I woke up at 4:30am to say goodbye to Dave. Well, mostly to lock the door behind him because I'm petrified of getting locked in the apartment. Again. Poor guy was even sicker than I had been that day. To be that sick and about to get on a 14 hour flight…yikes! I felt so bad for him!
I said my goodbyes, locked the door, and fell back into bed. Waking up this morning, I finally felt a little better. Suresh was late to pick me up and in a sour mood. I'm fairly certain he was aiming for potholes this morning, which was not the best medicine for my very sensitive stomach. I got to work, noticeably pale, to the point that Savs (on her first day back from a US rotation)was asking me what was wrong. By midday, I was fine enough to go to Costa for a croissant. I found a comfy chair and made myself at home, spending the lunch hour reading The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest before heading back in.
We had a really productive team meeting today and I finally felt like some of my hard work was paying off. Nothing brightens your day like a feeling of accomplishment.
Cab ride home was…hmm…let's cal it "interesting." I went to meet Suresh in the lobby and he told me to sit down, which automatically annoyed me. Apparently he was waiting for a phone call at the reception desk. Whatever. So then we get in the car and spend 40 minutes navigating through traffic. Driving in India is like playing an intense game of Tetris. It's all about where you can fit your car. Anyway, about five minutes away from my apartment, Suresh randomly asked me if I was asleep. Then he proceeded to ask me if I liked tomatoes and/or tomato soup (I couldn't tell) so I just mumbled "sure." Then he said, "I make you tomato soup." Um…what? I couldn't figure out what I had agreed to a few minutes prior. I'm not doing this justice. Here's how it went:
Suresh: Are you awake? Do you like tomatoes (tomato soup)?
Tara: Sure.
Suresh: I make you tomato soup.
Tara: Thanks, but I'm really tired.
Suresh: I make you tomato soup in apartment.
Tara: Wait, you already made tomato soup in the apartment?
Suresh: Yes, apartment.
Tara: What?
Suresh: You want tomato soup?
Tara: Um…no thanks. I've been kind of feeling sick and not eating.
Suresh: I make you tomato soup.
Tara: Not tonight, but thank you.
Suresh: Okay.
Conversation over. We didn't speak again. Not entirely sure what happened there. Kind of weirded out by the whole experience to be honest.
Now I'm waiting—1.5 hours later—for my Papa Johns. Yes, I ordered Papa Johns in India. Sue me.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Homesick [Sunday, 13 June 2010]
Being sick in a foreign country definitely makes you miss home more than anything else. All I wanted was comfort food, my own bed, my friends/family, and the ramen that I know is sitting in my kitchen cabinet. Instead, I had to rely on the Easy Mac and Wheat Thins in my suitcase. But, I did at least get to call Momma and Daddy, which instantly makes things just a little bit better.
I tried to rough through the icky feeling, but eventually gave into the pressure and took my first cipro pill. I wanted instant gratification, so was a bit bummed when nothing happened an hour later. By about four hours later, I was feeling much better. When my roommate came home at 10pm, I was able to get up and chat with him. Now I just have to see how much stomach behaves around the smell of spicy food on Monday. That will be the true test!
I tried to rough through the icky feeling, but eventually gave into the pressure and took my first cipro pill. I wanted instant gratification, so was a bit bummed when nothing happened an hour later. By about four hours later, I was feeling much better. When my roommate came home at 10pm, I was able to get up and chat with him. Now I just have to see how much stomach behaves around the smell of spicy food on Monday. That will be the true test!
Parties and Bangles [Saturday, 12 June 2010]
Friday morning I woke up with a start, terrified that there might be a lizard on me. Then I remembered—we chased Bob down the night before and banished him from the apartment. I ran to the kitchen to see if he had somehow made it back in. Thankfully, no Bob. However, when I looked outside he was still in the bucket we trapped him in the night before. Dave woke up and tried to convince me that we should est him free, but I wasn't having any of it. I insisted we wait until the house boy came so he could deal with it. Dave was in no position to argue as he was running late, as usual.
On top of the lizard paranoia, for some odd reason the electricity went out in the kitchen and Dave's room only. Not being able to have my morning coffee and oatmeal was a sure sign that the day would not be turning out well. Still, we left for work making jokes as usual. Somehow the brownie joke from the evening before had made it into our top ten jokes of the morning and we also had to revisit the fact that we saw a donkey crossing the street on Thursday night as well. A donkey. I don't know why, but it was so cool.
Most of the day I didn't feel very well and I think my exhaustion from the past nine days had finally caught up with me. I tried to eat a little here and there buy by late afternoon I could barely keep my eyes open and my stomach was not making the most attractive noises. I asked Susmita (the office receptionist) to send the driver early and I headed home. back at the apartment, I noticed that all the holes in the walls had been plugged up and the house boy had finally fitted my bed with a large sheet, instead of the short one I'd been getting all week. Ranjeet and the house boy came home to finish cleaning while I took a much needed nap. At 8pm, Nidhi, Vikram, and Dave came to pick me up for a party. We spent the evening hanging out at an apartment, having rinks (mostly soda for me and my poor stomach) and chatting. I saw some recently-made friends (Saps, Anurodh) and met some new. We were out rather late (thank you nap for saving me there) and finally went home, dragging my drunken roommate behind me.
Drunk Dave is hysterical. He spent ten minutes when we got home telling me what he was going to bring to Agra on Saturday. I had to regulate when he tried to take his air conditioner remove control. I decided to wake up at 5am to (1) make sure Dave was going to wake up and (2) to lock the door behind them so I would be able to open it again in the morning. Shocking—Dave was still asleep at 5am. I yelled his name, slapped him on the leg a couple of times, and finally shook him awake. Then I went to sleep until the doorbell rang. Dave ran around like a crazy person and when his ride got to the door, he opened it, yelled "be right there!" and then slammed the door in the dude's face. So funny.
I locked the door behind Dave and went back to sleep until noon. I woke up once at 8:30am to take my malaria pill. I realized I didn't have any water and went to the kitchen to find some. Apparently, in this crazy, still-drunken stupor this morning, Dave stole all the water in the house. All of it. Bastard.
Nidhi picked me up at 2pm to take me shopping in Delhi. While driving through the slums, M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" came on the radio. Fitting, really. Sometimes it's really hard to turn a blind eye to the poverty here. I run around shopping and having dinner with friends, but seeing a group of five children sleeping on a blanket on the side of the highway is kind of a hard image to get out of your head. You want to run around and give everyone food or Rs. 100, but I know that won't solve the problem. It hurts your heart to see it though.
Once in Delhi, we—of course—did some shopping: Janpath, Cottage, and Dilli Haat. Having Nidhi with me meant I got the best deals. I didn't feel like I got much, but in the end I had quite a heavy bag of purchases. We went or lunch after this, but my stomach was not allowing for much variety. We ended up at, of all places, McDonalds. After our lunch of french fries and such, we headed to Dilli Haat, which was awesome. It's government-operated or something, so it's much cleaner without all the beggars and filth on the streets. The second I walked in, I wanted everything—bangles, necklaces, scarves, etc. Everything was so colorful and I was just overwhelmed by it all. Shopping in India was amazing.
I'm home early and ready to sleep again. Looking forward to a fairly relaxing day tomorrow—lunch with my Arjun and nothing else. Yippee!
On top of the lizard paranoia, for some odd reason the electricity went out in the kitchen and Dave's room only. Not being able to have my morning coffee and oatmeal was a sure sign that the day would not be turning out well. Still, we left for work making jokes as usual. Somehow the brownie joke from the evening before had made it into our top ten jokes of the morning and we also had to revisit the fact that we saw a donkey crossing the street on Thursday night as well. A donkey. I don't know why, but it was so cool.
