#51 How much am I really spending? Dogs, Muscles, First meat.

"Sometimes I get the feeling I need to excercise. When this happens I sit down and wait for the feeling to go away." This was what I read on one Indian guy's tshirt. Indians aren't fat people. However, in no way does it look like any of them workout or excercise too often. The excercise that comes with their everyday work is the extent of it. My friend Kiran from Bangalore told me, "the last thing on an Indian's mind is excercise." I don't exactly know the reason for this, but wonder if it could be partly because of arranged marriages. Whether they are fit or bulging with muscles they are still going to get married. It is the parents that arrange the marriages and the last thing they are worried about is their child's spouses figure. There are few divorces in the arranged marriage world. I think this is partly because there is no pretending to be someone else while dating. Maybe not pretending to be someone else, but not going that extra mile when you are actually married like many do. We've heard it all before from some parent or relative bitching about their spouse, "he used to be so romantic before we were married", or "she used to want to do it more before we were married". Anyways, like everything, each kind of marriage has it's ups and downs, advantages and disadvantages.

India is a dog factory. There are so many stray, random dogs walking around. Half are puppies or mothers walking around with 10 hanging, milking tits. (I don't really know how many, does it change by the dog or are they all the same?) Those who treat your dog like a daughter or member of the family would be appalled over here.

So I spent my last night in Ajuna beach with John and the girls at a huge Sunday market. Thousands of people and just as many shops. Bands were playing, hippies everywhere, bars, and wackos. It was quite exciting to see the hustle bustle of the people. Interesting to watch the short time tourists who the vendors prey off of because they know their lack of bargaining skill and motivation. Then there are the tourists who have been there short time and bargain for hours. Then there are the Israelis who are known for being great and stubborn bargainers which is a show in itself to see and can be exhausting just watching them go at it.
Here is how most conversations go with a shopkeeper as you are walking by:
Shop: come look at my shop, you like you buy, you don't like no problem, very cheap prices.
Me: (if I decide to look) How much is that?
Shop: 500
Me: no thanks
Shop: ok best price for you 400
Me: not thanks
Shop: what is your best price?
Me: 50
Shop: impossible for me, ok my lowest price possible, 300.
Me: no thanks
Shop: ok, you make best price.
Me:100
Shop: ok, 200 but your don't tell anyone and it's the best price, I'm the only one that has this item.
Me: I saw this item at 10 other shops on the way here.
Shop: they are my shops too
Me: (of course they are)
Shop: so two hundred my friend, are you happy.
Me: that's ok, maybe tomorrow.
Shop: maybe I don't open tomorrow.
Me: I'll take my chances
Shop: Ok, 150
Me: see you tomorrow.
Shop: Ok, 100.


After a couple of nights of hanging out with John and crashing at his place I said farewell to them and Ajuna beach and headed south to Palolem beach. I took the buses there which took about 4 hours and cost about $1.50. The next viable option would have taken half the time and cost at least 20 times more. When I arrived I found a hut on the beach that looks at the bay (see above picture view from my room).
My hut most resembles a big box made from plywood, but has a bed and is the cheapest place on the beach, 200 rupees (less than $5). I ate my first meat in almost a month, fresh seafood sizzler, deeeeeelicious.

There are many hippies from around the world in these parts and they are often high and trying to tell people that they know the way to be happy. (when I say hippies it comes off as a bad thing, but there are many different stages of hippies and I somewhat consider myself one. I only say it because we can all picture a full blown one.)
There is a great quote that says:
"those who know, don't talk and those who talk, don't know"
-I don't know who said it.