Thank You India

When I began working here I decided that I would not feel embarrassed when I make huge blunders- and find myself verbally incapable of asking the right/appropriate questions. I gleefully report that while I have made a fool of myself working here I have done so with pride and the conviction that I am learning. Bolstered by my novice status, and simultaneously weighed down by the voluminous Lonely Planet INDIA, I agreed to make the 14 hour red-eye bus ride to Delhi to report on the Thank You India activities.

March 31 marked the 50th anniversary of His Holinesses arrival in India. To commemorate the event he undertook a pilgrimage to 8 holy sights belonging to various religious traditions through Delhi. There was a small window of time between his visit to each sight, and although this is India and things typically don’t happen on time, I have learned that HHDL keeps a very punctual schedule. So, I resolved myself to the fact that because I would be traveling to each of the venues by auto-rickshaw (all the other journalists have PRESS cars with lights flashing and efficient drivers) I would make it to every other venue. As I was leaving the first venue and gearing up for the ever- enthralling auto-rickshaw ride a journalist asked me if I had the address of the next event--- I did, I had an overly official press release in my hand (and I had mapped all the sights the day before) he asked if I wanted to share a ride with him. For the remainder of the morning we tailed hhdl all over Delhi and it was absolutely the best way to see the city, zooming here and there yelling things like follow that BUS!

We were the only two crazys who made it to all the sights, honking and laughing we made our way through the city. All the while I was thinking India must be the very best place to learn journalism survival skills, here there is no such thing as a definitive answer or start time, this is a country where space invasion is a national past time, and a place where overreacting is a rule. The “India” factor coupled with the realities of being, what I like to call a “camera jockey” have really got me jazzed about my work.

Anyway, later the same afternoon there was a PC and, as my boss has taught me, I arrived ridiculously early (before all the chairs are set up) and sat in the front row center. When HHDL arrived I was no more than 5 feet from him. As he was standing to go he walked to the edge of the stage and put out his hand, stunned the only thing I could think was---MUST NOT leave HHDL hanging! So I shook his hand and he said thank you for coming, today.

From there I jammed to the final destination, the “MAJOR” event of the day, where hhdl addressed India’s bigwigs. I took some photos, recorded some statements ,then I was gone, into the Delhi darkness to catch my bus home to the Himalayas. I was happy I had escaped Delhi in such fine fashion.

A wonderful 3 days.

Current score, o I don’t know but I feel like I netted a 3pointer