It's back! I keep thinking “Die Hard: Vengeance” to describe my recent bout with the stomach flu. Actually the stomach flu that I had contracted in the wedding, turned into a full blown stomach infection. Every other day I either throw up or for the lack of a better description, have the runs. Not fun at all! I was passed out cold for about a day waiting for my fever to subside. This is when I decided I needed to see Dr. Sahib again.
So, off I went. Like my first experience with Dr. Sahib, I told him I had the flu and he nodded his head and said “Yes, you have the stomach flu”. He then proceeded to try and over medicate me with a variety of different drugs I had never heard off. I being cautious, decided to stick to one and see how it went.
It went bad. For the second time, when I tried to enjoy my day off with Vasu, I became Ms. Puke-sa lot! I am glad Vasu convinced me to stay over at her in-laws place. They were doctors and well they threatened to inject me with medication if I didn't take better care of myself.
It has been three days now and I am happy to report after taking the anti-biotics for my stomach infection (dropping 7 kilos in a week...yikes) I am back to normal for now.
During my briefing, I was warned of being homesick. But, having travelled so many times abroad and living by myself on the road, I didn't realize I would have any homesickness. It hit me during my stomach sickness. I was transformed back into a child.. Mommy!
Luckily, with the improvement in my health, my attitude as well has lifted. I am now looking forward to my trip to Thailand, a welcome break from India, even if it is for a couple days.
I am going to participate in a workshop on sexual and reproductive health and I will be interacting with youth from all over Asia. I am also taking this as an opportunity to collect case studies on women and landmines. I want to see how their lives have been affected and what the government has done to help them. Upon my return to India, I hope to do the same in India. I want to find the girl who became the cover of the landmines report and talk to her. Hopefully this research, through my words can give a gendered perspective to the issue.
I am revitalized just thinking about it. Crossing fingers and will keep everyone posted.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Road Trip to Agra!
Welcome to the Taj
A sudden burst of inspiration on Saturday night, caused me to ask everyone if they would be interested in taking a five hour ride to Agra to see the world famous Taj Mahal. Well, I am glad everyone said yes even if it meant waking up at a god awful hour of 3 am.
We all piled into our taxi and made our way to Agra, picking up our new friend Namit on the way there. Between Abhay snapping awful photos of us sleeping, the crazy monkey that humped the window and the overturned truck on the road, we were off to a great start.
I refused to pay the 750 rupees foreigner fee. Why should I? I live in Delhi as well temporarily at least. Instead, we got Vasu to buy us all tickets for the Indian rate of 150 rupees. Tiny victory, that was until the guard asked me who the chief minister of Delhi was. Vasu always to the rescue, Sheila Dixit! We all made our way in with our helpful guide.
The Taj Mahal is something else. Sadly, the pollution has caused this beautiful structure to become yellow. The Taj Mahal is probably the result of one of the most famous love stories of all time.
Emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal in memory of his late wife Mumtaz Mahal. His real name is actually Shahboudin but ask Roshan, his answer would be Mister Shah Jahan ofcourse. This majestic structure is made of marble and has some of the most precious stones embedded into it. Architects from all over Persia and the world were called upon to help build this structure.
Overall, in spite of all the goofy pictures that we were taking, I was still quite disappointed. I know! Here I am staring at this magnificent tomb and all I could think was how the yellow tint and pollution was eroding the original beauty of it. Its magnificent! Spectacular! But, still the pollution has taken away the beauty of it. I did not ooh or aah at the Taj. I was deep in thought as I looked around trying to imagine what the Taj looked like to the British when they first laid their eyes on the Taj.
A definite highlight was that I was able to see the descendants of the artisans who laid the stones into the marble continue their tradition. Their work is shrouded in mystery and they refused the share their secret with two pretty girls trying to woo them into it. Mind you, we probably would have forgotten it quite quickly. Just as well.
With all due sadness, I said good bye to my old and new friends that night. Back to reality and back to work.
"A Suitable Boy" for "A Suitable Girl"
At this very moment, I am surrounded by my loved ones- friends who are my family. The reason- it's Amit's wedding. Abhay, one of closest guy friends from Vancouver is here as well and together we are all about the “MASTI”- fun!!!!
