Happy Holidays!!
I don't mean to boast, but I've been spending the last week either sleeping on a train, lazying on a house boat, or sunbathing on a beach. ;)
After leaving Chennai, Sai, Sundeep, and I went to Kerala to spend a day in its backwaters. Kerala is also known as God's Country. We rented a house boat for a whole day. Seriously, this thing had two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The bathrooms were nicer than some of the hotels we've been staying in! The three of us and our three person crew floated along the canals and lagoons. There were always small houses tucked into the palm trees, precariously built on narrow man-made strips of land. The strips enclosed rice paddies that went on forever. The locals rely on ferries and canoes to get around. Just imagine having to get to school or the market in a canoe! The day we spent on the boat was a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle and crowds of India. The scenery was beautiful; however, the signs of human contanimation were hard to ignore. This is something that has somewhat marred my impressions of India. The country truely is beautiful and elegant with its cities, temples, and natural wonders. But you have to be able to look past the garbage, waste, and stinky sewers. I think the in-your-face poverty would be easier to bear if India's waste management system were more effective and its people more aware. Then again...there are over one billion people here! I don't imagine it to be easy to change that many people's mindsets about environmental concerns when they're fighting just to feed themselves.
Sai and I spent Christmas eve and Christmas hanging out on the beach. Erase that picture of pristine secluded beach out of your mind. The beaches here are packed with food/drink shacks made of palm leaves and bamboo. Beach recliners and umbrellas take over the sand. On Christmas eve, the beach was lit up with partiers, diners, and revelers. Fireworks were launched only 100 meters away from where we were sitting. The dancing lights, candles, fireworks all on a backdrop of a full moon was pretty darn magical. Oh and the sand!! The softest sand my toes have ever felt!
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Sunday, December 16, 2007
mmmMadras!
Greetings! Namaste.
Actually I haven't heard one person say "Namaste" yet. People usually waggle their heads from side to side. It's not a nod nor a shake. You can do it by trying to touch your ears to their respective shoulders. Side to side. I'm trying to emulate, but my body automatically nods instead of waggling.
Yesterday, I met the most famous auto-rickshaw driver in Chennai. Rama brought out greeting card after greeting card from happy customers. He showed me articles on him in Indian newspapers and even one from Switzerland! Most famous indeed! He has started a co-op of 30 drivers (out of 30,000) who are dedicated to providing nice, kind taxi services. See, Chennai's auto drivers are notorious for being rude and charging way more than they should to tourists and locals, alike. I think it's really awesome. He charged me about $1.50 to drive me around for three hours! So, I took him out to lunch and he showed me a trick to eating with your hands. That trick proved useful since I went to a wedding reception last night where there aren't any utensils in sight! I did pretty well thanks to Rama. And Bonus, I didn't look too bad in my snap-on sari either. ;)
The wedding was weird. I wish someone had told me that South Indians don't dance at weddings. The actual ceremony was today and it was held on a stage with auditorium seats. Hundreds of people attended but no one was paying attention to the ceremony at all! Everyone was talking and socializing and wandering about. I had no idea what was going on. The ladies looked gorgeous though! And food was excellent.
So, I'm in Chennai aka Madras. Signs that you are in a economically wealthier city: the presence of SUVs and bigger cars and TV ads for luxury hotels and luxury cars instead of super glue. Not much to do in this city. I've had my full of temples and churches for the time being. There is a nice beach. It's actually one of the longest city beaches in the world. The locals claim it is THE longest. Unfortunately, the crazy winds make for crazy waves and deter swimming in the Bay of Bengal.
On the upside, I have landed in the middle of the Chennai Dance and Music Festival! I have a classical dance show and a dance opera slated for tonight! I'm thrilled!
There are 10 lame pictures up on http://trixyone.smugmug.com I've found a USB cable, but I've not yet found a reliable computer with USB or fast enough connection. poo. Coming up...Kerala and a house boat trip through the backwaters. I have no idea what to expect here. We've rented a two-bedroom houseboat?! How big is thing going to be?? I'm hoping to meet with an astrologer while I'm there too!
Actually I haven't heard one person say "Namaste" yet. People usually waggle their heads from side to side. It's not a nod nor a shake. You can do it by trying to touch your ears to their respective shoulders. Side to side. I'm trying to emulate, but my body automatically nods instead of waggling.
