I traveled to O'ahu as part of the James Madison High School Class of 1960 tour group. As soon as I stepped foot on the bus shuttling us to the airport, one of the organizers told me and another passenger around my age that we needed to be at work paying for their Social Security. They cracked jokes about us "youngsters" practically the whole trip. They were most definitely a lively bunch of seniors. Some of them drank like they were reliving their college days. There were several nights when I went up to my room before 9pm, while they stayed up late socializing in the lobby. Many of us seemed to have trouble sleeping & trying to adjust to the 5-hour time difference. I was in bed by 9:30 some nights & and woke up between 4 & 5 am most days, except for one day when I slept until 6:30am.
I explored the area around our hotel in those early morning hours when the streets were dark, but filled with many other pedestrians who must have also had trouble sleeping. During my first morning walk, I met 2 surfers waiting on the sun to come up to begin their day at the beach. They reminded me of "Jay and Silent Bob". "Jay" was very friendly and greeted everyone who walked along the sidewalk. He said his goal was to boost the positive energy around him by being positive himself. His goal that morning was to get "Silent Bob" on his bus. That sounded familiar, so I asked him if he had read, "The Energy Bus". He said he had read the book and felt it was important to raise the energy of those around him even though the passersby generally ignored his enthusiastic greetings.
On another sleepless morning, I strapped on my running shoes and jogged around a well-lit military park followed by a dip in the hotel pool. I was the only person in the pool at 5 o'clock in the morning. I floated on an intertube and marvelled at the bright stars above. The stars were bigger and brighter in Hawaii than I've ever seen in Texas.
One thing that I know for sure is that the tourism industry thrives on suckers who pay high prices for hotels, flights, excursions, etc. If you're willing to pay $100 for dinner, then they are not going to tell you it only costs $10. Our hotel and many others had agents inside selling different tourist packages like snorkeling, bus tours, dinner cruises, luaus, etc. During our exploration of the area, we saw a small window offering the same packages that were being sold at the hotel for less than half the cost. The shop sold snacks and computer usage, as well as the tourist packages advertised in the window, but the primary commodity of that shop seemed to be tar & nicotene in the form of cigarettes. I stepped into the small shop that was no bigger than my Honda Civic to inquire about a tour of the island, also called the "circle island tour". Our small group of 7 paid $38 each for the day long bus tour of the island of O'ahu versus $84 that was being charged elsewhere. That tour encompassed many sites where the bulk of my pictures were taken. :-(
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsBwBct0_5U
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Eastern Star
Prior to arriving in Hawaii, I searched Groupon & Living Social for deals near Waikiki Beach. I saw many interesting offers on restaurants and activities, including watersports and tours. I ended up purchasing 2 Groupons (2 admissions for $35) for Herbal Spa & Sauna. Once I arrived on the island, I called to make an appointment for the spa visit, which included a jacuzzi, steam room, & sauna. The proprietor informed me of a discounted price of $80 (regularly $120) on the full spa services for Groupon customers. The enhanced package included a body scrub, shiatsu massage, cucumber facial, coconut and banana body mask, scalp massage and hair wash. It was absolutely fabulous. I had a little trepidation when I first walked into the small building that also housed a Vietnamese restaurant at the front. The spa visit started with a tour of the facility along with a view of the mineral salt tank that was used to pump in the steam. The components reminded me of my water softener tank at home. My 3 companions and I started in the mineral salt steam room followed by the dry sauna, hot tub, cold water pool, the Himilayan mineral salt sauna and the clay sauna. During our round of the spa, we were called individually to the table for bodywork starting with the salt scrub. Every inch of my body was scrubbed until I felt like a newborn baby with no toxins left in me whatsoever. After the scrub, I was slightly embarassed by the dirt specks remaining on the table, until I heard everyone else say the same thing. We left there after about 3 hours feeling refreshed and ready to bask in our newly cleansed selves. If only I could do that on a more regular basis. Plus, we met two very friendly military wives who graciously offered to drive us to our hotel so we didn't have to take the bus back. The visit to Herbal Spa exceeded all of our expectations. I imagined that must have been similar to the process Esther underwent in preparation for the king. I definitely could have put up with that treatment for a year.
