What I did during Christmas and NYE

Thanjavur -->Tiruchirappalli --> Bengalore -->Mysore -->Chikmagalur --> Aldur -->Kadabgere/Bhadra -->Hasan -->Kushalnagar-->Madkeri -->Bylakupee --> Madikeri --> Bengalore --> Chennai --> back home in Thanjavur

 'One state, Many Worlds...' Southern Karnataka (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karnataka) is what I did during Christmas vaca. The half of the trip was spent on local buses that had no suspensions and questionable working brakes but it was a blast. My favorites are Bengalore 100rupee fliflop shopping, Camping and eating river fish at Bhadra River Camp (http://www.bhadrarivercamp.com), Hillside town of Madikeri, Coffee plantations of Coorg and Tibetan monks in Bylakupee.  
No No.. life is not all rosy, however. My iPhone was stolen while I was sleeping on one of the local buses, I couldn't keep up with different climate changes in a week and got a cold. The finale of my trip was food poisoning that kept me in bed or on the toilet for 48hrs. But it was one of the best trips EVER!!!
Now back to work, trying to finish my last month at work with a big BANG! 

Me with Coffee tree, can I plant one in my yard?

Commercial street in Bengalore on Christmas Eve

COFFEE!!!!! Beans are inside

Sunset view from Raja Seat in Madikeri

Golden Tibetan Buddist Temple

Fishermen running away after they refused to give us fish they owed us

!

Little teenage monks in training during their tea chanting

More Pictures found on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=500545411544&set=a.500545346544.259880.519266544#!/album.php?aid=259880&id=519266544 

 

What India has been teaching me for the last 100+days

1. Tolerance
In a country this big and diverse, it's easy to get fascinated in the beginning.  However, when the initial charms wear off, you face a rude awakening to the reality. India has been teaching me from the day one the meaning of tolerance. It means that I don't just overlook everything but have less expectation of things to work out the way "I think it should" and have more respect for the things the way they are. After all, I am in India where anything is possible and happens. 


2. Patience
Patience is one of the virtues that I possess very little of. Things don't make sense at times, I still get confused with the head bobble thing, yes doesn't mean yes and everything is 'just around the corner'. But this is a part of being in a different culture. If I am patient and lose my temper, I am the only one who waste energy. After all, everyone else will think I am just funny anyway.   


3. Assertiveness
This is a country with 1.2 billion people. there is no time or space to be polite. Just push and be aggressive! However, since being aggressive won't work back home,  I learn to be more assertive. 


4. Learn to have fun 
Being frustrated as a foreigner in India is an understatement. however,  no one else would ever teach me the importance of having fun and laughing everyday. For the lessons you teach me, I thank you, India.