Life’s a Stage, and One Does Need a Curtain

I had my first ever “real” train experience traveling from Mumbai to Delhi. I have been on the trains at amusement parks, but I don’t think that really counts. Jeni and I spent 17 hours on an air-conditioned three-tiered sleeper train. It was for the most part an excellent experience. The food was yummy Indian food, even the natives around us confirmed that the Rajistani Train has the best food. We were engaged in interesting conversation topics with our fellow train goers, ranging from why India should not allow Wal-Mart to open, to what a staple dinner would consist of in America? Suggestions on the last one would be helpful.

Jeni and I taught a highly competitive, 19 year old, computer science student named Vikrant how to play Phase 10 (American card game). He loudly proclaimed “sh*&^%$it” when I beat him! I allowed curious older Indian men to inspect my headlamp, used for reading after the light are off. We saw amazing country side; consisting of different unidentifiable crops, huts, livestock, people working, temples, weird trees, etc. In general we just enjoyed socializing, relished not being in the muggy heat and relaxed.

A problem arose when we tried to go to sleep. There was only one creepy guy on the entire train, if fact most of the men (oh ya, we were the only females in our small area, but not the only women on the train) reminded me of regular guys back home. We are getting used to being stared at and even pointed out to others, but this creep would not look away, for almost the entire trip. Upon climbing into my undersized bunk (I was in the middle, Jeni on the bottom,) at bedtime, I realized I was dead smack in this guys line of fire. He was positioned on a wall perpendicular to wear I was, Jeni was just a bit further from his nasty gaze. I have a high tolerance for this sort of thing but even I was squirming. Ah ha, I had an idea…since we had brought our own sheets, I had an extra…I looked him right in the eye, reached up and smoothly tied one end of the sheet onto a metal bar and quickly tucked the other into a mesh basket fixed to the wall. Presto, privacy screen. It was good enough for me to be able to sleep the night away rocking to the rhythm of the train.

Nighty Night, Jeeni

PS you will have to check out the pics from the train as soon as we find another place to upload them, Hilarious!