Aloha
I am currently sitting on a Boeing 767 that just took off over the hilly craters of O'ahu. According to the screen above my head, I have 6218 km to my destination. This is usually a very calming time for me as I look out the window at the awesomely majestic scenery below. Even now, I can't help but feel more relaxed flying over the vast wonder we call the Pacific Ocean. Minutes before boarding this flight, I realized that I no longer had my trusty, ever present friend, Canon. I somehow lost my camera in the airport. I went through the security checkpoints, walked to the restroom, and then proceeded to my gate with my camera & all my other belongings in tow. I stopped to take a few pictures of the Hawaiian and Japanese planes sitting at the gates ready to be loaded for their next destination. I walked to my gate, and sat for a few minutes before getting up to walk around the area to find food. Finding food before the flight was important because no food or snacks would be served on the almost 8-hour trip. I sat down & ate a few bites, saving most of the food for the plane. I first noticed that my camera was missing when I got up to walk back to the gate for boarding. I frantically searched the restaurant and asked the workers if they had seen my missing camera. It felt more like an extension of myself because it held so many precious moments of my life that I could revisit from time to time. Not only did it store my pictures of Hawaii, but also my wedding anniversary in New Orleans, and other special events. I retraced my steps & asked the gate agent if anyone had turned in a camera, and I checked the seating area around the gate. I called the airport helpline and they gave me the number for Lost & Found, which I called several times to no avail. I was very disappointed when the line rang a few times before hanging up on me. I walked back to the gate agent and the ticket agent once more before boarding, and I left my contact info. just in case they found anything. Without pictures, the images that I saw will live only in my mind's eye. It was like a nearsighted person losing their glasses. It was such an awful way to end an otherwise fabulous vacation. C'est la vie.
Monday, January 30, 2012
The Island of Enchantment
I believe that birthdays are special. Period.
Whether you decide to sit at home watching TV all day or partying with family and friends, that day should be celebrated because it means you're still living. I decided to spend my special day in San Juan Puerto Rico this year. I selected PR because I wanted to be somewhere warm and near the water. Plus, there are no travel restrictions for US citizens. My husband and I boarded the flight from Houston with no drama. We sat in our seats and heard the babbling of a baby behind us. Will peeked through the crack in the seats to see a beautiful little copper-skinned girl with curly hair that could not be quieted. We hoped that "Dora" wouldn't talk the whole 4 hours. Two-year old "Dora" was fascinated by everything she saw, and she did talk practically the whole flight. My limited Spanish proficiency allowed me to understand all of her loquacious babbling. I slept as much as I could being sandwiched between my husband and our neighbor. The landing was one of the worst I've ever experienced. It felt like God was playing dodgeball, and we were the ball bouncing along the runway. Thankfully, we were able to walk away alive and board a taxi to our hotel, Conrad San Juan, Condado Plaza. More about the hotel later...
After settling into our room and checking out the hotel amenities, we decided to take to the streets of Condado in search of dinner. We walked along the busy street with cracked sidewalks and a few dilapidated buildings. I marveled at the way they camouflaged those buildings by draping the facade with full-length tourism banners. From a distance, you wouldn't know that the building showing the beautiful El Yunque was actually abandoned with half of the backside missing. We continued our walk scoping out the various shops and restaurants along the way. We finally stopped at Latin Star, a 24 hour restaurant known for its Puertorican cuisine. It has a patio on the street with about 20 tables tightly packed together, and when I went inside for the restroom, I saw that there were probably 6 or 7 more tables plus a bar. We only saw 2 people serving the patrons when we first sat down. All along the wall were pictures of Kobe Bryant, Macho Kamacho (Will had to tell me who he was), a bunch of baseball stars, etc. along with a middle aged man in each of the pics. I looked at our waiter again and noticed that he was the man in all the pictures with the athletes, so we assumed he was the owner of the restaurant. I ordered mofongo with crab, and my husband ordered the fried pork chop with plantains. Mofongo is a traditional dish of mashed green plantains that are stuffed with meat and a spicy sauce. The food was muy delicioso. My husband said it was the best pork chop he'd ever tasted. They cooked it with the skin on so it had a crispy texture, which was another island specialty. He couldn't tempt me to eat that pork though. The service was great and the place started to fill up as we finished our dinner. Two other servers walked in as we started to leave. I think it was a family restaurant. I would definitely go there again.
