I've got a week left until I'm supposed to return to the states. Technically, the US is "home"...it's where I'm from, where I grew up, it's what I know. However, in the last two months, Delhi has become home. You know that feeling you get when you travel somewhere and your heart tells you it's where you belong? I never had that in the Pacific Northwest. It always felt odd. India though, India is where my heart belongs. It's where it will forever stay.
As I've been recollecting my thoughts and looking back through the past couple of months, I've realized I'm going to miss a lot about this place:
1) How they put a green dot on foods to indicate it's vegetarian, and a red to denote non-veg and it's on EVERYTHING. There's no need to guess if it's got meat in it or not...
2) How you can walk anywhere for at least 5 minutes and run into a market...
3) The markets even if they're small, have everything you could need or want on a daily basis...
4) The chemists act as general physician doctors so you don't need to spend extra money if you already know what's ailing you. And then when you need it, the antibiotics or other drugs are really super cheap...
5) Food isn't just a necessity, it's what brings people together. Oh, and as an added bonus, 95% of it is good!!...
6) Vegetarian meals don't seem so odd, you could (at least temporarily) picture yourself not eating meat every again...
7) The lizard(s) that hang out in your room, behind your tube light, and underneath your bed...
8) How people help each other, hidden agendas or not...
9) Seeing children knocking on your car window to buy meaningless crap instead of going to school, and feeling helpless in a messed up world...
10) Getting the material for a shirt for $2.50 and then having a tailor make it to fit your unique body for another $2.50...
11) Nosey Aunty and Uncle who are in everyone's business for the sake of community. Nevermind the fact that they're unfortunately where you live and not down the street...
12) Being stared at like you're some alien from outer space because you're so pale. Then again, the paleness is a sign of beauty so it makes you feel like the prettiest woman on Earth...
13) Driving down the road in a taxi and feeling like you're on Space Mountain in Disneyland, with the lights on...
14) The spirituality India posses, moving you in ways you only dreamed of, making you want to learn more...
15) Never quite feeling as feminine as you did before with the sarees and the jewelry and the bangles and the shoes and everything else that females wear here on a daily basis, because they can...
16) Driving the equivalent of Portland to Seattle for a get-away, but it takes you all day to get there because of the traffic...
17) "Bathing" in the Ganga river and feeling healed although you probably inhaled your fair share of pollutants and deadly diseases...
18) Playing in the Arabian Sea, learning how salty it really is, and watching the sun set over the palm tree lined, white sand beaches...
19) The markets! Ohhhh geez, I'm definitely going to miss the markets! I'm going to miss wandering through the little paths filled with thousands of people looking for good deals. Then haggling prices with the owner who first give you an inflated price because you're white but learn that you've been in the game before and quickly lower their prices so you don't go to the stall down the alleyway which was offering it to you for 200 bucks (Rupees) less...
20) Trying to plan things in advance but having to succumb to the millions of others who will do what they want when they want, and ending up just going with the flow...
21) Learning that even through all of the bad, the good is still 100x better than where you're from...
I really don't want to go back to the US! =(
Showing posts with label Markets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Markets. Show all posts
Monday, May 24, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
The Disgruntled Me
Ugh. I feel the need to vent. Several things are bothering me. While none are pressing issues, collaboratively, they suck! And I feel like listing again.
1) Why the heck are shirts so difficult to find that fit?! Seriously. I've tried finding shirts in the bazaars. They're all weirdly shaped. For 150-325 rupees, I kind of expect it. However, when I go to a department store at a mall, looking to spend 800-1300 rupees, I expect some common sizing.
Now get this: In a bazaar (outdoor market) I found a shirt that was a LARGE. It was just a little small in the chest so the stall owner said if I bought the shirt, he'd extend the size by 2 inches. Cool. So you figure it was now considered an XL, right? Yeah it fit up top but it didn't fit down below due to the high slits on the sides. I went to wear it and I ended up ripping one of the slits. Fudge.
Well I went to a big department store, tried on a couple different shirts. One was too tight in the chest, perfect everywhere else. The other was for obviously narrow shoulder females. I thought I was one...apparently not. Those shirts were by the same vendor and both XXL. What the heck?! All I want is variety. My 5 shirts are getting to me! I also want a long flow-y skirt too but until I find some shirts, I'm not going to even track down the skirt.
1b) To the female who wrote to "Time Out Delhi" (magazine) complaining how Western wear doesn't tailor their outfits to Indian curves: SUCK IT! I have curves and I'm not finding any Indian wear that doesn't need to be independently tailored to fit. I see plenty of chunky chicks here who have clothes that fit. Obviously they're buying cloth and having it hand stitched to fit by some Joe Blow tailor man down the street from their house. While it may be nice to get tailor made clothes, I don't want the hassle. I'd like to simply buy a shirt, have it fit, wear it, enjoy it, the end. That is why Western Wear is so awesome. That is why you want to wear it. You pissed me off to the point where I'm seriously considering sending in a rebuttal to the magazine.
