I think the twins' parents were missing their girls something awful. I got a 13 second phone call saying, "We'll be there in about an hour." and they were right on time. Fun was had by all, especially me. I can totally see myself with twins one day. Letter to Santa maybe?

The house is clean and I am taking a nap before starting on my paper.

This is ridiculous. I just noticed several more grey hairs while I was looking in the mirror putting Orajel on a wisdom tooth that's coming in. I should not have to deal with either wisdom teeth or grey hair at 30! And certainly not both at the same time!

(I would henna, except last time I tried that, I ended up having to scrub most of the bathroom afterwards.)

There's a new Hyperbole and a Half.

Here's the first two India stories.

Our first night in India: we get off the plane and out of the airport at 3 or 4 am (this is apparently when all international flights arrive and leave). It's humid like woah and there's just a crush of people and all kinds of strange smells some good some not so, but there is a definite feeling of, "We are so not in Kansas anymore!" We find a driver to take us to our little cheap hotel jon booked so we could have a rest after the flight. The drive just got scarier and scarier. Tons of people wandering sleeping begging. The driver pulls in front of a dark alley and Jon wanders over sleeping dogs and goats to get to an unmarked door and gets buzzed in. Our room is teeny and the bathroom is almost too small to even fit in. Jon sets up the water filter so we can bathe, and we can see tiny little worms that are being filtered out. I thought Mumbai was going to be miserable.

Then, the next morning we woke up to a call to prayer that was lovely and mesmerising, walked down to the hotel's cafe and had tea and parantha found a driver. He took us to Gandhi's house and to the bazaar and to the India Gate and the Taj Palace hotel and everything was awesome. (As a side note, to a person, everytime we told people we were American, the first thing they said was "Obama!" He is a great man!")

That night we went down to the cafe again and drank tea and played Gin and just listened to the city until bedtime.

Other Mumbai highlights were the laundry. Blocks and blocks of workers washind and drying clothes old school style. We have video which is good because it has to be seen to be believed. Amazing architecture from the train stations to the musems and churches and temples including a church for the British soldiers stationed there (there are notches in the backs of the pews to stick rifles in). We also got to watch a bit of cricket game on these amazing palm tree lined grounds in the middle of the city. We went to, but could not really go to the Towers of Silence where the Parsis take their dead to be eaten by vultures (the vultures were dying out, so they've set up a solar decomp process and imported vultures from elsewhere).

Next up-Heather and Jon are nearly thrown off the train from Mumbai to Jaipur.

Next up-Heather and Jon are nearly thrown off the train from Mumbai to Jaipur.

No ticket?

I love crazy travel stories.

Am watching the NCAA Women's Soccer championship, even though the Tar Heels are not in it. Which is rare, given that they've won the title 20 times out of 28 or so. Yes, I'm a wee bit smug about it.

More perspective - if Notre Dame wins today, it'll be their third title. Making them the next winningest team after UNC's twenty.

Made of awesome: the refs are women and so are the announcers. One day, the coaches will be, too.

It's humid like woah and there's just a crush of people and all kinds of strange smells some good some not so, but there is a definite feeling of, "We are so not in Kansas anymore!"

Oh man, I know SO WELL what you mean, all of it. (Worms in the water, eek!) But I'm so, so glad you had such a good experience the next day and got to see so much of the city. I can't wait for more pictures and video and stories!

Heather and Jon's first Indian train ride that almost wasn't: All of our train tickets were booked except for Mumbai to Jaipur-our first leg-where we were waitlisted. Our driver assured us that "anything is possible." (He was also fond of saying "No worry, no hurry, chicken curry. Take it easy!) We get to the station and the train is full so even the waitlist is cancelled Raj helps us talk to the ticket taker who after a considerable amount of money, gives us two seats (there was more drama getting the physical tickets be fore the train left, but we got them with the updated amount.

Jon went to the top bunk to sleep (he had been very ill that day, and we'd gone to Prince of Wales musem which has no ac so he was pretty tired and miserable) I hung out with the family across the aisle and they shared their dinner and their litlle boy came over and fell asleep on my seat with his head on my leg.

The ticket taker came by, and I showed my ticket and passport and he just shook his head and smiled. About an hour later I ask Jon to switch so I can sleep. The ticket taker comes back and tells Jon it is not his seat and he needs to go to another car. I don't want him to go, but he is afraid to argue so he leaves. The family I was visiting with starts arguing with the ticket taker about separating a married couple.

Meanwhile, there is no actual seat for Jon so he takes his backpack and sits between the train thinking he'll tough it out. A chaiwalla tells Jon his ticket isn't real and he will have to get off at the next station. Jon pleads not to be separated from me and the ticket taker comes over smiling and shaking his head at Jon who is now on his knees and causing a sceene. He offers the guy more money, but now with the crowd he makes a big deal about not taking bribes. He says we can stay together and on the train, but we have to sit with peoples' luggage (and ours) on an upper berth smushed in for the 12 hours of the remainder of the trip.

Now I am tired and miserable and visibly upset. There may have been some quiet tears. Then a couple of guys come over and tell us the ticket taker is a very bad man and that they and their family bought extra tickets for their luggage. One of the guys was going to get married in Jaipurand he and his family of 22 would let us sit with them. They moved their luggage and gave us the bunks to sleep in. The next morning, we all woke up and had some kind of awesome Rajistani veg they shared with us for breakfast and talked about marriage and our countries and played with the groom's rowdy nephew. They were lifesavers!

The groom, Rakesh, emailed Jon a few weeks later to see that the rest of the trip went ok.

Next time: Khan and Jaipur!

Yay Rakesh and family!