See Rachel Run!

One of the hardest things to adjust to in India is the fact that I am stared at wherever I go. Yesterday I traveled to Mumbai on a medical trip with one of the children and, especially in the train stations, I attracted attention by just breathing. I realize that my fair hair and sunburned nose will always keep me disappearing in the crowd, but you’d think I’d just sprouted a third arm or turned purple.
When we boarded our train to come back to Igatpuri, we climbed onto the wrong car. We were assigned to car S10, so logically we climbed onto the car next to S9. Unfortunatly, logic did not prevail, since the S10 car was conveniently located at the other end of the train. Since we were not allowed to pass through the air-conditioned first class cars which stood between us and our destination, the only option was to make a run for it when the train stopped at the next station. We had about thirty seconds to pass twelve cars and make it to our own.
You can imagine it, can’t you? The sweating, sunburned American at full speed, weaving through crowds of passengers, dupatta streaming out behind her. And, of course, hundreds of pairs of eyes followed my dash down the whole length of the platform, watching the white girl run.
We found our seats in the proper car and I propped my feet up and watched Mumbai fade away through the bars on the window. I was lost in the Maharashtra landscape for some time before I noticed a man a few seats over watching me. He spent the rest of the two-hour train ride staring in my direction. Non maliciously, not suggestively, just…staring. I’m not even sure that he blinked. Oh well. I turned back to the window and decided to just let it go. Its just one part of the whole cross-cultural adventure. But honestly, could anyone possibly be that interesting?