2) The heat is starting to piss me off. I'm handling the 100F+ heat well all things considering. During the day I turn on my AC and all is well. When the sun starts to set I venture out and enjoy the reduced heat and non-glaring sun. Yet it's messing up my plans! Two weekends ago I was supposed to go to Agra. Those plans fell through because of a stupid petrol strike. Whatever! Stuff happens so I can't get mad at that. So, we decided to go this weekend. Then Rahul's car AC went out. Like out out. Not repairable out, has to be replaced for a huge sum out. So out went the plans to Agra (again). If it wasn't so hot, the AC issue wouldn't be an issue. The messed up part is, the Taj Mahal is on my "get it done and out of the way" goals. Seriously, you can't visit India and not see the Taj Mahal! I want to make my way up to the mountains to enjoy the cooler air but I feel guilty at that thought when I should be visiting the Taj.
2b) Then again, if it wasn't so frickin hot I could venture out during the day and not feel pissy about being out instead of in the AC room. I wouldn't have to worry about wiping the beads of sweat off my face/neck/etc. I know I picked the hottest time of the year to visit, but it's also an unusually hot summer. Mother Nature, could you ease up a bit for my sake? Please & Thank you.
2c) Guess this means I need to either stay longer to enjoy this place when it isn't so hot or come back later this year for Diwali and enjoy the "Indian winter"
;)
I feel better. Going shopping again today. Wish me luck! Hopefully I can find something that fits!
1) Why the heck are shirts so difficult to find that fit?! Seriously. I've tried finding shirts in the bazaars. They're all weirdly shaped. For 150-325 rupees, I kind of expect it. However, when I go to a department store at a mall, looking to spend 800-1300 rupees, I expect some common sizing.
Now get this: In a bazaar (outdoor market) I found a shirt that was a LARGE. It was just a little small in the chest so the stall owner said if I bought the shirt, he'd extend the size by 2 inches. Cool. So you figure it was now considered an XL, right? Yeah it fit up top but it didn't fit down below due to the high slits on the sides. I went to wear it and I ended up ripping one of the slits. Fudge.
Well I went to a big department store, tried on a couple different shirts. One was too tight in the chest, perfect everywhere else. The other was for obviously narrow shoulder females. I thought I was one...apparently not. Those shirts were by the same vendor and both XXL. What the heck?! All I want is variety. My 5 shirts are getting to me! I also want a long flow-y skirt too but until I find some shirts, I'm not going to even track down the skirt.
1b) To the female who wrote to "Time Out Delhi" (magazine) complaining how Western wear doesn't tailor their outfits to Indian curves: SUCK IT! I have curves and I'm not finding any Indian wear that doesn't need to be independently tailored to fit. I see plenty of chunky chicks here who have clothes that fit. Obviously they're buying cloth and having it hand stitched to fit by some Joe Blow tailor man down the street from their house. While it may be nice to get tailor made clothes, I don't want the hassle. I'd like to simply buy a shirt, have it fit, wear it, enjoy it, the end. That is why Western Wear is so awesome. That is why you want to wear it. You pissed me off to the point where I'm seriously considering sending in a rebuttal to the magazine.
2) The heat is starting to piss me off. I'm handling the 100F+ heat well all things considering. During the day I turn on my AC and all is well. When the sun starts to set I venture out and enjoy the reduced heat and non-glaring sun. Yet it's messing up my plans! Two weekends ago I was supposed to go to Agra. Those plans fell through because of a stupid petrol strike. Whatever! Stuff happens so I can't get mad at that. So, we decided to go this weekend. Then Rahul's car AC went out. Like out out. Not repairable out, has to be replaced for a huge sum out. So out went the plans to Agra (again). If it wasn't so hot, the AC issue wouldn't be an issue. The messed up part is, the Taj Mahal is on my "get it done and out of the way" goals. Seriously, you can't visit India and not see the Taj Mahal! I want to make my way up to the mountains to enjoy the cooler air but I feel guilty at that thought when I should be visiting the Taj.
2b) Then again, if it wasn't so frickin hot I could venture out during the day and not feel pissy about being out instead of in the AC room. I wouldn't have to worry about wiping the beads of sweat off my face/neck/etc. I know I picked the hottest time of the year to visit, but it's also an unusually hot summer. Mother Nature, could you ease up a bit for my sake? Please & Thank you.
2c) Guess this means I need to either stay longer to enjoy this place when it isn't so hot or come back later this year for Diwali and enjoy the "Indian winter"
;)
I feel better. Going shopping again today. Wish me luck! Hopefully I can find something that fits!
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