India - day five - Tah Mahal

So that was it. I've been to Tah Mahal. Some people say they like iit up close, but I still like it more from afar. Its like a toy castle from some fairy tale. It doesn't look real, yet it is. I spent a whole hour starring at it from the hotel roof top. Today as I walked up close to it, it is really one giant marble. It is incredible.

Bumped in to a funeral preparation today. Didn't really get to see it happening, 'cause people started to come talk to me in language I don't understand. At one time some 10 teenagers surrounded me, not sure if they meant well or not, I figured it was best for me to leave. But I feel sad about it. Seems death is just nothing special. It almost seems like they were doing it on the street beside the river. Everybody just come and go. There were many body sized slots, with ashes on each one. Some still smoking. I really don't know what they are. And there was the body wrapped in colorful blanket, with dry woods on the side ready to be burnt.

I actually like a part of this town, despite some of the bad stuff. People seems to be nicer and more honest (relatively speaking) here. I like talking to the kids. They are more innocent and genuine. I compliment a kid at a crafting shop about his English and he seems thankful, in an uncomfortable way. Perhaps not many people complimented him before. But my compliment was truthful. And then I talked to Aksar at a ticket shop. His father was out, but he cared about his father's business so much, he kept asking me to wait: "2 minutes, 2 minutes"... He is such a good boy, at only age 11, seems he already understand so much...

I'm not a Japanese. Stop calling me a Japanese, and stop speaking Japanese to me :p