Well I know can empathize with Paris Hilton, who after being released from jail, was shortly put back in to serve her sentence (well at least the celebrity sized portion of it). Coming back to Mumbai after a few relaxing days in Goa was horrible... sort of like tasting freedom and peace... and having it yanked back away. Talk about a crashing halt to a lovely time away. The moment I walked off the plane a wall of stench hit my poor nose, and then I was shoved into a crowded, un-air conditioned bus to be shipped over to the terminal to wait in another pushy crowd for my luggage to finally come around the carousel. Welcome back.
But in all fairness, my last few days in Goa were quite lovely. Saturday morning I slept in, then headed down to breakfast. Once the weekend hit there was a noticeable increase in occupancy at the hotel so I actually had to wait for my table for one, and I felt almost guilty taking up a four-seater for just lil' ol' me, so I ate quick and headed back out. I spent quite a bit of time in the gym on Saturday (I had really been missing my pilates ball) and also finally finished the BusinessWeek I had been attempting to eat at my meals all week. I snuggled into the bed at one point and watched "First Daughter" and "The Santa Claus," so that was thoroughly entertaining and relaxing. Then Rachel came over and we both enjoyed a spa treatment called the GMR Royal Treat. It was a facial, but began with a hot oil back massage, and was topped off with a lovely foot massage. That was the first facial I ever got, and my skin felt great afterward... although it's still really dry, but I blame India for that one. After our hour-long appointments at the Spa we got a call that the group had decided to dine at the Marriott... lucky me!! So I got to spend my last night at the dinner buffet at a table for 10 instead of just 1. I felt like this completely validated to the wait staff that I was, in fact, the celebrity they had presumed me to be.
The only catch was, the restaurant was very busy so service was slow (except for those of us who got the buffet). They are pretty comment-card happy here, and always insist you fill one out, and unlike in the States, these cards are read thoroughly and a lot of weight is placed on them. I noted down on the card that our service was slow and that our food took too long, and then it took too long to get our check. Well the manager came over to me, on the verge of tears to apologize for the service tonight, and that he wasn't trying to make excuses, it's just that it was a peak time. He also felt bad because Rachel sent her sandwich back because she didn't like mayo (she didn't know club sandwiches always come with mayo), and he said "I'm so sorry, I didn't know she didn't like mayonnaise, but that's just how we always make it." I assured him I had been more than satisfied with the service the other nights I had been there, but I just felt so bad for him. But hey, I was being honest!
After everyone finished up eating, there was a huge debate about what to do next, a lot of division and no consensus (as only natural in a group that size). Finally a few of us checked out the casino at the hotel, I allowed the boys to play my free chips (they didn't win me any money) and we played the slots briefly. We then went to a nightclub, also at my hotel (the only reason I went). I got everyone in for free because I was a guest, but they had to be "couples" so we all coupled up so the boys could get their hand stamped, but in the end, only three of us wound up going in. It was really smoky, and the music ridiculously long, but I stayed long enough to dance and get a good ab workout. I then headed down to the room at about 1:30 or so, only to be called a few moments later. The boys had decided to leave the club as well (well, obviously.. I mean, I had left!) and wanted to know if they could hang out in my room until their ride came. Sure, I said. So they showed up... and wound up their ride wasn't coming until 3 AM!!! Ouch. So my last night in my comfy bed... was spent sitting at my desk talking to my parents, while the boys laid in my bed and watched TV. I was kind of disappointed to be missing out on sleep, but oh well. I finally got to sleep at about 3:15 and slept in until 11. I woke up, took my last amazing shower for a while, and grabbed a quick bite to eat before checking out and catching a ride back to the airport.
Domestic air travel is surprisingly easy here. I wouldn't call it efficient (or computerized)... but the flights usually leave early, and arrive at their destination early. I still find the Goa airport with its one gate that the planes practically parallel park into, kind of amusing. It's almost like a free for all at the gate, because our flight was called at the same time as another flight... so they check your ticket and you just sort of walk onto the tarmac and locate your plane. But I can't complain, because as soon as everyone was on board, off we went.
But arriving back in Mumbai was rather crushing. Luckily Mom comes in less than two weeks now... so I can make it. It's after she leaves that I'm worried about. The halfway mark of my journey is 10 days away, so I'll be sure to commemorate it with the lessons I've learned in India so far. For now, I am exhausted... and not looking forward to my rock-hard hostel bed. I guess all good things must come to an end... it's just that usually when you're great vacation ends, at least you get to go home... not back to the exact opposite.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Friday, September 28, 2007
Goa on an Indian bicycle built for one..
What a day!!! What sights!! I arranged a cycling tour of Goan villages for Carey, Rachel, Colin and I. It was a very early start this morning, although we had some delays because the others had trouble getting a taxi from their hotel to the Marriott. I hired a car and driver for the day, because our cycling tour, through Cycle Goa, was down in Cavelossim which is considered South Goa. I am at Miramar Beach near Panaji (the capital city of Goa) and it's about an hour and a half drive. We got to Mobor Beach in Cavelossim at about 10 am and started off on our journey with Peter, a nice british bloke who owns Cycle Goa. We had to borrow bicycles from someone in town because this is still considered the "off season" and the only reason Peter agreed to take us is because American tourists are so rare and I made the effort to email him to arrange the tour! We kept a leisurely pace and biked through many of the villages in South Goa, prawn farms, salt paddies (who knew?), and we saw our fair share of wild pigs (and piglets!!), water buffalo, cows (of course), roosters, and a plethora of stray dogs. Granted Goa is still just as covered in trash as the next Indian state, but the monsoon has made everything so lush and green!!
We biked for about 2 hours and then took a rest at Papa Joe's for a refreshment, and opted to take the long way back which included a ferry ride across one of the rivers (that was an experience in and of itself, you'll just have to see the pictures... of course there was a creepy Indian man who probably now has 50 pictures/videos of us on his phone. A lot of people in India have my picture... I don't think I want to know what they do with them). All the Goan villages were so quaint and I couldn't even believe the sights I was seeing along my ride. It was so far the highlight of my Indian adventure. Goa was, up until 1986, ruled by the Portugese, so the evidence is still quite apparent in the architecture and presence of Catholic churches in the center of every town. And it was so nice to bike!!! SO nice!
We returned back to our driver in Cavelossim at about 4 pm, and were quite sweaty and wet because most of the time we were biking, it was of course raining. We grabbed some lunch and did some shopping at some of the quaint village shops. I got a lovely wall hanging and some knick-knacks to bring back. Eventually we made our way back to the Marriott... hung out in my room for a bit (everyone that has visited me is equally obsessed with my bed) and then had coffee (well they did) in the lobby. I then bid farewell to the other Mumbaikers and headed to the spa to confirm my appointment tomorrow, and had some dinner and hit the gym to stretch out. There's a high probability I am going to be sore tomorrow. The bike... an Indian bike... had a very uncomfortable seat, and by the end of the trip my bum was quite numb and in pain. But it was well worth it! Peter was a great guide, and like I said, the sights were unbeatable. I am working on uploading a video and pictures which will tell a much better story. The pictures of me aren't very good... but hey, I'm in India and it was raining and very very humid. I wish I could have captured more moments on camera... but I repeat, it was raining, it was humid... and I can't bike and click at the same time.
So far the Goa vacation has been just what the doctored ordered. The girls came over last night and enjoyed the jacuzzi with me and joined me for dinner (so I didn't have to sit alone, with me air of intrigue reading my book) and we had a lovely time.
For now, I am looking forward to a hot shower and crawling into a big soft bed! (See pictures and video below)
http://picasaweb.google.com/lbarteld/GoanAdventuresAndRelaxationMarriottStyle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCZfFyjZEU8
Enjoy!
We biked for about 2 hours and then took a rest at Papa Joe's for a refreshment, and opted to take the long way back which included a ferry ride across one of the rivers (that was an experience in and of itself, you'll just have to see the pictures... of course there was a creepy Indian man who probably now has 50 pictures/videos of us on his phone. A lot of people in India have my picture... I don't think I want to know what they do with them). All the Goan villages were so quaint and I couldn't even believe the sights I was seeing along my ride. It was so far the highlight of my Indian adventure. Goa was, up until 1986, ruled by the Portugese, so the evidence is still quite apparent in the architecture and presence of Catholic churches in the center of every town. And it was so nice to bike!!! SO nice!
We returned back to our driver in Cavelossim at about 4 pm, and were quite sweaty and wet because most of the time we were biking, it was of course raining. We grabbed some lunch and did some shopping at some of the quaint village shops. I got a lovely wall hanging and some knick-knacks to bring back. Eventually we made our way back to the Marriott... hung out in my room for a bit (everyone that has visited me is equally obsessed with my bed) and then had coffee (well they did) in the lobby. I then bid farewell to the other Mumbaikers and headed to the spa to confirm my appointment tomorrow, and had some dinner and hit the gym to stretch out. There's a high probability I am going to be sore tomorrow. The bike... an Indian bike... had a very uncomfortable seat, and by the end of the trip my bum was quite numb and in pain. But it was well worth it! Peter was a great guide, and like I said, the sights were unbeatable. I am working on uploading a video and pictures which will tell a much better story. The pictures of me aren't very good... but hey, I'm in India and it was raining and very very humid. I wish I could have captured more moments on camera... but I repeat, it was raining, it was humid... and I can't bike and click at the same time.
So far the Goa vacation has been just what the doctored ordered. The girls came over last night and enjoyed the jacuzzi with me and joined me for dinner (so I didn't have to sit alone, with me air of intrigue reading my book) and we had a lovely time.
For now, I am looking forward to a hot shower and crawling into a big soft bed! (See pictures and video below)
http://picasaweb.google.com/lbarteld/GoanAdventuresAndRelaxationMarriottStyle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCZfFyjZEU8
Enjoy!
Thursday, September 27, 2007
But not without its Indian.. umm... charms.
So I am still thoroughly enjoying myself at the Goa Marriott, but it's not without that flare of India I have grown so accustomed to (well not really, but at least I expect it). I headed down to the pool to start my first book of my vacation, and enjoying laying poolside listening to the crash of the waves on the beach. The pool is only 4 feet deep, so I just sort of walked/swam the perimeter and then returned to my lounge chair. I, however, did not stay very long for there was a group of 5 or so old, creepy, Indian men leering at me. These men were not only clearly too old to be hitting on a 21 year old, but they were wearing tight speedos and lycra swim shorts... can I hear a collective "ew"? They kept walking past me, getting closer and closer to my chair, or just sat at the swim-up bar in the pool openly staring. The staring I've almost become used to, although laying there in my swimsuit brought a new level of discomfort. I left when they started whistling at me. That's where I draw the line... gives me the willies!
