Clint Eastwood about gay marriage
Another reason why I love Clint Eastwood
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Category Archives: Thoughts
Blogs are slow
Aside
One thing I hate about trying to blog is that the social networking alternatives are just so much more deft at handling quick updates. Someday I should figure out how to do this better…
Taking Life Seriously
Quote
Life is too important to take seriously
-Oscar Wilde
Well I thought I was being witty walking around Union Square today when I thought “Life is too important to take seriously.” But apparently I was just unwittingly plagiarizing Oscar Wilde; damn I felt so damn cool about this saying. I probably read this quote before and just didn’t remember that I had. Anyways, I’ve noticed since I’ve been home that people seem to be aggressively planning or surviving life, instead of just enjoying life. It was sad to see so many people just preoccupied with getting through their day, work week, or just thinking “someday I will…” instead of thinking of how their time could just be a little more amazing. I know this is some campy, pseudo-inspirational work poster kind of stuff, but I found myself thinking about it. It really is depressing to see people doing that though.
Back in Roseville
So I’m back in my hometown and it’s well exactly the same as I left it. I don’t know why I was expecting more change, it’s only been 2 and a half years. Most of the changes I’ve noticed about my hometown have been over the past 2 decades (plus some change), so thinking I would notice anything in a measly 2 years is silly at best. Disregarding that I still expected much more change…kind of a let down, but still nice that it’s the same as it was when I departed.
Some other tidbits about being back home that makes it difficult. First, it’s really hard to be at my Grandmother’s house without her there. I find myself still doing things (most of them odd things) that she required even though she no longer is here to nag me about them. Second, I have no wheels and in California no wheels translates to lot’s of chilling at home since it’s too hard to get around. Lastly, I don’t have internet at G-ma’s house. The no wheels compounded with the no internet means I’m almost more out of touch with the cyber world than I was in India. At least in India I was always within walking distance of an internet cafe…but here I’m only walking distance to a Bel-Air grocery store and that is boring.
I’m going home?
A mysterious feeling has been filling me this week…I’m nervous. I’m not usually one to be nervous, but for some reason I am. I haven’t been home in a long, long time and now the thought of going home makes me nervous? Strange. Although despite being nervous I’m so freaking excited to be surrounded by friends and family again. 4 days left in India, plus a whole day in the air.
Holy Fuck…I’m going home!
Life is good
There are some moments in life where it is worth while taking a step back and realizing that life is good. For me this is one of those moments. Sitting on my balcony here in Mcleod Ganj looking at the storm clouds roll in past snow capped Himalayan mountains, wind blowing through the prayer flags on the adjacent rooftop, while sipping a beer. Smelling the savory smell of thupka frying and momos steaming in the Tibetian kitchen below while casually observing an old man across the way counting his prayers on his prayer beads. Ocassionally picking up my book to read a few passages or stealing wifi from a nearby 4-star hotel whose signal just barely reaches my guesthouse. It’s moments like these that put life back into a proper perspective.
Here is a little wisdom from Kurt Vonnegut that my friend and old coworker Jeff enlightened me with on one of our car rides to or from work:
“I had a good uncle, my late Uncle Alex. He was my father’s kid brother, a childless graduate of Harvard who was an honest life-insurance salesman in Indianapolis. He was well-read and wise. And his principal complaint about other human beings was that they so seldom noticed it when they were happy. So when we were drinking lemonade under an apple tree in the summer, say, and talking lazily about this and that, almost buzzing like honeybees, Uncle Alex would suddenly interrupt the agreeable blather to exclaim, “If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.”
So I do the same now, and so do my kids and grandkids. And I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, “If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.””
Sitting here now all I can think to myself is “If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.” Thanks for that Myrrh, it is really good advice.
Do I like traveling India?
I recently called my buddy Bengay via Skype just to catch up. I picked up from his tone and his questions that he was concerened if I was enjoying my travels here in the subcontinent. I believe he expressed similar concerns in an email prior to this too. I think his concerns are legit, especially if your going by my blog posts. Lots of what I have is about getting sick, frustrated, or just straight up bad news.
