Awesome Strikes Back
Tim goes up for the kill--and misses.
Generic Witty Title
I always seem to be blogging when I’m distracted. Justin is talking about how he threw up before every college football game. Mirise is making animal noises. Wade is passed out with his notebook on his face. Sandy just took a picture of me, and the flash is making the computer screen trippy. Doug is camouflaged in a pile of bags. Now Ari just took a picture of me…ow. I can no longer see the computer screen. Sorry parents if I didn’t mention your kid. I’m sure they’re doing something equally interesting!
Everyone is sick! I had my one sick day, but that was it. We’re at SECMOL right now, which is the Student Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh. Ow, another picture. It’s pretty cool here, but I really want to leave on our trek. I’m super-ultra-pumped for that.
We just finished up our homestays in Dhomkhar, which was an amazing experience. We were all jealous of Wade because he appeared to hit the familial jackpot. He had three adorable little brothers and crazy spoon-throwing grandparents. I was pretty happy with my family, though. Ow. This laptop is a flash magnet.
I had a little brother who was 13, an older brother of 23, a mom, and a dad. I felt somewhat awkward at first because I was alone with my little brother who was shy. He wasn’t all crazy ga-ga-goo-goo-oh-my-god-Americans like the other kids were; he was much more reserved. My little brother and my dad spoke good English, so I had some conversations with them, with some humorous miscommunications. The first question I asked my dad was about the ceiling, and he responded by telling me his family’s annual income. Some wires got crossed.
After the first night, things got much easier though. My little brother opened up a lot more, and we became really good buddies. But out of all the things I did that made other kids laugh, my little brother never laughed as hard as when I farted. Farts clearly transcend all cultural boundaries.
I couldn’t talk much with my mom or my older brother, and my dad left after the first night to go work in another city, but I had some fun interactions with them. My mom taught me how to churn butter, and my older brother showed me how to chop turnips without killing myself. Cool stuff!
That’s all I’m gunna cover from Domkhar, for the purposes of time and because I have to pee. I was really touched by the welcoming spirit of the people in Domkhar, though. They accepted me into their lives as a member of the family without any reservations. That hospitality is something I’ll never forget. It was also so valuable to see a completely different way of life. Really cool stuff. And I really have to pee. Farewell from India!
Hi Mom!
-Tim