat and sunglasses on one of the forty-degree days that I was doing fieldwork. One consequence of heat exhaustion is the inability of your digestive system to function properly, including the ability of your intestines to absorb food and water, hence resulting in diarrhoea. Nearing the day's end after dinner I developed a fever and felt uneasy in my stomach. I went back to my hotel dormitory and jumped into bed without showering. By next morning my fever disappeared, however I was abruptly awoken by a feeling of something trickling down my left butt cheek! Ewww! I quickly had a shower! Subsequently I had diarrhoea for the next two weeks but fortunately did not repeat that first episode.

SCARIEST HYGIENE PRACTICE- Personally witnessing one of the hotel staff brushing the sink with a toilet brush. This was the sink I used daily to brush my teeth and wash my hands!

MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT- Waking up with a ‘morning glory’ showing through my beige pants after a night’s sleep in the overnight bus! My female friend sitting beside me pretended not to see it and didn’t say anything. Thanks Jacobine! :o

MOST ANGRY MOMENT- Getting into a heated argument with the owner of a small cinema in Mcleod Ganj. The owner turned off the projector as I was watching the credits, which was showing takes of the movie. I asked him to turn it back on but he said it would take ten minutes to start up. Instead of apologising he in effect blamed me and said that I should have left the cinema like everybody else. I tried explaining to him that the credits were showing takes of the film but he insisted I should have left. I got so pissed off that I threw my bag of chips all over his general store located above the cinema!

SADDEST MOMENT- Saying goodbye to my Indian family and fellow trainees on my final night in Jaipur. That sense of sadness still remains vivid in my heart and memory as I write these words, nine months after departing.