I started missing it as soon as I wrote ” I’m going “….
147 days since I arrived at the beginning of December 2019 for Lavina & Nazzy’s spectacular wedding – with its 30 k cake & those wonderful days & nights of partying ….
…..177 adays since I left my little home in France …..
I leave amidst a pandemic which , so far ,miraculously has not touched Goa . I have been in the Southern States of India for 5 months & very sadly it’s now time to head back to England …..but not Home
A looming Repatriation flight approaches . ….possibly for TOMORROW Morning . last minute .com I have enough tiffin tins & parcels to sustain me for a -round -the -world- voyage & I sit in the inky blackness on my balcony feeling a mixture of sorrow & excitement each time I look back into my room & see my suitcase …. packed
I have begun wandering around the village saying my Farewells & have taken to heart the words from my friend the Kashmiri jeweller …the man who has changed my Money ” under counters ” at an exceedingly good rate for these last 3 years without ever trying to sell me a carpet ….” do not come to say Goodbye Karrie , say ” Hello in Advance ” for the next time we meet
Inshallah dear Achmed -from-Zorro . Stay safe
India , once again has been spectacular .
I have over 4,000 photos & a zillion memories . I travelled from 
Coast To coast from.the Arabian Sea to the choppy waters of the Bay of Bengal and met the most phenomenal people
India is bi- polar …whether it’s me , my surroundings ,my experiences or the company I’ve been in – everything here is simply richer. The highs are higher and the lows are lower. Colours are technicolored & brighter . Smells are more radiant, tastes are more distinctive & conversation & music is always, always louder. Everything is unapologetically bold. There’s no middle-ground here. Everything is purposeful and undertaken with vibrant certainty.
A simple smile is all it takes to make a new friend here. An enthusiastic friend who wants to connect with you on Whattsapp or Facebook immediately , even if they don’t speak English ! Maybe it’s a social imperative of the cultural dynamic. Maybe it’s a consequence of their history and cultural evolution. Maybe it’s because they’ve simply adapted to become truly social creatures. At the end of this day, where smiles have been particularly plentiful , I don’t really know the answer . But what I do know is that Indians are a people that connect with people. They connect with real connections. No matter how brief or trivial, the interaction is genuine and imbued with a true sense of Connectivity ! They are richer for their quite wonderful ability to so gracefully exist as “a people” 💙
It is a shining example of cooperation
Perhaps my glasses so rose tinted ? I know it’s not perfect but here in India – what I’ve SEEN are Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs, castes of all stripe and standing – all just go about their business; proud and aware of what they are, whilst being equally aware of the self-identities held by others. As a nation of 1.2 + billion people – it currently represents 1/6 of worlds totally population ( pre CV19 💧💔) you’d think they would be divided along sectarian lines, but ironically I’ve never seen regular people see their others just as other regular people. In India, multiculturalism isn’t an ambitious policy endeavor. It’s simply the way things are. It is heart-lifting to witness
It is inspiring to see how mindful and truly engaged these people are wherever they find themselves & in whatever it is they are doing. Whether childishly burying themselves in the sands of a Goan beach with their friends, or languidly accepting the announcement that the train will be 7 hours later – everyone is simply engaged in the particular moment. Not making plans for ‘what next’, not strategising for how to get ‘more’. They truly live life. They also sleep,a LOT
Even the idea that the glass is always half-full does not do justice to their Natural optimism . That concept assumes there’s a glass that can even be half-full or empty. They don’t seem to concern themselves with this question. They just drink whatever they find in the cup.! So many , too many have so very little but they share what they do have. There’s a lot of people & there’s limited stuff to go around, so they deal with it as best they can. …..I could tell you many stories about this . I have witnessed it time after time .Words can’t describe the sight of a beggar giving money to another beggar 💙
Sharing isn’t a compromise. It’s a way of life…..
I have filled my eyes with wonder .
It has been more fantastic than any dream I’ve ever dreamed. …& it will be incredibly difficult to leave behind .
” kindness is the language which the deaf can hear & the blind can see ” Mark Twain
& it is a gift anyone can afford to give
Karrie’s blog 