Amit is a through and through New Yorker. So you could imagine my surprise a couple months ago, in Vancouver, at another friend's wedding when he told me “Harini, let me show you a photo”
Now, before the words “shaadi.com” enter your mind, I was pleasantly surprised to find that in fact Amit, was showing me a picture of this new girl on Facebook. This was in July, now Amit is getting married in November. Talk about a whirlwind romance, all via facebook!
Minni is her name. I hadn't seen Amit so elated until this point. He told he had been introduced to her through his parents friends and if all went well, a wedding would occur in November in Delhi, around the same time I would be there.
Needless to say, you haven't seen a wedding, unless you've seen a wedding in India. I have never seen so much pomp and splendour in a matter of days.
My journey to the house where the entire grooms side of the family would be shacked up was an interesting story of its own. After waiting for a good hour trying to find an auto to take me to CC Colony, I hit gold. Apparently, no one wanted to go to Old Delhi at that point.
Ten minutes into the ride, the driver pulls over to the side.
“Madam, Tire Puncture”
You could only imagine my shock, when he asked me to remove all my bags to the side of the road, take a rock, use it as a lever to hoist the auto up and begin to change the wheel.
Bhai, kithna minute lagega? (Brother, how many minutes will it take?)
Madam ji, baas dus minute. (only 10 minutes)
I loaded my stuff back in again and we were off. The family began pouring in late November 4th.
Vasu also made it back alive from Guwhati. Vasu don't kill me as I explain to everyone how we are “cougars on the prowl”. Actually, I never imagined that I would meet a person who thinks exactly like me. We both have our mischievous looks going on, both interested in causing our sense of fun and trouble. I have found my partner in crime here in Delhi.
Amit also got a bigger surprise this week. His best friend (who I am quite fond of as well) Roshan, ended up flying in as a surprise. If Amit is a New Yorker, Roshan is a true Yankee. Over the week, I couldn't help but laugh with him on all the random things he would say, bringing tears to all our eyes.
The first night began with the women sitting in the dorm room, singing traditional songs or sangeet. Well, at this point, I was drained from my journey to Lucknow and I pretty much waited to find a place to sleep.
The bigger shock came when I found out I would be staying in the dorm with Abhay, alone. Now, before you get any ideas, Abhay is my brother and I had no problems doing this in Vancouver. Hey, we do it all the time back home. But in India, it is a different story.
The questions had already started.
Is Harini Abhay's girlfriend? That was quickly squashed by Amit's family. I was Abhay's childhood friend and his surrogate sister. Take that aunties!
The second night of celebration was the engagement. Amit wasn't too excited. He had been through the ceremony three times.
“Why can't I just get married already”...those were his exact words.
Well, with all the youngster's now sharing the dorm ( 5 boys and me), we planned our day of fun. I was pulled off with the women to get dressed up for the engagement, which meant parlour time. I usually get myself “made up” by myself. It was a different experience all together have a bunch of women get me ready, from the hair to the sari. I loved it
What I didn't love was half way through the fun of the engagement, where I was playing paparazzi, my tummy started to grumble.
Next thing I knew, I was running to the washroom trying not to throw up in front of friends and family. I achieved some success. I ran into Vasu, who ended up help me clean up. The poor girl has today been the only one to witness me throw up on multiple occasions. Our on going joke is that I am the south park character, that allows throws up at the site of a pretty girl.
A day of rest helped me somewhat recover from the episode. I was hoping it would be a 24 hour virus attack and refused to take any sort of medication.
I awoke to find a bottle of Evian water next to me. Evian in India is just as expensive as Evian aboard. It was courtesy of Abhay. Worry and concern knitted his face .
“Evian Abhay?”
Drink up Harini. Actually a funny story for you. The boy at the store asked me “Is bottle mein kya hai?” (What is in this bottle- expensive and all). My exact response was “Pani” (water)
It was the night of the mehendi and I wasn't about to miss out on the fun. All I really wanted to do was dance. The Mehendi night is part of every wedding. Women decorate their hands with Henna and dance in celebration of the upcoming nuptials. The men do what they do best- eat!
Getting my Mehendi put on
Well, I put my face on and got ready for the night. It turned out to be another night of fun. Between sips of limca and resting on a nearby cot, I was able to enjoy the festivities.