Alas, I headed back to my room, still refreshed and relaxed from my Back Relief Massage earlier in the day. I continued to read and got ready to head to the dinner buffet. Dinner was delicious, even though it didn't last long (poor stomach doesn't know what to do with food) and I got my fill of veggies which was a relief. The desserts were also pretty divine, luckily they are served in bite sized portions and I was able to control myself and only take one, just enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. I sat at dinner by myself armed with a book. I hate eating alone, not because I'm alone, but I feel as if I'm being judged. So, this was a personal conquest for me. I sat alone at my table with my book and tried to give off an air of mystery and intrigue. Hopefully it worked!
I headed back to my room after dinner, to find my electricity out for the second time that day (enter India). I immediately called the front desk, and they fixed it. 2 hours later, it happened again. While I was watching my weekly dose of "Ugly Betty." (I've gotten into some new TV shows here, since Star World shows only about a dozen American shows, so I now watch "Ugly Betty" and "The Office," of course I am a season behind, so it will take some DVD rentals to get me caught up when I return stateside). They came to fix it again, but I think I discovered what the problem was. Maybe I'm just hearing things, but I'm pretty sure there was a mouse up in the AC vent eating the wires, I heard scurrying and scratching, and that would explain the loose connection I think was the culprit for my power outtages. I finally went to sleep, after finishing my first book of vacation, Harlan Coben's "Deal Breaker," and woke up after noon this morning. I went to eat lunch (I had missed breakfast :-( Alas), once again, by myself. I like to think I can pull off the "globe trotting Businss woman enjoying a quiet stay at the Marriott while she brokers a million dollar deal in twon" look. I sat at lunch and caught up on news and the latest issue of Business Week. After lunch, I returned back to my room... no power. I called the front desk, and I have now been relocated to another room. It wound up not being too much of a hassle, and my new room has an even better view.
I plan on hitting the gym this afternoon, and getting into my second book of vacation, once I decide which one it will be. I will attempt the pool again this afternoon, hopefully those men have found someone else to leer at, or better yet, have left town. I think the girls are joining me at the hotel tonight for dinner, and Rachel and I may get spa treatments! So I'm going to curl back in my heavenly bed and work up the energy for an afternoon workout.
Alas, I headed back to my room, still refreshed and relaxed from my Back Relief Massage earlier in the day. I continued to read and got ready to head to the dinner buffet. Dinner was delicious, even though it didn't last long (poor stomach doesn't know what to do with food) and I got my fill of veggies which was a relief. The desserts were also pretty divine, luckily they are served in bite sized portions and I was able to control myself and only take one, just enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. I sat at dinner by myself armed with a book. I hate eating alone, not because I'm alone, but I feel as if I'm being judged. So, this was a personal conquest for me. I sat alone at my table with my book and tried to give off an air of mystery and intrigue. Hopefully it worked!
I headed back to my room after dinner, to find my electricity out for the second time that day (enter India). I immediately called the front desk, and they fixed it. 2 hours later, it happened again. While I was watching my weekly dose of "Ugly Betty." (I've gotten into some new TV shows here, since Star World shows only about a dozen American shows, so I now watch "Ugly Betty" and "The Office," of course I am a season behind, so it will take some DVD rentals to get me caught up when I return stateside). They came to fix it again, but I think I discovered what the problem was. Maybe I'm just hearing things, but I'm pretty sure there was a mouse up in the AC vent eating the wires, I heard scurrying and scratching, and that would explain the loose connection I think was the culprit for my power outtages. I finally went to sleep, after finishing my first book of vacation, Harlan Coben's "Deal Breaker," and woke up after noon this morning. I went to eat lunch (I had missed breakfast :-( Alas), once again, by myself. I like to think I can pull off the "globe trotting Businss woman enjoying a quiet stay at the Marriott while she brokers a million dollar deal in twon" look. I sat at lunch and caught up on news and the latest issue of Business Week. After lunch, I returned back to my room... no power. I called the front desk, and I have now been relocated to another room. It wound up not being too much of a hassle, and my new room has an even better view.
I plan on hitting the gym this afternoon, and getting into my second book of vacation, once I decide which one it will be. I will attempt the pool again this afternoon, hopefully those men have found someone else to leer at, or better yet, have left town. I think the girls are joining me at the hotel tonight for dinner, and Rachel and I may get spa treatments! So I'm going to curl back in my heavenly bed and work up the energy for an afternoon workout.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Like a Breath of Fresh Air!
Well I have finally escaped Mumbai... if only for a few moments. I have arrived safely and in comfort in Goa, India, just south of the State of Maharashta (where Mumbai is located) on a popular resort destination alongside the Arabian Sea.
I got to the airport at about 2:15 am this morning (I did not go to sleep last night) exhausted. Traffic was surprisingly non-existent on the highway to the domestic airport, so the taxi ride was, dare I say, pleasant! We were able to go normal speed without hearing the nuisance of honking every other millisecond. We made record time. The domestic airport was also surprisingly modern and well equipped. We got our tickets but discovered "check in" didn't begin until 3 am (to see an airport "closed" was a foreign concept to me, but then again I don't make a practice of being in airports at that hour of the night/morning). Luckily there was a small Cafe Coffee Day kiosk open so I was able to get a Snapple (advertised as an "Exotic Drink") and a delicious muffin. We settled on the floor (not enough seating for everyone) and started up a game of Scrabble. Our scrabble attracted a lot of attention from passersby.. you would think we were doing something much more fascinating or risque, but I guess you get used to the attention.
The check-in process was interesting, you have your checked luggage scanned and sealed before you even check-in. I wonder if this is because the baggage handlers can't be trusted, so they want you to see your luggage has been scanned and locked (I wouldn't trust them either). We checked in and got our boarding pass. I was pretty relieved to see my bag on the other end, because it was marked with a number with chalk... doesn't seem very reliable to me. The Mumbai Domestic Airport could really use some modern technology. After we checked in (at this point only Rachel, Carey, and I are there... the boys are nowhere to be seen), we attempted to go through Security only to discover it wasn't "open" until 4 am. (Sure does make it hard to check in for your flight early!). So we camped out right outside of the Security line and continued our game of Scrabble. Some of the boys joined us at this point (the punctual, responsible ones haha) and we all sat around chatting until Security opened up. Of course the girls went in their own Ladies line... and now I know why, the lady handling Ladies Security got to second base with me... umm.. awkward. Ironically after we checked in, our boarding pass was checked multiple times, but never our photo ID... seems like a potential breach of security if you ask me. Once we got through security, our flight was boarding so we went ahead and got on, hoping the others would make the flight. We were checked in by a number literally "checked off" on a pad of paper (I repeat... technology anyone?) and then shuffled on to a bus that would take us to the plane... in the pouring rain... I mean pouring rain. We got on board, to a "no frills" airplane unlike any I've seen. They were "non-reclining seats," although ironically leather (or something pretending to be). Also there were advertisements on the head rest cover for a "SimpliBid" program they have on board where you can place bids for various items, and then someone wins them by the end of the flight. Also strange. The flight was uneventful and very short... just an hour. My only cause for concern was after we landed, in the middle of nowhere and I didn't see an airport. We "drove" back to the airport and arrived to the single-gate building where I felt like we pulled up so close that the pilot was trying to show off his parallel parking skills.
We deplaned and went to collect our luggage. The chalk mark must've worked, because my bag arrived (for the record, I would've been in just carry-on, had India had the same size/weight policies as US...)! I walked outside, and was greeted by a sign with my name on it and "Goa Marriott Beach Resort." That's me! I was whisked away into a luxury sedan for a very pleasant ride (approximately 40 minutes) to the hotel. My driver was very kind and explained some of the sights, and you don't know how nice it was just to ride in a car that has unripped seats (with no springs poking into you), air-conditioning, and seat belts! I really felt relaxed as soon as I hit the backseat, although was still quite exhausted for not having slept for 24 hours. Goa is beautiful. It was quite misty this morning, so I couldn't take it all in, but it's just how I imagine a quaint Indian village (mining is the main source of income here) complete with palm trees and of course... cows. I would've missed them.
I arrived to the hotel and was accommodated for early check-in (thank goodness, I don't think the Marriott would have appreciate me napping in the lobby) and was given an ocean-view room, with a king sized bed and a bath tub (so I can take advantage of the oatmeal bath my Mom sent to help soothe my poor irritated skin). The room was lovely!! The first thing I did was take my shoes off (take a picture of the bed) and jumped onto the plush bed! Ahhhhh. Sighs of relief. The room is spacious and the view is really comforting because I am at the mouth of one of the rivers that empties into the Arabian Sea and it is a popular shipping channel so really brings me right back to the pier at Ebb Tide watching the tugs travel down the Elk River.
To settle in I ordered room service "American Breakfast" and was treated to a ham omelet, croissants, fresh squeezed pineapple juice, and tea. Yum! After eating this morning (can I repeat? yum!), I crawled into bed and took a very nice long nap (that will probably keep me up tonight). Upon deciding it was high time to wake up, I got up and went off to explore the hotel. There is a cake shop (which I may hit later), a lovely shopping arcade (although I don't think any postcards, which is disappointing), and of course the pool area with the swim up bar and jacuzzi. I also found the fitness center which I am very much looking forward to visiting later. It was empty, which I love, but also well equipped... including my very much missed pilates ball. They also had a scale so I was finally able to weigh myself and confirm that 15 pounds I imagined I had lost over the last two months... so I think I will hit that cake shop ;-) There's also a lovely locker room that contains a really luxurious whirlpool.
I plan on settling next to the pool later and starting one of the many books I brought with me to enjoy and of course, I have to scurry off now for my "Back Relief" massage appointment (I love India prices!). So rest assured, I have finally found relief from the chaos and stress of Mumbai (too bad it's not a place in Mumbai). I plan on thoroughly enjoying my few days here and collecting as much as I can. For now, the spa awaits me :-)
I got to the airport at about 2:15 am this morning (I did not go to sleep last night) exhausted. Traffic was surprisingly non-existent on the highway to the domestic airport, so the taxi ride was, dare I say, pleasant! We were able to go normal speed without hearing the nuisance of honking every other millisecond. We made record time. The domestic airport was also surprisingly modern and well equipped. We got our tickets but discovered "check in" didn't begin until 3 am (to see an airport "closed" was a foreign concept to me, but then again I don't make a practice of being in airports at that hour of the night/morning). Luckily there was a small Cafe Coffee Day kiosk open so I was able to get a Snapple (advertised as an "Exotic Drink") and a delicious muffin. We settled on the floor (not enough seating for everyone) and started up a game of Scrabble. Our scrabble attracted a lot of attention from passersby.. you would think we were doing something much more fascinating or risque, but I guess you get used to the attention.
