Nina

Nina is a friend of mine who is a pretty new follower. I met her last Christmas actually and over the course of the year, we have enjoyed getting to know each other. Nina is young, I would say around 18-19. She comes from a very low caste, her and her family live in one small room. Nina has three kids ages 3-1- and and 3 month old.... AND she is pregnant. As I was sitting with her, she told me she was thinking of having an abortion. She can barely look after the three she has. Well, my Hindi went into overdrive convincing her to NOT abort the baby. I told her that every baby is a life from God. I mentioned the thought of adoption. I told her that there are plenty of people who would love to have a baby of their own. She seemed to like this idea. She said "well, in my heart, I know I shouldn't abort. But my husband doesn't want it". Nina lives in a world where a woman has very few choices. I told her I would try to help her although I know nothing about the adoption system here. If you could please pray for Nina and for this little unborn baby. Pray that he will have a chance to live and that this would be a good outcome.

More Pictures From the Training

We were working on writing a song based on Scripture.












Some nationals friends working on their songs.



























Meeting together to model what a house group would look like

His Name Is Plumber

So, living here HAS gotten easier as time has passed. Through the school of hard knocks, I have learned to keep the phone numbers of people who are good at their job. So, stored in my phone are contact entries like "electrician" or "postman". Or even "the guy who drove me to Delhi that one time who was pretty good but he flipped someone off once so he might have some road rage issues" :-)

The last few days, I have been working with "Plumber". He has done some work for us in the past. He is a jolly fellow and does a pretty good job. He always comes to work in a sweater vest. Its cute. He has spent the last three days installing a new water tank on my roof. Today, as we were finishing up, he said to me proudly "your landlord said I could have your old water tank. I am going to throw it off the roof, take it with me on my bike and sell it!". I tried not to laugh. I just smiled and said "what a great idea....you do that" O dear -sweater- vest Plumber. You made my day.

This Season

As we enter into this Christmas week, there are alot of things that make it seem not so much like Christmas. Its hard to really get into the "spirit" of Christmas when the only bells I hear are the ones that my neighbors ring to wake up their gods every morning.The only fake snow I see is the white fluffy mold that is growing on my walls. Its easy to turn inward and sink into self pity.

But in reality, its not ultimately about me or how I 'feel' at Christmas. In reality, this season is about a young couple who took a ride on a donkey and who had a baby in a lonely stable. This season is about the Savior who came to carry our sorrows and bring us redemption. The lack of Christmas sales, lights, parties and peppermint lattes at Starbucks doesn't really change the fact that LOVE came down to earth. This season is about the fact that our God doesn't NEED to be woken up. He IS the LIVING GOD, The GREAT I AM. The PRINCE OF PEACE. And that's what this season is about.

Telling Stories

We have spent the past week leading a training for some women who have already started some storying groups in their communities. Its been a sweet time of encouragement and equipping. It seems like so many times this week I have said "you can DO it"! Its pretty cool to empower people to take His Story and share with others. These pictures are of us during a time of singing praise songs

City of Widows

We just recently went to visit a holy city called Vrindavan which is to the east of us. It is also nicknamed the "City of Widows" after the large population of abandoned widows that seek refuge here. Often times, after a husband dies, the wife is left to fend for herself by the family. This city provides refuge and aide to the many who flock here.

Because this is such a religious city, many swamis (religious men) can be seen walking around. You can tell that they are swamis because they dress in all orange like this man below.

this is a statue of the lord Krishna

Swamis walking on the side of the road

one of the big temples in the area

I have heard of horse power before....but??

One of the many many temples that are in Vrindivan

a cow walking through a temple door

They often put blankets and jackets on the animals here to keep them warm for the winter

Turmoil

Hey Friends. I am going through a time of intense inner turmoil. There is alot of unknown out there for me. I feel like I am falling off of a cliff and I will fall flat on my face if God doesn't show up to catch me. I can't sleep and have very little peace. My computer has almost totally crashed so I have almost no information to even send out an email. So, if you could just be lifting this time up if you think about it. And if God speaks to you, let me know. I guess I am not hearing Him right now.

Help

My computer had a virus on it and because of this, most of my information on it has been destroyed, including all of my email contacts. So, if you have been getting my updates and would still like to, can you send me your email addresses? Thanks

Thanksgiving

Here are some shots from the wildlife resort we stayed at for Thanksgiving. It was pretty amazing.

