Highlights...

Some of the most interesting things of this trip so far...in chronological order. There were so many things I did this time that I had always wanted to do! And others were additional bonuses.

1) The plane I was in took off while my seat was more or less, completely reclined, and I was flat on my back! Now that was a first, and it better be the last!

2) Landed in Pune instead of Mumbai or Delhi. Being home within an hour is priceless!

3) Finally getting to meet my colleagues in India. Working formally through emails and conference calls is just not the same as brainstorming something and sharing gossip over tea and coffee! The ice-breaking was SO important and beneficial to everyone. Am glad I got this opportunity. (The length of this bullet point says it all I guess! I really enjoyed my time here)

4) Another road trip with my school friend, Sona. We had gone to Hubli by overnight bus earlier to surprise our very close friend. This time, we went to Mumbai, to surprise our school teacher. She was stunned! We met her after 20 years! She was still the same loving, Didi! This was an amazing experience!

5) Finally getting to meet Ria and Princess Mia. This was a huge one too! We connected instantly (at least I felt so!) and I wish we had more time, and more blogworld friends (Ella, missed you for sure!) And throw in Anuraag Baasu as a bonus! Right, girls? He took a picture of the three of us, and we didn't even realize who he was!

6) Watching a Gujarati play after a long long time!

7) Meeting Tabbu (yes, the actress!) at the foot massage place at Mumbai airport. No, I didn't bug her for autographs or photos or anything. We just exchanged smiles and went back to enjoying our massages. Yes, she is absolutely lovely in person too!

8) The BIGGEST thing ever on my wish list, I saw the Pyramids of Giza! I touched them! I climbed up on one of them too! Oh, I am so happy, you can't imagine!

9) Another first for me, I traveled alone. All the way to Egypt and back. And enjoyed it!

10) I won a belly dancing competition in Egypt. Against Columbian and Jordanian girls! How cool is that, huh?

11) I danced with a whirling dervish! That's even cooler, no?

12) I have actually been taking the bus to and from work. Not everyday, but some times. Another first for me!

13) Met my first "best friend" ever. Met her after almost 18 years. Yet another experience I am utterly thankful for! And Sona was with us too.

14) This one's weird, for me at least. The bus driver asked me to jump of the moving bus :) Ok, so it was not moving full speed, it was not completely impossible (thinking of the Mumbai locals!), but I still find it amusing.

I have another month or so to go before I return home. Hope it brings me some more pleasant surprises!

From Brad...

There's this friend of mine...not very close, but a very cool friend. He's an odd one too though! He does not have a camera or a cell phone or a computer at home! I was surprised when he said he did have a TV! But probably no cable :)

I know him through my previous job. He still works there, I switched. So anyway...we still exchange emails, and I met him once about a couple months ago. We discussed our cherry trees. My tree had borne a single fruit...for the first time in its short life of one year. I was so excited, I told him,
M(e): Brad, my tree has a cherry.
B(rad): Ummm...one?
M: Yeah, its tiny and green right now, and its on the bottom of the tree.
B: Cool :) (He has a strange look on his face)
M: Does yours have any?
B: Yeah?
M: How many?
B: I think two.......
***I'm thinking, ok, he's got just one more than me, thats how cherry trees are when they are young)
B (continues): Hundred? Yeah, about two hundred.

And he has this devilish grin on his face when he sees the shock on mine!

So anyway, throughout the season he kept emailing me tips on how to take care of the tree and the cherry (Yeah, he did warn me about squirrels! He had asked me to put a net around the tree, advice the hubby laughed off!).

I shared its progress until the day the squirrel ate it :(
Brad promised to bring me some of his cherries when they were ripe.

I got an email from him today with these pictures...and text saying I got a big bag for you, come pick 'em up!





He had borrowed his brother's camera so that he could take pictures for me. Now how sweet is that! He had also sent pictures of his cute little niece and nephews...his cherry picking helpers.

I got my cherries from him (his office is about 2 minutes away from mine) and very very reluctantly shared a few with my colleagues (because I have to be a good gal, I suppose ;)

Thanks Brad, you're the best :)