Today has been a good day

From Jaipur in Rajasthan, India.

Today has been a good day for me!

Here are all the reasons why:
* I got an amazing massage for about $10. Baller. The place took credit cards.
* I finally got cash. (AIF is completely failing at paying me my stipend for which they blame ICICI bank and other misfortunes. Either way, I had about $4 to my name this morning and a debit card that did not work. But, now, I have cash! Yay!)
* I got to see the Pink City -- which is old [original] Jaipur. It is BEAUTIFUL.
** Funfact about Jaipur: it is reputedly the second planned city in the world, after Paris. City planning is kind of exciting for me, so I'm a big fan.
** Another fun fact: the city is pink for two reasons -- 1) the founder decided that he wanted to look as awesome as Delhi and Agra, but the materials locally available weren't red, so he tried to pink it up and 2) to welcome the Prince of Wales, the ruler of the city painted all of the city surfaces pink, the color of "welcome" -- it is now a law in the Old City (the part of the now larger Jaipur) to have every storefront and house and such painted pink, violation will cost about Rs5000
* I went to a really geeky astrology/astronomy museum thing and it was AWESOME. I even bought a book. I miss my dad.
* I had Pizza Hut for lunch. MCWORLD! I miss Nandan's company.
* I met a really awesome Indian rando who talked to me about traveling, life, culture, and India for about half an hour on the street. Awesome.
* I found presents for Karin.
* I found some amazing deals on some very colorful and awesome trinkets. I didn't buy anything due to lack of funds, but I will for sure before I leave this country.
* I get to see Jenny and peeps I know tomorrow!
* CAMELS TOMORROW.
* Some Frenchmen talked to me in our hostel -- one was wearing inappropriately short shorts.
* I found postcards!! (But only bought a little bit, due to lack of funds. Hopefully, more tomorrow! Also: why are postcards so fugly in the developing world? India is BEAUTIFUL, why can no one produce a postcard that shows this? Same in Ghana...)
* Did I mention the massage? Oh, man, life is good.