The last night..the nuptials! We all got up at early and I could see the excitement on Amit's face. He was finally getting married. The morning began with the pooja's to bless the groom and the daughter- in-laws dancing down the street to the nearest mandir (temple) to pick up holy water in which Amit would bathe.
Amit covered in Turmeric Powder
That is after the fun of the Haldi ceremony. All the women and men (I think) join to cleanse the groom with turmeric and well the boys took this as an opportunity to cover Amit with Haldi from head to toe.
We were off to a parlor again. This time Vasu and I ended up going to an upscale parlor where my hair primped into a “funky” updo by the hair stylist. Spending close to 1200 rupees may not be extravagant by Canadian standards but for a girl like me living on a stipend, its a little something. But it was fun.
Vasu and I with our "funky" updos
The wedding was to begin at 6:30 PM with the baraat (procession) on horse, bus and dancing making its way to the Mitas Farms. Amit looked every bit the groomsman, with his turban and err knife.
After an hour of dancing downstairs and Amit on horse, we made our way to the bus. I would like to point out that this bus ride, was the bus ride from hell. We zoomed off and bumped our heads in the bus. On the way back, mysteriously the glass at the back of the bus shattered throwing pieces at me but I digress. The dancing continued on the bus as well with the groom, his father and brother dancing in the aisles.
Upon arrival at the farm, we were greeted by fireworks. Amit and little Keshav (the cutest child ever) made their way to the chariot led by 4 horses ( I mentioned it was elaborate).The band played famous Hindi songs and we danced our way to the entrance where the bride's family waited for us in anticipation. That took a complete hour and a half, with me playing photographer. At this point it was 11pm in the night.
We were greeted by the family at the entrance with bhangra dancers in the background. I felt I had never in fact left Canada at all. I had stepped from one little India (surrey) to a bigger one! We made our way in and were left to our devises to enjoy on the many snacks from bhel puri, paav bhaji to chinese and trays and trays of desserts.
Ever seen a cowboy from India? Trust me you don't want to! They were serving everyone at the juice stands.
The time came for the entrance of the bride. Minni looked ever the Indian bride. Decked from head to toe and wide eyed with anticipation, Minni looked like Jodhaa from Jodhaa Akbhar (famous Indian movie). She came in on her own peacock feathered throne.
I couldn't but help thinking somewhere a confused peacock, without its feathers must be thinking itself as a plucked chicken, screaming pckaaaak.
Minnie proceeded to make her way to the stage where Amit and her would exchange garlands symbolizing the beginning of their union. I was shocked when I noticed that the stage actually began to revolve and rose petals exploded as the stage moved. I swear I felt like I was in a Bollywood movie! I love it!
Most of the guests began to leave at this point (1 am). Apparently close family and friends only stay for the real nuptials, something very different from how we do it back home. Instead, we were all invited to once again join the families in the feast.
I couldn't eat anything. I could already feel stomach churn with the smells of all the oils in the air. Instead, poor Roshan sat next to me eating everything in front of him.
Roshan didn't exactly have the best experience with his food as well. Sitting next me, having me tell every waiter..no. He wasn't being served either.
Waiter to Roshan: Sir, Dum Aloo
Roshan: Yo, I don't want any “dumb” aloo. If you have some smart Aloo, will have that.
Maybe it was 3 am, maybe it was the air, but everyone cracked up upon hearing this.
Unfortunately, the hysterics didn't end there. Roshan really wanted a cup of tea. Something that is abundant in India more than water. Unfortunately, the waiter on every request kept bringing him coffee which Roshan doesn't drink.
Waiter: Sir, we don't have tea, but you should have light coffee. Very good.
Needless to say, at 4 am when the nuptials did begin, tea was served everywhere. This was also the moment where I was glad to be covered in blankets to keep from the morning cold.
The cold didn't stop the bride's side from trying to steal the grooms shoes. This is the excitement of the wedding. The women try to steal the shoe and hold it ransom, a popular game in Indian weddings. The groom's side, us, have to prevent it from being stolen.
