Namaste, Eating Indian breakfast buffet in terminal 1 of Delhi airport. Shannon dropped me off at PDX at 9AM Monday, it's now 4:30 PM Tuesday (PDT) and I don't get to Leh for another  4 hrs-Long trip! Luckily Terminal 1 is very nice- even better than last year when we were here with Ian and Will: very clean, air conditioned, nice restaurants and comfortable chaise lounges for sleeping- just wish I was a better napper!

The flight on Asiana Airlines was fine:comfortable seats, Korean food and lots of movies. Would have been nicer if my Korean/American seat mate didn't belch and fart the whole 12 hrs from Seattle to Seoul. The arrival in Seoul was a bit exciting with a large lightning struck out the window, followed by a huge, sudden drop and then an extra 20 minutes circling to avoid the storm and an American woman barfing the whole time.   The flight from /Seoul to Delhi was filled with old Indians who either did not understand or refused to listen to the poor Korean flight attendants and were walking around in the aisles and changing seats up to the last couple of minutes until we landed and then were up in the aisles again as soon as the wheels hit the ground!

Arrival in Delhi was easy and customs, baggage claim, etc all went without a hitch-everything made it. The free transfer bus to Terminal 1 was either much smoother than last summer, or Will, Ian and I took the wrong bus. Luckily check in was open at 3AM, and I got my seats and bags checked through to Leh. It was clear I was back in India as soon as I walked outside the terminal and started sweating profusely-even at 3 in the morning.

Unfortunately there is no free wifi in the terminal, and the only way to get wifi in India is to have a mobile phone to receive a text with a security code (the same stupid system used to boot tickets on trains here). I do have a phone to use here but won' be getting a SIM card until I get to Leh, so hopefully I will be able topmost this to the blog when I get there.

So, why am I here? So many of you have asked that or made comments alluding to the fact that I am either amazing (not) or that you could never do something like this (also false!). Thirty years ago my sense of mortality was rocked when my 40 year old brother died unexpectedly and suddenly of an aneurysm.  Thirty years later that rocky sense of mortality became a monstrous force in my life when Ter died suddenly and unexpectedly of the same aneurysm! I've known since then that you can't put off living and doing the things you want until it's too late. But in truth, the answer is much more complex but at the same time pretty simple.

Josh and Emily are grown and off on their own in Colorado and don' t need me hanging around, and even though Shannon and I are still newlyweds, 3 months isn't that long and I'm not sure how I'd be hanging around trying to find things to do this fall as a new retiree. I already miss you babe

I've always felt most alive and useful when I put myself into unusual living situations: moving to AK, living with the whale hunting Inupiaqs,etc

Teaching in America used to be a good job. Cuts in funding,number of days, increases in class sizes, focus on THE TEST, student apathy all have made the job that I am good at lose it's fun and it is time to do something different. Turns out I still care about education and maybe going to a place where teachers are still respected, students don't act like entitled  brats (if you were my student and are reading this- it probably doesn't apply to you), students are happy  with a desk and slate to write on (and don't need $87 million monstrosities to learn in) will get me fired up about what I've been doing for 20+ years again

I'd like to "pay it forward,back, sideways,inside out"

And finally, spending 3 months in the Himalayas is exciting!

9/5/12, 0900

Finally, last leg-will be in Leh in an hour!

Last night, flying over Indian cities (including Kanpur, where I lived in 1965/6), I was thinking how they didn't look any different from US or European cities at night with the lights on from 30,000 ft, and now flying out of Delhi I realized that even it just looks like a BIG sprawling city anywhere, when you can't see the cows, homeless on the sides of the roads, unbelievable traffic, hear the sounds, and smell the shit and garbage.

Been in the air about 15 min and already see the Himalayan peaks out the window to the north. 

The GoAir magazine says their is a marathon in Leh next weekend- my knees couldn't run a marathon anyway much less one at 11,000'! Maybe there OSA 1 mile race.....

Not sure what the plans for the rest of the day will be, but thinking I should try to stay up and get on a regular schedule. Sure would be nice to find a shower someplace- not sure about that though. 

1143

Picked up at airport by a school employee and driven to the school. I have met the principal, Mr. Eshay and my host Yonchan, the school nurse. They took me to Yonchan's house and I have been instructed to sleep and drink 2 large bottles of water to recover from the trip and start acclimating to 10000' elevation. I will follow directions.

When I was in Mr Eshay's office two former students came in to give him a present- it is National Teacher Day.  One of the students is working on the marathon and told me there is a 10 k also. Maybe I will try that.......

9/6012, 1322 hr

Julay 

Spent most of the day yesterday sleeping and drinking water to recover from jet lag and adjust to the11,000+' elevation. Starting to feel more human this morning. Got up, has breakfast with the British/Kiwi dental team working at the school, went over to see morning assembly , met the science teachers (looks like I will actually be teaching classes), some students, and Bill Kite ( the guide/charity organizer running the dental, glasses and women's health programs in the area. Then I walked to town ( about 20 min), found the free wireless cafe/coffeehouse and am figuring out how to post. Will send more afterI have some time to settle into school.