Crossing the Finish Line

I just got back from our Thanksgiving retreat and it was a success. In many ways, it didn't feel like Thanksgiving at all. But in other ways, it was exactly the kind of Thanksgiving I should be having every year. This week, I had the chance to stop and really THANK Him.

On Thanksgiving afternoon, we had an old fashioned field day. We divided up into four teams and participated in events such as the potato sack race, the crab crawl and the classic egg on a spoon race. It came time for the egg race and three of the teams finished up very quickly. I looked back and noticed a remaining little boy from one of the team was still struggling with his egg. He was moving ever so carefully but the egg was getting the best of him. It was just too wobbly. It was pretty obvious he was slower than all the rest. It was pretty obvious he was majorly struggling. And it was pretty obvious that his team was going to lose. You know what his team members did? They wildly cheered him on to the finish line. COME ON! You can DO IT!! YEAH COME ON!! They slapped him on the back when he finally crossed the finish line. "You DID a great job"they yelled. The moment lasted for only a few minutes. We quickly went onto the next event.

I just think about all the times I have tried to balance my wobbly egg on my little spoon. Its pretty obvious I am on the losing team. Its pretty obvious I am struggling. We all have experienced that feeling. That feeling of losing a race. That feeling of being the last one. But in reality, we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses- spuring us along to finish the race that was set before us. Those people who have passed the finish line- they had wobbly eggs too. They had struggles too. And they are spurring us along to finish. It was a perfect picture of His grace. It was a perfect picture of His blessing. And for this, I am truly thankful.

Thanksgiving

Tomorrow early in the morning I head out to a national park for a Thanksgiving retreat. I am meeting up with like minded individuals for a few days of celebration. Although I have never seen a turkey here, there will be football and other fun things to make the holiday festive. When I have tried to explain Thanksgiving to my national friends they just sorta said "oh accha" (good) with a blank stare in their eye. Its hard to describe the beauty of the turkey and dressing! As you might remember, it was around this time last year that Typhoid Mary paid a visit but I didn't give her my new number. So, I am looking forward to this holiday being a good one! Happy Thanksgiving ya'll!

Ooppss...

The doors here come with latches on both the inside and outside. This makes it pretty easy to accidentally (or intentionally for that matter) lock people in or out of places. This afternoon, a sudden rainstorm came upon us. My rickshaw driver was trying to get me home before the rain got too bad I didn't have any change to pay him with. So I flew upstairs and knocked on my neighbor's door. She quickly gave me some change and I ran back downstairs to give the money. Then I went on back to my place, not thinking anymore about it. A few minutes later I heard "CATHY CATHY COME OUT HERE CATHY CATHY" Again, I was back in action as I raced outside. Was someone hurt??? I found my neighbor's entire family all huddled in the kitchen screaming at me from the window.

"you locked us inside our house".

I did?? I guess in my haste, when I closed my neighbor's door, I locked the outside latch on them. I profusely apologized for my blunder. Of course I quickly got the customary "kowee bat nahee" (its no problem). I told them "the thing is- I do stuff like this in America too.." Thank the Lord for understanding neighbors!

Children

Kids around here are treated differently. There are so many that get lost, get ignored, get neglected. They go unbathed. Unloved. Misunderstood. Preciousness of life is overlooked.I live in a place where baby boys are considered much more valuable than baby girls. Kids are sometimes treated just plain ugly. A very common game parents play is to purposely take food or water away from the baby so that they start to cry. Or they "pretend' to slap or beat the baby. Or sometimes they really DO slap the babies. From day one, the baby learns hardness.

And then sometimes, they have pretty loving homes. Its just that the parents don't have the resources to adequately care of their little ones. Recently, a mom asked me to help her figure out the dose of her baby's TB medicine. She can't read and I am sure the doctor didn't bother to explain things to her. I squinted at the directions in a dimly lit room. I couldn't imagine not knowing how to give a very important medicine to my sick baby.

Of course there are good stories too. I also have friends who are totally devoted to their little ones and give them every possible opportunity they can. My friend has a one year old and often asks me why he can't speak English yet. And I say "well..he's one...he can't really speak any language yet". Or other kids, like the one in this picture, have opportunities to go to school whereas before they had never had the chance.

So, as children wander through my life, I try to love on them the best way I can. I pat the hand of a 2 year old instead of slapping. I stroke the face of a baby girl and tell her she is beautiful. In reality, I know I can't really make that big of a difference. I guess I hope that they can somehow hold onto those little moments of gentleness. And when I look into their faces, I remember..they are precious in His sight.

