A day in the life.

The question keeps being asked, "What is Tara doing?, How is she dealing with India?, How does she spend her day?". I now realize that the blog has been mostly about Byl and the boys or us as a family. Not much about Me. And it is Me that is experiencing India on a more intimate level than the rest of the family. I don't have a job. I don't go to school. I had to make my new life here from scratch so to speak. I also don't travel with a camera or write in this way often so I admit my experience has been somewhat of a mystery to most people. No, I am not hiding in my dark bedroom watching reruns of "Desperate Housewives" (although it is an option). My days are quite full actually. Much more than I thought they would be. Of course I spend a lot of time grocery shopping and running the usual errands, dry cleaners, post office, bank, etc. But as mundane as that sounds, these tasks require a hell of a lot of patience, endurance, humility, and of course a great sense of humor, (thank God I have that). I spend most of my day with Akbar, a young muslim man who drives me everywhere. I have learned to carry a glue stick to the post office to avoid having to dip my finger a common bowl of blue goo because the stamps are not self adhesive. I now know where I can find brussel sprouts and broccoli. As long as I get there early and can find my way through the crowd of hindu devotees exiting a nearby temple I will have the makings of a great meal. One that is not curry!!! I know to avoid the dry cleaners at lunch/nap time because although they will acknowledge that I have entered the shop they have no intention of interrupting their midday break (or simply putting up an "out to lunch" sign and locking the door). I now wear practical shoes.
I have met a lot of great women with whom I spend a lot of time. We share our joys and concerns. We share our funny stories. We give advice when asked. We play scrabble and have a book club. We all fret about the effect this whole experience will have on our children and our families as a whole. I am not alone. I am not lonely. I feel very safe. I feel very stimulated in ways I never thought I could.
As of tomorrow I will give you all a look into the day in the life of Tara. I will try to post photos of the people and things I encounter. I vow to keep it real, meaning I won't go out of my way to find some interesting photo op to impress you.
Then I will happily retreat into anonymity once again.