Prior to arriving in PR, I had 3 things on my agenda that were must sees for me: 1) Bio Bay 2) Loiza and 3) Old San Juan. PR is the home of 1 of the 3 bio-luminescent bays in the world. The other 2 are in Jamaica and Bahamas. We went to Fujardo, which was the closest bio bay to San Juan. I chose Pure Adventure out of the many companies offering tours because it was founded by marine biologists, and I knew it would be fun and educational.
Whether you decide to sit at home watching TV all day or partying with family and friends, that day should be celebrated because it means you're still living. I decided to spend my special day in San Juan Puerto Rico this year. I selected PR because I wanted to be somewhere warm and near the water. Plus, there are no travel restrictions for US citizens. My husband and I boarded the flight from Houston with no drama. We sat in our seats and heard the babbling of a baby behind us. Will peeked through the crack in the seats to see a beautiful little copper-skinned girl with curly hair that could not be quieted. We hoped that "Dora" wouldn't talk the whole 4 hours. Two-year old "Dora" was fascinated by everything she saw, and she did talk practically the whole flight. My limited Spanish proficiency allowed me to understand all of her loquacious babbling. I slept as much as I could being sandwiched between my husband and our neighbor. The landing was one of the worst I've ever experienced. It felt like God was playing dodgeball, and we were the ball bouncing along the runway. Thankfully, we were able to walk away alive and board a taxi to our hotel, Conrad San Juan, Condado Plaza. More about the hotel later...
After settling into our room and checking out the hotel amenities, we decided to take to the streets of Condado in search of dinner. We walked along the busy street with cracked sidewalks and a few dilapidated buildings. I marveled at the way they camouflaged those buildings by draping the facade with full-length tourism banners. From a distance, you wouldn't know that the building showing the beautiful El Yunque was actually abandoned with half of the backside missing. We continued our walk scoping out the various shops and restaurants along the way. We finally stopped at Latin Star, a 24 hour restaurant known for its Puertorican cuisine. It has a patio on the street with about 20 tables tightly packed together, and when I went inside for the restroom, I saw that there were probably 6 or 7 more tables plus a bar. We only saw 2 people serving the patrons when we first sat down. All along the wall were pictures of Kobe Bryant, Macho Kamacho (Will had to tell me who he was), a bunch of baseball stars, etc. along with a middle aged man in each of the pics. I looked at our waiter again and noticed that he was the man in all the pictures with the athletes, so we assumed he was the owner of the restaurant. I ordered mofongo with crab, and my husband ordered the fried pork chop with plantains. Mofongo is a traditional dish of mashed green plantains that are stuffed with meat and a spicy sauce. The food was muy delicioso. My husband said it was the best pork chop he'd ever tasted. They cooked it with the skin on so it had a crispy texture, which was another island specialty. He couldn't tempt me to eat that pork though. The service was great and the place started to fill up as we finished our dinner. Two other servers walked in as we started to leave. I think it was a family restaurant. I would definitely go there again.
Prior to arriving in PR, I had 3 things on my agenda that were must sees for me: 1) Bio Bay 2) Loiza and 3) Old San Juan. PR is the home of 1 of the 3 bio-luminescent bays in the world. The other 2 are in Jamaica and Bahamas. We went to Fujardo, which was the closest bio bay to San Juan. I chose Pure Adventure out of the many companies offering tours because it was founded by marine biologists, and I knew it would be fun and educational.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Epilogue
Flying above the green, brown, blue terrain and white marshmallow clouds inspires me to write. I find it to be one of the most serene settings – no talking, no music, and no noise, except for the air rushing by outside and the occasional incoherent murmurings from the cockpit. I am on another plane, within the US this time, and I’m finally writing the conclusion to my India 2011 trip. I’ve been home for about a month now and have had some time to reflect on my time in Mumbai.
I didn’t get a picture of Chevy Rickshaw. We saw it practically every day for the first 2 weeks, but it eluded us the final 2 weeks. I had my camera ready just in case one of us – Lisa, Hussain (our driver), or I – caught a glimpse of it as we passed the energetic street. That street contained Lisa’s cows on the corner, “bath time” where we usually saw men showering near a water pipe, “water time” with young women carrying water pots and bowls precariously atop their heads while crossing the busy street, and “Chevy Rickshaw” - the rickshaw with the bright red top and Chevrolet symbol in the back window. We left India a week before 2 of our co-workers who had to stay behind at the last minute. I gave them a detailed overview of Chevy Rickshaw and even instructed them to take a picture if they saw it. It feels like it was just a legend now that I will tell my children. Maybe they will travel to India one day in search of Chevy Rickshaw like the Spaniards looking for the Fountain of Youth.
