I say TOMATO - you say TAMATAR

Earlier this morning, I wrote a blog entry detailing my 'concerns' about possible cultural faux pas I (and my Mother) may unintentionally make while traveling through Bhutan, Nepal and India. .  Guess what?  Three and a half months before even leaving the United States and I've possibly already made a cultural faux pas - by writing about my possible faux pas.  My goodness - this trip is going  to be interesting.

My intention is to detail our trip - from the planning stages to the actual travel experience to how we acclimate ALL we learn into our daily lives once we come back home.  I want to write not only about what we are doing, but what we are thinking - what makes us nervous, what makes us excited, what we are concerned about before we leave and whether or not those concerns are valid once we arrive overseas.

But if I am TOTALLY honest, perhaps the true intention of this blog is to show that no matter our age, no matter our religion, no matter if we live in Alaska, Kansas, Thimphu, Kathmandu, Delhi or Varanassi - we are basically ALL the same.  We all want the same thing out of life.  We want to be happy.

So, I apologize in advance if anything I write causes anyone unhappiness.  I am sure over the following months I will write about the cultural differences (real and perceived) between our countries.  It will NEVER be with the intention to judge.  It will merely be to try and understand the differences.  Because once we understand something, we immediately identify with it - there is no longer an "US" and "THEM" - there is only a "WE". 

The "PLAN"

Oftentimes, life never quite turns out the way we planned.  That is neither good or bad, it just is.  For the past few years, the television station I work at has been for sale.  I have said many prayers over those years knowing a new owner would be the BEST thing for the station.  I also knew a new owner would equal a 98.5 percent probability that I would be out of a job.  Well, my prayers were answered.  And as far as that "probability"?  My last day at the station will be July 26th.
 
So....what is my plan as far as my next job is concerned?  I'm not quite sure.  I knew I wanted to take some time off to re-group, re-ground and re-energize.  I also thought this would be a wonderful opportunity to spend sometime with my Mother.  I floated the idea past her.

"Hey....how about 'trip of a lifetime' experience together?"
Without missing a beat, my 70-ish year old Mom said, "SURE.....where to?"
"Bhutan, Nepal and India.  Six weeks.  We can meet our Dharma family members face-to-face, see where Buddha became enlightened, experience the Land of Happiness.  I can show you Kathmandu and why I LOVE Nepal so much.  We can spend the night in a monastery, bathe in a Holy river, take yoga lessons, get henna tattoos, go to the largest camel festival in Asia, see cows in the streets and try a cup of Tibetan butter tea!!"

Her ONLY concern....."I can't sleep on straw.  I'm going to need a bed."  YOU GOT IT MA!!

That's how THIS plan started.  We have our tickets and we are 113 days away from leaving.  I thought a travel blog would be a good idea for "oh....so many" reasons :-)  No matter your age, race or where you live in this big-wide world....if you are a 'daughter' and your Mother is still alive, you KNOW the complexities of the MOTHER-DAUGHTER relationship.  I write that with a giggle...but only because it is sooooo true!!  I love my Mom more than anything - and I know she loves me - but that doesn't mean we don't have our 'moments'.  Now....let's throw in six weeks together in Asia (Oh, mercy!!).  I'm sure there are going to be events that happen - things that are so crazy, I couldn't make them up if I tried.  Like today.  And the discussion of underwear.

Mom asked, "Ahhhh, what do we do about underwear?  Can we get laundry done?"
"Yeah, there are laundry services but they won't wash our underwear...we'll have to do that ourselves."
"Or", mom replied, "We can buy disposable underwear."
"Like paper?  Let me be really clear Mom, I am NOT wearing paper underwear."
"No...like DEPENDS, I hear they are quite comfortable."
"OK...let me repeat.  We are NOT wearing paper underwear and we are NOT wearing Depends.  For the love of God, we can just buy underwear there if we need to."
"Oh, we can buy underwear there?"  She said it like perhaps she didn't think underwear was actually something you could buy in a foreign country.  "OK", she continued, "but I think I still might bring some Depends.  Believe me, if we are somewhere without a bathroom in site, you'll be begging me for a pair."

I can imagine a lot of things happening on this trip.  Me begging for a pair of Depends is NOT one of them.