Coming soon to C,K,&K...

Is it too soon to assume that you would know what C, K, & K means?  A little ambitious?  Moving along...

My fantastic mother-in-law, Lora, has a frequent saying, “Oh my Lou!” It’s really quite charming in her East Texas accent, but I’ve heard it so much that I say it now, too. There’s been some discussion on how the last word is spelled…l-o-u, l-o-o, etc. That being said, I’ve decided to dedicate a part of my blog to her saying. Welcome to “Oh My Loo!” My biggest fear about going to India is the fearful equation of: stomach troubles + lack of toilet paper + the hole-in-the-ground for toilets + correct squatting position = troublesome times. Yes, I will do a photo documentary of the loos (restrooms) I visit on my journey. Odd? Yes! A bit offensive? Perhaps! After 11 years with junior high kids, I will tell you that bathroom humor makes me laugh, so just go with it!

Visa and Sprinkles

I did finally send in my application of the trip to Aditi, who is helping head this trip.  I am a little nervous about getting my Visa for the trip.  I know that as soon as I get my passport, I’ll be heading home and then spending a day at the Indian Embassy and at Travisa Outsourcing place to gain my Visa.  Don’t you think it’s funny that India outsources stuff, too?  So I pulled up the map to see if the place is near my dad’s building in downtown Houston because if I planned it just right, I could probably get a lunch and/or dinner out of him.  Imagine to my surprise when I pulled up the map and literally it had two landmarks pointed out:  The Travisa office and SPRINKLES CUPCAKES (which is right down the road)!  I fail to understand how Google Maps would know I’m a big girl with a love for the overpriced cupcake, but that made my whole day!  Not only will I get my Visa, but I will also be able to snag a couple of delectable delights without having to share with Corey because he’s back home at work!  Even though I can only afford a couple of them, it will be worth waiting in line however long it takes to get my Visa!  Hopefully it will all go as planned, but if it doesn’t, it usually comes with a good over-dramatic story!

In search of the true meaning…

When people find out I’m going on this adventure, one of the first and most frequent comments made to me is about curry.  “Congrats!  I hope you like curry!”  “That’s great!  You’ll come back smelling like curry.”  “That’s awesome!  You’ll lose so much weight because all they eat is curry.”  Well, as much as I appreciate the ignorance and well-wishing, I plan to be able to answer one of the world’s hardest questions upon my return to Western Civilization.  What is curry?  From what I have gathered from conversation with my Indian friends, my searches on Wikipedia, and readings, it can mean many different things to many different people.  Even in India, dependant of what part of the country you are dining, curry can mean anything from a flavor, to a sauce, to just a vegetable dish.  I will post the pictures and my opinions along this journey to discover  what curry means to me.  I knew watching all of those hours of Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern would pay off a little!

Here I go...

Well, the journey begins!  I applied for my passport at the post office and paid extra to have it expedited.  I was supposed to travel to Houston and get it in one day, but I didn’t meet the regulations.  Apparently they’re pretty strict in the good ole’ Department of State.  It was a random turn of events mixed with some comedy of error that had me driving back and forth from Euless to Grand Prairie, and all of the people I came in contact with didn’t have much a sense of humor.  Maybe because they’re government employees (I’m one, but I have sense of humor)?  I’m not sure, but the girl taking my passport pics at CVS was nice.  Did you know that they won’t photoshop out any of your chins for passport photos?  See…I’m already learning so much, and I have more than 11 weeks to departure!  Thanks, Dad, for not taking it personally when I made a comment about how old you are when I called to ask you what year you were born for the passport application!