Shehrish and I went on a ‘golden triangle’ tour of Jaipur and Agra over the last two days, having already seen the third leg of the adventure from touring in Delhi earlier on our trip to India. In an attempt to familiarize myself with the social media zeitgeist of today and to save myself the mental strain of remembering everything from a tiring excursion, I ‘tweeted’ the ongoing happenings, gave arbitrary time estimations/hash-tag remarks and feel like they give an accurate, condensed summary about everything we did and experienced. I find Twitter annoying because it promotes bad grammar and most daily accounts of life are boring but I may open an account to avoid becoming anachronistic.
Jan. 29
6:59 am – Our Indian driver smells, well, horrible. #oldspicebro
9:02 am – Indians eat heavy, spicy foods (puri bhaji) for breakfast. #indigestion
9:05 am – Western toilets! But was told by a bathroom attendant that the toilet paper was only to clean the sink. I feigned a Spanish accent and ignored him. #nocomprende
11:29 am – Realized I haven’t slept on a soft, plushy mattress since leaving USA. Almost feels wrong.
12:09 pm – Jaipur: pink, hot, sandy. #indiandesert
1:46 pm – Saw camels, elephants, water buffaloes, monkeys and wild parakeets on a short stretch of highway to Amer Fort. Probably won’t happen again in my lifetime.
3:02 pm – Lost in the fort. Not kidding. Should have hired a guide
4:34 pm – At Jantar Mantar. Took a class on early Muslim science but too tired to think about astronomy and math; nice for photography. Will research later. #Wikipedia
5:19 pm – So easy to knick-knack your money into oblivion when everything is Rs. 100. At Hawa Mahal. #decorativecrap
7:26 pm – Waiters at hotel’s restaurant/bar dress like western cowboys. Highly amusing.
8:01 pm – Our waiter asks me for a piece of gum, struck me as odd.
8:17 pm – Veg pakora with mint chutney, weird but good.
9:36 pm – I ask a guy where I can buy toothpaste. He offers me opium. #yikes
Jan. 30
5:51 am – Loudest hotel I have ever stayed at; marble floors apparently have the ability to amplify the flight patterns of moths. #badacoustics
7:54 am – Continental hotel breakfast is India is comparable to average US hotel except with undrinkable coffee. #sickoftea
11:19 am – Topography on route to Agra akin to driving through rural Indiana except 1000x more people and fields of mustard instead of corn. #yawn
12:42 pm – Guy stopped our car and gave five minute spiel about how we needed to hire him as a tour guide. Said ‘no’ probably 74 different times; guy was undeterred. Offered him Rs. 50 just to leave because he frightened me with his intensity. Rejected the handout, still insisted on guiding us for Rs. 50. Nuts.
1:34 pm – Lunch at government restaurant in Gulasthan suggested by driver tastes like cafeteria food and is priced like 5-star delicacies . #disparity
2:02 pm – I’m not tipping you for escorting me to the toilet from inside the restroom. Feel like carrion to the vultures looking for handouts. Sounds harsh but unbelievable how many people are looking for your money.
2:46 pm – French people suck*
This is where Twitter fails and thoughts require expansion. Having taken social psychology, I am aware of schema models and consciously avoid falling prey to them, but riding to Fatepur Sikri on a bus full of old French people with nauseating perfume and oxidizing skin confirmed every negative stereotype I have ever heard about French people in less than five minutes. Shehrish was almost knocked over by a rotund lady who lunged forward out of turn while loading onto the bus, which caused an outburst in French followed by derisive laughter from fellow Frenchies. Upon speaking English on the bus, a couple turned around and gave us the most condescending, nose-thumbing stare I have ever gotten in my life. I muttered ‘pretentious a*******’ to Shehrish and got more stares. The ‘deranged witch’ look must be in vogue, as most of the women looked like they rolled out of bed and arbitrarily applied gel to haircuts like mine in length. Oh, and somebody lit up on a smoke-free bus. The smugness emanating from these people was palpable. Stereotypes exist for a reason; always be polite, France!
4:44 pm – Agra is best described by the image I just saw of a water buffalo covered in dust and mud struggling to pull a cart through a crumbling road. Taj Mahal gives new credence to the phrase ‘diamond in the rough’
5:31 pm – Hotel room has a mini bar with hazelnut cream wafer cookies* and Kingfisher beers. #midnightsnacking
*I’m talking about those wafer cookies that come chocolate/vanilla/strawberry in America in brick packets but oftentimes are dry or of low quality. If you find a good brand, you’ll eat the whole package and will be left wanting more. I can say unequivocally that Nutro hazelnut wafer cookies are the best cookies that I have ever had. Don’t be fooled by the name, there’s nothing nutritious about them. They’re made in Dubai and I plan on filling my suitcase with them when leaving Nepal. Imagine fresh Nutella spread between two perfect wafers but slightly less sweet, I’m almost salivating from typing this.
7:17 pm – “A teardrop on the cheek of time”, slogan in Taj Mahal prep video feels cheesy and dated. #marketingupdate
8:33 pm – Dinner of cauliflower kababs and rice, yum.
10:21 pm – Prepping ourselves for one of the wonders of the world by watching the renowned Snakes on a Plane on edited HBO. *MFsnakesMFplane!
January 31st
7:02 am – Grilled tomatoes and some sort of yellow mash made for a tasty breakfast.
7:43 am – I thought I was used to being accosted by vendors/hawkers/beggars/fake guides/rickshaw drivers etc. from yesterday
8:14 am – Taj Mahal = WOW
*Shehrish and I discussed the previous evening about what we thought it (Taj Mahal) would be like in person. I told her that my expectations were insanely high but thought that I could accurately conceptualize it. I was wrong. I have never been more visually blown away by anything manmade in my entire life. The most amazing view is right when you enter, as it seems like it is right in front of your face and it feels alive, like some sleeping giant heaving with massive breaths. The reflection from the pool adds to its grandeur and the contrasting colors of red sandstone of the adjacent mosque/tomb to the left and right of the marble structure give it an almost supernatural look. The shadows from the sunlight give it a four-dimensional feel and the sheer magnitude of the structure is realized as you approach it. We had to slip covers over our shoes to enter the mausoleum, presumably not to dirty the marble floor. Photography was not allowed on the inside but there wasn’t much to see aside from a pair of cenotaphs that were barricaded. The inside was lit with a hanging fluorescent light. Apparently you used to be able to go beneath it to see the actual tomb but it was closed off for safety reasons, as scientists believe the Taj Mahal is sinking. The Persian writings over the doorframes are gorgeous. It took around 22 years to build and I imagine people worked 24/7 throughout the construction. The ‘cheek of time’ must be fairly sizable to accommodate such a gargantuan tear. See it if you ever have an opportunity in your life; I will refund your money if you are disappointed. It surpasses all of the hype and photos cannot begin to do it justice.
I’m retiring from touring for a minimum of two years after seeing the Taj Mahal. It’s been a great three weeks of on and off touring but I can’t do it anymore and I can’t envision anything more spectacular than what I just saw. No more tombs, no more monuments, no more museums for two years. As I type this I would turn down a private tour of the Louvre from a reincarnated Leonardo Da Vinci if he were to come calling.
(I hope I used ‘zeitgeist’ correctly; I came across it in a book today and have been imagining Germans downing pints and shouting it ever since.)