The check-in process was interesting, you have your checked luggage scanned and sealed before you even check-in. I wonder if this is because the baggage handlers can't be trusted, so they want you to see your luggage has been scanned and locked (I wouldn't trust them either). We checked in and got our boarding pass. I was pretty relieved to see my bag on the other end, because it was marked with a number with chalk... doesn't seem very reliable to me. The Mumbai Domestic Airport could really use some modern technology. After we checked in (at this point only Rachel, Carey, and I are there... the boys are nowhere to be seen), we attempted to go through Security only to discover it wasn't "open" until 4 am. (Sure does make it hard to check in for your flight early!). So we camped out right outside of the Security line and continued our game of Scrabble. Some of the boys joined us at this point (the punctual, responsible ones haha) and we all sat around chatting until Security opened up. Of course the girls went in their own Ladies line... and now I know why, the lady handling Ladies Security got to second base with me... umm.. awkward. Ironically after we checked in, our boarding pass was checked multiple times, but never our photo ID... seems like a potential breach of security if you ask me. Once we got through security, our flight was boarding so we went ahead and got on, hoping the others would make the flight. We were checked in by a number literally "checked off" on a pad of paper (I repeat... technology anyone?) and then shuffled on to a bus that would take us to the plane... in the pouring rain... I mean pouring rain. We got on board, to a "no frills" airplane unlike any I've seen. They were "non-reclining seats," although ironically leather (or something pretending to be). Also there were advertisements on the head rest cover for a "SimpliBid" program they have on board where you can place bids for various items, and then someone wins them by the end of the flight. Also strange. The flight was uneventful and very short... just an hour. My only cause for concern was after we landed, in the middle of nowhere and I didn't see an airport. We "drove" back to the airport and arrived to the single-gate building where I felt like we pulled up so close that the pilot was trying to show off his parallel parking skills.
We deplaned and went to collect our luggage. The chalk mark must've worked, because my bag arrived (for the record, I would've been in just carry-on, had India had the same size/weight policies as US...)! I walked outside, and was greeted by a sign with my name on it and "Goa Marriott Beach Resort." That's me! I was whisked away into a luxury sedan for a very pleasant ride (approximately 40 minutes) to the hotel. My driver was very kind and explained some of the sights, and you don't know how nice it was just to ride in a car that has unripped seats (with no springs poking into you), air-conditioning, and seat belts! I really felt relaxed as soon as I hit the backseat, although was still quite exhausted for not having slept for 24 hours. Goa is beautiful. It was quite misty this morning, so I couldn't take it all in, but it's just how I imagine a quaint Indian village (mining is the main source of income here) complete with palm trees and of course... cows. I would've missed them.
I arrived to the hotel and was accommodated for early check-in (thank goodness, I don't think the Marriott would have appreciate me napping in the lobby) and was given an ocean-view room, with a king sized bed and a bath tub (so I can take advantage of the oatmeal bath my Mom sent to help soothe my poor irritated skin). The room was lovely!! The first thing I did was take my shoes off (take a picture of the bed) and jumped onto the plush bed! Ahhhhh. Sighs of relief. The room is spacious and the view is really comforting because I am at the mouth of one of the rivers that empties into the Arabian Sea and it is a popular shipping channel so really brings me right back to the pier at Ebb Tide watching the tugs travel down the Elk River.
To settle in I ordered room service "American Breakfast" and was treated to a ham omelet, croissants, fresh squeezed pineapple juice, and tea. Yum! After eating this morning (can I repeat? yum!), I crawled into bed and took a very nice long nap (that will probably keep me up tonight). Upon deciding it was high time to wake up, I got up and went off to explore the hotel. There is a cake shop (which I may hit later), a lovely shopping arcade (although I don't think any postcards, which is disappointing), and of course the pool area with the swim up bar and jacuzzi. I also found the fitness center which I am very much looking forward to visiting later. It was empty, which I love, but also well equipped... including my very much missed pilates ball. They also had a scale so I was finally able to weigh myself and confirm that 15 pounds I imagined I had lost over the last two months... so I think I will hit that cake shop ;-) There's also a lovely locker room that contains a really luxurious whirlpool.
I plan on settling next to the pool later and starting one of the many books I brought with me to enjoy and of course, I have to scurry off now for my "Back Relief" massage appointment (I love India prices!). So rest assured, I have finally found relief from the chaos and stress of Mumbai (too bad it's not a place in Mumbai). I plan on thoroughly enjoying my few days here and collecting as much as I can. For now, the spa awaits me :-)
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Never Again!
Well I went out into the finale of the Ganesh celebrations, fully understanding it would test me and my comfort zone... but I had no idea it would have the potential to traumatize me.
So... five of us walked down to Dadar West to catch the festivities. It was incredible, completely indescribable. There was a parade of trucks covered in people (OSHA would have had a field day) who in turn were covered in red powdered, dancing as if it were the last night of the world. We mostly saw the smaller ganeshes, as it was a little early for the bigger ganeshes, but they were just as ornate as could be. Ironically though, we felt like we were the parade. Everyone on the trucks was shouting out to us, throwing flowers on us... and the worst part... red powder.
The red powder... whose ingredients I do not care to know... was constantly thrown on us. Partly in malice (they found it very humorous that we were the only ones (outside of the Ganesh paraders) covered in it) and then partly because they were fanatic at the sight of us there, in their festival. I tried to stick to the outskirts to protect myself, but alas... red powder...bam... right in my face. Naturally, I couldn't see, so almost got run over by a truck. That's when the tears started. Which only made matters worse, because even more people were staring at me then. Luckily, I had buddies with me that helped me out, made sure I wasn't run over by that truck, and then got me a bottle of water. After I regained my composure, I figured I had made it this far... might as well make it all the way to the water to see some submerging of the idols. We kept on trucking on... and it only got worse. We were covered in red powder, it was done my shirt, caked on my neck (the pictures will be humorous... gives new meaning to the term red neck). Down at the water, it was surprisingly less hectic and we got to watch quite a few idols be submerged... although the pictures turned out pretty dark.
Then on our way back, at one point we got separated. The funny part was that everyone on the street seemed to know it and was pointing in the direction that Ben and Rachel had headed so that Colin, Stella, and I could find them. Not many places in the world where every single person knows who you are looking for and what direction they went... only in Mumbai. On our way back to hostel, a man stopped us and wanted to know where we were from, how long we were here, all the usual questions. As we stopped to chat with him, we were all of the sudden surrounded by a crowd of Indian men, three people deep staring at us.
It's the worst feeling ever. Having everyone shout out at you and continually stare at you. In the beginning of the evening I was waving back at everyone that waved at me, playing along, and frankly, enjoying the celebrity feeling. But the end of the night, every shout, every handful of red powder, every lingering stare just left me on the verge of tears.
The others decided to go grab a bite to eat, but I headed back to the hostel to shower, so I didn't dye myself red, and of course change outfits since the outfit I had worn out and planned on wearing on the plane was now a lovely shade of pink. Even after my shower, my neck is still pink and now I feel itchy all over.
But I did it. But, never again. Those in my family know my reaction to chaotic, loud crowds... think New Years in Vienna... and this was a 100 times worse. But I survived it, I just got my feathers quite ruffled. As my Dad said, it was as if I was stuck in the middle of a tribal ritual, and had no idea what was going on or being said... that's really scary. So I think for now on, I'll stick to watching Indian festivals from BBC's coverage. Apparently this has just received the ranking of the Biggest Festival in the World... and I believe it.
Well. Check that off my to-do list, I've been to the Biggest (Craziest) Festival in the World... now... just a few more hours 'til Goa. I can make it.
So... five of us walked down to Dadar West to catch the festivities. It was incredible, completely indescribable. There was a parade of trucks covered in people (OSHA would have had a field day) who in turn were covered in red powdered, dancing as if it were the last night of the world. We mostly saw the smaller ganeshes, as it was a little early for the bigger ganeshes, but they were just as ornate as could be. Ironically though, we felt like we were the parade. Everyone on the trucks was shouting out to us, throwing flowers on us... and the worst part... red powder.
The red powder... whose ingredients I do not care to know... was constantly thrown on us. Partly in malice (they found it very humorous that we were the only ones (outside of the Ganesh paraders) covered in it) and then partly because they were fanatic at the sight of us there, in their festival. I tried to stick to the outskirts to protect myself, but alas... red powder...bam... right in my face. Naturally, I couldn't see, so almost got run over by a truck. That's when the tears started. Which only made matters worse, because even more people were staring at me then. Luckily, I had buddies with me that helped me out, made sure I wasn't run over by that truck, and then got me a bottle of water. After I regained my composure, I figured I had made it this far... might as well make it all the way to the water to see some submerging of the idols. We kept on trucking on... and it only got worse. We were covered in red powder, it was done my shirt, caked on my neck (the pictures will be humorous... gives new meaning to the term red neck). Down at the water, it was surprisingly less hectic and we got to watch quite a few idols be submerged... although the pictures turned out pretty dark.
Then on our way back, at one point we got separated. The funny part was that everyone on the street seemed to know it and was pointing in the direction that Ben and Rachel had headed so that Colin, Stella, and I could find them. Not many places in the world where every single person knows who you are looking for and what direction they went... only in Mumbai. On our way back to hostel, a man stopped us and wanted to know where we were from, how long we were here, all the usual questions. As we stopped to chat with him, we were all of the sudden surrounded by a crowd of Indian men, three people deep staring at us.
It's the worst feeling ever. Having everyone shout out at you and continually stare at you. In the beginning of the evening I was waving back at everyone that waved at me, playing along, and frankly, enjoying the celebrity feeling. But the end of the night, every shout, every handful of red powder, every lingering stare just left me on the verge of tears.
The others decided to go grab a bite to eat, but I headed back to the hostel to shower, so I didn't dye myself red, and of course change outfits since the outfit I had worn out and planned on wearing on the plane was now a lovely shade of pink. Even after my shower, my neck is still pink and now I feel itchy all over.
