In Which I Keep Tasting Things

The three of us walked out of the Ayurvedic center and climbed into the car afraid to touch anything. We had all just spent nearly two hours getting Ayurvedic massages, during which we were drenched from head to toe in fragrant oils. Taking our seats for the ride to the hotel involved us all holding […]

In Which A People Goes Away

It was with some trepidation that I typed the words “Jew Town” into my phone. That phrasing just feels dirty to me, as though it is painted with racism and discrimination, although I don’t think it is or was when the name was first applied. And I was somehow surprised and validated when “Jew Town […]

What Happens When You Meet Your Indian Family

It’s been said that we have two types of family: the family we are born into and the family we choose. I’m lately of the mind that there might be another, although some may classify this a a type of family that we choose. There is, it seems to me, the family you grow into. […]

In Which I Break Into the Amber Fort By Mistake

We wound our way through the brimming byways of Jaipur, sometimes driving three-abreast on two-lane roads, although most often there weren’t lanes marked at all. Periodically we picked our way around a bottleneck. Or a cow. And along the way we passed, and were passed by, rickshaws and motorcycles in a nimble low speed race […]

The Unexpected Things I Learn

As I returned to the parking lot in search of Ramesh, I was once again accosted by vendors. I had enjoyed my visit to Fatephur Sikri and was ready to move on. While I scoured the lot for our van, the hawkers just wouldn’t go away, so this time I tried a different tack. I […]

In Which I Mostly Talk About Everything Else

As soon as I stepped out of the car, it began. The guides swarmed over me, trying to sell their services. They’re respectful to each other, giving each man the opportunity to fail in his pitch. The first man came forward, incessantly pestering me, offering to lead me on a tour of the Taj Mahal. […]