As Passover is getting closer, and I see all the comments about being home for Pesach on Facebook, I'm starting to get a little sad about being so far away. Like many Jews, Passover is my favorite holiday, and this will be only my third time away from home. Originally, I was going to meet up with some of the other AJWS volunteers in Delhi for seder, but my plans have changed.
I was invited on a trip to visit some villages in Madhya Pradesh. The people going on the trip have a similar travel philosphy to mine; low budget, locally supported, adventure travel. It's a great chance to see the local side of India in way that I'd like to travel but cannot do on my own because I'm a white American female (I know, I know, poor me) and I dont have the balls to do it!! I'm very lucky to have come across this opportunity. My travel mates are Sathish, a friend of Jacob's who I met at Auroville Marathon, and Ganesh, who I haven't met yet!! We have our train tickets sorted, but dont know exactly where we're going nor where we will be staying. Needless to say, it will be quite an adventure. Check out the website they've made to spread the word about this way of traveling.
With my recent mozzie problems, I'm most worried about bugs interrupting my sleep. Other than that, I'm not too worried. Also, I'm trying to figure out how to incorporate Passover into my trip. I'm not planning on keeping K for P, mainly because I think bread of some sort is a major part of meals in the village and I'm certain that no one in Madhya Pradesh has ever heard of matzah!! But I'm hoping for 0 of 10 plagues and a handfull of Dayenu moments!
On a completely non-India related note, please take a minute to check out this NPR Tiny Desk Concert of K'naan. You must listen to all 3 songs. The last one always brings on the tears!!
Wish me luck on my travels and make sure you set a place for Elijah at your seder, 'cause you never know who may stop by!!! I'll be back in Chennai Sunday April 4th, unsure of internet access until then.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Planes, Trams, and Ambassadors
If you've been paying attention, you'll know that I just went on a trip to Kolkata (Calcutta). Before I went, I was asking around the office for any recommendations and the best one I got was from Dr. Sathish. He said that in Kolkata I can try out soooo many modes of transport! And it's true! During my trip, I used air plane, cycle rickshaw, Ambassador car, tram, metro subway, bus and, of course, my feets. Kolkata is the only city in India that has a tram system. It's a very old rickety system and of course there are no marked tram stops. I hopped onto the #22 tram at Esplanade, and apparentlly did it wrong because they promptly made me get off and get back on again. And then, instead of heading North which I was expecting, it went to a completely different part of town. Not knowing where I was, I just sat back and enjoyed a tram tour of the city. At 10 cents a ride, it was well worth it.
Kolkata also has an extensive underground subway system (India's first!). The subway was fast and fun but just as crowded as everything else in India. They threatened to kick me out if I took any pics while on the subway, but I did manage this one:
Even the buses are different in Kolkata. I rode on some wooden buses that had the most uncomfortable seats ever. But they were charmingly painted blue and yellow, so they were forgiven.
Another thing that is unique to transport in Kolkata is the abundance of yellow Ambassador cars. Ambassador is a car manufactured only in Inida, and one of the main plants is just outside Kolkata.
And I also rode on a cycle rickshaw, and was surprised by their honesty when it came to prices. In Chennai, an honest rickshaw wallah is nonexistent! But we were told that the cycle rickshaw wallahs are in a union, and if they charge inappropriately they will be kicked out.
The city itself is beautiful in an old way. It looks like how I imagined India would look, kind of old and dusty. This is mainly because West Bengal (the state in which Kolkata exsists) is ruled by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which happens to be the world's longest running democratically elected communist government (COMMUNISM!!). You can see the hammer and sickle symbol all over the city.
As it happened, I ate mostly street food while in the city. I like street food because it is delicious and extremely ecomonical, and you get to mingle with the locals. A common thing to eat in Kolkata is a kati roll, which is a kebab rolled up in a grilled paratha with chili sauce and lettuce and onions. I chose to have egg roll instead. It was tasty. I also ate some battered and fried eggs and panner and other fried breads with various chickpea, potato, soy chunk gravies. I drank an interesting salty sugary lime drink and the best ice cold lassi I think I've ever had. And lots of ice cream and popsicles. After chatting up some friendly Indian men at the open market, I managed to score some free tea and butter fried toast covered in sugar. I was all smiles.
Tea is served in little ceramic cups that are then tossed onto the ground and sometimes stepped on. It's like a mazel tov with every cuppa! The cups were cute and the tea stall wallahs chuckled everytime Jacob and I put the cups in our bags instead of onto the ground! They make great decorations, candle holders or shot glasses.
The guest house we stayed in was sufficient. I was so excited to have AC and a bed as I was in bad need of some quality sleep. But the first night was ruined again by mosquitos. I have no idea where they came from, but there were more mosquitoes in our hotel room than that night I slept on the balcony! I couldn't belive it, it was a nightmare! The second night we managed to fend them off by turning the AC down to 16C (61F), putting the fan on full blast, plugging in 2 different electric mosquito killers (one solid, one liquid), burning a mosquito coil, and sleeping completely under a thick blanket. Apparently this is what you have to do to get a good night's sleep around here! I'm dissapointed that the mosquitos keep showing up in my blog, but unfortunately they are a big part of my life here.
I got to visit the SAATHII (NGO I am volunteering for) headquarters. I met the SAATHII Country Director of West Bengal and had a nice chat about India and healthcare. I had previously worked with him over email to edit some peer educator literature about HIV issues in MSM (men who have sex with men) population for the WHO (Wold Health Organization), so it was nice to meet him in person. I spent the rest of the afternoon in the office watching the movie Outsourced on Jacob's computer while he taught the rest of the office something about computers (BORING!!). That movie is funny, but of course not all that realistic, and I'd recommend that you guys watch it.
