Cultural Perspective

Chatting a friend about parents and he says, "Oh, my mom's a cow."

I pause...and override my instant reaction of horror into curiosity. That phrase must mean something different here.

He sees the confusion and clarifies, "It's a compliment. Cows are calm and beautiful. That's my mom."

I smile and simply advise him not to use that compliment for people outside of India.  

Sunday Morning Stroll

I've been so busy these last few months that I haven't posted much. There's been a lot going on at work (you can see the latest show I directed here) and a lot in my life in general. Throw in a neck injury and some physio, and this blog gets pushed to the bottom of my list of priorities (sorry folks!)

You'll be glad to know I'm on the mend and have signed on for another school year in Mumbai...with an inkling maybe a little more. 

But you, my vicarious travelers, have never left my mind. So here's a few shots from my morning walk today. Enjoy! 

Early in the morning, with all the windows wide open to let the cool Mumbai 'winter' breeze flow through the apartment, I can lie in my hammock and imagine the train rushing by to be a small waterfall, the cooing pigeons to be sweet doves, and the occasional bicycle bell to be a chickadee, and it's almost as if I'm not in the midst of a city of 22 million. 

Almost.