Yesterday, I met the most famous auto-rickshaw driver in Chennai. Rama brought out greeting card after greeting card from happy customers. He showed me articles on him in Indian newspapers and even one from Switzerland! Most famous indeed! He has started a co-op of 30 drivers (out of 30,000) who are dedicated to providing nice, kind taxi services. See, Chennai's auto drivers are notorious for being rude and charging way more than they should to tourists and locals, alike. I think it's really awesome. He charged me about $1.50 to drive me around for three hours! So, I took him out to lunch and he showed me a trick to eating with your hands. That trick proved useful since I went to a wedding reception last night where there aren't any utensils in sight! I did pretty well thanks to Rama. And Bonus, I didn't look too bad in my snap-on sari either. ;)
The wedding was weird. I wish someone had told me that South Indians don't dance at weddings. The actual ceremony was today and it was held on a stage with auditorium seats. Hundreds of people attended but no one was paying attention to the ceremony at all! Everyone was talking and socializing and wandering about. I had no idea what was going on. The ladies looked gorgeous though! And food was excellent.
So, I'm in Chennai aka Madras. Signs that you are in a economically wealthier city: the presence of SUVs and bigger cars and TV ads for luxury hotels and luxury cars instead of super glue. Not much to do in this city. I've had my full of temples and churches for the time being. There is a nice beach. It's actually one of the longest city beaches in the world. The locals claim it is THE longest. Unfortunately, the crazy winds make for crazy waves and deter swimming in the Bay of Bengal.
On the upside, I have landed in the middle of the Chennai Dance and Music Festival! I have a classical dance show and a dance opera slated for tonight! I'm thrilled!
There are 10 lame pictures up on http://trixyone.smugmug.com I've found a USB cable, but I've not yet found a reliable computer with USB or fast enough connection. poo. Coming up...Kerala and a house boat trip through the backwaters. I have no idea what to expect here. We've rented a two-bedroom houseboat?! How big is thing going to be?? I'm hoping to meet with an astrologer while I'm there too!
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
half of my india budget
for the special few who might actually understand and laugh at me for this.
so i was window shopping in delhi yesterday. i met an older gentleman who was probably in his mid-fifties along the way. he was eating an ice cream cone. anyway, he ended up leading me to a coffee house where locals hangout. but before we sat down for coffee, he said, "oh, let me show you this good kashmiri carpet place that is just around the corner." out of politeness, i went into the store which had rich carpets and silks hanging on the walls. the salesman started rolling out carpets and explaining the quality and history of kashmiri weaving.
whoosh, carpet, whoosh, carpet, whoosh.
i listened attentively and oohed at the appropriate times. i was enjoying the salesman's distinguished english and a kahava (a special kashmiri drink) with cookies.
whoosh, carpet.
now, you all know what persian carpets are like. they were mostly in bright bold colors that never match anything in a house like cinnamon hot red, royal blue, forest green. and the patterns were equally gaudy.
whoosh, carpet.
he rolls out one in MY color!! an olivey-lime green, more olive than lime. it also has browns, golds, and a hint of orange. the pattern is interesting but not too obtrusive. it could match a lot of my furniture and my taste in decor. i loved it. i bought it. i spent more than half of my trip's budget for it. but it'll be shipped directly to my door in chicago. and it's an investment that'll be passed down for generations right? besides, carpets go under a different budget heading - housewares/furniture. i left laughing at myself. only i would randomly meet a man on the street and end up spending more than $500.
so i was window shopping in delhi yesterday. i met an older gentleman who was probably in his mid-fifties along the way. he was eating an ice cream cone. anyway, he ended up leading me to a coffee house where locals hangout. but before we sat down for coffee, he said, "oh, let me show you this good kashmiri carpet place that is just around the corner." out of politeness, i went into the store which had rich carpets and silks hanging on the walls. the salesman started rolling out carpets and explaining the quality and history of kashmiri weaving.
whoosh, carpet, whoosh, carpet, whoosh.
i listened attentively and oohed at the appropriate times. i was enjoying the salesman's distinguished english and a kahava (a special kashmiri drink) with cookies.
whoosh, carpet.
now, you all know what persian carpets are like. they were mostly in bright bold colors that never match anything in a house like cinnamon hot red, royal blue, forest green. and the patterns were equally gaudy.
whoosh, carpet.
he rolls out one in MY color!! an olivey-lime green, more olive than lime. it also has browns, golds, and a hint of orange. the pattern is interesting but not too obtrusive. it could match a lot of my furniture and my taste in decor. i loved it. i bought it. i spent more than half of my trip's budget for it. but it'll be shipped directly to my door in chicago. and it's an investment that'll be passed down for generations right? besides, carpets go under a different budget heading - housewares/furniture. i left laughing at myself. only i would randomly meet a man on the street and end up spending more than $500.