Then it was back to the airport and back to Chennai. Again, it's good to be home! Pics from Kolkata
Inside the Tram
The Other Park Street
Inside of the bus
Another thing that is unique to transport in Kolkata is the abundance of yellow Ambassador cars. Ambassador is a car manufactured only in Inida, and one of the main plants is just outside Kolkata.
And I also rode on a cycle rickshaw, and was surprised by their honesty when it came to prices. In Chennai, an honest rickshaw wallah is nonexistent! But we were told that the cycle rickshaw wallahs are in a union, and if they charge inappropriately they will be kicked out.
The city itself is beautiful in an old way. It looks like how I imagined India would look, kind of old and dusty. This is mainly because West Bengal (the state in which Kolkata exsists) is ruled by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which happens to be the world's longest running democratically elected communist government (COMMUNISM!!). You can see the hammer and sickle symbol all over the city.
As it happened, I ate mostly street food while in the city. I like street food because it is delicious and extremely ecomonical, and you get to mingle with the locals. A common thing to eat in Kolkata is a kati roll, which is a kebab rolled up in a grilled paratha with chili sauce and lettuce and onions. I chose to have egg roll instead. It was tasty. I also ate some battered and fried eggs and panner and other fried breads with various chickpea, potato, soy chunk gravies. I drank an interesting salty sugary lime drink and the best ice cold lassi I think I've ever had. And lots of ice cream and popsicles. After chatting up some friendly Indian men at the open market, I managed to score some free tea and butter fried toast covered in sugar. I was all smiles.
Tea is served in little ceramic cups that are then tossed onto the ground and sometimes stepped on. It's like a mazel tov with every cuppa! The cups were cute and the tea stall wallahs chuckled everytime Jacob and I put the cups in our bags instead of onto the ground! They make great decorations, candle holders or shot glasses.
The guest house we stayed in was sufficient. I was so excited to have AC and a bed as I was in bad need of some quality sleep. But the first night was ruined again by mosquitos. I have no idea where they came from, but there were more mosquitoes in our hotel room than that night I slept on the balcony! I couldn't belive it, it was a nightmare! The second night we managed to fend them off by turning the AC down to 16C (61F), putting the fan on full blast, plugging in 2 different electric mosquito killers (one solid, one liquid), burning a mosquito coil, and sleeping completely under a thick blanket. Apparently this is what you have to do to get a good night's sleep around here! I'm dissapointed that the mosquitos keep showing up in my blog, but unfortunately they are a big part of my life here.
I got to visit the SAATHII (NGO I am volunteering for) headquarters. I met the SAATHII Country Director of West Bengal and had a nice chat about India and healthcare. I had previously worked with him over email to edit some peer educator literature about HIV issues in MSM (men who have sex with men) population for the WHO (Wold Health Organization), so it was nice to meet him in person. I spent the rest of the afternoon in the office watching the movie Outsourced on Jacob's computer while he taught the rest of the office something about computers (BORING!!). That movie is funny, but of course not all that realistic, and I'd recommend that you guys watch it.
Then it was back to the airport and back to Chennai. Again, it's good to be home! Pics from Kolkata
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Don't call it a comeback....
...I been here for yeeeaaars. And just like that, I'm back (please pause to read the last blog post first, then this one will make more sense). Perhaps it is too soon to celebrate, but I will anyways. I was dying at work, and people could tell. Not only that, but they DO tell, right to your face! They will say, “you look bad” or more specifically “your face looks bad, what is wrong, is it the heat?” I'm sure my US counterparts will agree, Indians are not subtle in this way. So I left work early so I could assess the power situation at home and make alternate plans for the night, if needed.
I came home to find a small crowd gathered around the hole that was now dug in the street in front of my house, watching men in the trenches sorting out many colored cables/wires. I gave my neighbors the ole one eyebrow up inquisitive look. Would there be power tonight? You guessed it, resounding head wobbles. I went up to my apartment, stopping on the second floor to chit chat with the landlord's son and daughter-in-law. They didn't sleep well last night either. They said this hasnt happened in 10 years, and that the power would be restored within the hour. I couldn't help but doubt both statements
I decided to drag one of my chairs up to the roof and sit in the breeze and read my book. I cant explain howmuch I am into this book, and would like to thank Bob so much for lending it to me (even though Lauren had sent it to me when I lived in Boston). I'm never usually home during this hour (5ish) and the light was looking lovely so I took some photos of my view from the roof. I love the view from my roof, and it makes me love my neighborhood and, in turn, love India.
Around 615pm I decided that I should start thinking of alternative plans. Shell out for a hotel? Shlep all the way out to Jacob and Leahs? Ask Dr. Sathish for the key so I could sleep in the office? I wasn't really up for any of it. But you know how this story ends, the power came back on as I was walking down the stairs from the roof!
I turned on the fan, shut the windows and started repairing my house. Just as I had thought, there were a TON of mosquitoes from leaving the door open the night before. The only good thing about that was that the high concentration made my mosquito bat all the more effective! A mosquito bat looks like a tennis racket, but it is made of wires through which an electric current runs once you press the button. Seth had sent one from India to me and Nate when we lived in Boston. We used to make everyone who visited our house touch it, like an initiation. But this one is more intense, and I would never make anyone touch it. But I did use it to seek my revenge on my biggest/smallest of enemies. I crawled under the counter, I opened the cabinets, I coaxed them out of hiding with my white flesh that they seem to love so much, and then I zapped 'em! I fried so many mosquitoes in that kitchen that it smelled of burnt flesh. It was gross, but intensely satisfying!