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
More Observations in Delhi
Wealth Disparity-
Best captured while driving on the highway at night when we passed a bustling shantytown with illuminated store signs for Louis Vuitton and Dior visible in the background at the nearby extravagant mall. The Ambience mall in Delhi is different from the average American mall in that you can find ALL types of stores (clothing, full grocery stores, full electronics, luxury car stores etc.) under one roof. In the equivalent of Best Buy, I saw televisions for sale that were more advanced than anything I have ever seen in the USA. The parking lot of the mall was full of Bentleys, Rolls Royce’s and other high-end luxury cars that are infrequently seen in the average American city. On the flip side, the prevalence of poverty is salient in many ways. The impoverished are similar in appearance to that of Nepal, but the sheer magnitude of the population is disheartening. One striking difference between Delhi and KTM is the state of the average stray dog. In KTM, they sometimes look mangy but otherwise healthy and content; in Delhi, the average stray is mangy, emaciated and appears to be miserable.
Hand Eating-
One aspect of Nepali/Indian culture that I had resisted until recently was the eating of whole meals with one’s hand. My previous attempts were only semi-successful and I would only do it at special meals in the absence of silverware where I had no choice. I initially tried it to amuse Supreet’s helper (from Nepal), but have embraced the practice and now look forward to the ‘hand meals’ where one simply washes up and digs in. I learned that ‘rules’ and norms exist, such as eating from the edges and making your way to the center and not spinning the rice into a utilitarian ball shape, as rice balls are associated with funerals/death. It took a few meals to get the mechanics down but I am now fairly confident in my ability to eat without cutlery and not appear barbaric. The only drawbacks to the practice are that I tend to eat a lot more and I lack feeling in the fingertips of my right hand from scooping up piping hot rice.
Global Appeal of WWE-
If you had asked me one week ago to provide examples of things that are exclusive to white trash culture, professional wrestling would have been high on my list, but no more! I was shocked, humored and delighted to find a channel that airs nothing but old and current WCW/WWF matches. Scott Steiner is headlining an event in Delhi in the near future that I have seen advertised all over town and I learned that there is a sabremetric-esque campaign to get Edge inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame based on overall number of victories and accomplishments (there’s pundits, too! I don’t even remember wrestling pundits!). I wished I had known that Shehrish’s aunt’s mother is a current huge supporter as I can hold my own in any wrestling conversation, being obsessed from ages 12-16.
No Whitey-
I assumed there would be more Caucasians in Delhi based on the population but actually think KTM houses more white folk on average than does Delhi. I initially just thought I was staying in a non-tourist area but barely saw anyone of similar skin tone even at the tombs/monuments, just varying shades of brown. Perhaps they congregate at the Taj Mahaj in Agra, in which case I’ll be following suit and joining them shortly.
Women’s Tennis-
I stayed in yesterday, debilitated from aforementioned poison cheese and watched hours of the Australian Open. I don’t mind tennis but probably only see an average of five whole matches a year and only knowing winners from watching Sportscenter and other talking head shows. The women played in the morning and the men played in the afternoon and I quickly determined that women’s tennis is as unwatchable as women’s basketball. I have seen both genders play before but never in succession. It may be an open secret that nobody talks about but I don’t see how even the biggest feminists can watch the ladies play; comparatively the play seems in slow motion and is much louder from the incessant screaming. I will accept no arguments, women’s tennis is garbage and I’ll never watch it again.
Infallible Tourist Law #1
Don’t eat cheese that looks or tastes weird. I first ignored this rule in Nepal, where I ate ‘T-momos’ with a cheese sauce that seemed off to me and I got really ill. I ordered paneer chili (one of my favorites) in Delhi and it looked strange upon arrival. It normally is served spicy with vegetables but this version came in a sauce that I can only describe as ‘American-Chinese food sauce’. I spent that evening projectile vomiting Exorcist style and was completely incapacitated for 24 hours, only recovering after guzzling electrolytes. When in doubt, pass on cheese.
Mortality Flash-
I was recently on my former running route when I noticed a group of stray dogs had seemingly innocuously gathered in the middle of the street to sunbathe. I often run by 1-2 dogs several times on this route and they even look at me, but something about the scene triggered a ‘danger’ sixth sense within me. I contemplated turning around or hopping the barrier but kept forward as these dogs had never hassled me in the past. As I approached, the dogs all stood up in unison and surrounded me, snarling and growling. I instantly froze and looked for a gap but was thoroughly corralled. I dashed toward one of the larger gaps and the presumed alpha dog lunged after me, leading the chase. I sprinted for my life for an estimated 300 yards before they finally relented. Since then I have been running at a lovely nearby park where I have seen monkeys but have not yet been hassled, aside from being teased and flipped off by school children.
We will be in Jaipur and Agra from January 29-February 2, notably visiting the Taj Majal in the latter. Hope everybody is well.
Best captured while driving on the highway at night when we passed a bustling shantytown with illuminated store signs for Louis Vuitton and Dior visible in the background at the nearby extravagant mall. The Ambience mall in Delhi is different from the average American mall in that you can find ALL types of stores (clothing, full grocery stores, full electronics, luxury car stores etc.) under one roof. In the equivalent of Best Buy, I saw televisions for sale that were more advanced than anything I have ever seen in the USA. The parking lot of the mall was full of Bentleys, Rolls Royce’s and other high-end luxury cars that are infrequently seen in the average American city. On the flip side, the prevalence of poverty is salient in many ways. The impoverished are similar in appearance to that of Nepal, but the sheer magnitude of the population is disheartening. One striking difference between Delhi and KTM is the state of the average stray dog. In KTM, they sometimes look mangy but otherwise healthy and content; in Delhi, the average stray is mangy, emaciated and appears to be miserable.
Hand Eating-
One aspect of Nepali/Indian culture that I had resisted until recently was the eating of whole meals with one’s hand. My previous attempts were only semi-successful and I would only do it at special meals in the absence of silverware where I had no choice. I initially tried it to amuse Supreet’s helper (from Nepal), but have embraced the practice and now look forward to the ‘hand meals’ where one simply washes up and digs in. I learned that ‘rules’ and norms exist, such as eating from the edges and making your way to the center and not spinning the rice into a utilitarian ball shape, as rice balls are associated with funerals/death. It took a few meals to get the mechanics down but I am now fairly confident in my ability to eat without cutlery and not appear barbaric. The only drawbacks to the practice are that I tend to eat a lot more and I lack feeling in the fingertips of my right hand from scooping up piping hot rice.
Global Appeal of WWE-
If you had asked me one week ago to provide examples of things that are exclusive to white trash culture, professional wrestling would have been high on my list, but no more! I was shocked, humored and delighted to find a channel that airs nothing but old and current WCW/WWF matches. Scott Steiner is headlining an event in Delhi in the near future that I have seen advertised all over town and I learned that there is a sabremetric-esque campaign to get Edge inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame based on overall number of victories and accomplishments (there’s pundits, too! I don’t even remember wrestling pundits!). I wished I had known that Shehrish’s aunt’s mother is a current huge supporter as I can hold my own in any wrestling conversation, being obsessed from ages 12-16.
No Whitey-
I assumed there would be more Caucasians in Delhi based on the population but actually think KTM houses more white folk on average than does Delhi. I initially just thought I was staying in a non-tourist area but barely saw anyone of similar skin tone even at the tombs/monuments, just varying shades of brown. Perhaps they congregate at the Taj Mahaj in Agra, in which case I’ll be following suit and joining them shortly.