Besides looking for Chevy Rickshaw, we spent our last day in Mumbai looking for as many OMs as possible, as well as “Elizabeth” and Lisa’s last name. I knew finding my name would be highly unlikely, but my eyes perked up whenever we passed a church or other Christian area. In India, as in many other countries, names have meaning and tell you a lot about the person before even meeting them. For example, if you see the name Shiva or Ganesh, then you can assume that the bearer is Hindu. If you see the name Akil, Hussain, Ahmed, then you can assume that they are Muslim. If the name is Mary, Xavier, or Elizabeth, then they are likely to be Christian. These are all assumptions because families can choose whatever they’d like to name their children. However, most stick with tradition. A Hindu friend told me he would like to name his daughter Elizabeth, but his family would be very upset if he chose a Christian name for his child. The names, especially last names, can also tell you where the family is from. For example, Shah and Patel are popular names in Gujarat. Singh, as in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, is a common last names for Sikhs. Khan is a common Muslim last name, and is the moniker for a couple of Bollywood’s biggest stars. I like the fact that everyone recognizes that names are important in India and that your name tells your story. It is a truth that many Americans tend to ignore.
Many things changed since my last trip to Mumbai in 2008. I attended Sushama’s baby shower, and now her “baby” is a 3-year old girl. My friends, Anita and Yagnesh, now have a toddler son too. I wasn’t able to see either of the children due to the limited amount of free time outside of work, but I heard a lot about them. Other people that I met before have moved on to do other things, but we’ve been able to keep in touch via social networking. Once again, my Indian friends and co-workers were gracious hosts and made my time in India easier and more fulfilling. From zipping across Vashi to the tailor on the back of Sarika’s motorcycle to the meals ordered from Sunny’s just before the 1am delivery cutoff by Wilfred, from Rupali wrapping my sari around my jeans and t-shirt to Chinmayee adorning my hand with mehinde, I was blessed to be surrounded by many people who were always willing to make my time in Mumbai the best possible under sometimes difficult circumstances.
Mehinde (henna) - I chose a more Arabian looking design this time.
OM
I didn’t get a picture of Chevy Rickshaw. We saw it practically every day for the first 2 weeks, but it eluded us the final 2 weeks. I had my camera ready just in case one of us – Lisa, Hussain (our driver), or I – caught a glimpse of it as we passed the energetic street. That street contained Lisa’s cows on the corner, “bath time” where we usually saw men showering near a water pipe, “water time” with young women carrying water pots and bowls precariously atop their heads while crossing the busy street, and “Chevy Rickshaw” - the rickshaw with the bright red top and Chevrolet symbol in the back window. We left India a week before 2 of our co-workers who had to stay behind at the last minute. I gave them a detailed overview of Chevy Rickshaw and even instructed them to take a picture if they saw it. It feels like it was just a legend now that I will tell my children. Maybe they will travel to India one day in search of Chevy Rickshaw like the Spaniards looking for the Fountain of Youth.
Besides looking for Chevy Rickshaw, we spent our last day in Mumbai looking for as many OMs as possible, as well as “Elizabeth” and Lisa’s last name. I knew finding my name would be highly unlikely, but my eyes perked up whenever we passed a church or other Christian area. In India, as in many other countries, names have meaning and tell you a lot about the person before even meeting them. For example, if you see the name Shiva or Ganesh, then you can assume that the bearer is Hindu. If you see the name Akil, Hussain, Ahmed, then you can assume that they are Muslim. If the name is Mary, Xavier, or Elizabeth, then they are likely to be Christian. These are all assumptions because families can choose whatever they’d like to name their children. However, most stick with tradition. A Hindu friend told me he would like to name his daughter Elizabeth, but his family would be very upset if he chose a Christian name for his child. The names, especially last names, can also tell you where the family is from. For example, Shah and Patel are popular names in Gujarat. Singh, as in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, is a common last names for Sikhs. Khan is a common Muslim last name, and is the moniker for a couple of Bollywood’s biggest stars. I like the fact that everyone recognizes that names are important in India and that your name tells your story. It is a truth that many Americans tend to ignore.
