So haven't left the house in a day or two, but I put the time to good use overcoming a fever, harbouring a hideous chest cold, getting over the worst bout of premenstrual pain ever and then of course what follows? Oh and tripping over my sleeping feet and pretty much breaking my right big toe and skinning my left knee in the process.
Well I have not become ill from the food yet- in fact I am dangerously addicted to the oranges here! They are the most refreshing juicy scrumptious balls of delightfulness I have eaten. I think being ill helped me to get over my jetlag tho. I can now sleep through the night and well into the morning like a good Indian should; nothing happens until the afternoon and then everything stays open and bustling until late into the night... well by my standards.
We spent hours watching one of the only guranteed english channels while we were house bound and I am now much more knowledgeable on: Sea Animals Built For the Kill, Giant Prehistoric Alligators, and Linguistic Capacities of Apes. Thank you National Geographic, I no longer need to pay for a university education. It was quite nice we had a tea party with yummy temi tea and some butter biscuits and strawberry ones too, and then we were able to ORDER chips and pop up to our flat. Like roomservice. Like we did not have to leave! How genius is that!
So not much other excitement than that. Today is the first day that I woke up feeling, well, awake. Perhaps my soul has finally caught up with my body.
Before I got really ill we went out to the super Indian street and did some real Sari and Salwar Kameez shopping for me and Kelly to wear to the wedding. The shop was one of those spectacularily stereotypical shops that has fabric folded from floor to ceiling on every wall and you take your shoes off and then sit on a comfy mat. You tell them your fabric and colour preference and price range and they make a semi decent effort to find what you would want.
Of course I immediately fell in love with the MOST expensive ones in the store. They pegged me for expensive tastes after that and I had a hard time convincing them to show me cheaper stuff. Where is my rich husband?
I settled on a nice mono wine coloured one, and a pink and gold Kameez that I think I will wear for both New Years and the Sangeet (which is the dancey festive part of Nicoles wedding). Today we are out to find matching jewellery sets and shoes. I have to hobble tho because I have a purple toe. I should have brought arnica. However, according to Dr Vikram, Disspirin is a miracle medecine that cures everything so I am putting it to the test. So far it has worked on head aches and back cramps but now the test is on stuffy nose and bruised toes.
Well before we all faint from low blood sugar we are going to go for some amazing spinach soup :)
missing you.
loving you.
xoxoxox
em
oh and no buses yet chandra! i think we are taking one to the beach in a few days tho! woohoo
12.12.08
auto-rickshaws, paratha, and threading
In Canada, steel toed boots are a necessary requirment for construction sites.
In India, flimsy leather sandals- completely optional. Barefoot acceptable.
3 days of being in India and I have forgotten how the rest of the world runs. How does anyone survive except to fend for themselves?
I don't remember what life could be like anywhere else. It is fascinating, but not as traumatizing as many people promised me that it would be.
After arriving in Mumbai myself, Nicole, Vikram (her fiancee), and Durga (his sister) spent the day touring the city until Kelly flew in twelve hours later. I got to see the Taj and took photos of the burnage. It was very blocked off though so we couldn't get too near. I want to put up photos but the internet here is slow and it is not worth but- but don't worry I am taking lots.
Anything you here about crazy Indian driving, don't believe it, because it is worse than ANYONE could ever describe. You have no idea, rickshaws and cars and vans and trucks and scooters and bicycles and dirtbikes and animals all flying down the road, no one knows how many lanes and there are no lights. No rules. Insanity. But fun.
We spent much of the day looking for Nicoles final set of jewellery for the wedding. She wanted Kundan style which is very fancy and opulent and traditionally has raw diamonds but we just got what they call art jewellery with no real stones in it. We looked in so many places and finally found it late at night at the last place we looked.
Mumbai is an unimaginably large and dirty city. It was very intimidating but I think because I was so in shock from all the lack of sleep and food that perhaps I was not really as phased as I should have been.
After picking Kelly up we did not arrive home in Pune until after 5am, and then slept in the next day. That was yesterday, we just hung out and then took an autorickshaw (so fun) into the town and shopped around a bit until we met up with Vik and his friends and went for an all you can eat dinner (less than $3) and so much food here is veg. yum. Then we went to a shisha bar that was really funky and jungly and had like semi open walls and trees and it was really neat. We got home late and I crashed.
Then I woke up at like 7 and thought because I cannot tell time I thought it was almost 2 and could not figure out why I am so tired. Life in India is so hectic and so relaxed at the same time. It is odd. We hang out at the apartment all morning and just chill and there is no rush and we all lie around, and then after we leave the house and his the town everything is so crazy and bustling- when the sun goes down it feels like a carnival. We walk fast and weave through traffic, except apparently we wont get hit because it causes too much commotion when foreigners are run over.
Today we all wore Indian clothes out, they are so comfy but I can't decide if I fit in or stand out more when I am dressed like this. I would wear this at home if I had it. I am in pink and purple with a purple jewel bindhi (on my forehead) and nicole is all black and and kelly is pretty olive greens with embroidery, again I will try and put pictures up soon!
