A stolen post

Brian just crafted a post for his website: http://bharoterdinratri.blogspot.com/ I'm just going to steal it. India has been amazing so far, but I think I'll need some decompression/processing time before I make a solid attempt of my own:

In perfect brian form, it is a list of 7 days, 7 things we've done:

1. Found Rani Mukherjee's house in Mumbai and delivered a letter to her (via her guards). See Brian's website

2. Made 16 color back-and-front laminated photocopies of the eighth grade graduation picture of Tom Steingraeber that I carry in my wallet. This is slightly ruining the surprise, I suppose, but some of you readers may expect one of these as your India souvenir gift from John. We did this nearly a week ago, but it has yet ceased to be an source of explosive laughter. The photo and note on the back - which I will let be a secret - are hilarious. Sorry Tommy.

3. Attended Christmas Eve midnight mass at Delhi's cathedral, where we sang along to club beat-ified Christmas songs and hung with a sari-clad Santa Claus. This annual party is so popular that everyone can't fit inside the Cathedral itself; there was a huge tent on the school grounds next door. Everyone was overflowing with cheer, and many people even came to the decidedly un-solemn proceedings wearing Santa hats. Nice.

4. Hung out all Christmas Day with 35 HIV-positive children in the Nav Foundation orphanage. We decorated their bedrooms, sang Christmas songs, danced, drew photos, and gave these sweet kids a surplus of physical attention and goofballness.
5. Spent Christmas night visiting the two oldest mosques in India (unknowingly and in succession). The oldest is at the Qutb Minar complex, and the second oldest is the incredible Nizamuddin Mosque (slash mausoleum of Nizamuddin, the Sufi saint), where I met a Bengali mullah who sat me down for a Bangla conversation just long enough to surmise that I didn't make enough money volunteering here to be able to offer him any baksheesh. He was a sweet (dyed-bearded) dude though, and he told me that all of my work was a gift to Allah.

6. Went to a swank dinner party in Juhu. Of course, it was just us and the rest of the AIF fellowship people, but still. That's what Bollywood stars do with their free nights in Mumbai. Go to swank dinner parties in Juhu. Yes us. Swank.

7. Prepared thoroughly for Mama Heilman's imminent arrival in India. We booked a kickin' room at the "Hotel Relax," which has tons of kitschy Christmas clutter and a couple gorgeous balconies. We bought a marigold garland to toss over her head upon arrival. John even brought a Christmas tree from the U.S. which, with any luck, we'll smuggle into the airport in about an hour's time. And we already have a car booked for the morning, when we'll hit the town Linda style, rocking the Lodi Gardens and Purana Qila and any other south-ish Delhi spots Mama feels like seeing.