But I did it. But, never again. Those in my family know my reaction to chaotic, loud crowds... think New Years in Vienna... and this was a 100 times worse. But I survived it, I just got my feathers quite ruffled. As my Dad said, it was as if I was stuck in the middle of a tribal ritual, and had no idea what was going on or being said... that's really scary. So I think for now on, I'll stick to watching Indian festivals from BBC's coverage. Apparently this has just received the ranking of the Biggest Festival in the World... and I believe it.
Well. Check that off my to-do list, I've been to the Biggest (Craziest) Festival in the World... now... just a few more hours 'til Goa. I can make it.
Rain rain go away, flood my street another day...
Exams finished yesterday afternoon! Yay! We had our last final, Finance, at Noon and I walked out of Room 504 at 1 pm, not to re-enter until next Monday. Of course, there wasn't much of a break because on my way out I was handed the packet of sylabi (or Teaching, Learning Plan (TLP) as they call them here) and two textbooks with the promise of two more to come. 10 textbooks in one semester is pretty impressive.
I spent the afternoon napping and lounging until yesterday evening when we treked over to the Sheraton for dinner with TL Hill (a professor from Temple). It decided to POUR rain the moment we walked out of the hostel, so luckily we were close enough I was able to run in and put on my trusty rainboots. I had been bold enough to attempt to go out in a nice pair of flats so they wouldn't detract from my outfit... but silly me, of course it would rain. We had a hard time finding a taxi to take us to the Sheraton because of a combination of the rain and the anticipated heavy traffic because of the final days of the Ganesh festival. In fact near the Sheraton is the biggest and most popular Ganesh of all Mumbai, you can stand in line for up to 5 hours just to get a glimpse... needless to say, I will not be waiting in that line.
Traffic was surprisingly light, and our taxi driver (the fifth was the charm and finally agreed to take us) was impressively fast, so we of course arrived early. We decided to explore the Shertaon a little and went up to the 30th Floor to a bar called Point of View. There were a lot of signs saying the lounge was only for Tower Residents or Hotel Guests... but of course we were ushered inside and given a tour of the rooftop terrace that offered a spectacular view of Mumbai at night. Being up there you really got an idea of how incredibly expansive the city is! You can't even imagine... I've never seen a larger city in my life, but I suppose it has to be big to fit its population of 18 million. One of the hotel managers then took us back down to the lobby in the elevator and chatted us up about our experience at the hotel, and we mentioned we had been to brunch the previous weekend, and he hoped we would return. After we met the rest of the group downstairs, he pulled us aside to tell us a "secret" that all the bars would have cover charges tonight because of the important cricket match (think World Series of Baseball, World Cup of Soccer, or SuperBowl of Football), but after the match was over, there would be no cover. So, um thanks for the tip?
We returned to dinner to the same place we had brunch the previous weekend and had a great experience once again, although I didn't like the selection of food as much. I did, however, get some steamed vegetables which had been just what I've been craving since August 1. The restaurant was noisy though, because the India v. Pakistan (for the world championship) cricket match was on. The energy was contagious, and I finally started to understand some of the rules of cricket, thanks to explanation by Bhuvan. But it was incredible how the world stopped to watch the cricket match, on the streets, people were lined up along the windows of stores or restaurants that were playing the match, and the whole restaurant erupted in screams of delight (or despair) during the game. Pretty amazing to be a part of. After dinner, I headed back to the hostel for a relatively early night to bed. And I slept and slept and slept. In fact, I didn't actually acquies to getting out of bed until about 2 this afternoon. I'm sure I will pay for it tonight, but I do not plan on sleeping before catching my flight to Goa. We have to leave the hostel at 2 am for a 5 am flight because we've been told traffic will be horrendous.
So today is the last hoorah for the Ganesh festival. You have to "register" for a time to parade your Ganesh down the street to submerge it in the water. The rough order though is from smallest to biggest... so the Ganesh featured by the Sheraton will leave for the water first, but arrive there last... taking an almost 8 hour tour around Mumbai. I learned yesterday that some Ganeshes are insured for almost 2 million dollars! In fact, the one by King Circle (which I have a few pictures of in my PicasaAlbum) is insured for the most money (70 million rupees... $1.75m) because of its gold hands and trunk. Yesterday a wealthy man in Mumbai donated a necklace to one of the Ganeshes, and the necklace was worth an estimated $40,000. Those Ganeshes sure are decked out. Apparently though, like many holidays in the US, this has become very commercialized, but ironically became commercialized during the British rule. Since the brits couldn' very well cancel a religious holiday the Ganesh festival was allowed to go on, and the Indians used it as an opporunity to meet en masse and plan for dissention.
I am pulling my rainboots back on and heading to Shipavi Park in Dadar momentarily to see if I can't see some Ganeshes being sent off into the Sea. I will be sure to report back later this evening with pictures and tales of my adventure out into the mass of 200,000+ crowd (we know my feelings on crowds). Will report back soon!
I spent the afternoon napping and lounging until yesterday evening when we treked over to the Sheraton for dinner with TL Hill (a professor from Temple). It decided to POUR rain the moment we walked out of the hostel, so luckily we were close enough I was able to run in and put on my trusty rainboots. I had been bold enough to attempt to go out in a nice pair of flats so they wouldn't detract from my outfit... but silly me, of course it would rain. We had a hard time finding a taxi to take us to the Sheraton because of a combination of the rain and the anticipated heavy traffic because of the final days of the Ganesh festival. In fact near the Sheraton is the biggest and most popular Ganesh of all Mumbai, you can stand in line for up to 5 hours just to get a glimpse... needless to say, I will not be waiting in that line.
Traffic was surprisingly light, and our taxi driver (the fifth was the charm and finally agreed to take us) was impressively fast, so we of course arrived early. We decided to explore the Shertaon a little and went up to the 30th Floor to a bar called Point of View. There were a lot of signs saying the lounge was only for Tower Residents or Hotel Guests... but of course we were ushered inside and given a tour of the rooftop terrace that offered a spectacular view of Mumbai at night. Being up there you really got an idea of how incredibly expansive the city is! You can't even imagine... I've never seen a larger city in my life, but I suppose it has to be big to fit its population of 18 million. One of the hotel managers then took us back down to the lobby in the elevator and chatted us up about our experience at the hotel, and we mentioned we had been to brunch the previous weekend, and he hoped we would return. After we met the rest of the group downstairs, he pulled us aside to tell us a "secret" that all the bars would have cover charges tonight because of the important cricket match (think World Series of Baseball, World Cup of Soccer, or SuperBowl of Football), but after the match was over, there would be no cover. So, um thanks for the tip?
We returned to dinner to the same place we had brunch the previous weekend and had a great experience once again, although I didn't like the selection of food as much. I did, however, get some steamed vegetables which had been just what I've been craving since August 1. The restaurant was noisy though, because the India v. Pakistan (for the world championship) cricket match was on. The energy was contagious, and I finally started to understand some of the rules of cricket, thanks to explanation by Bhuvan. But it was incredible how the world stopped to watch the cricket match, on the streets, people were lined up along the windows of stores or restaurants that were playing the match, and the whole restaurant erupted in screams of delight (or despair) during the game. Pretty amazing to be a part of. After dinner, I headed back to the hostel for a relatively early night to bed. And I slept and slept and slept. In fact, I didn't actually acquies to getting out of bed until about 2 this afternoon. I'm sure I will pay for it tonight, but I do not plan on sleeping before catching my flight to Goa. We have to leave the hostel at 2 am for a 5 am flight because we've been told traffic will be horrendous.
So today is the last hoorah for the Ganesh festival. You have to "register" for a time to parade your Ganesh down the street to submerge it in the water. The rough order though is from smallest to biggest... so the Ganesh featured by the Sheraton will leave for the water first, but arrive there last... taking an almost 8 hour tour around Mumbai. I learned yesterday that some Ganeshes are insured for almost 2 million dollars! In fact, the one by King Circle (which I have a few pictures of in my PicasaAlbum) is insured for the most money (70 million rupees... $1.75m) because of its gold hands and trunk. Yesterday a wealthy man in Mumbai donated a necklace to one of the Ganeshes, and the necklace was worth an estimated $40,000. Those Ganeshes sure are decked out. Apparently though, like many holidays in the US, this has become very commercialized, but ironically became commercialized during the British rule. Since the brits couldn' very well cancel a religious holiday the Ganesh festival was allowed to go on, and the Indians used it as an opporunity to meet en masse and plan for dissention.
I am pulling my rainboots back on and heading to Shipavi Park in Dadar momentarily to see if I can't see some Ganeshes being sent off into the Sea. I will be sure to report back later this evening with pictures and tales of my adventure out into the mass of 200,000+ crowd (we know my feelings on crowds). Will report back soon!
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Make it Stop!
Make the drumming stop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is all.
I've become "numb" or "immune" to a lot of the noise (except the drumming) and smells (except the garbage truck) here and don't even flinch as cars almost hit me daily (I've discovered the problem is there is NOT a SINGLE STOP SIGN in this city! Not a one!)... but the drumming? Every night? Outside my window? At 11 o'clock at night? Admist the bang of firecrackers? C'mon now... that's really quite enough....
Only two more days of Ganesh left...
That is all.
I've become "numb" or "immune" to a lot of the noise (except the drumming) and smells (except the garbage truck) here and don't even flinch as cars almost hit me daily (I've discovered the problem is there is NOT a SINGLE STOP SIGN in this city! Not a one!)... but the drumming? Every night? Outside my window? At 11 o'clock at night? Admist the bang of firecrackers? C'mon now... that's really quite enough....
Only two more days of Ganesh left...
Friday, September 21, 2007
And the beat goes on... and on.... and on...
We are almost to the end of the Ganesh festival, so hopefully this will be the end of the persistent drumming and booms of firecrackers outside my hostel. The loud booms though, certainly do remind me of the sounds of Aberdeen Proving Ground. But the drumming is starting to get old...
The monsoon started back up with a passion this week. It's almost the end of monsoon season (end of September, I seem to think that nature will agree to end the rains exactly on midnight of September 30th, I have a sneaking suspicion it doesn't work like this...) and I'm sure I would have been disappointed in my infamous rainboots didn't get a few more days to play in the flooded streets of Matunga. But the rain sure makes life pretty dreary here! I had started enjoying my daily walks to get some fresh air (well, as fresh as the air comes in Mumbai... which isn't very fresh at all), but haven't been able to in the rain.
