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LAST POST: THE RETURN "HOME" TO THE U.S.A.!

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 The deck is now full: a whopping total of fifty-two blog posts! This final one, then, completes my journey as an "Expat in India"...well, at least, for now. Will I be back there? You betcha! Wild horses--or wild dogs and cows, as is more apt in this case--couldn't keep me away. As soon as they lift the suspension on visas for tourists, you better believe I will be heading back to India! And starting a whole new blog about it when I do. * * * * * * * * THE RETURN Since this post is the grand finale, detailing my departure from India, it is a rather lengthy one. Besides which, it really does require some elaborate explanations to do the story of my return trip justice: traveling in this era of Covid is SO surreal, how could it be otherwise?  I only hope you may find it as interesting as I did! The mask was obligatory for the whole duration of every flight, and began to feel rather claustrophobic before too long! I also donned ski cap and fleece jac
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NEXT-TO-LAST POST: THE COPPER AND THE QUACK!

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Neither of these photos are authentic, obviously... but I had to include the images just for fun! I DO have an actual photo of the real "copper"--British slang for police officer, in case you are unfamiliar with this archaic term--which I took on the sly, but thought not to post it in order to protect his identity. As for the doctor in this story...well, I certainly did not take a photo of him. I imagine that,  if I had even attempted such a thing, he would have smashed my phone at the very least and possibly even beaten me up! (No, I don't really think so... but of course I would not have even tried for a photo of him.) Intrigued?! Read on.... THE COPPER India is SO strict about its ongoing lock down policies, rules and regulations that the prospect of traveling anywhere, for any distance, is a major ordeal, involving much leg work and paperwork.  To begin with, one has to apply for a document known as an E-pass. This online form is
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LAST DAYS, PART 5: THE JOY OF SEQUESTERING AND BEING CREATIVE!

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Sketching!  What a delight this has been... whiling away the long hours of lock down, busily being creative with a medium I hadn't touched in many decades.  This is definitely one VERY positive side effect of being sequestered for so many weeks! (As you will see, I have two favorite subjects: animals and colorful scenery--the places I would love to be right about now!)  Here you have my favorites:
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LAST DAYS, PART 4: The Glories of Nature!

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As we all are observing in these strangest of times, one of the few positive side effects of the pandemic we find ourselves in is the resplendence of nature all around us. With few exceptions, all of the cities of India are normally quite polluted, and one is lucky to see any blueness in the skies at all. When clean air IS present, it is generally following a good dousing of rain. No longer the case! As I am sure you, dear reader, have also witnessed, the drastic reduction of vehicular traffic has resulted, gloriously, in the reduction of air pollution. As such, we have been rewarded with the most magnificent skies, have we not?!? Well, at least I have, and this is not the norm for Pune at all. But in the past two months, the skies have been consistently gorgeous. There is just something about a deep blue sky filled with white and grey, puffy clouds that brings immense joy to the heart. This IS my experience, unfailingly, and why I cannot stop photographing them! Add to this bea
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