The last word

You know you've left India for Europe when you see the following sign at airport security:

Faster Through Security: No Runny Cheese

But what about the 2 kilos of soft gulab jamun in my carry-on?  

I began this blog three months ago, a little unsure if I'd be able to keep it up or, like so many past efforts at journal-writing, lose interest after a few days/weeks/months and drop it.  But thanks to all the positive feedback that I got, my smart phone and the ready availability of internet cafes I did manage to keep the blog up, albeit irregularly.  However, yesterday I returned to Toronto safe and sound and so I guess it is time to wrap things up with a couple of thoughts:

• I had an absolutely wonderful summer in India and I have very mixed feelings about being home now.  Pretty much for the last 30 years I've been saying that I would go back to India but as the years and decades slipped by I started to doubt myself.  When the opportunity arose this year, I jumped at it but was aware that with so many expectations I might be setting myself up for disappointment.  Happily, things didn't turn out that way.  
• Also, when I decided to stop practising architecture and return to school I initially only looked into overseas universities (including Indian ones) because I wanted to travel.  Given that, it was ironic that I ended up at a school within walking distance of home but a nice coincidence that it gave me an internship opportunity in India.  
• My last five weeks of travel in Ladakh, Rajasthan and Diu were great but, in some ways, my time at DEF in Delhi was richer because it gave me the opportunity to be part of a team and to focus on an aspect of contemporary Indian society in more depth than you can simply being a tourist.  Thanks to everyone at DEF for being so welcoming, for patiently helping me understand how to dial Indian telephone numbers (again and again) and for giving me the opportunity to pursue my mobile phone research even when everyone else in the office had their hands full preparing for the mBillionth Awards.
• Traveling with a mobile phone was a bit of an education in itself.  It was so great to be able to receive emails, facebook, blog and play scrabble with people at home or elsewhere in India even if it was the middle of the night, I was on a bus in the middle of nowhere and not plugged into anything.  And this from the person who used to travel to England or Italy without calling or writing mom or dad even once the whole time.  It also made me realize how ridiculously expensive mobile phone service is in Canada. Does it really need to have to cost this much here?  
• I'm so lucky to have met so many great people in three short months: Anil in Delhi, everyone at DEF, the people I met in Pune, Stanzen in Leh, my fellow hikers in Ladakh and everyone else I met on my travels.  While not everyone at the ashram was always friendly, Anu, Stanzen (a different Stanzen) and some of the other people I met there were sweet.  Thanks to the DEF women, Anil, Linda and Inis for sending me off in style on Tuesday.  And thanks to Anil for taking me to the airport in Delhi and Wendy for picking me up in TO.