Finals began on Wednesday of this week for the core courses. Before finals began, I enjoyed a lovely dinner out with three of the senior Indian girls living here at the hostel. It was nice to get to know some of the girls better, and this week we've been invited to two midnight birthday celebrations. I could get used to cake at midnight every night! I've had my accounting, economics, and marketing finals so far, and all have gone really well. I especially enjoyed my accounting final, but this is because I'm a big dork who enjoys math :-) I had to take a few career management tests earlier this week to prepare for the arrival of graduate career management from Temple in October, and the tests thought I should be an accountant or financial analyst, not too shabby.
I discovered a book haven this week called CrossWords! Carey and I ventured to find a good study spot, and traveled down to south Mumbai to CrossWords. It almost wanted to be Borders... it felt short, very short, but it gave a valiant effort. We sat in the cafe for a while, and I had a delicious tiny waffle. It was so good! I then spent a good time rummaging through books, and came out with quite a few books that I am very excited to read. I picked some books that are out of my usual repertoire, including a collection of essays on Indian culture, politics, and identity and a biography of a Muslim woman who broke out of an arranged marriage. I also got some humorous reads, one by Bill Bryson, and a few classics that I had never read, and figured I would conquer since I had time. The bookstore made me deliriously happy, once again proving the above statement that I'm a big nerd!
I got a hot pot this week and Mom sent some soup and oatmeal, so now I have some more variety to add to my diet of rice and tuna! Very exciting. I also found Frosted Shredded Wheat in Chedda one day, so that has been my dessert. Chedda gets a few select American products... and gets a quantity of one. They had one box of Frosted Shredded Wheat, and Stella bought the one box of Pop-Tarts. This would be a pretty humorous study in supply chain management and inventory control. I'm just glad I got to Chedda before the others discovered the Frosted Shredded Wheat so they didn't buy the box before I did :-)
I leave for Goa in 5 days, and I am really excited! I have coordinated a biking Goan village tour for the Friday after we arrive and I am looking forward to getting back on a bike (I biked a lot this summer, and have missed it). I just have to get through my Finance and Statistics Exam before then. Once I get to Goa I can catch up on some reading, as well as continue my career search efforts so I can start sending out some cover letters with my resume, and maybe line up some interviews for when I return back Stateside.
Today we met with a professor from Temple, and it was really nice to interact with someone from "home." He's the professor for our GET (Global Entrepreneurship and Technology) for our project this spring. It's an intensive, semester long consulting project with a company that is looking to expand globally. The project sounds like a lot of fun and really great way to gain some invaluable experience, but also sounds like a lot of work! Since I will be commuting to Philly this spring for classes, I'm pretty sure no one (but the school and train conductor) will see me until I come up to breathe in August (hopefully at a beach house in NC!). But it will be worth it. And the hope is that at the end of this year of stress and craziness, I have a job that I am excited and passionate about.
I'm enjoying a quiet evening in front of the television, because the sound of the downpour outside my leaking window, has made the decision to not leave the hostel this evening easy to make. The TV, I am pretty sure though, will drive me insane by this evening. There are two major players in the cell phone race here (think Verizon versus Cingular) one is called AirTel, the other Hutch. All the boys have Hutch, the girls have AirTel. I'm not sure why it worked out like this, but we both get pretty frustrated with our respective mobile companies because they are allowed to send spam text messages and there is no restriction on telemarketing. We often joke if our phone rings during class, it must be Hutch or AirTel, because the only people in the world that call us, are all in Room 504. Well Hutch just recently changed to Vodafone. And there is a commercial, with a dog that leaves its dog house, goes on a little adventure, and comes back to find his dog house changed. It has this annoying repetitive music in the background, and the tagline is "Change is Good. Hutch is now Vodafone." This commercial is the ONLY commercial playing on StarWorld right now. The ONLY one! I think I may go insane. It plays over and over and over again, and then there are banners that fly across the screen saying "Hutch is now Vodafone." I get it, enough!!! I will miss the hot pink Hutch banners on the highway though, because they were my landmark for getting back to the hostel the back roads... oh well, I'll adjust.
I am feeling quite lethargic these days, so I am hoping I can muddle through and then get some R&R down in Goa, so I am ready to face the next set of courses with energy and enthusiasm! Plus after I get back from Goa, only two weeks 'til Mom comes!! But for now, I think I'm going to adapt the Indian tradition of nap time....
The monsoon started back up with a passion this week. It's almost the end of monsoon season (end of September, I seem to think that nature will agree to end the rains exactly on midnight of September 30th, I have a sneaking suspicion it doesn't work like this...) and I'm sure I would have been disappointed in my infamous rainboots didn't get a few more days to play in the flooded streets of Matunga. But the rain sure makes life pretty dreary here! I had started enjoying my daily walks to get some fresh air (well, as fresh as the air comes in Mumbai... which isn't very fresh at all), but haven't been able to in the rain.
Finals began on Wednesday of this week for the core courses. Before finals began, I enjoyed a lovely dinner out with three of the senior Indian girls living here at the hostel. It was nice to get to know some of the girls better, and this week we've been invited to two midnight birthday celebrations. I could get used to cake at midnight every night! I've had my accounting, economics, and marketing finals so far, and all have gone really well. I especially enjoyed my accounting final, but this is because I'm a big dork who enjoys math :-) I had to take a few career management tests earlier this week to prepare for the arrival of graduate career management from Temple in October, and the tests thought I should be an accountant or financial analyst, not too shabby.
I discovered a book haven this week called CrossWords! Carey and I ventured to find a good study spot, and traveled down to south Mumbai to CrossWords. It almost wanted to be Borders... it felt short, very short, but it gave a valiant effort. We sat in the cafe for a while, and I had a delicious tiny waffle. It was so good! I then spent a good time rummaging through books, and came out with quite a few books that I am very excited to read. I picked some books that are out of my usual repertoire, including a collection of essays on Indian culture, politics, and identity and a biography of a Muslim woman who broke out of an arranged marriage. I also got some humorous reads, one by Bill Bryson, and a few classics that I had never read, and figured I would conquer since I had time. The bookstore made me deliriously happy, once again proving the above statement that I'm a big nerd!
I got a hot pot this week and Mom sent some soup and oatmeal, so now I have some more variety to add to my diet of rice and tuna! Very exciting. I also found Frosted Shredded Wheat in Chedda one day, so that has been my dessert. Chedda gets a few select American products... and gets a quantity of one. They had one box of Frosted Shredded Wheat, and Stella bought the one box of Pop-Tarts. This would be a pretty humorous study in supply chain management and inventory control. I'm just glad I got to Chedda before the others discovered the Frosted Shredded Wheat so they didn't buy the box before I did :-)
I leave for Goa in 5 days, and I am really excited! I have coordinated a biking Goan village tour for the Friday after we arrive and I am looking forward to getting back on a bike (I biked a lot this summer, and have missed it). I just have to get through my Finance and Statistics Exam before then. Once I get to Goa I can catch up on some reading, as well as continue my career search efforts so I can start sending out some cover letters with my resume, and maybe line up some interviews for when I return back Stateside.
Today we met with a professor from Temple, and it was really nice to interact with someone from "home." He's the professor for our GET (Global Entrepreneurship and Technology) for our project this spring. It's an intensive, semester long consulting project with a company that is looking to expand globally. The project sounds like a lot of fun and really great way to gain some invaluable experience, but also sounds like a lot of work! Since I will be commuting to Philly this spring for classes, I'm pretty sure no one (but the school and train conductor) will see me until I come up to breathe in August (hopefully at a beach house in NC!). But it will be worth it. And the hope is that at the end of this year of stress and craziness, I have a job that I am excited and passionate about.
I'm enjoying a quiet evening in front of the television, because the sound of the downpour outside my leaking window, has made the decision to not leave the hostel this evening easy to make. The TV, I am pretty sure though, will drive me insane by this evening. There are two major players in the cell phone race here (think Verizon versus Cingular) one is called AirTel, the other Hutch. All the boys have Hutch, the girls have AirTel. I'm not sure why it worked out like this, but we both get pretty frustrated with our respective mobile companies because they are allowed to send spam text messages and there is no restriction on telemarketing. We often joke if our phone rings during class, it must be Hutch or AirTel, because the only people in the world that call us, are all in Room 504. Well Hutch just recently changed to Vodafone. And there is a commercial, with a dog that leaves its dog house, goes on a little adventure, and comes back to find his dog house changed. It has this annoying repetitive music in the background, and the tagline is "Change is Good. Hutch is now Vodafone." This commercial is the ONLY commercial playing on StarWorld right now. The ONLY one! I think I may go insane. It plays over and over and over again, and then there are banners that fly across the screen saying "Hutch is now Vodafone." I get it, enough!!! I will miss the hot pink Hutch banners on the highway though, because they were my landmark for getting back to the hostel the back roads... oh well, I'll adjust.
I am feeling quite lethargic these days, so I am hoping I can muddle through and then get some R&R down in Goa, so I am ready to face the next set of courses with energy and enthusiasm! Plus after I get back from Goa, only two weeks 'til Mom comes!! But for now, I think I'm going to adapt the Indian tradition of nap time....
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Ganesh Charturi
Well it is festival season here in India... and this time it's for Ganesh. Ganesh is a half human/half elephant god that is revered as the god of wisdom, fortune, and maybe something else. The festival starts on his birthday (which was yesterday) and lasts for an odd number of days. The festival is very elaborate here in Maharashtra (the state Mumbai is in) and is important to Mumbai's economy, as you will be able to tell from my pictures... there is quite a market for Ganeshes and Ganesh adornments. The festival begins with Ganeshes parading down the streets. It appears that either neighborhoods, businesses, or families sponsor Ganeshes... and the hope is that you have the most ornate Ganesh. They move through the streets with a procession of drums and fanfare, to arrive at what I've dubbed the "Ganesh huts" all of the city. These "huts" appear quite ugly and haphazardly constructed, but are ornate temple like structures on the inside, where Ganesh sits prominently ontop his throne. Ganeshes come in all sizes and outfits... and will become even more ornate as the week progresses and more gifts are offered to him. At the end of the festival, which comes on an odd number of days, and is the 25th of September this year the Ganeshes are submerged into the Arabian Sea... a sight I look forward to seeing. Interestingly enough, Ganesh idols used to be made out of the earth, so this was a symbolic returning of the materials to the earth... however, Ganesh statues are now made out of plaster of paris and spray painted bright neon colors... so this submergence of the idols has been quite the environmental problem and apparently makes the Arabian Sea even more toxic for the few days following the festival and shoals of dead fish...
