Swimming in India

Planting Trees

2012-01-30T20:15:00.002+05:30

This past Sunday we took Evan's Cub Scout Pack to the Aravali Biodiversity Park in Gurgaon, Haryana. Gurgaon is a sprawling satellite city outside of Delhi, not unlike Noida. The city set-aside 562 acres of undeveloped land as a green space and natural destination for residents to enjoy. It is a huge, barren chunk of land, but the green space is sorely needed in what has rapidly become the urban chaos and hyper-construction zone of Gurgaon.

As part of earning their forestry badge, the cub scouts were invited to visit the park to learn about native species of plants, why they are important and who the trees benefit. The trees, including Neem, Peepal, Banyan, and Tamarind are all native to northern India. This re-forestation is important to help protect the arid land here from wind and water erosion and to help control the spread of non-native species. Oddly enough, one of the biggest culprita is, Mesquite. It's a thorny, shrub native to the Americas (believed to have been brought here 300 years ago by the Portuguese) and has spread like wildfire across much of northern and central India.

During a brief educational presentation, park professionals explained the many uses of the trees the boys were to plant. Extracts produced from the Neem tree, as an example, are apparently beneficial for intestine and respiratory disorders, as well as for the treatment of arthritis and many surface-skin conditions.

After a brief list of safety instructions, we were separated into small groups and hiked out on a nearby ridge to plant trees. The holes were pre-dug, and staff was present to provide help us access water, dirt and even first aid and some refreshments. The park even provided extra security for us in the form of mounted police.
As a group, the Cub Scouts and their parents managed to plant over 200 saplings during the course of about ninety minutes.

The weather was perfect for planting. The trip was a well organized, positive experienced for parents and scouts alike! The on-going project seems to be a great model for a country sorely in need of more environmental awareness, conservation and protection.

Cambodia's Angkor Wat

2012-01-18T10:13:00.000+05:30

It was good to get away from India for a few weeks. Christmas is a bleak time in Delhi. We spent our first India-Christmas in Noida, and vowed to never suffer through the damp chill and fog again. The tropics are a good bandage to wrap around our distance from family and friends back home.

A traditional meal cooked under the supervision of a British National, meters from the Gulf of Thailand doesn't hurt either...
Angkor Wat was the reason for our choice to travel to Cambodia. In many ways it proved similar to our experiences in Vietnam.. having suffered a series of wars and many, many deaths from aerial bombings and literally millions of scattered land mines. But the country is beautiful, and its people are wonderful and welcoming. And Angkor Wat was worth the wait.

The National Park, and UNESCO World Heritage Site is the heart and soul of Cambodia. It is easy to get there, well managed and enormous. Angkor Wat itself is the centerpiece of the park, but it is actually surrounded by scores of other temple complexes which stretch for many kilometers in all directions. Many are walled enclosures that have the look of fortresses. There are broad, elevated avenues to approach their many gates. And there are many small temples - monuments or tombs to lesser gods and men. All of these places range from the 10th-13th centuries.

The land is very flat here, and good signs and maps make it easy to peddle a bicycle from site to site. Or if you chose, hire a Tuk Tuk for the day (about $10) to do a grander tour and cover more distance. We managed to do both and enjoyed the unique experience of each.
A little bit of India managed to wander its way into our Cambodia travels despite our distance. The preservation and partial restoration of Ta Prohm - actually my favorite temple complex at Angkor - is being managed and funded by the Archaeological Survey of India.

We met the director and got a chance to chat with him about the ongoing work their. He laughed when he found out where we lived, because he knew Nizamuddin well. His previous position was to managed the Archaeological Survey's restoration work at Humayan's Tomb - right in our back yard! Ta Prohm is famous and frequently photographed for its Indian Jones-like appearance.

It has been intentionally left much in they way it was discovered, with huge trees and vines covering its 1,000 year-old walls and buildings.

The other famous temple here is Bayon. It's smaller in scale, but also a pleasure to photograph because of its many carved, stone faces. Audrey and Evan loved exploring its many narrow, maze-like corridors and stairways.
Lesa and I gave up trying to keep track of them in these places. We just set a place and time to meet, reminded them about safety, respect and staying together, then unleashed them out into the confines of each walled complex. They had a blast discovering the wonders of each place. And they'd occasionally spy and giggle at us through ancient windows and between tumbled stones as we each explored at our own pace.

Filming Elephants at an Indian Wedding

2011-12-16T21:45:00.005+05:30

A Short Documentary: Day Two

Okay, the second day of this little production went a bit more smoothly. A friend of a friend connected our small crew with "Tony". Tony is a wedding planner who happens to specialize in Royal Weddings. These are not weddings for Lords and Ladies or Indian Princes. No, these are just really big, very expensive, and over-the-top weddings. Think Vegas meets Jaipur.

Tony told us to meet him in a North Delhi neighborhood called Pitam Pura no later than 6pm. Delhi traffic was heavy that evening, but we managed to get there only thirty minutes late. We called Tony, who was actually not on location yet... "stuck in traffic." The wedding pavilion did not disappoint. It was massive. We passed several other pavilions before finding our destination. There is a lot of money being spent on weddings in Indnia. One of these pavillions actually had a one-third-scale Eiffel Tower in the entrance. Vegas.

Tony showed by 6:45 and gave us the drill: two elephants, eight horses, three bands, twelve guys with mobile chandeliers (connected to a car battery and, oh yes, not to worry: 'completely safe'). There were easily over one thousand guests. The parking lot was filled with German engineering: Mercedes, BMW, Audi. The happy couple were gifted two brand new cars - a big white Ford SUV, and a white Honda sedan.

We had a great time. Interviewed the Mahouts, filmed a huge fireworks display. The wedding goers danced in the street. The elephants who took money from well-wishers (Long trunks grasped each 100 rupee bill and gently passed them up to the mahout. Each elephant-driver waggled his head, gave a polite "danyavad," and deftly pocketed bill after bill as they flowed upward).

Many rupees were spent on this wedding night, and although it was crazy and loud, it was full of joy. Without a doubt, this bash was the largest wedding celebration I have ever attended. And its on film.

Day Three is scheduled for late January... so stay tuned.

A Short Documentary, Part One

2011-12-10T10:57:00.001+05:30

I kept seeing elephants and chatting with their drivers (mahouts). I researched where the urban elephants lived, what they ate, who actually owned them. We went to see Asian elephants in the wild in both south India and Sri Lanka. I became familiar enough with some of the drivers to arrange rides for visiting friends and family... There is a sadness about these animals. They are treated very inconsistently by their keepers, and must live by and swim in one of the worlds dirtiest rivers. But inspite of it all, they remain beautiful, intelligent, majestic animals.

When I found out their numbers were rapidly disappearing from New Delhi's urban landscape, I wondered if there was a way I could document what I was experiencing. Something that could be shared with others before the elephants disappeared completely from the streets of Delhi.

I floated the idea of making a short film with two friends of mine: a Croatian director, and a Nepali cameraman. I know absolutely nothing about producing a documentary film, but my friends were experienced (and liked the idea). We scouted locations and found out where to hire an HD camera and digital sound equipment. Once we sketched out a probable shooting schedule of three or four good days of filming.
The camera we use for all footage is a Sony digital EX-3 High Definition system.

Our first day turned out to be a bit of a mess. We had four locations lined up. Two fell through within the first hour of the day. A family who owns six elephants in the village of Wazirabad skipped out on us. At 8am we were standing in a dirty village street. No promised elephants on location and no family members to interview.

"Where is everyone?" we asked. "Sleeping... call Farukh after 11am." We stood empty handed and looking at one another in the street. We rushed off to a back up location. There'd be elephants if we arrived before 9am.
The second location, at the edge of the Yamuna river proved to be much better. Elephants and mahouts. We managed to record some great interviews, got footage of a Mahout giving his elephant a bath in one of the worlds dirties rivers and then filmed him painting a beautiful design on the face of his elephant, Champa

By 11am we rushed off to a third location. One of the Mahouts (elephant keeper-driver) gave us a lead on some tourists who had hired Champa for an "urban safari." More great near Delhi's famous Raj ghat Park.

By late afternoon we finally got in touch with 'Farukh', our contact for that evening's wedding location. In a gruff voice he told us the wedding would a no-go unless we forked over 8,000 rupees... It was late and we had a strict budget. So we decided to eat instead. The day ended with a some good, home-cooked Indian food at the director's house and a review of our first day of footage Day one ended at 10:15pm

Stay tuned for episode two..."Filming Elephants at an Indian Wedding..."

Polo Match

2011-11-21T11:05:00.001+05:30

We were invited by a friend to attend a polo match yesterday at the nearby Jaipur Polo Club. These Delhi polo grounds have been in existence since around 1900 (older than the city of New Delhi, which was established in 1911). As most know, polo was popularized by the British in the 19th Century and is now played throughout the world. But the game actually originates from right here in India. The first official Polo Club was established in India in 1834. None of us had ever gone to a formal match before, so we were excited to attend.

The grounds were beautiful and well-maintained. They are largely a product of the Indian Army. Because we weren't VIPs we didn't get a chance to see the inside of the clubhouse. But we did get to sit in very nice, covered seating. The crowd included quite a collection of expats, wealthy socialites and Delhi personalities.

The match was the 2011 Army Championship, so it was quite an affair. We walked along a red carpet to enter the pavilion. Many of the attendees were formally dressed. A few men wore dinner jackets with their Jodhpurs and riding boots. Some of the wives were adorned in pearls and high heels. The players were all current or retired Army officers and the game was face-paced. Audrey and Evan enjoyed watching the horses race by as the players whacked the ball up and down the lush, green field.

At the halfway mark it is a tradition for everyone to walk out onto the field for "divot stamping" (called the "tread-in" here in Delhi). Wine or champagne is served and the spectators socialize while everyone helps to smooth out the playing field by stomping on torn patches in the turf.

Can't help but love these moments... attending this polo game was another unexpected opportunity and new experience for the SayerRanch... Such a lovely way to spend an Autumn Sunday afternoon with friends and family.

November 2011 Campout

2011-11-14T10:24:00.001+05:30

Evan, Audrey and I went on an overnight camp out with Cub Scout troop 3060. Lesa and her Mom were off to Kathmandu for the weekend so the timing was perfect! This was our second trip out to Camp Wild! near the Haryana village of Dhauj. The camp is about two hours drive from Delhi.

November is a beautiful time of year to camp or trek in India. There is little rain and the chilly enough at night to enjoy a warm campfire. I can tell you Indian's don't fool around when they ignite a bonfire.

