I hosted a couple from San Francisco at my guest house for three weeks. They arrived in Varanasi five weeks ago and initially stayed at a guest house near Assi Ghat for two weeks. Unfortunately, they were uncomfortable there because the bed in their room was not to their liking. They learned about my guest house through Megan, one of my guests, whom they met at a café. Megan brought them to my place, and they enjoyed it so much that they decided to spend the rest of their time in Varanasi with us. Both of them are psychologists from San Francisco.

They were eager to learn Hindi and tabla while in Varanasi. I introduced them to the Indian classical music school next door, where Uncle Sam was impressed and decided to take tabla lessons. Binit, the Hindi teacher, taught them the language. They showed a strong interest in social work, having already been involved with Bal Ashram before arriving. I also took them to Lok Samiti to show them the organization’s work, and they were deeply impressed. They even asked Nandlal Master, the president of Lok Samiti, if they could assist with his efforts.

Uncle Sam and Auntie Mar were wonderful guests. Even though their stay was only three weeks, we developed a strong bond, and I miss them now. Uncle Sam kindly gave me a netbook, which will be incredibly useful for me during power cuts and while traveling.