The festival is pretty spectacular, and the Ganeshes are pretty amazing so you will have to check out the pictures. I have been exploring the neighborhood on a Ganesh hunt, and have been impressed with quite a few of them, and am thoroughly enjoying the lights strung up throughout the neighborhood! I also enjoyed watching some of the processions, as the dancers encouraged me to join in (I politely declined).
Most of my weekend has been low key... I've just gone on a few walks and pretended to start studying for exams. I fear my celebrity complex will go unfed once I return stateside though. I was at the Sheraton for their Sunday brunch today with Rachel and Carey. The brunch was delicious, although I could only eat half a plateful before I was full... but the service was over the top. We had a guitarist serenading us, a mime attempting to entertain us (I'm afraid we found him funny for reasons other than his abilities as a mime), and practically an entire wait staff waiting for us to make the slight indication we might need something. The brunch was rather expensive, but we didn't mind since it was a buffet and delicious. The desserts were particularly decadent but I only had room for a few chunks of kiwi... darn shrunken stomach. At the end of the meal, we were handed comment cards (as we often are here... they are very anxious to know our opinion) and then the chef came over and asked us what we liked, what we didn't like, what else we wanted, what was our favorite, etc. etc. etc. We couldn't assure him enough that the food was great and we would eat more if we weren't full... but this didn't stop him from bringing us over more food to try. Then one of our many waiters came over and asked what our favorite restaurant was, where we usually ate, what we liked in a restaurant, and proceeded to hand us the business card of the manager of the Sheraton so that we could call him personally on Saturday night if we were going to come to brunch on Sunday (mind you... there were plenty of other brunchers around... but we were the only westerners/Caucasians). After they had extracted enough marketing research from us, we asked for the bill. The bill came to just under $100 (I think $90 to be exact) and we paid... but then the bill was returned to us and we were told that because it was our first time there at the Sheraton, they would be covering our bill. On top of that, they had an amazing bathroom!!! (Too bad it's a 15 minute taxi ride away). On our way out we were lavishly thanked ... and we felt like quite the celebrities :-) I think once I return to the States... it will be weird to not be the cause of near-accidents from motorcyclist turned 180 degrees to stare at you... it will be weird to not turn the head of every person on the street... and it will be weird to not have restaurants consider you the most prized diner... so you see, I will miss some things in India. Being a celebrity and the cheap prices.
The festival is pretty spectacular, and the Ganeshes are pretty amazing so you will have to check out the pictures. I have been exploring the neighborhood on a Ganesh hunt, and have been impressed with quite a few of them, and am thoroughly enjoying the lights strung up throughout the neighborhood! I also enjoyed watching some of the processions, as the dancers encouraged me to join in (I politely declined).
Most of my weekend has been low key... I've just gone on a few walks and pretended to start studying for exams. I fear my celebrity complex will go unfed once I return stateside though. I was at the Sheraton for their Sunday brunch today with Rachel and Carey. The brunch was delicious, although I could only eat half a plateful before I was full... but the service was over the top. We had a guitarist serenading us, a mime attempting to entertain us (I'm afraid we found him funny for reasons other than his abilities as a mime), and practically an entire wait staff waiting for us to make the slight indication we might need something. The brunch was rather expensive, but we didn't mind since it was a buffet and delicious. The desserts were particularly decadent but I only had room for a few chunks of kiwi... darn shrunken stomach. At the end of the meal, we were handed comment cards (as we often are here... they are very anxious to know our opinion) and then the chef came over and asked us what we liked, what we didn't like, what else we wanted, what was our favorite, etc. etc. etc. We couldn't assure him enough that the food was great and we would eat more if we weren't full... but this didn't stop him from bringing us over more food to try. Then one of our many waiters came over and asked what our favorite restaurant was, where we usually ate, what we liked in a restaurant, and proceeded to hand us the business card of the manager of the Sheraton so that we could call him personally on Saturday night if we were going to come to brunch on Sunday (mind you... there were plenty of other brunchers around... but we were the only westerners/Caucasians). After they had extracted enough marketing research from us, we asked for the bill. The bill came to just under $100 (I think $90 to be exact) and we paid... but then the bill was returned to us and we were told that because it was our first time there at the Sheraton, they would be covering our bill. On top of that, they had an amazing bathroom!!! (Too bad it's a 15 minute taxi ride away). On our way out we were lavishly thanked ... and we felt like quite the celebrities :-) I think once I return to the States... it will be weird to not be the cause of near-accidents from motorcyclist turned 180 degrees to stare at you... it will be weird to not turn the head of every person on the street... and it will be weird to not have restaurants consider you the most prized diner... so you see, I will miss some things in India. Being a celebrity and the cheap prices.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
If I were a better swimmer... I would head for home
Today is one of those days where I'd like to start swimming/walking back to Port Herman. I don't know what it is that makes some days worse than others, because it's rarely due to a change in external circumstance, but more a change in internal outlook. One of those days where the hassles I equate with living here on a daily basis, become more than I care to handle, and I would much rather throw the towel in and head home for a soft bed, good shower, and a full belly. Alas, I am here for 97 more days (at least I broke into double digits). It just seems like there is still a long way to go, and life isn't getting much easier as the days wear on. Many of been kind to send care packages, so this has made sure that I have at least one relatively well balanced meal a day... I still don't break 750 calories in a day unless I go out for Italian haha. I'm tired of thinking about food though... although I did torture myself the other day by playing around on the Food Network website... that was probably unnecessary pain for myself.
So there is a long way to go with nothing familiar to rest my eyes on (but Mom comes in less than a month!!!) or lay my body on. Another point of homesickness at this point, could be due to the fact that everyone will be at my house this weekend, and I won't be. That's rather unfortunate and disappointing... but like I said, I'm not the greatest swimmer, so I probably wouldn't last the trip back to the East Coast. I heard the Atlantic isn't the easiest body of water to swim ;-). Family means the world to me, and I hate the thought of missing out on any big gatherings. I guess that just means I'll have a lot more catching up to do in December and everyone will get Leah-Overload from me insisting on being with everyone 24/7. I think I may even let the dogs sleep with me for a few nights :-) But that's enough talk about homesickness, I still have another class to get through and don't want to be an emotional mess for statistics cause the probability of me going home is 0.
This morning I had a very interesting juxtaposed walk to school (is that grammatical correct? Oh well, why start worrying about it now... I know there are plenty of spelling and grammatical errors in this blog, no reason to make drastic changes now)... I passed two rats being eaten by crows (good thing I don't have much of an appetite in India... cause the sights would kill it anyway) and then passed a man peeing into the street... no, he wasn't peeing discretely into a push or the side of the building... but into the street. Eww. But then once I reached the main street, I saw lights and decorations going up for the upcoming Ganesh festival... so that was really cool. As tiring as some of the celebrations are to me (because they go on forever and ever... the school next to us has now been celebrating loudly for a week and it makes for a nuisance when you are in class trying to listen to a boring professor) they are so elaborate and nothing like I've ever seen before! Even birthdays are celebrated elaborated, as I learned last night.
At about 11:45 pm last night I heard a knock at our door. Stella and I had just turned the lights out... I had put "You've Got Mail" on and was just dozing off. My first thought was that one of us forgot to sign in. This happens pretty frequently. We have to sign in at night (we lose "privileges" if we are late) and I often forget because sometimes I come back in at 5:30 pm after class and don't leave again... so sometimes the guard has to come get me to have me sign in. But it wasn't the guard, it was one of the Indian girls in the hostel inviting us to a birthday party at midnight. We debated for a few minutes if we wanted to go... as we were both really tired and almost asleep, but thought it would be kind to stop in and just wish the birthday girl a Happy Birthday. We got upstairs to this mystery girl's room (I still don't know anyone name's in the hostel, they are hard to remember (because they pronounce them so quickly and if I looked at the spelling, I would pronounce them entirely differently) and we always meet them in "packs" so it's hard to place a face with a name). So the birthday tradition is to have cake at midnight. They sing a round of "Happy Birthday" and then something in Hindi (maybe the equivalent?) and then the Birthday girl cuts the cake and proceeds to share the slice with everyone. She takes a bite, her friend takes a bite, she takes another bite, another friend takes a bite... you get the idea. So usually it takes two slices to get around to everyone. Then all her friends rub her face in cake (they assured us this was traditional)... and then finally the cake is cut into slices and everyone gets their own slice. Then there is the "Birthday Bums" in which the Birthday girl (or boy I suppose) is lifted up by their arms and legs for the number of times that corresponds to their age... (I wonder if this stops once you reach a certain age). After this, the Birthday girl has to dance in front of everyone... this isn't necessarily choreographed and seemed to be a process much more for the amusement of all the girl's friends, rather than an opportunity for the Birthday girl to showcase her dance talent. I'm just glad that my birthday won't be celebrated while we are here! Rachel and Carey (and Stella last month) celebrate a birthday here in November, so maybe they have some festivities to look forward to. It was really nice to meet a bunch of the girls last night, although they were trying to insist we dance and after been asleep, we weren't too keen on dancing in front of a bunch of girls at 12:30 at night. We told them we would dance for them the last night we were here :-)
Needless to say, after my sleep being interrupted last night, I am exhausted today... as I have been for most of this week. Hopefully I can catch up on some sleep before the crunch of finals hits me. Cause being tired and hungry sure ain't going to help my homesickness ebb.
So there is a long way to go with nothing familiar to rest my eyes on (but Mom comes in less than a month!!!) or lay my body on. Another point of homesickness at this point, could be due to the fact that everyone will be at my house this weekend, and I won't be. That's rather unfortunate and disappointing... but like I said, I'm not the greatest swimmer, so I probably wouldn't last the trip back to the East Coast. I heard the Atlantic isn't the easiest body of water to swim ;-). Family means the world to me, and I hate the thought of missing out on any big gatherings. I guess that just means I'll have a lot more catching up to do in December and everyone will get Leah-Overload from me insisting on being with everyone 24/7. I think I may even let the dogs sleep with me for a few nights :-) But that's enough talk about homesickness, I still have another class to get through and don't want to be an emotional mess for statistics cause the probability of me going home is 0.