Although we were not really that far from the bustle and crowds of Delhi, Haryana seemed like we had traveled to some far off land... Camp wild is nestled in the ancient (700 million) Aravali Mountains. The peaks there have been worn down from centuries of wind and seasonal monsoon rains. The landscape is desert. Cattle and goat herders wander across broad, dusty valleys and the rocky hillsides found throughout this region.

The kids and I were able to do a little hiking, rock climbing and Evan was able to complete parts of several steps for some of his Outdoorsman and Fitness badges.

Our little adventure gave kids and I had a nice break from the traffic and crowds of Delhi... plenty of exercise, great traditional Indian food and time shared with good friends.

The Nizamuddin Dargah

2011-11-04T11:47:00.001+05:30

This is the mausoleum of one of the most famous Sufi Saints, Nizamuddin Auliya (or Hazrat Nizamuddin). (1238-1325). He is the man our neighborhood here in Delhi is named for. He believed that you came closer to God through the renunciation of the world and by giving yourself over to the service of humanity. For him, his love of mankind represented his love for God. Sufism is one of the many "flavors" of the Muslim faith. I've come to admire many of the beliefs of the Sufis. Their faith, similar to the Faith of Christianity, focuses on Love. Their music is wonderful. Worshipers often represent love through art, music and song.

We took the kids and their Grandma to see this famous Dargah last night in neighboring Nizamuddin West. Every Thursday evening there is a small concert of Sufi music for followers, Sufi music aficionados, and the curious. It's free to the public and usually starts sometime after 6pm. Last night, I would guess at least 10% of the listeners were Westerners. If you go, men should wear long pants, and women should be covered - long pants, and a scarf.

The Dargah is the focus of the local mosque in our neighborhood. The mosque has been there at least since the 12th Century. The Dargah itself is from the 13th Century.

Many Pilgrims travel to the Dargah from very distant parts of India as well as the world because it is so famous in the Muslim community. There are special areas for prayers devoted to the sick, the demented, and a special Mosque for women. Ladies are not allowed inside Nizamuddin's Mausoleum, but can bring offerings, and may pray outside.

All are welcomed here and are encouraged to listen to the music. The musicians and singers are from families who have made this music for generations. The songs are passed down from grandfather to father to son and have probably been played in this way since before the time of Hazrat Nizamuddin.

The evening was yet again, another wonderful and unique India-experience for all of us!

Why are the Streets so Filthy in India?

2011-11-03T12:28:00.000+05:30

I just came back from Sri Lanka after an enjoyable family trip. As soon as I stepped out of the impressive, new Indira Gandhi Airport Terminal I was immediately struck by the contrast India presents to its visitors. Sri Lanka is obviously much smaller and probably considerably easier to manage that India ever will be. But I have to be honest. My observations of Lanka gave me a clear impression that life is cleaner, safer, and more efficient there. And if these things are all true, Why? Could it be just because Sri Lanka is smaller and less crowded?

I love living in India. But like any place you chose to live there are things you like and admire and some things that really bug you. For me it's the mess. Why are most of the streets here so filthy? After living here for nearly three years, I believe population and caste are probably the two biggest factors that contribute to the litter and garbage that is almost everywhere.

In Sri Lanka the population (20 million) is only a fraction of India's (1.2 Billion). It's just not much of an issue there. But over-population obviously fuels India's ongoing struggles with infrastructure (stable electricity, clean drinking water, road maintenance and modernization). India is working hard to modernize and improve, but has yet to seriously address the issue of population. There's just a lot of people here and they aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

Sri Lankans have essentially rejected the notion of Caste. Probably because that country is predominantly Buddhist. I have witnessed few beggars, and after traveling through many small towns and villages, I have seen very few desperately poor Lankans. But is this why Sri Lanka is visibly cleaner? It's not that there seem to be less poor people in Sri Lanka. I believe its about personal responsibility. I think India's willingness to accept caste conveniently simplifies what people perceive to be as their personal responsibility.
Litter is the easiest example of this. And the topic of litter gets me back to the thing that really bugs me about India. In Sri Lanka I have never witnessed someone drop trash on the ground. Sri Lanka is not without litter, but Lankan streets and public spaces are generally much cleaner, better groomed and more well-maintained than India's.

Here in India I have seen hundreds and hundreds of people drop trash on the ground without any hesitation or care. Personal drivers have littered right in front of me. Wealthy Indians on safari (right inside India's beautiful National Wildlife Preserves) have tossed empty plastic bottles and snack wrappers while standing next to me. Policeman, college students, businessmen and women, even Catholic nuns -- they have all been active participants in dumping personal trash on the ground in front of me. Often I confront them on the spot, but 1.2 billion people can generate a lot of curb-side garbage. I know not all Indians believe or value this age-old idea of caste, but I blame your mess squarely on your society's anachronistic belief that some people are above certain duties. Tell me, is it really someone else's responsibility to deal with the litter you or your organisation has discarded? (What do you think?)

Every place I have ever been (with the possible exception of Singapore) has its own share of pollution, and litter... Americans sadly still litter, and we certainly need to drive less, buy less and use less packaging. But our streets, neighborhoods and public spaces, like Sri Lanka's, are generally cleaner. Europeans certainly need to smoke less, and the Chinese have had a knack for quickly adopting many of the West's bad behaviors. India wants its rightful place on the worlds stage - as it should have. But she will never be an equal partner in the eyes of outsiders until the population here acknowledges the visual mess it presents to the world.

I believe it's not a problem for your government to solve. Government can help though public awareness, but to actually eliminate the waste - the trash that is just about everywhere... That is all about acknowledging personal responsibility. If there is a dustbin, please use it. If there isn't one, hold on to your garbage until you find one. Take charge. Don't just clean up your yard, clean the street in front of your house (or if you can afford it, pay someone to do it for you). Organize your neighbors to clean up and maintain your block, your neighborhood park. If you think it looks messy, I REALLY think it looks messy. And above all, if you see someone else litter, give them a hard time about it. It's not someone else's role to do it for you.

Like it or not, until these habits improve, I believe places like Sri Lanka will always look brighter and cleaner to her visitors. Lankans may even be a little happier despite their own share of the world's problems.

It's What?

2011-10-20T17:24:00.000+05:30

Okay, We've been living in India for nearly three years... and buying milk here all of that time. For the first few months we were nervous about almost everything, so when it came to milk we bought the safest alternative - milk in a processed box with a shelf-life of 12 months. But milk in this form is about three times the cost of local milk and it really doesn't taste very good.

As with most things, we got over our milk-anxiety and started buying it the way most people get it here - in little plastic pouches from the neighborhood Mother Dairy stand. Their milk is delivered fresh each morning and it comes in a variety of forms - slim, creamy (double toned), really creamy (toned), and full cream. Three years, right?...

photo credit: C. Hildreth

Cows are everywhere in India, so of course I assumed what we were drinking was, well... cow's milk. Nope. Yesterday we found out what we've actually been drinking is buffalo milk. That's right, Water Buffalo.
Hmmmm... I suppose that does explain that oddly musky flavor.

Namaste, y'all.

Suburban Camping

2011-10-17T16:08:00.000+05:30

Evan and I had an overnight camping experience with his Webelos Den... It was a good trip for the boys, but also a new experience for me... the first time I had witnessed a truly "Suburban" lifestyle in India.

The "camp" was in one of the scouts' backyards - graciously offered up to us by his parents. It was located in a neighborhood called Sultanpur. It's a residential area in SW Delhi where there are multiple residential developments with properties quaintly referred to as "Farm Houses" here. I was expecting a few cows, horses, a barn... at least maybe some chickens wandering about the place.

Nope.

A "farm house" is essentially an American or European-style home on a plot of land that has 1-3 acres of yard... suburbia.

Granted these are very nice suburban neighborhoods. The streets are swept and manicured (no piles of garbage or wandering livestock) Many are gated, and all of the properties within these developments are walled compounds with guardhouses and multiple forms of security. Our space had a nice California-style home, gardens, an in-ground pool and a cottage in the back for staff. Oh, and it takes a lot of staff... These "farmhouses" have multiple guards (at least 4 to cover 2 twelve hour shifts), 2-3 gardeners to manage the landscaping, housekeepers, 1-2 drivers, a cook and typically an ayah (nanny) if there are small children at home. That's quite a payroll!

Once I recovered from the "Farmhouse" reality, the campout was a whole lot of fun. Our hosts provided a lovely yard to pitch the tents in, we had access to a poolhouse for toilets, and washroom. There was clean drinking water, Tang, coffee and hot cocoa and the gardeners had collected plenty of wood for our campfire/cookfire. The weather was perfect... warm during daylight, cool and pleasant at night. The night-sky was clear and the moon was bright! After the boys settled down to sleep, the Dads had a few moments to relax a bit.. We sipped red wine, and had a taste of scotch and smoked cuban cigars by the glow of the campfire.

Webelos are responsible for learning how to pitch and take down their own tents, cook and clean up at mealtimes and maintain campfire safety. So the campout was a good learning experience for Evan and his friends. Of course it also showed me there is still much to learn about all of the possibilities associated with life and living here in India.

Rooftop Bakery

2011-09-28T10:36:00.000+05:30

A friend and I decided to explore the streets of Old Delhi with our cameras the other day. We'd both been there many times before, but this historic area is a place that always manages to offer the unexpected. The neighborhood is full of narrow alleyways, crowded market streets, and an odd assortment of shops, cafes and places of worship. If you know where you're going and are comfortable diving into the crowds, Old Delhi is best to explore on foot.
For some reason that morning we wound up on a rooftop five stories above the street level. We wanted a "bird's-eye" view and quickly found one above the spice market district in Chandni Chowk.
Our eyes first drifted to the horizon.

The massive Jama Masjid Mosque could be seen through the haze in the distance. It's very impressive and draws crowds of pilgrims from all across India (and the world) each day.
Our interest was next drawn below to the crowded market streets. These are almost always busy, each filled with sellers, buyers, shippers and shoppers. Scores of hand carts, day laborers and stockpiles of canvass-covered bales make the scene look like something from a much earlier era.

While observing the controlled chaos of the street below we heard an oddly repetitive sound. Not quite a banging, more of a repeated "bump, bump, bump - slap!" We worked our way around the edge of the roof until we discovered the source of the noise. A young man was working, perhaps two stories below on a neighboring rooftop. He was hunched underneath an improvised bamboo shelter, pushing, rolling and slapping dough with his hands. We had discovered a bakery!

The baker was very strong, his back was glistening with sweat from the motion of his hard work. He moved in a constant rhythm and was surrounded by hundreds of dough-balls and scores of flat disks called papad. The results of his efforts were neatly laid out in many rows across large flats of bamboo where they baked in the midday sun.

