Riding the Roller Coaster of Car Part Mayhem

My days have been a roller coaster of waiting for the top of the hill and then the subsequent plummet afterward. Up and down, up and down. If I come out of this without high blood pressure I'll consider it a win.

All that to say, I'm still carless in Guadalajara. 

Thought we had it all figured out only to turn around and find out that all the different parts of the puzzle to get the compressor to me quickly have fallen apart. 

So I'm back to square one it feels like. I can't believe how frustrating this all is. It's not just frustrating trying to get the ac compressor for my car but it's also very frustrating to not have my car for over 2 months now. 

Who could have known that finding a GM ac compressor in Mexico would be near impossible....or as it looks at the moment, actually impossible.

If anyone is in the interest of driving to Guadalajara muy pronto or is feeling generous to mail a car part to Mexico, I'm open to suggestions!

Really, the prices are so high for this part (in my opinion), that buying one in the USA and shipping it seems crazy, but that's my only option so that's what it will be. By the time this car is fixed I'm anticipating many many more road trips and a big celebration when I pass the 300,000 mile mark!

Since I purchased a bicycle, I'm much happier. I love bikes (although I prefer battling rocks and trees to cars). Luckily for me there are protected bike lanes in some of the larger streets :) It's given me the freedom to travel a lot further and get to more places without losing half or more of a day to do so. And it's good exercise to boot. I put the extra Denny Crane poundage on my back and settle into gear 24 and pedal my way through the city streets.

I was ever so hopeful that with the holy week vacation (now a couple of weeks past), I'd get to go mountain biking, but wouldn't you know it, that is when a gigantic fire started in the nearby forest. They brought in helicopters and ground crew and are still working on it. Needless to say, it was closed for the general public, so I was unable to go mountain biking :(

Denny Crane had a lovely Semana Santa. He got to investigate new places and smell all sorts of new smells. Unfortunately there weren't any doggie friends, but he did try to befriend a cat. The cat was not so trusting although the curiosity of the cat was extremely entertaining to watch!

I can't believe Denny Crane is still kicking along so well. He's 16 as far as I know and his blood work is good. Incredible. That boy follows my every step (literally). I think he needs some new friends lol, but he's a really good dog, gotta say. 

And...I've recently learned that I'm identified in GDL as Denny Crane's mom as opposed to Ronda. The dog is a celebrity and I'm merely the handler 😂

The Roller Coaster Ride

This title would sound like it could be an amazing and fun filled post, but it's just the opposite. The roller coaster ride to which I refer is the emotional, mental and even physical ride that is living/working here in India.

I've never worked someplace with such extremes. One day people are literally swearing at you and you're in tears. There are threats of layoffs and salary deductions and attacks on personal character as well as complete disregard for one's spoken word of truth. There are few times I've felt so hurt and angry and helpless in my life. Then the very next day, the same people come to you with words of affirmation, gifts of gratitude, and promises of a bright future. It's mind boggling to say the least. It's also no wonder so many people, but girls especially, get trapped here. There is always hope just around the corner of the devastation; just enough hope to keep you going, to keep you believing.

You may remember from a recent post, the quote: Everything is a lie!

This is true to every extent. You keep believing, but what you are hoping for and believing in is all just a fantasy. The mirage is good. It's so well crafted and honed to absolute perfection, that even in the face of reality, it is hard to turn away and acknowledge the truth of its deception. Harder yet, once the truth is accepted, turning away from the hope and fantasy of life crushes even the most ardent of truth seekers because once you turn away, there is nothing facing you but open desert and the emptiness of your unknown future.

This is life in India. There are small mirages, medium sized ones, and the largest mirage of all, happiness living and working in India. Notice that it's "living and working" in India. As a tourist, this country is well versed in hospitality and can treat a visitor to the wealth of  luxury treatments only the richest demand. But visiting this country and living/working in it are two vastly different things. This I have discovered and it's proven at every step along the way.

There must be a stalwart soul inside to live and work here. Even the slightest ripple of weakness is preyed upon with such veracity it's astonishing to watch. Whether Indian or not, in this country, only the strongest, most selfish, most greedy, most connected, most obstinate survive. It's a cock fight every day and if you're unable to jump in the pit, wounds and all, you will fail. You will die.

Roller Coaster Ride

You are all envisioning a post of my first amazing roller coaster ride no doubt, but that is not the purpose of this entry.

In the last few days I've finally reboarded a cruise ship: the place I feel at home, the place I love to be, and the places I get to see.

I'd forgotten the turbulent roller coaster ride on which I would be riding however. On land, you see, it's just me and all my problems, usually living in a hotel room, brooding silently or via this blog. On a ship it is much different. You are in such close contact with everyone that you can't escape the dominoe effect of them to you and you to them. It's understandable why some employees I've known have spent their entire days (aside from working at night) holed away, curtain closed, earbuds playing. It blocks out everything.

But if you block out everything, yes, you will miss the bottom pit of the roller coaster where you heart sinks and the sun is invisible, but you will also miss the sky where you heart is so high it's out of your body and the sun is bathing you in its warmest glow.

It's been three days since I boarded. Today we reach our first port of call, San Juan Pureto Rico. We don't get there until later in the afternoon so there won't be too much time to go wandering around, but it will be nice to get out and see some of the sights. If only to remind myself of how much I love living on a cruise ship when I return to the pier and catch my first glimpse that makes my heart and face smile. Relief that I made it home, and that home is still waiting for me too! :)

If nothing else, I'm just happy to be where it's nice and warm instead of bitterly cold!

This is actually the ship I'm on btw~