My new friend Alagar

Alagar is the Indian gentleman who met us at the airport and brought us to our hotel. We started laughing together instantly. Once we arrived at his vehicle in the airport parking lot, I proceeded to enter his car on the right side - US passenger side - India's driver side. A friendship was born. He has been an exceptional tour guide, chauffeur and guiding light. He is very loyal. As we walk down Mumbai's congested streets we are bombarded with other men trying to drive us places and offer city tours. Now when they ask us to take a ride we tell them, "Okay, in 2010". We have taken a couple of other rides from other drivers and they have all been a mistake. Other taxi drivers don't know where our destination is and they over charge. Alagar insists that we set the price and pay him according to what makes us happy. Happy people tip more, they also buy you lunch and dinner. Several times we have ordered him a meal to go. Now he calls me "sister." Alagar is very friendly and honest.

Every ride I take in his car I learn a new lesson about India. I had been quick to give money to the women that hold their infant on one hip and beg. He explained that most of the time this is a scam. Women and children are sent onto the street to beg for food and money, and are expected to bring it back to their "whoever." So I have stopped giving money, but I still buy them food when I can. Just last night when went out tea and coffee after dinner and I saw a hungry little girl and her brother and I ran through all these possible equations about whether to buy them food or not and once I ran the equation through my heart it said "yes, absolutely." So I did. I took the little girls hand and led her into the bistro. All the employees in the bistro were laughing, speaking their tongue and then finally asked if she was with me. I told them "yes, she is my friend" and then I refocused the young teenage boys and asked them '"what was taking so long"? I also asked them"if it was their first day on the job" because how long does it really take to get soup, bread and water. They got the picture. I saw the little girl later that evening sitting on a blanket content and playing with her spoons. Mother Teresa once said "if you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one." The voice of your heart is your true guide.

Alagar has also been a wonderful filter. He tells us everywhere good to go and where not to. Apparently he has been driving for over 30 years and this is no lie. Driving in Mumbai is VERY different then driving in the states. Stop lights, traffic lanes and speed signs are mere suggestion. Cars beep at each other to communicate since they try and fit 5 cars in the span of what we would consider for 2 in the US. They drive UNBELIEVABLY close to each other, it's remarkable there are not more accidents. Good thing too, because a tow truck is 4 of your friends.


And best of all he doesn't mind waiting... which we have had him do alot. So now he's going to wait 2 months for us to come back to Mumbai, since we're going to have him pick us up from the airport.

We leave for Goa tomorrow by bus (12 hrs).