I'm watching the Jetsons in Hindi right now. FYI

It's crazy how fast things change around here.  I was supposed to leave for Punjab tomorrow with 2 other people, but it looks like the government is talking about temporarily shutting down religious sites because of riots, or violence, or both, or something.  So I guess we won't be going.   We were planning on buying our tickets to Nepal today.  But it looks like they are pushing to dissolve the monarchy by the end of the week.  And the monarchy is not wanting to be dissolved. It could end peacefully, but it could get scary.  It would be bad if the airport shut down.  

2 of the girls invited me to go to Rajisthan with them.  But it looks like the Gujjars are fucking shit up.  Everything is really up in the air right now.   Jenny and I were going to try for Bhutan if Nepal didn't work out, but evidently it takes months of paper work etc. because the government only approves a certain number of outsiders a year.  I might end up having to take some malaria pills after all and head south.  It's about to get pretty wet.  I'm glad I packed my rain jacket.  I've got a week and a half to figure something out.

I really can't even remember what I did today.  The evenings have been really nice.  Last night a few of us took our "Royal Challenges" up to the roof and listened to Clay play his harmonium.  the monkey size fruit bats I told you about were flying over us.  It was pretty surreal.  

 I am happy to report that I tried the Indian Pizza Hut tonight.  It was actually better than our pizza huts.  And they give you ketchup and horseradish mustard as condiments.  Im always up for weird condiments. It was actually pretty good.  Afterward we walked down to a street vendor in search of a sprite for our sick friend, and ran into some of our group.  We ended up with a round of chai and fresh, hot nan.  It was so good and fun to watch them make it.  But we are wondering 2 things:

1.  Where are the kids getting all the same heart balloons to sell?  Are they being pimped out and expected to bring back a certain amount?

2. Why would a person who looks like they are starving leave a bag of food on the side of the road?

Ritika, our new friend here in Derha Dun asked me some questions yesterday that I thought were interesting.  (I ask her questions constantly.  I will ask her the 2 up there tomorrow) She wanted to know how many kinds of bread we have in the U.S.  I wasn't sure how to answer.  I said a lot.  But she thought that meant, like, 5 or 10.  I tried to explain Whole Foods to her.  She's never been out of North India.  She also asked me if it were true that we throw our money on the ground.  I wasn't sure what she meant at first.  One of her cousins came to the U.S and told her that he picked up $10 in change while he was there.  "We would never do this here, throw our money on the ground." hmmm.  we don't so much throw it down, but I guess sometimes we don't bother to pick up a few pennies or nickels when they fall.  She always kind of looks at me funny when I try and answer.  It does seem wasteful.  She also thinks it's incredibly funny that sometimes I put rice in my broth, or broth on my rice.

ok, i can't keep my eyes open.  I know I had more to say...