Most of the day I didn't feel very well and I think my exhaustion from the past nine days had finally caught up with me. I tried to eat a little here and there buy by late afternoon I could barely keep my eyes open and my stomach was not making the most attractive noises. I asked Susmita (the office receptionist) to send the driver early and I headed home. back at the apartment, I noticed that all the holes in the walls had been plugged up and the house boy had finally fitted my bed with a large sheet, instead of the short one I'd been getting all week. Ranjeet and the house boy came home to finish cleaning while I took a much needed nap. At 8pm, Nidhi, Vikram, and Dave came to pick me up for a party. We spent the evening hanging out at an apartment, having rinks (mostly soda for me and my poor stomach) and chatting. I saw some recently-made friends (Saps, Anurodh) and met some new. We were out rather late (thank you nap for saving me there) and finally went home, dragging my drunken roommate behind me.
Drunk Dave is hysterical. He spent ten minutes when we got home telling me what he was going to bring to Agra on Saturday. I had to regulate when he tried to take his air conditioner remove control. I decided to wake up at 5am to (1) make sure Dave was going to wake up and (2) to lock the door behind them so I would be able to open it again in the morning. Shocking—Dave was still asleep at 5am. I yelled his name, slapped him on the leg a couple of times, and finally shook him awake. Then I went to sleep until the doorbell rang. Dave ran around like a crazy person and when his ride got to the door, he opened it, yelled "be right there!" and then slammed the door in the dude's face. So funny.
I locked the door behind Dave and went back to sleep until noon. I woke up once at 8:30am to take my malaria pill. I realized I didn't have any water and went to the kitchen to find some. Apparently, in this crazy, still-drunken stupor this morning, Dave stole all the water in the house. All of it. Bastard.
Nidhi picked me up at 2pm to take me shopping in Delhi. While driving through the slums, M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" came on the radio. Fitting, really. Sometimes it's really hard to turn a blind eye to the poverty here. I run around shopping and having dinner with friends, but seeing a group of five children sleeping on a blanket on the side of the highway is kind of a hard image to get out of your head. You want to run around and give everyone food or Rs. 100, but I know that won't solve the problem. It hurts your heart to see it though.
Once in Delhi, we—of course—did some shopping: Janpath, Cottage, and Dilli Haat. Having Nidhi with me meant I got the best deals. I didn't feel like I got much, but in the end I had quite a heavy bag of purchases. We went or lunch after this, but my stomach was not allowing for much variety. We ended up at, of all places, McDonalds. After our lunch of french fries and such, we headed to Dilli Haat, which was awesome. It's government-operated or something, so it's much cleaner without all the beggars and filth on the streets. The second I walked in, I wanted everything—bangles, necklaces, scarves, etc. Everything was so colorful and I was just overwhelmed by it all. Shopping in India was amazing.
I'm home early and ready to sleep again. Looking forward to a fairly relaxing day tomorrow—lunch with my Arjun and nothing else. Yippee!
Monday, February 6, 2012
Bob, You Are Not Welcome [Thursday, 10 June 2010]
As many of you know from my facebook page, I had a very traumatic morning. I was getting ready for work—minding my own business—when all of a sudden the electricity went out. Rather than turning on within two minutes, it stayed off for at least ten. I thought to myself, this would be a nice morning to step outside on my balcony and observe the surrounding area. I pushed back the curtains and to my horror, a lizard scurried out from behind the curtain. Clearly, I started screaming and running around like a maniac. My first thought was to knock him down, so I had the brilliant idea to start pelting him with socks. Unfortunately, I have extremely bad aim and eventually managed to not only miss the lizard, but also get my socks stuck on top of the air conditioning unit. At that point, the electricity came back on, so my next brilliant idea was to scare it away from the hair dryer. Well, (1) the hair dryer cord wasn't long enough to make an impact and (2) I don't think lizards are scared of heat. Last but not least, I found a broom in the pantry and decided the best course of action was to shoo it out. I swept along the wall and managed to get it to go back through the hole in the wall it came in through. Yes, the hole in my wall. Thanks India.
During this whole debacle, my roommate lay soundly asleep across the hall. Jerk.
After the lizard scare, I quickly finished getting dressed and then moved into a safe area—the living room. Dave eventually emerged from his room to iron his clothes around 8:45am (note: Suresh arrives every morning at 9:00am to take us to work). After telling him the tale of my bedroom lizard, the doorbell rang. Dave, being the brave soul that he is, ran away. I was left to answer the door, where I found a young Indian man speaking Hindi and, I think, asking me if I wanted him to take my laundry. I just said no and closed the door. Then, my fearless roommate emerged from his room. We spent most of the day joking that he runs away in a sticky situation, which for some reason made us laugh a lot. Oh, and before he came out of his room, he sneezed, and then walked out of the room and stated "I just sneezed." Which made me laugh uncontrollably. I don't think I can even express how many inside jokes we have: lizards, house boys, short sheets, soap, Akbar, Red Fort, etc. I think we might be friends for life now.
Suresh got in at five to nine and decided to make us tea. He makes the best tea ever, so I was more than happy to accept the offer. Plus, Dave was running around like a lunatic, so we had time.
Today I did my best to continue embarrassing the India team with my crazy American ways. For instance, I used facebook pictures of Jaimee and Vivek to introduce them via e-mail. Vivek was like, "where did you get that photo from?" and all I could do was hysterically laugh. I'm really professional. Seriously.
After work, Dave and I had the driver pick us up at 7:30pm and take us to Ambiance Mall. We discovered quickly that the drive did not speak English, so we devised an intricate sign language plan to explain to him that we wanted to be picked up in two hours. Despite our efforts, I still don't think he understood. We walked into the mall and attempted to find the Fabindia store we had recently become obsessed with. Then we headed to the beer island—specifically, Bavarian—to have some drinks and dinner. Per usual, we tried our best to confuse the servers by asking for separate checks. After diner, dave asked for two more beers and the check. He has the ability to make the simplest statement confusing, so then we were convinced that the server was going to bring us some naan and maybe a brownie instead of what we asked for. Once we left, we were all turned around and couldn't find out way out of the mall. A security guard pointed us in the wrong direction, so that was awesome. Thankfully, we found our way out to our Hindi-speaking driver and made it home.
During this whole debacle, my roommate lay soundly asleep across the hall. Jerk.
After the lizard scare, I quickly finished getting dressed and then moved into a safe area—the living room. Dave eventually emerged from his room to iron his clothes around 8:45am (note: Suresh arrives every morning at 9:00am to take us to work). After telling him the tale of my bedroom lizard, the doorbell rang. Dave, being the brave soul that he is, ran away. I was left to answer the door, where I found a young Indian man speaking Hindi and, I think, asking me if I wanted him to take my laundry. I just said no and closed the door. Then, my fearless roommate emerged from his room. We spent most of the day joking that he runs away in a sticky situation, which for some reason made us laugh a lot. Oh, and before he came out of his room, he sneezed, and then walked out of the room and stated "I just sneezed." Which made me laugh uncontrollably. I don't think I can even express how many inside jokes we have: lizards, house boys, short sheets, soap, Akbar, Red Fort, etc. I think we might be friends for life now.
Suresh got in at five to nine and decided to make us tea. He makes the best tea ever, so I was more than happy to accept the offer. Plus, Dave was running around like a lunatic, so we had time.
Today I did my best to continue embarrassing the India team with my crazy American ways. For instance, I used facebook pictures of Jaimee and Vivek to introduce them via e-mail. Vivek was like, "where did you get that photo from?" and all I could do was hysterically laugh. I'm really professional. Seriously.
After work, Dave and I had the driver pick us up at 7:30pm and take us to Ambiance Mall. We discovered quickly that the drive did not speak English, so we devised an intricate sign language plan to explain to him that we wanted to be picked up in two hours. Despite our efforts, I still don't think he understood. We walked into the mall and attempted to find the Fabindia store we had recently become obsessed with. Then we headed to the beer island—specifically, Bavarian—to have some drinks and dinner. Per usual, we tried our best to confuse the servers by asking for separate checks. After diner, dave asked for two more beers and the check. He has the ability to make the simplest statement confusing, so then we were convinced that the server was going to bring us some naan and maybe a brownie instead of what we asked for. Once we left, we were all turned around and couldn't find out way out of the mall. A security guard pointed us in the wrong direction, so that was awesome. Thankfully, we found our way out to our Hindi-speaking driver and made it home.