To be frank, India is perhaps the most maddening travel experience I’ve ever had (apart from that train station in Shanghai). Ever day seems to be a constant struggle and challenge. Struggles against sickness, transportation systems, constant hard bargaining, and many more culprits. The most irritating for me is actually just walking down the street because of cars, noise, pollution, begging, filth, etc…
But when asked “If I’m enjoying my time in India?” I have to answer with a resounding “Yes” even if that yes is going to be followed by a long list of complaints. I’m finding India to be perhaps some of the most rewarding travel I’ve experienced. Filling me with memories, some that are joyous and some that are less than joyful, and many life lessons. Also, it is one of the few places that helps, encourages, forces, or sometimes even tricks you into seeing the world in a different light.
So yes I’m loving my journey even if I’m constantly bitching about it 
A question about traveling India
Why do all the tourists love the least Indian parts of India?
- Goa :: Portuguese
- Darjeeling :: Nepali/Sikkimese
- Mcleod Ganj :: Tibetian
- Etc…
I’ve posed this question to some other travelers I’ve met on the road. Their usual response is a pause with a quizzical look, an accepting nod, and some sort of words of agreement. I think what goes through their head is how much they liked the aforementioned places in India and then they compare them to other places they have been. As an English guy I met named Ron whose been to India several times in the past decade put it “I don’t think most Indians know how to handle tourists. So you end up with constant staring or something else inappropriate.” Perhaps that’s it or just place like Goa or Mcleod Ganj really are escapes from the more crushing realities of life on the India subcontinent…that and their weather is so much better than everywhere else!
Cricket is boring
I know it’s easy to complain about a sport I don’t really understand, but cricket is boring! The games last forever, the batting is non-stop, and it just seems like so little exciting is ever going on. I know baseball has the same pit falls but you would be hard pressed to find me watching a whole baseball game on TV. I keep trying to watch it (unavoidable since cricket is always on a TV somewhere near), but I just keep finding it even more boring the more I try.
Sorry India I can’t involve myself with your national past time. Oh and test matches I know they don’t happen often but don’t get me started…more than 6 hours a day, 5 days in a row; how does that even stay exciting?
About Trains in India
I’ve spent a lot of time on trains in India. From overnight journeys to just a short hop to the next destination. Here are somethings I’ve learned.
- Having cockroaches in the walls by your head is disconcerting while sleeping
- Shaky trains are bad for writing (looks like you’re writing with nerve damage)
- Sharing a compartment with a family that has small children is really annoying
- 12 hour overnight trains in the chair car are not conducive to sleep
- Indian railways Chinese food is far superior to Korea’s version of Chinese food
- Overnight SL-class trains means savage attacks by blood sucking mosquitoes via the open windows while sleeping
- Trains shall not arrive nor depart on a schedule that even remotely resembles their intended times
- Individual cars shall not be arranged in numerical order along the length of the train
- Locals, despite frequenting trains, seem to have no knowledge of how the Indian Rail System operates…do not ask them for help they will just further confuse you
- Always keep your sleeping berth full, either with your body or luggage. Otherwise someone will gladly fill in your unused sleeping space…uninvited
- The sleeping berths are short. If you’re tall like me your feet will constantly get rammed into by knees & luggage
- There will always be a power switch war raging about whether the fan will be on or not. The top bunk always wants to turn it off.
- If your groups berths are sepearate ask the ticket inspector to move them. If he declines try bribing him…worst that will happen is he will say no
- People in the AC classes tend to be upper-middle class Indians hence more well behaved according to rules
- If you’re a solo traveling woman choose the ladies car or an AC class car
- Always bring your own food to the train station
- Some of the nicest and most honest Indians you will meet will be on the trains. So take a chance and chat up your compartment-mates, it will most likely be rewarding.