Agra fell through again. While I am bummed about not getting to see the Taj Mahal, part of me is okay with it. Temperatures reached 46C this weekend and that does not make for a pleasant trip to see one of the greatest monuments ever created. I'm convinced I need to come back in October/November when the weather is nice and enjoy the Taj and Diwali!
There is serious talk of going to the hills this weekend. Apparently Rahul, Sid, Shweta, another couple, and I are going as of current. You never completely know who will go when it comes to this bunch. I hope that the plans don't fall through. Of all the things I'd like to do right now, going to the hills so I can enjoy nice weather is on the top of that list! Not only that, Shweta's birthday is coming up. It's customary for the birthday boy or girl to “gift” to their friends. Opposite to how it is in the US so I think I'll find a gift for Shweta this week!
A few nights ago I had the pleasure of meeting one of Rahul's friends. Her name is Taposhri (Taps for short). The three of us went to Sanchos (a Mexican restaurant in CP) as I was hungering for some good Mexican food. The problem is, every cuisine undeniably has a twist per the region it's in. While Mexican is pretty authentic in the US, it's not the same in India. It's been Indian-ized. I had horchata which they simply called “Rice Water”. I was also teased slightly for drinking rice water. It was probably the closest thing on the menu to being authentic. Made with real rice too! ;) We spent a couple hours just chatting away, nibbling on nachos and chimichangas. Taps lives in England visiting to get a visa to Sweden to do research for her Ph.D. Unfortunately for her, she's trapped here right now due to the volcano mess. I felt like I connected with her views on life. I really enjoyed my night.
Side note: No matter where you are in the world, there is always someone who thinks/feels/views life the same way that you do. This is why I don't understand why there's war in the world.
Yesterday Rahul took me to Flavors, the “authentic” Italian restaurant in Defence Colony. It felt like a date, which was actually pretty nice. Rahul's car is being worked on so he took an auto to my place where we walked to Flavors which is a good 7 blocks away or so. Along the way we talked and admired the houses. When we got to Flavors, we browsed through the menu; I picked bruschetta, Rahul picked a cheese/mushroom pizza. The bruschetta was delicious but I didn't care for the taste of the mushrooms on the pizza. Rahul thought the opposite. After, we split a brownie/ice cream dessert which was yummy! Instead of walking back with full tummies, we took an auto back to my house where he dropped me off.
I've run out of shampoo. I've skipped a couple days of washing my hair and tried using my dry shampoo which didn't work so well. Today I actually used my body wash. While I believe it did an amazing job at cleaning my hair, and I didn't have to use conditioner, the thought of using body wash to clean hair is weird. So I walked to a convenience store a few blocks from my house to get shampoo. Stupid me THOUGHT I grabbed a shampoo. I didn't realize until I got home that it was conditioner. Shoot.
Oh the way back, I saw this man and woman walking hand-in-hand down the middle of the road. They were elderly. The man looked like his face was painted like a dog and was walking with a stick! I tried to do a double take quickly. They were peasants and I think they were asking me for money. Unfortunately for them, I don't speak Hindi so I don't know for sure. They could have put a curse on me. Who knows! That was definitely the craziest thing I've seen. If anyone in India can think of what was really going on there, I'd appreciate some insight!!!
I went to a mall with Rahul one night after he got off work. The only place that was open by the time we got there was a bookstore. I bought three books, 100 rupees each. I've already read 2 of them. I'm so glad I bought more than one. We told the bookstore guy that I wanted something humorous and he laid out “romantic” books. Apparently females here don't read anything BUT love stories. They are good though. It gives good insight into how messed up teenagers are here. The books are obviously influenced by Bollywood movies where American teenage books are influenced by Hollywood. If I had a choice, I'd rather my kid want the romance of Bollywood movies than American sexscapades.
I will have to find more books to read. It helps pass the time during the middle of the day when it's too hot to venture out or my skin would boil.
The lizard keeps coming in and out of my room through the crack in the bottom of the door. He hides under the bed and under the voltage regulator under my table. Oh...and behind my wardrobe and behind the tube light. The shock of having a lizard in my room has waned. It's actually kind of cute!!! As long as I don't wake up to it on the bed or find it in a shoe, I think I'll survive with wildlife finding it's way into my room. Bugs are in a different category. I hate bugs.
That was my “quick” update to what's been going on.
Tuesday, April 20, 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!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Food In America Vs. India
I've been here less than a month and judging by the way my pants fit, I've probably lost a good 10 pounds or so. Really I'm not eating less but I've started to realize some of the key differences between the two countries which might be contributing to my weight loss.
1)The Heat – While it's not particularly about the food per se, the heat in this country has a lot to do with the food combinations that go on in India. For example, onions apparently are good for you in the heat. You'll find onions in almost all of the food. Scary, I'm learning to eat them. Still can't consume onions by their lonesome but I can eat fresh onions mixed with other food. Not only that, the heat causes people to eat less and drink more. Water is everywhere. And although soft drinks are too, the variety is limited and the caloric value is actually less per serving than in the US. Go figure. People drink Coke for a special occasion, not 8 cans a day everyday (you know who you are).
