You know you live in India when...

So over the last few days I have had several moments where I just had to stop and take a minute and ask, "Is this real life?" Or better yet, "Is this my life? Really?" So I started making a list in my head of "You know you live in India when..." Let me share a few.

....you stand too close to a goat and it starts to eat your dupatta (scarf). The scarf you are wearing on your neck. Suddenly it's in a goat's mouth. No one even seems bothered by this. No big deal... it's a normal, everyday affair to have a goat eat your clothes off your body.

....you see a sign that says, "Do not urinate here" in Hindi and in English. Now, why is it necessary to designate spots where this ISN'T appropriate? Shouldn't there more places where it's not okay than where it is? And directly beneath the sign is a HUGE pile of trash. It seems hypocritical, or pointless maybe. 

....you shower with the "butt sprayer" because it's the last place to lose water in your flat. True story: the water went out for several hours the other day, and I HAD to leave the house by a certain time, which was fast approaching. So I had to shower with the "bidet sprayer," better known as the butt sprayer, because it's the last to lose water...and it has the best water pressure...just sayin'.

....you watch a movie one night and run into the actress at the mall the next day. Okay, so maybe that one is "You know you live in Bollywood when..."

....you are sitting on the floor in someone's home and feel something behind you, hoping it's a cat, until you hear it squeak and realize that it is not a cat. And you can't react.  

....you see 6 grown men plus the driver in an auto, which is meant to only carry 3 people plus the driver. And they are all starting at you. 

....it's normal to see kids on the side of the road squatting next to each other talking and playing while they poop.

....you get cold if it gets below 80 degrees. 

....children on school buses point and yell, "Foreigner!" and giggle uncontrollably.

....you plan to buy groceries, books, flowers, etc. at certain stop lights.

....you catch yourself pointing with your eyes and agreeing with a head bobble.

....looking "fatter and fairer" is meant to be a compliment.

....everything tastes bland without hot sauce.

....you eat with your hands (even though you have utensils).

....you see a man painting an idol, a statue that will be worshiped as god, on the side of the road. Or there is a whole strip of shops that sell idols and the little cabinets to put them in. Side note: I still cannot wrap my mind around worshiping something you can paint, or put in a cabinet, or purchase, or chisel out of stone. It's hard to watch...and it's everywhere.

I love living here, but sometimes it just hits me like a wave that "we are not in Kansas anymore"...

Day 30!!!

The pressure is on to really make this one count since it's the last day of this 30 day comittment. It's definitely not the end of eucharisteo for me. Alright, so here it is:

My teammates, roommates, friends, sisters. Patricia and Lena.

I am thankful, so so so thankful to God, for putting me with these two ladies on this crazy journey. I honestly cannot imagine doing this without them. In the 8 months while I was sick and in and out of hospitals and doctors' offices, they put up with a lot and a did so much for me. They've seen me at my worst, and they still love me. We have prayed each other through all sorts of stuff. We moved 8,000 miles away from home together and have learned how to live life in India together. These ladies are legit. I love them dearly!

Day 29: Saving Toby

Toby is a hermit crab. Today as we were leaving Rajesh and Susheela's, Patricia picked up a shell. On the way home she realized the shell was moving....because a living creature was still inside it. So of course she named it. Toby. A good name for a hermit crab. And immediately googled how to keep it alive until next Tuesday when we can return him to his home. Crabs are scavengers, so they eat anything. So we tried to give Toby a variety of food. Now he's sitting on our table in a bowl. I am thankful for Toby. I've missed having a pet.

This was just an added bonus for today. I love this view of the city skyline, and it's usually not visible. But it was today...and I had my camera. So yay! :)

Day 28: My Cell Phone

I know I used this picture in a post the other day. However, I realized today that it deserves one of its own. I am so thankful for my cell phone. Without it I honestly don't know how I'd function. Doing work in this crazy busy, hustling, bustling city makes it nearly impossible to maintain face to face relationships on a regular basis. Texting people is a relationship saver and builder. How would I survive in Mumbai without my phone? Thanks be to God I haven't had to figure that one out.

Day 27: Shopping at Stop Lights

You can buy almost anything in traffic here. So tonight Patricia was trying to buy a book just as the signal changed, so this poor kid was chasing us down with a huge stack of books to get his money. I am thankful for the little "conveniences" of living in Mumbai.

Patricia with her new book.

Half way through the book the pages were upside down...

...which makes it look like Patricia is reading the book upside down. :)

Day 26: Gate Dog

Everyday there is at least one of two dogs sitting at the same place by the gate of our building. They faithfully "guard" our building. I love seeing them every day as I come and go from the building. It gives me that nostalgic "home" feeling when I see them. I actually missed them while we were in Thailand.

Gate dog. :) Usually only one or the other is there.

Day 25: A Kind Taxi Driver

Today I woke up anxious because I knew I was going to have to travel down to the south of the city by myself. There aren't rickshaws down south; there are only taxis. And taxis tend to be harder to get. So I prayed all morning that the Lord would make my travel smooth and that He would provide rickshaws, taxis, and trains and helpful people in case I got in a pickle and had no idea what to do (which still happens more often than I'd like). So I get to the train station and get my ticket like normal with no problem. I got on the right train and even got a seat! (This is a small miracle when traveling down south on the train in the morning.) I arrived at the train station and kept praying that a taxi would come because I wasn't sure how to get to the college from the station. For about 5 minutes no taxis were coming, and I was starting to get anxious because I didn't want to be late. So I finally ask a guy, probably looking desperate, who tells me he's not done with his customer and he's sorry. About 1 minute later he calls me over and tells me to get in because I'm on the way to where he's taking his current customer. I was a little skeptical because taxi drivers are stereotypically the worst about trying to cheat you out of money. However, I was desperate and had been praying, so I just hopped in and prayed that the Lord would make this man (and his other customers in the backseat) treat me right. It was a surprisingly short trip to the college, so when we pulled up I asked him how much and he said, "Whatever." I was thoroughly confused because that has NEVER happened to me before. So I asked for the meter card and he said, "No, no madam, just whatever." So I handed him a 10 rupee bill, which isn't much, so I figured he was going to name a ridiculously high price and I was going to have to haggle and still end up getting cheated. BUT he just took the 10 and said, "Okay Madam." I was so in shock and confused as I got out of the car and walked in that it wasn't until I was inside that I realized I had only given him 10 rupees. I immediately was wishing I could go back and give him more. What a huge blessing and answer to prayer that man was! And again I was overwhelmed by how God is intricately involved in the details. 

(It wasn't this exact taxi, but it looked like this.)