The ride consisted of us making every inside joke we could think of, including some about my lizard, Bob, and the fact that the house boy refuses to give me a sheet that actually fits my bed. Dave wants me to leave a note that says "House boy, why dost thou hate me so?" Actually, I think that's what he was saying. Each time we tried to talk, we both laughed too much to make full sentences. Then we saw a donkey cross the street at the crosswalk and it was all over. I could barely breathe.
We made it home and ventured back into our rooms (Dave's has since been renamed "the mosquito" room and mine is "the lizard"). I knew that if Bob was there, all hell would break loose. I walked in, stared up at the ceiling, and gave a big sigh of relief. No Bob. Then I turned around to close my door and started screaming. Bob was so confident after this morning's fiasco, that he'd moved further into the room and was now behind my door. This time, Dave did not shirk his responsibilities as man of the house. He found a broom and the bucket from his bathroom and began to chase Bob around the room. Bob was not having any of this. I've never seen a creature move so fast. Eventually he made it to the floor and behind my desk. I stood on the bed and kept screaming, "Bob, no! Don't go under there!" Despite the running and crawling and jumping, Dave eventually managed to get Bob in the bucket. I ran to open the kitchen patio door and as I did, another lizard jumped out of nowhere. Screaming ensued and Dave threw the bucket on the balcony. Then he ran away like a little girl because there were mosquitoes in the kitchen and he didn't have any malaria pills for the trip. Wuss.
Last, but not least, I spent 45 minutes on Skype with my parents just now. Thirty of these minutes consisted of us doing sign language because my parents didn't have their microphone or sound on. Eventually they figured it out and we had a lovely little chat before i jumped up screaming again due to a cricket in the room. Gah, why won't these monsters leave me alone?!?
Served with an Indian Twist [Wednesday, 9 June 2010]
I made it through the night without any scorpion attacks. Big sigh of relief.
The only interesting thing about this morning was that I once again locked myself inside the apartment. I don't know what is wrong with this key, but it lets me lock the door and unlock it from the outside, but almost always refuses to let me out in the morning. Dave's brilliant idea—because eventually I will be alone and won't have his help—is to leave the key in the lock after I've locked it from the inside. Theory being that if it's already turned once and hasn't moved, it should work again. We're testing this tonight. Will update tomorrow.
Traffic was awful this morning. No cows impeding our transit, but a couple wild boars and tuk-tuks were making passing a bit more difficult. Also, I think Suresh is really baffled by the fact that I never get a ride home in the evening. Almost every night, Nidhi and Vikram drive me home. I think he's so used to having people to pick up each night, he doesn't know what to do with me.
Once at work, I began reading through all the e-mails I had received from the evening before. The team started filtering in and I felt the need to regale them with my insane shopping spree from the previous night. They were so amused by my antics and I couldn't stop laughing while explaining my motives behind each purchase. I insisted on showing everyone the picture of me in the store with my shopping bags, which made me dissolve into laughter again. I think, secretly, they were hedging bets about how much I will to end up spending while here in India.
Mid-morning I took one of the teams to Costa Coffee. I was so excited for my extra-large latté, I couldn't even think straight. The team all got medium iced cappuccinos, which they drank half of and then shared with the others once they got back. However, there was no sharing happening on my end. As soon as that giant bowl-of-a-coffee cup was set down, I looked at it and said "I love you." Ruchika then said "You're so excited about being here. It's so funny." and I looked at her and said "Yeah, um, this is how I normally act." Then I decided to just start asking questions at random and managed to embarrass Vivek by asking his age. I think he was mostly embarrassed that I was directing a question solely at him—he's so shy—but he blushed and it was so adorable! It's fantastic getting to know everyone outside of just proofing their work. I just can't get over how sweet and fun each of these people are.
After the long day, Nidhi and Vikram yet again took me out shopping. Today it was the Metropolitan Mall. This one was a bit more Western, boasting brand names like Lacoste and the United Colors of Benetton. Somehow, I had lost my shopping bug from the night before and could not find any short kurtas that I liked! Everything was so-so, which is completely unlike me. I longed for the wonderfulness of Fabindia. I must go there again! Before we made it up to the fourth floor for dinner, Nidhi and Vikram insisted we visit one of the cushion stores. And voila, shopping bug was resurrected. After much deliberation, I settled on two patchwork designs and two plain silk fabrics. My taupe couch is going to be so excited.
All during the day today, I was craving Mexican. I could not have missed Chipotle more. Luckily, there was a restaurant in the mall called Rodeo—the first-ever Mexican restaurant in India (opened in 1994). The servers were dressed as cowboys and the bar stools were saddles. The music, however, was an eclectic mix of the Bee Gees, Britney Spears, and Buffalo Springfield. I ordered some nachos (which Nidhi insisted wasn't enough) and to appease her, ordered an enchilada as well. The fillings to choose from were a little too far off the Mexican good mark for me, so I requested some refried beans and cheese. I'm fairly certain this was their first request for this sort of food combination ever. The poor server was so confused, he just kept asking me if I was sure I didn't want vegetables or chicken or something besides beans. Mexican food with an Indian twist—it'll never be the same again.
The only interesting thing about this morning was that I once again locked myself inside the apartment. I don't know what is wrong with this key, but it lets me lock the door and unlock it from the outside, but almost always refuses to let me out in the morning. Dave's brilliant idea—because eventually I will be alone and won't have his help—is to leave the key in the lock after I've locked it from the inside. Theory being that if it's already turned once and hasn't moved, it should work again. We're testing this tonight. Will update tomorrow.
Traffic was awful this morning. No cows impeding our transit, but a couple wild boars and tuk-tuks were making passing a bit more difficult. Also, I think Suresh is really baffled by the fact that I never get a ride home in the evening. Almost every night, Nidhi and Vikram drive me home. I think he's so used to having people to pick up each night, he doesn't know what to do with me.
Once at work, I began reading through all the e-mails I had received from the evening before. The team started filtering in and I felt the need to regale them with my insane shopping spree from the previous night. They were so amused by my antics and I couldn't stop laughing while explaining my motives behind each purchase. I insisted on showing everyone the picture of me in the store with my shopping bags, which made me dissolve into laughter again. I think, secretly, they were hedging bets about how much I will to end up spending while here in India.
Mid-morning I took one of the teams to Costa Coffee. I was so excited for my extra-large latté, I couldn't even think straight. The team all got medium iced cappuccinos, which they drank half of and then shared with the others once they got back. However, there was no sharing happening on my end. As soon as that giant bowl-of-a-coffee cup was set down, I looked at it and said "I love you." Ruchika then said "You're so excited about being here. It's so funny." and I looked at her and said "Yeah, um, this is how I normally act." Then I decided to just start asking questions at random and managed to embarrass Vivek by asking his age. I think he was mostly embarrassed that I was directing a question solely at him—he's so shy—but he blushed and it was so adorable! It's fantastic getting to know everyone outside of just proofing their work. I just can't get over how sweet and fun each of these people are.
After the long day, Nidhi and Vikram yet again took me out shopping. Today it was the Metropolitan Mall. This one was a bit more Western, boasting brand names like Lacoste and the United Colors of Benetton. Somehow, I had lost my shopping bug from the night before and could not find any short kurtas that I liked! Everything was so-so, which is completely unlike me. I longed for the wonderfulness of Fabindia. I must go there again! Before we made it up to the fourth floor for dinner, Nidhi and Vikram insisted we visit one of the cushion stores. And voila, shopping bug was resurrected. After much deliberation, I settled on two patchwork designs and two plain silk fabrics. My taupe couch is going to be so excited.
