A year ago around this time, I was in another city on another continent that was also given its common name by the Portuguese. My travels seem to coincide with special events whether intentional or unintentional. Everyone celebrated Holi my first weekend in Mumbai, and the Maharashtra new year – Gudi Padwa – was celebrated this past Monday. Many of the ladies in the office celebrated by wearing sarees, and of course I wanted to participate. Just like my last trip, I purchased my saree the day before and didn’t have time to get the blouse “stitched”. The “ready-made” blouses at the shop didn’t match my saree. In my haste I forgot to look elsewhere for a blouse and also a petticoat. I wore a t-shirt and jeans to the office and waited until one of the ladies could wrap my saree. She was shocked when I told her I didn’t have a blouse or petticoat, but she fixed me up so well that no one knew unless we told them. I just tucked the cloth into the waist of my jeans, and my black t-shirt went well with it too. I looked in the mirror and felt like one of the Masai. I proudly represented 3 countries that evening – saree from India, necklace from Nigeria, and t-shirt purchased in America (but probably made in China). I took pictures with some of the beautifully adorned ladies. Only a couple of the guys dressed up. Many people in the office commented on how well I wore the saree and asked if I was comfortable. I was pretty comfortable, but I had to make sure that the hem was always down when I stood so as not to reveal my rolled up jeans underneath.


Later in the week, Sarika took me to her tailor to get my blouse and saree stitched properly. I also took dress materials for 2 outfits to be sewn from scratch, and 3 kurtas to be altered. My total cost was Rs 800 – less than $20. I knew it would be cheap, but I wasn’t expecting that figure at all. I should probably start bringing all my clothes that need to be altered with me at that rate. I also went to the “parlour” to have my eyebrows threaded for Rs 30. Anita told me that I could actually find it even cheaper in some areas. There is a salon at our hotel with prices more in line with US salons, but I refuse to pay so much while I’m here when I don’t have to. I’m still frugal even in another country. Some of my co-workers have a hard time bargaining and going with Indian recommended rates for tipping. Waiters clamor to serve them at the hotel restaurants because they leave extremely large tips. “When in Rome…”


I made it over 2 weeks without any problems, but this week my body was attacked by “Delhi belly”. I’m still trying to pinpoint the culprit. I eat many meals with Lisa, my co-worker, and we think it might be from some sandwiches from a bakery where we ate a couple of days for lunch, since that’s the only new stuff we’ve introduced this week. Or, maybe it’s a side effect of the daily malaria pills. All I know is that my stomach is unhappy and keeps waking me up when I should be in deep sleep.
This week was a more normal work schedule, so I had some time to read before bed, especially since I’m not able to sleep. I picked up a book from the small library in the office when I first arrived, called “My Forbidden Face”, but I only started reading it a couple of days ago. I also bought “A Thousand Splendid Suns” written by the author of a very popular book I read during my last stay in Mumbai. (Trivia: What was the name of the book that I couldn’t stop reading until it was over?) Both books are set in Afghanistan around the same time period with young, female central characters, so I keep getting confused going between the 2 books. There's something about being in India that makes me interested in reading about Afghanistan. :-)

Cricket Fever

India won the 2011 Cricket World Cup!

Crowd in the office watching the end of the quarter finals - India vs. Australia

Crowd in the office watching the semifinals - India vs. Pakistan

Crowd on the street in Bandra watching the end of the finals - India vs. Sri Lanka All those people were crowded around that tiny tv.

Somebody's watching me...

My experience in India is very different this time around. Last week, I worked nearly 100 hours and had very little time to do anything but sleep and grab food on the way back to work. Things are finally starting to calm down a bit. Also, my work schedule has changed so that I work most hours on the same day, instead of going to work during the afternoon of one day and leaving in the early morning of another day. I'm splitting my time between the Indian day shift and US day shift now, so I'm usually asleep by the time my friends and family get off work around 5pm. But I wake up hours before them to start working again.

