And This Is Why Everyone Should Be Trained

At the salon, a woman having her full head colored just had a stroke...or a diabetic sugar drop. 

Feigned calm by the staff. Gave her a rinse, a sugar cube, called her son. No ambulance. No one has any first aid training. 

Your Medium is My Hot

The cafeteria guys at my school are awesome. I went down late for lunch so only the Indian option was left, which is usually pretty good, but often spicy. As I poked my nose over the counter to see what they were serving, they quickly rushed over and told me the name of everything, chapati, pindi chole, rice, murg something - not that I would recognize it, though.

I usually like the chickpea curries, which they had, the pindi chole, so I asked if it was spicy, which is sometimes is.

"No, no. Not spicy," One said.

"Only medium spicy," Another said.

"Try a bit," another said as he hands me a spoonful over the counter. It was tasty. And then, it was really spicy! It caught the back of my throat and my eyes popped open as I exhaled.

"Oh, spicy for you." They laughed. "Take some rice."

They filled me a plate, which I enjoyed, but my lips were burning for an hour afterwards. 

Not the Sea for Me

It's so strange for me to live by the sea and beyond never going to it, let alone in it, to be completely repulsed by its foul smell and filth. 

Homegrown India

The website, Homegrown, is easily one of my favorite sites about India. Essentially a media and entertainment company, they describe themselves as, "Young India's Route To Their Roots And Beyond."

Based in Mumbai, they present articles on women's safety in India to music festivals; the latest fashion and film to child slavery; and everything in between. They also sponsor events, like the Third Eye Tour, which was the largest gathering of skateboarders in India and toured to several cities in the country. 

For all the backwards, mind-boggling craziness that goes on in India, it's groups and events like this that keep me fascinated…and hopeful.