Just a quick note to say..

I survived my 41-hour train ride to Bangalore. The nice people I was with were so nice in fact that they forced me (this is not an exaggeration) to take a room here at the railway station! How can I explain to well-meaning Brahmins that staying alone at a train station is depressing? I am trying not to feel low, but I'm alone at the train station...is it just me?

Add to that the following; I still have a nasty cold complete with copious amounts of snot, but now I have also a painful eye infection. And for the first time in the last nine months, I finally have a stomach infection that, if I was in Mexico, I would affectionately call Moctezuma's Revenge (was it the dodgy roti-walla? The extremely dodgy-looking grapes?)...it's got me evacuating from both ends. Seems I've gotten a bit too confident with my food consumption of late... I tried to find a doctor but now I think I may just start popping the cipro pills I brought with me.

But I'm here in one piece and in about 12 hours more I'll be heading to the airport to meet Fred, so all is well after all. And I'll admit that I'm quite pleased to be in the south, even if it is raining. The south is more difficult in the sense that more people are relentless about staring, but it feels more like the countryside and my soul is starting to relax. I think.

Once Fred is here we'll discuss our options. Personally I'm hoping to be able to cook a nice Thanksgiving dinner together - did I mention he's also a chef? - but this might be wishful thinking. At the very least I will not be alone for this holiday, something I will happily add to the long list of things I already have to be thankful for..

Hanging in and ready for whatever comes next,
all my love,
LMA