I'll see you Monsoon

The monsoons got the best of this one
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Hey hey family and friends!! My apologies for the lack of writing, the monsoons have been crazy, and since the roads are not paved it gets really muddy!

So I made some friends! Hooray!! I lost one of my ear gauges while dancing so I had the daunting task of finding a tattoo or peircing studio in India. With luck I found one run by four, possibly five brothers, their 2 sisters, and 1 Mom. Anyway they introduced me to a heap of American girls, it was the most white people we'd all seen in one place for some time. I also met a Japanese firl named Yumiko. She is so nice and we have the same birthday, small world eh? Now that the last festival is over it's time for a new one to start, these Indians party hardy. My new friends share an apartment in Bandra. 5 boys one bedroom, it's so funny... they all share a mattress (see picture). THeir apartment has an amazing balcony, now in this festival "Diwalli" people fly kites, no wait, they fight kites. The string of the kite has glass imbedded into it so people bash the strings into eachother (across rooftops) until one breaks off. If you are extra skilled then you can manuever it in a way that you steal the other person's kite. SO FUN!!

I have Indian homeslice's!!

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I feel like I have gotten all I can from the Yoga Institute so on the 17th I am setting out for Igathpuri to the Vipassana meditation center. THat will include 10 days of no speaking, no books, writing, and hours of meditation. Should be pretty intense. Wish me luck.

After that I really want to head to the HImalayas for a bit. There is a town called "Mcleod Ganj" there. It is where the Dalai Lama and most of the Tibetans are exiled. Then who knows where, I have a lot of planning to do!

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Lately I have been a little homesick... well, more familysick. I was pretty sick last week and I wanted comfort. I've been thinking so much about where I want to live, just because I miss each of my family members equally. I want to be near all of you. I have a very dear friend here named Karen, I was telling her about my dilema. She put me in my place by saying, "Why are you worrying about this? You don't even know if you'll be alive in 3 months, worry about it then, YOU'RE IN INDIA!!" Point taken, thanks Karen.

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I've been digesting books like crazy, 5 books in the last month! This last time I had to buy the thickest book I could so I wouldn't go through it so fast, so I am now reading The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, which I'm afraid I am finishing quicker than planned. I have to reccomend very strongly that all of you read "The Alchemist" it is a must. Plus very easy, I finished it in an afternoon. Even appropriate for you Mack, trust me on this one guys.

So I have officially been gone one month, 3 months to go. I feel like I have been traveling for years.

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I truly truly miss you all!

Love

Grandpa Fraggle