Wonders of the World and a Cheesy Slice of Heaven

I'm sitting on American soil in Bayshore, NY on Long Island. It seems oddly comfortable, considering that 2 days ago I was walking the streets of New Delhi, India.

Two thoughts come to mind:
1. The world is small.
2. Everything seems different, but nothing really is.

Since I last posted I have done the following:

Agra
I saw the Taj Mahal. It was smaller than I imagined (in size) but truly has a majestic presence. It's worth seeing once, but I honestly didn't feel moved by it emotionally in any way. I think after visiting Buddhist holy sites, a tourist hot spot didn't seem too impressive.

New Delhi
I went back to the National Museum in Delhi because there are Buddha's relics there (i.e. his bones). It's a really amazing thing to see and the feeling that arises in their presence is really indescribable.

I spent 2 nights in the Tibetan Colony in Delhi. It's really rundown, as are most of the colonies I saw. There are shops and stands lined along the narrow road (no cars allowed). I had the chance to practice my Tibetan with strangers (harder than talking with people whose accents you're used to). I think I was even cut better deals for the few things I bought because I speak Tibetan (kind of).

I took a taxi to my flight (leaving at 2:35am Tuesday morning) and had a short layover in Brussels. I landed in JFK (NY) and hopped on the train to Long Island. Hugging my cousins here was an amazing feeling. AND I am SO excited to see my parents tonight (and their dog).


Here's my "American" experience so far:

1. Real coffee (as opposed to instant)
2. Girl Scout Cookies (thin mints & samoas)
3. NY pizza and salad!!! (hard cheese isn't in India and fresh veg isn't too safe to eat)
4. Ice cream cake
5. A long, hot shower with a SOFT towel to dry myself off with (my high-absorbent, travel towel was quite handy, but not as cuddly)
6. A comfy bed (not a thin mattress on top of a board)
7. No cockroaches in my room
8. People driving in the lanes on the road AND on the "right" side of the road
9. Cereal for breakfast with low-fat milk (as opposed to whole- the only choice)
10. Hearing people speak in English all around...I'm finding it hard not to eavesdrop after not understanding people for so long
11. Expecting to be completely ignored by people (after being gawked at regularly) and, instead, having the Italian-American US Customs agent (checking my approval slip) say, "You are a very tall and beautiful woman."

God Bless America.