This morning I had a very interesting juxtaposed walk to school (is that grammatical correct? Oh well, why start worrying about it now... I know there are plenty of spelling and grammatical errors in this blog, no reason to make drastic changes now)... I passed two rats being eaten by crows (good thing I don't have much of an appetite in India... cause the sights would kill it anyway) and then passed a man peeing into the street... no, he wasn't peeing discretely into a push or the side of the building... but into the street. Eww. But then once I reached the main street, I saw lights and decorations going up for the upcoming Ganesh festival... so that was really cool. As tiring as some of the celebrations are to me (because they go on forever and ever... the school next to us has now been celebrating loudly for a week and it makes for a nuisance when you are in class trying to listen to a boring professor) they are so elaborate and nothing like I've ever seen before! Even birthdays are celebrated elaborated, as I learned last night.
At about 11:45 pm last night I heard a knock at our door. Stella and I had just turned the lights out... I had put "You've Got Mail" on and was just dozing off. My first thought was that one of us forgot to sign in. This happens pretty frequently. We have to sign in at night (we lose "privileges" if we are late) and I often forget because sometimes I come back in at 5:30 pm after class and don't leave again... so sometimes the guard has to come get me to have me sign in. But it wasn't the guard, it was one of the Indian girls in the hostel inviting us to a birthday party at midnight. We debated for a few minutes if we wanted to go... as we were both really tired and almost asleep, but thought it would be kind to stop in and just wish the birthday girl a Happy Birthday. We got upstairs to this mystery girl's room (I still don't know anyone name's in the hostel, they are hard to remember (because they pronounce them so quickly and if I looked at the spelling, I would pronounce them entirely differently) and we always meet them in "packs" so it's hard to place a face with a name). So the birthday tradition is to have cake at midnight. They sing a round of "Happy Birthday" and then something in Hindi (maybe the equivalent?) and then the Birthday girl cuts the cake and proceeds to share the slice with everyone. She takes a bite, her friend takes a bite, she takes another bite, another friend takes a bite... you get the idea. So usually it takes two slices to get around to everyone. Then all her friends rub her face in cake (they assured us this was traditional)... and then finally the cake is cut into slices and everyone gets their own slice. Then there is the "Birthday Bums" in which the Birthday girl (or boy I suppose) is lifted up by their arms and legs for the number of times that corresponds to their age... (I wonder if this stops once you reach a certain age). After this, the Birthday girl has to dance in front of everyone... this isn't necessarily choreographed and seemed to be a process much more for the amusement of all the girl's friends, rather than an opportunity for the Birthday girl to showcase her dance talent. I'm just glad that my birthday won't be celebrated while we are here! Rachel and Carey (and Stella last month) celebrate a birthday here in November, so maybe they have some festivities to look forward to. It was really nice to meet a bunch of the girls last night, although they were trying to insist we dance and after been asleep, we weren't too keen on dancing in front of a bunch of girls at 12:30 at night. We told them we would dance for them the last night we were here :-)
Needless to say, after my sleep being interrupted last night, I am exhausted today... as I have been for most of this week. Hopefully I can catch up on some sleep before the crunch of finals hits me. Cause being tired and hungry sure ain't going to help my homesickness ebb.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Why does this keep happening? "It's India"
That's my new response to questions. Why is my internet not working? "It's India." How come we have no electricity in the hostel? "It's India." Why do we have no running water in the hostel this morning? "It's India." How come the server randomly just shut down at school? "It's India." How come they are digging up the floor of our hostel entrance? "It's India." How come my clothes are dirtier when they come out of the wash than when they went in? "It's India." (Well last one might be explained by the fact that someone was washing their dirty sneakers in the washer right before Stella put her clothes in... but the clothes usually come out dirty regardless).
Well, I lied. I didn't really spend the day studying Finance on Sunday. In fact, I spent the afternoon shopping. A mix of cabin fever and homesickness led me to venture from Matunga and head to Southern Mumbai to an area known as Colaba. I was dropped off at the Taj Hotel and stocked up on my next round of post cards. This is the only place in Mumbai I have found to buy postcards, with the exception of shady street merchants that sell post cards that look like they are from the 70's. After I got my postcards, I started walking towards Colaba Causeway. Colaba Causeway is a shopping meca, the stores along the way are of high fashion, but lining the streets are vendors with a plethora of bangles, pashminas, purses, etc. I got some more gifts for the holidays, and enjoyed being able to just walk. After a few hours of exploring, I returned back to Matunga, only to be stuck in traffic becausse of 4 story high Ganeshes (the idol that looks like an elephant) traveling in a procession on the wrong side of the highway (highly inefficient, but kind of neat to watch... would have been cooler to watch if I had been in an air conditioned car not breathing in fumes of who knows what).
That evening I cooked via freeze dried camping food my Uncle sent my way! I used a "flameless grill" to make some chicken and mashed potatoes and it was absolutely divine and gloriously filling! Then as a bonus I got to talk to one of my best friends on Skype that evening for a few hours... so Sunday, despite a slow start, wound up being a relatively good day.
Monday was spent in class and actually studying for Finance (I managed to pry my fingers from my beloved financial calculator and was able to successful do all the time value of money problems with just a sheet of paper and my trusty abacus (aka TI-83)). I took the Finance quiz this morning and actually feel really good about it... this is good, because the first quiz was not so good, and only the best 2 out of 3 count. So there is hope to achieve straight A's this semester. Of course, I should let you know the grades from this section of classes does not count at all towards our GPA, we only have to "pass" the courses... but it's an overachiever Type-A personality thing.
We surprised our accounting professor with a cake today because we found out it was her birthday. (Really though, we all just had a hankering for some cake). Accounting ended suddenly though when all the computers at the school shut down and the server died... bonus hour off! So we got let out of class at 4 pm, but I actually stuck around until almost 5 pm helping a couple of students on the latest accounting problems. I love solving accounting problems, but then again, see above statement, I'm a dork.
On my way back to the hostel I noticed Colin was loitering outside our hostel (boys are not allowed in of course) waiting for Rachel. They were going to go check out the Institute of Hotel Management to see if they could see a sample room since they were scoping out a place for some of their various visitors to stay. I opted to go along for the walk, and was excited to actually get a chance to stretch my legs from sitting in a classroom all week. The hotel was in Dadar West and was about a 20 minute walk away. The neighborhood over there is a lot nicer than Matunga, and there were some really fascinating streets filled with beautiful bright sari shops and a lot of activity. I think I'll make the trek over there again, although crossing over the bridge that goes over the train tracks is a little scary since some of the side walk is falling through (the infrastructure of Mumbai is quite literally crumbling under the population boom). But it was nice because there is a big park in Dadar near the Sea... and like I said, is a really vibrant part of town.
After my long walk... including a portion over a sidewalk that was actively being demolished.. my body is protesting from not having enough to eat today so I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my tiffin :-)
Well, I lied. I didn't really spend the day studying Finance on Sunday. In fact, I spent the afternoon shopping. A mix of cabin fever and homesickness led me to venture from Matunga and head to Southern Mumbai to an area known as Colaba. I was dropped off at the Taj Hotel and stocked up on my next round of post cards. This is the only place in Mumbai I have found to buy postcards, with the exception of shady street merchants that sell post cards that look like they are from the 70's. After I got my postcards, I started walking towards Colaba Causeway. Colaba Causeway is a shopping meca, the stores along the way are of high fashion, but lining the streets are vendors with a plethora of bangles, pashminas, purses, etc. I got some more gifts for the holidays, and enjoyed being able to just walk. After a few hours of exploring, I returned back to Matunga, only to be stuck in traffic becausse of 4 story high Ganeshes (the idol that looks like an elephant) traveling in a procession on the wrong side of the highway (highly inefficient, but kind of neat to watch... would have been cooler to watch if I had been in an air conditioned car not breathing in fumes of who knows what).
That evening I cooked via freeze dried camping food my Uncle sent my way! I used a "flameless grill" to make some chicken and mashed potatoes and it was absolutely divine and gloriously filling! Then as a bonus I got to talk to one of my best friends on Skype that evening for a few hours... so Sunday, despite a slow start, wound up being a relatively good day.
Monday was spent in class and actually studying for Finance (I managed to pry my fingers from my beloved financial calculator and was able to successful do all the time value of money problems with just a sheet of paper and my trusty abacus (aka TI-83)). I took the Finance quiz this morning and actually feel really good about it... this is good, because the first quiz was not so good, and only the best 2 out of 3 count. So there is hope to achieve straight A's this semester. Of course, I should let you know the grades from this section of classes does not count at all towards our GPA, we only have to "pass" the courses... but it's an overachiever Type-A personality thing.
We surprised our accounting professor with a cake today because we found out it was her birthday. (Really though, we all just had a hankering for some cake). Accounting ended suddenly though when all the computers at the school shut down and the server died... bonus hour off! So we got let out of class at 4 pm, but I actually stuck around until almost 5 pm helping a couple of students on the latest accounting problems. I love solving accounting problems, but then again, see above statement, I'm a dork.
On my way back to the hostel I noticed Colin was loitering outside our hostel (boys are not allowed in of course) waiting for Rachel. They were going to go check out the Institute of Hotel Management to see if they could see a sample room since they were scoping out a place for some of their various visitors to stay. I opted to go along for the walk, and was excited to actually get a chance to stretch my legs from sitting in a classroom all week. The hotel was in Dadar West and was about a 20 minute walk away. The neighborhood over there is a lot nicer than Matunga, and there were some really fascinating streets filled with beautiful bright sari shops and a lot of activity. I think I'll make the trek over there again, although crossing over the bridge that goes over the train tracks is a little scary since some of the side walk is falling through (the infrastructure of Mumbai is quite literally crumbling under the population boom). But it was nice because there is a big park in Dadar near the Sea... and like I said, is a really vibrant part of town.
After my long walk... including a portion over a sidewalk that was actively being demolished.. my body is protesting from not having enough to eat today so I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my tiffin :-)
Sunday, September 9, 2007
India: It's the smell that gets ya
Well I haven't written in almost a week, and this is because I haven't been feeling well, and sadly have had not many new things to report on. The rest of Tuesday (Gokulashtami) I wound up going to Jain Bul Golf Club with Mitika and some of the guys (she is a member) to sit poolside and eat some normal food. That was very nice, although the chairs at the pool were hard plastic chairs and no loungers. But the food was good. It was still surprising to me that outside of this very exclusive club, there was a whole row of slums and half-naked children running around. Apparently this juxtapositioning is unique to Mumbai and has to do with the property right laws. Here, there are representatives in the legsialture from the slums, and those representatives outnumber the property owners, which is why the slums can't be relocated or revitalized. I still had an enjoyable time at the club, just because it was a little quieter than any places I have found as late.