2)Preservatives – Wow. I couldn't figure out why all packaged foods have expiration dates. ALL. Even dry soup packets, which would last an eternity in the US, have expiration dates. Then, I started looking at the ingredient list of the packages. Amazingly, I can pronounce every single ingredient in the package. No preservatives or weird chemical names. I'm willing to bet that the chemical makeup of the foods in the US is the reason why obesity is such a huge problem. I'm still eating. Since my Delhi Belly has corrected itself, I've been eating more. Yet, my pants are continually growing and my belt needs some new holes because it's getting too big.
3)Knowledge is Power – You won't find every other commercial on the TV some new drug promising to correct everything that's wrong with you at the expense of some new problem (side effects). At the same time, Diabetes is a problem in this country. And judging by the amount of road-side advertisements, sugar-free products, etc that this country has, it is either a very big problem, or this country is making sure that people are aware of the dangers of Diabetes. Not only that, it seems like India is going out of it's way to provide enough information so one doesn't have to rely on 10 different Diabetes drugs to live.
4)Dining Out – I'm not sure if it's because I'm trying to be health conscious or if the portions are really out of control, but one dish at a restaurant is about four servings. While I usually share orders with others or take 4 days to consume, I've also noticed others doing the same when out (i.e. sharing). I remember going to Goa Sizzlers (which is like a sizzler platter). For some reason, the four of us (Rahul, Sid, Shweta, and I) ordered our own platters while every other table only had one or two for the tables. We realized when the food came, that it was just way too much. We should have ordered two sizzlers for the four of us. Even then, there still would have been left-overs. What's even better, the only fast food in this country is KFC, McDonald's, and Subway. However, it's really not fast food. There's no drive-thru windows. You have to go in and order your food, sit down, and eat. Or order for delivery. I've yet to visit any of these establishments because we have them back home and I'd rather have good food. I guess I should try one some day just for more comparison. All restaurants I've visited use more fresh ingredients, less frozen reconstituted crap.
5)Fresh Foods – The chicken isn't force fed grain. The chicken eggs are amazing. Mutton, pork, sea food...they're all fresh(er) and less engineered. It's obvious when you taste the food. Produce is usually local too. It's like when you buy local fruits back home and bite into that crispy apple.
I really wish the US would take a cue from other countries and learn to rely less on the drug companies and more on the farming communities for food choices. I'm happy that there is a movement in the United States for co-op farming or farming markets but I wish that it was more main-stream and less expensive so those who have health concerns can enjoy eating right.
1)The Heat – While it's not particularly about the food per se, the heat in this country has a lot to do with the food combinations that go on in India. For example, onions apparently are good for you in the heat. You'll find onions in almost all of the food. Scary, I'm learning to eat them. Still can't consume onions by their lonesome but I can eat fresh onions mixed with other food. Not only that, the heat causes people to eat less and drink more. Water is everywhere. And although soft drinks are too, the variety is limited and the caloric value is actually less per serving than in the US. Go figure. People drink Coke for a special occasion, not 8 cans a day everyday (you know who you are).
2)Preservatives – Wow. I couldn't figure out why all packaged foods have expiration dates. ALL. Even dry soup packets, which would last an eternity in the US, have expiration dates. Then, I started looking at the ingredient list of the packages. Amazingly, I can pronounce every single ingredient in the package. No preservatives or weird chemical names. I'm willing to bet that the chemical makeup of the foods in the US is the reason why obesity is such a huge problem. I'm still eating. Since my Delhi Belly has corrected itself, I've been eating more. Yet, my pants are continually growing and my belt needs some new holes because it's getting too big.
3)Knowledge is Power – You won't find every other commercial on the TV some new drug promising to correct everything that's wrong with you at the expense of some new problem (side effects). At the same time, Diabetes is a problem in this country. And judging by the amount of road-side advertisements, sugar-free products, etc that this country has, it is either a very big problem, or this country is making sure that people are aware of the dangers of Diabetes. Not only that, it seems like India is going out of it's way to provide enough information so one doesn't have to rely on 10 different Diabetes drugs to live.
4)Dining Out – I'm not sure if it's because I'm trying to be health conscious or if the portions are really out of control, but one dish at a restaurant is about four servings. While I usually share orders with others or take 4 days to consume, I've also noticed others doing the same when out (i.e. sharing). I remember going to Goa Sizzlers (which is like a sizzler platter). For some reason, the four of us (Rahul, Sid, Shweta, and I) ordered our own platters while every other table only had one or two for the tables. We realized when the food came, that it was just way too much. We should have ordered two sizzlers for the four of us. Even then, there still would have been left-overs. What's even better, the only fast food in this country is KFC, McDonald's, and Subway. However, it's really not fast food. There's no drive-thru windows. You have to go in and order your food, sit down, and eat. Or order for delivery. I've yet to visit any of these establishments because we have them back home and I'd rather have good food. I guess I should try one some day just for more comparison. All restaurants I've visited use more fresh ingredients, less frozen reconstituted crap.
