Little things from India

- Life has moved on here after Aaji left us. It's alright. I'm reminded of her for every small thing though. Thinking of what she would've said for even the least of things brings a lump to my throat. I'm glad though that she is free of her pain now. She couldn't have taken it for longer.

- Marriage is a hot topic here! At every hand shake I get a "I hope that the next time I see you, you're with someone." Taking blessings from elders is another big task. They'll say, "Don't meet me again if you are not taking blessings as a couple!" Alright then, I have decided to not show up in India next year if I am not getting married. It's stressing me out right now so I'm not going to think about it too much. In the end, all these people will go away and I will be left with my decision for the rest of my life.

- Shopping in India this year is more fun than I expected. They now have western styles of clothes and jewellery but in Indian colors. A lot better than last year where everything looked like it was imported from the U.S. I'm going to have to spend some time in the malls. :)

- Pollution and population growth knows no bounds in the city. It appears to grow exponentially. I'm not sure whether I will ever move back to Bombay. I love the city but it's getting on my nerves. Spent a day in our native village and loved breathing the air there.

- Meeting the kids in the family is always a delight. They never fail to surprise you and entertain you. My little niece Meera can now form sentences but has no sense of pronouns. It's interesting to see how she puts together words she knows into sentences. Sometimes they are the funniest sentences in the world.

Here's a picture of the little devil with her mom. The other picture is of a baby cat Meera loved playing with but was scared of at the same time.