Sunday, March 12, 2000

Retroactive Pics February 7, 2002 These are from a send-off party I had shortly before leaving for India. The theme was that everyone was a god in the guise of a human, so we made costumes out of random supplies that they were to "steal" from my backpack to make my load lighter. I think Melanie took most of the pictures. Mikey's paper plate shoulder pads will defend him from the forces of evil. It looks like what he really needed were shin-guards -- where are his legs? Sam sports a chindi bindi. Which hindu god is Mark an incarnation of? This creative young lady used her lip ring as an anchor for an augmentation. Chris reveals himself as Funkama, the Deity of the Sexy Pipe Cleaner Antenna. King Tutenjeffen with "GOD" taped to his forehead. Heather uses her playboy bunny ears to sheild her sensitive brain from the microwaves in the air. Marin with a tiara. Rich's heart chakra glows auspiciously the color of a paper plate. Jeffy Krueger. Rich sucks. Me & Mark. Paige & Ult, getting good reception.

Martial and Robin had met each other in India. Martial had traveled from his home in France, having decided only three days earlier to come to India. Robin, from the States, had been traveling through the middle east for a year, arriving in India from Pakistan. Now they live together in Seattle, and don't often get an opportunity to share their memories. Until Ult shows up one day, asking questions...and five hours later we all realize how late it is and that none of us have eaten and we haven't stopped talking. During that time, trains became thirteen hours late, third class began to imply standing up on a train for an entire day, and my future became unbearably hot and humid. Cities gained personalities, the map acquired a new dimension of emotional detail, and Martial and Robin's excitement and enthusiasm inspired my own. India had become a little more real.