Women’s Tennis-
I stayed in yesterday, debilitated from aforementioned poison cheese and watched hours of the Australian Open. I don’t mind tennis but probably only see an average of five whole matches a year and only knowing winners from watching Sportscenter and other talking head shows. The women played in the morning and the men played in the afternoon and I quickly determined that women’s tennis is as unwatchable as women’s basketball. I have seen both genders play before but never in succession. It may be an open secret that nobody talks about but I don’t see how even the biggest feminists can watch the ladies play; comparatively the play seems in slow motion and is much louder from the incessant screaming. I will accept no arguments, women’s tennis is garbage and I’ll never watch it again.
Infallible Tourist Law #1
Don’t eat cheese that looks or tastes weird. I first ignored this rule in Nepal, where I ate ‘T-momos’ with a cheese sauce that seemed off to me and I got really ill. I ordered paneer chili (one of my favorites) in Delhi and it looked strange upon arrival. It normally is served spicy with vegetables but this version came in a sauce that I can only describe as ‘American-Chinese food sauce’. I spent that evening projectile vomiting Exorcist style and was completely incapacitated for 24 hours, only recovering after guzzling electrolytes. When in doubt, pass on cheese.
Mortality Flash-
I was recently on my former running route when I noticed a group of stray dogs had seemingly innocuously gathered in the middle of the street to sunbathe. I often run by 1-2 dogs several times on this route and they even look at me, but something about the scene triggered a ‘danger’ sixth sense within me. I contemplated turning around or hopping the barrier but kept forward as these dogs had never hassled me in the past. As I approached, the dogs all stood up in unison and surrounded me, snarling and growling. I instantly froze and looked for a gap but was thoroughly corralled. I dashed toward one of the larger gaps and the presumed alpha dog lunged after me, leading the chase. I sprinted for my life for an estimated 300 yards before they finally relented. Since then I have been running at a lovely nearby park where I have seen monkeys but have not yet been hassled, aside from being teased and flipped off by school children.
We will be in Jaipur and Agra from January 29-February 2, notably visiting the Taj Majal in the latter. Hope everybody is well.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Touring in Delhi
Shehrish and I left Kathmandu on the 14th for Delhi. The flight was simple and short and the only notable occurrence was an immigration officer smacking his head with my passport, I believe to express his displeasure that it wouldn’t swipe automatically into the system due to being bent in the middle. My Nepali debit card was declined at the duty free shop but I was able to withdraw Indian currency (IC) at an ATM outside of the airport. Supreet (Shehrish’s uncle) picked us up shortly after our arrival and we made our way to his home in Vasant Kunj, Delhi. The first thing that struck me about Delhi was the traffic. It is congested and crazy like Kathmandu with the only difference being the cars are travelling at high speeds on interstates. Almost every car on the road has scrapes and dents, which apparently everyone just accepts as a peril of driving. We eat the traditional Nepali meal of dal bhat while at their home but went out for dinner on the second night of our stay where I enjoyed the best dosa and papadum that I have had to date. We celebrated Sangita's (Shehrish's aunt) birthday the night of our arrival. We stayed in for the first couple of days and I rediscovered the joy of running when the air is relatively clean. I created a nice route utilizing a nearby field and a strip of road and found myself able to run much further than when I run in Nepal, as the air in Delhi is devoid of petrol/diesel fumes and dust. I was delighted to learn that Supreet is an avid sports fan and have spent my evenings watching soccer instead of the excruciating nightly dosage of Minute to Win It that we have been watching in Nepal. Vania, their daughter, enjoys the Indian music video channel and coupled with the buses playing nothing but top 40 Indian music I am now well acquainted with the music scene.
We set out early on the morning of the 17th for our first day of touring in Delhi. The weather was frigid and we later found out that it was the coldest day of the winter. A family friend recommended a bus service, HoHo (Hop on, hop off) that runs throughout the day to the tourist sites with a bus coming every thirty minutes. Tickets for two days of transportation all over Delhi were only IRS. 300 (about USD $6) each. Our first stop was Hauz Khas (linked for your pleasure!) and then made our way to Dilli Haat where we drank some much needed warming coffee as the weather was freezing cold outside. After lunch we made our way to Safdarjung Tomb, the first of many tombs we would see, built around 1753-1754 for the Mughal emperor. I have never been more stunned by the magnitude and intricacy of a structure; the amount of detail that went into its construction is simply incredible. We subsequently caught a bus for the Indira Gandhi museum, which was a welcome, warm reprieve from the cold weather outside aside from smelling like heated body odor. It was the first time of the trip that I felt like an ignorant American as I had only heard of her by name and realized that I know next to nothing about Indian history, modern or ancient. Seeing the marked site of her assassination was moving and somewhat morbid, much like how I felt when visiting Ford’s theatre in Washington DC where Lincoln was shot. We were going to go to India Gatenext (the only thing in Delhi I knew about before leaving America for Nepal) but found out that the grounds were closed until after Republic Day on the 26th. We had to ride the bus trail for about an hour and a half to get back to our drop off site, Qutab Minar where we got picked up and went home. The day was great and the only annoyance was discovering that I had to pay money every time I needed to use the bathroom, which I found rather inhumane. There is no specification as how to pay and the tenant told me to give ‘as I wished’. I handed him an IRS 2 coin and he scowled at me and mumbled something vulgar under his breath. Somebody contact me if you know the proper amount to give for a visit to the loo; I’ve been giving IRS 10 ever since per visit.
We got up early on the 18th to catch a ride to the starting point of the tour buses from a friendly neighbor whom we had met the previous evening. Albeit the early wake up call, I was excited as we were hitting the all of the big boys of Delhi tourism on this day. Our first drop off was at 8:30 and we were able to explore Feroz Shah Kotla all by ourselves. The sandstone structures are in ruins but were really neat to explore through the fog of the early morning. As we entered the structure a massive flock of pigeons was scattered over our heads by a ‘kite’ (India’s version of vicious aerial raptors) looking for breakfast. For those who don’t know me well, I have an irrational fear of birds of prey and the kites were plentiful at many of the sites throughout the day. Our next stop was the Red Fort, home of the Mughal Royal Family until the British ousted them in 1857. The grounds were dizzyingly vast in size and a large portion of the complex had been previously gilded and bejeweled before being stripped and pillaged by Persians and later the British. This was the first place where I wished I had a guide or a pamphlet, as I walked around the grounds in awe but utterly clueless, knowing next to nothing about Mughal history. Some book (TBD) on Indian history is now at the top of my reading list. Our next stop was Rajghat where I felt less stupid as I do know who Mahatma Gandhi was. This site was beautiful and had the prestigious, hallowed ground feel like JFK memorial, Lincoln memorial etc. Despite being filled with tourists, everything was quiet and peaceful. We had a late lunch and then caught a bus to Humayun’s Tomb, the first of the Mughal tombs, which were inspired by Persian architecture that completely dwarfed the Safdajung tomb that we visited the day before. I keep using the same adjectives to describe things, but the sheer magnitude and intricacy of the tomb was stunning and absolutely picturesque. A simple knowledge of Islam and architectural structure was sufficient to keep me mesmerized for over an hour and I have never been more visually impressed by an object in my entire life. Our final stop of the day was the Bahá'í Temple, colloquially known as Lotus Temple as the shape represents a budding lotus flower, a crucial symbol of Bahá'í faith. The structure was commissioned in the late 70’s and was finished in 1984. It was a unique stop in the sense that it was the only structure that wasn’t hundreds to thousands of years old. The temple was impressive and had a new age feel. The tenets of Bahá'í faith are quite modern and progressive which reflects in the architecture. We couldn’t photograph the interior; it was probably about what you would expect it to look like inside if you knew it was relatively empty. Aside from marble benches and an empty podium, the interior was desolate and we were requested to be silent by volunteers. The philosophy, architecture and tenets all feel nice but come off as a bit cultish. Everyone abided by the request except for a group of rude, French tourists. It was around 6:30 as we left and we took the bus back home and called it a day.