5)Fresh Foods – The chicken isn't force fed grain. The chicken eggs are amazing. Mutton, pork, sea food...they're all fresh(er) and less engineered. It's obvious when you taste the food. Produce is usually local too. It's like when you buy local fruits back home and bite into that crispy apple.
I really wish the US would take a cue from other countries and learn to rely less on the drug companies and more on the farming communities for food choices. I'm happy that there is a movement in the United States for co-op farming or farming markets but I wish that it was more main-stream and less expensive so those who have health concerns can enjoy eating right.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
India Gate / Qutb Minar / Lotus Temple / SHOPPING!
As I sit here eating my DELICIOUS food from the Sagar Ratna Veg Restaurant in Defence Colony, I decided it'd be a good time to update my blog with a little sight-seeing activities. First off, let me tell you what I'm eating because I am in heaven right now. I have on my plate butter naan (bread), dal (lentils), and a lady finger (okra) dish which I don't know what it's called but it's heavenly.
Friday, Rahul and I spent the evening visiting the India Gate in the central part of Delhi. The place is a common pick nick area for Indian families and I was the only non-Indian, that I saw anyway, the whole evening. India Gate was created as a memorial for all the Indian soldiers who fought in WWI and the Afghan War. It's a grand memorial, with the names of fallen soldiers inscribed around the whole gate. I tried really hard to get a good photo of some names but my camera needed a tripod for the “night mode” and flash does not work at night in India. In the center of the India Gate lays the tomb of the unknown soldier; or in Hindi, “Amar Jawan Jyoti”. The flame at the tomb burns year round. Rahul said that the President of India comes every year to light the flame but Wikipedia does not mention that so I'm not sure which is correct.
Very near to the India Gate is an empty canopy. I asked Rahul what it was for as it looked to be 10 times as ancient as the gate, but he had no idea. Wikipedia says it used to house a statue of King George V, which is now housed somewhere else. Again, my pictures weren't so great but this was truly as amazing as the India Gate. There was a moat surrounding the canopy a beautiful garden surrounding the moat. We decided we'd come back again during the day some time to get better shots. My Lonely Planet guide book should have mentioned that place.
We visited the Qutb Minar and the Lotus Temple today. It was 41C (106F) today and all things considering, I survived the heat fairly well.
We set out for the Qutb Minar first. Spent about an hour/hour and a half there before I got so parched that my head was starting to hurt and we decided that it wasn't worth getting heat stroke. Honestly, this place is amazing! I thought the Qutb Minar was just a pillar...maybe surrounded by a garden, but it's housed around an ancient house or mosque (I'm not sure which one or if both). There are several tombs of rulers within this complex.
Firstly, I want to point out the price difference to get into this place. Rahul paid 10 Rupees ($.22USD). I paid 250 Rupees ($5.50USD). Rahul got mad over the huge difference but really, it's only $5.50 to visit the largest brick minaret in the world. Not only that, I can see why they charge that. No Indian would pay 250 to visit the Qutb Minar, but EVERY foreigner would. And they do.
The Qutb Minar stands at 72.5 meters (238 feet) tall and is slightly slanted to one side. I don't think it has to do with poor design like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Most minarets built near structures (the Taj Mahal is another example) lean out from the main building so that if there is an earthquake and the minaret falls, it won't ruin the building. The structure took three rulers and 193 to complete. If you look at the minaret, you can see where each ruler added to the piece and their distinctive styles. There was also plans to build another, bigger minaret within the Qutb complex, but it never surpassed 12 meters. This too slightly leans. The Qutb Minar Complex is the most visited Indian monument, surpassing the amount of visitors to the Taj Mahal every year.
This complex was amazing. Every piece of wall featured hand carved detailing. I feel sorry for those who had to do this kind of work, but it's stood for over a thousand years and will stand for some time longer; they've done an fantastic job! Even the Qutb Minar has hand carved writing featuring piece of the Qur'an. Yes, it is an Islamic piece of art, but minarets tend to be Muslim =) No one is 100% sure why this one was created but historians believe it was either a pillar of victory for the Islamic rulers of the area, a watch tower, or just a simple minaret to call prayer to the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque.
After we found paani (Hindi word for “water”), we set off for lunch at Ruby Tuesday. Yeahhhhh, I know. Not very Indian of me. Then, we visited the Lotus Temple, or Bahai House of Worship. We didn't get to the inside of the building. There was a huge line to get in, the heat was causing a severe headache, and I figured I could visit when most Indians were working (Tuesday – Friday, Monday the place is closed). I did get some good pictures of the outside. Even when I go back, pictures of the inside aren't allowed so it's not like you'll be missing out on much until then. The Bahai House of Worship is open to all religions due to the Bahai faith which has no religious denomination restrictions. However, some restrictions to this temple are that you can only chant/read scriptures, and sing only with a choir, not a band. There are no altars and no sermons can be performed from any Bahai House of Worship (not just the Lotus Temple).