Papad is a thin, crispy disk (roti) made of besan flour (chick pea), black pepper and other spices. Traditionally eaten with biryani, they are also served as an appetiser or snack (namkeen) before, during and even after meals.
I've eaten and enjoyed papad many times, but it never once occurred to me that these crispy treats were baked beneath the hot, Indian sun on a rooftop in the middle of Old Delhi.

Gardening in India

2011-09-13T11:22:00.000+05:30

I've managed to kill every household plant. No amount of water, fertilizer, fresh soil, or TLC has helped. I've tried three times... changing plants, talking with local nursers. The sun is too intense in summer, the monsoons are too wet. It's too dry in fall. I'd all but given up.

"If you want little garden, why don't you just hire a gardener?" a friend suggested. Did I really want someone else knocking at the door each week? But our balcony was ugly and empty and the weather is slowly getting cooler. I knew it would be really nice to be surrounded by a little greenery while sipping a hot cup of chai on a cool, fall morning...

I relented. The "mali"charges me $4 a month. A mali is a local gardener and essentially a plant expert. He went with me to a nearby nursery. It was nestled in the shade down on the steamy banks of the Yamuna River. After selecting some hardy-sun tolerant plants and a little price-haggling, we bought six for about $12 (including a bag of mulch). Lord knows what was actually in the mulch. The nurser threw in a seventh plant (Tulsi) for good luck - supposedly because he liked me... I figured he probably just a felt a little guilty because I'd already paid too much...

We returned to the apartment. My mali carried the plants up and immediately set himself up to work. (I already had the pots from our previous flat in Noida, so didn't need to purchase any.) First the mali poured the existing soil from my pots into a pile. Then he did the same with mulch from a burlap sack. Two neat piles were standing in the middle of the marble floor of our front balcony. He mixed these together using a flat, metal tool and wonderful circular motions with his hands.

Next the mali used bits of broken pots and small stones to create a layer for drainage in the base of my seven pots. A plant was gently set into the center of each. His soil mixture was then expertly tilled around the young plants. He swept up and told me not to water my new plants for two days. He would return in three to check on them. He would trim them after a week.

True to his word, in three days there was a soft knock at our door. It was my mali. He quietly entered, watered each plant and then re-tilled the soil in each pot. Four days later he returned again and did the same. He trimmed the ficus and my basil.

Finally, with a satisfied look on his face the mali told me I'd done a good job: "Hanjee, Acha, acha." (Yes. Good, good).

What he really meant was, "thank you for not over watering the plants..."

Riding Bare-back

2011-08-26T12:01:00.002+05:30

I've told you how much I love elephants. My interactions with them include some of my favorite memories of life here in India. Although it is admittedly controversial, there is something magical about mixing an elephant with the urban landscape. Seeing an elephant squeeze between a city bus and a line of bicycle rickshaws... there just aren't many places in the world where you can witness such a scene.

My fascination with these giant mammals recently led me on a little investigation. How many of them were kept in New Delhi? Where did they live and who took care of them? Pachyderms are not easy to keep healthy. What did they eat and how did the get enough water?

Here are some quick facts about my Asian elephant friends... They are an endangered species. There is an estimated 26,000 of them currently living in south Asia. They weigh up to five tons and can be 3 meters tall and 6 meters long. Asian elephants spend about 16 hours each and every day eating. They eat 200-300 kilos of fodder a day and drink as much as 100 liters (that's 25 gallons) of water per day. Did I mention baths? They need to bathe at least twice a day. (I have a few friends in that category)...

Champa, who was gracious enough to let me ride her bare-back, is 35 years old. She's a sweetheart who weighs about 3 tons and will probably live to be between 60 and 70 years, provided her Mahout (driver & keeper) takes good care of her.

There are two big problems for the few elephants who remain in the city of New Delhi. Finding enough water that is actually safe to drink, and mistreatment by the men who care for them. There's evidence of repeated beatings, and malnutrition. The Mahouts care for their elephants in ways that have been passed down to them by previous generations. Many of the same families have been caring for elephants since the time of the Mughal Emperors. It's a cultural phenomenon. And elephants are expensive to keep. It costs a lot rupees for mahouts to provide a proper diet and routine medical care.

Fortunately, (or unfortunately) the business is booming. Elephants are all the rage at weddings, birthday parties, and even baby showers. Elephants are the living manifestation of the Hindu god, Ganesha. He's the remover of obstacles and a bringer of good luck. Definitely in demand these days.

With education and the support from NGO's like the World Wildlife Fund, the Wildlife Protection Society of India, and to a lesser degree, the Indian government, there is some hope. Despite some abuse and neglect, the seven elephants I've had the fortune to observe, work hard, but seem happy. They are able to roam freely when "off duty" and have access, during monsoon, to cleaner waters.

Indians love their elephants at least as much as I do - for both the religious and cultural legacies they represent. The government needs to work harder to create a safer urban haven and allow the animals access to cleaner, more abundant water during the drier summer and winter seasons.

I recently took some friends on a bareback, urban safari... It's definitely a unique experience to be around them in such an odd, natural setting. For me, elephants are a joy to be near. But this won't last long unless something is done so they can more safely co-exist in the concrete world that surrounds them. Based on a recent census, there are now probably less than twenty elephants living and working in the National Capital Region. That's apparently down from forty just a few short years ago...

Namaste, Y'all.

Life in Two Worlds

2011-08-09T12:35:00.002+05:30

Sorry for my two-month lapse in posts... I needed to step away from the blog for a time to get some new perspective on our lives here in India. We've now extended our stay for a second time. Although we miss many things about life at home, we're obviously comfortable with what our lives have become in India. A summer trip home to visit friends and family helped us reflect on the two very distinct worlds our family enjoys.

During the trip we covered about 4,000 miles by car (leaving an enormous carbon footprint in our wake). The miles gave us a lot of time together as a family. Soaking up the American culture all around us, we had many conversations about the differences between our lives in India and our lives in the US. Some of these differences are a little difficult to explain unless actually experienced, but I'll try to share some recent observations.

Peach Cobbler
We made cobbler at my Dad's in the mountains of North Georgia. The peaches were large, juicy and freshly picked. They reminded me a little of the large, juicy mangoes we can get in Delhi. The experience sparked a kitchen conversation - couldn't we make the cobbler in India, my Dad asked? We explained there aren't really great peaches there... you can get them, but they are typically scrawny, not juicy and either under-ripe or mushy from sitting in the sun too long.

"Can't you just buy some frozen ones in the supermarket?" my stepmother asked.

Supermarkets? Not really. Just a few over-priced, air conditioned stores (think Delhi's Khan Market) that cater to Expats and wealthy locals. Frozen food is often unreliable because there is no constant source of power. Our neighborhood grocery shop is a 12'x30' stall that is open to the street. There's no air con, one freezer case for the ice cream and 2 upright cases for cold drinks and dairy products. The shop has pretty much everything we need, but no frozen peaches. We usually buy fruits and veggies each day from our street-corner cart-vendor.

Highways
There are some highways in India. A few are actually quite modern - the connector road Lesa takes each morning from Delhi to Noida for work is one such example. But the roadside surroundings are vastly different.

In the US, highways typically wander through open country side. Tall forests grow along their sides, wild flowers fill the medians. There is very little trash to be seen strewn on the side of the highway. Road repairs and construction are well-marked. The roadway is well-defined.

India's major routes are lined with villages and towns one after another. With few exceptions, trash is strewn everywhere the eye can see. Flyovers are slowly being retro-fitted in some areas ,but highways go right through town-centers. Travel quickly comes to a halt because of heavy pedestrian and animal traffic across the roadway (think NH2 to Agra, and NH8 to Jaipur). There is little signage about construction. A neat row of rocks or a few green branches laid out across torn pavement may be your only warning. Driving in India is challenging, rarely picturesque, but always entertaining.

Grilling
In terms of food preparation (remember, HouseBoy is the family cook) the outdoor grill is one thing I miss. There just aren't any to be found easily for home use. It's a man thing at home. In India men don't cook. Most middle class women don't either - they have a servant do it.

Cooking is done strictly on a stove top - unless you are wealthy enough to have an oven. I would guess less than 1% of Indians actually own an oven. I make do with a 2 burner CNG stove (think Coleman camping stove) and a small electric oven (think big toaster oven). We eat meals that are healthy, fresh and in season, but if you asked the kids, they'd probably say our menu gets a bit repetitive sometimes. I'm working on it.

Indoor Climate-control
I see this as maybe one of the biggest failures of the west - particularly in the US. In India, unless you've got a lot of money to burn, or live on a large Embassy compound, there just is no central air con in the home. There's no heat in the winter either. (Of course winter only lasts about 5 weeks in Delhi anyway.)
We use room A/Cs in summer, space heaters when it's chilly. Our building's power system can only handle 2 units running at once, so no more than two rooms are ever cooled at any given moment. The kitchen, our bathrooms, and the stairwell do not have AC. Because it's so hot in the summer months, we don't turn on our water heaters. Cold showers only. The bathroom is 90 - 100 degrees and has the humidity of a tropical jungle. The kitchen, with the stove or the oven going can easily reach 120 degrees - I drink a lot of water when I cook. In the winter we wear warm socks and sweaters and drink a lot of hot tea.

Some of these challenges actually make a lot of sense. In Texas we routinely cool down 5,000 sq ft. homes - every room in the house gets chilled whether it's occupied or not. We love hot showers in the summer too - because our bathrooms are chilled with A/C. In the winter it's the same - everything is heated whether we use each room or not. My guess is a lot of this is changing out of necessity. After all, necessity is really what drives many of the differences we've learned to adapt to in India.

Water Use

There is not a lot of clean water here in India. Something I definitely take for granted at home. My wife said to me while we were staying at her mom's - she loved taking a long hot shower. Letting the water run over her, warming the bathroom and filling it with steam. I smiled at the thought, because I'd just enjoyed a similar experience earlier that morning...

We'd never do that in India:

Rinse, switch off, lather, switch on, rinse. Done.

You never know when the tank will run dry...

Namaste, Y'all.

Museum of Toilets

2011-06-09T19:18:00.011+05:30

I know it sounds strange, but today we visited the International Museum of Toilets located here in New Delhi. Really.
Audrey's Canadian friend, Alexis joined us for this adventure... The museum is managed by an India-based NGO called, Sulabh International. The organization's mission is to develop low-cost, reusable, disposal systems for human waste. The systems actually pretty interesting. They are designed to range in cost from about $20-200 per unit.

