Love in the time of

romantic:  

1 :  consisting of or resembling a romance

2 : having no basis in fact : imaginary

3 : impractical in conception or plan : visionary

4a : having an inclination for romance ; responsive to the appeal of what is idealized, heroic, or adventurous b : marked by expressions of love or affection c : conducive to or suitable for lovemaking

I don't know whether it's the time of year or just the current season of my life.  It could very well be my renewed obsession with Gabriel Garcia Marquez or the songs of love found and lost that seem to be finding their way into my iPod lately.  Maybe it's the New Me that somehow suddenly popped up fresh and shiny from the recesses of a sad routine.  But somehow, every day, I can't stop smiling.

In my quest to be the best Me--adventure-seeking, hard-loving, faith-walking, career planning, super ambitious Me--seeing so many friends get married lately has left me feeling like a bit of an underachiever.  If they can manage to have a career, see the world, and find a mate, why can't I?  But while pairing off may pay great dividends, and the temptation is huge to look for the Next Great Love of My Life, I'm finding it even more rewarding to pour deeply into the relationships with the fantastic people already in my life.  The art of listening, of showing unconditional love, of grabbing someone by the hand and dragging them out to the dance floor, of acts of kindness and support, of forgiveness, of true empathy--really putting your feet in someone else's shoes for a time, of laughing, long and hard.  These things don't just improve the lives of the people around us, they allow us to drink deeply from our own lives as well.

Things I have discovered in the past few weeks:

 - It's never a mistake put other people before yourself, even if you end up getting hurt

 - When your heart aches, the best medicine is to exercise it

 - There are never enough hours in the day to dance

 - Just because a friend is on the other side of the world, it doesn't mean she can't be your heroine and confidante

 - Sometimes the answer to all life's problems is in a swing in a village

 - An open train door and a full moon make a wonderful combination

A lot riding on Rs. 160...

My daily life is a study of the dichotomous nature of this amazing country.  One day I'm buying luxurious clothes made by inventive new Indian designers, the next I'm stranded on the road after dark with a flat scooter tyre.

Now, I've always thought of myself as a fairly independent and resourceful person.  But there I was, on a semi-suburban road, with a flat tyre and completely empty pockets.  I had a blackberry in one pocket, an iPod touch in the other, and was dressed in the new designer and wearing some funky heels, but my wallet was completely empty.   I managed to find several coins in my handbag and headed down to the petrol pump about a half a kilometer down the road, tire flapping and scooter shaking all the way.

When the man at the air station saw me, he sadly shook his head and pointed me around the corner where an entreprising fellow had set up a small tyre-fixing business against the wall of the petrol pump.  He efficiently removed my tyre and the tube inside and found the hole, which was really more of a crack resulting from wear and tear, the heat, and the fact that it was two years old and hadn't been replaced since I bought to scooter!  He kept asking me to sit down in a plastic chair that magically materialized, but I was content to watch his handywork.  When he tested the tube for leaks in a basin of water, two more holes made themselves known, and I resigned myself to buying a new tube.  

I have been hardened by purchasing $600 new brakes, hundreds of dollars in insurance, and expensive new tyres in the US, and I was fully expecting to be fleeced.  He took out a little package from under his worktable, which contained a new tube he said would work, and showed me the price--Rs. 140, about $3.50.  Total price for his half hour of work on the old tyre and replacing the new one--Rs. 20, 50 cents!

While he was working, a called a dear friend to come rescue me from my lack of $4.  He showed up on his white horse, er, in his white car, and paid the guy, adding 10 rupees as tip.  I rode off into the night with several conclusions:

1) Life in India may be frustrating at times, but it is also infinitely simpler and easier in many respects.  Where in the US can you get a mechanic to fix your car, at 8pm on a Sunday night, in half an hour, while you wait, for less than the price of a Diet Coke?

2) Forget independence.  In Hyderabad, your strength lies in the people who care about you, and I'm fortunate to have many who wouldn't think twice about coming to my rescue.

3) Do I really trust this tyre?  Yes, I think I do.  This is how millions of people get their tyres fixed, and they're not worried just because the price was so low!