Many things changed since my last trip to Mumbai in 2008. I attended Sushama’s baby shower, and now her “baby” is a 3-year old girl. My friends, Anita and Yagnesh, now have a toddler son too. I wasn’t able to see either of the children due to the limited amount of free time outside of work, but I heard a lot about them. Other people that I met before have moved on to do other things, but we’ve been able to keep in touch via social networking. Once again, my Indian friends and co-workers were gracious hosts and made my time in India easier and more fulfilling. From zipping across Vashi to the tailor on the back of Sarika’s motorcycle to the meals ordered from Sunny’s just before the 1am delivery cutoff by Wilfred, from Rupali wrapping my sari around my jeans and t-shirt to Chinmayee adorning my hand with mehinde, I was blessed to be surrounded by many people who were always willing to make my time in Mumbai the best possible under sometimes difficult circumstances.
Mehinde (henna) - I chose a more Arabian looking design this time.
OM
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Gotham City
"Only vampires and Batman come out at this time of the night..." One of my co-workers in Mumbai told me that a couple of months ago, and I thought it was such a funny, but sad sentiment. It also gave me an idea for something to do for our team there to show some appreciation and have a little fun. We had a Batman-themed break one night with snacks and other goodies.
I believe working in an office at night goes against the laws of nature. There is very little natural light shining into the building for the few hours of daylight left. I felt like I spent my nights in a casino with no concept of reality.
I heard this story recently, and it confirmed my view on humans' lack of productivity at night due to it being against our nature.
"Humans are not nocturnal."
I believe working in an office at night goes against the laws of nature. There is very little natural light shining into the building for the few hours of daylight left. I felt like I spent my nights in a casino with no concept of reality.
I heard this story recently, and it confirmed my view on humans' lack of productivity at night due to it being against our nature.
"Humans are not nocturnal."
Monday, April 11, 2011
Everybody Loves the Sunshine...
My stomach woke me up again early Saturday morning around 4:45am. I took more anti-diarrheal medicine and went back to sleep. A phone call woke me up a few hours later. Lisa called to tell me that we'd missed our 8am flight. We planned to go to Admedabad (or Amdavad) to visit her family for the weekend, but we both overslept. Ahmedabad is in Gujarat state just north of Maharashtra state. She made a few calls and learned that we could leave on a later flight. We made plans to meet up later, and then we both went back to sleep. By the time I woke up, I felt much better. I had regained my appetite and was ready to eat as much as I wanted in Ahmedabad. At the airport, I almost missed the flight again trying to buy a couple of things from the airport bookstore. We had a special escort to the bus to make sure we made it on the plane. I have never missed a flight, so I couldn't believe I was about to miss 2 in one day.
Lisa's cousin greeted us as we walked out of the airport in Ahmedabad. That evening we went to a Punjabi restaurant for dinner, then went out for sweet treats - iced golas and kulfi. Iced golas are shaved ice with fruit juice on a stick, basically a snow cone on a stick in a cup. I didn't eat the kulfi, a frozen dairy product, because I'm lactose intolerant and I didn't want to take a risk with my already irritated stomach. We parked the car and walked from the iced gola stand to Law Garden, an area with open stalls for shopping and entertainment for families. The street was littered with children taking a camel ride, horse rides, and a goat-pulled cart. At first glance, I thought that goat was a baby camel because it was so big.
Everyday on our ride to work, our driver, Hussain, plays music for us. We've become enthralled with this catchy song called "Amplifier" by DJ Adee (he says his name at least 30 times). It is in Gujarati, so I don't understand most of the words. Lisa told me that the song is about trying to get a girl to sit in his car, and it's really silly. All I know is that he does these really simple rhymes, putting together bakery, pani puri, saree, chokary (I don't know what that is, but he says it a lot), Adee, Gujarati. We told the family about this song during dinner, and the Punjabi version came on a few minutes later. We thought the timing was hilarious.
We didn't spend much time there, but the little time that we did spend in Gujarat seemed to always be focused on what we were eating next. In addition to iced golas, I ate vada pav, chivanu, and other snacks/junk food for the first time. It's funny that I ate vada pav there because it is most well known for being a Mumbai treat. It is essentially a samosa between 2 pieces of bread with lots of spices and butter. It looked like the guy melted half a block of butter (the old-fashioned kind that your grandmama uses) on the burner just to make a couple of sandwiches. Then the spices are added to the butter, and the bread is flatttened into it like you would make a grilled cheese sandwich. It wasn't healthy at all. It was good though.
