Hunting for an inflatable mattress

Good beautiful morning!

First some nice relalalaxa by the pool, perhaps a bit of running on the treadmill, then I’m continuing my hunt for an inflatable mattress.

Have looked everywhere in town, but seems very tricky to find.

Every time I step in to a shop and ask for one, eager Indians nod and say:

- Yes, yes madam, we have..

15 minutes later, they come running (drenched in sweat), dragging with them a foam mattress. I kindly clarify that is in fact not an INFLATABLE mattress.

- No madam, but is very good. Look. (and with a lot of effort they somehow manage to fold the rock hard mattress in two)

- Excellent. But folding it in two does not make it INFLATABLE.

- Look madam (now even more excited), we have also this colour..

- Ehhh, yes..? But INFLATABLE? No.

After a looong discussion the poor shop owner scratches his head and comes to the conclusion that:

- Madam, in India I don’t think you can buy inflatable mattress.

????

With a population of 1,2 BILLION people and no inflatable mattresses for sale?

I think not.

Today I am determined to find myself one.

Tribute to mother

Just pain - no gain.

Finally rolled out bed (yes rolled - because I am not actually able to lift my head, sit up and get out of bed) after no sleep. And by that I mean absolutely NO sleep.

I can not recall since I last was in so much pain. Turns out that lying down - in any position; back, stomach, side, with pillow, without pillow - everything hurts. Even with pain killers.

Walk in to the bathroom, the horrific look that meets me makes me burst in to tears. I've turned in to a swollen chinese gnome (no offense to chinese people - it's just not my look..). Every breath feels like a an iron claw grasping my upper back.

Cramp.

A cramp unlike any other that just won't let go.

Seeing my swollen face, being in constant pain, I turn in to a little girl and call my mum (waking her up in the middle of the night in Sweden) and cry. No crocodile tears, but hysterically crying.

- Will this ever go away? Why is it getting worse? What can I dooooo????

Wonderful, sweet, blessed mother manages to calm me down. Being a physiotherapist she explains (read: looses me) all the latin words for the various parts of my spine, instructs me to some ease & release excerises over the phone and suddenly it all feels a little bit better.

Actually everything but lying down feels better. Guess I won't be sleeping a whole lot the coming 48hrs.

People of Delhi: Be aware of the blonde, chinese gnome coming your way..

35% and slowly getting there..

Am feeling 100% better!

Ok, now this does not translate in to 1oo% good.

B E T T E R

Still, continuing in percentage, I'd say I'm approximately 35% on my way to being good.

But it's a start and worth focusing on. Positive thinking remember!

Went for a short walk down to C-block market (all resedential areas have names like A, B, C, D block etc). My block (F) is ok, but the real creme-de la-creme-deluxe-block is without a doubt C.

In C block you find stores, a couple of banks, super markets (ok small ones, but they still count!) and most importantly - a beauty saloon where they do mani and pedicures (amongst other things).

The most wonderful part with getting a pedicure in India is that it suddenly includes a massage! And we are not only talking foot and half leg massage here - but a full-on, hard core neck and shoulder massage while your polish is drying. How about that? Not bad huh!

I always choose the longest-possible-to-dry-polish. hehe

All for an amount that's..well not a whole lot.

Actually, just writing this and looking down at my bright red toe nails, pushes me up to a good 40% I think!

World famous..in India

Seeing that I'm stuck, crippled in bed today as well. I am trying to focus my mind on positive thinking and happy thoughts.

Percy's play with following party is definately one of them.

Apparently Times of India (YES - INDIAS LARGEST NEWSPAPER!!!!) and The Asian Age thought so too!!

Can't find me..?

Well here's a close up!

SNAP

Was feeling so much better in my back when I went to bed last night .

Morning comes and I wake up. Lying on my stomach in bed I open my eyes, stretch out my arms, lift my head ever so slightly and SNAP.

Dagger in the back.

FFFFF...#%X"?#¤

DAMN it hurt.

DAMN it still hurts. Just sitting, standing, being, breathing HURTS!!!

Emergency call to Yogesh massage guy. He said he will be here in two hours.

Will I survive?

Lots of knots during Monsoon

Monsoon rain has finally arrived.

Like a beast roaring through the streets; rain, thunder and lightning were hammering down over the dusky streets of Delhi the other night.

Today has been surprisingly "cool". I'm guessing no more than 32 degrees.

Then again I haven't spent a lot of time outside since Monday, when I woke up with a stiff and extremely painful back and upper shoulders.

I did the "dial-a-masseuse" thing and had massage guru Yogesh come by to do some proper knot-hunting on me.

Boy did he find knots alright. Lets just say that my back was KNOT alright. At all.

Pain. Pain. Pain

Today better.

Only good thing with being stuck in bed is that I've got a lot of work done. Or rather pitching for aspirational work. Have sent out at least thirty emails with article ideas to a range of magazines and newspapers. Fingers crossed that I will be busy with some writing projects the coming weeks. Preferably with a head that can turn and sitting upright.

Colors of Nepal

Back in Delhi after an amazing 10 days in Nepal.

Thank you Dayan, Suresh and everyone in Lamaguan! I will see you again in October.

I wanted to upload a video when the kids from children's home performed Bollywood with the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack, but it was too large and unfortunately I don't have the editing tools to cut i shorter on my laptop. So this will have to do - Nepali kids shaking it!



Leaving Nepal and going through customs was an experience. I thought security was high in India. But Nepal takes the prize.

Summary:
No times show passport: 8
No times hand luggage security check: 5
No times body security check: 4
No of minutes spent in cues (special cues for women only): 1hr 45 min
No times loosing my patience (after having to unpack my hand luggage for the fifth time..): 1

All in all I guess it is for the good. Better safe than sorry.

Taking off, breaking through the clouds and seeing the mountain peaks rising above was breathtaking.







Sweet Sangita giving me a tour of the village





BBB - Big Beautiful Butterfly


Family

Breakfast

Waiting for the school bus

Milk supply

Milkman

Local village people