We set out early on the morning of the 17th for our first day of touring in Delhi. The weather was frigid and we later found out that it was the coldest day of the winter. A family friend recommended a bus service, HoHo (Hop on, hop off) that runs throughout the day to the tourist sites with a bus coming every thirty minutes. Tickets for two days of transportation all over Delhi were only IRS. 300 (about USD $6) each. Our first stop was Hauz Khas (linked for your pleasure!) and then made our way to Dilli Haat where we drank some much needed warming coffee as the weather was freezing cold outside. After lunch we made our way to Safdarjung Tomb, the first of many tombs we would see, built around 1753-1754 for the Mughal emperor. I have never been more stunned by the magnitude and intricacy of a structure; the amount of detail that went into its construction is simply incredible. We subsequently caught a bus for the Indira Gandhi museum, which was a welcome, warm reprieve from the cold weather outside aside from smelling like heated body odor. It was the first time of the trip that I felt like an ignorant American as I had only heard of her by name and realized that I know next to nothing about Indian history, modern or ancient. Seeing the marked site of her assassination was moving and somewhat morbid, much like how I felt when visiting Ford’s theatre in Washington DC where Lincoln was shot. We were going to go to India Gatenext (the only thing in Delhi I knew about before leaving America for Nepal) but found out that the grounds were closed until after Republic Day on the 26th. We had to ride the bus trail for about an hour and a half to get back to our drop off site, Qutab Minar where we got picked up and went home. The day was great and the only annoyance was discovering that I had to pay money every time I needed to use the bathroom, which I found rather inhumane. There is no specification as how to pay and the tenant told me to give ‘as I wished’. I handed him an IRS 2 coin and he scowled at me and mumbled something vulgar under his breath. Somebody contact me if you know the proper amount to give for a visit to the loo; I’ve been giving IRS 10 ever since per visit.
We got up early on the 18th to catch a ride to the starting point of the tour buses from a friendly neighbor whom we had met the previous evening. Albeit the early wake up call, I was excited as we were hitting the all of the big boys of Delhi tourism on this day. Our first drop off was at 8:30 and we were able to explore Feroz Shah Kotla all by ourselves. The sandstone structures are in ruins but were really neat to explore through the fog of the early morning. As we entered the structure a massive flock of pigeons was scattered over our heads by a ‘kite’ (India’s version of vicious aerial raptors) looking for breakfast. For those who don’t know me well, I have an irrational fear of birds of prey and the kites were plentiful at many of the sites throughout the day. Our next stop was the Red Fort, home of the Mughal Royal Family until the British ousted them in 1857. The grounds were dizzyingly vast in size and a large portion of the complex had been previously gilded and bejeweled before being stripped and pillaged by Persians and later the British. This was the first place where I wished I had a guide or a pamphlet, as I walked around the grounds in awe but utterly clueless, knowing next to nothing about Mughal history. Some book (TBD) on Indian history is now at the top of my reading list. Our next stop was Rajghat where I felt less stupid as I do know who Mahatma Gandhi was. This site was beautiful and had the prestigious, hallowed ground feel like JFK memorial, Lincoln memorial etc. Despite being filled with tourists, everything was quiet and peaceful. We had a late lunch and then caught a bus to Humayun’s Tomb, the first of the Mughal tombs, which were inspired by Persian architecture that completely dwarfed the Safdajung tomb that we visited the day before. I keep using the same adjectives to describe things, but the sheer magnitude and intricacy of the tomb was stunning and absolutely picturesque. A simple knowledge of Islam and architectural structure was sufficient to keep me mesmerized for over an hour and I have never been more visually impressed by an object in my entire life. Our final stop of the day was the Bahá'í Temple, colloquially known as Lotus Temple as the shape represents a budding lotus flower, a crucial symbol of Bahá'í faith. The structure was commissioned in the late 70’s and was finished in 1984. It was a unique stop in the sense that it was the only structure that wasn’t hundreds to thousands of years old. The temple was impressive and had a new age feel. The tenets of Bahá'í faith are quite modern and progressive which reflects in the architecture. We couldn’t photograph the interior; it was probably about what you would expect it to look like inside if you knew it was relatively empty. Aside from marble benches and an empty podium, the interior was desolate and we were requested to be silent by volunteers. The philosophy, architecture and tenets all feel nice but come off as a bit cultish. Everyone abided by the request except for a group of rude, French tourists. It was around 6:30 as we left and we took the bus back home and called it a day.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Sick, Camp
The frigid temperatures and polluted air of the Kathmandu valley have finally beaten my immune system into submission as I have been battling a wicked combination of high fever/bad cold for the past few days. The aspirin available at the pharmacies (paracetamol) only seems to work for a couple of hours before fading away. I spent the majority of yesterday wrapped in every blanket I could find with a hot water bag strapped to my chest and was still shivering with chills for hours with a fever in the high 102's. I have been on a regimen of homeopathic medicine since yesterday and have shown marginal signs of improvement. Shehrish's grandfather recommended a drink made from 'neem' leaves, easily the most bitter thing I have ever tasted in my life. I would pay $100 USD right now for a box of Theraflu and some orange Gatorade.
The first week of winter camp concluded yesterday and has been as fun for me as it has been for the children. I went on my first horse ride and the kids badgered the trainer to take me around at a much faster pace than the normal horse trot. It was terrifying and I don't plan on riding one ever again. I taught the kids some basic yoga on the second day of camp which may have been too intense as one camper was absent the next day due to sore legs. Making s'mores had been included in the curriculum, which would have been great if one could buy Hershey's chocolate, graham crackers or proper marshmallows in Nepal. We settled on sugar crackers (stiff, sweet biscuits), DairyMilk chocolate (too thick) and Thai marshmallows (small, pink in the middle and disgusting). Despite my opinion, the kids loved them and were lined up for seconds. One more week of camp and then Shehrish and I are off to Delhi for three weeks. Hope all is well with everybody, take your vitamins.
