from Mumbai to Bangalore

We left Mumbai this morning and all I can think about is when I'll get to come back. We were there such a short time and got such a teeny, tiny taste - which is true of all the places we're going, really, but I felt it so dearly in Mumbai. Heartfelt thanks to all the lovely friends who were willing to come across the city to meet me - and for sharing their city and their lives with me! There's no real way to describe how wonderful it is to get to spend face-to-face time with people I've known virtually; their perspectives on their city, culture, current events, etc., are icing on the cake.

Speaking of cake, Mumbai yielded some excellent western-style desserts; while I've cheerfully sampled my way through and over my pre-trip feeling of "enh" towards Indian sweets, sometimes there is no substitute for chocolate mousse cake.

So, what did I do in Mumbai other than hang out with friends? We watched a documenary about Dharavi, Asia's biggest slum, and its community cohesion and had a discussion with the filmmakers and the social workers who were profiled in the film. We visited a municipal school that has been adopted by a wonderful charity agency and saw just how amazing their work is, how great these kids and teachers are doing. We went on a sight-seeing trip to a Jain temple (where the incense was so strong I thought I was going to pass out; I was reminded of my trip to Italy with my dad after graduation when we went to some cathedral and saw some saint's finger or something with a bunch of candles all around and he leaned over and nudged me and said "not like Macomb First Presbyterian, eh?"), the hanging garden, a Gandhi museum, and the laundry district.

And now here we are in Bangalore. We had a completely free day today, and I am happy to have spent the afternoon exploring the city market with three intrepid friends. Pros for Bangalore: the first genuinely cool breeze I've felt since Chicago and a stunning variety of dessert at lunch, more then enough to push me into a food coma. Cons for Bangalore: the most disgusting traffic-based air I've breathed in maybe in my life; this was made more exciting by a autorickshaw driver who was smoking and reading the paper while driving. But we made it back to the hotel, so that's all dandy. I have no idea what we're doing tomorrow; I look at the schedule each day and all the info promptly goes right back out of my head.

Oh, and another pro for Bangalore: vibrant, moustachioed movie posters that I cannot in any way decipher.