Final India Update

We have returned to Mumbai to wrap up our last days in India.

Ferry Racing

Towards the end of our hour-long ferry ride from Elephanta Island to Mumbai, we notice the ferry suspiciously close to us is racing us. Their passengers all stand up and move to the front of the ferry and begin taking pictures of us, hoping to overtake our noble vessel. Gordon and I will have none of this.

Other nearby passengers also grow worried about losing this impromptu race. Gordon yells to the ship "We need to lose some weight. Women and children overboard!" He then begins a slow chant "Hut! Hut! Hut!" - Hindi for "Move! Move! Move!" It's one of two phrases he knows.

As our ship speeds up and wins the race, a definite cheer emerges from our deck. Drenched in the briny filth characteristic of the Arabian Sea, Gordon told everyone he's never been so proud to be Indian.

Fashion

Repulsed by the high cost of haircuts in New York, I decide to find a hair salon in Mumbai. Ah yes, Touch of Joy. It was recommended by the man on the street.

Waiting in the chair, I begin leafing through the fashion magazines to find the haircut I would like. Unfortunately, they only offered obscure Indian glamour publications featuring Bollywood stars. I realize I do not have long enough hair for a Bollywood bob and begin searching through my personal stash of reading materials. Unfortunately, all I brought was the July 7th issue of the Economist. Being it was the poverty issue, it wasn't too heavy on the hotties. I finally had to settle for page 84 - an ad for the Advanced Management Program at Wharton. It features a seasoned, business-savvy, Hillary Clinton look-alike. I hope it starts a trend.

India Update 4

2 the number of t-shirts Gordon packed for two weeks in India

10 the number of t-shirts Gordon has bought in India (6 of the Taj Mahal, 2 of Hatis (elephants), 1 from Hard Rock, and 1 that proclaims "Proud to be Indian"). This seals Gordon's "hopelessly a tourist" look.

Cruising
Like Pushkar, Jaipur bans meat, alcohol, parties, and dancing. Our driver Lucky knew we were down about the lacking night life of Jaipur, so he drove around town blaring Hindi pop music with the windows down. Gordon and I actually knew all the words to the songs as it has been the only tape Lucky has played during our past six days together. So we spent our last night in Jaipur driving around town while other citizens stared at us singing along to the musical stylings of Aap Aar Suroor. It was like being in high school again and driving around Lake Eufaula in the summer.