We just came from the salon and I got my eyebrows threaded! It was so interesting, but fast and not too painful. I wish I could get it at home. Then I got my legs waxed too and altogether it came to 110 rupees which is equivalent to about $2.50! I think that we are going to get food and then head home. It is funny because the food has not really affected me at all, I am not getting sick and I can eat very spicy food, all with my right hand! (what they don't know is that is the hand that I wipe with ;) haha) However the pollution is really affecting me and I have a horrible throat ache and croaky voice and wheezy throat. But nothing major. Infact Vik just came in with some cough drops for me!
Anyways I am running out of time, I don't know how often I will have internet but I will try as soon as I can. I am having an awesome time and it is not a dangerous country and I am with good people, so please don't worry. I know many people are worried but it is not a scary place.
I think we are going to Delhi in a couple of days and will go to the temple and then we are going on a trip to a beach resort!
Gotta go. Miss you all loads. (well not all of you, I dont know who is reading this, but you know who you are)
xoxox
gossip girl.
i mean em.
ha.
oh.
bye
In India, flimsy leather sandals- completely optional. Barefoot acceptable.
3 days of being in India and I have forgotten how the rest of the world runs. How does anyone survive except to fend for themselves?
I don't remember what life could be like anywhere else. It is fascinating, but not as traumatizing as many people promised me that it would be.
After arriving in Mumbai myself, Nicole, Vikram (her fiancee), and Durga (his sister) spent the day touring the city until Kelly flew in twelve hours later. I got to see the Taj and took photos of the burnage. It was very blocked off though so we couldn't get too near. I want to put up photos but the internet here is slow and it is not worth but- but don't worry I am taking lots.
Anything you here about crazy Indian driving, don't believe it, because it is worse than ANYONE could ever describe. You have no idea, rickshaws and cars and vans and trucks and scooters and bicycles and dirtbikes and animals all flying down the road, no one knows how many lanes and there are no lights. No rules. Insanity. But fun.
We spent much of the day looking for Nicoles final set of jewellery for the wedding. She wanted Kundan style which is very fancy and opulent and traditionally has raw diamonds but we just got what they call art jewellery with no real stones in it. We looked in so many places and finally found it late at night at the last place we looked.
Mumbai is an unimaginably large and dirty city. It was very intimidating but I think because I was so in shock from all the lack of sleep and food that perhaps I was not really as phased as I should have been.
After picking Kelly up we did not arrive home in Pune until after 5am, and then slept in the next day. That was yesterday, we just hung out and then took an autorickshaw (so fun) into the town and shopped around a bit until we met up with Vik and his friends and went for an all you can eat dinner (less than $3) and so much food here is veg. yum. Then we went to a shisha bar that was really funky and jungly and had like semi open walls and trees and it was really neat. We got home late and I crashed.
Then I woke up at like 7 and thought because I cannot tell time I thought it was almost 2 and could not figure out why I am so tired. Life in India is so hectic and so relaxed at the same time. It is odd. We hang out at the apartment all morning and just chill and there is no rush and we all lie around, and then after we leave the house and his the town everything is so crazy and bustling- when the sun goes down it feels like a carnival. We walk fast and weave through traffic, except apparently we wont get hit because it causes too much commotion when foreigners are run over.
Today we all wore Indian clothes out, they are so comfy but I can't decide if I fit in or stand out more when I am dressed like this. I would wear this at home if I had it. I am in pink and purple with a purple jewel bindhi (on my forehead) and nicole is all black and and kelly is pretty olive greens with embroidery, again I will try and put pictures up soon!
We just came from the salon and I got my eyebrows threaded! It was so interesting, but fast and not too painful. I wish I could get it at home. Then I got my legs waxed too and altogether it came to 110 rupees which is equivalent to about $2.50! I think that we are going to get food and then head home. It is funny because the food has not really affected me at all, I am not getting sick and I can eat very spicy food, all with my right hand! (what they don't know is that is the hand that I wipe with ;) haha) However the pollution is really affecting me and I have a horrible throat ache and croaky voice and wheezy throat. But nothing major. Infact Vik just came in with some cough drops for me!
Anyways I am running out of time, I don't know how often I will have internet but I will try as soon as I can. I am having an awesome time and it is not a dangerous country and I am with good people, so please don't worry. I know many people are worried but it is not a scary place.
I think we are going to Delhi in a couple of days and will go to the temple and then we are going on a trip to a beach resort!
Gotta go. Miss you all loads. (well not all of you, I dont know who is reading this, but you know who you are)
xoxox
gossip girl.
i mean em.
ha.
oh.
bye
4.12.08
Hi Ma.
Instead of writing a horribly long community email that only a few people with ever read- and yet I feel compelled to put something at least semi personal in for each person receiving it- I am just going to keep updates of my India trip on here.
What do you think?
You can send the link to whoever you want and that way I am not responsible for making sure that all of your (my?) friends get it!
We'll see. I'll try to update it as often as possible, but since I will be out exploring, eating amazing food, and hopefully soaking up some sun, the posts may not be too frequent!
Okay, I love you.
What do you think?
You can send the link to whoever you want and that way I am not responsible for making sure that all of your (my?) friends get it!
We'll see. I'll try to update it as often as possible, but since I will be out exploring, eating amazing food, and hopefully soaking up some sun, the posts may not be too frequent!
Okay, I love you.
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