I've taken a lot of fascinating pictures from the car rides to and from work, but I'm ready to get out and see the city in daylight now. I share a car with my co-worker for transport to work. She and I have found little things to make the long rides more tolerable. There's a certain point where she always looks for 3 cows that hang out together on a corner. Those cows played Holi a couple of weeks ago, because they still have colors on their horns and backs. Along that same road, I always look for my "Chevy Rickshaw" and she tries to help me get a picture of it. This elusive rickshaw stands out from all others because it has a bright red top and a Chevrolet symbol on the back window. I have to take a picture in it before I leave. Also, when we leave the office in the dark, we usually see trucks full of "flying chickens". The trucks have chicken cages on the back, and every time they hit a bump, you see the chickens bounce into the air. The same trucks are always empty when we see them during the daytime, and we know they've gone on to "Chicken Heaven". That sight makes my co-worker not want to eat the chicken sandwich we sometimes take for lunch, but it doesn't stop me. We also pass a busy truck stop at night that takes over the highway. I don't know what their capacity is, but trucks fill the inside of this station, and those that can't fit inside then park in the 2-3 lanes outside the truck stop along the highway. Just imagine passing a Flying J or Love's truck stop on I-20, and all the trucks are parked on the highway all night forcing the cars to only use 1 lane. The traffic is even worse when the trucks start to move again in the early morning to start their deliveries. They all seem to try to leave at the same time, forcing themselves on the road carrying heavy loads with workers sitting on top or inside the trucks in precarious positions.

Since I've been here, people have asked me if I am Nigerian, Ugandan, South African, and Ghanaian. Someone also called me Bob Marley (who happens to be very popular here) because of my hair. They are all surprised when I tell them I am American. They look at me in disbelief. I met another black woman at the hotel within my first couple of days in town. I was excited to see her and to actually have a conversation, especially after my experience the last time I was in India. She's a flight attendant from NY who usually stays at my hotel when they land here. We exchanged contact info. I also met a Swedish photographer at breakfast one morning over beet juice. We both sampled the hotel's fresh beet juice and agreed that we'd rather eat the beets than drink that concoction ever again. He was only in Mumbai for a day as part of a 12-day global photo shoot. He was heading to Dubai next. Check out his work. www.jacobfellander.com

The office is located near several malls. We walked over to the food court on the first day to pick up lunch, and I mentioned that there wasn't as much staring as my previous trip. No sooner had I said that, we walked in to the mall and all eyes turned in my direction. We went upstairs to the food court, and even the cooks stepped out of the kitchen to get a better view. The restaurant that we chose had a small window between the kitchen and the area with the counter and register. All I could see was a bunch of heads trying to look through that tiny window as I ordered. We had to wait a few minutes for them to get back to work and make the food, so everyone sitting in the food court turned towards us and watched us like we were animals on display at the zoo. It has been like that every day since. It doesn't happen as much at the hotel and the office. However, when we changed shifts and started working earlier in the Indian day, a new group of people had to get accustomed to seeing me in the office every day before they stopped staring as much. The people who ogle me out in public spaces seem to have no shame. They are not subtle stares either. They look at me as though I have three heads, 5 arms, and I breathe fire. I've started staring back at them. Most people turn their heads when they see me looking at them the way they look at me, but some just don't seem to get it. I saw a man and his children out yesterday. The children didn't pay much attention to me, but he looked at me for about 5 minutes straight, practically ignoring what they were doing. I went up the escalator, and his eyes were still fixed on me. I turned around and looked at him while I rode up. He adverted his eyes briefly. I stepped off, looked back down, and his neck was still craned to see me. Seriously? I need to start charging people a fee.

Truck stop during the day

"I see you!"

Empty chicken truck :-(

See the baby sleeping on the front?

Game Time...

I received "Alerts" before I even arrived in Mumbai about the possible threats to security during the Cricket World Cup taking place from mid March to April . Cricket is to India as football (not soccer) is to America. On a drive to the office around 2pm last Thursday, our driver had the radio tuned to the India vs. Australia match. Later that night, I saw many people looking at their phones constantly. Someone leaned over and told me they were checking out the score for the match. A little later, probably around 10pm (yes, it lasts as long as some work shifts), I heard a loud noise coming from the hallway as I sat at my desk. A few minutes later, I heard cheers. It sounded like a mob had assembled. I walked out into the reception area, and couldn't see past the crowd. Everyone stood there looking up at a tv that was affixed to the wall as the final moments of the game were played out. I went back to my desk. I heard several more shouts and finally a huge applause and screams, and knew that India must have won the game. After winning that match, India's next opponent would be Pakistan.

On my drive to work this morning, I asked my driver about the big match, and he said there would be no traffic this afternoon because of it. I walked into the canteen at work and saw that they were setting up a screen and rearranging the tables and chairs. It took me a second to realize that they were doing that for the match. India playing Pakistan is a really big deal, not just because of the athleticism involved, but also because of the historical and political meaning. I'm sure I'll be able to keep up with the game just based on the cheers and groans I hear coming from the canteen. It started at 2:30pm and will probably end after I leave the office at 10:30pm. The semifinals will take place in Mumbai on April 2. I don't think I would enjoy the game or being in the crowd, but I guess I would like to go just to say that I did it.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 http://www.cricketworld.com/cricket-world-cup-2011/

Time Has Come Today...

I haven't had much time for blogging since I've been here, although I've had many things that I wanted to share. I am in Mumbai for a payroll system implementation for my client, and we're going live today, finally. I think I spent more nights in hotel beds in 2010 than I did in my own bed because of this project. My experience in India is a little different this time around because I'm working much longer hours on an inconsistent schedule and sleeping when I can. Sleep is priceless and is only rivaled by food, which is a major thing if you know how I feel about food. I work all night and sleep during the day. India Standard Time (IST) is 10.5 hours ahead of Central Standard Time (CST). Please keep that in mind when calling me. Thank you.

Time Zone Converter http://www.timezoneconverter.com/cgi-bin/tzc.tzc

Rhapsody in Blue

I always always hear "Rhapsody in Blue" in my head when I fly above the clouds and see the breathtaking natural hues that appear to be untouched by humans (except for the planes spreading exhaust fumes and whatever other pollution).

All of my previous 2011 blog titles have had a musical theme because I either have a song already playing in my head or something about the words/pictures brings a song to me. I'm not sure if I'll keep that pattern going, but we'll see what happens.

Trivia: Name all the song titles and artists from my previous posts without googling or searching online first.

I'm leaving on a jet plane...

I left home around midday for the airport after zipping up my last bag that morning. I took my first malaria pill the night before I left, because I thought it would be easier to remember to take them after work each morning once I arrived in Mumbai. I waited at the airport for a couple of hours eating and reading before boarding the plane. I didn't realize until I was sitting comfortably on the plane in my window seat looking back at the wing that I'd forgotten my adaptors to plug my electronics. I guess that's what happens when you procrastinate. I watched "The King's Speech" on the flight to Newark and was very pleased. As the plane started to descend, I looked across the river to my favorite city basking in the beautiful sunset. I saw the tip of the Empire State Building and knew immediately that it would be green as soon as the sun went down for St. Patrick's Day. I went to a shop at Newark airport once we landed to find adaptors, and I saw a pack that seemed to cover the entire earth and was pretty expensive at $45. I decided to just wait until Mumbai to buy them.

The nearly 16-hour flight to Mumbai was pretty smooth. I watched "Black Swan", which probably raised a few eyebrows around me, as well as a few episodes of "The Tudors". I slept for about 5 hours in the relatively comfortable, self-contained, flat bed seats. They are made in a way that the person in front or behind you never intrudes on your space. I wish I could fly in those seats all the time. Once we landed and went through customs, it seemed to take an hour for my bags to come out. I walked out of the airport that night and saw a dramatic difference from my last trip. There were still lots of people waiting outside, but they were now on a sidewalk instead of a dirt road. I saw the hotel driver almost immediately. The ride to the hotel brought back many memories of rickshaws, loud noise, good and bad smells, and traffic.