Luke 3:11

One of my sweet national friends is a new believer. She has only been a believer about a year. But the more I understand of her Hindi and her heart, the more blown away I am. Her and her family don't have much. In fact, they live in one tiny room and can barely feed their three kids. One day I asked what they had been eating and she told me "tea and biscuits". Their youngest son has TB and they have to scrape by to get his medicine.

I went to visit her today. She told me about a neighbor of hers who does not have the use of her legs. She had prayed for her but wanted to do something more. Like I said, my friend barely has ANYTHING. But you know what she said to me? "He who has two tunics is to share with him who has none and he who has food is to do the same". I thought I had understood her but had her repeat it. She went on to say "I think we should give her our clothes. You think this is a good idea? ". This came from the mouth of someone who probably really does have just one tunic to a girl who has a closet full. I wanted to say "keep what you have, you NEED it". But instead I said "yeah.. I think its a great idea".

Listen To Your Heart

I had a funny conversation with one of my closest friends here today. P lives down the street from me. And from day one, we really hit it off. We really have a good connection despite the language and culture gap.

Today I went by her house to wish her Happy Diwali. Soon after I sat down, she looked deep into my eyes and asked "tell me the truth, do you have a boyfriend"? I generally avoid this topic all together because it gets sticky. They have a different concept of what boyfriends are around here. But, she is my friend so I decided to try to explain. After explaining things a bit she said "but how will you meet your husband? And I answered 'Well, it's in God's hands. I am not worried"

In pure seriousness she said "Cathy...just listen to your heart"

So..how did I respond?

I broke out into song of course.

Listen to your heart...when he's calling to you...listen to your heart...there's nothing else you can do... She just bobbed her head to the music. The thing was, she didn't think it strange at all that I just busted out into song like that. Fun times.

Diwali 2010

Its time again for the Festival of Lights or otherwise known as Diwali. Its a time of celebrating the conquering of good over evil. Small little oil lamps called diyas are displayed all around the neighborhood. Lights and flowers are also strung up on houses so it looks alot like Christmas. At night, people shoot off fireworks. Its a time for people to get together,worship and eat sweets.

Unfortunately, my camera broke so I have no real pictures of it this year. But I found this picture thatcaptures what it looks like around here.

Today, I dressed up in a sari and passed out sweets to everyone. Women here are very opinionated about how to drape the sari. Each area of the country seems to have their own style. I had women "fix" my sari 4 times throughout the day!

This year, I concentrated on just trying to love on people the best way I could. I drank lots of chai and ate lots of sweets. I finally just had to tell people diabetes runs in my family so I need to be careful! That excuse didn't work very well but you can't blame a girl for trying.

I am ready to get out of this sari but otherwise its been a good day!

To Quote Charlie

"There needs to be more hellos and less goodbyes. These goodbyes are making my throat hurt" Charlie Brown

The volunteer team left today and overall, I think they had a good experience. I am looking forward to getting some rest and reconnecting with neighbors I hadn't seen in awhile. When people come from the States, it makes me realize how precious fellowship is. Just to be able to laugh, worship and speak in my heart language is refreshing. But in this gypsy life I live, the hellos are too often followed with goodbyes.

One of the major holidays here is gearing up. Outside my door I hear fireworks going off. I hear families getting together in celebration. Houses are being cleaned and sweets are being prepared. And there is a hollowness smack in the middle of my heart. Tomorrow, I will be happy to join my neighbors who have so lovingly included me in their lives. But tonight, as I listen to laughing children outside...I wonder...just wonder...what my life full of goodbyes will look like.

Pure Lard

One of the good things about this place is the food is generally pretty amazing. I don't have alot of 'gross out' stories about food I have been forced to eat. But yesterday in the village was an exception. We met a delightful family out in one of the villages who invited us to lunch. We were looking forward to spending the day with them. Generally, home cooked meals are delicious. But as they placed the food in front of me...it was swimming in lard. I still get quesy even thinking about it again. Pure fat chucks were staring at me. I might as well have been eating straight out of a tub of butter because thats what it tasted like. I tried to eat as much as I could and then politely declined more. Almost immediately I knew I would be in trouble. My stomach progressively got more and more angry as the day progressed. It resulted in a pretty rough night. I woke up this morning worn out, and beat up. So, today I am staying in doors to recover and I must admit I will enjoy the day off. I guess yesterday I just had to take one for the team!

