Just a perfect day...

Woke at around 4 in the morning.
I could hear my soul wailing somewhere far. Metaphorically. In fact it was only the street dogs.
Suddenly I felt at peace and happy.
Woke up and decided not to wait for the others but head for Delhi straight away.
Dressed. My Bulgarian tee, the favourite green and white duparta,the hat that is not exactly mine. And the black coiled earring. Just one. As a statement...
Went to Landmark and bought a thing i love for a person I love. I love giving presents :)
Got on the bus to medical. Listening to Ostava. Started reading "Shantaram" and loved the style.
Peeped into the book of the girl sitting next to me. Maths.
I had to meet Ricardo and Pauline at Dilli Haat. Was wondering where to go, then the idea just sprang up in my mind. Of course we should go to Dilli Haat.
Waiting for them in the sunlight, jotting some names in my gift-list for home...trying not to forget someone and visualizing the meeting with these people.
Then, Ricardo and Pauline came, we strolled around Dilli Haat. Devouring the variety of colours and shapes. Scarves, wood, fabrics, leather, kites,jewelery, paper...a see of beautiful items that have caught the spirit of India. I thought of how much I will miss India when I go...
We had lunch at one of the restaurants. Huge portions we couldn't finish though I shared mine with a very fat cat and a skinny dog. Remembered how Neeraj told me how he loves the place.*Inner smile:) Remembered how I went there first with Andre and was fascinated. *Inner smile :)We moved to Sarojini market...the familiar crowd and mess, and the memories of waiting for Julie to do her last minute shopping. Pauline bargained furiously for a pair of earrings.We saw a belly-dancer costume. Remembered Pondy trip and the hilarious "dancing night" at the hotel. I really need to learn Indian dances, I made a point to myself.
Then, we headed to CP...said goodbye to the guys. Knowing I will meet them someday...somehow:)
Walked on the road where we walked together last Sunday. Remembered how beautifully confused and excited u were...Indulged in the pain of the memory. Thought about what Vesi said..."let yourself be sad". Strolled around, listening to Niyaz, thinking of the time we will spend with Vladi when I am back. Simply being happy of where I am.
Got into a Coffee Day, ordered a latte and opened Shantaram again. Observed people around as I love doing...Saw that the B8ulgarian lady - Mariana had called me.
She happened to be in CP as well...so can we meet for coffee?
Thought how much I love accidential meetings. They just make my day :)
Mariana was with her husband - the Austrian diplomat and the two kids - a 9-year old girl and 12-year old boy. Pleasant surprise that they greeted me in Bulgarian:)
Then - the excitement of speaking my mother tongue to someone I meet for the first time, but I know I connect to. Conversations about life and love and India and Delhi. Where will I live next? Cairo? Istanbul? Funny I never thought of Istanbul in this way :) Sharing pleasant moments and a sinful chocolate cake with this amazing family that has lived here and there...
I had to go back to Gurgaon...so I got into an autorick...The driver was nice. Tried to explain me where the cabs stop in Hindi. I believe I should learn a bit of Hindi. As a part of my endeavour of digging deeper into the great Indian soul:) Would be nice to talk to people just like that...
Then, I was quite anxious if I will manage to catch the right bus but luckily it came very quickly :) Sat down and had a random (but pleasant) conversation with an Indian boy. I like conversations with strangers in buses and trains :)
Just a perfect day...and the happiness of the moments is still lingering in me...

Mumbai terror.Next is what?

After the terror attacks in Mumbai, Neeraj has writen a post that made me think where does India stand.What I realized frightened me a bit...
It is my own perspective of course. I have always said I love this country and I really hope the best for its people. As I love their zest for life, their spirituality and bright minds...
India as a one is a myth, a very fragile balance. I am still amazed how this country is kept together...Every state is different, people from north to south, form east to west do not like each other, hindus and muslims and sikhs are living in a state of constant tension, poor are as poor as can be and rich - as rich.
Still, as if by God's will, the country stays together.
In India, people do not obey rules. They are not disciplined. Still the country leaps ahead.
But how sustainable this progress can be? India is, undoubtedly, capable of being a global power. Ambition is also there. But can global leadership be achieved without a unity? How quickly can serious challenges as mass poverty and lack of basic education be dealt with? How do you reassure the world that India is a great place to invest in and to visit after what happened?
Indians value their freedom and take pride in being a democracy. But is the democracy the right way to achieve the ambitious goals India has set for itself? And where does the line go between being liberal and loosing the reins?

Rickshaw on demand :)

Some time ago Peter was joking that he will start a business with rickshaws-on-demand.
You just dial a number and a luxurious rickshaw comes at your door!:)
Now, it seems that this brilliant business plan is already being realized by some people...
I want to try it as soon as possible ;)

Indian racism

For the time I have been in India, I realized that people here are quite race-sensitive.
Being fair is a complete and total obsession for both men and women whereas dark people are not very popular...
Everywhere the ads of "fairness" creams are overflowing, even sunscreen is "with a special fairness formula".
In all the music videos, the girls dancing are so pale...
The rule is - the fairer u are, the more girls/guys you can get, respectively merry a good match, be successful in life and so on.
I really hate this!
Indian girls (and guys) are generally quite pretty and my mind refuses to accept that a lot of them just go home and apply tons of fairness cream on themselves. Blah!
Having a chocolate-colour skin is so nice...I don't like fair skin at all!There is sometihng unhealthy in it.
Of course, having fair skin guarantees me to be stared at and taken pictures of all the time. Thank God I am not blond and with blue eyes :)
End...a kind of a joke with this fairness-obsession.
There was this granny that went to see a newborn boy.
She adored him "Look how cute he is!And how fair"...and then added.
"To be sure that he will stay fair and not become dark-skinned with age...look at his balls. If they are white - he will stay fair"
Now,Indian guys reading that...do not rush to the toilet pls ;)

Happy Holi :)

Yesterday we celebrated Holi or Festival of Colours.
It is a holiday all across North India that marks the beginning of spring and it is among the most colourful and amusing of all holidays in the country.
On Holi everyone here plays with the colours of the rainbow. Coloured powder is available for 10 rupees everywhere, so are water-guns that people fill with coloured water :)
To be prepared for the colourful war that was about to burst during the day, we put some old clothes and put some coconut oil on our bodies so the paint didn't stick ;) Unfortunately our landlord and his brother took us by surprise and ...you can see what we were like before we even left for the real party :)
The real party was in a farmhouse near Delhi...with a nice lawn and pool. We had drinks and food included in the entrance free and a DJ...so it was the party anyone could dream of. Of course it went mad at some point, after we had "bang" (lasie with marijuana) served. The pool was full of people dancing and the water had the incredible colour of...something indescribable :) (i don't dare to think what the chemical elements in the water were :) )
Well...I don't believe I am going to play with colours again...it is a bit too messy. Yet it was a life-time experience I would recommend to everyone :)

The official language of Brasil...

Well,I am ashamed to admit it, but I was thinking that the official language of Brasil is...Spanish.
And I made this terrible, stupid mistake, asking Gabritu (my Brasilian collegue at Alcatel-Lucent) to help me learn Spanish...
Actually he explained that the official language in Brasil is Portugese (blush).
Then a funny thing happened.
We went to a bar, I was explaining to some friends about that confusion, when a guy asked me: "Excuse me, do u speak Portugese". Obviously he was Portugese himself and had overheard our conversation. I told him (in English of course)what we were talking about and he smiled at my confusion.
That's a little lesson on cultural sensitivity. Now I know for sure what the official language in Brasil is