Well, we decided to play a trick and place the shoes in plain sight, in front of them. The poor girls ran around trying to find it and finally clued in and took the shoes. We had convinced them they were actually Abhay's shoes. Once they got it, we decided to steal it back near the end of the ceremony. Again, the girls lost the shoes, which were now carefully hidden in the many layers of my sari.
As a sign of good faith we gave the shoes to the girls after the ceremony from which they were able to get some money from Amit.
The happy newly weds- Amit and Minni, slightly sleepy but happy
Finally, the ceremony ended with the bus ride home or as I like to call it the bus ride from hell. The rocky ride kept us all awake long enough to enjoy the traditional morning games before we could all pass out to some much needed rest.
Amit is a through and through New Yorker. So you could imagine my surprise a couple months ago, in Vancouver, at another friend's wedding when he told me “Harini, let me show you a photo”
Now, before the words “shaadi.com” enter your mind, I was pleasantly surprised to find that in fact Amit, was showing me a picture of this new girl on Facebook. This was in July, now Amit is getting married in November. Talk about a whirlwind romance, all via facebook!
Minni is her name. I hadn't seen Amit so elated until this point. He told he had been introduced to her through his parents friends and if all went well, a wedding would occur in November in Delhi, around the same time I would be there.
Needless to say, you haven't seen a wedding, unless you've seen a wedding in India. I have never seen so much pomp and splendour in a matter of days.
My journey to the house where the entire grooms side of the family would be shacked up was an interesting story of its own. After waiting for a good hour trying to find an auto to take me to CC Colony, I hit gold. Apparently, no one wanted to go to Old Delhi at that point.
Ten minutes into the ride, the driver pulls over to the side.
“Madam, Tire Puncture”
You could only imagine my shock, when he asked me to remove all my bags to the side of the road, take a rock, use it as a lever to hoist the auto up and begin to change the wheel.
Bhai, kithna minute lagega? (Brother, how many minutes will it take?)
Madam ji, baas dus minute. (only 10 minutes)
I loaded my stuff back in again and we were off. The family began pouring in late November 4th.
Vasu also made it back alive from Guwhati. Vasu don't kill me as I explain to everyone how we are “cougars on the prowl”. Actually, I never imagined that I would meet a person who thinks exactly like me. We both have our mischievous looks going on, both interested in causing our sense of fun and trouble. I have found my partner in crime here in Delhi.
Amit also got a bigger surprise this week. His best friend (who I am quite fond of as well) Roshan, ended up flying in as a surprise. If Amit is a New Yorker, Roshan is a true Yankee. Over the week, I couldn't help but laugh with him on all the random things he would say, bringing tears to all our eyes.
The first night began with the women sitting in the dorm room, singing traditional songs or sangeet. Well, at this point, I was drained from my journey to Lucknow and I pretty much waited to find a place to sleep.
The bigger shock came when I found out I would be staying in the dorm with Abhay, alone. Now, before you get any ideas, Abhay is my brother and I had no problems doing this in Vancouver. Hey, we do it all the time back home. But in India, it is a different story.
The questions had already started.
Is Harini Abhay's girlfriend? That was quickly squashed by Amit's family. I was Abhay's childhood friend and his surrogate sister. Take that aunties!
The second night of celebration was the engagement. Amit wasn't too excited. He had been through the ceremony three times.
“Why can't I just get married already”...those were his exact words.
Well, with all the youngster's now sharing the dorm ( 5 boys and me), we planned our day of fun. I was pulled off with the women to get dressed up for the engagement, which meant parlour time. I usually get myself “made up” by myself. It was a different experience all together have a bunch of women get me ready, from the hair to the sari. I loved it
What I didn't love was half way through the fun of the engagement, where I was playing paparazzi, my tummy started to grumble.
Next thing I knew, I was running to the washroom trying not to throw up in front of friends and family. I achieved some success. I ran into Vasu, who ended up help me clean up. The poor girl has today been the only one to witness me throw up on multiple occasions. Our on going joke is that I am the south park character, that allows throws up at the site of a pretty girl.
A day of rest helped me somewhat recover from the episode. I was hoping it would be a 24 hour virus attack and refused to take any sort of medication.
I awoke to find a bottle of Evian water next to me. Evian in India is just as expensive as Evian aboard. It was courtesy of Abhay. Worry and concern knitted his face .