Friday, December 07, 2007
Overstimulated
A few notes.
1. I'm dirty. Everyday my face and nostrils are caked in dirt and grime. Thank goodness for facial wipes.
2. The men in India are drab, at least in attire. The women are like gemstones in a basket of pebbles. It doesn't seem to matter what their economic status is, the women's saris are always a rich, bright color. It's like nature reversed where the females display their plumes and waggle about to attract a mate. I don't think that's their intention, but it certainly attracts my eye.
3. Life in India is organic. Even the traffic. It is always flowing. Adjusting and altering course to get around an obstacle. Even though every bit of day-to-day life is chaotic and frantic, things get done. As Sai remarked, it has to. I kind of envy it. American life is so rigid in comparison. You have to fill out the right forms, follow the right steps, in the right order, at the right time. We could use a bit of the flavor here at home.
4. Traveling without knowing the language is hard! I got around in S. America fine because I spoke some Spanish. But man, I would be so lost here without
a translator. All I can do is stare back blankly when someone tries to speak to me. I feel so dumb! I've just started to pick up a few Hindi words like one, two, hundred, how much, no. But we'll be heading to South India where they don't speak Hindi. D'OH!
5. Holy sugar high. I feel like I've been eating non-stop since we took off from Chicago. Every meal is followed by either chai or coffee. Both of which are sugared and milky. Yum, yes. Happy tummy, no. There are some traditional foods and treats that are nearly pure sugar. They taste so good, but my body just won't take more than a few nibbles.
1. I'm dirty. Everyday my face and nostrils are caked in dirt and grime. Thank goodness for facial wipes.
2. The men in India are drab, at least in attire. The women are like gemstones in a basket of pebbles. It doesn't seem to matter what their economic status is, the women's saris are always a rich, bright color. It's like nature reversed where the females display their plumes and waggle about to attract a mate. I don't think that's their intention, but it certainly attracts my eye.
3. Life in India is organic. Even the traffic. It is always flowing. Adjusting and altering course to get around an obstacle. Even though every bit of day-to-day life is chaotic and frantic, things get done. As Sai remarked, it has to. I kind of envy it. American life is so rigid in comparison. You have to fill out the right forms, follow the right steps, in the right order, at the right time. We could use a bit of the flavor here at home.
4. Traveling without knowing the language is hard! I got around in S. America fine because I spoke some Spanish. But man, I would be so lost here without
a translator. All I can do is stare back blankly when someone tries to speak to me. I feel so dumb! I've just started to pick up a few Hindi words like one, two, hundred, how much, no. But we'll be heading to South India where they don't speak Hindi. D'OH!
5. Holy sugar high. I feel like I've been eating non-stop since we took off from Chicago. Every meal is followed by either chai or coffee. Both of which are sugared and milky. Yum, yes. Happy tummy, no. There are some traditional foods and treats that are nearly pure sugar. They taste so good, but my body just won't take more than a few nibbles.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Whoa. India.
Whoa...I'm in India.
We arrived Sunday morning around 3am (about 4pm Saturday Chicago time).
In an attempt to adjust to the local time, we went to bed. I don't think either of us slept much. Instead we listened to the orchestra of India. A dog barked incessantly outside the window. At about 5am, a rhythmic swish, swish, swish, swish counted the minutes away as someone started their never ending battle against dirt and dust. A man sang to the sunrise, and the train whistles near by sounded like a battalion of trumpets.
My first day was spent learning to avoid being slammed into by rickshaws and mototaxis while trying not to step in a pile of cow dung all in the same moment! Let's just say that I'm lucky Sai has my back.
Much more to reflect on, but we've got to make the most of our day here in Delhi. We're off to Varanasi this afternoon.
We arrived Sunday morning around 3am (about 4pm Saturday Chicago time).
In an attempt to adjust to the local time, we went to bed. I don't think either of us slept much. Instead we listened to the orchestra of India. A dog barked incessantly outside the window. At about 5am, a rhythmic swish, swish, swish, swish counted the minutes away as someone started their never ending battle against dirt and dust. A man sang to the sunrise, and the train whistles near by sounded like a battalion of trumpets.
My first day was spent learning to avoid being slammed into by rickshaws and mototaxis while trying not to step in a pile of cow dung all in the same moment! Let's just say that I'm lucky Sai has my back.
Much more to reflect on, but we've got to make the most of our day here in Delhi. We're off to Varanasi this afternoon.
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