The designs use local materials like wood, brick, stone, or even concrete made from bacteria-free, recycled human waste. Sublabh's proven concept eliminates the escape of greenhouse gases, and removes the need and cost of transporting waste. The majority of the waste is recycled locally into 99.9% bacteria-free fertilizer. Units have also been designed and successfully built to capture and distribute bio-gas for local use in cooking, lighting and heating.
The museum provides a guided summary of the 4,500 year old history of toilets. (beginning with the Indus Valley civilizations and winding its way through Egypt, Rome, Europe, England and the Americas) The history toilets culminates with NASA's high-tech vacuum systems used by astronauts and cosmonauts on the International Space Station. The staff and scientists at Sulabh shared their ideas about the future of simple, yet proven biodegradable and sustainable technologies.
In the past 25 years, Sulabh International has constructed some 650,000 twin "pour-flush" toilet systems in India and the developing world. Within India alone, it is still estimated that over 600 million people continue do their "business" outside because of cultural habit or because they do not have access to sanitary, functional facilities.
Human waste is huge issue for public health and safety, and continues to be one of the main contamination sources of public drinking water. The problem persists throughout other parts of the world including Africa, many parts of South Asia, Central & South America and throughout rural Pacific island nations..
For more info on Sulabh Interational and their innovative sanitation, power and human service initiatives, go to:

http://www.sulabhinternational.org/

It may be toilets, but its important, and curiously fascinating stuff.

The Video Shoot

2011-05-24T12:15:00.011+05:30

My Canadian friend, Mark and I got to do a video shoot last week. The phone rang and a voice asked: "Can you play a part in a "Scratch Video?"
I'm sure there was a long pause before I gave the voice an answer.
It turned out to be Priyam. She works at a company that I had done voice-overs for in the past.
So I said: "Sure, I guess so."

Then Priyam asked: "Do you have a friend who can do it with you?" There must have been another long pause.
"What exactly is a scratch video?"
"A demo. This is a video of a talk show we're planning. You'll be the person being interviewed and your friend will be the Interviewer."

"You know I'm not an actor," was all I could say. "I do voice-overs."
"Do you have a friend who can do it?" I thought of Mark. He's been in India for 6 years. He speaks Hindi and has even done a scene in a Bollywood movie. Poor Mark.

"Yeah." I said, fumbling for his number, still confused.
"Have him call me and I'll send you the script."
Another long pause.
"We shoot tomorrow at 12:30. It'll only take 20 minutes." Priyam hung up.

I got the script and it was longer than I had imagined. Mark's character asked a few questions, but my part was the "Criminology Expert." My character was an ex-cop and had lengthy responses to Mark's one-liners about correctional facilities, recidivism rates and judicial procedures.
Recidivism? I had to look that up on Wikipedia.

In the morning I was a nervous wreck. I'm not an actor. I'd gotten to be pretty good with audio, but video... I look like a middle-aged hack with bad posture, caught in on-coming headlights. I was sure Priyam just wanted to meet her requirement to have two western looking guys sitting in the studio chairs.

I called her.
"You'll be fine," she said. "I'll make sure we have a teleprompter. See you at 12:30."There was no teleprompter.
The studio was in the basement of someone's house in South Delhi. Everyone there was nice. Priyam gave us each a glass of water and a script. The font was slightly larger than the one she'd emailed me. But the text was grayed out as if the script had been highlighted in yellow, but printed out on a black and white printer.

"Can you make the font larger so we can read it? Maybe get rid of the gray?"
The crew wagged their heads from side to side - Priyam, the sound man, the camera man and the project coordinator. Beads of sweat were forming on my forehead despite the AC chilling the room.

"Here, just put it on the table." Priyam said. "It will be close there."
"But I told you, I'm not an actor. I'm not very good at memorizing lines."
Everyone wagged their heads again. I looked at Mark. I was afraid he was going to wag his head from side to side.

"Let's do it."

It took the crew about 15 minutes to realize what we really needed were cue cards. The project leader wanted the lines read exactly as printed. A second script appeared for me. The font was in a larger size and Priyam offered to hold it up for me. But then she kept getting in the frame. Finally an old microphone boom was dragged out onto the set to act as a "teleprompter." My script was clipped to the boom and we were ready for business.They filmed me for 30 minutes and then it was Mark's turn. Of course he had tried to memorize his lines, but the crew wanted precise dialog.
"Do you think you could do the same for me?" he asked. I could hear the frustration growing in Mark's voice. There was another chorus of wagging heads. And a long pause.
He sighed: "Same deal. Bigger font. Hang it on the boom."

The crew filmed reaction-shots and then Mark's new, bigger, whiter script appeared. We were almost done.

The experience ended with us all sitting in a circle of chairs surrounded by video and sound equipment sipping masala chai and munching on biscuits."We'll call you if something else pops up," Priyam said smiling.
I shook hands with her and wagged my head:
"Why not?

Escaping the Heat

2011-05-17T17:11:00.007+05:30

It's been really hot in Delhi... topping 100 F degrees for several weeks now. Today was a particularly ugly 111 F. When you are used to the convenience of central air conditioning these temperatures are certainly manageable... No such luck here. Only room air con and unpredictable power outages.
Thankfully, We managed to escape the heat for three days this past weekend by taking the train to Dehradun and a taxi up to the town of Mussoorie. The temperatures were 3o degrees cooler, the sky was fresh and clear and the mornings were cool and crisp!
Lesa's cousin, Hannah was along for the ride, enjoying a two week visit and also happy to get out of the heat. This was the second time we visited Mussoorie - such a great place to relax. Walking the Victorian paths, seeing the snow-covered Himalayan mountains in the distance, eating fresh momos (Tibetan dumplings) and chicken soup

Mussoorie is a bit of a remnant of the British Raj era, choc full of flower gardens, Victorian wrought iron railings, gates and cute mountainside cottages. Wish I was still there...

Easter near Rishikesh

2011-04-26T11:53:00.012+05:30

The Beatles went there for spiritual enlightenment... why not the Sayer family? Rishikesh is famous for Hindu Sadus wearing saffron colored robes and its many ghats and temples lining the edge of the holy river Ganga.
The town's narrow alleys are full of the smells of incense and cow manure.
There are crowds of pilgrims from all corners of India. Scores of earthy, western travelers who can be seen toting bpa-free water bottles and expensive yoga mats while longing for inner peace and the discovery of a cheap, organic veg meal.
This part of the Ganga (Ganges) river passes through the state of Uttarakhand.
The river descends through the lower foothills of the Himalayas making the area famous for whitewater rafting and trekking. We traveled with another family by air-conditioned train to the city of Haridwar - the "gate of Heaven." From Haridwar we went on by car through Rishikesh and up into the Ganga River valley northeast for three days of rafting, kayaking and camping. Our outfitters provided all of the equipment, meals and local transportation for this weekend. Over two days we traveled a total of over 30 km on the Ganga River by raft - where the largest rapid (at this time of year) was rated a 3+ on the scale of difficulty. The company was pretty good - using kayak safety spotters and providing a guide in each of the nine boats in our group. For safety, the children had to get out of the raft twice to avoid the worst sections of rapids. We all enjoyed the sometimes wild ride and jumped in the water between rapids to cool down in the river's icy, glacial waters.
Easter morning was celebrated with the kids - Audrey, Kunchen, Evan and Siddhi, searching for chocolate eggs amongst the rocks in our riverside camp. We rafted and swam during three hot sunny days. We ate traditional Indian dishes and freshly made Roti under a large tent. And for two cool, starlit evenings we roasted marshmellows and drank wine and cocoa by the bonfire.
It worked for us... just north of the tangled alleyways and hubub of Rishikesh, we found a touch of inner peace and the joy of Easter while keeping our toes dipped into the holy mountain waters of the Ganga.

Vietnam

2011-04-18T10:19:00.015+05:30

It was the kids' Spring Break from school so we decided to escape India for the week and explore a new place. Vietnam had been on our list of 'must do' trips after so many positive reports from friends. Geographically, it is a very long country, so we decided to just head to the northern part via Hanoi. We pulled Audrey and Evan out of school for a couple of days to make the event a full 12 day journey. Our adventures started almost immediately. Our carrier, AirAsia missed our connection in Bangkok (the plane departed Delhi 1 hour late) so we wound up with a "bonus day" overnight in that lovely city. We had to reschedule for the next morning's flight to Hanoi. It worked out fine, since we already knew of a hotel (Lamphu Tree) and had a destination in mind to fill our unexpected day.

We took 2 water taxis from our hotel to Wat Arun a large Buddhist Temple complex we didn't have time to see on our 2010 visit to Thailand. Of course we made the most of out 24 hours and sampled grilled meats, local foods and re-explored some of Bangkok's many outdoor markets...

The adventure continued when we arrived in Hanoi. I had my visa on arrival paperwork, but managed to forget our passport-sized photos - one of the requirements for American entry into Vietnam. The line was long and the green-uniformed Vietnamese looked decidedly Stalinesque. The uniformed woman who listened to our plight just smiled and took us to the front of the line. She grabbed a digital camera and took the photos right there in the immigration terminal in front of a crowd of 3o other international visitors. Thankfully, forgetting our passport photos only cost an extra US$2 and got us to the front of a long line.

Our time in Hanoi was cut a little short due to the connection mishap, but we still managed to tuck in a little sightseeing.

The highlights included the famous water puppet theater near Hoan Kiem Lake, and the ancient (1075 AD) cloister of buildings now called the Temple of Literature. This was Vietnam's first University.

From Hanoi we traveled 14 hours south by sleeper train through the old 'DMZ' to Danang and out farther post south on this trip, the sea-side town of Hoi An. We had our own cabin and 4 berths. It was clean and the trip was decidedly smoother than our similar experiences on Indian and Sri Lankan trains.

Hoi An old city has become an UNESCO World Heritage site. There are quite a few tourist (mainly French, Australians and Americans) here. The town is being very developed for tourism, but is still a perfect place to relax, have a beer (bia), a bowl of pho (traditional noodle soup) or baguette sandwich.

The beach is only 5km away - a 15 minute bike ride. We rented bicycles on 3 of our six days and spent late afternoons in the sand and waves. The kids and I made new sand-structures each day and jumped in the big waves of the So. China Sea. It's a long stretch of beautiful beach, extending from Hoi An north to DaNang. This 20km stretch includes the famous China Beach.

One of my favorite activities was the cooking class we took. We learned how to make 3 traditional dishes: Pho Ga, (chicken Noodle Soup), Cau Lao (a local Hoi an Specialty - pork and noodles) and fresh spring rolls. All a relatively quick and easy to make and very healthy!

