Just a Little Bit of Randomness

Seeing as I am in the blogging mood I thought I would just comment on a few things that I have found interesting about India. The first is...spitting. Apparently a lot of people in India chew tobacco or just feel the need to spit every 3 minutes, either way, barely an hour goes by where you don't hear someone hawking a loogie. It is especially prevalent with the rickshaw drivers who are driving back and forth all day and all they need to do is lean their head out a little (there aren't any windows in an auto rickshaw) and spit. However, their desired affect isn't quite that good on people such as my roommate Rachel, who turns green everytime she hears the sound.

The second thing I would like to comment on is the English that is spoken and written in India. Somewhat surprising to me was when my feet touched Indian soil, I realized how many Indians actually can't speak English (this is even more prevalent in rural towns). I have found this to be of interest because many of the cars in India are hand-painted with different slogans. However, some people do not get the correct spelling of certain words or their English isn't quite up to par (in other words they have been writing the wrong terms on their vehicles). My favorite such mishap was in Delhi when an ambulance drove by and painted on its side was, "Save Lives. Prevent Safety". Unfortunately I was not able to whip out my camera fast enough in order to take a picture but I couldn't help but chuckle at the paradox.

Since this post seems to be filled with randomness, I thought I should just update everyone a little further on what I have been up to this week. Saraswati Puja took place a couple days ago and it honors the goddess Saraswati (the goddess of wisdom and learning, for those of you who don't know your Hindu gods/goddesses). Rachel and I got dressed up in sarees and attended the puja at the house of our host parent's family member. It was interesting to see the Brahmin priest chant and everyone give thanks by throwing marigold flowers at a statue of Saraswati. My interest in Hinduism has gone back a long time (even before I wrote my 14 page paper for Mr. Senrick's class in 9th grade) so I was extremely happy that I got to participate in the puja (oil was splashed on me, the Brahmin priest put a bindi on my forehead, and I received a blessing by putting my hands over candle flames and wafting the smoke over my head). I thoroughly enjoyed the puja, however, I did not especially like the lunch afterwards in which I had to sit with 6 eighteen-year olds who all kept staring and talking about me in Bengali. Uncle had informed me at breakfast that Saraswati Puja was kind of like the Valentine's Day of India so people would definitely be staring at us even more, especially because we were wearing sarees. To this I replied that he would then be my bodyguard for the day and carry a stick in which to beat the boys's ankles, so you can imagine my dismay when Uncle leaves me at a table with 6 giggling boys who even at one point ask each other in Bengali if they should ask for my number. Needless to say after dinner I booked it out of there as fast as I could.

Shantiniketan

Seeing as I have been gone for awhile on an excursion up to the northern region of West Bengal, I now have time to update everyone on what has been going on. We visited Shantiniketan, which is known by many Bengalis because of the schools that Rabindranath Tagore set up in order to educate the Indian people, especially those in rural villages. Now for the sake of everyone's sanity and the fact that this blog will be really long if I explain who Tagore is, just know that he is probably the most famous Bengali and for more info visit wikipedia (now that we know wikipedia isn't being deleted from cyber history).

We stayed at the Tagore Mission International School, and because we were in a rural part of India, our accomodations consisted of a wooden bed with a blanket and lizards crawling on the walls. I actually enjoyed staying there because not only did it remind me of my old days at camp, but it was fun to see the students so excited to see foreign visitors. It also was an extremely momentous occasion because I used a squatter (essentially it is a hole in the ground which you squat over to go to the bathroom) for the first time. Above is a picture of me being extremely proud of my accomplishment (this squatter was actually relatively clean too...not all of them look so nice).

The first day that we arrived we visited a nearby ashram. The ashram was also a school for young rural children and orphans to receive an education. We watched the students praying and received an orange as a parasad (a type of blessing). They then gave us a tour of the school area and how they teach different trades to the rural people so that they can become educated and employed. After visiting the ashram we went back and had tea (I swear they gave us tea about 4 times a day) and then went to bed where we promptly froze our butts off because it was so cold and we were given thin blankets. Above is a picture of what are room looked like.

