My last post may have sounded grouchier than it was meant to be. I'm glad to be here in India. I love Goa, for example; despite its reputation as a stoner dropout zone, it's very quiet these days, and the beaches are beautiful. It's the sort of place where a guy can daydream about running into a girl who looks more or less like Virginie Ledoyen, even if that isn't very likely to happen.

On the other hand, even Goa can manage the occasional classic India moment. A few hours ago, I was on the beach, looking for a shady spot to doze off for a while. I found what looked like the perfect place, between two large boulders, and was about to lie down when I looked in the crevice between the rocks and found--you guessed it--a dead dog. Thanks, India!