The first week of winter camp concluded yesterday and has been as fun for me as it has been for the children. I went on my first horse ride and the kids badgered the trainer to take me around at a much faster pace than the normal horse trot. It was terrifying and I don't plan on riding one ever again. I taught the kids some basic yoga on the second day of camp which may have been too intense as one camper was absent the next day due to sore legs. Making s'mores had been included in the curriculum, which would have been great if one could buy Hershey's chocolate, graham crackers or proper marshmallows in Nepal. We settled on sugar crackers (stiff, sweet biscuits), DairyMilk chocolate (too thick) and Thai marshmallows (small, pink in the middle and disgusting). Despite my opinion, the kids loved them and were lined up for seconds. One more week of camp and then Shehrish and I are off to Delhi for three weeks. Hope all is well with everybody, take your vitamins.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
New Year's Eve, Top People of 2011
New Year's Eve was a blast. We went to a party hosted by family friends of the Thapas from Calcutta and spent the evening conversing and dancing around a fire to loud music. Around midnight, everyone gathered at the families altar for a makeshift ecumenical 'service' where everybody reflected on the past year and gave thanks for all of their blessings, past and future. It was a pleasant alternative to watching Ryan Seacrest and hoisting up plastic flutes of generic champagne as the big ball dropped. Happy 2012, everybody. (The rest has nothing to do with Nepal stuff)
I'm a sucker for any 'top 10' list where people/events/things are compared in terms of relevancy, quality, etc. I was not informed of the cancellation of a school meeting this morning so I had a good hour to think and map out the TOP 10 (became 11) PEOPLE OF 2011 TO KYLE. I kept the parameters of my list to things that I follow (sports, headline news, entertainment) so you won't be finding any impactful humanitarians or disease-curing scientists. I follow global happenings but didn't really feel like going back and doing any research on Euro politics or economic meltdowns. I thought about ranking the list but copped out and wrote this as they came into my head. Like Time magazine does for their "Person of the Year" list, I didn't shy away from including undesirables. Oh, and I don't feel like figuring out how to image size. Deal.
Honorable Mentions/Notable Omissions:
Amy Winehouse (sadly predictable)
Any US politician (yawn, same ol')
Osama Bin Laden (largely irrelevant in recent years)
David Stern (NBA has always been sleazy)
TOP PEOPLE: (no order)
Kim Jong Il:
Impressively avoided US muscle for years (even while being included on Dubya's 'axis of evil') whilst committing countless atrocities and locking up the title of Most Insane Dictator in modern times. Did just enough right to avoid getting stomped out, had incredible taste in fashion and was one of the few who always stayed fresh by continuously outdoing his own craziness. Given his track record, he died rather anticlimactically on a train due to health. Check out his Wikipedia page for some of his notable endeavors.
Charlie Sheen:
Perhaps you forgot about the interview. After 50+ hours of flying, I landed in Nepal and logged onto the internet to find it exploding with all things Charlie Sheen. The video demands to be funny and I wasn't disappointed after having to wait nearly 40 minutes for it to load. The rest was history, and it was impossible to avoid this man for a good six weeks, as even the Himalayan Times gave daily updates and oldTwo and a Half Men episodes played on Nepali TV as frequently as Law & Order reruns. Hopefully the video hammers home the message to today's youth that crack is still whack.
Robin van Persie:
I've always been wary of dudes named Robin but had to include RVP to acknowledge his successes and thank him for scoring almost every week, making both my EPL and total goals fantasy teams stress free and profitable. I gambled on taking him because he always gets hurt but has so far avoided injury. If you need a reason to start watching soccer, turn on an Arsenal match and watch this man do his job. He single-handedly makes Arsenal relevant.
Albert Pujols:
Is baseball slipping or did I just miss out on a lot of the coverage of this? Albert Pujols, one of the greatest players ever and the best of the last 10 years, won the World Series only to walk out on his lifelong team for more money to join the Anaheim Angels and help create the MLB's version of the in-trend 'dream team' concept, amassing superstars in the hopes of winning championships like the 2011 Miami Heat and Philadelphia Eagles. It would be like Kobe Bryant ditching the Lakers or Tom Brady leaving the Pats, only it seemed like a footnote on ESPN.com. Interest in America's Pastime must be fading.
Jerry Sandusky:
I don't follow college football but grew up in Big 10 country following the Ohio State Buckeyes and all things NCAA football. Aside from bringing down the winningest coach in history, Sandusky stayed plastered all over news sites as new allegations emerged and weirder things kept happening, like his willingness to give interviews and proclaim innocence while admitting to heinous acts. Hopefully this tragedy will lead to further awareness of child abuse and more conversations between parents and children regarding appropriate conduct. The social psychological phenomena in play are fascinating as it seems like a lot of people were in the know but failed to appropriately act (see Kitty Genovese) even in the face of possible child molestation. On a side note, this man ruined one of my favorite books of all time, Catcher in the Rye, as I reread it recently and the term 'horsing around' is prevalent throughout the novel. Gross all around, shame on humanity.
Saul Goodman:
Maybe my favorite supporting actor ever, Saul Goodman is the sleazy defense lawyer from Breaking Bad. One of myriad reasons for you to watch this show if you don't already. Check him out
Tim Tebow:
Made my list not for the reasons you'd think. I hate that the media has made him into a polarizing figure and don't care about what he does or what he believes in (as I am with any athlete), but I loved his stretch of comebacks and causing the statheads to explode with fury. I would go to bed for a good month knowing that I would wake up and read about another Broncos comeback where Timmy played like crap for three quarters but rallied his team to an undeserved win in the end. I'm sure it was forced down the throats of any American sports fan but I got just the right dose in Nepal. One guy even asked me about it, if I had heard of this "Tebow guy", and NOBODY cares about the NFL. Keep on ballin', Tim.
Rappers: (Lil' Wayne, Drake, The Roots, Kid Cudi)
I had largely abandoned rap music since middle school, when a bunch of us privileged white kids bought fake ice in Washington DC and memorized the likes of DMX and Master P albums. I don't remember what got me back into it, but about half of my iPod is now loaded with rap albums, past and present. I've realized that I've missed out on a lot of good music over the past few years and have enjoyed catching myself up. Being away from America for 8 months, I can't tell if liking Drake makes you cool or lame, but I'm all in. Give rap another try if you gave up on it like I did; there's a lot of good stuff out and Lil' Wayne and Drake are incredible.
Russian Kingpins:
Roman Abramovich, Mikhail Prokorov, Vladimir Putin. I've always been intrigued by the shadowiness of Russian power and the checkered pasts of the heavy hitters. Abramovich is one of the richest guys in the world, owns my favorite sports team (Chelsea) spends with impunity and has an extremely shady past. If I could trade lives with any human being on Earth, it would be him. Prokhorov is richer, bought the New Jersey Nets, is linked to prostitution scandals and overall shady dealings, is 6' 8" and is running for president of Russia. Putin likely rigged the election, was a gangster KGB agent and is one of the scarier human beings on the planet. A big year for Russian ballers.
Muammar Gaddafi (sp?):
Had a strong run as a global fugitive before getting whacked. Nepali papers aren't hesitant to show gore, and I was twice greeted with full-page shots of bin Laden and Gaddafi, half of their faces blown off. I didn't closely follow this story, but the sentiment in Nepal was that his demise was a result of the US again being unnecessarily involved with global happenings. Unlike Kim Jong, Gaddafi was a bit too flashy and could no longer be ignored. A bad year for dictators/terrorists.
Steve Jobs:
Apple products, you know the rest. RIP Steve, love your products.
I'm a sucker for any 'top 10' list where people/events/things are compared in terms of relevancy, quality, etc. I was not informed of the cancellation of a school meeting this morning so I had a good hour to think and map out the TOP 10 (became 11) PEOPLE OF 2011 TO KYLE. I kept the parameters of my list to things that I follow (sports, headline news, entertainment) so you won't be finding any impactful humanitarians or disease-curing scientists. I follow global happenings but didn't really feel like going back and doing any research on Euro politics or economic meltdowns. I thought about ranking the list but copped out and wrote this as they came into my head. Like Time magazine does for their "Person of the Year" list, I didn't shy away from including undesirables. Oh, and I don't feel like figuring out how to image size. Deal.