The next day we toured the university that Tagore set up, visited Tagore's houses, and went to a nearby village called Amar Kutir. My favorite part was going to Amar Kutir which was a small village devoted to handicrafts. There we were able to see some skilled artisans hand-paint goat leather and make purses, wallets, and many other types of leather accesories. We were also able to see them paint batik, which is a type of art form that is famous in the Bengal region. We all gave in and bought trinkets from Amar Kutir because no where else in the world would we get such handicrafts for so cheap.

At night some folk dancers came to perform and the night before we were able to see some Baul music performers. I personally liked the Baul music performers because their music spans centuries and is passed down from teacher to student. Even though they were singing in Bengali, their music had a unique quality and the instruments that they played seemed extremely intricate.

On our way back to Kolkata we came across an unfortunate incident. As we were passing under a small bridge in which trains cross overhead, we saw a man beating cattle with a stick to get them off the tracks because a train was approaching. The man had barely got the cattle off the tracks when the cattle pushed him backwards into the speeding train. Unfortunately the man was struck by the train and instantly fell to his death and one of the cattle was also hit. We found out later that the man worked in the fields and it wasn't even his cattle that he was shoving off the tracks. Trains do not stop for anything in India so accidents like this actually can happen quite frequently it was just sad to have to see it.  

Here Comes the Bride

I thought since I went to my first Indian wedding this weekend, it would be something that was blog-worthy. Indian weddings are quite long (they usually last about 3 days) and can be quite extravangant. Rachel (my roommate) and I were extremely excited to be invited to the wedding of a friend of our host parents. Even more exciting is that we got to dress up in beautiful silk sarees and costume jewelry. I borrowed a blue silk saree from the neighbor downstairs and Auntie was able to sew the saree blouse to fit me. They draped and pleated the saree and the look was finished off with gold costume jewelry that I borrowed from Tubu Auntie (my host mother's best friend). This was not my first time wearing a saree but I don't remember the previous time being quite so uncomfortable. As beautiful as they look, I don't think they are that comfortable to walk and sit in. The petticoat must be tied very tightly and high up on your waist, while the saree top does not allow much room to move your arms because it is made to fit snugly. Maybe I'm just too much of a tomboy, used to baggy t-shirts and jeans, but it was not the most comfortable thing I have ever worn. Also, you have to be careful when you walk that you don't step on the bottom of the skirt. I think I will just stick to my Indian kurtis for right now.

It took us 2 hours to drive to the wedding. The drive was literally painful because I could feel every spring in the seat I was sitting in but it was worth it when we got to the wedding and saw the bride and groom. The wedding was held in a marriage hall and the bride and groom each sat in separate rooms. The groom arrived my car first and wore a very extravagant headdress (the name is aluding me right now). The groom's uncle presided over the groom's part of the ceremony (the groom's father is deceased so the uncle then is asked to help with the ceremony) and the groom sat on a raised platform with pillows and decorations. He seemed rather shy when we met him which was not the case when we met the bride.

The bride was very happy to have us and the wedding photographers took our picture with her. Mimi (the bride) wore a beautiful pink saree and had her hands painted with henna. Her father, a good friend of our host parents, works with NGOs and other corporations around the world. In fact, we were not the only foreigners at the wedding. There were a handful of young German volunteers staying with Mimi's family for a year as they worked with a local school to teach the children to speak English. It was quite interesting to see them have conversations in Bengali with the other guests even though they have only been in India for 4 months. I hope that by the time that I leave India I can speak Bengali as well as they can. They were very nice people and liked to talk to us. Rachel and I both hope that they will visit us in Kolkata before we leave and Rachel thought that it was quite funny that one of the German boys was almost as blonde as me (we all have this joke that I am the blondest person in India...and so far, it is true).

The bride and groom were both annointed by the families and the bride was presented with a beautiful gold necklace by the groom's uncle. Afterwards we went to eat dinner under a big tent-like structure. We were served many dishes and desserts and after we ate we left the wedding so we could drive back home (it seemed shorter on the way back). While I was eating I realized something about Indian food. I find lots of Indian food to be very salty while the desserts are extremely sweet. My heart breaks because I love sweets so much but I have yet to find an Indian dessert that I like because they tend to taste like I am eating pure sugar. I guess I never really realized until now how important food is in our lives and I am sorry that I keep talking about food, I guess I just miss some American delicacies. Also surprisingly enough, I have started to drink tea lately mainly because I have a sore throat but I also find the tea here to be better than in America, normally I hate tea because it just tastes nasty. I hope to bring some back for friends and family to try because the Darjeeling tea is very famous in India.

