...and then the greatest thing happened. The best memory I experienced in my (almost) 3 weeks in Coimbatore thus far. I have had some pretty unforgettable memories in India but this one surpasses them all by a landslide. I'll hold it close to my heart for eternity. We went out for our first fancy dinner since being in the country. The meal was expensive (for Coimbatore) and we had several leftovers. We asked the waiter to parcel the food (parcel=to go) and decided we wanted to give our food to someone who was hungry on the street.After much searching at 10pm as well as being stalked by a middle-aged man, we found an elderly woman selling flowers (for hair)still sitting on the edge of the curb. Hoping to make more sales as the night dragged on. She looked lonely. Very short and clearly malnourished. Dirty from living on the street. It is safe to assume that she knew none of my English but I knelt beside and said, "Excuse me ma'am, do you want this?" Holding the bag out to her. She didn't get it. Not even a little, but she half smiled a very sweet grin anyway. I tried again. "Are you hungry?" I moved the bag even closer to her frail, overworked hands. Instantly, I felt my heart melt of joy as the biggest, missing-teeth smile took over her face. I held my hands out in Namaste, the greatest sign of respect on her native land. I will go to bed with an equally large grin tonight knowing that she is feasting on tandoori vegetables/paneer, romali bread, and naan. It is exactly these kinds of moments that my late father lived for everyday of his life. I know wherever he is now, he is joyed at my simple act of kindness he taught me to embrace so well. xoxo Katie ** To find out what came before (a.k.a. the stalking story), you'll have to wait to hear it in person**