There's about two weeks left until I go back home to Toronto....for good! As fun as India has been with lots of travel, new experiences, and new people, sometimes, you have to know when to leave....and in my opinion..it's best to leave on a high note.

I finished my last painting a couple of nights ago....a painting of a peacock for a friend's birthday. I think its funny that my last painting should be of a bird....a favorite subject of mine before I came to India, and started painting jazz musicians. I like the painting a lot, but its going to stay here in India, unlike my other paintings. Those are now wrapped in brown paper, about to start their journey back home.

I'm sure I'll have more to write about as my trip gets nearer to the end, but if not, I'd like to leave off with this. At the beginning of my trip, there were some things I wasn't sure I would ever get used to about this place. Somethings I have more than come to accept, others, I never will. Here's a few....

Things I got used to:

1. All of the noise and people. Now I wonder if I'll be lonely in Toronto, wondering where all the people and noise have gone!

2. Frogs in my apartment (and toilet from time to time). They're pretty harmless, and good entertainment. They lightened the mood.

3. Indian traffic. I don't know how i got used to it, but I did.

4. Random power outages. It has become so normal for the power to periodically go off, that I now recognize the sound when all electrical things stop, and i become aware of the constant hum we live with when the power is always on.

5. Garbage, cows and kids in the street. That was my neighbourhood. I just had to accept it.

Things I still never got used to....

1. The Pollution.

2. The lack of mobility and freedom for a single woman.

I hope I never do have to get used to those two things.

Making it to 30.....

Yes, I did it...I turned that dreaded age of 30, but shit, I had a great time doing it...and you know what? Being in India did make it a little bit more special, but I did miss my friends and ma famille back home while celebrating. Luckily, I had some nice people around here that were all too willing to share my alcohol and food with me. Here are some pics to share...

Top: me making my best grown up face, with a not-so-grown up bday cake

From left: Andrea slaving away, making my amazing ice-cream cake; my mehendi I had done for my bday(a great excuse for getting out of doing the dishes, by the way); one of bday gifts - custom made tshirts for us Yelahanka lovers - you know who you are!; my usual French men posse/fan club that insists on following me everywhere (just joking, sugar!); 3 ladies who know how to have a good time....

The Holy Land...

I've just come back from what I believe will be my last big trip in India, as my time here comes to an end. Last weekend, I took a couple days off work and headed north to a place called Varanasi (Baranas). This is the place with the infamous Ganges river, and the funeral processions that involve the burning of bodies and then sending the ashes into the river.

I think of all the places I have visited in India, this has been the most interesting. I think the pictures will explain why. 47 degree temperatures, sketching people and cows by the Ganges, meeting travelers from around the world, navigating through narrow streets and taking boatrides past the burning Ganges ...it was an amazing trip.