good day

---

Ate all three meals at the fresh and juicy for a combined cost of about 170 rupees. I noticed that the workers there were giving alms to beggars. This, plus friendly service, good value, and authentic cuisine has earned my business. I wished some Americans (and one Canadian) a happy 4th of July. Unfortunately, no Brits as of yet.

Wandered around the neighborhood I am in. I am starting to become more familiar with my surroundings.

Success! Without once glancing on my map, I was able to find the Mother House. The residents of the street that leads me there seems to be predominately Muslim and not far removed from their rural backgrounds. I talked with a sister from far eastern India. We had a wonderful conversation. She has been with the SMC in Baltimore, Moscow, Uzbekistan, and now Kolkata. We talked about the poverty. "People say it has not improved since the Second World War." She offered to give me her (literal) sister's phone number so I could go visit the far east at some point. I think she said her people were Mizo. Westerners need a special permit to travel there, but apparently they are not hard to obtain. Sister was even kind enough to find me a place at a guesthouse where a bed for the night will cost me 100 rupees. She was very kind- so kind that at first I suspected she was Filipino.

I had my first (rather poor) experience with haggling. I paid too much for a cheap Spiderman watch (thank Ishwar I have skinny girl wrists), but at least I was able to engage in some tough negotiation sprinkled with local language. I tried to explain that I am a "ferangi chai". I also bought some snacks at a sort of Indian supermarket ("More") with a special section for Puja Needs. It seems to me it was frequented primarily by the upper classes.

I believe I have figured out the pecking order on the streets that decides who muscles through and who gets out of the way. From bottom to top:

1)dogs
2)ordinary people
3) tall foreigners
4) bicycles
5) rickshaws (most passengers seem to be wealthy locals who utilize the muscle power of the common man with the air of royalty)
6) motorcycles
7) auto-rickshaws
8) taxis
9) vans
10) buses/trucks
11) herds of goats
and the all time winner is.....
12) cows

Prem to all!

I can now play all of Jana Gana Mana fairly well. Funny, it didn't sound beautiful until I heard it here.
The internet went down here so I guess I can ramble on and edit this post. Internet back must publish quickly.

---