Smells Like Masala

Things are beginning to look up.

I’m not yet 100 percent, but I’m feeling well enough to explore McLeod, be generally personable and indulge in a bit of circus training.

We haven’t begun chasing any stories in earnest yet, but we have made some headway by laying groundwork.

Today, I tried my hand at tightrope walking and juggling.

Tristan and I met Chris, our patient and enthusiastic teacher of the arts circus, at a park in McLeod.

There, after having my shoes darned by Deepak, a local teen, we partook in a pre-performance stretch routine then learned the basics of juggling.

Along with a small group of others I also, with the help of Deepak, attempted a bit of tightrope acrobatics.

No, amazingly, I didn’t manage to hurt myself.

It was inspiring to see Deepak afforded the opportunity to act like a kid.

A resident of the nearby Dharamshala slum, Deepak told me that his mother pulled him out of school after his father died. The family needed additional income so, Deepak took to the streets with a mobile cobbling station.

Today however, he was afforded the opportunity to juggle, tightrope walk and generally play in the park.

Later in the afternoon, while purchasing a some soft-serve, a Tibetan nun grabbed my arm.

As an already jaded traveller, my first reaction was to say no to what I assumed was an entreaty for money.

But, as I turned around the elderly nun  pointed to a cone, asking me to buy one for her. I couldn’t find it in the deepest hollows of my heart to say no.

So here’s a picture:

Tristan took all the photos on my blog today. He also snapped this photo of me languishing in the hospital:

Check out his blog for more, even better pictures.