Blessings

Sometimes its easy to think about the hard things about this place. But the Lord in His sweetness provides blessings along the way. I get the honor of seeing Him provide in ways that I never even have thought about. Even the daily tasks of living take more time here. And right from the beginning, the Lord provided me with a househelper. Angie has been with me the whole way. She comes to my house every morning and sweeps, mops, dusts, does the dishes, washes my veggies and basically does all of the things that would take me hours to accomplish. If I need help with something special, she does it. Just a few weeks ago, I ran out of gas for my stove. And she brought me her little spare tank to use while I waited for mine to get refilled. When I have trouble expressing myself in Hindi, she patiently waits for me to spit out the words. I find myself thankful she doesn't know English because it stretches me. She doesn't know it but she is a great teacher.

There have been times when I have answered the door in tears or upset. And she sweetly listens. She wants to fight for me and is always on my side. Thats a good friend. We have an easy relationship and her cheerful attitude makes my day brighter. She is a tremedous blessing and one of the ways He has exhibited His amazing grace.

Give Me Words To Speak

Tomorrow I will find myself in a situation where I will be the translator. We have some volunteers out here with us which is great! Its beautiful weather and its always exciting to be around fellow Americans for awhile. But the thing is, our normal national translators can't help us out this time around. Since its smack in the middle of the school year, they are busy. I will have a national gal with me tomorrow but she doesn't speak English. I want the volunteer assigned to me to still have a good experience and she will be dependant on me for help. And as I get ready I just fervently pray "give me words to speak". Despite the language and cultural barriers, I hope that our hearts can still be heard. Someone once said "live your lives in such a way that if God doesn't show up- you will be in big trouble"

Hey Catholic!

So, the closest word that resembles my name here is Catholic. I have several national friends who call me that. And I almost hate to correct them. Their attempt makes me happy. I was walking down a little side street this morning and heard 'Hey Catholic'! And my heart just smiled.

I went to visit a friend in a nearby country this week although the pictures will give the location away. ;-) We had a wonderful time, I couldn't ask for a better week! These pictures are a little out of order. Going to see Petra required tons of walking so we opted to ride a donkey for some of the way. It turns out donkeys are hard to manage. (we may or may not have lost control at one point, knocking over some old European people in the process...)No wonder donkeys get a bad rap!

We spent the night in the desert one night with some Bedouins. (it was through an official tourist company so it wasn't as daring as it sounds) It was a perfect night for camping. We drifted off to sleep under a canopy of stars as I hummed the Pocahontas theme song (but then I thought- didn't she live in a forest, not a desert??)

a very famous site of Petra

Katie getting her hand nibbled by a camel.

some cute kids selling post cards

We went on a jeep tour of the desert right before sunset. This is an interesting rock formation they called "The Elephant".

This is the desert where the Israelites wandered for 40 years. This is one of their camels that didn't make it to the Promised Land...;-)

A Good Laugh

There is a new metro system in the capital city. I had never really used it before because they are still working out the kinks. But today I was with a friend who wanted to use it so we did. And its actually quite nice. It reminds me a bit of the London metro- complete with the warning to "mind the gap" (watch your step) The thing is, this big shiny modern metro is also mixed together with the mass of India. There are 100's of people fighting to squeeze into a narrow door that is only stopped for a few seconds. I saw one guy use his elbow to get through. I saw a mother actually using her baby as a weapon! Sweet little old ladies dressed in saris knocked people around like the rest of em'. Those old people are spunky I tell ya.

My friend stands heads and shoulders above every one else. So, he just happily waded through the crowd like the jolly green giant. Me on the other hand got tossed about like a rag doll. For some reason, I responded by CRACKING UP so that just made it worse. When I got an elbow to my rib, I laughed harder. My purse somehow got caught up in the madness and I had to cling to it for dear life. We finally secured a spot on the bursting metro car. I landed a spot right underneath some one's armpit. There is a saying in Hindi that says "come sit in my armpit". It just means "come sit beside me" This phrase came to life for me as I got pressed awkwardly close to complete a complete stranger's underarm. Sometime I feel like I live inside one of those tetris games. You know that old game where you have to move and fit the pieces just right to make the puzzle fit? If I move my knee 3 cm to the right while standing on one foot while tilting my head ever so slightly, there MIGHT be room for another Indian- but just a small one...

