Bhuneswar-Chennai,India -20Aug07

My Last Long Long Train Ride

* This keyboard has problem with "h". So if i do not hit the keyboard hard enough, the 'H' will be missing. !#$%^*&(&%

One whole day of train. My last long train ride in India. Like usual, food and books. "Picnic" at my upper berth.
There is a family from Bangladesh sharing the cabin with me. Te grandson said the grandpa is going to Bangalore for a bypass operation. it took them 3 days by bus and train to go to Bangalore from Bangladesh! The grandson later invited me to stay with them, but i said i am meeting my husband. :P
During this boring and trapped almost 22 hours of train ride, i have finished 3 books! One book is about the life of the Muslim women in India. It makes me feel that, many Indian muslim women is the victim of men intepretated Islam. Not allowed to go out alone or go out from the house without chaperon means the woman is not pure. Of course they are some women who go against this, but with great hard time from the society and even her own family. The other book is about Kumari, the living goddess in Nepal. Interesting story about how a gril living as or worshipped as the living goddess for 8 years and eventually or inevitably go back to her own family and live as a mortal again. Some of her stories especially in school reminded me of my time from Primary school until university. The other book is about Vippassana meditation, a book which teach us to be happy. :)
i also recalled that, when i first arrive in India, i won't eat anything that people sell in the train. i am always sceptical wit te hygien issue. But now, i would look forward to see what i could eat! Someone took an airconditioning coach told me that, they have guards for AC coach and food is included in the inflated ticket price. Of course in tis case, it is safer as no people other than the passengers with ticket is allow to go inside to the cabin. However i would think, they actually miss the fun of people shouting, "Chai, Chai, Chai!" (Tea) or "Samosa, Samosa!"
Back home, it is impossible for me to buy food wrapped in newspaper. But in India, this is a norm. i am now eating peanuts, samosa, pakoda and whatever in newspaper 'container'.
May be one of the reasons that people should come to India is to let you yourself realised that, while you have many choices in your life, but many are not as fortunate as you to have an option.



Indian Railway, Sleeper Class. The train ride from Bhuneswar to Chennai. It was so long and everyone got so bored that most of the people just sleep. i got an upper berth.