Honorable Mentions/Notable Omissions:
Amy Winehouse (sadly predictable)
Any US politician (yawn, same ol')
Osama Bin Laden (largely irrelevant in recent years)
David Stern (NBA has always been sleazy)
TOP PEOPLE: (no order)
Kim Jong Il:
Impressively avoided US muscle for years (even while being included on Dubya's 'axis of evil') whilst committing countless atrocities and locking up the title of Most Insane Dictator in modern times. Did just enough right to avoid getting stomped out, had incredible taste in fashion and was one of the few who always stayed fresh by continuously outdoing his own craziness. Given his track record, he died rather anticlimactically on a train due to health. Check out his Wikipedia page for some of his notable endeavors.
Charlie Sheen:
Perhaps you forgot about the interview. After 50+ hours of flying, I landed in Nepal and logged onto the internet to find it exploding with all things Charlie Sheen. The video demands to be funny and I wasn't disappointed after having to wait nearly 40 minutes for it to load. The rest was history, and it was impossible to avoid this man for a good six weeks, as even the Himalayan Times gave daily updates and oldTwo and a Half Men episodes played on Nepali TV as frequently as Law & Order reruns. Hopefully the video hammers home the message to today's youth that crack is still whack.
Robin van Persie:
I've always been wary of dudes named Robin but had to include RVP to acknowledge his successes and thank him for scoring almost every week, making both my EPL and total goals fantasy teams stress free and profitable. I gambled on taking him because he always gets hurt but has so far avoided injury. If you need a reason to start watching soccer, turn on an Arsenal match and watch this man do his job. He single-handedly makes Arsenal relevant.
Albert Pujols:
Is baseball slipping or did I just miss out on a lot of the coverage of this? Albert Pujols, one of the greatest players ever and the best of the last 10 years, won the World Series only to walk out on his lifelong team for more money to join the Anaheim Angels and help create the MLB's version of the in-trend 'dream team' concept, amassing superstars in the hopes of winning championships like the 2011 Miami Heat and Philadelphia Eagles. It would be like Kobe Bryant ditching the Lakers or Tom Brady leaving the Pats, only it seemed like a footnote on ESPN.com. Interest in America's Pastime must be fading.
Jerry Sandusky:
I don't follow college football but grew up in Big 10 country following the Ohio State Buckeyes and all things NCAA football. Aside from bringing down the winningest coach in history, Sandusky stayed plastered all over news sites as new allegations emerged and weirder things kept happening, like his willingness to give interviews and proclaim innocence while admitting to heinous acts. Hopefully this tragedy will lead to further awareness of child abuse and more conversations between parents and children regarding appropriate conduct. The social psychological phenomena in play are fascinating as it seems like a lot of people were in the know but failed to appropriately act (see Kitty Genovese) even in the face of possible child molestation. On a side note, this man ruined one of my favorite books of all time, Catcher in the Rye, as I reread it recently and the term 'horsing around' is prevalent throughout the novel. Gross all around, shame on humanity.
Saul Goodman:
Maybe my favorite supporting actor ever, Saul Goodman is the sleazy defense lawyer from Breaking Bad. One of myriad reasons for you to watch this show if you don't already. Check him out
Tim Tebow:
Made my list not for the reasons you'd think. I hate that the media has made him into a polarizing figure and don't care about what he does or what he believes in (as I am with any athlete), but I loved his stretch of comebacks and causing the statheads to explode with fury. I would go to bed for a good month knowing that I would wake up and read about another Broncos comeback where Timmy played like crap for three quarters but rallied his team to an undeserved win in the end. I'm sure it was forced down the throats of any American sports fan but I got just the right dose in Nepal. One guy even asked me about it, if I had heard of this "Tebow guy", and NOBODY cares about the NFL. Keep on ballin', Tim.
Rappers: (Lil' Wayne, Drake, The Roots, Kid Cudi)
I had largely abandoned rap music since middle school, when a bunch of us privileged white kids bought fake ice in Washington DC and memorized the likes of DMX and Master P albums. I don't remember what got me back into it, but about half of my iPod is now loaded with rap albums, past and present. I've realized that I've missed out on a lot of good music over the past few years and have enjoyed catching myself up. Being away from America for 8 months, I can't tell if liking Drake makes you cool or lame, but I'm all in. Give rap another try if you gave up on it like I did; there's a lot of good stuff out and Lil' Wayne and Drake are incredible.
Russian Kingpins:
Roman Abramovich, Mikhail Prokorov, Vladimir Putin. I've always been intrigued by the shadowiness of Russian power and the checkered pasts of the heavy hitters. Abramovich is one of the richest guys in the world, owns my favorite sports team (Chelsea) spends with impunity and has an extremely shady past. If I could trade lives with any human being on Earth, it would be him. Prokhorov is richer, bought the New Jersey Nets, is linked to prostitution scandals and overall shady dealings, is 6' 8" and is running for president of Russia. Putin likely rigged the election, was a gangster KGB agent and is one of the scarier human beings on the planet. A big year for Russian ballers.
Muammar Gaddafi (sp?):
Had a strong run as a global fugitive before getting whacked. Nepali papers aren't hesitant to show gore, and I was twice greeted with full-page shots of bin Laden and Gaddafi, half of their faces blown off. I didn't closely follow this story, but the sentiment in Nepal was that his demise was a result of the US again being unnecessarily involved with global happenings. Unlike Kim Jong, Gaddafi was a bit too flashy and could no longer be ignored. A bad year for dictators/terrorists.
Steve Jobs:
Apple products, you know the rest. RIP Steve, love your products.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Year in Review 2011, Trip to India, New Year's Goals
2011 was probably the most interesting year of my life, immersing myself into a completely foreign environment and adapting to a different type of lifestyle. Among the things I have learned...
Street Savviness: Spending my adolescence below the Mason-Dixon line instilled
the basic tenets of southern hospitality; I took cotillion classes, learned to foxtrot and waltz, started saying 'sir' and 'ma'am' to my elders and became generally polite to everyone to the point of being passive. Acting this way in Nepal will get you chewed up, spat out and broke faster than one can say 'namaste'. I've learned to be assertive and headstrong and don't accept rudeness from people anymore. I will cross the street without waiting for cars to slow down (playing lots of Frogger as a youth has paid off), aggressively haggle with cab drivers and merchants and have learned how to handle rude people. I used to allow the bank and immigration people to speak in their brusque, vulgar manner but have learned that almost everybody will become timid and withdrawn if you fire back at them. I previously blogged about some teenagers 'siccing' a pit bull on me as I ran past; the next day, I walked up to the leader of the pack and silently stared into his face without emotion until he apologized. There's a small chance that my newfound courage will lead to me being mugged and shanked but I've learned that it's the only way to be.
Eating with Hands: Lots of Nepali people eat their meals sans cutlery, preferring to eat foods such as rice with their hand. Having large fingers made this a difficult skill to master, but I am now fairly adept with eating meals by hand. The trick is the scooping motion from hand to mouth. I still prefer to eat with forks and knives though, as curries will stain your fingernails.
Multi-Tasking: Women often complain that men are incapable of doing multiple things simultaneously and I used to easily fall into this stereotype, but teaching a room full of 7-8 years for the past several months has empowered me with multi-tasking skills that I used to think were impossible. I can handle a disagreement, teach a new subject, prepare a lesson plan and check papers all at once without blinking an eye.
How to Stay Warm: Long Johns, a new scarf and hot-water bags have proven to be essential commodities to wintertime survival. I recently have been spending more time outside in the blazing winter sun, thinking that absorbing some rays and getting some pinkness would keep me warmer at night, but found that getting sunburnt only led to shivering chilliness. Spicy food offers temporary reprieve but not as much as you would think. I always weigh the pros and cons of showering at night, as the five minutes of intense warmth are heavenly but not worth the limb-chattering coldness that sets in as soon as the water turns off. Getting into bed and clutching my fancy hot-water bag has become one of the highlights of my day.
_____
After a fairly complex ordeal at the Indian embassy with an extremely rude secretary who refused to answer my questions, I now possess the coveted Indian visa and am flying to Delhi with Shehrish on the 14th of January. Americans and Russians have to pay twice as much as any other countries to go to India but whatever. Planned excursions include everything worthwhile in Delhi, visiting Rajasthan and possibly Agra, site of the Taj Mahal. The latter is out of the way and will be costly, but I'm leaning toward making it happen as it's the bloody Taj Mahal and I'll likely never get a chance to see it again. I am really looking forward to the food, as I trend toward more Indian dishes than Nepali and I have been told that the biryani in Delhi is fantastic. Contact me if you have any suggestions as to what to do in and around Delhi.
_____
New Year's Goals:
I prefer to make goals as opposed to resolutions as they're more attainable. For example, I could resolve to be more organized and less slobbish but I'd likely fail, as altering behavior can be difficult. So my goals for 2012 include (going from easiest to hardest):
Reading at least 50 books: I estimate that I read about 35-40 books last year but still waste a lot of time at night during the week feeling my brain atrophy by watching shows like Housewives of NJ and Kardashians when I could be reading instead. Setting the bar at 50 would be an improvement and is attainable with minimal effort. I made an organized list last June of things I wanted to read, and the next 10 up are..:
Ajax, the Dutch & the War by Simon Kuper
Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Persig
In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust
Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond
The Evolution of God by Robert Wright
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Shaq Uncut by Shaquille O'Neal
The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
Breaks of the Game by David Halberstam
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
...all of which I would recommend from having read previous stuff by most of the authors.
Running a Half Marathon: A preemptive effort to mitigate the inevitable weight gain upon returning to the land of obesity and cheap, unhealthy food. Setting a running goal is daunting as I usually just jog for around a half hour but I have recently been extending my lengths and made it a good 50 minutes this morning before calling it a day. It's only 21 km; I prefer thinking of distance in metric terms as I grew up dreading having to 'run the mile' in PE class. I don't care about speed, I just want to finish it. This goal is less likely to happen than reading 50 books, but more likely than...
Learning to Cook (some stuff): From living alone in an apartment, I tried some things out but my cooking prowess is pretty much limited to boiling pasta for the proper length and microwaving the accompanying sauce, perhaps chopping up some onions and garlic to give it some panache. Every other cooking endeavor I underwent was mediocre to disastrous in quality. I don't think I'll go back to eating meat and really enjoy the foods I eat in Nepal, which means that I'll have to learn to cook them. Rice is easy enough with a rice cooker and I'm going to set the bar low by making it a goal to cook dal (lentils), tofu, vegetables and paneer the way l like it. It will be trial and error and I'll likely have to stomach some horrible results but am looking forward to trying. Real men can cook.
Publishing unedited due to lack of power, please excuse poor grammar this time. Happy 2012!
Street Savviness: Spending my adolescence below the Mason-Dixon line instilled
the basic tenets of southern hospitality; I took cotillion classes, learned to foxtrot and waltz, started saying 'sir' and 'ma'am' to my elders and became generally polite to everyone to the point of being passive. Acting this way in Nepal will get you chewed up, spat out and broke faster than one can say 'namaste'. I've learned to be assertive and headstrong and don't accept rudeness from people anymore. I will cross the street without waiting for cars to slow down (playing lots of Frogger as a youth has paid off), aggressively haggle with cab drivers and merchants and have learned how to handle rude people. I used to allow the bank and immigration people to speak in their brusque, vulgar manner but have learned that almost everybody will become timid and withdrawn if you fire back at them. I previously blogged about some teenagers 'siccing' a pit bull on me as I ran past; the next day, I walked up to the leader of the pack and silently stared into his face without emotion until he apologized. There's a small chance that my newfound courage will lead to me being mugged and shanked but I've learned that it's the only way to be.
Eating with Hands: Lots of Nepali people eat their meals sans cutlery, preferring to eat foods such as rice with their hand. Having large fingers made this a difficult skill to master, but I am now fairly adept with eating meals by hand. The trick is the scooping motion from hand to mouth. I still prefer to eat with forks and knives though, as curries will stain your fingernails.
Multi-Tasking: Women often complain that men are incapable of doing multiple things simultaneously and I used to easily fall into this stereotype, but teaching a room full of 7-8 years for the past several months has empowered me with multi-tasking skills that I used to think were impossible. I can handle a disagreement, teach a new subject, prepare a lesson plan and check papers all at once without blinking an eye.
How to Stay Warm: Long Johns, a new scarf and hot-water bags have proven to be essential commodities to wintertime survival. I recently have been spending more time outside in the blazing winter sun, thinking that absorbing some rays and getting some pinkness would keep me warmer at night, but found that getting sunburnt only led to shivering chilliness. Spicy food offers temporary reprieve but not as much as you would think. I always weigh the pros and cons of showering at night, as the five minutes of intense warmth are heavenly but not worth the limb-chattering coldness that sets in as soon as the water turns off. Getting into bed and clutching my fancy hot-water bag has become one of the highlights of my day.
_____
After a fairly complex ordeal at the Indian embassy with an extremely rude secretary who refused to answer my questions, I now possess the coveted Indian visa and am flying to Delhi with Shehrish on the 14th of January. Americans and Russians have to pay twice as much as any other countries to go to India but whatever. Planned excursions include everything worthwhile in Delhi, visiting Rajasthan and possibly Agra, site of the Taj Mahal. The latter is out of the way and will be costly, but I'm leaning toward making it happen as it's the bloody Taj Mahal and I'll likely never get a chance to see it again. I am really looking forward to the food, as I trend toward more Indian dishes than Nepali and I have been told that the biryani in Delhi is fantastic. Contact me if you have any suggestions as to what to do in and around Delhi.
_____
New Year's Goals:
I prefer to make goals as opposed to resolutions as they're more attainable. For example, I could resolve to be more organized and less slobbish but I'd likely fail, as altering behavior can be difficult. So my goals for 2012 include (going from easiest to hardest):
Reading at least 50 books: I estimate that I read about 35-40 books last year but still waste a lot of time at night during the week feeling my brain atrophy by watching shows like Housewives of NJ and Kardashians when I could be reading instead. Setting the bar at 50 would be an improvement and is attainable with minimal effort. I made an organized list last June of things I wanted to read, and the next 10 up are..:
Ajax, the Dutch & the War by Simon Kuper
Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Persig
In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust
Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond
The Evolution of God by Robert Wright
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Shaq Uncut by Shaquille O'Neal
The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
Breaks of the Game by David Halberstam
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
...all of which I would recommend from having read previous stuff by most of the authors.
