Bhagavad Clinton?

Not too much going on today, as I’ve got a case of Delhi Belly – or so they call it. Luckily, medicine is super cheap here. I paid a little less than $2 for a series of antibiotics and some vitamins. It’s a real shame what a rip off prescription drugs are in the U.S. Can’t we do something about that??

Anyhow, I happened to get a very talkative cab driver today on the way back from the doctor. He didn’t speak much English, but knew enough to say “Bill Clinton is a very good man. He helps people.” All the while, the man was tying this in to a whole monologue about his sick mother and the helpful man in Andheri (a suburb/neighborhood) who is letting the driver stay in his home rent-free. The cab driver started crying about two or three times – it was so sad. Still not sure how Bill Clinton came up, but it was interesting, indeed.

Clinton is so totally revered here. In fact, he was supposed to be here for a book signing soon, had he not had the heart operation. There are stacks and stacks of books on Clinton and Hillary at the bookstore. It’s almost as if he’s the president right now. If only….

Speaking of books, the Da Vinci Code is HUGE here. All of the street children are selling bootleg copies of it, and they’ll come up to your cab if you’re stopped at a light and try to get you to buy it. Sad thing is, I don’t yet know how to say in Hindi, “Sorry, kid, I already own it.”