“Evian Abhay?”
Drink up Harini. Actually a funny story for you. The boy at the store asked me “Is bottle mein kya hai?” (What is in this bottle- expensive and all). My exact response was “Pani” (water)
It was the night of the mehendi and I wasn't about to miss out on the fun. All I really wanted to do was dance. The Mehendi night is part of every wedding. Women decorate their hands with Henna and dance in celebration of the upcoming nuptials. The men do what they do best- eat!
Getting my Mehendi put on
Well, I put my face on and got ready for the night. It turned out to be another night of fun. Between sips of limca and resting on a nearby cot, I was able to enjoy the festivities.
The last night..the nuptials! We all got up at early and I could see the excitement on Amit's face. He was finally getting married. The morning began with the pooja's to bless the groom and the daughter- in-laws dancing down the street to the nearest mandir (temple) to pick up holy water in which Amit would bathe.
Amit covered in Turmeric Powder
That is after the fun of the Haldi ceremony. All the women and men (I think) join to cleanse the groom with turmeric and well the boys took this as an opportunity to cover Amit with Haldi from head to toe.
We were off to a parlor again. This time Vasu and I ended up going to an upscale parlor where my hair primped into a “funky” updo by the hair stylist. Spending close to 1200 rupees may not be extravagant by Canadian standards but for a girl like me living on a stipend, its a little something. But it was fun.
Vasu and I with our "funky" updos
The wedding was to begin at 6:30 PM with the baraat (procession) on horse, bus and dancing making its way to the Mitas Farms. Amit looked every bit the groomsman, with his turban and err knife.
After an hour of dancing downstairs and Amit on horse, we made our way to the bus. I would like to point out that this bus ride, was the bus ride from hell. We zoomed off and bumped our heads in the bus. On the way back, mysteriously the glass at the back of the bus shattered throwing pieces at me but I digress. The dancing continued on the bus as well with the groom, his father and brother dancing in the aisles.
Upon arrival at the farm, we were greeted by fireworks. Amit and little Keshav (the cutest child ever) made their way to the chariot led by 4 horses ( I mentioned it was elaborate).The band played famous Hindi songs and we danced our way to the entrance where the bride's family waited for us in anticipation. That took a complete hour and a half, with me playing photographer. At this point it was 11pm in the night.
We were greeted by the family at the entrance with bhangra dancers in the background. I felt I had never in fact left Canada at all. I had stepped from one little India (surrey) to a bigger one! We made our way in and were left to our devises to enjoy on the many snacks from bhel puri, paav bhaji to chinese and trays and trays of desserts.
Ever seen a cowboy from India? Trust me you don't want to! They were serving everyone at the juice stands.
The time came for the entrance of the bride. Minni looked ever the Indian bride. Decked from head to toe and wide eyed with anticipation, Minni looked like Jodhaa from Jodhaa Akbhar (famous Indian movie). She came in on her own peacock feathered throne.
I couldn't but help thinking somewhere a confused peacock, without its feathers must be thinking itself as a plucked chicken, screaming pckaaaak.
Minnie proceeded to make her way to the stage where Amit and her would exchange garlands symbolizing the beginning of their union. I was shocked when I noticed that the stage actually began to revolve and rose petals exploded as the stage moved. I swear I felt like I was in a Bollywood movie! I love it!
Most of the guests began to leave at this point (1 am). Apparently close family and friends only stay for the real nuptials, something very different from how we do it back home. Instead, we were all invited to once again join the families in the feast.
I couldn't eat anything. I could already feel stomach churn with the smells of all the oils in the air. Instead, poor Roshan sat next to me eating everything in front of him.
Roshan didn't exactly have the best experience with his food as well. Sitting next me, having me tell every waiter..no. He wasn't being served either.
Waiter to Roshan: Sir, Dum Aloo
Roshan: Yo, I don't want any “dumb” aloo. If you have some smart Aloo, will have that.
Maybe it was 3 am, maybe it was the air, but everyone cracked up upon hearing this.
Unfortunately, the hysterics didn't end there. Roshan really wanted a cup of tea. Something that is abundant in India more than water. Unfortunately, the waiter on every request kept bringing him coffee which Roshan doesn't drink.