Then I cleaned out the fridge and even managed to save most of the food by cooking up a mean chili bean eggplant tomato dinner. Hopefully its ok to eat beans that have been cooked last night and left on the counter for the entire day! Now I will set up my bed, take a shower, read my book and, fingers crossed, have that wonderful sleep I desperately need. Good Night!
I came home to find a small crowd gathered around the hole that was now dug in the street in front of my house, watching men in the trenches sorting out many colored cables/wires. I gave my neighbors the ole one eyebrow up inquisitive look. Would there be power tonight? You guessed it, resounding head wobbles. I went up to my apartment, stopping on the second floor to chit chat with the landlord's son and daughter-in-law. They didn't sleep well last night either. They said this hasnt happened in 10 years, and that the power would be restored within the hour. I couldn't help but doubt both statements
I decided to drag one of my chairs up to the roof and sit in the breeze and read my book. I cant explain howmuch I am into this book, and would like to thank Bob so much for lending it to me (even though Lauren had sent it to me when I lived in Boston). I'm never usually home during this hour (5ish) and the light was looking lovely so I took some photos of my view from the roof. I love the view from my roof, and it makes me love my neighborhood and, in turn, love India.
Around 615pm I decided that I should start thinking of alternative plans. Shell out for a hotel? Shlep all the way out to Jacob and Leahs? Ask Dr. Sathish for the key so I could sleep in the office? I wasn't really up for any of it. But you know how this story ends, the power came back on as I was walking down the stairs from the roof!
I turned on the fan, shut the windows and started repairing my house. Just as I had thought, there were a TON of mosquitoes from leaving the door open the night before. The only good thing about that was that the high concentration made my mosquito bat all the more effective! A mosquito bat looks like a tennis racket, but it is made of wires through which an electric current runs once you press the button. Seth had sent one from India to me and Nate when we lived in Boston. We used to make everyone who visited our house touch it, like an initiation. But this one is more intense, and I would never make anyone touch it. But I did use it to seek my revenge on my biggest/smallest of enemies. I crawled under the counter, I opened the cabinets, I coaxed them out of hiding with my white flesh that they seem to love so much, and then I zapped 'em! I fried so many mosquitoes in that kitchen that it smelled of burnt flesh. It was gross, but intensely satisfying!
Then I cleaned out the fridge and even managed to save most of the food by cooking up a mean chili bean eggplant tomato dinner. Hopefully its ok to eat beans that have been cooked last night and left on the counter for the entire day! Now I will set up my bed, take a shower, read my book and, fingers crossed, have that wonderful sleep I desperately need. Good Night!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Karma's a bitch
This is what I get for writing a post about a bad day that's not really that bad. Immediately after I wrote that, things went from bad to worse. My sari (not even the one I wanted to wear, but a glittery one they made me change into at work) came unpinned at the nurse training, I waited for 35 min for the bus and then took an auto instead, and then my house lost power that night.
But last night was really the worst. I have developed a sore throat so I searched my neighborhood for some ice cream. Ice cream here isn't that great, but when you have a sore throat, it does the trick. I bought a brick of mango and put it in the tiny freezer in my fridge. I had just put the beans on in the pressure cooker when the power went out again. This time it was the whole block. I was annoyed but carried on cooking in the heat and chatting on the computer. The beans finished, I closed down the computer, brushed my teeth, still no power.
Then the power returned to the rest of the neighborhood, but not my house. I decided that it was useless to try to sleep in the house (it's soooooooooo hot without the fan) so I moved my matress to the balcony, along with my mosquito net. I was quite happy with my set up, it was cooler outside than it usually is inside my house, there was a nice breeze and I put in my earplugs and went to sleep. I didn't open the fridge, figuring the power would come back on in an hour or so.
I woke up a few hours later because I was sooooooooooooo itchy!! I saw tons of mosquitos on the outside of my net, but there must have been some inside as well, 'cause I had 4 new bites on my L knee, 3 on my upper arm and one vicious on one the palm of my hand. Argh. I killed all the mozzies I could find inside my net and attempted to sleep again. This sleep-wake up-kill mosquito cycle repeated itself all night. The breeze stopped and it became hot. Then I dreamt/believed there was an earthquake. There wasn't. It was one of those nights where I just couldnt wait for morning.
When morning came, I was dissapointed to find that the power still wasn't on. I reluctantly opened the fridge to find melted mango ice cream everywhere, and now on the counter and floor. I quickly cleaned it up, showered, dressed (all inside my hot as hell house) and got outta there. I heard from the landlord's daughter that something on the power line exploded and it should be fixed later today. I just dont know if it's true. I'm not so bothered by the lack of sleep, it's more the rest of it. I'm annoyed about the ice cream and the mess and the fact that I couldn't cook this morning and that the food in my fridge is going to be wasted. I'm annoyed that I slept with the door open last night and there are going to be so many mozzies living in my house tonight. I'm annoyed that I didn't get a good rest because I'm going to Kolkata on Thurs and I want to get rid of my sore throat. Plus I have a small case of the SADs, which is causing everything to seem worse.