All during the day today, I was craving Mexican. I could not have missed Chipotle more. Luckily, there was a restaurant in the mall called Rodeo—the first-ever Mexican restaurant in India (opened in 1994). The servers were dressed as cowboys and the bar stools were saddles. The music, however, was an eclectic mix of the Bee Gees, Britney Spears, and Buffalo Springfield. I ordered some nachos (which Nidhi insisted wasn't enough) and to appease her, ordered an enchilada as well. The fillings to choose from were a little too far off the Mexican good mark for me, so I requested some refried beans and cheese. I'm fairly certain this was their first request for this sort of food combination ever. The poor server was so confused, he just kept asking me if I was sure I didn't want vegetables or chicken or something besides beans. Mexican food with an Indian twist—it'll never be the same again.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Scorpion King [Tuesday, 8 June 2010]
Woke up in the middle of the night with a cramp in my foot, absolutely convinced that I had been bit by a scorpion in the middle of the night and the cramp was the first indication that I was dying. After jumping around the room, trying to shake the pain away, and then staring at my foot for possible swelling in the bathroom, I just decided to go back to bed. If I was already in the process of dying, I may as well just go to sleep. My thought process at 3am is stellar.
After my miraculous recovery, I slept until about 7:45am and then woke up to find that it was an extremely pleasant day outside. I don't know what's going on, but it was a cool 75 degrees today. I made some coffee and walked out onto the kitchen balcony (did I mention that every room has a balcony?) Rather than making the screeching noise the door typically makes, it glided open—most likely due to the reduced temperature. The scene from my balcony is very Slumdog Millionaire. There is an apartment going up across the way and all the workers are living in this half-built community center next to it. Each morning they get up and wash outside, throw brackish water over the balcony, scream a lot (i always think someone is in trouble), and go about their day. This morning they caught me on the balcony and I received my typical "what's this white woman doing in India?" stares.
Suresh arrived at 9am to gather us for work. I told him that we missed him yesterday and he started laughing. Amusing Suresh is the highlight of my mornings! I spent the majority of the drive laughing as Dave and I were making up stories about him buying a traditional men's kurta and wearing it around has house in DC. I had his mental image of him inviting guests into his home and asking them to remove their shoes and just couldn't stop laughing. Suresh continued to listen to his Bollywood music and drive like a maniac, but I'm pretty sure he was amused by us.
I have spent my day sending planners, making plans for the week, proofing, and even doing a little design work. Little did I know, 75% of the time the India designers are unable to open DeltaGraph files created on the US end. I practically yelled at everyone for not really telling us this was a huge problem. Due to this fact, I spent a good portion of my day yesterday and today helpig to create graphs or open DG files on my mac. I also spent the vast majority of my day attempting to bring these insanely quiet designers out of their shells. My goal in life is to make Shweta laugh nonstop. And I'm pretty certain Anita thought I was insane when I went in for a high five. I'm shocking people with my crazy American ways, left and right!
After work, once again Nidhi swooped in to save me from any chance of boredom. Unfortunately Vikram was feeling ill, so tonight Nidhi, alone, took Dave and I to "Cottage." I didn't really know what this meant, except that I would get to shop, but man was I in for a treat! This place is amazing. I walked in and just started throwing items in a basket. At one point, I picked up a basket of trinkets and asked if I culd take it. The man was like "Oh, you would like the basket?" and I had to explain "No, I want everything that's in the basket!" I'm fairly certain that the people at this store loved me. I was shopping with abandon and still only managed to hit $200. I had four bags of gifts when I was done—Dave and Nidhi were laughing hysterically at me as I skipped out of the store.
After dinner, we went over to Howzatt for some drinks. This place claims it's the first ever Indian brewery. I don't know whether that's true or not, but their "googly" beer (a light weizen) and ambiance was fantastic! After drinks, we headed across the way to Terroir, which was quite fancy and beautiful. I have never eaten at so many fine dining restaurants in my life. It seems that India has only roadside stands/shops, fast food, and fine dining. These places would be the equivalent of like Applebees in America, but here it is essentially a 5-star restaurant.
I had the most delicious grilled salmon at Terroir tonight. I was so excited to eat, I almost forgot to take a picture. But then, I wouldn't be a silly tourist if I didn't constantly take pictures of things people think are completely ordinary, now would I?
Even when I think the next day couldn't be as amusing and fun as the last, something happens that has me laughing until tears are rolling down my cheeks. I just can't get enough of this place and it's only been six full days!
After my miraculous recovery, I slept until about 7:45am and then woke up to find that it was an extremely pleasant day outside. I don't know what's going on, but it was a cool 75 degrees today. I made some coffee and walked out onto the kitchen balcony (did I mention that every room has a balcony?) Rather than making the screeching noise the door typically makes, it glided open—most likely due to the reduced temperature. The scene from my balcony is very Slumdog Millionaire. There is an apartment going up across the way and all the workers are living in this half-built community center next to it. Each morning they get up and wash outside, throw brackish water over the balcony, scream a lot (i always think someone is in trouble), and go about their day. This morning they caught me on the balcony and I received my typical "what's this white woman doing in India?" stares.
Suresh arrived at 9am to gather us for work. I told him that we missed him yesterday and he started laughing. Amusing Suresh is the highlight of my mornings! I spent the majority of the drive laughing as Dave and I were making up stories about him buying a traditional men's kurta and wearing it around has house in DC. I had his mental image of him inviting guests into his home and asking them to remove their shoes and just couldn't stop laughing. Suresh continued to listen to his Bollywood music and drive like a maniac, but I'm pretty sure he was amused by us.
I have spent my day sending planners, making plans for the week, proofing, and even doing a little design work. Little did I know, 75% of the time the India designers are unable to open DeltaGraph files created on the US end. I practically yelled at everyone for not really telling us this was a huge problem. Due to this fact, I spent a good portion of my day yesterday and today helpig to create graphs or open DG files on my mac. I also spent the vast majority of my day attempting to bring these insanely quiet designers out of their shells. My goal in life is to make Shweta laugh nonstop. And I'm pretty certain Anita thought I was insane when I went in for a high five. I'm shocking people with my crazy American ways, left and right!
Forcing Shweta to pose for a picture with me
After work, once again Nidhi swooped in to save me from any chance of boredom. Unfortunately Vikram was feeling ill, so tonight Nidhi, alone, took Dave and I to "Cottage." I didn't really know what this meant, except that I would get to shop, but man was I in for a treat! This place is amazing. I walked in and just started throwing items in a basket. At one point, I picked up a basket of trinkets and asked if I culd take it. The man was like "Oh, you would like the basket?" and I had to explain "No, I want everything that's in the basket!" I'm fairly certain that the people at this store loved me. I was shopping with abandon and still only managed to hit $200. I had four bags of gifts when I was done—Dave and Nidhi were laughing hysterically at me as I skipped out of the store.
After dinner, we went over to Howzatt for some drinks. This place claims it's the first ever Indian brewery. I don't know whether that's true or not, but their "googly" beer (a light weizen) and ambiance was fantastic! After drinks, we headed across the way to Terroir, which was quite fancy and beautiful. I have never eaten at so many fine dining restaurants in my life. It seems that India has only roadside stands/shops, fast food, and fine dining. These places would be the equivalent of like Applebees in America, but here it is essentially a 5-star restaurant.
I had the most delicious grilled salmon at Terroir tonight. I was so excited to eat, I almost forgot to take a picture. But then, I wouldn't be a silly tourist if I didn't constantly take pictures of things people think are completely ordinary, now would I?
Even when I think the next day couldn't be as amusing and fun as the last, something happens that has me laughing until tears are rolling down my cheeks. I just can't get enough of this place and it's only been six full days!
