in india, everyday is a holiday

so if you want to follow ellen's blog, it's at
www. extrachiliplease.blogspot.com
it's completely eerie now that all of the yoga students have vacated kovalam. it's surprising how much room we take up here. the hawkers and beggers really get to me after 3 months, my personal india limit, and i find myself not looking at anyone anymore, cause if your eyes meet, it means a potential sale or free money for them. every other day a bus arrives full of beggers that drape the paths all over kovalam, blocking you from walking. they begin to outnumber the tourists, and they are DESPERATE. you can be faced with a full throttle assault, often being blocked by 3 nasty sarong pushers. it's exhausting. india is one of those places you can't wait to leave, yet upon returning to home soil, all you can do is dream about it and count the days when you can return. what is that???
another temple fest at sri devi, burning and bombs, speakers installed AGAIN. yesterday was "republic day" and today is "martyrs day" commemerating mahatma gandhi's peace march. here in india every day is a holiday and the beach is scattered with tons of indians, men wearing nothing, women swimming in full sari. strange country.
bindi