Lil Baba food

It's impossible to make Lil Baba eat what he doesn't like,  ie carrots. He likes mango, apple and bananas.

Yesterday's loot, two different kinds on mango mash, mango juice, apple puree. Both big pack and meal size.

Guard Dog

I've always said he's a guard dog.  Small in size but....

Now this is a standoff. (It got away eventually)

The Hardworking Indian

So many people,  actually mostly locals, talk about people being lazy. Another major complaint is related to the Auto Rikshaw drivers.

Auto Rikshaw drivers seems to me the most hardworking people.  Actually all people in the lower end of the pay range struggle and work so hard. They cannot afford being lazy basically.

I don't know why, but probably because they're so looked down upon and blamed for so much; auto drivers have some kind of special place in my heart.  Yesterday I took a long ride in an auto and after the initial bargaining, emotional outrage that I didn't want to pay a ridiculous sum and "madam, come let's go see some shops"...we started talking, like really talking to each other.  Two human beings, not I'm a white foreign woman and he's an Indian auto driver.

Behind his mask was a thinking human being.  He explained about his life and. ...my only thought was wow..that's a hard working person. I tried to put myself in his shoes. Work day and night.  Sleep in your auto.  Constantly inhaling the pollution from traffic (which really is bad. If you end up behind a blue bus at a traffic light, it burns in your throat. I wash myself after a day out and the sink turns black.) Eating food from a trolley by the road etc. Difficult.

At the end of the ride he said - This was a really nice talk. I thought the same.  Both meant it.

I will talk more about the hardworking Indian later. I have studied them everywhere and there are many more stories to tell.

Kiss to Drink

Ok?, you might think if you're from a western country. Let me tell you. In India,  people usually drink by pouring the water into the mouth. You keep the bottle away from your lips, basically so you can share bottle or cup.

I have a foreign friend who was so upset after her visit to a hospital because the nurse gave her water from "her own bottle"! You understand?  This lady did not know that "kiss to drink" is not the norm here.

Bisleri is a very big water company here and their new campaign is what the picture says. So unless you understand how water drinking works in this country,  you might be like...uuh, eh, ok but so what?

Ok I'm already married. ..

But I guess (or I don't know) every woman (if she's really honest) loves these magazines.

Not that I can afford the items, or even if I could, would ever buy them. I am to cheap nowadays.  There is always some more "worthy" cause.  My baby, the household,  some other person in need or similar.

Does this come with age? Kind of...when I was much younger,  I would easily spend all the money in the bank (and piggy bank to buy candy as a kid) to buy a pair of shoes or a vacation. Now, I always think every purchase through. There are shoes that I've been eye balling for up to a year, waiting for sale and even then being to cheap to buy.

Maybe I don't care as much of outward appearance?  Also true! When you're young (or old) it's so important to fit in and be or look successful.  Materialism consumes this world.  A fancy address,  a Land Rover,  expensive jewelry and designer clothes.  Mix and match to show off to the world. It's so empty. ..

Or maybe it's because other things matter more in life? Yes, I think that is the main reason. It's like Jim Carey said "I wish everyone could be rich and famous so they would realize that is not the answer"

Nowadays it's my baby who is my fancy adress, my sports car, my 100 carat diamond and the biggest designer wardrobe in the world. He is everything to me. His smile,  his blue eyes,  chubby legs, and when we take a nap together.

This is what life is all about.

If you're Swedish. .

You understand.

Incredible India!

That's a tag line you often hear about this country. ..but it's TRUE!
Just like every person and every country,  there is bad and good...but this country truly is incredible.
In this blog, I try to write about my thoughts and observations. I try to bring different views into it...well of course it's filtered through my eyes. I'm a human being with weak and strong sides, flesh and bone.

Always remember that I love being here. I love this vibrant surprising country and its people. I have grown as a person here. I see my own country with somewhat new eyes...the bad and good. The sum of it so to say.

The history and traditions of India amazes me. You could probably spend a lifetime just reading about this country and never get bored and always finding new areas to discover and explore.

One of the most important observations that I've made is this...behind every country,  its traditions and culture. ..when you see beyond all this...we are all the same, human beings trying to make the best of our lives. We care for our family and children. We have friends. We like food and to watch our favorite cricket/soccer/basketball game win a game.

The core, life is life. We are human beings all the same.

India is Incredible. The food here is the best in the world (according to me). It's a beautiful and fertile country with all the colors of the world.  Men, women and children are beautiful. I love to see people smile and when smaller children call me Aunty.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to be here. India is in my heart.