The rest of the week was spent in class. We have finals for this portion of classes coming up in about a week and a half, so a lot of professors are now trying to cram in mid-terms. I have been doing well in all my classes, because the material is all review for me, so hopefully finals won't make me as crazy as they've made the rest of my colleagues. I did some mini-exploring around Matunga this week and bought the first round of Christmas gifts as well as a Tiffin box for me to take home. It was nice to get some souvenir shopping, but made me feel even more ready to pack my bags and head West (or East... either way I'll get home eventually).
The rest of my day today (Sunday) will be spent reviewing Finance so that I can complete Time Value of Money the archaic, outdated way.
Only 17 more days until Goa!
The rest of the week was spent in class. We have finals for this portion of classes coming up in about a week and a half, so a lot of professors are now trying to cram in mid-terms. I have been doing well in all my classes, because the material is all review for me, so hopefully finals won't make me as crazy as they've made the rest of my colleagues. I did some mini-exploring around Matunga this week and bought the first round of Christmas gifts as well as a Tiffin box for me to take home. It was nice to get some souvenir shopping, but made me feel even more ready to pack my bags and head West (or East... either way I'll get home eventually).
The rest of my day today (Sunday) will be spent reviewing Finance so that I can complete Time Value of Money the archaic, outdated way.
Only 17 more days until Goa!
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Gokulashtami
Well, today's festival, Gokulashtami is pretty much ineffable. Absolutely chaos, I will be sure to upload videos because there is no Western equivalent it can even be compared to. The back courtyard of the school was packed with students for the practice round of the human pyramid challenge. There were four drummers keeping the beat and everyone was dancing in a huge mass of people, and people up on balconies were dumping water on to the participants below (including, unfortunately, me and my camera... but we're both okay). There was a ceremony, traditional honoring of the gods, and a sweet passed around for everyone to enjoy. The girls formed a pyramid first, then the boys. The noise and crowd were overwhelming!
The festivities then moved to the front of the school, where the dancing and huge water fight continued. Everyone was soaked and dancing, having the times of their life! It is really unable to be described, so I will have to let the pictures and video do the explaining. Afterwards, everyone loaded on to the backs of trucks and buses to head further North for an even bigger pyramid challenge. I chose to stay behind, because there were going to be 25-30,000 people crowded into this small neighborhood and I was told it gets pretty wild. I am not a big fan of large crowds by any mean (especially after the first New Years in Vienna), they make me very uncomfortable... I know, India and I seem to be pretty incompatible on the physical level.
I did join in some of the festivities at Welingkar and was invited to join in the tribal like dancing, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I didn't really appreciate the water being dumped on me, so I stayed towards the outskirts and then moved to a higher floor to look down on the madness.
I am back in the room for the afternoon, as the Monsoon has kicked back in and I didn't want to risk the trip to Tanni. I am settled in for a nap, watching a travel special on Dubai!
Will post videos and pictures later!
The festivities then moved to the front of the school, where the dancing and huge water fight continued. Everyone was soaked and dancing, having the times of their life! It is really unable to be described, so I will have to let the pictures and video do the explaining. Afterwards, everyone loaded on to the backs of trucks and buses to head further North for an even bigger pyramid challenge. I chose to stay behind, because there were going to be 25-30,000 people crowded into this small neighborhood and I was told it gets pretty wild. I am not a big fan of large crowds by any mean (especially after the first New Years in Vienna), they make me very uncomfortable... I know, India and I seem to be pretty incompatible on the physical level.
I did join in some of the festivities at Welingkar and was invited to join in the tribal like dancing, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I didn't really appreciate the water being dumped on me, so I stayed towards the outskirts and then moved to a higher floor to look down on the madness.
I am back in the room for the afternoon, as the Monsoon has kicked back in and I didn't want to risk the trip to Tanni. I am settled in for a nap, watching a travel special on Dubai!
Will post videos and pictures later!
Monday, September 3, 2007
Happy Birthday Krishna
We have tomorrow off to celebrate Krishna's Birthday. His birthday officially begins at midnight, so I expect to hear loud clammering outside on the streets starting at midnight. Part of the tradition of celebrating this holiday is building human pyramids to reach up to a clay pot that is suspended above the street. The person on top of the pyramid has to break the pot with his head, and prizes of up to 1, 2, or 3 lahk are given to the winners (a lahk is equal to 100,000 Rupis, 40 Rupis is equal to 1 USD, you do the math :-)). When Krishna was a boy, he used to love butter. To keep him out of the butter pot, his mother would suspend the pot from the ceiling. Krishna would gather his friends around to build a pyramid so that he could reach the butter. There is a boys team and a girls team from Welingkar competing in tomorrow's festivities, so look for pictures from that experience!
This past weekend I had a relatively low key weekend. Had a Micro Economics test on Saturday, and then spent the afternoon relaxing a little before heading out with the whole gang that evening to celebrate Stella's birthday. We went to a restaurant called Ttaxi (yes, it has two "t's") that served amazing Italian food that I thoroughly enjoyed, and then we headed to a bar called Wink. It was a fun night, and I enjoyed sitting next to and catching with some people I don't usually talk with. We got back to the hostel around 2 am (we always break the 11 pm curfew, but never get in trouble because we are the Americans and paying a lot more than the Indian students to live here), and had to wake the guard up for him to unlock the two gates and let us in. It's got to be a fire hazard... being padlocked into the hostel with a soundly sleeping guard. One of the girls mentioned feeling bad for having to wake the guard up... I questioned why he was sleeping on the job in the first place!
Sunday was a really slow day. I spent most of it in my room, working on researching possible employers, as well as enjoying some alone time watching a chick flick, While You Were Sleeping. I did run a few quick errands to make sure I got some fresh air, including picking up a container of steamed rice for dinner, and some pita for snacks for the week. I had a lot of trouble sleeping last night, so wound up not falling asleep until after 6:30 am... needless to say, I skipped out on my first class this morning because knew I would be no use sitting in a classroom and would have to make too much of an effort to open my eyes after each time I blinked.
After class today, we had Hindi class. In the six sessions we have had with our teacher, we have learned all the verb tenses, but we are all horribly lost. We have asked her to slow down so we can absorb everything we have learned so far, but I do feel bad since we are pretty dead by the time we have Hindi class. We are down to 5 in the class, but I hope we can all make it through December (hey, that's a song) so that we can speak Hindi to each other when we arrive back to Philadelphia and make everyone else jealous.
This evening we went to the largest auditorium in Asia, don't ask me to remember its name, I have it written down somewhere and I can say it, just not spell it, to see a Jazz Concert! It was a lot of fun, and great to hear some familiar music including a piece by Thelonius Monk, Caravan, When the Saints Go Marching In, A Train, and a few original compositions of the group. It was a quartet selected by the Lincoln Center in NYC and they were fabulous!! I will post some video from the concert, they were really quite amazing. We also sat behind 5 Americans, and that was very exciting. They all happened to be teachers at the American School of Bombay, so I hope to be in touch with them and have the opportunity to become involved with the school once my class schedule eases up in October. We walked through the streets of Sion, not a pretty sight, to head out to eat after the concert. We were all starving. I had personally only had a protein bar and three bottles of water, and by 9 pm my stomach was growling. My hungry stomach wasn't helped by a song they sang about "Mama's Homecooking" where the lyrics included sweet yams, macaroni and cheese, collared greens, corn bread... thanks buddy, realll nice bring those images to mind.
Dinner was good, but a little spicy for my tastes so I didn't eat too much. Now am back in the dorm and hopefully will catch up on some sleep tonight so I can enjoy Krishna's Birthday tomorrow!
This past weekend I had a relatively low key weekend. Had a Micro Economics test on Saturday, and then spent the afternoon relaxing a little before heading out with the whole gang that evening to celebrate Stella's birthday. We went to a restaurant called Ttaxi (yes, it has two "t's") that served amazing Italian food that I thoroughly enjoyed, and then we headed to a bar called Wink. It was a fun night, and I enjoyed sitting next to and catching with some people I don't usually talk with. We got back to the hostel around 2 am (we always break the 11 pm curfew, but never get in trouble because we are the Americans and paying a lot more than the Indian students to live here), and had to wake the guard up for him to unlock the two gates and let us in. It's got to be a fire hazard... being padlocked into the hostel with a soundly sleeping guard. One of the girls mentioned feeling bad for having to wake the guard up... I questioned why he was sleeping on the job in the first place!
Sunday was a really slow day. I spent most of it in my room, working on researching possible employers, as well as enjoying some alone time watching a chick flick, While You Were Sleeping. I did run a few quick errands to make sure I got some fresh air, including picking up a container of steamed rice for dinner, and some pita for snacks for the week. I had a lot of trouble sleeping last night, so wound up not falling asleep until after 6:30 am... needless to say, I skipped out on my first class this morning because knew I would be no use sitting in a classroom and would have to make too much of an effort to open my eyes after each time I blinked.
After class today, we had Hindi class. In the six sessions we have had with our teacher, we have learned all the verb tenses, but we are all horribly lost. We have asked her to slow down so we can absorb everything we have learned so far, but I do feel bad since we are pretty dead by the time we have Hindi class. We are down to 5 in the class, but I hope we can all make it through December (hey, that's a song) so that we can speak Hindi to each other when we arrive back to Philadelphia and make everyone else jealous.
This evening we went to the largest auditorium in Asia, don't ask me to remember its name, I have it written down somewhere and I can say it, just not spell it, to see a Jazz Concert! It was a lot of fun, and great to hear some familiar music including a piece by Thelonius Monk, Caravan, When the Saints Go Marching In, A Train, and a few original compositions of the group. It was a quartet selected by the Lincoln Center in NYC and they were fabulous!! I will post some video from the concert, they were really quite amazing. We also sat behind 5 Americans, and that was very exciting. They all happened to be teachers at the American School of Bombay, so I hope to be in touch with them and have the opportunity to become involved with the school once my class schedule eases up in October. We walked through the streets of Sion, not a pretty sight, to head out to eat after the concert. We were all starving. I had personally only had a protein bar and three bottles of water, and by 9 pm my stomach was growling. My hungry stomach wasn't helped by a song they sang about "Mama's Homecooking" where the lyrics included sweet yams, macaroni and cheese, collared greens, corn bread... thanks buddy, realll nice bring those images to mind.
Dinner was good, but a little spicy for my tastes so I didn't eat too much. Now am back in the dorm and hopefully will catch up on some sleep tonight so I can enjoy Krishna's Birthday tomorrow!
Saturday, September 1, 2007
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