Well this post is getting rather long so I will just say that we had a good time at the wedding and met a lot of interesting people. Both Rachel and I were very thankful to the bride's family for inviting us. My first Indian wedding was a success!

Yummy, Yummy, Yummy I Got Love in my Tummy

So for the last few days I have been craving many American foods that I do not eat on a regular basis now that I am in India. Rachel keeps on laughing at me when I tell her what I am craving but after living off of Indian food for 3 weeks, you start to crave something that you are used to. So I have decided to compile a list of foods that I want to eat (mom, I hope you are planning on making/having all of these foods when I get back home). All the foods on my list are able to be obtained in India if you look for them.

1. Ice Cream
2. Bacon
3. French Fries
4. Pizza
5. Chocolate
6. Swedish Fish/Candy
7. Cookies
8. Pop Tarts
9. Spaghetti
10. Cheeseburgers

So here you have it. The list usually looks like this and every day my main craving changes. Today my craving is for spaghetti with marinara sauce and parmesan cheese. I settled for eating chips out of the cupboard when Auntie wasn't looking. I must also comment on the chips in India. Uncle bought fresh chips from a vendor and I must say that these chips are the best chips I have ever had in my life. They are 5 times better than Lays potato chips. These chips are delicious when they are just freshly bought...well, enough about food or I'll start drooling on my pillow. Good night!

KOLKATA!!!

We arrived in Kolkata (or Calcutta as it can sometimes be known) on January 8^th. The next day we went home with our host families. My host family lives in South Kolkata near Anwar Shah road and only a 15 minute walk from one of the biggest malls in Kolkata. My host parents are named Jaba and Ashok but we just call them Auntie and Uncle. In India you often refer to elders in this way.

 I am rooming with Rachel in a room in Auntie and Uncle’s apartment. Hmm…what to say about the apartment? Well I like our room because our beds can lift up and store our rather large suitcases. The connecting bathroom has a flushable toilet and sink. The only thing that is weird to me is that the bathroom has misted windows but behind those windows is Kolkata with all of its people shouting, dogs barking and fighting, cars honking, etc. Needless to say, I feel extremely weird when I am going to the bathroom and I can hear what seems to be a person down on the street talking (I feel slightly better that we are on the second floor). The continuous noise of Kolkata means that often Rachel and I wake up a few times during the night.

 What else to say about our host home? Auntie is a very good cook and I am trying many new foods. I don’t think I have ever tried so many new foods in my life. The food can take awhile to get used to which many of us can attest to. Thankfully none of us have had really bad “delhi belly” but it still is hard to adjust to the food. Auntie also complained at first that we didn’t eat that much but now she is starting to get used to the fact that we don’t eat as much as Indian people. When Indian people eat their breakfast, lunch, and dinner they really eat! Also, dinner here is eaten a lot later than we eat dinner in the US. Some nights I have eaten dinner at 10:30 at night. I just hope that in the near future I come across an Indian dessert that I actually like (Indian desserts are extremely sweet and tastes like a lot of sugar). Since I have been here I have craved ice cream, bacon, cheeseburgers, and pizza. So far I have eaten everything except the cheeseburger. I’m hoping to go to the McDonald’s down the block from school in the next few days so I can eat some of their greasy fries (I’m imagining people who know me well to be laughing at this right now because they know that I love McDonald’s fries).

 So far Rachel and I have visited the mall on numerous occasions and bought some Indian clothes. I bought a saree the other day for 9 US dollars and now I am getting the blouse made by a tailor. I hope that it will be ready in time for the wedding that I am attending next weekend. I am also really excited because we have off of school next week. It seems that Kolkata tends to celebrate everything that they possibly can so we have next week off and we already had a day off for Swami Vivekananda’s 149^th birthday.

 School seems to be going well. Periods here only last about 40-50 minutes so classes are relatively short. Classes are also more formal in India. In my political science class the students all stood up when the teacher entered the room and when she calls on them they stand to address the class. When talking to a teacher you call them ma’am or sir. The initials of the teacher are used when talking about them to another person. The classes are also lecture based so essentially we just sit there and take notes for the entire period.  I have not had class too much (Tuesday we did not have class because of our foreigner registration taking us four hours to complete, Wednesday my classes weren’t scheduled, and Thursday was Vivekananda’s birthday) so we will see how it goes.  The students seem nice and many of the girls seem to be taking to Adam. He introduced himself in pol sci and I swear there were about 10 girls that audibly sighed at his name.

