Metaphor

I've been posting way too many pictures of myself lately, which, to be fair, is a testament to the fact that several folks, most notably my students, have snapped some decent shots of me (a very rare occurrence).  Here's a picture of me in the Indian city of Nashik, early into our recent trip (I'll have much more to say about it later).  To me this picture is somewhere between a summary and a metaphor for my entire teaching career: I'm overseas and I'm backed by a small mountain of dried cow shit.

Nashik was fascinating, and served as a lovely transition away from Mumbai (itself, obviously, an indelible part of India) to a more traditional aspect of Indian life.  The dried cow pies were set aside as a fuel source for the celebratory bonfires that would mark the beginning of Holi. As always, I effortlessly blend into my surroundings. [Hint: I'm the one in the middle.]