this weekend in the city is diwali, festival of lights. last year i missed this festival in sri lanka by a day and i was beyond bummed. yesterday, however, despite fasting, S and i wandered down to see the sights. there was music and stalls and people milling about. and as night fell and our hunger grew more urgent, we were drawn to the food.

waiting for 7:35 to come and the sun to set, we found ourselves investigating each stall with over anxious eyes. there was this fried delight and that strange one – all together in rows. and as soon as it was time we were off…me at one stall S at another. meeting up to share bites and decide on our next course.

it was a vegetarian’s dream – no meat to be seen. so we feasted on familiar things like pekoras and samosas and unfamiliar – behl. and S fell in love with mango lassi.

we enjoyed it so much that we took some away for the pre-dawn meal. true to form i was awake at 5 and pounced on the food we’d brought. thinking no thoughts i climbed back into bed and slept soundly until 10 am. here’s where the story is less funm.

my morning started slowly…me checking my empty email and then showering…and then being overcome with a feeling of nausea that, although not the worst i’ve ever expereinced, unpleasant enough to make me want to hunker down in bed.

i’ll spare details…just know that hours later and i’m still not myself. my stomach is still disgusted by the thought of food – indian food in particular…but truthfully, anything that has an expecataion of being chewed and swallowed.

i have final adjustments to make on my paper due tomorrow. i’m hoping i can negotiate a ceasfire before then. i swear to not eat any more food from THIS diwali festival if my stomach promises to let me sit upright for more than 3 minutes without wanting to projectile said food.

we’ll see how it goes.

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