 Sports day at the college was on Saturday and we all marched around the track for the parade as the “foreigner contingent”. The students seem so interested in us and like many Indian people, they love to stare at us too. Some are more out-going and will come up to us and make friends but most just stare. A couple of my fellow students got persuaded to do some of the special events for sports day. Tiffany won the race where you had to balance a ping pong ball on a paddle and run down the field and Adam and Courtney won the event where you had to balance a book between your partner’s hand and run down the field. Courtney, Kelsey T, Becca, and I participated in the 4x100 meter relay. Before the race started they explained the rules that the first 2 people had to stay in their lanes but the last 2 people could cut in. We then decided that our track runners would be the people to cut in so Becca started. As soon as the gun shot everyone cut in and Becca was cut off and in last place. For some reason everyone had told us the wrong thing (even the people participating told us how to race) but thankfully me, Kelsey, and Courtney made up some time so we got 4^th place. It was fun to compete with the Indian students and it was probably a good thing that I got some exercise too. Sports day was very fun!

 On a side note, I wore basketball shorts to sports day because one of the teachers told us that we could wear shorts as long as they were down to our knees so I came dressed that way in order to run. However, Indian women do not wear shorts so I received even more stares than normal because of my scrawny pale legs. I felt a little better once I got to school and saw some of the other Americans wearing long shorts, but apparently the Indian girls don’t change into their shorts for running until they get to school.  I feel that when it comes to India you have to adopt an attitude of confidence in order to survive so Rachel laughed at me as I adopted an “Oh well, stare all you want!” attitude about wearing shorts.

 On last side note, I feel that I must also comment on Indian people dyeing their hair. In India there are quite a few people who deem it necessary to dye their hair, just like many people in America. The popular color for Indian people to dye their hair is…red!!! Whenever I pass an Indian person with their hair dyed red it just makes me want to say, “ARGH! You look like you are going to some rock concert with your hair dyed bright red!!!” I am not sure why this is a popular trend but I can only hope that it will die out (Rachel just informed me that they die it red using henna because it is cheap but it also makes your hair bright red).

Day in Agra

We climbed into the bus quite early in the morning in order to make our way to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal. Before visiting the Taj we stopped at Fatehpur Sikri. Fathepur Sikri was once the capital of India during the 16^th century. It was built by the famous Mughal emperor Ackbar (hehe, whenever I hear that name I think of Star Wars and General Ackbar who is the Calamarian who helps destroy the death star…wow, I am such a nerd!) Ackbar had 3 wives, one was Hindu, one was Muslim, and one was Christian. The largest building at Fatehpur Sikri was built for Ackbar’s Hindu wife who provided him with a male heir. While we were leaving the site, an extremely annoying hawker opened the window next to Brenna and tried to sell her many bracelets. I think they usually leave me alone because I have adopted the best policy, just ignore them.

 Then we saw it, one of the seven wonders of the world…the Taj Mahal! It was beautiful and many people where visiting in order to marvel at Shah Jahan’s beautiful tribute to his deceased wife. Arabic inscriptions from the Qur’an run up the sides of both the Taj Mahal and the gate into the Taj Mahal. We took many pictures of the structure and surrounding gate and garden area. Our tour guide led us inside the tomb area and we circled around the tomb (the real bodies were not inside so it was just a place to pay tribute to the deceased queen). Surrounding the tomb was a lattice screen carved out of marble (originally it was carved out of gold but it was melted down by Jahan’s son and he had a marble one put in its place).

 While at the Taj we had quite a few people ask us to take pictures. I usually ignore them when they ask which apparently is a good thing because Sucharita informed us that we should no longer let people take our pictures because you never know what they are doing with the photos. She said that she had seen cases where foreigners got their picture taken and then things were photo shopped on them. After hearing this it made me feel better that I usually refuse to get my picture taken.

 The Taj was of course worth going to and we had a fun time walking around and seeing everything. Like many of our other excursions to other sites in India, we enjoyed this one a lot! Above is my favorite picture that I have taken so far. It is a picture of the gate to the Taj Mahal.