But, since I learned last time that I can't complain too much, I will now list some good things that have happened recently. I had a lovely weekend of swimming in the ocean (twice!), napping and eating homemade banana pancakes, veg cheese omelet (w/ real cheese!), the best veg byriani, bean salad and fresh watermelon mint juice. Yesterday I bought 3 saris (thanks, Hamsa!!!). I got a seat on the bus this morning. The coconut wallah remembered me. A very cute puppy came to visit me at work yesterday (வாலை ஆட்டும் நாய் ). I am in love with the book I'm reading (The Book Theif). And I learned that I'm going to the zoo next weekend. Also, I've gotten a lot of packages and post cards in the mail. And a very nice letter. Thank you all!
On Thursday I'm going to Kolkata for "work." Meaning, Jacob is going for work and I convinced work that it would be a good opportunity for me to go as well. My NGOs main office is there, and it's nice to get out of the office and travel and I can stay for free w/ Jacob. I'm looking forward to exploring the city, they are supposed to have excellent fish and sweets. Dont worry, I'm sure this small bad spell will end and in no time everything will be coming up Milhouse again!
But last night was really the worst. I have developed a sore throat so I searched my neighborhood for some ice cream. Ice cream here isn't that great, but when you have a sore throat, it does the trick. I bought a brick of mango and put it in the tiny freezer in my fridge. I had just put the beans on in the pressure cooker when the power went out again. This time it was the whole block. I was annoyed but carried on cooking in the heat and chatting on the computer. The beans finished, I closed down the computer, brushed my teeth, still no power.
Then the power returned to the rest of the neighborhood, but not my house. I decided that it was useless to try to sleep in the house (it's soooooooooo hot without the fan) so I moved my matress to the balcony, along with my mosquito net. I was quite happy with my set up, it was cooler outside than it usually is inside my house, there was a nice breeze and I put in my earplugs and went to sleep. I didn't open the fridge, figuring the power would come back on in an hour or so.
I woke up a few hours later because I was sooooooooooooo itchy!! I saw tons of mosquitos on the outside of my net, but there must have been some inside as well, 'cause I had 4 new bites on my L knee, 3 on my upper arm and one vicious on one the palm of my hand. Argh. I killed all the mozzies I could find inside my net and attempted to sleep again. This sleep-wake up-kill mosquito cycle repeated itself all night. The breeze stopped and it became hot. Then I dreamt/believed there was an earthquake. There wasn't. It was one of those nights where I just couldnt wait for morning.
When morning came, I was dissapointed to find that the power still wasn't on. I reluctantly opened the fridge to find melted mango ice cream everywhere, and now on the counter and floor. I quickly cleaned it up, showered, dressed (all inside my hot as hell house) and got outta there. I heard from the landlord's daughter that something on the power line exploded and it should be fixed later today. I just dont know if it's true. I'm not so bothered by the lack of sleep, it's more the rest of it. I'm annoyed about the ice cream and the mess and the fact that I couldn't cook this morning and that the food in my fridge is going to be wasted. I'm annoyed that I slept with the door open last night and there are going to be so many mozzies living in my house tonight. I'm annoyed that I didn't get a good rest because I'm going to Kolkata on Thurs and I want to get rid of my sore throat. Plus I have a small case of the SADs, which is causing everything to seem worse.
But, since I learned last time that I can't complain too much, I will now list some good things that have happened recently. I had a lovely weekend of swimming in the ocean (twice!), napping and eating homemade banana pancakes, veg cheese omelet (w/ real cheese!), the best veg byriani, bean salad and fresh watermelon mint juice. Yesterday I bought 3 saris (thanks, Hamsa!!!). I got a seat on the bus this morning. The coconut wallah remembered me. A very cute puppy came to visit me at work yesterday (வாலை ஆட்டும் நாய் ). I am in love with the book I'm reading (The Book Theif). And I learned that I'm going to the zoo next weekend. Also, I've gotten a lot of packages and post cards in the mail. And a very nice letter. Thank you all!
On Thursday I'm going to Kolkata for "work." Meaning, Jacob is going for work and I convinced work that it would be a good opportunity for me to go as well. My NGOs main office is there, and it's nice to get out of the office and travel and I can stay for free w/ Jacob. I'm looking forward to exploring the city, they are supposed to have excellent fish and sweets. Dont worry, I'm sure this small bad spell will end and in no time everything will be coming up Milhouse again!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Carly and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day
It all started yesterday when I was groped on the bus. Having been here for over 2 months, riding the bus at least twice daily, it's surprising that it took so long for this to happen! You've heard from me before about how crowded the buses are, and when you're sardined it's sometimes hard to tell what exactly is touching what. Which is why I think it took me over 1 min to realize someone's hand was somewhere it should not have been. It's very crowded, to the point where you can't really turn around, so I kind of looked over my shoulder, threw some elbows, gave dirty looks to anyone in the vicinity and the hand disappeared. But it kept coming back and I didn't really know what to do, also not really wanting to make a big scene on the bus, although I'm not really sure why. Jacob was also there on the bus, but he was stuck standing on the stairs. Luckily this gave him a good view of the crime in action and he launched a sneak attack on the guilty hand. I remained unmolested and the perpetrator got off at the next stop!
Other bad things that happened this day are as follows; the crows pooped on Leah's sari blouse that I was planning to wear today to the nurse counselor training I'm attending. (I just scrubbed out the poop, and I'm still gonna wear it- please dont tell the nurses!). I found out I'm being charged double for my drinking water, which makes me second guess my other bills. The ants found their way into my facewash. Due to the heat I thought it was a good idea to sleep in the coolest room in the house, the living room. I went through the trouble of moving the bed, but didn't bother with the mosquito net. Big mistake. I was up all night, eaten alive! The bastards bit me on the bottom of my feet. Do you have any idea how hard it is to scratch the bottom of your feet?!?!