Another Day, Another Cow [Monday, 7 June 2010]
I never thought I would say this, but today was a fun little Monday.
Dave was so excited about going to work in India, it was hilarious. We both puttered around the apartment getting ready this morning, then settled in the living room around 8:45am to wait for Suresh. By 9:15am, we were still driver-less. Ranjeet, the CEB guest house caretaker, came by—clearly confused that we were still home. I tried to see if he would take us on his scooter, but he just laughed and walked away. I'm fairly certain he had no idea what I was saying.
Eventually, a driver (not Suresh) came for us. He spoke no English, which was rather unexciting. However, he did have some excellent Bollywood music playing in the car, so Dave and I jammed out on the way to work. Traffic was heavy today and a herd of cows made for some difficult maneuvering. I honestly don't know how people drive in this country without getting plowed over.
The days go by so fast here. Before I know it, it's noon and then all of a sudden it's time to go home. I don't know how I'm going to get anything done. Working with the designers is so fantastic. They are amazingly hard workers. After seeing some of the edits from this end, I am not very surprised that things sometimes go wrong. I'm enjoying talking to them about being confident and the similarities between their problems and ours in the US.
Around noon, my favorite person in all of India, Arjun, came by the office. I got so excited and jumped up with a huge smile on my face and then he started laughing and held out his hand to shake mine. I just stared at him like was insane and then hugged him. Of course, then I realized that Dave and I read a guide book yesterday that basically said any form of touching between a man and a woman is considered very sexual. I probably looked like a tramp to passing CEBers. (Side note: The men here hold hands ALL the time. I mean, seriously all the time. It's apparently a sign of brotherhood. They are like walking around, holding hands and staring at me. It's so disconcerting.) Arjun and I chatted for a minute before his meeting and then he promised to go to lunch with me after. I'm actually shocked I did not force him to take a picture with me. So uncharacteristic of me!
Arjun, Adi, and I went to grab pizza at Dominos. They urged me to try the thin crust, as many people have found the dough a bit too heavy. I had a pepperoni and cheese thin crust and it was great. We brought our food back to the cafeteria to eat and I continued to make fun of Arjun for breaking girls' hearts all over India. Ha, at one point he smiled and waved at a girl in the cafeteria and I said "Did you break her heart?" he laughed and said "No, girls are too sweet. I would never do that." And I said "I can hear them breaking everywhere. That girl will be calling you and crying in about five minutes." He seriously cracks me up.
The rest of the day passed by pretty quickly. I spent most of my day proofing, talking to Shweta, and coaching designers. We had our first team pull up, which consists of an ice breaker (talking about our weekends), a project pull up, and either a reading or proofing exercise. I also spent some time today talking about what my plan was while in India: mentoring, creating onboarding schedules, India–US partner relationships, and communication/feedback/confidence.
After work, Nidhi and Vikram took Dave and I to Ambiance Mall for some shopping and food/beer at Rockman's Beer Island. Nidhi took me to a shop called FabIndia and I was like a kid in a candy store. I literally just started throwing clothes on the counter and still my bill was only Rs. 4700 (yes, that's $102). Then Nidhi and I met the boys at the beer island for some home-brewed wheat beer (I actually think it was a German–Indian restaurant, if you can believe it). As we were looking over the menu, I brought up the restaurant Barbeque Nation, which I had heard from others was great. Nidhi insisted we out our menus down and leave the mall to go there immediately.
We had a very late dinner, but it was well worth it. Barbeque Nation is amazing. It is all-you-can-eat for Rs. 500 ($10) and for the starters they put a grill with kabob holders on your table and just start setting veg and chicken and shrimp kabobs on the grill with all of these sauces you can brush on. then they also continuously refill and bring other side dishes for you to sample. Once the starters are done, you move on to he main course which is buffet style. At that point, I don't think I could eat another mouthful. Of course, then they set down some garlic naan on the table and I managed to get that down my throat fast enough.
We headed home around 11:30pm, making a quick stop at a roadside stand for cloves. Literally, the stand was on the highway and you just pull over and yell at them in Hindi or something. It was awesome. Despite my quitting smoking two years ago, I just couldn't pass up the chance to have a drag of an Indian clove cigarette. It burned my lungs like no tomorrow, but the sweet scent made the car smell delicious.
Dave was so excited about going to work in India, it was hilarious. We both puttered around the apartment getting ready this morning, then settled in the living room around 8:45am to wait for Suresh. By 9:15am, we were still driver-less. Ranjeet, the CEB guest house caretaker, came by—clearly confused that we were still home. I tried to see if he would take us on his scooter, but he just laughed and walked away. I'm fairly certain he had no idea what I was saying.
Eventually, a driver (not Suresh) came for us. He spoke no English, which was rather unexciting. However, he did have some excellent Bollywood music playing in the car, so Dave and I jammed out on the way to work. Traffic was heavy today and a herd of cows made for some difficult maneuvering. I honestly don't know how people drive in this country without getting plowed over.
The days go by so fast here. Before I know it, it's noon and then all of a sudden it's time to go home. I don't know how I'm going to get anything done. Working with the designers is so fantastic. They are amazingly hard workers. After seeing some of the edits from this end, I am not very surprised that things sometimes go wrong. I'm enjoying talking to them about being confident and the similarities between their problems and ours in the US.
Around noon, my favorite person in all of India, Arjun, came by the office. I got so excited and jumped up with a huge smile on my face and then he started laughing and held out his hand to shake mine. I just stared at him like was insane and then hugged him. Of course, then I realized that Dave and I read a guide book yesterday that basically said any form of touching between a man and a woman is considered very sexual. I probably looked like a tramp to passing CEBers. (Side note: The men here hold hands ALL the time. I mean, seriously all the time. It's apparently a sign of brotherhood. They are like walking around, holding hands and staring at me. It's so disconcerting.) Arjun and I chatted for a minute before his meeting and then he promised to go to lunch with me after. I'm actually shocked I did not force him to take a picture with me. So uncharacteristic of me!
Arjun, Adi, and I went to grab pizza at Dominos. They urged me to try the thin crust, as many people have found the dough a bit too heavy. I had a pepperoni and cheese thin crust and it was great. We brought our food back to the cafeteria to eat and I continued to make fun of Arjun for breaking girls' hearts all over India. Ha, at one point he smiled and waved at a girl in the cafeteria and I said "Did you break her heart?" he laughed and said "No, girls are too sweet. I would never do that." And I said "I can hear them breaking everywhere. That girl will be calling you and crying in about five minutes." He seriously cracks me up.
The rest of the day passed by pretty quickly. I spent most of my day proofing, talking to Shweta, and coaching designers. We had our first team pull up, which consists of an ice breaker (talking about our weekends), a project pull up, and either a reading or proofing exercise. I also spent some time today talking about what my plan was while in India: mentoring, creating onboarding schedules, India–US partner relationships, and communication/feedback/confidence.
After work, Nidhi and Vikram took Dave and I to Ambiance Mall for some shopping and food/beer at Rockman's Beer Island. Nidhi took me to a shop called FabIndia and I was like a kid in a candy store. I literally just started throwing clothes on the counter and still my bill was only Rs. 4700 (yes, that's $102). Then Nidhi and I met the boys at the beer island for some home-brewed wheat beer (I actually think it was a German–Indian restaurant, if you can believe it). As we were looking over the menu, I brought up the restaurant Barbeque Nation, which I had heard from others was great. Nidhi insisted we out our menus down and leave the mall to go there immediately.
We had a very late dinner, but it was well worth it. Barbeque Nation is amazing. It is all-you-can-eat for Rs. 500 ($10) and for the starters they put a grill with kabob holders on your table and just start setting veg and chicken and shrimp kabobs on the grill with all of these sauces you can brush on. then they also continuously refill and bring other side dishes for you to sample. Once the starters are done, you move on to he main course which is buffet style. At that point, I don't think I could eat another mouthful. Of course, then they set down some garlic naan on the table and I managed to get that down my throat fast enough.