Day Two in Jaipur

We went on a cycle rikshaw ride through the Pink City in Jaipur and saw many market shops and street vendors. We went earlier in the morning so thankfully there wasn’t much traffic about (yay, less people to run us over). We passed by the Hawa Mahal or the Palace of the Winds as it is known, and saw quite a few monkeys climbing around. All of us love when we see monkeys on the streets but the people here just consider them to be pesky.

After our rikshaw ride we exchanged some of our American money with a money exchanger that knew our tour guide. Apparently the money exchanger carries around numerous types of currency so tourists can exchange money easily without having to go to a bank. The money exchanger was really nice but I felt somewhat weird that we were exchanging money on the side of the street where everyone could see. After receiving our money we were given a few minutes to shop and I bought a kurti in my favorite color green. We haggled with the shop vendor for it and I was glad I got it for a lower price but we realized afterwards that I could have got the shirt for even lower. Hopefully I will get better at bargaining as the trip goes on.

We went to the mall in Jaipur after our trip to the market. Some people went crazy with the shopping (including our program director) but I guess my frugality held me in check. The malls here are somewhat like the markets in that people hassle you some when you shop. Depending on the store, you can have sales associates come up to you one after another to ask if you want to buy this or that. I find it quite annoying sometimes to have people constantly bugging you while you shop, especially when they are trying to sell you something that you would never use (yes, I am talking to you, man who was trying to sell us turbans…does it look like I would wear a turban?!?! Although Senssue, if you are reading this, I considered getting one for you because I thought it would be funny). 

Anyway, after the mall, we went back to the hotel for a little bit and then headed out to a Rajasthan festival. We all enjoyed the Rajasthan festival with its numerous forms of entertainment including: dancing, singing, back massages, camel/elephant rides, etc. My favorite part was probably getting to ride a camel. I liked riding camels better than riding elephants because not only did the camel herder not rip me off by asking for a tip, but the camel’s gait was easier. It also cost us 10 rupees to ride camels which is equivalent to 20 cents in the US. I guess I never really realized exactly how tall camels are but it would have been quite a drop if someone would have fallen off their camel.

 We all sat down to eat a traditional Rajasthani dinner. Rajasthan has food that is different compared to Indian food in other areas of the country so it was interesting to see new types of food. We sat on the floor in front of wooden tables and I decided to eat with my hands so as to keep with Indian tradition. We all enjoyed the festival and the dinner so it was a successful trip :)

Day One in Jaipur

So I was so excited to go to Jaipur and ride elephants but I must say that my experience was not quite what I was expecting. First we stopped at Hawa Mahal or the Palace of the Winds in what is known as the Pink City of Jaipur. Another opulent structure like many throughout India. The Pink City is known by its name because all the walls are a pink color and the government has mandated that anyone who lives in this area must keep the front of the building the same pink color as the rest of the city.

After our quick stop at Hawa Mahal to snap a few pictures, we proceeded to the Amber Fort by elephant. I was soooo excited to ride an elephant and it was all I could talk about for weeks. However, when waiting in line people would hassle us to buy trinkets (Indian market people will not leave you alone if they think you will buy something, unlike in America where the sales associate only asks if you need help, Indian "sales associates" will not leave you alone so I have adopted a policy where I just ignore them and it seems to work). Anyway, we got up to the elephant rides and we saw some of the elephant herders using sharp pokers to poke the elephants which made me feel horrible what with animal cruelty and all. I even saw a herder stomp on his elephants head to get it to move in the desired direction of the herder. Brenna and I got on our elephant (we sat in a basket-like contraption) and the herder kept telling us to sit back (if I sat any farther back I would have completely fallen off the elephant). I was intently taking pictures and the herder behind us took my camera and started snapping pictures of us and then demanded to be paid. I felt like I had been ripped off and now I know to be careful who you trust when you are here. As we pulled up to our stop, our herder demanded a tip (he demanded, he didn't ask) to which we paid him. However, we walked ten feet and discovered a sign that said that we were not to hand out tips. I just felt like the experience was ruined because they kept on trying to get our money and the contraption that we sat in was not the most comfortable thing in the world.

The Amber Fort was beautiful though and also had many carvings painted different colors. The fort was magnificent and one of the most detailed structures that I have seen since I have been in India. The man who built the Amber Fort had 12 wives (what a ladies man!) and had a separate room for each of his wives. It was also fun to look around and discover all the secret passageways in the fort. Above is a picture of me at the Amber Fort doing my favorite yoga pose.

