my tummy hurts

HELLO
India...wow....I think somehow that inarticulates can describe my experience here better than I can with words...In Real English! For starters...I have not been sick. Thank goodess's. My tummy has served me well, although I do often experience a lot of stomach cramping, like right now, and it hurts. The food is wonderful, but I do miss my regular staples of home like, baby carrots with hummus, BBQ chicken, Cesar salad, and oatmeal chocolate chip muffins! Strange, I know, but true. It hasn't even been that long, what's wrong with me?!
In any case, on to other matters...I think my favorite part of India so far is talking to people on the street about Canada, shaking hands and taking photos with them, especially the children. I have never been looked at like I am celebrity before, so I find myself being quite self-conscious when I go anywhere. The "silent stares" coming from every direction are something that I have never experienced before, and it's very surreal. However, it has made me proud and yet humble about where I come from. Despite the fact that I have grown up in a capitalist society, where much of the economic profits of many business are directly related to robbing the less fortunate of their basic human rights...I am still proud when I tell people...Canada! Yes I am, and that's OK (how's that for a little self affirmation!) This western self-guilt that has come up in many conversations while on this trip is something that I won't give into. That being said, it is extremely important to notice, and be constantly aware of all of these issues, their effects on developing countries, as well as the people directly involved. But to blame yourself, only gets you down. A depressed attitude is not a proactive attitude and I often feel that self-guilt is a way to an excuse to not do anything to make our situation on this world any better than it is. If I can approach this areas with a positive attitude about myself (which, yes, is easier said than done) then I can be of better service to the world. This is going to sound really cheesy...but a friend told me best yesterday when she said, smile and the people of the world will smile back. I have so much to learn here and I am sure that even after returning home at the end of this month I will still be feeling the effects of this experience, and reflecting. I expect that many realizations will probably come after, or long after this trip as it is terribly difficult to assimilate everything all at once. I don't know where I will end up at the end...it should prove to be an exciting place.
I'm not going to talk anymore....after a while I stop making logical sense and my mind starts twirling around in space....more to come
Carolyn