Kya?

Hi there. I've been thinking for a while that I should write a post. I've wanted to- really, but I've had some speed bumps along the way. I was in the clinic for a couple of days with a little something that we here like to call "Delhi Belly." I'll let you just think about that for a bit. There's a certain camaraderie which springs only from being able to share the experience of, let's call it...extra-regularity. It's easy to talk about here, as we've all had/are having/will have again/woke up screaming because of a nightmare in which the primary terror was, it. So much compassion arises from our shared pain. It's glorious, really.

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So that was a couple of days. What next? I don't even know. I don't know anything for sure. Except that, as first articulated by Kate, there is no such thing as too much butter. Anyway, after the few days recovering at, and then from, a stint at my new favorite place (not), here I am, I suppose. I missed a few days in there, but who knows where they went. Not me, as I said before.

There was one day when my theme song was this (see chorus).

There was another when I laughed at the aforementioned theme song. Also, I got a pedicure. But no nail polish. I know, can you even do that? Apparently you can. And while I felt slightly unfulfilled, looking down at my flesh-toned toes, I feel that I made the right decision. Since you asked.

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Today I find myself in a similar place to that preceding my clinic stay. Delhi Belly dies hard. But it's not so bad this time, and at least now I know that if I do end up at the clinic (which I will most certainly not), they have wi-fi - a significant consolation.

Today was not my day. Started out with a little breakfast, and a little bit of what we affectionately call "vom-ing." Awesome (not the good kind). Came to school, where I was a bit out of sorts, and found that today was my day to get my butt kicked by our Hindi teacher. He has a tendency to pick one student every class and pick them apart, proselytising about how they didn't study enough and how they are not remembering the most basic lesson of the class. Today, that was me. On the up-side, I got to skip cooking class, which brings me here.

I was also most disappointed to find that both of the kurtas which I just had shortened are now too short. In fact, I learned that my outfit today was the Indian equivalent of walking around in the States with a sports-coat and sweat pants. Or like Mr. Weasley or Prof. McGonagall when wearing muggle clothes, i.e. not good.

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Speaking of Harry Potter, I will share with you probably the best part of my day. Here goes:

"In one of the Harry Potter books, the budding bodhisattva, Harry, is put under a curse that creates an extremely strong urge to give in to the kleshas and do harm. The power of Harry's intelligence and kindness, however, is even stronger. He doesn't believe the voices of the kleshas or get seduced by their promises of comfort, and so the curse doesn't work."

- Pema Chodron, "No Time to Lose: A Timely Guide to the Way of the Bodhisattva"

What does this mean, you ask? I've no idea. I think it has something to do with Harry's sacrificing his own happiness (for example, when he tells Ginny that he can't be with her because Voldemort will target her if they stay together) for that of all wizarding- and muggle-kind. That's what the Bodhisattvas do- put off their own attainment of Nirvana and escape from the cycle of reincarnation in order to help others to attain Nirvana. Either that, or it's a recipe for tuna fish salad. I was a little unclear on that.

I suppose that's all for now. Back to studying. I should know how to say that in Hindi. Hmm...