Once we left the Lotus Temple, we set off to do some shopping for the week. I grew tired of listening to “You're shirt may be too revealing, can you pull it up?” Rahul took me to a shopping area that I had apparently been to before but didn't recognize. It's not far from my apartment, only a couple kilometers and across the highway. While trying to find a place to park, I spotted a store which said it sold Dupattas (Scarves). I said the word out loud because it sounded like it'd be fun to say. Du-pot-ahs. Rahul said they would most definitely have the scarves which I sought. He didn't see the store sign so I'm glad I decided to be foolish or we would have been all over the place trying to find a dupatta. We found a plain black dupatta for only 110 Rupees ($2.62USD). It needs to be stretched out a bit but it will be perfect for wearing over my shirts so I don't have to worry about offending anyone or making some Indian pervert horny. I wanted to get one or two more because of the price but Rahul told me to wait to see how well it holds up. If it's good, we'd come back and get more. Then we did some grocery shopping. The fruit/vegetable stand was a mere fraction of the cost of the Defence Colony market; same with the milk, toilet paper, and other foods. After market shopping, we ordered food from Sagar's to be delivered, bought some water, and came back to my place.
It was definitely a productive day / weekend. I enjoyed every bit of it.
Very near to the India Gate is an empty canopy. I asked Rahul what it was for as it looked to be 10 times as ancient as the gate, but he had no idea. Wikipedia says it used to house a statue of King George V, which is now housed somewhere else. Again, my pictures weren't so great but this was truly as amazing as the India Gate. There was a moat surrounding the canopy a beautiful garden surrounding the moat. We decided we'd come back again during the day some time to get better shots. My Lonely Planet guide book should have mentioned that place.We visited the Qutb Minar and the Lotus Temple today. It was 41C (106F) today and all things considering, I survived the heat fairly well.
Firstly, I want to point out the price difference to get into this place. Rahul paid 10 Rupees ($.22USD). I paid 250 Rupees ($5.50USD). Rahul got mad over the huge difference but really, it's only $5.50 to visit the largest brick minaret in the world. Not only that, I can see why they charge that. No Indian would pay 250 to visit the Qutb Minar, but EVERY foreigner would. And they do.
The Qutb Minar stands at 72.5 meters (238 feet) tall and is slightly slanted to one side. I don't think it has to do with poor design like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Most minarets built near structures (the Taj Mahal is another example) lean out from the main building so that if there is an earthquake and the minaret falls, it won't ruin the building. The structure took three rulers and 193 to complete. If you look at the minaret, you can see where each ruler added to the piece and their distinctive styles. There was also plans to build another, bigger minaret within the Qutb complex, but it never surpassed 12 meters. This too slightly leans. The Qutb Minar Complex is the most visited Indian monument, surpassing the amount of visitors to the Taj Mahal every year. 
This complex was amazing. Every piece of wall featured hand carved detailing. I feel sorry for those who had to do this kind of work, but it's stood for over a thousand years and will stand for some time longer; they've done an fantastic job! Even the Qutb Minar has hand carved writing featuring piece of the Qur'an. Yes, it is an Islamic piece of art, but minarets tend to be Muslim =) No one is 100% sure why this one was created but historians believe it was either a pillar of victory for the Islamic rulers of the area, a watch tower, or just a simple minaret to call prayer to the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque. 
After we found paani (Hindi word for “water”), we set off for lunch at Ruby Tuesday. Yeahhhhh, I know. Not very Indian of me. Then, we visited the Lotus Temple, or Bahai House of Worship. We didn't get to the inside of the building. There was a huge line to get in, the heat was causing a severe headache, and I figured I could visit when most Indians were working (Tuesday – Friday, Monday the place is closed). I did get some good pictures of the outside. Even when I go back, pictures of the inside aren't allowed so it's not like you'll be missing out on much until then. The Bahai House of Worship is open to all religions due to the Bahai faith which has no religious denomination restrictions. However, some restrictions to this temple are that you can only chant/read scriptures, and sing only with a choir, not a band. There are no altars and no sermons can be performed from any Bahai House of Worship (not just the Lotus Temple).Once we left the Lotus Temple, we set off to do some shopping for the week. I grew tired of listening to “You're shirt may be too revealing, can you pull it up?” Rahul took me to a shopping area that I had apparently been to before but didn't recognize. It's not far from my apartment, only a couple kilometers and across the highway. While trying to find a place to park, I spotted a store which said it sold Dupattas (Scarves). I said the word out loud because it sounded like it'd be fun to say. Du-pot-ahs. Rahul said they would most definitely have the scarves which I sought. He didn't see the store sign so I'm glad I decided to be foolish or we would have been all over the place trying to find a dupatta. We found a plain black dupatta for only 110 Rupees ($2.62USD). It needs to be stretched out a bit but it will be perfect for wearing over my shirts so I don't have to worry about offending anyone or making some Indian pervert horny. I wanted to get one or two more because of the price but Rahul told me to wait to see how well it holds up. If it's good, we'd come back and get more. Then we did some grocery shopping. The fruit/vegetable stand was a mere fraction of the cost of the Defence Colony market; same with the milk, toilet paper, and other foods. After market shopping, we ordered food from Sagar's to be delivered, bought some water, and came back to my place.