We went back down the Amber Fort by jeep (after being hassled by vendors again) and made our way to a textile factory in Jaipur. This factory was famous throughout Jaipur for having the Guinness World Record silk carpet which they let us see. The carpet has something like 4, 200 knots per square inch. We got to see how they dye their textiles and make certain prints as well as the process that is gone through to make a carpet. I got to stand on silk carpets and touch the world record carpet. The process that is gone through to make one carpet takes many months and I could not believe how talented the people who worked there were. We then went to a jewelry factory and headed to the Jaipur City Palace.

At the Jaipur City Palace we were shown the history of the area and right around the corner from the palace were a small group of snake charmers. Erik decided to get his picture taken with them in which they wrapped the snake around the man's shoulders. Sucharita was deeply upset because she didn't want anything to happen to Erik but her husband felt that it would be okay to let Erik go. The men sitting there informed Sucharita that they had taken the fangs out of the cobras but you could still hear her shrill yelling about people being biten and dying. She told me that she had watched something on National Geographic about foreigners coming to places like India and being bitten because they thought that snake charming was safe. She said that Indian cobras are one of the deadliest in the world and that even if you take their fangs out they can grow back. We then discussed how snakes cannot hear (something that I learned in the Field Museum this summer when I went with my dad to Chicago) so the charmers actually move back and forth so the snakes follow the rhythm of their bodies. Sucharita is not big on snake charmers (see previous post) so I don't think anybody else will try her patience while we are on the trip by deciding to become a snake charmer :)

Day Three in Delhi

We visited Qutub Minar which also had beautiful carvings into the sandstone, similar to the Red Fort. The stonework was probably the most elaborate that I have ever seen. The pillar that stands tall and for which the site is named after, was built in the 12th century while the iron pillar that stands in the square was built in the 4th century. I was just so awed when we went around Delhi because of the history that far surpasses anything that exists in America. The above picture is an example of some of the beautiful artwork that was at Qutub Minar. Whenever I look at some of the elaborate artistry, I am reminded of my dad and how much he would appreciate everything that I have been able to see (however I think he would stop and stare until he had to be herded to the next thing...his staring would rival that of the Indian people who constantly stare at me for being pale).

After Qutub Minar we made our way to the Meharauli area and walked around. There were many young boys around playing cricket and they seemed especially interested in us visitors. The Meharauli area had a tomb which our guide had the caretaker allow us to enter. I wish I could have taken a picture of the beautiful tiled ceiling but my camera battery had died by then. We proceeded on to more of the area and it was so fun to explore around the area because it reminded me of a playground with its secret staircases. We climbed up to the top of the structure and were able to see out through the trees to the urban area of Delhi.

After leaving Meharauli, we went to a Hindu Temple. This temple was one of the most extravagant religious buildings I have ever seen (even Kingshuk, Sucharita's husband, said that he had never been to a temple that was so decorated and he is Hindu). We saw a shrine devoted to Krishna, Hanuman, and numerous other Hindu deities. Near the entrance was a tree in which people tied red and gold pieces of cloth to it in as a symbol of their prayers. Once their prayer has been answered then the person is supposed to come back to the tree and give an offering.

After the Hindu Temple we went back to the hotel for a short while and then went to a shop to get Indian clothes. I ended up not buying anything (due of course to my frugal nature) and we celebrated New Years Eve in a fellow students hotel room, playing games and drinking sparkling cider. The clubs and parties in Delhi cost quite a bit of money so we decided to stay in and toast the New Year. However, Kingshuk informed us a couple minutes after midnight that we could go downstairs to the party at the hotel and we wouldn't have to pay. We made our way down and proceeded to dance in a huge circle. Adam and Erik tucked their shirts into their basketball shorts and gyrated around. I could not stop laughing the entire time. A few Indian people were brave enough to join our circle and the DJs were nice enough to start playing American/Latino music. The fun was worth it because the next morning we received a prize for best dancing group at the party (the prize was a pen set which we were all a little sad about because we were hoping it was chocolate). Well, we definitely lived up to the "rowdy Americans" persona (even though when Indian people ask its our little inside joke but we always tell them we are Canadians). After an hour or two we all climbed into our beds and got ready for the drive to Jaipur the next day.

