You can take pictures of me if I can take some of you

The beach in Pondy was not nice. But it was nicer than the one in Chennai. There I had a woman beg me for anything, but the only thing I had on me was my $35 sweater and I wasn’t about to give that up. Am I a bad person? Next a group of guys wanted my picture. I haven’t figured out yet how to say no, so whatever. What do I care anyways. This would be just one of many that I would take that day. After the 3.5 hour drive there, we were already heading back. We would be stopping in some place that starts with M and sounds similar to Mulholland Drive, haha. There were lots of ruins there. I had no idea what they all meant because I refused a stupid guide who would only want more money. They were pretty cool to look at though. One guy tried to follow me around and explain things to me even after I told him I have no money. I’m a poor college student. Finally, he left me alone. But not before trying to sell me a card with karma sutra positions and telling me next time, totally seriously and straight-faced that when I came back next time we would have to practice karma sutra together. Right buddy, dream on! There were more people trying to sneak pictures of me, so I looked right at them and said, it's OK and I posed with them as they took my picture. In turn, though; I wanted them in my pictures. So I got a couple good ones.

During lunch, I had some fried rice. I had no allergy problems. When I told him I had allergy problems in the first place, he suggested I have something with no spice. I did and I was fine, and even added some chili sauce to it. So really, it must be one of the spices! I was pretty impressed with the waiter’s understanding of my allergy.

On the way back, I wanted to stop and take so many pictures but I knew as soon as I saw something I would like, it was too late to say stop. We would have to turn around and that’s just a pain in the ass, especially to do over and over and over again. The people, the villages, the workers, the animals, the bright colors and beautiful gowns, the dirtiness but the functioning of society all the same is just amazing to comprehend. Maybe I should have just walked home.