Ah hah! So that's how they do it!

I have been scratching my head ever since we got here trying to figure out why people come to India for spiritual enlightenment. Not that there aren't tons of places to go to find spiritual direction, but I haven't been able to figure out what separates this place from so many others that also have religious monuments and history. I think I figured it out last night.

Nathan has been coming down with pink eye so he called Michelle to ask her what she used when she had it here. She gave him the list of active ingredients and he took that to one of the MANY chemists around here. He explained what the issue was and they brought out several products for him to look at but none of them had the ingredients that he was looking for. He told them what he wanted and the shopkeeper went back into the dark recesses of his store and came back with exactly what Nathan asked for. Money was exchanged and drops were used. It was when I was looking at the bottle that I realized the source of India's spirituality. It says:

"SCHEDULE H DRUG WARNING: To be sold by retail on the prescription of a Registered Medical Practitioner only"

Nathan never saw a Registered Medical Practitioner. So I am wondering what else we can buy without a prescription here that would help us achieve enlightenment.

Oh, and you should have seen Nathan haggle with the man who sold me a laundry hamper the other night. This man originally quoted me the price 1650 rupees ($40), but Nathan got him down to 720 rupees after the man told us that he bought the hamper at cost for 900 rupees. I believe I actually heard my husband yell at the man "Just because I'm white doesn't mean I'm stupid!". A little crowd even gathered around us who seemed fascinated that this foreigner didn't just cough up the ridiculous amount of money that he was quoted. It was pretty cool, I must say. Nathan triumphantly carried the hamper back on his shoulder like a trophy. Way to go, babe!