A Shopper's Paradise

Holy shopping!! I and my pals just got back from doing some shopping at a marketplace called Janpath. We attempted to get through all of the stores/stalls, but just weren't able to get it done. We did buy some items right off the bat - and I know better than this, I am a seasoned bargainer... never, ever buy from the first one you see. There's an art to bargaining, you see - they throw out a price, you throw out a price, they laugh, you laugh, they shave off a few cents, then you laugh and they laugh - this literally could go on for hours if you allowed it. My tactic is to start walking - if it's a fair deal, they will cave. If not, they wanted the merchandise more than you and you can bargain with the next stall. What I do know... is that at this point, I don't need any more bags/purses - I swear, one is cuter than the next!! and shoes... I don't need any more of those either. It's a little funny as the gentleman that cleans my room lines all of my shoes up against the wall and my bed - at this point, I have two rows. Today, we're starting a third.There were some stores that had some Tibetan merchandise. I did see some singing bowls and prayer wheels. It made me think about my fabulous trip to Tibet a few years ago and miss those lovely people. Tomorrow, we're going to another shopping place called Fab India - these places are nice because they have fixed pricing. There's no game in it and you get a fair price.

While I shared with you yesterday that we came home by way of Embassies, I didn't share the amount of security surrounding the Embassy of China. About every yard or so, there's a policeman. There are no rioters, noone actually, except these policemen. The entire Embassy is surrounded with barricades and.... these policemen. The coverage here in India basically says that China thinks the Dali Lama is trying to sabotage the Olympics and there has been coverage of rioters - I haven't seen anything, thankfully. What I'll say is this, I adored my trip to Tibet and have fallen in love with the people there - the true Tibetans. As an American, I am truly fortunate for absolutely everything and wish that everyone could be as compassionate and graceful as Tibetan people. I pray for their safety.

Training is going well. We're finishing our last week of provisional information, then the next three weeks will be full of practicing and certifying everyone. I can't believe that at the end of this week, my trip with be 1/2 over. Time flys when you're having fun!