(India) Week in Review

50 miles

9.3M long run with tempo workout on treadmill

0 days off

5 runs with Katie

2 runs with Nick

1 trip to the Taj Mahal

This week can best be summarized by photos and a few quick bullet points on what I learned

• Indian weddings are beautiful celebrations.  I wish I could have had one!
• The people in India are so inclusive, nice and accommodating.  I had pleasant experiences with every single person I encountered.  I loved the people and their attitude.  The chef every single day at the hotel came to check to make sure I was getting enough lential daal and steamed vegetables.  We became instant friends. :-)
• The pollution is 100x worse than China, but running is totally possible.  The India gate and the presidential palace have some great stretches of land to get miles in.  
• The food here is the best food I've had in any other country.  At Bukhara (my favorite restaurant), it was totally acceptable for me to do what I always do - eat with my hands!  It will be hard to go back to states because there is no way I will find this quality of Indian food and spices!  
• The country is so colorful.  Even if some of the women are covered head to toe, they are doing it in such style and with such...happiness!  The colors made me happy.  
• Indian men are much more open-minded about human touch than westerners.  Guys hold hands and cuddle and they are not gay - they're just loving! They are comfortable with who they are and showing their affections for friends, regardless of whether they are male or female.  

At the temple

Taj Mahal - photo by Nick Alcantarra

Taj Mahal entrance

quite a celebrity at the Taj Mahal

Bukhara - the best India food I've ever had in my life

A Punjabi India wedding - groom on a white mare

Camel Cab at Taj mahal

Running at the India Gate

Nick ran with me!

Jamie and I are the waterholics of the class

Kishor with his favorite ladies

Class Prez and Section leader!

Class leaders prepping for student town hall