This morning, a local man gave up his seat for me beside this lovely 17-year-old girl named Radna. She had been charging people 5 rupees to weigh themselves on her bathroom scale. We talked about all sorts of things. At one point, she started doing henna on the top of her hand. When she finished, I looked at her work and told her it was beautiful. Without a word, she took my hand and began doing an even more elaborate job, including my fingers and arm. She asked for no money. We continued to talk. Before I left, I gave her some money anyway.

Okay. Full disclosure about my henna friend, Radna: Here is the part I omitted. Indians have such a laugh when I tell this part of the story, I thought that I should share it here.

Remember when I said that Radna took my hand and began doing her henna magic on it? The part I left out was that she took my hand and placed it high on her inner thigh to do her work. Imagine an unending stream of locals and tourists walking past to see a 71-year-old man with his hand on a 17-year-old girl's inner thigh! Locals were unfazed, but tourists looked at me like I was a real filth.

What’s worse, my Essential Tremors decided to kick in during this time, causing my hand to shake a bit. Undaunted, she steadied my hand with her free hand... So now, not only was my hand on her inner thigh, but she was holding it there! Now, we looked like we were holding hands in an area I had no business in.

Awkward and funny at the same time.

My life cracks me up.