Running a Half Marathon: A preemptive effort to mitigate the inevitable weight gain upon returning to the land of obesity and cheap, unhealthy food. Setting a running goal is daunting as I usually just jog for around a half hour but I have recently been extending my lengths and made it a good 50 minutes this morning before calling it a day. It's only 21 km; I prefer thinking of distance in metric terms as I grew up dreading having to 'run the mile' in PE class. I don't care about speed, I just want to finish it. This goal is less likely to happen than reading 50 books, but more likely than...
Learning to Cook (some stuff): From living alone in an apartment, I tried some things out but my cooking prowess is pretty much limited to boiling pasta for the proper length and microwaving the accompanying sauce, perhaps chopping up some onions and garlic to give it some panache. Every other cooking endeavor I underwent was mediocre to disastrous in quality. I don't think I'll go back to eating meat and really enjoy the foods I eat in Nepal, which means that I'll have to learn to cook them. Rice is easy enough with a rice cooker and I'm going to set the bar low by making it a goal to cook dal (lentils), tofu, vegetables and paneer the way l like it. It will be trial and error and I'll likely have to stomach some horrible results but am looking forward to trying. Real men can cook.
Publishing unedited due to lack of power, please excuse poor grammar this time. Happy 2012!
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Christmas in Nepal
*I'm completely free until January 2nd when I start working at a winter camp, so expect a lot of lengthy posts. I'm getting some of my older blogs published in a Nepali newspaper starting in January and will link them when they get published*
Merry Christmas to one and all. John Dewey (my school) had a staff picnic in Dolalghat on December 23rd. The plan was to leave by 7:00 am so I had to get to school before then. Of course, the bus needed petrol and the pumps don't open until 8:00 so we ended up leaving around 8:40, hooray for Nepali time. After a two hour bus ride we arrived and set up our picnic area on the bank of a river. Breakfast consisted of aloo dum and buttered bread and afterwards we moved onto playing cards. My winning streak in marriage unfortunately came to an end but I only lost around Rs. 200. Lunch consisted of rice, roasted pork for the carnivores, paneer and the hottest mushroom chilly I have ever had. I can handle spiciness really well nowadays, but this level of heat nearly caused me to vomit. Our presence brought an array of scavengers looking for scraps of food, including children, dogs, cows and pigs. I threw a scrap of pork to a pig to see if it would it eat it and it did. Who knew that pigs could be cannibals? The day was a lot of fun despite my getting really sunburnt and was a nice way to unwind after a heavy couple of weeks of teaching.
Shehrish's family threw a birthday party for Uzir on December 24th which became my makeshift Christmas celebration. Shehrish's mom even made gammon (a rich ham) with cranberry sauce, similar to the pork tenderloin that my mother makes annually during Christmas. I even tried a small piece of it, having meat for the first time since this summer when I ate lungs to show my parents that it wouldn't make them gag. The meat tasted the same to me and gave me no digestive problems. I'm considering going back to eating meat as in America being a vegetarian will be extremely difficult and not nearly as flavorful compared to the veg options in Nepal. At one point in the evening somebody's iPhone was synced to a British radio station and I got to hear all of the Christmas music that I had been missing out on. December 25th was a bit lacking in terms of a traditional Christmas day. It was nice and sunny and I was active this year, going running and doing p90X yoga, the complete opposite of my usual Christmas day which consists of sitting on the couch eating cookies and alternating between Bailey's and wine. We did go out to dinner with friends and had a big feast of momos, biryani and paneer chilly. It was certainly a different Christmas being away from family and festivities but fun nonetheless. I was even treated to live NBA action for the first time since being here, watching the Knicks-Celtics game which started around 11:00 pm here.
My gift haul this year was purely utilitarian. I requested and received a fancy 'hot water bag' through our secret Santa exchange at school, tripling the warmth of my sleeping conditions and enabling me to fall asleep cuddling a felt-sheathed bag of boiling water for the rest of the winter. One of my students got me a new backpack, as she thought my old one was "not so nice". Another student got me a new coffee mug with my pictures on it, including the photo where I am with tikka on my forehead and looking completely awkward (on Facebook). Nisha got me my first scarf since I was a child so I no longer have to borrow one of my student's pink princess ones. The only things I missed out on this year was my annual re-up of toiletries that Santa leaves me in my stocking, including razor blades, aftershave, dental floss, deodorant and cologne. I guess Santa doesn't visit the valley and I'll have to make a trip to Bhat Bhateni.
I hope that everyone enjoys the rest of their holidays and makes the most out of 2012!
Merry Christmas to one and all. John Dewey (my school) had a staff picnic in Dolalghat on December 23rd. The plan was to leave by 7:00 am so I had to get to school before then. Of course, the bus needed petrol and the pumps don't open until 8:00 so we ended up leaving around 8:40, hooray for Nepali time. After a two hour bus ride we arrived and set up our picnic area on the bank of a river. Breakfast consisted of aloo dum and buttered bread and afterwards we moved onto playing cards. My winning streak in marriage unfortunately came to an end but I only lost around Rs. 200. Lunch consisted of rice, roasted pork for the carnivores, paneer and the hottest mushroom chilly I have ever had. I can handle spiciness really well nowadays, but this level of heat nearly caused me to vomit. Our presence brought an array of scavengers looking for scraps of food, including children, dogs, cows and pigs. I threw a scrap of pork to a pig to see if it would it eat it and it did. Who knew that pigs could be cannibals? The day was a lot of fun despite my getting really sunburnt and was a nice way to unwind after a heavy couple of weeks of teaching.
Shehrish's family threw a birthday party for Uzir on December 24th which became my makeshift Christmas celebration. Shehrish's mom even made gammon (a rich ham) with cranberry sauce, similar to the pork tenderloin that my mother makes annually during Christmas. I even tried a small piece of it, having meat for the first time since this summer when I ate lungs to show my parents that it wouldn't make them gag. The meat tasted the same to me and gave me no digestive problems. I'm considering going back to eating meat as in America being a vegetarian will be extremely difficult and not nearly as flavorful compared to the veg options in Nepal. At one point in the evening somebody's iPhone was synced to a British radio station and I got to hear all of the Christmas music that I had been missing out on. December 25th was a bit lacking in terms of a traditional Christmas day. It was nice and sunny and I was active this year, going running and doing p90X yoga, the complete opposite of my usual Christmas day which consists of sitting on the couch eating cookies and alternating between Bailey's and wine. We did go out to dinner with friends and had a big feast of momos, biryani and paneer chilly. It was certainly a different Christmas being away from family and festivities but fun nonetheless. I was even treated to live NBA action for the first time since being here, watching the Knicks-Celtics game which started around 11:00 pm here.
My gift haul this year was purely utilitarian. I requested and received a fancy 'hot water bag' through our secret Santa exchange at school, tripling the warmth of my sleeping conditions and enabling me to fall asleep cuddling a felt-sheathed bag of boiling water for the rest of the winter. One of my students got me a new backpack, as she thought my old one was "not so nice". Another student got me a new coffee mug with my pictures on it, including the photo where I am with tikka on my forehead and looking completely awkward (on Facebook). Nisha got me my first scarf since I was a child so I no longer have to borrow one of my student's pink princess ones. The only things I missed out on this year was my annual re-up of toiletries that Santa leaves me in my stocking, including razor blades, aftershave, dental floss, deodorant and cologne. I guess Santa doesn't visit the valley and I'll have to make a trip to Bhat Bhateni.
I hope that everyone enjoys the rest of their holidays and makes the most out of 2012!
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