The Sounds and Smells of India

I know what some of you may be thinking. How can a post labelled the smells of India be something pleasant to read? Well, let me clarify. These are sounds and smells that are distinctly Indian. It is how I identify where I am. They can be pleasant, unpleasant or completely neutral. I'm sure you may know what I am talking about. Its like when you are not quite awake but lying in bed, and you can't see what is nearby, but the smells and sounds that drift by paint a picture of what time it is, where you are, and what other people in the house are doing.
For example, if I hear the milkman dropping off the milk, I know its still early. If I hear the trashman banging on his bin, then its a little later. The smells of the morning at my grandmothers are incense being burnt and a faint smell of trash burning nearby, and a small shrill bell ringing would mean my grandfather is doing puja. With mid-morning comes smells of food being cooked and pressure cookers letting off steam in nearby houses.
Even walking near my grandmothers house, I know what is nearby - a temple (bells ringing, incense), school (different kind of bell ringing, incessant chatter of children), restaurants (fried food - yummmmmm), cows (do I have to explain the smell?), and so on. Even new clothes bought in India have a distinct smell. The night ends with hearing fire works, set off for reasons unknown.
Now I always knew I was a smell oriented person but I didn't know to what extent. Its a curse and a blessing at the same time, obviously depending on the smell. Since I have no pictures to post yet, I decided it would be better to try to give you a glimpse of India through some of our other senses.

I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello...

Welcome to another edition of the Kuber Report. It was on hiatus as I tried to find a job. I figured if I wrote on my blog it would be about me rambling and wouldn’t keep up to previous blog entry standards : ) . But as I embark, once again, I realized I needed to get some thoughts out about the whole process.
So far I have been pretty good about not thinking or talking about me leaving and focusing on the practical matters of packing and buying things to take with me. But as I get into the last week, there is no running away from the fact that I am leaving and that I won’t be in the United States for the next year.
I guess I should say how much I’m going to miss family and friends. But I feel like that goes without saying and I’m really bad at saying it to people. But for everyone who is close to me, there will be times when I think of you, lots and lots of times. When there is a person who reminds me of you, when something happens that I think you’d find funny, or when I eat a certain type of food (or drink chai ; )). I don’t say this often enough and I really should. I WILL MISS YOU! All of you. Don’t ever think otherwise : P
I’m done. My next entry will be from the other side of the world. Keep reading and posting comments!!