We took a day trip by bus and boat to the Ancient Champ (4th Century Hindu) religious center of My Son. The place was somehow familiar to us, since these temples refect the style and beliefs of their builders from South India. Ganesh and Shiva are intermixed with images of Yin and Yang (Linga and Joli) symbols of masculine and feminine. Our Vietnamese guide made it clear that much of the site, including a massive 24 meter tall temple (only the base remains) were destroyed by B-52s in the Tet Offensive of 1968/69. He noted that the Viet Cong unfortunately used the isolated My Son Valley as a refuge from American forces. It was part of a network of trails used to resupply NVA soldiers during that war.

The next leg of the trip took us on a 3 hour bus-ride to the Ancient Imperial capital of Hue. Unfortunately, much of this city was destroyed during 2 twentieth century wars - in 1947 and in 1968, but enough remains to celebrate its unique history. We visited the great walled portion of the city that was once the "Forbidden City" of Hue. Similar in many ways to it's counterpart in, Beijing, this Forbidden City was home to the last of the Vietnamese Imperial Dynasties: the Nguyens.

After just one night and a quick tour of Hue we traveled back north to Hanoi and our final destination - the unique and very beautiful, Halong Bay. We spend parts of 2 days and one night exploring some of the channels and 2,000 limestone islands that make up the bay. Our hosts on the boat were kind, despite having left our overnight bag on the curb at the harbor (We managed to recover they bag after paying a small fee to the street vendors for finding it). We got to explore the large Sung Sot Cave, observed some of the many unusual rock formations and saw several "floating villages" made from anchored houseboats. The largest of these has a year-round population of 200 inhabitants and includes a floating bank!

We loved our experiences in Vietnam - the people, the beauty, food and culture. We hope to return again sometime soon to explore the southern part of this lovely country. Maybe even add a side adventure to nearby Cambodia and Angkor Wat!

Holi 2011

2011-03-20T10:19:00.007+05:30

We started celebrating Holi a little early this year - at the kids' school last weekend. It was a beautiful, sunny day filled with kite flying, tug-of-war, food, and of course colors. Holi is the Hindu spring festival of colors - a fun celebration of the start of the warm season. It's a day to share in joy and laughter with your family and neighbors.

We all tried our hand at kite flying - the kites are simple diamond-shapes made of wood and paper. As a result they have a pretty short shelf-life, but if you can get them up high enough to catch the steady breeze they will stay aloft all day! Evan probably had the best results of getting one airborne with a few of his friends.

There were several matches of tug-of-war. The kids went first - Boys against girls, then it was Moms vs Dads. In both cases it was a draw.

We enjoyed traditional Indian snacks of papri chaat, aloo tiki, samosa, pao bahaji. There was also hot dogs, chicken burgers and freshly made ice cream.

Then the real fun started... we went to the designated "zone" to for "playing colors" and cut loose. Old clothes are recommended. Throw in a mix of dried colors (of course we used all natural, herbal varieties), bags and bags of flower petals - reds, oranges, and whites. And long pichkaries. These are large pistons for shooting water and liquid colors. The longer you stay in the melee, the darker you become... soaking wet and usually a deep shade of purple, or in this case, orange.

Evan stayed on the fringes so kept pretty clean, but Audrey Lesa and I mixed it up pretty well with the international crowd of kids, moms and dads. A highly recommended way to kick off the warm weather.

Happy Holi!

Street Snacks

2011-03-06T15:26:00.010+05:30

We took a trip last weekend to check out the Mogul gardens by the Presidential palace grounds here in Delhi. It was our third year to visit the gardens and it's always a treat. Especially because the weather this time of year is near-perfect. Definitely the best time of year to be in India! These gardens are some of the prettiest in India. The gardens were originally laid out by the British, but modeled after the style and symmetry established by the Mogul Emperors. Because the gardens are only opened to the public for one month (15 Feb - 16 March), the later you go in this 30 day window, the crazier the entrance to the gardens tends to be.

There is a huge crowd of local, and international tourists, school children and local residents milling about outside. A loudspeaker blares instructions in Hindi through a distorted sound-system telling you all that you can't bring inside. The list includes cameras, cell phones, chewing gum and water. As with most public events, gents and ladies line up and enter through separate queues for security.

Streetside, the chaat wallahs are lined up selling snacks to all the visitors. Everything from cotton candy, to bhel and panni puri to aloo tikki, pakoras and samosas. Of course the kids' favorites are the ice cream vendors.

These guys can be found almost anywhere, but line up one after another at special events to sell their "Mother Dairy" and "Kwality" brands of cones, popsicles and cups.

Our Saturday outing was a great way to experience the sights, sounds and smells of "Springtime" in Delhi.

Nizamuddin Car Show?

2011-02-28T18:09:00.011+05:30

Lesa and I walked down to our local market on Sunday afternoon only to stumble across what seemed to be an impromptu classic car show... The show was a mix of classic automobiles and motorcycles and was sponsored by a local classic car club (although there was only one sign posted that shared this information...) Our guess is that one of the members of the Nizamuddin East Community Centre organized the gathering since it was held in the front of the Centre.

The vehicles were an odd assortment of cars including an old English "Hillman," (see the picture above). I had never heard of this manufacturer before.

There was a bright yellow Pontiac from the early 1950's, some small Fiats (from the 1960's), and a beautiful example of a convertible Buick Eight.

The gathering also included an odd assortment of classic motor cycles including this pristine Norton, and Indian's answer to the American Harley Davidson - the famous "Royal Enfield." My favorite of the Enfield line up is the 500cc Bullet. The one below is a new version of this classic motorbike that dates back to the 1930s. India still manages to grant us unexpected, but pleasant moments each day - even in our little neighborhood!

Surajkund Mela

2011-02-09T08:37:00.007+05:30

This past week Lesa and I went to the Surajkund Mela. Mela is essentially the Hindi word for "craft fair." Typically these are held around the Fall-Winter holiday season - before Diwali, Eid and Christmas.

In the spring (February 1 - 15), by far the biggest and most famous Mela is, Surajkund. It's held just across the border of south Deli in the state of Haryana. This fair highlights handicrafts, clothing and foods from all over India. Regional SAARC nations including Nepal, Bhutan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Thailand and Sri Lanka also participate. It's the third year we've been living in India during February so Lesa and I thought we'd better go see what all the fuss was about....

The setting is beneath trees and is spread out across some rolling hillsides. There are pretty sand-stone walkways and over 400 booths. This year represented the fair's 25th year, so the mela has become very well organized. It reminded us of a more elaborate version of "Dilli Haat," which is the permanent, government-sponsored cultural/handicrafts fair here in central New Delhi.

The kids weren't with us so we enjoyed talking more time to explore the stalls and did a lot of "people watching."

We met a talentaed artist from Sri Lanka (purchased one of his oil paintings), and watched some of the many colorful dancers and musicians. One troop of male dancers (not uncommon in India) was dressed up as various characters from Indian mythology.

Then we ate lunch in a broad, shaded (and a little dusty) food court...

The food was freshly prepared right in front of us. If we wanted we could have sampled tastes from all over India.

The whole experience was really not unlike going to a County Fair back home. The mela included an amusement area with rides (albeit a little scary) and an alley with game booths. Throughout the venue there were demonstrations of looms, spinning wheels, basket making, painting and pottery. Pony and camel rides for kids. Everything was there except the 4H livestock competitions.

Glad we took the time out to venture back into Haryana and enjoy Surajkund for an afternoon!

The New Face of the Indian Army

2011-01-28T13:08:00.004+05:30

Wednesday, Jan. 26 was Republic Day in India. This day is a national holiday. There is a big parade in central Delhi with marching bands, military units and fancy weapon systems. The parade also includes beautifully decorated floats that highlight the culture and unique customs of each of India's 28 states. For protection, the Republic Day Parade is usually guarded by thousands of police, special forces and army units from all over India.
As many people do here, we celebrated the day by taking a mid-day walk on the grounds of nearby Humayan's Tomb. The weather is near perfect from Evan's birthday (Jan 22) on through the end of February - so it was great day for a stroll.

We learned a little more about the Mogul Emperor Humayan, and his son Akbar from some new historical displays in the park. But what made this walk truly memorable was bumping into the Indian Army on our way out. I'll just call them "the Gals from Gurgaon," which is where their unit was from: Gurgaon, Haryana. I guess the women had just been given a short leave, after parade duty, so they all came to visit one of Delhi's prettiest parks... We happened to bump into them on our way out.

Charming, confident and outgoing, these young women make such wonderful representatives for India's modern defense forces. It was a pleasure to meet them!

Hauz Khas

2011-01-24T15:06:00.007+05:30

We went exploring in a neighborhood not far from ours called, Hauz Khas. The name is derived from Urdu - Hauz meaning "water tank" or lake, and Khas meaning "royal." This area dates back to the end of the 13th Century during the period of the second (of seven) city of Delhi, known as "Siri."

The ruins here are quite beautiful. Hauz Khas is being renovated by the Archaeological Survey of India, and includes a Mosque, a seminary and a series of Muslim tombs.The neighboring Hauz Khas Village has been built up around narrow, winding alleyways. It offers some very good restaurants and boutiques to explore and sample. The village is probably as close as you can find for a hip, trendy neighborhood in Delhi - unfortunately with the standard rubble, debris and trash found almost everywhere in urban India. We'd been to the village before to try a restaurant and to explore some shops, but oddly, we had never wandered to the far side to visit the ruins.

The archaeological site has wonderful, new, easy to read signage that explains almost every aspect of Hauz Khas. The kids had fun exploring 700 year old chambers and climbing the ancient stone stairways of the complex. The park includes a wonderful, renovated stone walkway (90% complete as of Jan '11) that encircles the lake. The water is a bit green, but the park is peaceful and fairly well maintained. The park also seems to be quite a college scene... students were walking and hanging out; joking and enjoying each other's company. We had a really good day. Hauz Khas was a great place to be on a sunny winter's day and a fun way to spend time as a family - especially since Saturday was Evan's ninth birthday!

Chilly in Dilli

2011-01-10T12:59:00.007+05:30

January is when winter falls on New Delhi with a clammy chill. The fog - most of which is smoke - blankets the city for much of each day. The temperatures really aren't that bad by western standards - typically 45 - 65 degrees Fahrenheit. But when you don't have central heat and your floors and bathrooms are tiled in marble... an apartment becomes more of a walk-in refrigerator than a home.

We have two rolling space heaters. These are great for keeping the bedrooms a little warmer at night. But our living room never really gets above 60 degrees in January. The warmest place, by far, is under the covers in bed.Outside everyone is bundled up... as if they are living in Oslo, Buffalo or some other cold, dark, northern city. Scarves are used in imaginative ways to cover the body - turned in to turbans, babushkas, face masks, etc. Blankets are worn as part of one's outer-wear.