I finally fell asleep sometime after 430am and then proceeded to sleep through my alarm. I woke up at 830am, and usually I leave the house at 815am, so I had to take an auto to work today instead of the bus. Also, I fell asleep with chewing gum in my mouth and when I woke up it was in my hair. ok, that didnt' really happen, but it was a reference for the title of today's blog! Then I found out that my one saving grace for today, my planned sari shopping trip with Geetha, has to be postponed. ARGH!
All in all, it's really not THAT bad of a day. If that's the worst of it, I think I'm in pretty good shape. And right now it still beats a so-so day in the States!
Other bad things that happened this day are as follows; the crows pooped on Leah's sari blouse that I was planning to wear today to the nurse counselor training I'm attending. (I just scrubbed out the poop, and I'm still gonna wear it- please dont tell the nurses!). I found out I'm being charged double for my drinking water, which makes me second guess my other bills. The ants found their way into my facewash. Due to the heat I thought it was a good idea to sleep in the coolest room in the house, the living room. I went through the trouble of moving the bed, but didn't bother with the mosquito net. Big mistake. I was up all night, eaten alive! The bastards bit me on the bottom of my feet. Do you have any idea how hard it is to scratch the bottom of your feet?!?!
I finally fell asleep sometime after 430am and then proceeded to sleep through my alarm. I woke up at 830am, and usually I leave the house at 815am, so I had to take an auto to work today instead of the bus. Also, I fell asleep with chewing gum in my mouth and when I woke up it was in my hair. ok, that didnt' really happen, but it was a reference for the title of today's blog! Then I found out that my one saving grace for today, my planned sari shopping trip with Geetha, has to be postponed. ARGH!
All in all, it's really not THAT bad of a day. If that's the worst of it, I think I'm in pretty good shape. And right now it still beats a so-so day in the States!
Monday, March 8, 2010
What about Bob 2: The Magic Bottu
This weekend I went to Vijayawada to visit my dear friend Bob. All the work he has been doing with the kids through the NGO Sanghamitra Service Society culminated this weekend in a performance of The Magic Bottu. The story is inspired by the story of Purim, where the new Queen gives the villagers the power to stand up to the evil Prime Minister (booooooooooo!!!- yes, Bob got all the kids in the audience to participate in the boooing!).
I had an interesting time getting to Vijayawada. I left on the early morning train, choosing to try out the non-AC second class section. It was not nearly as bad as I was expecting, but it was HOT!! I spent most of the 6 hrs at the door of the car, watching the country go by and chatting up other passengers - always answering the same questions about my salary and why I'm traveling by myself. These new friends (a man and his wife on their way to a friend's wedding) came in handy though as I learned through them that the train tracks were being repaired and we would have to get off at the town before our destination and make our own way to Vijayawada. I wasn't sure whether I should believe them, although they would have no reason to lie, just that I hadn't heard about this from any of the ticket takers/conductors. But then again, this is India!
So we got off the train at Tenali (sounds like Denali!!) with plans to take a bus but then found our way onto another train that was headed to Vijayawada (on different tracks maybe?!?). We squeezed into the general seating car, which is also non-AC but has no reserved seats, so you just find a spot. I dont think many tourist ride in this section, so I got a lot of points and stares here. My friends chose to stand and I climbed up onto the non-padded metal top berth where I fell into a deep hot nap and dreamt that my friend Mimi had a daughter!!! Luckily my friends woke me up when we arrived at Vijay and I had a happy reunion with Bob and his boss, Vani!
Bob has been living the good life over at Vani's house! He has homecooked food round the clock, a personal driver, and fresh milk and curd daily from the water buffaloes out back. It seems that Bob is a bit uncomfortable with all the fuss and has been trying, unsuccessfully, to help out around the house. This was a nice change for me and a welcome one, as I was starting to come down with a bit of a cold. I spent most of Sunday morning relaxing and practicing my Tamil reading ( வாட்ட சாட்ட யானை... ) and then Vani helped me into a sari. Again I tried to wear Leah's green sari, and AGAIN I was made to change, this time because Leah's sari wasn't "starchy" enough!
So I was all decked out in a starchy cotton sari and Vani gave me a matching earing/necklace set, complete with bangles to wear. I think I looked too fancy for a play in the village, but it was fun. We drove to the school to meet most of the kids. They looooooooooove Bob! They love to hug him and touch him and, for some reason, stick out their thumbs and say "Challenge!" We dont know why they do that last one, but Bob says he always just does it back to them. However, they quickly lost interest in Bob as soon as they saw me. They would touch my hair, skin, face, sari and then make an "ok" hand signal and say "sooopar!" Apparently they approve of my outfit!
After the kids showed me some books and dances and I took their pictures (they always want their pics taken!), we piled into the SUV and drove to the village school where they play was to take place. It was very hot, and I really wasn't feeling well, but felt bad about not playing with the kids. I just sat on a chair in the shade while village kids surrounded me and continually asked me "what is your name?" and "how are you?", 2 phrases that everyone seems to know. While we entertained each other, Bob and the sound crew set up the stage and then rehearsal began. Amazingly, all the village kids sat quietly and still and watched the rehearsal. I too had to sit quietly, because if I attempted to walk around or take any pictures, it really drew a lot of attention and I'd have a swarm of kids within minutes!
I had an interesting time getting to Vijayawada. I left on the early morning train, choosing to try out the non-AC second class section. It was not nearly as bad as I was expecting, but it was HOT!! I spent most of the 6 hrs at the door of the car, watching the country go by and chatting up other passengers - always answering the same questions about my salary and why I'm traveling by myself. These new friends (a man and his wife on their way to a friend's wedding) came in handy though as I learned through them that the train tracks were being repaired and we would have to get off at the town before our destination and make our own way to Vijayawada. I wasn't sure whether I should believe them, although they would have no reason to lie, just that I hadn't heard about this from any of the ticket takers/conductors. But then again, this is India!
So we got off the train at Tenali (sounds like Denali!!) with plans to take a bus but then found our way onto another train that was headed to Vijayawada (on different tracks maybe?!?). We squeezed into the general seating car, which is also non-AC but has no reserved seats, so you just find a spot. I dont think many tourist ride in this section, so I got a lot of points and stares here. My friends chose to stand and I climbed up onto the non-padded metal top berth where I fell into a deep hot nap and dreamt that my friend Mimi had a daughter!!! Luckily my friends woke me up when we arrived at Vijay and I had a happy reunion with Bob and his boss, Vani!
Bob has been living the good life over at Vani's house! He has homecooked food round the clock, a personal driver, and fresh milk and curd daily from the water buffaloes out back. It seems that Bob is a bit uncomfortable with all the fuss and has been trying, unsuccessfully, to help out around the house. This was a nice change for me and a welcome one, as I was starting to come down with a bit of a cold. I spent most of Sunday morning relaxing and practicing my Tamil reading ( வாட்ட சாட்ட யானை... ) and then Vani helped me into a sari. Again I tried to wear Leah's green sari, and AGAIN I was made to change, this time because Leah's sari wasn't "starchy" enough!
So I was all decked out in a starchy cotton sari and Vani gave me a matching earing/necklace set, complete with bangles to wear. I think I looked too fancy for a play in the village, but it was fun. We drove to the school to meet most of the kids. They looooooooooove Bob! They love to hug him and touch him and, for some reason, stick out their thumbs and say "Challenge!" We dont know why they do that last one, but Bob says he always just does it back to them. However, they quickly lost interest in Bob as soon as they saw me. They would touch my hair, skin, face, sari and then make an "ok" hand signal and say "sooopar!" Apparently they approve of my outfit!
After the kids showed me some books and dances and I took their pictures (they always want their pics taken!), we piled into the SUV and drove to the village school where they play was to take place. It was very hot, and I really wasn't feeling well, but felt bad about not playing with the kids. I just sat on a chair in the shade while village kids surrounded me and continually asked me "what is your name?" and "how are you?", 2 phrases that everyone seems to know. While we entertained each other, Bob and the sound crew set up the stage and then rehearsal began. Amazingly, all the village kids sat quietly and still and watched the rehearsal. I too had to sit quietly, because if I attempted to walk around or take any pictures, it really drew a lot of attention and I'd have a swarm of kids within minutes!
The sound check/rehearsal turned into a talent show with kids from the school as well as kids from the village participating. At one point, Bob and I were asked to get on stage and sing a song for everyone. Like Sanford Cohen, I'm dangerous with a microphone and a captive audience! Bob sang a song about working in the union while I battled it out in my head whether to full on pay tribute to Bruce or to chicken out with nursery rhymes. In the end I took the stage and gave them a rendition of "Hail to the Victors" they'll never forget! Then Bob and I sang "America the Beautiful" as a duet.
More and more villagers came, including some of the "higher ups", and by the time the play was ready to begin, the audience consisted of around 200 people, 5 goats, and a few water buffalo. After introductions, the play was conducted, first in Telugu (the local language) then in English. I was so surprised at how well the kids acted! Their English was clear and they said all their lines with feelings!
The play concluded with the kids singing "we shall overcome" in both languages. It was very sweet. Here is a small video I took of the kids singing in Telugu:
(to be added soon, once I figure out how! pls check back! in the meantime, here's some pics)
After the play we got to go out to dinner at the fancy Quality Inn Hotel buffet (yes, same Quality Inn that they have at home, but it is WAY fancier here!) Then they took me to the train station. Again it was great to see Bob and catch up. We enjoyed making Western referenced jokes and I helped him plan what he was going to eat for his first day back in the US! In this way, I am jealous that he gets to go home. What I wouldn't give for a Leo's Greek Salad!!! But I was happy to get back to my house in Chennai. Funny thing, when I was telling Bob about something in Chennai I started by saying, "at home..." and then I stopped myself realizing that I just referred to Chennai as my home. Bob also interrupted one of his own stories to comment on how I was nodding my head; India style. Yes, it appears I have adopted the head wobble. Yikes, what have I done here?!
Friday, March 5, 2010
Sari, Carly!!