I have a knack for accepting the different experiences that I encounter abroad. I have no problem eating local foods, listening to the music, wearing the dress, adapting to the cultural differences, etc. However, the differences in the bathrooms just throws me for a loop. That's a pretty important thing that you just can't avoid. In Ahmedabad, I had to ask for instructions on how to flush the toilet and how to shower. Instead of pushing a button or lever to flush, I had to turn a faucet next to the toilet that sent a rush of water into the bowl. I was grateful that it wasn't the Indian-style loo that I've carefully avoided this time around. For the shower, I had to turn on the water, flip the switch for the mini hot water heater, then turn the knob for the water to come pouring out of the showerhead that sprayed the entire bathroom with water. The water sprayed from the showerhead, but it also poured into a bucket that was underneath the faucet closest to the floor. I didn't realize until I was done that the water coming from the lower faucet was hotter, and I probably should've just used the bucket to wash off instead of trying to "take a shower". Thankfully, it was only one night.
Overall, I enjoyed my time in Gujurat. The pace was a bit slower, and the streets were slightly cleaner than Mumbai. It was also hotter at 40 degrees Celsius (104 F), but it was dry heat since we were no longer on the coast.
DJ Adee
Lisa's cousin greeted us as we walked out of the airport in Ahmedabad. That evening we went to a Punjabi restaurant for dinner, then went out for sweet treats - iced golas and kulfi. Iced golas are shaved ice with fruit juice on a stick, basically a snow cone on a stick in a cup. I didn't eat the kulfi, a frozen dairy product, because I'm lactose intolerant and I didn't want to take a risk with my already irritated stomach. We parked the car and walked from the iced gola stand to Law Garden, an area with open stalls for shopping and entertainment for families. The street was littered with children taking a camel ride, horse rides, and a goat-pulled cart. At first glance, I thought that goat was a baby camel because it was so big.
Everyday on our ride to work, our driver, Hussain, plays music for us. We've become enthralled with this catchy song called "Amplifier" by DJ Adee (he says his name at least 30 times). It is in Gujarati, so I don't understand most of the words. Lisa told me that the song is about trying to get a girl to sit in his car, and it's really silly. All I know is that he does these really simple rhymes, putting together bakery, pani puri, saree, chokary (I don't know what that is, but he says it a lot), Adee, Gujarati. We told the family about this song during dinner, and the Punjabi version came on a few minutes later. We thought the timing was hilarious.
We didn't spend much time there, but the little time that we did spend in Gujarat seemed to always be focused on what we were eating next. In addition to iced golas, I ate vada pav, chivanu, and other snacks/junk food for the first time. It's funny that I ate vada pav there because it is most well known for being a Mumbai treat. It is essentially a samosa between 2 pieces of bread with lots of spices and butter. It looked like the guy melted half a block of butter (the old-fashioned kind that your grandmama uses) on the burner just to make a couple of sandwiches. Then the spices are added to the butter, and the bread is flatttened into it like you would make a grilled cheese sandwich. It wasn't healthy at all. It was good though.
I have a knack for accepting the different experiences that I encounter abroad. I have no problem eating local foods, listening to the music, wearing the dress, adapting to the cultural differences, etc. However, the differences in the bathrooms just throws me for a loop. That's a pretty important thing that you just can't avoid. In Ahmedabad, I had to ask for instructions on how to flush the toilet and how to shower. Instead of pushing a button or lever to flush, I had to turn a faucet next to the toilet that sent a rush of water into the bowl. I was grateful that it wasn't the Indian-style loo that I've carefully avoided this time around. For the shower, I had to turn on the water, flip the switch for the mini hot water heater, then turn the knob for the water to come pouring out of the showerhead that sprayed the entire bathroom with water. The water sprayed from the showerhead, but it also poured into a bucket that was underneath the faucet closest to the floor. I didn't realize until I was done that the water coming from the lower faucet was hotter, and I probably should've just used the bucket to wash off instead of trying to "take a shower". Thankfully, it was only one night.
Overall, I enjoyed my time in Gujurat. The pace was a bit slower, and the streets were slightly cleaner than Mumbai. It was also hotter at 40 degrees Celsius (104 F), but it was dry heat since we were no longer on the coast.
DJ Adee
Friday, April 8, 2011
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. :-)
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. :-)
Saturday, April 2, 2011
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. 
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