Lies in Delhi, India

JANUARY 16, 2013

"It wasn't lies.  It was just ...bullshit."

My Hungarian friend, Aliz, using her native bird herding skills.

 - Jake Blues, from the movie Blues Brothers 

Back in the hostel in Sri Lanka I had met Aliz, a fellow traveller headed to India.  She was a little leery of traveling India alone as a woman and we agreed to spend the first three days traveling together.  The original plan for me was to lock down in Delhi for four days so that I could get ahead on my work prior to heading into retreat.  Thanks to a full week of illness and another week of rain that kept me indoors, I was way ahead of the game as far as my work goes.  This came in handy as we were sold a whirlwind 3 day tour of the Cultural Triangle.  First stop, Taj Mahal.

My Mongolian cousin, Bolorma, taking pics.

My Russian mail order bride, Malchenka, and I at the Taj Mahal

My Canadian step-sister, Steph, warming up with a chai.

So there’s something you need to know about Indian culture.  It is not acceptable for a man and woman to be together unless they are married.  Thus began a wonderful chain of lies from Aliz and I.  Sometimes we were married.  Occasionally, we were actually on our honeymoon.  Sometimes, we travelled as brother and sister.  Our country of origin usually varied.  It almost became a contest of who could be put on the spot by the other and pull off a good story with confidence.  Never did anyone question that I was a yankee through and through and she had a relatively think Hungarian accent.