No problem

So I think I have made my tentative return date May 1st. I may or may not already have a plane ticket booked for this day from Thailand. Who knows, I could change it again. I am quite torn about whether to stay longer or go home earlier. Lot of compelling reasons for both, really.

My health condition does not seem to be improving. I don't know how to make my body better, which really bothers me. I don't know what it needs. It doesn't seem to be able to process food and derive the nutritional benefits from it. I don't know if I even want to think of the somatic implications of not being able to process. So much formation... no metabolization. I run into this problem a lot, don't I. Started a course of antibiotics today. I hate taking antibiotics, but yet I think this is the right step from here. India is a whole different playing field.

Had a fun morning this morning as I ignored my health. Raju, who is now a 18, but Peg and Ted have known him since he was a little boy, took Jessica and I out. I met him this morning as I was crying a little due to not being able to get a handle on my health. He got me Chai and got a black string from his friends Jewelry stand and wrapped it around my wrist, telling me it would protect against black magic. He then showed me the bookstore I was trying to find, which was not yet open, and took me to buy red ochre for Aurora, which I have had no clue how to find until now. I also asked him about Yoga, and he took me to his Yoga and massage guru. He told me it was exactly a one minute and twenty eight second walk. He gave me exact amounts of time like that for every place we went, but said the times only applied to Indians, who walk faster. He also told me not to run across the street as we crossed, because iut confuses people. When we walk they calculate it. Indian driving seems to mak a lot of sense. The guru was away, but hopefully I'll go back, do yoga, massage, maybe an interview for my project. On our way back we ran into Jessica, and she wanted to wander with us. I determined I felt well enough to wander and he took us alang the ghats for a little ways and then up to the water temple. He said on one day a year, couples who have not yet been able to have children come from all over and they open it up for people to come baith. It gets so crowded there is absoluty nowhere to stand. As of now, we could only look at the inner well, not go in. Really incredible place. He then asked if we wanted to go to the Hanuman temple, which was a 20 minute walk, which we did. That temple was really cool. So much going on inside, monkeys everywhere, people lining up to make offerings, people singing mantras, people sitting and reading mantras... People are also so willing to come up to you and tell you all about it.

Quite easy to just get swept away in Varanasi. Wish we had more time here. Raju also told us about getting Astrology readings, and Kirtan. He took me to a place where people come for Kirtan all day. Raju is the best. I really trust that what he is showing is the real deal. Jessica and I (hopefully... health permitting) are going to see traditional Kathak dance tonight. So much going on, no time to be sick.