A mosquie net and loo roll
A great deal of hand-wash
A collection of sandals
All into a bag to squash.
Medication for movements
That I pray feel okay
And a couple of tickets
or two for the way.
Passport and visa in small plastic case
Keys and pashminas and cleanser for face
Toothpaste and pyjamas in plentiful supply
Just under nine hours over ocean to fly.
Sunglasses and hairdryer to help with the frizz
And Deet in generous layers applied at each zizz
Splat'em with haste as they go zooming by
No Malaria tablets needed, they say, for Mumbai.
Eyes keep them downwards and no shaking hands
Dreading that in toilets I have heard that one stands
Wash out your glasses, wipe over your plate
Check water seals for contamination state.
Tipping and bowing and generally trying
To get through the crowds with those temperatures frying
Talking of which it is probably best
To eat deeply fried than their salads so dressed.
I have heard that the water there upsets your tummy
So hoping there's something I decide to find yummy
Asking the waiter for everything bland
This delicate stomach they won't understand.
No chilli, no meat, nothing too spicy
India for me will be definitely dicey.
Lining the intestine with heaps of probiotic
The precautions I am taking may sound idiotic.
Hoping that I come back relatively in tact
From 'Indaba does India action-packed'
Out to see a culture that's all for discovering
And a gospel that God there is obviously recovering.
The Anglican church with some Indian flavour
And a people encountering the love of our Saviour.
Let's hope you've a moment that may be happenstance
ReplyDeleteWhen you encounter the native religions of open tolerance:
The Jains, for whom even the smallest they cannot mar;
The Hindus, for whom your Jesus is an avatar -
And Buddha, with them, who is later than Krishna,
Whose own path is guided in exile by the Dalai Lama;
And not least the Sikhs with their guru book with hymns,
And then those Muslims who commanded across those lands.
And there's a little religion, so don't make such a fuss
That had its place possibly from a chap called Thomas.
So many faiths and all with strong roots:
Puts into perspective little Anglican disputes.
Yes, I wonder if these other faiths do Indaba style conversation across their differences and contexts - hope so.
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