Bonanza!

Recently, Usha and I--with kids in tow--bandied about town.

That isn't us.

Well, by town, I mean the little city that is near the little village that is a bit away from our little area. Driving anywhere in India is famously horrifying. However, I really encourage everyone to try it with two children neither of whom are in car seats.

No comments please. We are working the details out.

We were going to town for blood tests. Apparently, you have to give your blood type in order to get a student id in India. And also if your spouse or father works at a university, then you need to tell someone your blood type. The clinic was clean enough. Still, we just tossed our bloody cotton balls into an open garbage can full of miscellaneous hazard. We weren't too focused on that as promising Zazie palaces made of chocolate was paramount.

However the treasure trove came in the form of a random sewing shop. It was the end of our day. Usha took her baby to sit in the car and I made mine sit--patiently, patiently--as I "went bonkers" (her words, not mine). It was an Indian trim, lace and ribbon shop.

A little bit later the shopkeeper called me pagal (hindi for bonkers) when I asked for "cut" pieces of fabric (scraps) and dumpster dived into a huge vat of fabric pieces while twelve amused tailors looked on. I am telling you it was a crafter's dream. I am thinking of selling it by the pound as my new export business. I would too. Except I am too greedy. Also, I would feel guilty because I paid only 30 rupees (about 60 cents) for a pretty big bag. Crazy? Nahi. Crazy like a fox. (That is for you, Mimi).

Finally, I thought I would send a few pictures of our drive home so you can see the competing traffic: