

As many of you know, we are headed back to the States tonight and have decided not to return to work in India come fall, so this will be our last posting--unless, of course, we hear clamoring for updates on central NJ. And we are scheming to do another big trip this year, so stay tuned. The last few days before we leave have been filled with…


We don’t know quite what to make of the hand trollies stacked high with boxes marked “made in China.” In a country where 80% of the population lives on less than $2.00/day, why do they import tons of small plasticky items from their cross–continent rival?



Another street food staple that has never really appealed to us is sugar cane juice. In our final days here, however, Mangala convinces us to give it a try. Half the fun is watching the vendor feed the 6' stalks of cane into the crusher and slide glasses under the spout to catch the juice. It comes plain, with mint, or ginger, and is a remarkably refreshing taste treat.
A final visit to British roots: Driving through the center of Mumbai, we chance upon the ninth hole of a golf course. Frances, Roopa, and Mangala assuage our incredulity by informing us that this is, of course, the Willingdon Club. The next day, we’re invited for drinks with a member who serves on the Boards of Avasara and the Doon School, a prestigious all-boys school in the foothills of the Himalayas—the Eton of India. We take a step onto the veranda and move back a century in time.
Cricket is everywhere.
We will miss Bombay but know returning is in our future. We still have a few things to do here:
We have yet to ride in one of those shiny Taj carriages.

We still need photographic evidence of the giant--no, really GIANT...we're talking Buicks with wings--fruit bat.
And we have yet to purchase even one "Big balloon! Very strong!" from the hawkers who greet us every morning with a loud slam on the taut surface.
It's hard to believe we'll be back in Princeton, NJ in 24 hours or that it is over 50 degrees cooler there... It's been an amazing trip; thank you all for coming along!