We headed home around 11:30pm, making a quick stop at a roadside stand for cloves. Literally, the stand was on the highway and you just pull over and yell at them in Hindi or something. It was awesome. Despite my quitting smoking two years ago, I just couldn't pass up the chance to have a drag of an Indian clove cigarette. It burned my lungs like no tomorrow, but the sweet scent made the car smell delicious.
Exploring Delhi [Sunday, 6 June 2010]
I definitely did not get enough sleep last night. Was home from Agra late in the evening and went to bed around 2:00am. I woke up at the 8:30am to take my malaria pill and realized there were voices in the living room. I walked out and saw Ranjeet (the caretaker), Suresh (driver), Craig (current roommate), and Dave (new roommate). Good thing I glanced in the mirror before walking out! Suresh made me some tea while I sat down to get acquainted with Dave. Dave said that he was taking a car to Delhi for the day and asked me if I wanted to come along. At first I declined, having made tentative plans with Adi and Nidhi to go shopping at the Cottage market in Gurgaon. However, on second htought, I didn't want to miss the chance to see the city and this new guy seemed like he would make it a fun experience. So, I quickly got myself ready and we let at 10:00am for New Delhi.
It was so weird for me to take the place of the seasoned India visitor, as Dave was a first-timer to the country, too. It was really fun to watch him get excited about all the things I had seen over the past three days. Traffic was amazing, so he didn't get the full experience there, but he definitely will tomorrow!
Our first stop in Delhi was Qutab Minar. I really don't know what to expect in Delhi, but luckily Dave had a guidebook, so we were able to read up on the area. Qutab Minar is among the tallest and famous towers in the world and is a great masterpiece of Mughal architecture. Who knew?
Once we had our fill, we found our driver (whom we had nicknamed "the Captain") and headed to Bahá'i Temple (the Lotus Temple). Once we realized we would need to remove our shoes to enter the building, we decided to turn around. However, the main fascination people have with this building is it's architecture and our little trip did not disappoint. We again searched for the Captain and headed on our way.
Next up, Humayan's Tomb. This consisted of some beautiful architecture and some lovely tombs in addition to Humayan's. First we walked toward the tomb and mosque of Isa Khan where we met an old Indian man (with two teeth, I might add) who insisted on giving us a short history lesson. In exchange for Rs. 20 of course. I first tried to hand him the Rs. 3 change I had, but he actually said "that's too small" to me. haha. Then Dave and I walked around the perimeter wall to snap some photos. After this, we headed towards the tomb, trying to read placards and figure out the significance of it all. Soon we realized we were starving and headed back to find the Captain.
We made a quick trip to see the India Gate then we explained that we wanted to go to Connaught Place to find some lunch. Well, the Captain didn't speak English very well at all, so I think he just heard "lunch" in that sentence. He drove around for a while and finally pulled up to some dodgy looking restaurant on the side of the road. We figured out the miscommunication and tried to start signing to him that we wanted to go eat in CP. Then I just picked a random hotel out of Dave's guide book, because I knew that a restaurant in there would be safe and delicious. Finally, we managed to convince him that we wanted to eat at the Janpath Hotel. He dropped us off and we asked him to return in an hour. Food at the Janpath was delicious! This was Dave's first taste of Indian food ever, so I'm glad we went somewhere a bit nicer. I had some amazing South Indian food that consisted of a semi-spicy coconut sauce, jumbo prawns, rice, and butter garlic naan. I seriously could eat naan all day, every day.
Dave had his mind set that he would find this random wrestling match at the "old wrestling grounds" in Old Delhi. Apparently, his guide book says this match occurs every Sunday at 4:00pm. Well, we realized after the last trip that the Captain wasn't so great with English, so explaining to him that we wanted to go to a wrestling match really wasn't in the cards. Instead, he dropped us off at the Red Fort and we attempted to find the way ourselves. Dave was convinced that once we were inside the Red Fort gates, we could walk around the fort to find the wrestling grounds. Of course, this required us to trespass, which he convinced me was okay until someone told us it was not. Well, within five minutes, someone told us it was not okay and we had to turn around. Instead we just decided to head to the fort, though Dave did ask everyone he saw if they knew about the wrestling.
Have I mentioned how disgusting some of the public restrooms are in India? Apparently it is very natural for a woman to just squat over a hole in the ground, then splash water on themselves to clean, and then pour a bucket of water o the ground to wash away the urine. The first time I experienced this at the Red Fort in Agra, I thought I was going to hurl. I was walking so slowly and carefully so as not to allow and "water" to splash on me. Ew ew ew!
Anyway, as you enter the fort, you must first walk through the Chatta Chowk Bazzar, which was rather interesting and colorful. Next you enter a large open area with a great building ahead. Past that building, there are what's left of the palace rooms of Shah Jahan and his wives. This place seemed almost more popular for locals than Taj or anywhere else in Agra. I have never had so many people starting at me (we were probably the only white-skinned people in the entire fort). Dave and I sat to read our guide and people just walked by starting, sometimes stopping to say "hello" which was shocking to me. Finally, a family stopped near us (no one has any idea what "personal space" means around here) and started talking in Hindi and looking over our shoulders at the guide we were reading. Then the son started speaking to us in very broken English. We answered and the parents emphatically nodded and smiled, clearly very proud that their son was speaking in English to Americans. Then three young children came up and asked if they could take a picture of us. I burst out laughing and we posed for them. For some reason, the mother and father of the English-speaking boy wanted me to take a picture of them. With my camera. Haha. Then I insisted that the children pose with me (clearly, the family that was obsessed with us—by the way, not remotely related to these children—decided to join in). I don't know what was going on, but everyone wanted to speak with us. Some man even held up his baby to us and tried to get us to kiss her cheek and hold her. I was beyond amused and Dave could not stop laughing at my shocked expression. I wanted to stay there all day and see what people would do next.
At this point, Dave was about to fall over and die from exhaustion. We headed out and started hunting for the Captain, who was no where to be found. In the meantime, we made friends with a rickshaw driver named Ackbar, who gave Dave his number and insisted we return next weekend and call him to drive us around. Outside was a little hectic. On Sundays there are lots of markets o the street (book market, thief's market, etc.) and people were staring and it was getting darker. Apparently the phone number we had for the Captain was wrong, so we were a little concerned. Eventually the Captain spotted us and requested we cross the busy street to him. I don't think I can express in words the sheer terror you feel when trying to cross a street in India. No one follows traffic laws. The speed, make up their own lanes, cut each other off, etc. People don't even wait for open spaces in the road. They just cross. We found an open spot and made a run for it. Safely in the car, we head home for the evening. Dave passed out in the front seat and I watched as little children came up to know on my window at every stoplight in Delhi, begging for money and crying. It's necessary to harden your heart in a city like this, but man is it difficult. The children are adorable and it's so tough knowing that your $1 (Rs. 93) is so much for them.
Nidhi's promised em some good shopping locales after work this week. Can't wait to start spending. These rupees are burning a whole in my pocket!
It was so weird for me to take the place of the seasoned India visitor, as Dave was a first-timer to the country, too. It was really fun to watch him get excited about all the things I had seen over the past three days. Traffic was amazing, so he didn't get the full experience there, but he definitely will tomorrow!
Our first stop in Delhi was Qutab Minar. I really don't know what to expect in Delhi, but luckily Dave had a guidebook, so we were able to read up on the area. Qutab Minar is among the tallest and famous towers in the world and is a great masterpiece of Mughal architecture. Who knew?
Once we had our fill, we found our driver (whom we had nicknamed "the Captain") and headed to Bahá'i Temple (the Lotus Temple). Once we realized we would need to remove our shoes to enter the building, we decided to turn around. However, the main fascination people have with this building is it's architecture and our little trip did not disappoint. We again searched for the Captain and headed on our way.
