Jaipur: Week 1

     Jaipur is a beautiful city that sits in the heart of Rajasthan. It was settled in 1727 by the Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the king of Amber. Rajas of old built marble castles with towering forts surrounding their prized land. The jewel of kings, it sits erect and powerful. Dusty roads wind through an endless funnel of small shops selling deep fried samosas, mounds of red and yellow spices, ginger masala chai, sticky Gulab Jaamin, and curried omelettes. Rose-colored buildings lace the sky with an almost Parisian glow. Our neighborhood keeps a busy pace throughout the day with the constant buzz of rickshaw beeps and bicycle bells, pounding hammers and giggly school kids. From my window, I watch two small figures work on a construction project. A mother with a bright orange sari sits behind what looks like a five year old boy as he scrapes concrete into a bucket. They're taking turns. I study them  for a while, observing their movements. I feel a tinge of sadness for them. I notice the mother talking with her son while he smears the white paste back and forth, her wide mouth moving quickly and his tiny body moving mechanically like a puppet on a string. He smiles while he works. I'm not sad anymore. A life well-lived is one made up of bits of happiness as we work our days under the sun. That amber sun hangs low over this hazy city and I close the curtain on my first week in Jaipur.