It was definitely a productive day / weekend. I enjoyed every bit of it.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Cleaning Clothes / Taking A Bath
I thought I'd take a break from my normal journal posts to write a bit about how the every day Indian washes their clothes and takes a bath. This may shock some, but I assure you, it's not as bad as it seems.
The Bucket and Mug
These two little items make up your bath tub/shower, washing machine, and in my situation, the cleaning bucket. They come in various sizes and colors, and most families would have more than one. I can't give an exact price because I don't have my receipt and I bought a lot of stuff that day; however, I believe I got the combo from the store for the inflated price of around 250 rupees ($5.95USD).
Taking A Bath
At first, these two little items made my heart sink. All I wanted was running water! While you will find that most homes also feature a shower head, you'll also find that they're calcified from the hard water and end up spraying everything down in the room. As you can see in my bathroom, there's no divider between the toilet, sink, and shower. Technically you could stand by the toilet and take a bath but I don't see how hygienic that would actually be. This bathroom may look dirty but I spent a good two hours or so scrubbing everything with all-purpose cleaner. Compared to the before, it's not so bad. Actually, it's the same with the toilet but that's getting off topic so I digress...
To take a bath, simply turn on the hot water heater (they call is a giser like an old geeser not giser as in Old Faithful), turn on the water and fill the bucket. Then you proceed to take a bath by using the mug to pour the water from the bucket wherever you feel necessary. I've grown quite fond of this method. Of course, it's always warm in India so I don't have to worry about stepping out of a hot shower to a cold room. It also saves on water. I believe this method first started due to water shortages but it's become the norm in this country. Every place I've stayed at so far has featured a bucket and mug, some more slimy than others.
Cleaning Clothes
I'm still not sure of this method and if I'm even doing it right. However, no one has questioned my methods so I'm going to assume it's being done correctly. Since not everyone can afford a washing machine OR has the place to put a washing machine, clothes are cleaned in buckets. I guess I could hire a maid to do my laundry for me but I can't see spending the money when I could do it myself while hiding from the 104F heat. Not only that, having a maid wash my “intimates” seems a little weird.
To wash clothes, simply fill up the bucket with water (I use warm to hot water, never cold since I don't have a dryer), add detergent, add clothes, and agitate with 10 lovely digits. I use the clothes to scrub together if there's a stain on something. So far, I've been pretty successful in getting out stains I've accumulated. Then I let them soak in the water for 20 or so minutes, scrub again, and then rinse with running water. After I've rinsed them, I wring out the extra water and set up on my clothes line to dry. Right now, my line is in my kitchen. I'd put it outside somewhere but the state is covering the water (i.e. sewer) line across the street and there's dust everywhere outside. Heck, it manages to find it's way inside too! The minute I would set my wet clothes outside to dry, everything would turn into dust magnets. No bueno.
So there you have it. The Indian way of cleaning one's self and their clothes.
The Bucket and Mug
These two little items make up your bath tub/shower, washing machine, and in my situation, the cleaning bucket. They come in various sizes and colors, and most families would have more than one. I can't give an exact price because I don't have my receipt and I bought a lot of stuff that day; however, I believe I got the combo from the store for the inflated price of around 250 rupees ($5.95USD).
Taking A Bath
At first, these two little items made my heart sink. All I wanted was running water! While you will find that most homes also feature a shower head, you'll also find that they're calcified from the hard water and end up spraying everything down in the room. As you can see in my bathroom, there's no divider between the toilet, sink, and shower. Technically you could stand by the toilet and take a bath but I don't see how hygienic that would actually be. This bathroom may look dirty but I spent a good two hours or so scrubbing everything with all-purpose cleaner. Compared to the before, it's not so bad. Actually, it's the same with the toilet but that's getting off topic so I digress...
To take a bath, simply turn on the hot water heater (they call is a giser like an old geeser not giser as in Old Faithful), turn on the water and fill the bucket. Then you proceed to take a bath by using the mug to pour the water from the bucket wherever you feel necessary. I've grown quite fond of this method. Of course, it's always warm in India so I don't have to worry about stepping out of a hot shower to a cold room. It also saves on water. I believe this method first started due to water shortages but it's become the norm in this country. Every place I've stayed at so far has featured a bucket and mug, some more slimy than others.
Cleaning Clothes
I'm still not sure of this method and if I'm even doing it right. However, no one has questioned my methods so I'm going to assume it's being done correctly. Since not everyone can afford a washing machine OR has the place to put a washing machine, clothes are cleaned in buckets. I guess I could hire a maid to do my laundry for me but I can't see spending the money when I could do it myself while hiding from the 104F heat. Not only that, having a maid wash my “intimates” seems a little weird.
