Bilingual Dog and Head Massage

As I walked out of the plane in New Delhi and onto the tarmac, a waft of heated air blasted me in the face. I thought it was from the engine of the plane. It wasn't. It was 10pm and it was still 90 degrees outside. The air smelled just as I had remembered. It's hard to explain the smell of the air here. I'll do my best: it's a cross between burning sugarcane and burning incense with little bit of smog thrown into the mix. It's weird, but as far as I can remember, that's what India smelled like last time I was here.....

I arrived at Preeti's (my sister's roommate from college) last night after she picked me up from the airport. I was welcomed with an Indian feast that fully satisfied my palate. The meal was as follows: Saag Paneer, Chicken Biryani, Chaat Masala, Onions and Cucumber with spices, some kind of spiced peas, Pickled Mango, Raita, Roti, Pappadum, and a desert of leechy, mango, cherries, ice cream, and lemonade. Yummy, yummy in my tummy.

This morning I woke up, had a chili omelet, the thickest toast you have ever seen, mango, cherries, and Chai. After I ate, I took my chai outside and stood on the street for an hour. Countless auto rickshaws and bicyclists passed by, including a man on a bicycle with two monkeys riding on the back, one of which was wearing a dress. I greeted everyone with Namaste or Namaskar, and people responded with smiles or laughter.

I had lunch with Preeti and her sister Ashna. It was better than last nights dinner. It consisted of fish curry, saag paneer, chicken biryani, samosas, kachori, aloo paratha, raita, pappadum, pickled mango, dal, nimbu pani, and gulab jamin, leechy, and cherries for desert. I still haven't gone to the bathroom yet. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? My body must either a) still be adjusting to India, or b) waiting for the right time to explode. Crap.

After lunch and a quick nap, Preeti sent me for a head massage. It lasted an hour. Who knew a head massage could last for an hour? Either way, it was pretty amazing. The head masseuse who took care of me saturated my head with coconut oil and caressed my skull and neck for the entire hour and then washed it out. One of the men at the parlor told me I was balding in three spots and in order to not bald more, I should put olive oil in my hair twice a week for 3 hours. Anyone else who is balding, feel free to join.

Lastly, I have a cold sore in my mouth that has gotten bigger since I left the states. Preeti ordered some Ayurvedic/Homeopathic herbal ulcer gel for it. I put it on and the ulcer/cold sore is already getting better.......

I will be activating my cell phone tomorrow. Things happen very slow in India.