After The Movie…

Last night we went out for dinner and a movie. We saw Pirates of the Caribbean. After the movie, we walked outside of the theater and onto the street and tried to decide where we wanted to eat dinner. I spotted an elephant up ahead and was anxious to see it up close. We came up to it and noticed a handful of people standing around watching it and feeding it. This elephant was smaller than the one we photographed earlier, but had a tail and a trunk that wouldn't quit.

Two young guys tried to slip past it but the second guy fell prey to the elephant's trunk which we think hit him in the crotch. The event startled him and he fell a little off balance and leaned on a car. We all began to laugh as he was embarrassed, but laughing as well. I was intrigued by this huge animal and had been daring myself to touch it. I noticed a fellow coming towards us who petted the elephant as he walked past. Just as I was about to tell hannah about this brave guy, he was whipped in the face with the elephant's nasty tail, startling him and knocking him back a little. He didn't even see it coming and neither did we. It was the funniest thing i've seen since I've been here. I was nearly on the ground laughing. There were several guys around who were also laughing and we all came together in that moment. It was the first time since we arrived that I felt like one of them. I became just another guy on the street rather than a white guy to be stared at. We may as well have been handing out high-fives to each other.

University of Mumbai

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Gateway of India

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Urban Wildlife Sighting No. 2

See if you can count the NFL football-sized bats in this tree outside our kitchen window. Watching them fly around, they have about a 3-foot wingspan.

For more information on our new neighbors: check this out...
It's just our luck that the worlds largest bats would live right outside our window. At least they don't crave flesh.

A Day At Juhu Beach

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Urban Wildlife Sighting No. 1

We first spotted this guy standing outside the grocery store. We were dissappointed that we forgot our camera at the house. Luckily, we caught up to him on our walk back to our apartment. We ran inside, grabbed our camera and got a few photos of him as he walked past our apartment. We thought the flash might disturb him, but thought otherwise when we noticed the traffic that whizzed by didn't phase him a bit. This photo was taken as his "owner" led him across the street and stopped in two lanes of traffic.

Where Are We?

After many months of not posting anything, yet much happening, I decided that we should at the very least announce that we have made it to India. It is far too much to write about in just one post, or even express in words what it is like. It is probably better and more coherent that we break it up a bit and dissect as we go. So here goes a first crack at our first week in Bombay: it's chaos.

I mean, many roads aren't finished, buildings are left empty (of furniture but not people), people are absolutely everywhere, and there are NO traffic laws. After being here for a week, we attempted to take our first walk outside. We have walked around before, but always with the intent on getting to some destination and always with the guidance of an Indian chaperone. This was our first trip purely for adventure and purely alone. It wasn't raining (much) and we thought we would just step out for a stroll. Difficult to do when you risk life and limb just to walk around a few blocks. Cars weave towards you, floods and puddles are everywhere (hiding uncovered manholes), and who knows what you will step in or on.

India is a complete sensory overload. It is full of contradictions and life doesn't seem to make sense. It is filthy and gray, yet vibrant and full of color all at the same time. People are rude and pushy but also have tolerance and patience for one another. The infrastructure and buildings are falling apart, yet everyone is speaking on their mobile telephones and using wireless technology. It seems a very spiritual and quiet place but birds are squawking, rickshaws are honking, and mosques have loudspeakers! Time to rethink our definition of "harmony."