When I walked into my house after being away for two weeks, it felt devoid of life. There was a stale smell to the air, and all of the things I hadn’t had time to clean before I left stared me in the face. It was a stark contrast to Geeta’s meticulously clean home in…
So much to learn…
Geeta is an astoundingly good cook. When I met her husband, he unabashedly admitted he married her because of her cooking. My man, I completely understand. Every single day, she makes a dish that I proclaim to be my new favorite. Honestly, it defies description. I stand in her kitchen and watch as delightful dishes…
Hanuman: Man’s Man
Yesterday, as we were walking a lap around Shivaji Park, Geeta’s son, Aditya, pointed out the statues and carvings of Hanuman (the monkey god) on the façade of every gym. “Patron god of Bodybuilders.” Monkey strength. Makes sense! But TODAY, I learned something even better! As we were driving through town, I noted a…
Lost in Translation
This morning I tried to ask the maid if she needed me to move as she was sweeping the room. As I have done in Bangkok, Santo Domingo, and Marseille, I used Google Translate to do the communicating for me. Selecting Hindi as the language, I typed in “Do you need me to move?” …
Sacred Cows of Mumbai
Today I saw my first urban cow. Every travel program I’ve ever seen about India has made mention of the ubiquity of free-roaming cattle. Whether it’s a small village in Uttar Pradesh or a bustling metropolis like Mumbai, the novelty of unattended cows against the backdrop of modern life grabs the western imagination. In Mumbai,…
Don’t Mess with Geeta
Today we visited the church of St. Michael. While we were looking at the frescoes, one of the locals took an obvious interest in me. Her motives weren’t clear – to me at least, but what was clear was her desire to say something to me. She locked eyes on me and approached. She didn’t…
India, Day 1: continued…
Geeta prepared homemade chapati, dal (lentil soup), rice, and bhindi* for lunch. She brings all of it in from the kitchen sits me down to eat. Geeta: [telling me stories] Me: [listening to her] Geeta: [alarmed] but why are you not eating?!! Eat now! Me: ope! [ eats ] Geeta: Now you take rest.…
The Queen in Her Castle…
My host, my friend, my adoptive family, Geeta, oversees her maid, Anita (right) on the preparation of breakfast. Geeta is the consummate household manager. Each morning, she arises before her family to start the day’s cooking and cleaning. By 8 am, she has prepared chapati dough and hot tea, and has made inroads to preparing…
India, Day 1
My first morning in Mumbai. Trees full of corvids caw the sun into the sky. Good morning. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sarah O’Hara (@_sarahohara_) on Feb 28, 2020 at 6:40pm PST
Mumbai, Here I come…
Here’s something I’ve never seen on a plane yet: stewardesses marching up and down the aisles spraying the cabin with insecticide. We were assured via announcement that this is required by regulation and poses no danger to our health. …. …… ….. huh! Welp. We’re all strapped in now. One more 9 hour flight between…