Next up, Humayan's Tomb. This consisted of some beautiful architecture and some lovely tombs in addition to Humayan's. First we walked toward the tomb and mosque of Isa Khan where we met an old Indian man (with two teeth, I might add) who insisted on giving us a short history lesson. In exchange for Rs. 20 of course. I first tried to hand him the Rs. 3 change I had, but he actually said "that's too small" to me. haha. Then Dave and I walked around the perimeter wall to snap some photos. After this, we headed towards the tomb, trying to read placards and figure out the significance of it all. Soon we realized we were starving and headed back to find the Captain.
We made a quick trip to see the India Gate then we explained that we wanted to go to Connaught Place to find some lunch. Well, the Captain didn't speak English very well at all, so I think he just heard "lunch" in that sentence. He drove around for a while and finally pulled up to some dodgy looking restaurant on the side of the road. We figured out the miscommunication and tried to start signing to him that we wanted to go eat in CP. Then I just picked a random hotel out of Dave's guide book, because I knew that a restaurant in there would be safe and delicious. Finally, we managed to convince him that we wanted to eat at the Janpath Hotel. He dropped us off and we asked him to return in an hour. Food at the Janpath was delicious! This was Dave's first taste of Indian food ever, so I'm glad we went somewhere a bit nicer. I had some amazing South Indian food that consisted of a semi-spicy coconut sauce, jumbo prawns, rice, and butter garlic naan. I seriously could eat naan all day, every day.
Dave had his mind set that he would find this random wrestling match at the "old wrestling grounds" in Old Delhi. Apparently, his guide book says this match occurs every Sunday at 4:00pm. Well, we realized after the last trip that the Captain wasn't so great with English, so explaining to him that we wanted to go to a wrestling match really wasn't in the cards. Instead, he dropped us off at the Red Fort and we attempted to find the way ourselves. Dave was convinced that once we were inside the Red Fort gates, we could walk around the fort to find the wrestling grounds. Of course, this required us to trespass, which he convinced me was okay until someone told us it was not. Well, within five minutes, someone told us it was not okay and we had to turn around. Instead we just decided to head to the fort, though Dave did ask everyone he saw if they knew about the wrestling.
Have I mentioned how disgusting some of the public restrooms are in India? Apparently it is very natural for a woman to just squat over a hole in the ground, then splash water on themselves to clean, and then pour a bucket of water o the ground to wash away the urine. The first time I experienced this at the Red Fort in Agra, I thought I was going to hurl. I was walking so slowly and carefully so as not to allow and "water" to splash on me. Ew ew ew!
Anyway, as you enter the fort, you must first walk through the Chatta Chowk Bazzar, which was rather interesting and colorful. Next you enter a large open area with a great building ahead. Past that building, there are what's left of the palace rooms of Shah Jahan and his wives. This place seemed almost more popular for locals than Taj or anywhere else in Agra. I have never had so many people starting at me (we were probably the only white-skinned people in the entire fort). Dave and I sat to read our guide and people just walked by starting, sometimes stopping to say "hello" which was shocking to me. Finally, a family stopped near us (no one has any idea what "personal space" means around here) and started talking in Hindi and looking over our shoulders at the guide we were reading. Then the son started speaking to us in very broken English. We answered and the parents emphatically nodded and smiled, clearly very proud that their son was speaking in English to Americans. Then three young children came up and asked if they could take a picture of us. I burst out laughing and we posed for them. For some reason, the mother and father of the English-speaking boy wanted me to take a picture of them. With my camera. Haha. Then I insisted that the children pose with me (clearly, the family that was obsessed with us—by the way, not remotely related to these children—decided to join in). I don't know what was going on, but everyone wanted to speak with us. Some man even held up his baby to us and tried to get us to kiss her cheek and hold her. I was beyond amused and Dave could not stop laughing at my shocked expression. I wanted to stay there all day and see what people would do next.
At this point, Dave was about to fall over and die from exhaustion. We headed out and started hunting for the Captain, who was no where to be found. In the meantime, we made friends with a rickshaw driver named Ackbar, who gave Dave his number and insisted we return next weekend and call him to drive us around. Outside was a little hectic. On Sundays there are lots of markets o the street (book market, thief's market, etc.) and people were staring and it was getting darker. Apparently the phone number we had for the Captain was wrong, so we were a little concerned. Eventually the Captain spotted us and requested we cross the busy street to him. I don't think I can express in words the sheer terror you feel when trying to cross a street in India. No one follows traffic laws. The speed, make up their own lanes, cut each other off, etc. People don't even wait for open spaces in the road. They just cross. We found an open spot and made a run for it. Safely in the car, we head home for the evening. Dave passed out in the front seat and I watched as little children came up to know on my window at every stoplight in Delhi, begging for money and crying. It's necessary to harden your heart in a city like this, but man is it difficult. The children are adorable and it's so tough knowing that your $1 (Rs. 93) is so much for them.
Nidhi's promised em some good shopping locales after work this week. Can't wait to start spending. These rupees are burning a whole in my pocket!
The Word of the Day is "Marble" [Saturday, 5 June 2010]
Today was amazing. I couldn't have asked for a better introduction to India.
Suresh, our driver, picked Craig and I up at 5am to begin our long five-hour drive to Agra. He had already picked up Nidhi, so she was in the car waiting for us. I was immediately fascinated by the scenery on our way out of Gurgaon and all the interesting people and animals I could see from my window. I can't even remember how many times I saw random animals on the side of the road and screamed out in excitement when Nidhi just laughed at me. The most exciting moment was when I finally saw a monkey. I know they are not really animals you want to hang around, but it was still exciting to finally see one. We also saw about ten million cows, a heard of goats and sheep, a handful of peacocks, a wild boar or two, and a weasel. Yes, a weasel. It was like driving through a zoo for Craig and I. However, not so exciting for Nidhi and Suresh.
We stopped over for coffee and breakfast at a little tourist trap midway through our ride. The souvenirs were a tad overpriced, so I held off, but the coffee was delicious and just what I needed. We continued on, staring out the windows, gasping in fright as the cars and motorbikes came within inches of hitting us (ok, maybe that was just me), all while listening to Suresh singing along to his Hindi music. Finally, we made it to our destination. First stop, Taj Mahal.
The second we stepped foot outside of the car, we were immediately surrounded by people wanting to give us camel or rickshaw rides, buy Taj Mahal trinkets, or guide us through the building. Luckily, Suresh and Nidhi just pushed past them, yelled at them in Hindi, and pulled us along. We walked up to the gate (which was in-and-of-itself, a beautiful structure) and bought tickets to view the Taj. Foreigners paid in a separate line where we were charged Rs. 500 more than Indians, making it a grand total entry fee of Rs. 750 (~16 USD).
Your first view of the Taj Mahal is to die for. I don't think I've ever seen anything so beautiful. Suresh, Nidhi, Craig, and I all took turns taking pictures in front of the building. Then we walked down closer, took off our shoes (or put on shoe covers), and entered the building. Everything is made of white marble. There are beautiful semi-precious stones inlaid in the marble, carvings of flowers along the base, and calligraphy inlaid on the walls.
After this, Suresh took us through the market to a marble shop. I'm pretty sure he specifically took us to this place, because he has a deal with the owners and gets a cut of the money if we actually purchase anything. However, Suresh genuinely wants us to have a good time, so I don't fault him for this. The man in charge put on a great show, telling us this shop is owned by a family who are descendants of the original Taj Mahal creators and so on and so forth. He had some gorgeous merchandise and after Nidhi bargained me a 25% discount, I managed to walk away with some lovely gifts. On the way out, we were immediately accosted by beggars and street boys. Nidhi, again, searched out some jewelry and bargained for me before I could even speak up. This would have been quite the difficult experience without her!