To be honest, living in Delhi in the winter is a little like camping at home during the off season. Taking a morning shower is a painful experience even with hot, running water. Our food at dinnertime has to be eaten quickly (if you want a warm meal), and of course there is the ever-present smell of campfire smoke. The smell gets on everything - clothing, towels, sheets and bed covers. Lesa and I went on our morning walk this past Sunday and counted 19 campfires in our neighborhood. Workers huddle around small yellow, smokey flames every three or four lots. These cold morning scenes look almost post-apocalyptic to me....

... until we turn a street corner and see scores of stray dogs wearing their quilted, doggy jackets.

The sad animals swelter from April to October in the intense heat, only to find a wool doggy jacket strapped to their backs in November - just when the weather is getting lovely. Worried locals donate the jackets each winter to the street dogs. Afraid the animals might be cold. Sterilization, might be a kinder, more cost effective program. Less puppies, less doggy jackets to buy next winter.

The best thing about this time of year is the food selection. Things like strawberries, apples, broccoli and peas are all plentiful, fresh, cheap and tasty.

We might have to eat fast, and our fingers and toes are usually cold (and the dogs look a little silly), but we still manage to be amused, have fun and enjoy the season. For soon we know the temperature will again rise to 115F.

Ah, winter in Delhi.

Haircut 100

2010-12-04T21:30:00.005+05:30

I really don't like to get my haircut. Not sure if it has to do with the sharp instruments, the smell of salon chemicals, or maybe even the feel of a barber's chair. Maybe it was that old wooden board my father's barber, Roy made me sit on... Roy used to lay the board across the arms of his red barber's chair. I'd sit on that board instead of in the chair. This made me tall enough so poor Roy wouldn't have to strain his back while he clipped my hair. Whatever the reason, to this day, I usually wait until my hair is getting a bit too shaggy before feeling the urge to get it cut. My problem has nothing to do with living in India. I've just never enjoyed getting my hair cut. Which brings me to today.... I looked in the mirror this morning and figured it was time to go...

There are a few options in India for getting a hair cut. The easiest one (and the most expensive) is getting an appointment at a nice, European-style salon. (these are often called "Saloons" here - no whiskey, just shampoo and mousse) These are usually located in expensive hotels or malls, but still cost less then a salon in a western country. The skill of the stylist may still be a crap-shoot. Lesa has actually finally found a pretty good one who is from France.

The next option is probably the most common, and the most colorful: the Indian street barber. These guys can be found in almost every neighborhood and have very little overhead - literally. They usually set up shop with a makeshift wooden table and chair. A mirror is often tacked to a tree or wall at curbside. Hygiene is not a main concern, but a customer gets a neat, quick haircut for about fifteen rupees. (that's about 30 US cents.) A shave will cost you another 10 rupees. Using a street barber is actually quite a spectator sport. A haircut and shave will almost always involve a small crowd of friends, neighbors or just simply curious onlookers...

Not being brave enough to take the sidewalk salon route, I have always opted for the neighborhood barbershop. These are a little more expensive - my haircuts cost 100 rupees (US$2) including tip. These shops are mostly clean and they smell just as bad as a barbershop anywhere. I wait with men who read the local newspaper, or style magazines with pretty girls on the cover. Conversation is usually minimal. My current barber's name is Sanjeet. His shop is only 2 blocks from our flat and he can cut my hair in about 15 minutes.... He even still knows how to use a straight razor. My kind of barber.

Hopefully I won't wait so long next time to get my haircut...

Turkeys in Nepal?

2010-11-30T14:16:00.010+05:30

You can actually get an American Thanksgiving Dinner in Kathmandu. Although we decided not to sample the three-course dinner offerings. Momos, Chicken Tikka, wood-fired pizza and nice lean steaks were more to our liking and what we happened to choose. We took a 4 day trip over the Thanksgiving weekend (25-28 Nov) to Kathmandu - while taking advantage of some new airline deals on direct flights between Delhi and Nepal's capital.

It's an easy trip - only one hour - fifteen minutes. You spend more time wading through security and customs then you do in the air... We traveled with our fun, English friend, Jane. The kids love her, and Jane is the best person to have around when you're exploring stalls and shops in local markets!

If you're not familiar with Nepal, it is the small, very mountainous nation north of India, wedged in next to Bhutan, and Tibet. Nepal is 81% Hindu, 11% Buddhist and 5% Muslim (.5% Christian). It has been a democracy since 2006. The country is probably most famous for being home to the world's tallest mountain: Everest.

For this visit we just stayed in around the main city of Kathmandu. The Valley of Kathmandu is home to several UN world heritage sites. Durbar Square was a former seat of Nepalese royalty. Beautiful buildings with delicate-carved wooden frames, shutters and decoration surround you as you walk through this once-royal section of the city.

We spent some time exploring several Buddhist Temples, including Swoyambhu Nath, where you must climb many old stone steps to get to the large Stupa built high up on the edge of the Kathmandu Valley. Monkeys and souvenir hawkers follow all around you as you ascend the broad stairs.

We hired a car one day with our friend, Jane and drove out to the nearby town of Bhaktapur. Also a UNESCO World Heritage site, the architecture here is even more beautiful and much better restored than what you find in Kathmandu. Narrow, winding streets connect multiple market squares (Durbars). Our favorite of these is famous for pottery.Pots, bowls and oil lanterns cover the cobble stoned sidewalks as they dry in the sun. Once they are dried, they are stacked and buried in straw and wood - fired in a make-shift oven that is more of a ditch than a kiln.

I think we had the most fun wandering from market to market, browsing and shopping for clothing and handicrafts. It's all inexpensive and mostly quite useful. Except, maybe for the wooden ties Audrey and Evan managed to find hanging in the doorway of one shop...

My own personal favorite was all of the bogus "North Face" outdoor gear... Fleece jackets, coats, rain-pants. This stuff was just everywhere. The stitching is a little off, The quality is mixed at best, but for $5 who cares? I think my jacket is guaranteed to survive at least 2 spin cycles in a washing machine... Great trip.

Rangoli

2010-11-12T10:46:00.003+05:30

Rangoli is a traditional art form here in India. Made of fine colored powders, flowers and candles, they are decorative designs placed on the floors of living rooms and courtyards during Hindu festivals. The designs are meant to be a sacred welcoming place for deities. Rangoli add color and beauty to one's home and are thought to bring good luck.

Lesa got rather ambitions this past Diwali - the wonderful Hindu festival of Lights.After winning a Rangoli competition at work with her team at Freescale, she dove into designing and making a rangoli for our living room to help celebrate Diwali. Our driver helped us shop for colors, flowers and diyas (small lanterns) for added decoration.

Lesa laid out her design on the floor, and with the help of Audrey, carefully spread the colors and laid out what became quite a beautiful work of art!

Lesa's design added more, beauty, light and meaning to our Diwali evenings!

More than just Pork

2010-11-03T15:20:00.005+05:30

It's not easy to find consistent meats in India - especially, lean and hygenic. But after many attempts I have finally found the perfect shop: "The Taste," in nearby Defense Colony:Pork, chicken, fish and... Lingerie? Leave it to India to come up with creative, more complete ways to meet customer appetites...

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T21:39:00.004+05:30

We had a nice Halloween this year. We all went to the American Embassy School's "Fall Fiesta." This is essentially a giant kids Halloween romp. All of the students wear their costumes. There are games, prizes, contests and a lot of kid friendly food.

This year Evan went as a ghoul....

And Audrey went as a Vampiress. One of her favorite incarnations! Audrey also went trick or treating with her friend Mariam on the AES Campus. Both the kids helped me design this year's pumpkin. (banner photo)

Happy Halloween!

First Scouting Merit Badge!

2010-10-20T09:11:00.004+05:30

Evan and I recently joined New Delhi's Pack 3060 Boy Scout Troop. Evan is a Bear Cub and I have become an Assistant Den Leader for the third graders. We meet about 3 times a month and usually do an additional activity as well... this month we are doing a hike at a local Delhi wildlife sanctuary... next month a camp out in Faridabad, etc.

At this month's pack meeting Evan was awarded his first merit badge: The Bobcat! In order to earn the badge, Evan had to learn the Cub Scout Promise, Pack Law, Motto, hand shake and salute among other things! He did a great job!

The boys in our "Bear Den" are from all over the world including India, the US, Nepal, England, Australia and South Korea! The boys are all in the third grade.

the Nizamuddin East Market

2010-09-29T13:09:00.005+05:30

I took a little walk with my camera today while the kids were in school. Thought I'd show you some of my daily sights... I stopped by one of the many ironing shops on my way to the market. This fellow is only about a block from where we live. Most of these these are open-air stalls. They are covered by a tarp "roof" if it's raining. These professionals iron the same way people pressed clothing 200 years ago. Hot wood-coals are placed inside a heavy-cast clothes iron. Of course there are no temperature settings so you need to be careful giving these folks your delicates or any many-made fabrics. In the past, Lesa and I both have had parts of clothing melted from the heat these irons put out!

You can get almost all of your daily shopping needs met in Nizamuddin. The only exceptions to this are probably music, electronics and good paper products. But there are other great markets nearby for these sorts of items. One of the shops I frequent is run by Rajesh. He supplies me with bottled water, dry food goods, and even fresh chapattis to order. Sort of the 7-Eleven of Nizamuddin, Rajesh's store is open long hours each day.

Just down the street is my vegetable-fruit man. He's always there on his corner. He sets up around 8am every morning and is still selling until 8 or 9 pm most evenings. Everything is fresh and most of what he sells is grown in India. Alas, the mango season has ended, but nice apples and pears from Kashmir are starting to be available.

Another stop I make about every other day is to the "Mother Dairy" store. My Dood Walla is almost always in good spirits, even though his days are long ones. He's open from about 5am until around 8pm (although he always takes a lunch break from 2-4pm). His shop sells everything from milk and Dahi (yogurt), to ice cream and butter. It's all fresh and very inexpensive.

The marketplace includes a Chemist (Pharmacy), Hair Salons, a cafe-bakery that also sells new books, a nice clothing store and even a small toy shop. All of this is only within two blocks of our flat. These shops deliver to your home, or you can purchase items like fruits, vegetables and even brushes and brooms from cart vendors that travel the quaint streets and alleys of Nizamuddin East each day!

Damp in Delhi

2010-09-22T10:24:00.006+05:30

I guess I'm writing about the weather.... but I'm not just killing time... Really.

Last year was our only experience of the supposed "Monsoon Season" in New Delhi. It was dry. Very dry. Lesa and I recall only two days last year when we had an honest downpour of rain. Both days were in August, and that was about it aside from a few scattered showers.