Last night I was at Jacob and Leah's house and asked Leah if I could borrow one of her saris to wear this weekend for Bob's play (remember Bob, the volunteer from Madison who is putting on a play in a village near Vijayawada?). I thought that since I'm going to the village, it would be a nice touch and nice surprise for Bob. I didn't have time to shop for one of my own, and Leah and I are roughly the same size (where it counts for saris at least), so I asked to borrow one of hers. Some of you, but probably not most, are aware that I love dressing up in other people's clothes. And what could be more fun than other people's INDIAN clothes!!! Here is a pic of me wearing Leah's sari last night;
I brought it to work with me this morning, and Geetha (office tea woman) took me into one of the storage rooms to help me to put it on (it's quite a process). Everyone at work loved that I was wearing a sari, but they were upset because it wasn't bright enough! So Geetha called her husband, and within 10 min he arrived at the office with 2 more saris. I was hurried back into the room where another woman, Judy, changed me into this sari:
Everyone was happier about this one (although I prefer the first one). The funny part of this picture is that i'm also wearing my shoes, which is definitely not normal to wear with sari. While in the office, I dont wear any shoes, so it looks ok. But today our boss, Ramki, took me, Jacob, Dr Sathish and 2 visitors out to lunch, so I had to wear shoes. I found that being a white woman wearing a sari in public gets me more stares than when I go running! But also, a lot more smiles. Also, I had flowers in my hair which Leah picked up for me on her run this morning, so my outfit was extra special! Everyone, including me, is all smiles today!
PS- here is a bonus pic that I took in the shared auto this morning. Shared auto is a slightly larger auto rickshaw that only goes on one route, costs around Rs. 10 no matter how far you go. You can't tell, but it's crammed with me, Jacob, 2 other women in our row and then 4 more women in front of us (plus 2 men next to the driver). Example of one style of flowers in the hair;
Monday, March 1, 2010
Whiskey and Mischpoce*
* Mischpoce is Yiddish for Family
Those are the 2 best words to sum up my past weekend!
I took Saturday off this weekend, so I could celebrate Purim. Started Fri night at Jacob's with whiskey and Limca. Limca is a pop that is only in India, it's lime and lemoni, so it says. I figured since I couldn't have Vernors, I'd stick with the local drink. We ate an addictive crispy rice peanut snack, listened to a lot of music, watched the Simpsons, including one where Homer gets outsourced to India (kiss, kiss Bangalore), and had some deep late night whiskey soaked conversations about life and love. We drank quite a lot, and I'm not sure if asked I could have told the difference between Haman (booooo) and Mordechai!
Woke up the next morning, feeling so-so, as you can imagine. Ate the closest thing I've had to Brunch since I've gotten to India and watched Groundhog Day (Bill Murray)! After lazing around we went to the markets to do some shopping. I bought a children's book to help me learn to read (more about this another time) and then to the park to take some pics.
Then I had to go home so I could clean up my act and get ready for the second half of my weekend...a trip to Salem to visit my co-worker Mani's family!! Overnight train left at 11pm and I almost didn't make it, I was soooooooo tired. The train was pretty empty and I didnt hear any snoring, probably because I was dead sleeping. Here is a pic of the inside of the train:
I was so nice to meet Mani's family! It was his in-laws house actually, where his wife (Priya) and daughter (Daru) live. We arrived for breakfast and, being the guest, I was made to eat first. Despite my confidence in my eating skills, eating alone while strangers watch you is nerve wrecking! So I convinced Mani to eat with me. When visiting someones house, you must finish everything on your plate. In this case, I had 3 idlis, 2 dosais and a chapati, along with curry and chutney. It was tough, really tough, but I ate it all! And it was the best coconut chutney I've had to date!
We (me, Mani, Priya, Daru and mom-in-law) drove to Yercaud, a nearby hill station. It is 1600m above sea level and we had to drive up a crazy twisty road, with 20 marked hairpin turns! There were lots of monkeys around. Priya asked if we see a lot of monkeys in the States. I said only in the zoo. She was shocked that they rounded up all the monkeys and put them in the zoos until I explained that we don't have any wild monkeys. Even at your hill stations? Yes, only squirrels and mountain lions!
The hill station was beautiful and cool (temp). We did a lot of site seeing and also visited a cave temple where we left offerings and were blessed. Mani and Daru went to check out the deer park, while me, Priya and mom-in-law went boating on this little lake there. You could chose a row boat, complete with rower, or a do it yourself paddle boat. I went out on a limb and chose paddle boat, but regretted this decision as soon as we sat down. Priya and I were paddling and mom sat in the back. Priya was steering, but it was a little like being in a bumper car with my sister when she was a kid; we just kept going around around around in circles. It seemed like no one else in any other boat could steer either, so we were constantly running into other boats. We were laughing the whole time!
After a windy windy drive back to the house, I became engaged in a serious game of spill the rice snack (same snack mentioned above, it's a popular snack) on the couch/floor and then put it back in the dish for a good hour. With Daru, of course, that game is not fun by yourself! I was pretty tired, and content to continue playing but Mani suggested I go visit a local temple instead. He didn't want me to go alone, so he sent his mother-in-law along as well. I wasn't sure if the temple was really necessary or if Mani just wanted time alone with his fam. Either way, me and mom went to see the temple. It was a pretty small temple and we walked around, barefoot, with me reading all the names of the gods aloud to practice my Tamil. Mom seemed impressed, so that was fun. see more pics here
When we got back to the house, I learned that our return train tickets got denied (chart prepared when we were at waitlist 2 and 3!), so Mani booked us on an overnight bus. We had a quick dinner (more idly and delicious tomato sauce) and then had to say goodbye. I was near tears to leave, I don't really know what came over me! I can only imagine how hard it is for Mani to only see his family on Sundays, and have to leave to go back to work.
