We leave Mumbai tonight, so here are a few parting words.
Top 10 things I learned from living in India:
10) The people are far more diverse than I realized -- from caste, subcaste, economic class, educational level, geographic region, religion, to ancestry heritage, no two families are alike in custom and ritual.
9) You can do anything with a mango.
8) To be successful in Bollywood, you have to know how to act and dance.
7) Green chili burns the skin upon contact.
6) A squirt of lime cuts the spiciness of any dish.
5) Gandhi's commitment to self-reliance (swadeshi) remains in the psyche of Indians. It drives ambition but complicates their feelings about participating in the global market. Furthermore, many Indians are wary of the outsourcing of labor currently coming to India which offers jobs that pose no personal economic or professional mobility (e.g. call centers) despite overall growth for the country.
4) Gandhi was far from perfect.
3) A mustache is sexy -- it's the new clean shaven!
2) The corrupt Indian government stands as the biggest obstacle to growth and progress in the country.
1) People living in Indian slums are extremely resourceful and entrepreneurial.
Top 10 reasons it's time for me to leave:
10) I sort of understand how to wear jeans in 100 degree weather.
9) I no longer mind the gathered-leggings-with-high-heeled-sandals look.
8) I think a rickshaw is the safest way to travel.
7) I comfortably eat raw vegetables with no peel.
6) Sweating all day has given me more pimples than I ever had in high school.
5) With no TV and Internet, Will and I are doing on average 2 crossword puzzles a day.
4) I am starting to think cricket makes more sense than baseball.
3) My nostrils are furious with me because of the horrific scents they have undergone.
2) In a recent trip to a public bathroom, I was given the choice between a toilet and a hole -- I chose the hole (and thought it was more sanitary).
1) I want to see my niece Paloma!!!
Top 10 reasons I may come back:
10) Perfect my Hindi.
9) Take a job at a call center in Bangalore to experience the extremely efficient system in action.
8)Be an extra in a Bollywood movie dance scene.
7)Every domestic flight (including ones that are only 1 hour) offer free full meals.
6) Spend time in the Himalayas -- go trekking, meditate, be among the mountains.
5) Learn how to make chipatti (Indian bread) from a native.
4) Attend a traditional Indian wedding.
3) See how the country of India has changed and grown, and where it is heading in the 21st century.
2) A hair wash, cut & blow dry at a fancy salon in the trendy part of town (Bandra) costs $18.
1) The houseboats in Kerala (the southern-most state of India) are paradise.
