Ganesha Welcomes Me

I apologize for the delay between posts. Last Thursday I came down with a very unpleasant case of food poisoning. High fever, weakness, abdominal pain, and eventually water stools (I can't spell the D word). At first I thought it would pass, but after an unpleasant Friday night, I had a doctor come to the hotel. He diagnosed food poisoning. I am much better now, but not perfect. However, I can finally make it to the cybernet cafe which is two blocks from the hotel. The hotel has no internet access. I have a windowless room because when I moved in I couldn't sleep and wanted complete quiet. It is quiet and I sleep well but it is surreal to spend 48 hours alone in a foreign country without any contact with the outside world. However, I finally turned on the TV and began watching movies. My favorites: the first Seabiscuit movie, Moonstruck and Seven Years in Tibet. Seeing Brad Pitt suffer made me realize I wasn't too bad off.

Saturday night, I had a dream. I was in the secured area of an airport about to sit on a bench when an elderly Indian gentleman (about my age actually), brushed me aside, stood on the bench facing me, took off his clothes and did this wobbly, Indian dance beckoning me too him. I turned to a security guard and he said, "Oh him, we kick him out but he always finds a way back in."

As I was waking up, I decided the man was Ganesha welcoming me to India and I was being resistant. So I am trying to let go. In spite of everything, I still feel joy whenever I leave the hotel and step out on the street.

Now if my strength holds, I am going to go shopping. I am looking for a statue of Ganesha to place by doorway. Ganesha is the god of beginnings and commonly sits by doorways. I also want one of the beautiful shawls older men wear here. There is a string of state emporiums across the street from here, and I'm visiting them one at a time pricing things.

I had another blog almost ready to go when I got sick. I hope to send it out tomorrow.