It has been about a month. One month since I last saw India. One month since I last hugged my host family. To be precise, it has been 39 days. 39 days that came, each, with a special memory from my year in Pune. Every single day brought me something new, something to be grateful for, another reason of why my year had been so worthwhile. I hope that every day that passes will give me a new reason to feel inspired by this wonderful year.
1. The scent of spices
2. Eating with my hands
3. Being greeted by my students with: ‘Buenos días Marta Didi’
4. The chaos of the traffic
5. Being able to get a freshly squeezed pineapple juice in any street
6. The sense of adventure
7. Rickshaw drives
8. The mesmerizing fabrics
9. My Hindi teacher, Pratiksha
10. The melodramatic Marathi soap operas
11. Discovering new Bollywood songs
12. Going on weekend hikes
13. The mango mastanis
14. The extra spicy chaat and street food
15. Making lanterns with my host-sisters for Diwali
16. Being able to draw mehndi on my hands anytime
17. All the students in my class
18. Not being able to understand half of the conversations
19. How cheap transport is
20. Going to Parvati Hill to see the sunset
21. The spontaneity
22. The coconut trees
23. Getting lost in the old bazars of Pune
24. Switching between three languages per day
25. The crowded buses
26. The magical banyan trees
27. Watching my students dance in school breaks
28. Preparing chai with my host mum
29. The unique taste of Pav Bhaji, Aloo Paratha, Uttapa and all the Indian dishes
30. The birthday poojas
31. The genuineness of people
32. My walk to go to yoga class
33. Playing kabaddi
34. My wonderful hostfamily
35. The warm chapatis
36. The Indian festivals: Navratri, Diwali, Holi
37. How difficult the Holi powder is to remove
38. Having to bargain EVERYTHING
39. All the amazing India fellows!
