this is what I'm going to miss most about India.

a few months ago I was walking to class and I noticed a little boy practicing writing his numbers in chalk on the sidewalk. I walked back the same way a few hours later and noticed how far he had gotten - 26.

at first the fact that pretty much all spaces here are public spaces bothered me. I didn't like to walk in the park much just because there were always so many other people there; I go into it rarely now, but I love to watch the people in it from my terrace. two men trying out kung-fu and breakdance moves on each other (sometimes failing hilariously), a group of kids teaming up to move a park bench, the old guy that's REALLY into calisthenics... and other things that are less pleasant - a couple fighting, a child teasing a man with no arms or legs who sits in the gutter begging, a kid with no pants on shitting into the gutter.

in the US we pay for privacy in a lot of ways. we forget that we're actually living in a world with other people that are busy living in the world too. people here are trying to gain more privacy - gated communities, resettlement, etc etc - but the population has reached a point here that no amount of money is going to make everyone go away. everyone shares the same space, and part of the price of being able to see these beautiful terrible hilarious intimate moments of other people's lives is that they see yours too. that's why people stare. by coming to India you've virtually invited yourself into their house. and that's not easy, and sometimes pretty unpleasant. but at the same time it can be really rewarding.

sorry for not updating this more - when I haven't been working on homework I've been exploring or just enjoying being here for the little time I have left (about three weeks). I'll update soon with the rest of my spring break and what I've been up to since then.