Next up, the Red Fort. After paying our entrance fee (cheaper this time, as we had already paid the foreigner surcharge), we hired a guide to take us around this still-active fort. Again, Nidhi's bargaining skills took the guide from Rs 3,000 down to Rs. 300 for his services. He walked us around, talking about the different parts of the forts and who ruled over them: Akbar, Shah Jahan, and Aurangzeb. Shah Jahan, who had the Taj Mahal build for this favorite wife—Mumtaz Mahal—upon her death, also had a room of mirrors build for her at the Red Fort as a wedding gift. When Shah Jahan was in his later years, Aurangzeb (his son) arrested him and had him locked in the tower that faced the Taj Mahal, so he could see Mumtaz Mahal every day.
By this point, we were starving. I was told that I had to go to the Oberoi Hotel for lunch/dinner while in Agra. Apparently, this wasn't as easy to find as we imagined and Suresh spent a good 15 minutes driving around and asking for directions. Finally, we found it. A gorgeous, five-star hotel with an amazing restaurant. Lunch was herb-crusted chicken with couscous, tzatziki, and naan. By this point, my legs were ready to fall off and I was about to drop from the heat, so the Oberoi was a lovely respite from our journey.
We met Suresh outside when we were done and headed for our last stop of the day: Fatehpur Sikri. We were unable to drive to the entrance, so we had to take a tuk-tuk motor-rickshaw to the top. Somehow, we inherited a guide with that ride, though I'm still trying to figure out when he tagged along. For Rs. 400, we got the tuk-tuk ride, verification that our shoes wouldn't be stolen, and a guide. This fort was free, so you did not escape the beggars and hawkers upon entering. The only real interesting thing about this fort was the white temple in the middle. People purchased cloth, rose petals, and string to pay homage to Shaikh Salim Chishti who was a Sufi saint who blessed Akbar with his first son and heir. Many women pilgrimage here to offer flowers, tie a thread to the latticed screens, and to pray for the gift of son. We were able to do this ritual as well, as many people now pray for other events in addition to children.
After the tuk-tuk ride back to the car, I think we were all ready to go home. I felt bad for poor Suresh. You could tell he was tired, but we still had a full 5–6 hours left before we would reach home. We stopped back at the same tourist locale on the way home for some coffee and naan, then headed the rest of the way back. After the excitement, sun, and constant fighting with beggars, I was completely tuckered out and just slept most of the way back.
Side note: the beggars and street vendors are so aggressive here! They will follow you for miles if they think there's a chance you will buy something. One woman continuously followed us with her baby, crying that she needed money. Another little boy kept knocking on our windows, asking for American money. The ironic thing is, if they weren't so aggressive, I'd probably go into their shops and actually purchase items. However, I'm so stressed by the pressure, I just prefer to keep walking, ignoring them the whole time.
I am home now and ready to sleep. A new roommate arrives in the morning and my current roommate, Craig, leaves in the afternoon. I wonder if the new guy will be as enthralled by the animals as I have been…
Suresh, our driver, picked Craig and I up at 5am to begin our long five-hour drive to Agra. He had already picked up Nidhi, so she was in the car waiting for us. I was immediately fascinated by the scenery on our way out of Gurgaon and all the interesting people and animals I could see from my window. I can't even remember how many times I saw random animals on the side of the road and screamed out in excitement when Nidhi just laughed at me. The most exciting moment was when I finally saw a monkey. I know they are not really animals you want to hang around, but it was still exciting to finally see one. We also saw about ten million cows, a heard of goats and sheep, a handful of peacocks, a wild boar or two, and a weasel. Yes, a weasel. It was like driving through a zoo for Craig and I. However, not so exciting for Nidhi and Suresh.
We stopped over for coffee and breakfast at a little tourist trap midway through our ride. The souvenirs were a tad overpriced, so I held off, but the coffee was delicious and just what I needed. We continued on, staring out the windows, gasping in fright as the cars and motorbikes came within inches of hitting us (ok, maybe that was just me), all while listening to Suresh singing along to his Hindi music. Finally, we made it to our destination. First stop, Taj Mahal.
The second we stepped foot outside of the car, we were immediately surrounded by people wanting to give us camel or rickshaw rides, buy Taj Mahal trinkets, or guide us through the building. Luckily, Suresh and Nidhi just pushed past them, yelled at them in Hindi, and pulled us along. We walked up to the gate (which was in-and-of-itself, a beautiful structure) and bought tickets to view the Taj. Foreigners paid in a separate line where we were charged Rs. 500 more than Indians, making it a grand total entry fee of Rs. 750 (~16 USD).
Your first view of the Taj Mahal is to die for. I don't think I've ever seen anything so beautiful. Suresh, Nidhi, Craig, and I all took turns taking pictures in front of the building. Then we walked down closer, took off our shoes (or put on shoe covers), and entered the building. Everything is made of white marble. There are beautiful semi-precious stones inlaid in the marble, carvings of flowers along the base, and calligraphy inlaid on the walls.
Posing with Suresh
Camel rides to the Taj
After this, Suresh took us through the market to a marble shop. I'm pretty sure he specifically took us to this place, because he has a deal with the owners and gets a cut of the money if we actually purchase anything. However, Suresh genuinely wants us to have a good time, so I don't fault him for this. The man in charge put on a great show, telling us this shop is owned by a family who are descendants of the original Taj Mahal creators and so on and so forth. He had some gorgeous merchandise and after Nidhi bargained me a 25% discount, I managed to walk away with some lovely gifts. On the way out, we were immediately accosted by beggars and street boys. Nidhi, again, searched out some jewelry and bargained for me before I could even speak up. This would have been quite the difficult experience without her!
Next up, the Red Fort. After paying our entrance fee (cheaper this time, as we had already paid the foreigner surcharge), we hired a guide to take us around this still-active fort. Again, Nidhi's bargaining skills took the guide from Rs 3,000 down to Rs. 300 for his services. He walked us around, talking about the different parts of the forts and who ruled over them: Akbar, Shah Jahan, and Aurangzeb. Shah Jahan, who had the Taj Mahal build for this favorite wife—Mumtaz Mahal—upon her death, also had a room of mirrors build for her at the Red Fort as a wedding gift. When Shah Jahan was in his later years, Aurangzeb (his son) arrested him and had him locked in the tower that faced the Taj Mahal, so he could see Mumtaz Mahal every day.
Tower where Shah Jahan was imprisoned
Nidhi and I on the ambassador's seat
By this point, we were starving. I was told that I had to go to the Oberoi Hotel for lunch/dinner while in Agra. Apparently, this wasn't as easy to find as we imagined and Suresh spent a good 15 minutes driving around and asking for directions. Finally, we found it. A gorgeous, five-star hotel with an amazing restaurant. Lunch was herb-crusted chicken with couscous, tzatziki, and naan. By this point, my legs were ready to fall off and I was about to drop from the heat, so the Oberoi was a lovely respite from our journey.
Bliss.
Buying cloth, rose petals, and string to dedicate to Shaikh Salim Chisti
Buying marble souvenirs with our guide
After the tuk-tuk ride back to the car, I think we were all ready to go home. I felt bad for poor Suresh. You could tell he was tired, but we still had a full 5–6 hours left before we would reach home. We stopped back at the same tourist locale on the way home for some coffee and naan, then headed the rest of the way back. After the excitement, sun, and constant fighting with beggars, I was completely tuckered out and just slept most of the way back.
Side note: the beggars and street vendors are so aggressive here! They will follow you for miles if they think there's a chance you will buy something. One woman continuously followed us with her baby, crying that she needed money. Another little boy kept knocking on our windows, asking for American money. The ironic thing is, if they weren't so aggressive, I'd probably go into their shops and actually purchase items. However, I'm so stressed by the pressure, I just prefer to keep walking, ignoring them the whole time.
I am home now and ready to sleep. A new roommate arrives in the morning and my current roommate, Craig, leaves in the afternoon. I wonder if the new guy will be as enthralled by the animals as I have been…
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