I don't know how they do it, but every single bit of food I eat here just knocks me off my feet.
The culinary art of Indian cuisine is incredible...
Oh wonderful food. I don't want to think about how sad I will be when this vacation ends.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Poverty
Nothing could have prepared me for the level of poverty that I see here.
This country is so immensely overpopulated and people just have nowhere to go.
Seeing homelessness in LA, New York and San Francisco is nothing compared to the amount of people sleeping on the streets here. Experiencing poverty in Turkmenistan is absolutely nowhere near the intensity of the situation here.
Never, have I ever seen such immense poverty at such a high level. Never have I ever seen such destitution as I see here.
It sounds like a cliche, but this country is slowly changing my outlook on this world and my thoughts as to what I will do in the future. Reading and watching this on television, and then having multitudes of disfigured, starving children reach into your pockets, begging for anything you can give them are on opposite sides of the spectrum.
Life here is mindblowingly indescribable.
This country is so immensely overpopulated and people just have nowhere to go.
Seeing homelessness in LA, New York and San Francisco is nothing compared to the amount of people sleeping on the streets here. Experiencing poverty in Turkmenistan is absolutely nowhere near the intensity of the situation here.
Never, have I ever seen such immense poverty at such a high level. Never have I ever seen such destitution as I see here.
It sounds like a cliche, but this country is slowly changing my outlook on this world and my thoughts as to what I will do in the future. Reading and watching this on television, and then having multitudes of disfigured, starving children reach into your pockets, begging for anything you can give them are on opposite sides of the spectrum.
Life here is mindblowingly indescribable.
Bombastic Bombay
Arriving in Delhi I wasn't really prepared for the madness that would ensue afterwards, because being the extremely well-planned, organized Peace Corps volunteers we are, we didn't do anything for this vacation except purchase plane tickets.
So sitting in the travel agent's office on Sunday afternoon in an effort to figure out how to get to Goa, the nice man gave us the grim news.
"I'm sorry, madam. All trains are booked."
"Do you have any flights available?" we asked.
"The only flight we have is a jet and the cost is very expensive."
"What about Mumbai?" we asked. "Can we go there?"
"I have already checked for you, madam. There is nothing available."
At this I sunk down lower in my chair and put my head in my hands.
"Well can you drive us there?" I asked.
At this the man threw back his head and laughed out loud.
"I have not permission to drive outside the district, madam. If you like, you can come to my house for New Year's Eve."
So we wandered down the street, dejected and sad until we found an internet cafe in which we used to find three cheap, available tickets on the next flight out to Mumbai.
But, as fate would have it, our flight was delayed at least three hours due to fog. So we sat and watched as the lines of people stood to board their flights to...where? Goa!
I jumped up and ran over to the SpiceJet ticket counter.
"Hi!" I said. "I just happened to notice this flight is leaving for Goa. That's where we want to go...can we change our flight?"
"Madam, this flight is already boarding. That is not possible," he said.
"But...I mean...if someone decides not to show up, could you just give me a heads up?"
"Madam you must wait for your flight. You are going to Mumbai."
"Fine," I said.
Later we noticed that our flight to Mumbai was heading to Goa after our stop.
"Excuse me," I asked again. "Our flight is going to Goa after Mumbai...can we just stay on the plane and go also?"
"Madam, there are no seats available on that flight. You are going to Mumbai."
And so it goes...we arrived in Mumbai, a plethora of beauty and amazement.
Nothing beats this place...I could spend years here and not come close to exploring as much as I'd like to. The food, the gorgeous atmosphere, this country is amazing.
So sitting in the travel agent's office on Sunday afternoon in an effort to figure out how to get to Goa, the nice man gave us the grim news.
"I'm sorry, madam. All trains are booked."
"Do you have any flights available?" we asked.
"The only flight we have is a jet and the cost is very expensive."
"What about Mumbai?" we asked. "Can we go there?"
"I have already checked for you, madam. There is nothing available."