Oh, I think it is also important to mention the waiter at the Hilton in Delhi. He tried to come off as smooth I think but mainly it's just creepy. Slowly I am starting to acclimate to the stares that the Indian people give us (and staring back does nothing. I tried and they don't look away at all). Anyway, so the Indian waiter told me one of the first days we were there that I have a nice smile and then proceeded to talk to me and was extremely surprised that more people don't tell me that I have a beautiful smile (AHEM to you people out there, it would be nice to be told I have a nice smile once and awhile). Anyway, he was somewhat creepy with his attention and then on the last day we were there he told me that I was too slender and should eat more, even though I was beautiful. I told Sucharita (my program director) about the waiter and she said that I should just tell him to shut it, or any man for that matter who acts like that. Her husband then replied that I wouldn't be able to talk to any of the boys at school because they would all act like that. As I have probably stated before, I am uncomfortable with any amount of attention so it seems quite strange to be paid attention too all the time. I just am starting to get into the groove of things and trying to be open-minded with the attention. I have made an effort to try new things (especially the food, never got delhi belly but fingers crossed). I just hope by the end of my trip I can learn how to be more patient (things run very slow here) in all aspects of my life and also how to be a little more spontaneous.

Day Two in Delhi

We walked around Old Delhi and saw the famous Red Fort which is a beautiful sandstone fortress built by the Mughals. Above is a picture of the Red Fort that I took while I was there. Some of the carvings were so extravagant and they the Mughals inlaid lots of precious stones into the carvings. I will try to refrain from posting too many pictures with my posts but I think that the designs are something to marvel at so I will just tell you about some of the artwork.

Many of the artwork in the historical buildings that we saw feature flowers (especially the lotus). The Mughals would carve out their desired designs and then put their precious jewels into the patterns. Unfortunately many people have robbed the monuments and stolen the precious stones. Below is an example of some of the exquisite artistry at the Red Fort.

After visiting the Red Fort we congregated across the street at a Jain Temple before preceeding on to Chandni Chowk, the market in Old Delhi. The walk in Old Delhi was definitely exciting because you have to be quick on your feet and not be afraid to be jostled around quite a bit. We saw a snake charmer in one of the back alleys and Sucharita (our program director) was surprised at the sight of the snake charmers. She had told us before we left that we probably wouldn't see any and that was a stereotype that people had of India. We all had a laugh when we saw the snake charmer at Chandni Chowk (I will come back to the snake charmers in a later post).

Anyway, we walked through Old Delhi and stopped by the Jama Masjiid, a Muslim mosque, during midday prayer. We ate across the street at one of Old Delhi's finest Muslim restaurants, Karim's. Walking back to where we parked was a bit tricky because our guide was no longer with us, but eventually we found our way back (after stopping and asking for directions a couple times). I should also maybe mention that during my time in Delhi I tended to count the number of random men I saw peeing on the side of the road. It was taken up as somewhat of a game for us and our record was 13 in about 5 hours. In India there is no such thing as indecent exposure so often you walk by people peeing on the side of the street.

Later during the night Brenna and I went with Kingshuk (Sucharita's husband) to a bar/club. It was quite sophisticated and was dimly lit with two tables set up for hookah. Apparently in Delhi the drinking age is 25 but no one checks. Nonetheless we went to observe the atmosphere and found it to be somewhat intimidating because the women are good dancers (plus we don't particularly know what to do when Bollywood songs come on) and the club that we went to had clientele that were in their 30s or higher. Yes, everyone else was feeling the effects of jet lag but I never truly did so instead I decided to see as much as I could with the time that I had (man, I really DO take after my dad). The nightlife in Delhi is a little different than in America but we usually tried to do activities inside and only went out when Kingshuk could take us. We will all miss Kingshuk when he leaves to go back to the US to teach but I am trying to badger him into coming for spring break. We will see how this turns out ;)

Yes, I am Safe and Sound

So I haven't posted for a week or so because I haven't had internet where I was staying but now that I have finally arrived in Kolkata, I will update you on what has been happening in the last week. I will split up my blog into different days in order to help everyone to see what I did each day. Hope that sounds good!

The above photo is the marigold garland that I received when I arrived in Delhi. We were told that they are given to the gods (and they are also used in marriage ceremonies).