Since I last wrote…

Glamorous Anand: the main street near Dr. Patel's clinic

I was chatting with my sister this morning and she reminded me (with some irritation) that it’s been a month since I last updated this blog. Apologies to all loyal readers! It’s just been a pagal — that means “crazy” in Hindi, an extremely useful word — month. So, here’s a little round-up of what’s been doing:

WORK

In February, I made two journeys to Anand, the “Surrogacy Capital” of India. There, I met the famous Dr. Nayna Patel and a few surrogate mothers, and also an American couples picking up their newborn twins,  among several intending parents. Also, I’ve been continuing to visit with a group of surrogate mothers in an industrial city an hour north of Mumbai. It makes for a long hot sweaty dusty train journey and is, I’ve determined, a migraine trigger, but I’m finding out much more than I ever thought I would about what it’s like to be a surrogate mother. What is it like, you ask? Stay tuned for my novel: estimated publication date: May 2017.

My translator friend Neha on packed commuter train from Ahmedabad to Anand

View of street where some ladies I'm speaking to live, in that industrial city north of Mumbai

FUN

And I’ve also been having fun. Two weeks ago, I “played Holi.” Holi is a springtime festival that involves smearing friends with intensely colored pigments and drinking bhang, a  less-than-legal milky drink with mind-altering properties. I enjoyed the colors but the bhang… well, not so much.

Shortly thereafter, wonderful friend Alyssa arrived from New York in her tall boots. Many of us hadn’t seen boots here in Mumbai for well over six months. She also brought Guittard chocolate chips which we mangled into some cookie dough and baked in the toaster oven. The results were not perfect, but it was a nice thought. After spending a few quality days in Mumbai– during which time Alyssa got to experience the ravaging effects of an un-airconditioned cab in three hours of rush hour traffic, a dance performance in the Dharavi slum, and Mumbai street food (the clean kind, served in a restaurant) — we went to Udaipur, Rajasthan. There, we ate at a lakeside restaurant where Alyssa suspects she contracted a stomach virus. Still, she rallied and flew off to Jaipur, and I joined Fulbrighters from all around India for a three-day conference. Edifying talks and relaxation by the pool ensued. We finished our week in Rajasthan with a road trip to Kumbhalargh, an ancient fort perched high in the desert, and Ranakpur, an intricately-carved alabaster Jain temple.

Harbor by the Gateway of India: see, Mumbai can be pretty nice)

Fatima loves having her photo taken - in Dharavi (Alyssa photo)

Walking down into the Transit Camp, Dharavi (Alyssa photo)

Lake Pichola in Udaipur, with view of the Lake Palace Hotel: A nice change of scene

Alyssa and me in Udaipur (Alyssa photo)

Elephant beats rickshaw in height, but not speed (Udaipur)

Fulbrighter Rock band on Rajasthan road trip

Road trip team and Kumbalgarh Fort

NOW WHAT?

Now I’m back in Mumbai, which is steadily growing hotter and hotter. Last night, I took a rigorous American-style yoga class on the rooftop of a fancy Bandra gym and spa called Play, and am still in recovery-mode. (Hiding out in the apartment during the bright daylight hours makes for some muscle atrophying, that’s for sure.) I’m also researching a new post for the New York Times about being a Bollywood Extra, and may be an extra myself this weekend in the Bollywood version of “The Stepmom.” Apparently there is going to be a dance routine… about cancer? I’ll keep you posted. What else?  I’ve been cooking a lot — have mastered my homemade spaghetti sauce. I’ve been sending out resumes for next year (less said about that the better). On a more exciting note, I’m planning a trip with my cousin Ruby: we’re meeting in Delhi on April 1 and then heading north to Amritsar (home of the Sikh’s Golden Temple), Dharamsala (home of the Dalai Lama in exile), and for some hiking in a yet-to-be determined location in the Himalayas.

And good news! The Fulbright folks have approved my request for a two-week grant extension. This means I can stay in Mumbai until June 15, at which point I’ll begin flying home.

Thanks for reading!