rickshaws v. monster trucks

I'll write a real post soon, I promise.. I just have a few minutes now. I feel like that'll be my constant disclaimer for the next few months! My roommate somehow got ahold of wireless internet (I know, crazy!), so we have a few minutes of technology. For those of you who heard, I'm apparently allergic to the bites of Indian mosquitos, resulting in my right ankle and foot swelling up to ridiculous proportions and the bites growing into absolutely disgusting blisters. I know.. you really wanted to know that, didn't you? But, two days and 130 rupees (aka about three US dollars) later, it's all better. Temporary excitement, that's all.

I can't believe that I negelected to write about the traffic here. You'd think that the vehicles driving on the opposite side of the road would throw you, but nooo. When there are people, autorickshaws, compact cars, trucks, cows, dogs, goats, and rats scampering around together with hardly any complete stops, the different road plan means absolutely nothing. I can't believe how well the traffic flows and how few causalties there are. Honestly, it's like something out of a video game. I want to take a camera video from one of the rickshaws, set it to crappy heavy metal music, and submit it to one of those extreme sports movie festivals. Call it "Pune Autorickshaws: Evaders of Death." If richshaws went up against monster trucks, I seriously think that the richshaws would win. They have the turning radius of a matchbox car and have the unique ability to morph into paper-thin slivers of metal that can somehow squeese between the family of five on the vespa and the truck painted in colors of happiness.

All different forms of travel pass each other, leaving only molecules of air between human flesh and rusting metal as everything teems together at once. I'm almost used to it by now, on day three, which is both impressive and terrifying. It doesn't bother me to walk along the street with cars sweeping by close enough to rustle my hair. Apparently, the rolling and cracked sidewalks are for losers. Don't worry, Mom, I'm being safe. Ish. :)

Here are a few pictures before I crash.. The psychotic malaria dreams have passed for now, but the interrupted sleep patterns are taking their toll.

By the way, you should really read Tim's journal too (link on side). I haven't read it yet, but he's pretty much the coolest person ever. So I have faith.

Love,
Sarah!