I was very pleased with the hotel and my room. After showering, I ordered room service and began unpacking. I stayed up for several hours and finally went to sleep around 2am IST. I was awakened around 7am by a phone call. I got out of bed, ate breakfast, walked around the hotel, and went back to my room. I decided to take a short nap, but I ended up sleeping until about 6pm when another call awakened me. I met my co-workers for dinner at a restaurant in the hotel. I was so hungry, because I'd slept all day and hadn't eaten lunch. We made plans to go out the next day to tour the city and forego the Holi festivities at the hotel.

Kids playing Holi

I'm so excited...

I'm counting down to India.

Follow what you are genuinely passionate about and let that guide you to your destination. Diane Sawyer
Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope. Maya Angelou

I'm ready...

I received a call last week about my visa. It turns out that I went through the application process again unnecessarily. My last business visa was valid for 10 years, but I didn't realize it. They sent my passport back to me, but kept the application fee.

I also went to the travel clinic to get my shots. Apparently, I didn't get the 3rd dose of Twinrix (HepA/HepB), which was due 6 months after the first dose in 2008. I didn't have to get anything else, because I'm still covered for Typhoid, Polio, and all the required US adult immunizations. I declined to get the vaccines for rabies and Japanese encephalitis. I picked up my prescription for the malaria pills too. I'm supposed to start taking them 2 days before I leave, then everyday while I'm there, and 7 days after I return. The vaccine nurse gave me a long lecture on disease prevention, wearing protective clothing, eating properly, avoiding animals, drinking clean water, etc. I told him I'd traveled to India previously, as well as Nigeria, so I was familiar with the precautions and the CDC website. He still went through all of those details while I sat there looking at the clock wondering how late I would be for work.

My flight, hotel, and local travel reservations have been made. I'll be staying in a hotel near the airport with some other co-workers. I traveled alone the last time, so I had the freedom to move about without checking in with others or going with the crowd. This experience will be different, but I'm thinking it won't be too bad. One of them is pretty cool and we have similar interests. The others are older, but seem to be open to trying new things. We've already started looking at weekend excursions too.

Things are falling into place, and I'm excited about being in India again.

Step by Step...

About a year ago, I was cajoled into running a 5k with a group of friends. Other than childhood, I have never been interested in pursuing any kind of activities that cause physical exertion. It was my first running experience, and it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I told myself that I would start running regularly after accomplishing that feat, and I did run off and on throughout 2010. I turned 30 a few weeks ago and ran EP 5k a couple of days later to mark the milestone. It was part of the Houston marathon/half-marathon events. I didn't really prepare for the race because I hate running outside in the cold, but I still beat my time from my first 5k the year before. I was so elated when I crossed the finish line, because it was my first big achievement as a 30-year old. I was in so much pain after the race due to me being out of shape, but I was also proud. It was a very emotional experience for me to know how far I had come and to see my future (the marathoners). No one is more surprised than I am when I say that I want to run a marathon now. Why do I want to do it? Because I know I can. The most important lesson I have (re)learned as a runner is that my body is subject to my mind. If I think I can run 3 miles without stopping, then my body runs 3 miles without stopping. If I don't think I can run 2 miles, then I don't run 2 miles. My body will do whatever my mind tells it it will do.

How does running relate to traveling internationally? It's all about your mindset. Don't go into a race or a trip thinking about how much you're going to hate the experience. Be open and embrace each step of the journey knowing that each step forward gets you closer to your destination. It doesn't matter how fast you go, and it doesn't matter what other people are doing around you either. Go at your own pace and enjoy the scenery. You will look back at the journey and have a greater appreciation for the destination.

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." - Lao-tzu