Waiter: Sir, we don't have tea, but you should have light coffee. Very good.
Needless to say, at 4 am when the nuptials did begin, tea was served everywhere. This was also the moment where I was glad to be covered in blankets to keep from the morning cold.
The cold didn't stop the bride's side from trying to steal the grooms shoes. This is the excitement of the wedding. The women try to steal the shoe and hold it ransom, a popular game in Indian weddings. The groom's side, us, have to prevent it from being stolen.
Well, we decided to play a trick and place the shoes in plain sight, in front of them. The poor girls ran around trying to find it and finally clued in and took the shoes. We had convinced them they were actually Abhay's shoes. Once they got it, we decided to steal it back near the end of the ceremony. Again, the girls lost the shoes, which were now carefully hidden in the many layers of my sari.
As a sign of good faith we gave the shoes to the girls after the ceremony from which they were able to get some money from Amit.
The happy newly weds- Amit and Minni, slightly sleepy but happy
Finally, the ceremony ended with the bus ride home or as I like to call it the bus ride from hell. The rocky ride kept us all awake long enough to enjoy the traditional morning games before we could all pass out to some much needed rest.
Chalti Ka Naam Hai Ghadi
Words can't quite describe my return to the fanfare of journeying by on the infamous “ghadis” or Indian trains. The last, having been 15 years ago involved fond memories of a family visit, the wedding of an uncle...the smell of the chai vallas, screaming off the sides of the railway platforms.
“Garam Garam pakoodas” a child hollered on the side.
These were the memories I hoped to revive when I found out that I too would be doing a quick day trip to Lucknow, to conduct an orientation on HIV and AIDS mainstreaming for OXFAM GB. This was to be a fun trip, I got to travel with Annu, my surrogate mom, caring from me away from home.
As all adventures, this too had its element of misadventure. We were supposed to depart on the “Lucknow Shatabdi” at 2:00 in the afternoon. I was time and time reassured that the Shatabadi was a five hour express train and was NEVER late.
As luck would have it, the train that is NEVER late, ended up arriving in New Delhi at 11:30 PM. So, with our orientation material and our many pieces of luggage, we boarded.
Being coffee addicts, both Annu and I craved for the smell of Nescafe. Gone are the days of a freshly brewed cup of starbucks. Oh what I would give for a non-fat tall latte or better yet cafe intelligentsia...anything!
But Nescafe is the heart of Indian coffee in the north and I can live with the syrupy flavor.
“Hmm, kya swaaad hai”- Nescafe! ( Taste the flavor)
We got ourselves comfortable for our 5 hour ride to Lucknow, giving us just enough time to freshen up before our the beginning of our orientation session.
Boy were we ever wrong. We could have had a hundred cups of coffee and the train still wouldn't have left the platform. At this point, (around 2 am) I was tired, cold (the Delhi cold is finally setting in) and in need of a couple hours of sleep.
Finally! We were moving! The express train would put is in Lucknow at 8 am. Wrong! The express train since it was delayed by 12 hours at this point became a regular train stopping at every village platform picking up sleep deprived passengers along the way. Somewhere between the 30km/ hour “chuk chuk”, I was able to pass in and out of sleep leaning against a window for comfort.
Did I mention, somewhere between 4 and 5 am, the train mysteriously halted.
“Bai sahib, problem kya hai?” (What seems to be the problem)
“Madam ji, ingeeene failure”
We didn't reach Lucknow until 2 PM in the afternoon. Tired and slightly frazzled we were able to conduct the workshop with ease. I played photographer. I had planned some great ice breakers to get the group shaking. Alas, these will be used at a future date.
Random note: the return journey on the Lucknow Mail (duplicate as they call it), left Lucknow on time. Arrival, is another story. Let's just say I was supposed to arrive in the early morning. Didn't make it in until 2 in the afternoon.
The joke became- why take a duplicate when you can take the aasli (original) train.
“Garam Garam pakoodas” a child hollered on the side.
These were the memories I hoped to revive when I found out that I too would be doing a quick day trip to Lucknow, to conduct an orientation on HIV and AIDS mainstreaming for OXFAM GB. This was to be a fun trip, I got to travel with Annu, my surrogate mom, caring from me away from home.