I didn't get my hopes up for the bus, but was pleasantly surprised by a fairly comfy leaned back "semi-cama" type seat. There were no bathrooms and no tea, but there was a loud Tamil movie blaring over the speakers!! It was definitely sufficient, and I slept the whole way home. Arrived Koyambedu bus station around 515am and argued an autoride back to my place (got it for Rs.120, down from 200- still overpriced!) with still enough time to run, cook, eat, skype my parents and get to work!
I had a really good week and weekend. In fact, I've noticed something has changed over the past week. It's hard to explain, but I'm afraid that I may not want to leave this place. Leah warned me of this, but I didn't believe her. My friend Sathish says it sounds like I'm falling in love with India. I'm not sure I'm ready for this!
Over the next 2 days I'm heading to Villapuram to do some site visits at private and government hospitals. I'm gonna find me a job! (just kidding, dad, kind of)
Those are the 2 best words to sum up my past weekend!
I took Saturday off this weekend, so I could celebrate Purim. Started Fri night at Jacob's with whiskey and Limca. Limca is a pop that is only in India, it's lime and lemoni, so it says. I figured since I couldn't have Vernors, I'd stick with the local drink. We ate an addictive crispy rice peanut snack, listened to a lot of music, watched the Simpsons, including one where Homer gets outsourced to India (kiss, kiss Bangalore), and had some deep late night whiskey soaked conversations about life and love. We drank quite a lot, and I'm not sure if asked I could have told the difference between Haman (booooo) and Mordechai!
Woke up the next morning, feeling so-so, as you can imagine. Ate the closest thing I've had to Brunch since I've gotten to India and watched Groundhog Day (Bill Murray)! After lazing around we went to the markets to do some shopping. I bought a children's book to help me learn to read (more about this another time) and then to the park to take some pics.
Then I had to go home so I could clean up my act and get ready for the second half of my weekend...a trip to Salem to visit my co-worker Mani's family!! Overnight train left at 11pm and I almost didn't make it, I was soooooooo tired. The train was pretty empty and I didnt hear any snoring, probably because I was dead sleeping. Here is a pic of the inside of the train:
I was so nice to meet Mani's family! It was his in-laws house actually, where his wife (Priya) and daughter (Daru) live. We arrived for breakfast and, being the guest, I was made to eat first. Despite my confidence in my eating skills, eating alone while strangers watch you is nerve wrecking! So I convinced Mani to eat with me. When visiting someones house, you must finish everything on your plate. In this case, I had 3 idlis, 2 dosais and a chapati, along with curry and chutney. It was tough, really tough, but I ate it all! And it was the best coconut chutney I've had to date!
We (me, Mani, Priya, Daru and mom-in-law) drove to Yercaud, a nearby hill station. It is 1600m above sea level and we had to drive up a crazy twisty road, with 20 marked hairpin turns! There were lots of monkeys around. Priya asked if we see a lot of monkeys in the States. I said only in the zoo. She was shocked that they rounded up all the monkeys and put them in the zoos until I explained that we don't have any wild monkeys. Even at your hill stations? Yes, only squirrels and mountain lions!
Daru
The hill station was beautiful and cool (temp). We did a lot of site seeing and also visited a cave temple where we left offerings and were blessed. Mani and Daru went to check out the deer park, while me, Priya and mom-in-law went boating on this little lake there. You could chose a row boat, complete with rower, or a do it yourself paddle boat. I went out on a limb and chose paddle boat, but regretted this decision as soon as we sat down. Priya and I were paddling and mom sat in the back. Priya was steering, but it was a little like being in a bumper car with my sister when she was a kid; we just kept going around around around in circles. It seemed like no one else in any other boat could steer either, so we were constantly running into other boats. We were laughing the whole time!
me and mom
After a windy windy drive back to the house, I became engaged in a serious game of spill the rice snack (same snack mentioned above, it's a popular snack) on the couch/floor and then put it back in the dish for a good hour. With Daru, of course, that game is not fun by yourself! I was pretty tired, and content to continue playing but Mani suggested I go visit a local temple instead. He didn't want me to go alone, so he sent his mother-in-law along as well. I wasn't sure if the temple was really necessary or if Mani just wanted time alone with his fam. Either way, me and mom went to see the temple. It was a pretty small temple and we walked around, barefoot, with me reading all the names of the gods aloud to practice my Tamil. Mom seemed impressed, so that was fun. see more pics here
When we got back to the house, I learned that our return train tickets got denied (chart prepared when we were at waitlist 2 and 3!), so Mani booked us on an overnight bus. We had a quick dinner (more idly and delicious tomato sauce) and then had to say goodbye. I was near tears to leave, I don't really know what came over me! I can only imagine how hard it is for Mani to only see his family on Sundays, and have to leave to go back to work.
I didn't get my hopes up for the bus, but was pleasantly surprised by a fairly comfy leaned back "semi-cama" type seat. There were no bathrooms and no tea, but there was a loud Tamil movie blaring over the speakers!! It was definitely sufficient, and I slept the whole way home. Arrived Koyambedu bus station around 515am and argued an autoride back to my place (got it for Rs.120, down from 200- still overpriced!) with still enough time to run, cook, eat, skype my parents and get to work!
I had a really good week and weekend. In fact, I've noticed something has changed over the past week. It's hard to explain, but I'm afraid that I may not want to leave this place. Leah warned me of this, but I didn't believe her. My friend Sathish says it sounds like I'm falling in love with India. I'm not sure I'm ready for this!
Over the next 2 days I'm heading to Villapuram to do some site visits at private and government hospitals. I'm gonna find me a job! (just kidding, dad, kind of)
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