mail time!

i got my first package today! and within it, i got to celebrate my niece's first birthday. so great. happy late birthday taylor grace, glad i got to celebrate it! thank you hermano (y hermana). my other niece noa is about to have a first birthday. amazing how quick they grow up. and little evie is growing like a weed. and of course there is the minor issue that one of my best friends is two days overdue in delivering her own little bundle of joy/meatloaf- little jameson. such an exciting time. in times that this i wish i didn't live on the other side of the world, and i could actually hug the little rugrats instead of merely hugging pictures of them. its a bit sad to watch them grow and change in pictures, but also warms my heart when i get letters and packages with their updated pictures. plus i get to show pictures off to countless indian women at work that may just love these kids almost as much as i do. so thank you for sending them. nothing compares to packages from home (filled with sweedish fish and chocolate).
yes, that was a shameless plug...i'm okay with that.

ps- you might also notice that i'm wearing a saree in this picture. just had a onam celebration. such a cool holiday. today was a celebration with work, tomorrow with students. pictures will follow. and speaking of pictures, pictures of the ashram up on flickr. enjoy.