As all adventures, this too had its element of misadventure. We were supposed to depart on the “Lucknow Shatabdi” at 2:00 in the afternoon. I was time and time reassured that the Shatabadi was a five hour express train and was NEVER late.
As luck would have it, the train that is NEVER late, ended up arriving in New Delhi at 11:30 PM. So, with our orientation material and our many pieces of luggage, we boarded.
Being coffee addicts, both Annu and I craved for the smell of Nescafe. Gone are the days of a freshly brewed cup of starbucks. Oh what I would give for a non-fat tall latte or better yet cafe intelligentsia...anything!
But Nescafe is the heart of Indian coffee in the north and I can live with the syrupy flavor.
“Hmm, kya swaaad hai”- Nescafe! ( Taste the flavor)
We got ourselves comfortable for our 5 hour ride to Lucknow, giving us just enough time to freshen up before our the beginning of our orientation session.
Boy were we ever wrong. We could have had a hundred cups of coffee and the train still wouldn't have left the platform. At this point, (around 2 am) I was tired, cold (the Delhi cold is finally setting in) and in need of a couple hours of sleep.
Finally! We were moving! The express train would put is in Lucknow at 8 am. Wrong! The express train since it was delayed by 12 hours at this point became a regular train stopping at every village platform picking up sleep deprived passengers along the way. Somewhere between the 30km/ hour “chuk chuk”, I was able to pass in and out of sleep leaning against a window for comfort.
Did I mention, somewhere between 4 and 5 am, the train mysteriously halted.
“Bai sahib, problem kya hai?” (What seems to be the problem)
“Madam ji, ingeeene failure”
We didn't reach Lucknow until 2 PM in the afternoon. Tired and slightly frazzled we were able to conduct the workshop with ease. I played photographer. I had planned some great ice breakers to get the group shaking. Alas, these will be used at a future date.
Random note: the return journey on the Lucknow Mail (duplicate as they call it), left Lucknow on time. Arrival, is another story. Let's just say I was supposed to arrive in the early morning. Didn't make it in until 2 in the afternoon.
The joke became- why take a duplicate when you can take the aasli (original) train.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Deepawali: Festival of Lights
"When East, Meets West"
Walking through the streets of Delhi, I could smell the build up to the Deepwali. All the kids were out on the roads lighting their firecrackers and scaring the hell out of me. People of all ages were out on the streets doing some last minute shopping and the sweet stores were packed with variety of orders from Ladoos to Gulab Jamun, Khalkaan (my favorite) and of course Jalaybee. I dont know how I am going to survive in India with all these temptations. I was able to make my way to Amit's house without any issues. Actually I was shocked to see how busy the roads were but thanks to the wonderful Metro system ( its better than New York and Vancouver!), I was able to make it over in less than an hour.
Well everyone was napping when I went over. The entire family had just arrived from the States and jet lag had kicked in. Not to worry, Amit and I ended up heading out to the one of the local bazaars and chilling at a near by Barista. I am so happy that I haven't seen a single Starbucks since I arrived in India. India actually has it's own brand of coffee shops- “Cafe Coffee Day” which serves really good cappuccino's and lattes.
As the sun set over Delhi, we made our way back to the family house to begin the festivities. Surrounded by tons of food, fruits and yes sweets, we ate, heard stories and just talked for hours. I got to meet Amit's extended family and play with Keshav. He's growing up so quickly and is fascinated by doors and well all shiny objects. Of course, the main topic of discussion was the upcoming nuptials and the organization of the fun and 5 days of festivities.
The Chakra- The Crazy Wheel!
I got to light my first set of diyas (lamps) and place them on the terrace and we ran off to begin the real fun- Fireworks! I didn't realize there were so many varieties! Chakras (spinning wheels..soo much fun) to the flower pots and my favorite of all the Anar (Its basically and explosive pomegranate and so colorful)
The skies of Delhi lit up with various Fireworks. Every time we let out the big one (firecracker) the entire building shook with intensity. But , it was amazing to see it up close and personal.
Anar- The Explosive Pomegranate!