To wash clothes, simply fill up the bucket with water (I use warm to hot water, never cold since I don't have a dryer), add detergent, add clothes, and agitate with 10 lovely digits. I use the clothes to scrub together if there's a stain on something. So far, I've been pretty successful in getting out stains I've accumulated. Then I let them soak in the water for 20 or so minutes, scrub again, and then rinse with running water. After I've rinsed them, I wring out the extra water and set up on my clothes line to dry. Right now, my line is in my kitchen. I'd put it outside somewhere but the state is covering the water (i.e. sewer) line across the street and there's dust everywhere outside. Heck, it manages to find it's way inside too! The minute I would set my wet clothes outside to dry, everything would turn into dust magnets. No bueno.
So there you have it. The Indian way of cleaning one's self and their clothes.
Monday, April 5, 2010
One Goal Complete!
I learned Cricket! Today I went to a cricket match (IPL league Delhi vs Bangalore) and Delhi won. I've had people try to explain the game but it never made any sense. 10 minutes into sitting down at the game, it all clicked. Okay, maybe not all but pretty close to it.
The tickets said no cameras so I took pics/videos on my phone. Will update them tomorrow morning. One of the guys in front of us was so into the game, he was dancing around and carrying on. And then they started playing Punjabi music and the guys in the crowd would literally stand up and stand on their seats, fingers pointed in the air, and their shoulders would start twitching in time to the beat. It was AWESOME until the top balcony would start throwing paper over the balcony and hitting people. When Rahul and I got to the stadium, the area was relatively clean. After, it was the biggest shit-hole of a mess. Imagine a football game afterward and all the garbage everywhere, and multiply it by about 100; that was this stadium.
We had to park so far away from the stadium and I wore the wrong flip-flops and now I have a blister on each foot. I guess that means I gotta take it easy tomorrow :( I was looking forward to walking to the market and picking up some food and maybe another bunch of flowers for my room.
Oh, and when Rahul dropped me off, I swear I heard a monkey up in the tree! I saw a bat fly over head but as I walked up to the gate, I heard what sounded like a monkey! I stopped, looked up at the trees, but there was nothing there and the trees weren't moving. Maybe it was the bat? So I closed the gate and started to walk to my room, and I heard the sound again! So I stopped and was 85% sure it was a monkey, then realized that I was all alone and I had nothing to protect me if a monkey decided to come down from the tree and "play"...and then I walked VERY quickly to my room, locked the door and then called Rahul to see if monkeys did hang out in Delhi. Sure enough, they do in the residential areas but it's not very common.
To recap, I've had an "encounter" with an elephant and now a monkey (which I couldn't actually see).
Welcome to India
The tickets said no cameras so I took pics/videos on my phone. Will update them tomorrow morning. One of the guys in front of us was so into the game, he was dancing around and carrying on. And then they started playing Punjabi music and the guys in the crowd would literally stand up and stand on their seats, fingers pointed in the air, and their shoulders would start twitching in time to the beat. It was AWESOME until the top balcony would start throwing paper over the balcony and hitting people. When Rahul and I got to the stadium, the area was relatively clean. After, it was the biggest shit-hole of a mess. Imagine a football game afterward and all the garbage everywhere, and multiply it by about 100; that was this stadium.
We had to park so far away from the stadium and I wore the wrong flip-flops and now I have a blister on each foot. I guess that means I gotta take it easy tomorrow :( I was looking forward to walking to the market and picking up some food and maybe another bunch of flowers for my room.
Oh, and when Rahul dropped me off, I swear I heard a monkey up in the tree! I saw a bat fly over head but as I walked up to the gate, I heard what sounded like a monkey! I stopped, looked up at the trees, but there was nothing there and the trees weren't moving. Maybe it was the bat? So I closed the gate and started to walk to my room, and I heard the sound again! So I stopped and was 85% sure it was a monkey, then realized that I was all alone and I had nothing to protect me if a monkey decided to come down from the tree and "play"...and then I walked VERY quickly to my room, locked the door and then called Rahul to see if monkeys did hang out in Delhi. Sure enough, they do in the residential areas but it's not very common.
To recap, I've had an "encounter" with an elephant and now a monkey (which I couldn't actually see).
Welcome to India
Sunday, April 4, 2010
April 3, 2010
I finally have experienced Delhi Belly. NOT fun. Not at all. It kind of put a hold on everything for a few days while my stomach settled down. Then, I finally found an apartment!
We were going to finalize one of the apartments in Kalkaji, the one in GK, or the one in Noida that Rahul had found. The realtor told us the apartments we wanted in Kalkaji were already rented out, but he'd be happy to show us some new apartments. We declined. No one was happy with the GK apartment (except for me) so then we tried for the Noida apartment.
