Pleased

Tim is a Baha'i that I met a few weeks ago here. He is the father of a Canadian family that, one by one, are leaving for vacation. Although their departure is saddening, he is the last to leave and has been quite helpful. A few days ago, he got me all of the info that I need to get to the Lotus Temple and stay at the Baha'i House. Today, I called him asking about my health, my situation, and what I should do. Rather than offering advice, he offered me his doctor (he made an appt. for me) and sent a driver to pick me up, take me there, take me to a pharmacy, and return me to Aashiana. I am indebted to him (and the rest of the family; they've all been incredibly generous and kind). So, I met with Dr. John. Ramajan John, but, Dr. John was a nice break for my English-speaking self. : ) Well, Dr. John asked the right questions, was intelligent and helpful. He let me know that my blood pressure is low and told me to get an electrolye solution (but said that he disliked Gatorade for all of its sugars ;) I'm to keep a daily chart of my temperature and call his cell immediately if I have a fever over 101. He even functions in Farenheit. I wasn't miraculously healed (not that I hoped to be), but it is a relief to have talked to a medical professional who knew better than to assume that I have heat stroke and a sore throat. (The homeopathic clinic asked if I had my tonsils removed - I haven't - because they couldn't find them. In my opinion, there's better available). And, as glad as I am to know that my blood pressure has been causing my dizziness, migraines and exhaustion, I'm still wondering about my fever.

Unrelated, I saw a tricked out auto-rickshaw today. No joke. It had speakers in the back "trunk" (space behind the seat for luggage, bags, etc.) He even had some custom leather covering. It was hysterical. Mendon, it makes me think of that red truck that we saw in Miami daily for a semester.

I also saw what I think were Vishnu and Shiva (maybe Krishna?) walking down the street. I am SO sorry that I didn't have my camera with me. They were two guys dressed up to look like the gods (green and blue face paint, headdresses, clothing, and all). It was remarkable. We all had a good smile and laugh at one another. We all looked equally ridiculous here in Chennai. Although, I probably get more attention and stares. Staring in India isn't considered rude. The men also have a tendency to give me "come hither" smiles which make me want to hurl.

Back to speaking of paint, I'm reminded of the cows here. They often have painted horns. Today, I saw an Indian cow (orange, white, and green striped horns), but I often see what I'm calling Christmas cows: one horn red, one horn green. I also see many cows with bright blue horns. These are some of my favorites. Many have bell-tipped horns that jingle, too. I like that. I hope to get some pictures.