At this I sunk down lower in my chair and put my head in my hands.
"Well can you drive us there?" I asked.
At this the man threw back his head and laughed out loud.
"I have not permission to drive outside the district, madam. If you like, you can come to my house for New Year's Eve."
So we wandered down the street, dejected and sad until we found an internet cafe in which we used to find three cheap, available tickets on the next flight out to Mumbai.
But, as fate would have it, our flight was delayed at least three hours due to fog. So we sat and watched as the lines of people stood to board their flights to...where? Goa!
I jumped up and ran over to the SpiceJet ticket counter.
"Hi!" I said. "I just happened to notice this flight is leaving for Goa. That's where we want to go...can we change our flight?"
"Madam, this flight is already boarding. That is not possible," he said.
"But...I mean...if someone decides not to show up, could you just give me a heads up?"
"Madam you must wait for your flight. You are going to Mumbai."
"Fine," I said.
Later we noticed that our flight to Mumbai was heading to Goa after our stop.
"Excuse me," I asked again. "Our flight is going to Goa after Mumbai...can we just stay on the plane and go also?"
"Madam, there are no seats available on that flight. You are going to Mumbai."
And so it goes...we arrived in Mumbai, a plethora of beauty and amazement.
Nothing beats this place...I could spend years here and not come close to exploring as much as I'd like to. The food, the gorgeous atmosphere, this country is amazing.
Next stop: GOA!!!!!!!
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Three Tickets to Paradise
In twelve hours I will be on a plane to India.
I'm going out of my mind with excitement.
New Years Eve in Goa, the Taj Mahal, curry, curry and more curry...
I can't wait :)
I'm going out of my mind with excitement.
New Years Eve in Goa, the Taj Mahal, curry, curry and more curry...
I can't wait :)
Christmas in Yoloten
December 26, 2008
For two months I've been planning a Christmas party- canning tomato sauces, freezing vegetables, etc- so that we wouldn't only be eating what's in season. I wanted it to be truly special, something that would include volunteers, my host family, students, and local friends, and it all worked out beautifully.
We spent Christmas Day baking cookies and making food, singing along to Christmas music and running around trying to get everything done. Then later a bunch of my students showed up with a giant cake singing me happy birthday- it was adorable!
We created a gingerbread house, danced, exchanged presents, and all my friends made me personalized Christmas ornaments for my birthday - it was a blast! It went on till 3am and the next day my host mother was marveling at how we Americans have parties.
"You are all talking so much!" she laughed. "You're talking, and laughing, and playing games, and it's so interesting! Here we just eat and dance, and then sit and drink tea, and it's always the same. But you guys are all over the place! It was so much fun!"
I still miss home, and I still miss sitting on a sofa in a warm home with the smell of home-cooked food and cocktails and big Christmas trees and stockings and American food, but i'm lucky to be where I am for the time being.
I love the holidays.
For two months I've been planning a Christmas party- canning tomato sauces, freezing vegetables, etc- so that we wouldn't only be eating what's in season. I wanted it to be truly special, something that would include volunteers, my host family, students, and local friends, and it all worked out beautifully.
We spent Christmas Day baking cookies and making food, singing along to Christmas music and running around trying to get everything done. Then later a bunch of my students showed up with a giant cake singing me happy birthday- it was adorable!
We created a gingerbread house, danced, exchanged presents, and all my friends made me personalized Christmas ornaments for my birthday - it was a blast! It went on till 3am and the next day my host mother was marveling at how we Americans have parties.
"You are all talking so much!" she laughed. "You're talking, and laughing, and playing games, and it's so interesting! Here we just eat and dance, and then sit and drink tea, and it's always the same. But you guys are all over the place! It was so much fun!"
I still miss home, and I still miss sitting on a sofa in a warm home with the smell of home-cooked food and cocktails and big Christmas trees and stockings and American food, but i'm lucky to be where I am for the time being.
I love the holidays.
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