Rahul and Sid picked up Shweta and me, and all of my luggage, and drove all the way from Gurgaon to Noida to finalize the apartment and move in. However, the landlord was a brave asshole and the realtor was just an even bigger dick. The landlord refused to speak in English so I couldn't understand what was being said. And then there was a lot of talk and discussion that I could tell wasn't going too well between the landlord, the realtor, Sid, and Rahul. It turns out, the landlord wanted a security deposit which the realtor had told Rahul earlier that day that it wouldn't be necessary. Then the realtor tried to argue that he didn't know about it and kept laughing the whole time. Oh and even better, the landlord told Rahul he wasn't allowed to spend the night.
First of all, who the heck said he would be spending the night?! Secondly, you gotta have some major balls to make that assumption out loud. Thirdly, it irritated me that he couldn't say that in English...it was like he didn't trust me and I had no say in any matter regarding where I would stay. The whole situation pissed me off and I had NO desire to pay a realtor any kind of commission when they lie. That's just stupid. The boys kept trying to argue and I had to literally stand in between them and the realtor and tell them it's not going to happen and to just get in the car. I was all set to let the realtor find his own way home too because he was an ass. However, they took him back to where we picked him up from.
Then there was the problem of me checking out of the PG and not having a place to stay. Rahul and Sid decided I would stay with Rahul and his family! EEK!!!! I was definitely not ready to meet them yet. However, Rahul's parents are the Indian version of my parents so it was pretty easy to connect with them. Rahul's dad came into the room where I had been sleeping (kind of like a drawing room with a bed/couch/thing) and started talking to me about everything under the sun for about an hour in the morning. It felt like my many “conversations” where I don't give my dad a chance to speak.
My stomach was still upset from the Delhi Belly so Rahul's mom made me food which was supposed to help the stomach feel better. Then she went to the market to get stuff for lunch and came back with a lemon/lime soda drink called Limca. It's very similar to 7 Up but better. What's funny...while she was gone, I was telling Rahul that I wanted 7 Up because it always makes my stomach feel better if I'm not feeling well. He wanted to call her but I said,”No, we'd get it later”; I didn't want to put them out. She came back and said Limca makes your stomach feel better when it's ill =)
I helped her as much as I could while preparing lunch. Mainly it was just setting stuff on the table but I appreciated the fact that she let me help. For breakfast, she wouldn't let me help at all. After lunch was done, Rahul's brother came downstairs. The only person I didn't meet while spending the day was the aunt who was out of town visiting other family. I loved spending time with a family. I didn't feel like a traveler that day, just another person in the family.
So my room is in the Defense Colony area of Delhi. The apartment is attached to a house. A retired Colonel of the Indian Army and his wife own the whole home. Their son/daughter (not sure which is their kid and which is married into the family) live upstairs. Their grand daughter is a news anchor and apparently moving to Mumbai to start her job. They were so sweet and the house was immaculate. My apartment needed some heavy duty cleaner and elbow grease but it's a lot better than A LOT of the apartments we've seen. The only ones which were better were the brand new places.
I made a list of the things I needed to get and today and Rahul came to pick me up. We spent the day in the market buying stuff for my new apartment, ate dinner, and then came back to the apartment to clean. It was fun! I put on some Bryan Adams and we scrubbed the bathroom and kitchen down really well.
While at the market, I also bought some flowers for my room. I love them! It makes my house a home. Okay, well maybe not that much but it makes it feel more like mine.
Rahul said next weekend he is free and asked me if I wanted to visit the Taj Mahal or go white water rafting. I want to do both. Now I have to decide what I want to do first. Decisions! Decisions!!
Before I forget...I have to tell you the most amazing thing I've seen to date!
Friday, the 2nd, while on our way to visit the apartment I now am staying at, we were driving on Ring Road (which is like a highway) and on the road was AN ELEPHANT! Walking along the highway, was an elephant with a guy laying on top of it. The conversation between Rahul and I that took place when I saw it went something like this:
“OH MY GOD THERE'S AN ELEPHANT!”
“Yeah, there's elephants.”
“NOOOOO! There's an elephant! Walking down the highway! Oh my God! I WANT TO RIDE AN ELEPHANT!” (I think I grabbed his arm at that point and started shaking him, I was too excited)
“You will don't worry. And you'll see that a lot”
“I've been here a week and we've been all over the place and THIS is the first elephant I've seen! I want to ride an elephant!”
“You will! And it's common.”
“How common could it be to see an elephant walking down the highway in one of the biggest cities in the world?!”
“Ring Road isn't a highway.”
“It's the equivalent to a highway in the US.”
“Okay.”
“My point is: this isn't common!”
“Okay”
(I started shaking him again) “It's sooooooo awesome! I can't wait to ride an elephant!”
He laughed. I started beating myself up for putting my camera in my suitcase in the trunk of the car. Then about a kilometer down the road, there was ANOTHER elephant!
Wow!
I love this place!!!
We were going to finalize one of the apartments in Kalkaji, the one in GK, or the one in Noida that Rahul had found. The realtor told us the apartments we wanted in Kalkaji were already rented out, but he'd be happy to show us some new apartments. We declined. No one was happy with the GK apartment (except for me) so then we tried for the Noida apartment.