The Monsoon season for the Northern part of India is typically July and August. Most of the year's supply of rain is supposed to happen during these months. Well things seem to have tipped in the other direction this year. We had a little rain in July, but since the second half of August it has rained almost every day.Long downpours. Sometimes what I would call torrential rains... And it is still raining as I write this. In fact it is the wettest year on record in India since 1978! The season is not expected to swing to dry weather until the end of September.

I wanted to write about this because there just aren't many places in the US where it rains quite this much for such an extended period of weeks (except for maybe the Pacific NW).

Commuters clothing gets soaked. Streets and underpasses are routinely flooded. Traffic lights fail. Motor Bikers and rickshaws hide under bridges. There are issues with power and drinking water, and mosquitoes. Dengue Fever. Commuter traffic is a muddy, soggy mess.

Lesa the kids and I have been dowsed with walls of fetid water from passing cars... and drying clothing after you wash it includes the acceptance wearing clean, but slightly damp underwear.

There is a brighter side of the Monsoon, though. Everything is beautifully green and alive. People seem more cheerful. The streets are washed clean of soot and trash, and the temperature becomes a relief. Although humid, the temperature has been about 10-15 degrees cooler (Fahrenheit) than normal. Typically 75-90 instead of 95+ degrees.

And with the noticeable drop in temperatures everyone's thoughts begin to drift towards the start of the long festival season in India... Eid, Durga Puja, Diwali, the wedding season and of course, Christmas.

Celebrating Eid

2010-09-15T08:59:00.004+05:30

We had a wonderful experience on Sunday evening. Our neighbors, Rizwan and Irfan - (brothers and flat owners) invited us to join their family in Eid Celebrations. We weren't too familiar with the Muslim festival called Eid. I thought I'd better do a little research before we went to the family gathering!
Eid ul-Fitr is a three day holiday marking the end of the 30 day period of Ramadan. The word Eid means "festival," and Fitr, "conclusion of the fast." In my mind, Eid is most similar to Christmas. It is considered one of the 2 most important Muslim holy celebrations. As with Christmas, many wonderful foods, prayers & well-wishes, gifts and thanks are shared with family and friends during this joyous period.
We all got dressed up - typically you should wear a new outfit on this occasion to mark a new beginning. Eid ul-Fitr follows the reserved, reflective time of Ramadan, which is not unlike the Christian period of Lent).
After removing our shoes we were warmly welcomed by the family into their home. We sat on large cushions and pillows surrounding the edges of the large, open living room/dining space.
Beautiful tablecloths were spread out in the center of the floor - and the "table" was set. A feast of spiced chicken, mutton, rice, yogurt and bread was spread before us - all traditional foods. The meats were roasted or simmered until delicate. Not too spicy, but the dishes were full of flavor from complex mixtures of herbs and masala. There is no alcohol in a proper Muslim house, so we were refreshed with cold water and icy Coca-Cola.
The family of five brothers and three sisters, their mother, and all of the children (and the 4 of us) gathered around the "table" and shared this large, wonderful meal. Audrey especially liked the chicken, and Evan the mutton and rice! The meal ended with Indian sweets (similar Gulab Jamun).
After the meal there was conversation - the children all speak English quite well, as do most of the eight siblings (our hosts). But after the meal had ended and the table was cleared, I noticed there was a subtle excitement in the air - and it was growing by the minute.
The children were keeping a close eye on their uncles. Waiting for a cue. The kids were anticipating what is known as "Eidi." This is the blessing of good tidings and often the exchange of gifts between family and friends.
In Rizwan and Irfan's family the tradition of Eidi includes the passing out of rupees... in small bundles of ten rupee and 100 rupee notes. Each uncle and then each aunt, and finally the family matriarch (grandmother to all the younger children) each handed out little bundles. There was much laughter, teasing, children jostling for position (the kids had to line up before receiving their Eidi from each relative) and a little wrestling - all in fun.
We really had a blast! Evan and Audrey were included in the Eidi gifts (which was very, very generous!). Lesa and I loved watching all the antics, sharing conversations, joking, and getting to know our neighbors, their families and their culture a little better.

The Big 4-6 in Bollywood

2010-09-07T09:59:00.008+05:30

Yet again, my family has shared an unusual birthday with me in India... this one is actually my third one here (hard to believe). I have no complaints - they all seem to be celebrated in nice locations...
This year was no different. We all flew down to Mumbai for the weekend. We found a great deal at the Taj Palace hotel. When we arrived (and were still not sure why) the hotel proceeded to give us a raft of upgrades... A sea-view room, a butler service, welcome drinks, breakfast, High Tea (which is basically a late-lunch buffet) and even Happy Hour. None of this seemed to be related to the fact that it was my birthday.
The staff at Souk, the Mediterranean Restaurant on the hotel's top floor, made a special dessert for me, and then our evening "Butlers" brought us chocolate cake and Champagne. Who knew 46 would be so extravagant, (and paid for by the Tata family)? Lesa and I went out for dinner while the kids got a baby sitter and had the run of the room for the evening... everyone had a great time in the rather cosmopolitan city of Mumbai...

Meanwhile, back in the USA... we weren't able to be at my Dad's birthday celebration this year (5 Sept). My sister Melanie recorded the event for us in far away Georgia! Mel, her beautiful daughter, Sarina and Dad's lovely wife Carol all enjoyed a nice meal (and of course some BIG Margarita's - see photo below!).

As you can see, at 76, Dad and Margarita are doing just fine... Love you, Dad!

Raksha Bandhan

2010-08-24T19:54:00.003+05:30

We just celebrated Raksha Bandhan with Evan and Audrey this morning. This day's name literally means, "bond of protection" in Hindi. I like it because the day is dedicated to building the bonds between brothers and sisters. Raksha Bandhan is when siblings pray for each other's well being and for each other's happiness.

In the short morning ceremony, brothers make a pledge to their sisters to protect them from harm and troubles. Then the sister prays to God to protect her brother from evil. Sisters go on to tie a thread, called a "Rakhi," around their brother's wrist and say a prayer for his well-being. The ceremony concludes with the brother promising to take care of his sister. Usually the brother then gives his sister a token gift of thanks.

The thread, or Rakhi, is often gilded or decorated. It is usually tied by one's sister, but a wife or mother can also apply the Rakhi.

Shoe Repair

2010-08-17T15:01:00.004+05:30

Audrey and I were in Sarojini Nagar market (one of our favorites) to do some shopping a few days ago. As we walked I noticed that the tips of my sandals were starting to come apart. Good footwear is essential in a place like India. This particular pair are made by "Keen" and I wear them almost everyday. I figured I'd take a chance and try out one of the local shoe repair guys. They usually sit along the curb near the Mehndi (Henna) artists in this large, rather famous, central Delhi market. Audrey wanted some mehndi on one of her hands anyway, so while she picked out her design (and negotiated her price) with one of the artists, I walked a few steps down the street to see the shoe man about my problem.

He gestured for me to sit down on his small stool and then had me take off my sandals. He examined them thoroughly, and then rummaged through his many tubes, canisters, brushes and bottles. After obviously not finding what he wanted, he looked up at me and put his finger in the air saying: "Aik minute." Then he stood up and disappeared down the street leaving me to sit alone on his stool in the hot sunshine.

I glanced over my shoulder. Audrey's mendhi-artist was still working on her hand, so I just sat there and wondered where my shoe guy had disappeared to... and if I would ever see my sandals again?

But sure enough in a few minutes he re-emerged from the crowded market street with my shoes in his hands and sat back down beside me. "Hanji," (Good) he said waggling his head. "New and best." I wagged my head back to him grinning and saying: "Teek, teek hai. Hanji!" (Ok, okay. Good!) My shoe guy also had a big smile on his face. The sandals looked as good as new. He must have used some sort of glue on them and then buffed and polished my sandals back to their original state in just a few short minutes. The man smiled and asked me for 20 rupees (about $.40) for his time and talent.

Then I turned back to see Audrey now standing next to me proudly displaying the beautiful new henna-design on her hand. Since we were both done, we decided we'd venture back into Sarojini Nagar to see what else we could discover...

Moving in India

2010-08-13T09:48:00.007+05:30

I figured I should give readers a view of our recent move from Noida to Delhi... Since we used international movers when we first came here, this was our first move using local resources. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. After meeting with four companies, I chose a Noida-based company called "Sai Movers and Packers." To prepare for their arrival, Lesa and I boxed up anything we were afraid might be damaged or tempting. We put our winter clothes into our many suitcases. But we left most of the rest for the movers.

Five guys and the truck driver appeared on the scheduled day at the scheduled time (8am). Not bad. The moving crew came in and after a little review of what we expected (as interpreted by our driver, Chauhan) they went to work.

Most of our clothing was bundled into sheets - big bundles. All of the dishes and kitchenware were wrapped in bubble-plastic and packed into well-used cardboard boxes. Although placing heavy, marble housewares on top of kitchen glassware would not have been a packing strategy I would've used... nothing seemed to break as it went into each box. Furniture was covered with cardboard and taped for protection. And all of our "wall art" was first wrapped in Styrofoam (Thermocol) and then covered with bubble-plastic. This process took about five hours.

The crew then hauled everything down to the lobby, using the service elevator of our ATS tower. The contents of our entire apartment was there in the lobby on display.. until the truck finally arrived at about 2pm.

Then the real action started - Everything was loaded somewhat haphazardly into the back of their small, open freight truck. The loading was interupted occasionally by loud arguments about what to put where in the back of the truck. Everything was eventually stacked in the bed of that truck. The "Beverly Hillbillies" comes to mind.

After it was all roped down our driver gave the movers directions to the new flat and a little cash in case they needed to bribe the transport-tax collector at the U.P. - Delhi border.

All of our belongings made it across the river into Delhi and to our new apartment in Nizamuddin. The guys carted the whole lot up two flights of stairs and placed everything where we directed. The only slight damage we found after all of this was to the heaviest piece of furniture we own - our Indian-made, wooden sofa bed.

The move was over before 6pm. The price? High for India, but only $275 including tips.

Officially Counted

2010-08-12T10:42:00.004+05:30

Just a few days before we moved from Noida to Delhi, I heard a knock on the door. We usually don't get many visitors during the day unless it is a courier so I was a little curious.

It turned out to be a fellow from the Census Board. He had come to officially count us for the 2011 National Census of India.

The man came carrying a briefcase filled with very large, multiple forms with well-used sheets of carbon paper slipped in-between. All of the forms were printed in Hindi. Fortunately my census taker turned out to be a High School teacher on assignment with the government for a year. He spoke English quite well and helped walk me through all of the forms and the simple questions about our family. After about 15 minutes we were finished. Off he went, with a polite smile, a soft handshake and a wag of his head, to the next flat in our building.

