Early last week my father checked into the hospital after falling very ill, so I had to unexpectedly cut my India trip short to come back to the States.  I'm sorry to those of you who were expecting to meet me in Bangalore and Mumbai.

My father is still in the hospital recovering.  He had a serious infection which compromised his immune system to a dangerous state.  He's just starting to gain his energy back, and the past few days I've seen his condition stabilize and the doctor declared him "out of danger" 2 days ago.  Even though it's only been 1 week, when I compare where I was 1 week ago when I made my last blog entry vs. today, it really brings home the fact that life can change suddenly.

Overall I had a great trip to India, and I plan to go back soon.  I had the pleasure of meeting the President of India, as well as a few notable professors.  I got to spend time with the India academic team, which was really great.  My next trip will focus more on Southern India, and I hope I'll be able to spend time in the places I didn't get to go this time.

The trip back to the States ended up being a very frustrating experience.  I was already worried about my father, and the last minute changes to my flights added to the stress.  My flight on Air Canada from New Delhi to Toronto was delayed without explanation for almost 2 hours.  Once I got to Toronto, I had to go through both the Canadian customs and the US customs, which made me miss my connection from Toronto to San Francisco.  The next direct flight was 6 hours later, so I had to be re-routed: Toronto to Denver, and then wait in Denver for an available Denver to San Francisco flight.  It's a good thing I didn't check any luggage, because I'm not sure I would have gotten them on the other end given the number of changes.  In all, I spent nearly 30 hours in planes and airports from when I arrived at the New Delhi airport to my arrival at the San Francisco airport.

After I landed, I headed straight to the hospital.  Mom and dad were both glad to see me, and even though dad was connected to a bunch of tubes, he did his best to let me know he was going to be all right.  Over the next few days, mom and I saw his condition improve then worsen then improve again.  I have a newfound appreciation for doctors, nurses, the advances in medicine, as well as insights into hospitals and how things work.

I also learned how fragile life can be.  And how when the chips are down, it's your family and friends who carry you through.  And how things suddenly become so simple when there's an emergency.  

But most of all, I learned that the time you spend with people is the most precious gift you can give someone.