I somehow managed to eventually find a seat. I plopped down feeling battered and bruised. People just started at me - maybe wondering why I was laughing. But you know what? It was good to laugh. And laughter is good for the heart.

The Answer

It seems like the days of just talking in Hindi about the weather are behind me. Gone are the days of just small talk. Now, people are asking the questions that are hard to explain even in English. I have never gone a day in my life without food, shelter, water, love. So, I willingly admit, I don't understand exactly what people go through here.

Today I sat with a sweet new sister. She held my hand and looked into my eyes without blinking. She asked "but why? why? why? Why does it seem like He doesn't hear me? It seems like He doesn't answer "

I prayed for the right words. I briefly reflected on the tears that have come from unanswered prayers. I finally spoke. I said..He always hears us..its just...its just...our answer is not in this world. A look of understanding crossed her face. Her grip on my hand got tighter. And as two sisters...we just sat for awhile....

Wounded My Heart

I was born with the 'feelings' knob turned up too high on my chromosomes. Even from a young age, I seemed to FEEL everything too much. When I have taken those personality tests, I have always been off the charts in the "feelings" category. Over the years, I have learned to find ways to neutralize it. I don't shed a tear anymore when I watch the National Geographic channel. Nowadays, my heart remains stone cold when I hold puppies. I was able to work for years as a nurse and not cry...too much.... This feelings thing has been a blessing and a curse.

In Hindi, the phrase that you use for "hurt my feelings" literally means "wounded my heart". Well, this week has wounded my heart. I have a believing friend who has run into trouble. She and her family can barely put food on the table. They mainly just eat rice and cookies. We figured out a way to get food to her without her seeing our "white" faces giving it to her. But she figured out it was us. And she was upset. She told me she is not a beggar. Her parents have turned their backs on her because of her belief. I tried to explain. She just didn't understand. She would rather go hungry than take food from us.

Flash forward a few days. I was visiting with another family this week. They don't believe but have been super interested in important things. I had a wonderful conversation with one of the sisters about trusting. She said 'yes'! But then she asked a question. "Can you give me money"? My heart sank. Is this what she thinks? Was I just an ATM machine to her this whole time?

In one situation, someone who really needs won't take. In another situation, I just feel used and confused. And so now my heart is raw and bleeding. There are so many layers to this culture that just don't understand. And as I weave my way through the gray cloud of confusion and misunderstanding, it hurts. Will the TRUTH always be obscured behind my pale skin and American citizenship? I don't want people to see me. I want to be forgotten. But I do want people to see Him.

I remember the words of one wise man who had been on the field for years. 'When you step out onto the battlefield, expect to get hurt'. Well, he is right. It hurts.

Oil

I was visiting a sweet national friend this weekend. She has only known the Lord a short time. She has a tender heart and it doesn't take much for her to cry. We converse only in Hindi so I feel bad I don't totally understand her because she really pours her heart out to me.

So anyway, she told me, "JC anointed my head with oil" And I said "oh yeah? like in dream?" She said "No for real, He really came to me and anointed my head with oil. I had a pastor check me. He felt my forehead and said 'yes, that's oil alright'. So JC must have come and anointed me".

And all this time I just thought I had an oily complexion....

Along For the Ride

I have these neighbors that live by the hospital at the end of our road. From day one, they have welcomed us. When I could barely say "hello" they still would invite me in for tea. I remember taking my picture book over and they would teach me Hindi words. They don't know a lick of English. Over the months of knowing them, they have become pushy. They are pretty needy. Whatever I have to offer, they want more. If I have an hour to give, they want 5. They still don' really understand that I was SICK, thats why I didn't see them for months last winter. The thing is, they are SO needy and clingy....because well, they are in need. They have had a rough life and their faces and speech prove it. Truthfully, sometimes its just easier to avoid them. But I remind myself that I didn't sign up for easy. He loves them so I love them.

The thing is, this family LOVES stories. Every time I go over, they want me to teach them a new song and story, I can barely keep up. Yesterday, my encounter with them was the same as any other. After spending some time with them, I had almost pry myself from their grasp in order to go home. After being home for just a few minutes I hear a knock at my door. It was two cousins from this family. I welcome them in. And they proceed to tell me that they love HIM. They told me that they love to sing worship songs, they know He can heal, they know He can change lives. HUH?? This was totally out of the blue. By this time, it was the end of the day. My Hindi was frazzled. I tried desperately to keep up with what they were saying. I tried desperately to speak truth. I let them listen to a story in Hindi and we talked about it some. They want to come back for more.