Rahul and Sid picked up Shweta and me, and all of my luggage, and drove all the way from Gurgaon to Noida to finalize the apartment and move in. However, the landlord was a brave asshole and the realtor was just an even bigger dick. The landlord refused to speak in English so I couldn't understand what was being said. And then there was a lot of talk and discussion that I could tell wasn't going too well between the landlord, the realtor, Sid, and Rahul. It turns out, the landlord wanted a security deposit which the realtor had told Rahul earlier that day that it wouldn't be necessary. Then the realtor tried to argue that he didn't know about it and kept laughing the whole time. Oh and even better, the landlord told Rahul he wasn't allowed to spend the night.
First of all, who the heck said he would be spending the night?! Secondly, you gotta have some major balls to make that assumption out loud. Thirdly, it irritated me that he couldn't say that in English...it was like he didn't trust me and I had no say in any matter regarding where I would stay. The whole situation pissed me off and I had NO desire to pay a realtor any kind of commission when they lie. That's just stupid. The boys kept trying to argue and I had to literally stand in between them and the realtor and tell them it's not going to happen and to just get in the car. I was all set to let the realtor find his own way home too because he was an ass. However, they took him back to where we picked him up from.
Then there was the problem of me checking out of the PG and not having a place to stay. Rahul and Sid decided I would stay with Rahul and his family! EEK!!!! I was definitely not ready to meet them yet. However, Rahul's parents are the Indian version of my parents so it was pretty easy to connect with them. Rahul's dad came into the room where I had been sleeping (kind of like a drawing room with a bed/couch/thing) and started talking to me about everything under the sun for about an hour in the morning. It felt like my many “conversations” where I don't give my dad a chance to speak.
My stomach was still upset from the Delhi Belly so Rahul's mom made me food which was supposed to help the stomach feel better. Then she went to the market to get stuff for lunch and came back with a lemon/lime soda drink called Limca. It's very similar to 7 Up but better. What's funny...while she was gone, I was telling Rahul that I wanted 7 Up because it always makes my stomach feel better if I'm not feeling well. He wanted to call her but I said,”No, we'd get it later”; I didn't want to put them out. She came back and said Limca makes your stomach feel better when it's ill =)
I helped her as much as I could while preparing lunch. Mainly it was just setting stuff on the table but I appreciated the fact that she let me help. For breakfast, she wouldn't let me help at all. After lunch was done, Rahul's brother came downstairs. The only person I didn't meet while spending the day was the aunt who was out of town visiting other family. I loved spending time with a family. I didn't feel like a traveler that day, just another person in the family.
So my room is in the Defense Colony area of Delhi. The apartment is attached to a house. A retired Colonel of the Indian Army and his wife own the whole home. Their son/daughter (not sure which is their kid and which is married into the family) live upstairs. Their grand daughter is a news anchor and apparently moving to Mumbai to start her job. They were so sweet and the house was immaculate. My apartment needed some heavy duty cleaner and elbow grease but it's a lot better than A LOT of the apartments we've seen. The only ones which were better were the brand new places.
I made a list of the things I needed to get and today and Rahul came to pick me up. We spent the day in the market buying stuff for my new apartment, ate dinner, and then came back to the apartment to clean. It was fun! I put on some Bryan Adams and we scrubbed the bathroom and kitchen down really well.
While at the market, I also bought some flowers for my room. I love them! It makes my house a home. Okay, well maybe not that much but it makes it feel more like mine.
Rahul said next weekend he is free and asked me if I wanted to visit the Taj Mahal or go white water rafting. I want to do both. Now I have to decide what I want to do first. Decisions! Decisions!!
Before I forget...I have to tell you the most amazing thing I've seen to date!
Friday, the 2nd, while on our way to visit the apartment I now am staying at, we were driving on Ring Road (which is like a highway) and on the road was AN ELEPHANT! Walking along the highway, was an elephant with a guy laying on top of it. The conversation between Rahul and I that took place when I saw it went something like this:
“OH MY GOD THERE'S AN ELEPHANT!”
“Yeah, there's elephants.”
“NOOOOO! There's an elephant! Walking down the highway! Oh my God! I WANT TO RIDE AN ELEPHANT!” (I think I grabbed his arm at that point and started shaking him, I was too excited)
“You will don't worry. And you'll see that a lot”
“I've been here a week and we've been all over the place and THIS is the first elephant I've seen! I want to ride an elephant!”
“You will! And it's common.”
“How common could it be to see an elephant walking down the highway in one of the biggest cities in the world?!”
“Ring Road isn't a highway.”
“It's the equivalent to a highway in the US.”
“Okay.”
“My point is: this isn't common!”
“Okay”
(I started shaking him again) “It's sooooooo awesome! I can't wait to ride an elephant!”
He laughed. I started beating myself up for putting my camera in my suitcase in the trunk of the car. Then about a kilometer down the road, there was ANOTHER elephant!
Wow!
I love this place!!!
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