Read Reid's Blog

Since coming back to California, I’ve quickly made a point to visit all my favorite cuisines and restaurants that I missed while I was in Hyderabad – Gooyi Gooyi, pho, shabuway, Del Taco, dim sum, and Panda Express. But, I’ve found myself really missing India, in large part because I’ve been reading Shantaram, a 900+ page mammoth of a novel by Gregory David Roberts. The book, although fiction, is based upon Roberts’ own life – a convicted heroin addict who escaped from a maximum security Australian prison, winding up in Bombay, where he set-up a free health clinic in a slum neighborhood, fought in Afghanistan, and ran a counterfeit passport business as part of the local mafia. Many of the landmarks in the book – Cafe Leopold and the Taj Mahal Hotel, were locations attacked by terrorists this past November, providing me with some context in which to understand the city and its people. And if you’re not keen on reading the book, you can always watch the movie, which is due out sometime in 2009.

I know that there’s a lot of anxiety about going to India – health, access to clean water, culture shock, and of course, now you can throw safety into the mix. If you can’t afford the five-star hotels in the big cities, you’ll probably have to sacrifice some comforts you’re used to, especially if you want to travel to some smaller cities. I think the beauty of the country and people more than make up for this, though. What I still can’t get over was how friendly everyone was – talking to you on the street, giving you directions if you’re lost, or simply smiling at you. I’m certain these exchanges happened because I was a foreigner that stuck out like a sore thumb, but on the other hand, it’s one place I’ve traveled in the world where people work hard for the rickshaw ride, local tour, or food they provide to you, instead of trying to rip you off.

I think what I’m missing, was that while I was in India, I was going out almost every night, traveling every weekend, and working long hours. In short, I was overstimulated. Now that I’ve settled back here, coming home to a book and an empty house is not nearly as exciting. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of things to do around here and plenty of people to do things with. And relaxing is probably good for me, especially since I did catch a small cold while I was in St. Louis. But, does there become a point where “Let’s hang out!” crosses the line from being social to desperate?