I know that sometimes I just have to give up my "rights" of having good boundaries, good personal space. They don't understand personal space. But they understand love. I know that He is at work and I am just thankful that I get to be along for the ride.

And The Verdict Is In

An uneasy calm prevailed in the city as people waited for the verdict on the disputed Ayodhya site. Most people opted to stay home the closer it got to the hour of decision. Normally busy intersections in town were deserted. If life were like one of those old western movies...a tumbleweed would have rolled down the empty streets.

The verdict itself is a little confusing. Basically, they decided to split the land into thirds and give it to three different groups. Each group will have access to their piece of the land. It was a decision to try to please everyone. There seems to be mixed responses. But overall, people seem to want to just live in harmony. In an article on the front page of the newspaper this morning it said "now its time to learn to live in peace. we are a people of one nation..peace will take us towards prosperity". So far this morning, all seems to be quiet on the western front. Thanks for your prayers!

The Ayodhya Verdict

There has been a 50 year dispute over land in the state I live in. Two different religions consider this piece of land holy. On Thursday, Sept 30th, the High Courts in the state capital will finally issue their verdict on who has rights to it. I live in a city where tensions run high between these two groups so most likely, a "bund" will take place. This just basically means, the city will close down all the shops and roads so nobody can really get out to 'cause trouble'. I have food, water and good neighbors so I will be snug as a bug in a rug. But if you could just be lifting this situation up!

Exercise Advice

So, today Heather's househelper taught me how to exercise. People tell me I am fatter now. What they really mean is hey you look better than you did when you were all sickly from the typhoid. But..nobody likes hearing the 'fat' word. Being the kind lady she is (she really is a sweety) ....she decided to give me some health advice. Ok for one...I have to get up really early in the morning. Then, I hold my nose and perform the Valsalva manuever. After doing that a few times, I then have to flail my arms around in a random fashion. I got so crazy with it I almost hit myself in the eye.The final exercise included walking back and forth in the room a few times. I tried to make her proud as I demostrated each exercise. Who needs to join a gym...

Fruit

Recently someone brought the topic of fruit up. In the circles I run in, there is alot of talk about fruit. The fruits of our labour. 'How fruitful is your outreach'? people ask. We talk about fruit in terms of 'numbers of decisions made'. And of course that's all wonderful. But someone brought it to my attention that in the Word...that's not what fruit is. Fruit has more to do with my character than it has to do with numbers and good works. How do I act when nobody is around? Was I kind today to the man who sweeps my porch even though he tries to rip me off? Did I gossip today? Real fruit, the kind that will last, comes from abiding in Him. And so today I choose. I choose love..joy..peace...patience...

Invasion of the Mold

This monsoon season has been the worst in 15 years they say. Last year we barely had any rain at all. I "heard" about mold last year but I didn't really pay much attention since it didn't seem to be that big of a deal. Well, apartments around here are pretty cheaply made. And the structure is just not sturdy enough to endure so much rain. I had the building owner come look at my water damage once and he was basically like "yeah, it happens, this building was cheaply made". At least he was honest.

So, in the monsoon season, the walls stay wet and then mold grows... on EVERYTHING! I even found mold on my toothbrush cap. Since things stay so damp, mold seems impossible to conquer. Here are the state of some of my walls (YES even my beloved PURPLE room). Apparently I am allergic to mold and it hasn't been a pretty sight. Oh well....sunnier days are ahead. ;-)

Char Duckan

Heather and I are in the middle of our two week language intensive class. Since it is the weekend, we decided to take a little day trip up the mountain to a charming little hill station nestled in the foothills of the Himalayans. One of my favorite places there is called Char Duckan. "Duckan" means store in Hindi and they are a dime a dozen here in South Asia. The thing that makes this place special is...well..the view... And also, the owner has put an awning outside of his store and put several chairs and tables. He has himself a little gas stove and basically is a short order cook. He makes a pretty fine breakfast and I have to admit, I admire his business mind.

Unfortunately,this time around, it rained the whole time. So, we couldn't really see the mountains. This picture was taken last year when the weather was clear. But, I still enjoyed going. This morning, we sat underneath the awning and had waffles, omelets and chai for breakfast. YUMMY.

Uh...Awkward Moment #453....