I have been in ‘Beloved Bombay’ for a few days but don’t feel ready to write a post about it yet. It’s not easy coming back to the city of my youth, where so many formative events shaped who I am today. I am assaulted with memories at every turn, from the long traffic clogged ride from the airport to a walk in the bazaar to my (hopefully) daily walk along the sea front at the Port Trust gardens/Colaba Bus Station.

During my Best Buy years we indulged in team exercises that encouraged candid discussions of ‘life lines’. I always had the least bumpy and placid story to tell. And it was true. Growing up in the safe haven of my family, attending a great school and college, with friends I had known since I was about 7, it seemed like a magic time. And as I search for it after a two year absence I see glimpses but more often I see change. My favorite street food place is gone and in its place is a rather slick middle eastern (or so it claims) eatery, the general store has been replaced by another ready made clothing store that will be gone faster than the blink of an eye and the quieter streets around us are a cacophony of horns, toots, grinding bus gears and street vendors hawking their wares

Ocassionally it makes me smile to still hear the wailing pipe of the snake charmer and the jingle of a horse drawn carriage

So, assimilation is slow but what is fresh in my mind are memorable moments from the past month.

Bangkok Train and Floating market!

Monks daily benediction in Luang Prabang!

Dragon fruit!

Halong Bay!

Awesome Pho and seafood!

Angkor Wat! 😍

Markets!

Buddhas!

Hmong love and matrimony!

Singapore!

Adios till next time!