W.O.

[Yes, Denise – that one’s for you!] So – along my travels yesterday, I made friends with a local (political) celebrity. While having some masala dosa in an outdoor garden restaurant ("truck stop") on our way to Halebid & Belur, my travelling companions’ eyes opened wide and they smiled and nodded as if the Pope were approaching. Well, the man was wearing white – but not quite the pontiff robes. He disappeared into the “special people zone” (i.e., where the tea is hot and the bathrooms are clean) and they excitedly told me that he was Deve Gowda [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._D._Deve_Gowda] – a political figure that was the 12th Prime Minister of India and the former Chief Minister of Karnataka, is still head of the Janta Dal (Secular) political party, and reportedly owns more than half the acreage in the State of Karnataka.

So you know what happened, folks: I was on a mission!

We finished our breakfast snack and didn’t know whether he was napping back there in the Special People Zone or what?! Next thing you know, he appears through the underbrush and my friend’s fiancé makes a run for him. Cameras get tossed, “handlers” clear for the shot, and I’m making a photo stop with local royalty. :-) God, I love this country! My friends swear he was smiling (??? maybe on the inside?). They told me it was fortunate he agreed to the photo because most higher level politicos (him included) are well known for “snobbing” the people they serve and walking away without even an acknowledgement. I can never vote for him… I cannot contribute to his causes or campaigns… and my friends say it’s just amazing he agreed to a shot with “the American girl”… and he’s smiling!