Note to anyone reading this blog: NEVER let me light any form of a firecracker. After lighting the big one, rather than moving away like a normal person, I stood there trying to see if it would actually shoot up in the air. Lucky for me, Amit was close enough to move me out of harms way. I know I am a silly goat. Oh well. With all the excitement, we finally managed to fall asleep at 4 am. The fireworks continued until dawn.
Meet the Jha's
It's the night before Diwali and I am so very excited. I get to spend my first Diwali in India. For some reason, no one could focus on work today. I think its all the excitement and the build up to the festival of lights. All we did today was exchange gifts (our own x-mas) and eat tons of sweets. I have a feeling by the time I return, my nickname will be michellin baby :) But the best part of today was that my co-worker and very quickly becoming one of my closest friends, Annu invited me to spend chota Diwali ( small Diwali) with her family. She was kind of down because her daughter would not be able to join her for the festivities but, as luck would have it Khusbhoo (her daughter) was able to surprise mommy dearest at the last minute.
So, we were off to rohini sector to celebrate and have some fun. I fell in love with Annu's family instantly. Her husband Arun, is one of the nicest men I have met. He insisted up having us sit down and put our feet up and relax while he bough us cup after cup of hot tea and coffee. They are family full of laughter and all I remember was laughing hysterically for hours on end. Ayush, Annu's ten year old son is so cute and sweet. You know that when grows up there is going to be a line of women chasing after him.
With Annu's Family ( Mom and Niece)
It was about 10 PM and we decided to go check out the local markets (open till 2 am). We browsed till we dropped and everywhere we went Annu introduced me to her community of friends. Ever have freshly squeezed Anar (Pomegranate) Juice? Trust me with a little bit of chaat masala, it's a must have drink in India. We sat in the market admiring all the stalls and meeting Annu's friends. I felt like I was in a Cheer's episode (where everyone know's Annu). She introduced me to her family (sister, mom and her crazy younger brother who was intent on me cooking Biryani for him) and each house we visited, it was more coffee! Did I mention I love coffee? I love the area where Annu lives. It's one of the quieter areas of Delhi and its small and secluded. We didn't get back until midnight. Only then we did the middle eastern thing and ate loads of good home made food. Nothing like okra fry, home made aloo dhum and lots of fresh dahi (yogurt) to end off the night. It seemed like the night of fun and just good old fashioned laughter ended too quickly but, I am glad to have met Annu's family. I didn't feel so homesick after all. Spending the festival with loved ones helped me get through it. Next up, the real Diwali festivities with the Chawla Family. I am so excited! Can't wait to see the fireworks and meet little Keshav ( Amit's 8 month old nephew- adorable little doll of a man)
So, we were off to rohini sector to celebrate and have some fun. I fell in love with Annu's family instantly. Her husband Arun, is one of the nicest men I have met. He insisted up having us sit down and put our feet up and relax while he bough us cup after cup of hot tea and coffee. They are family full of laughter and all I remember was laughing hysterically for hours on end. Ayush, Annu's ten year old son is so cute and sweet. You know that when grows up there is going to be a line of women chasing after him.
With Annu's Family ( Mom and Niece)
It was about 10 PM and we decided to go check out the local markets (open till 2 am). We browsed till we dropped and everywhere we went Annu introduced me to her community of friends. Ever have freshly squeezed Anar (Pomegranate) Juice? Trust me with a little bit of chaat masala, it's a must have drink in India. We sat in the market admiring all the stalls and meeting Annu's friends. I felt like I was in a Cheer's episode (where everyone know's Annu). She introduced me to her family (sister, mom and her crazy younger brother who was intent on me cooking Biryani for him) and each house we visited, it was more coffee! Did I mention I love coffee? I love the area where Annu lives. It's one of the quieter areas of Delhi and its small and secluded. We didn't get back until midnight. Only then we did the middle eastern thing and ate loads of good home made food. Nothing like okra fry, home made aloo dhum and lots of fresh dahi (yogurt) to end off the night. It seemed like the night of fun and just good old fashioned laughter ended too quickly but, I am glad to have met Annu's family. I didn't feel so homesick after all. Spending the festival with loved ones helped me get through it. Next up, the real Diwali festivities with the Chawla Family. I am so excited! Can't wait to see the fireworks and meet little Keshav ( Amit's 8 month old nephew- adorable little doll of a man)
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