The experience immediately made me think of my Dad, a retired High School teacher. Dad became a Federal Government census-taker in the mountains of rural Georgia during the 2000 US Census. If you know my father you know he has the gift of gab, and loves to explore back country roads - perfect man for the job.

First Day at the New School!

2010-08-11T16:04:00.012+05:30

Evan and Audrey had their first day of school this week... No more uniforms, but a new schedule and this was the first time the kids have traveled to school on a bus! Audrey is now in 4th Grade and Evan is in 3rd. AES has a "no homework" policy for grades K-5, so the kids are pretty excited about this too! Daily homework only includes reading everyday after school for a minimum of 30 minutes and as much after-school physical activity as New Delhi weather permits... This seems a little more practical than what typical kids are doing - lugging a heavy backpack full of books and notebooks back and forth from school.

I think both of the kids are going to sign up for an after school gymnastics class (2 days/week) and continue with swimming on Saturdays to round out their week...

Only about 30 percent of the kids at AES are actually American. The other 70 percent of kids represent 52 other countries from around the world!

Here's Audrey's first-day picture - she looks all ready to go!

Here's Evan's....

Unfortunately Evan wound up with a 103 degree fever Sunday night (still 101 Monday morning) so he rested with Dad at home the first day.

But he made it in on Tuesday.

Although he is maybe a little less gung-ho than Audrey about AES, he seems to be enjoying getting back to more western-style classes and teachers.

Oh, and did I mention the school cafeteria? - tossed salad, fruit salad, homemade ice cream, bakery fresh breads, rolls and veg or non-veg main courses... Makes me want to go back to school.

The Little Blue Button

2010-07-22T15:06:00.014+05:30

When we first set up a household in India, we wanted to purchase only what we thought was practical. We also wanted to be a little more "green" with energy consumption. So we made a few choices...
We purchased a small, Indian made car. We decided not to get an oven, but to cook in a normal Indian kitchen. And we bought a small, simple refrigerator. At the time these all seemed like reasonable decisions.

The results:

The car has turned out fine. It's a little tight, but is efficient and reliable.

Life without an oven has run its course.... We really enjoy Indian food, but we've concluded our family needs a routine with a few more familiar foods in it. So we plan to get a little oven for our new apartment in Delhi.

This brings me to our little Samsung refrigerator. This is the choice that just won't leave me alone. The fridge is small, but functional. And it's very efficient with its four star energy rating. The problem is with the auto-defrost function... there isn't one. But there is a little Blue Button.

When India is hot and humid (like it is now in monsoon season) the ice can really build up fast, turning the refrigerator's little freezer compartment into a small, frozen cave. The small freezer door refuses to shut and then, finally, ice crystals begin marching their way down into the main compartment below. I can extend the inevitable by chipping away at the edges of the ice around the freezer door, but this solution doesn't last long.

When I start losing site of ice trays and the few odd items that will actually fit inside our freezer, I just push that little blue "defrost" button.... And I wait. For about three hours. Then I open the door to what has now become a slushy, drippy, watery mess.

If you are older than 35, you probably know what it means to manually defrost a freezer. Your mother used to put pots of hot water inside the top of your kitchen refrigerator to defrost the freezer box... And there were lots of old towels to keep the water from getting all over the floor.

To defrost our little fridge everything must come out of the icebox and the upper shelves. The Blue Button shuts off the fridge and warms the case surrounding the icebox. Then ice and slush surrounding the icebox must be chipped, shovelled, swept and finally toweled out.Once done, this icy slop is carted across a wet kitchen floor to the sink where it winds up as a mound of melting snow. The lower shelves, also now all drippy and wet, have to be dried off. Then I have to drain and dry the puddle of nasty freezer-water that has accumulated in the bottom of the fridge. The final task is to dry condensation off containers, vegetables and frozen items that I have tumbled and stacked on the kitchen counter. All of the items get returned to their respective places once again inside the refrigerator.

I do get some pleasure out of this whole cold, soggy, sweaty choice: The sight of a freshly cleaned and dried icebox, followed by the sound of that little Blue Button popping out. Our small Samsung refrigerator has turned itself back on.

Lesa says I put the "man" in Manual Defrost.

Chatting with a Mahout

2010-07-20T14:28:00.003+05:30

My driver and I were in downtown Noida yesterday when we spotted a "Mahout" riding his very large male elephant past one of the newly completed metro stations here. Chauhan (my driver) and I were finished with our afternoon errands so we decided to see if the guy would stop and 'visit' with us for a few minutes on the side of the road. To be honest, I just wanted to better understand why I keep seeing these giant animals casually strolling through city traffic.

It turned out that the elephant driver (or "Mahout") was really nice and very willing to talk with us. He was apparently from southwest Delhi (about 15 km away) and was on his way to a large party on the other side of Noida in the neighboring community of Ghaziabad. My driver says the mahout was probably making about 10,000 rupees ($200) for this very long walk and special appearance.

Chauhan helped translate my questions while we spoke. As I was standing there on the edge of the street, the elephant stepped closer and touched me on my shoulder and hand with his long trunk as if to say, "hello." Then the elephant reached out past me and wrapped his trunk around a small tree that had been recently planted by city at the side of the road. He gently tugged and pulled the tall sapling right out of the ground.... just a small snack.

At this point we realized we had started to draw a small crowd of curious onlookers: "What's the white guy with the camera doing with that elephant on the side of the road?" I think there were maybe 25 people closing in on us...

So we thanked the Mahout for his time. Then he gave Chauhan his card and said if we ever want a ride to please give his son a call. Then off the two of them lumbered, man and beast, on again to their scheduled party appearance. Just another day in suburban Noida.

Gotta Get the Dood.

2010-07-14T16:59:00.005+05:30

What seems like the simplest of tasks can actually be a bit more complicated in India. Drinking milk is a great example. Because there isn't a guaranteed 24 hour power supply in most places here, the concept of buying fresh, refrigerated milk in the grocery store doesn't really exist. But, as with all things here, there are always unique alternatives.

The most expensive option is to buy milk in a box. Essentially "irradiated" milk, it comes in whole or skim varieties and the brands range from Nestle to our local Amul. I have to say though, that because it can sit on the shelf at room temperature (read as anywhere from 50 degrees to 120 degrees Fahrenheit) the taste is less than spectacular. When chilled though, Audrey and Evan seem to like it despite the altered taste.

The second option (and least expensive ) is having a guy deliver your milk at your doorstep each morning. This stuff is straight from the cow. It's still warm and carried in a classic aluminum milk jug. He ladles it out from the jug and into your container of choice. Probably costs about 20 cents for a quart (litre) of milk. Because we aren't sure where this milk actually comes from and how its collected we haven't tried it out.

Here at ATS, the best option for buying milk has materialized in the form or Mr. Tyagi. Or "Tyagi-ji, the "Doodha-Walla." "Dood" is the Hindi word for milk. As I've noted before, the word "walla" means, "seller of." In this case, Tyagi-ji is a seller of milk.

He is set up in our complex every morning at about 6am with milk crates filled with varieties of fresh, homogenized milk. The milk is cold and has been sealed in 500ml plastic bags. Skim Milk, toned milk, double toned milk and milk with vitamins A and D added are all available. The word "tone" has to do with the fat content of the milk.

Each bag costs 13 to 15 rupees (about 30 cents) depending on the kind you want. Although it is supposedly processed for safety, everyone here boils their milk and serves it hot. Even breakfast cereals, many of which are the same as what we get back in the US, exclaim: "Goes great with hot milk!" We chill the remains of the boiled milk in our refrigerator so the kids can have a little cold milk the following morning.

It's a lot to go through for a glass of milk, but Lesa will be the first to tell you that freshly brewed coffee with fresh, boiled milk delivers the best morning cuppa- joe you'll ever have.

My only only complaint about this whole "Dood-thing" is the boiling of the milk. It's normally my job to do it each morning and I tend to get sidetracked... Boiled-over milk is a mess to clean up.

American Summer

2010-06-30T17:05:00.004+05:30

The kids' school closes for the heat of the Summer in the months of May and June each year. For the past two summers we have taken advantage of this fact and headed home to visit Grandparents, family and friends. We miss out on some of India's intense summer heat and get to see a bit of the American road...

This year our travels took us to the mountains of North Georgia, the Native American "Mounds" of central Alabama, the hills of Austin, Texas. We then traveled northeast through the plains of the midwest and up to the cool breezes of Buffalo-Niagara and back down to Georgia again - over 4,000 miles in a Jeep.

We return to India with memories of good food, beautiful, green countryside, and lively conversations. With smiles on our faces, we look forward to our final year in India which brings with it some big changes... We'll be moving into New Delhi after living a year and a half in Noida; the kids will attend a new school; and of course there will always be our on-going and often unpredictable adventures from living.... or rather, "swimming" in India....

Outside Gate No. 2

2010-05-09T17:40:00.008+05:30

Despite the heat and the dust, most Sunday afternoons I head out the backside of our complex to the local market... Across the road that borders our complex is a neighborhood called, "Geja Village." The market in Geja is in full-swing on Saturday and Sunday evenings. I took my camera today so I could share some of my weekly routine with you.

Geja Market is dusty and dirty but there are very typical India sights to see... The first one is the outdoor barber. You can find these guys everywhere. They do pretty good job - although I can't vouch for the cleanliness of the comb, scissors and razor. The going rate is about 15 rupees (about US $.30) per cut and another Rs15 for a shave. The omelet boy is here everyday cooking over his hot skillet. He probably works from 11am-11pm every day. Hard and soft boiled eggs, and omelets with white toast are made to order. Just up the road are the meat stalls. These are usually operated by men of the Muslim faith because they are non-vegetarians. The chickens they sell spend their last hours here in mesh cages before winding up as Tikka, Butter Chicken or Murgh Keema (ground chicken). The murgh-wallas don't smile a whole lot, but they do a brisk business.

I am a regular customer with Raju. Raju tells me he was born in the state of Bihar, but now lives here in Noida. He is definitely my vegetable guy. His prices are fair and it helps that Raju knows a little English. We always shake hands and exchange pleasantries. Raju has the widest variety of veggies in the Geja market - even broccoli and zucchini on most days. Broccoli and zucchini are definitely not on the radar in a typical Indian kitchen.

My favorite character in the market is the guy I call the "hip spice man." He sells a variety of Indian masalas and chillies in beautiful colorful piles, wears a turban and has nicer sunglasses than me.

The local market never disappoints.

Towel Rack

2010-04-27T13:40:00.007+05:30

Never in my life did I think I'd have an accessory this nice in my kitchen. Custom installation by our local carpenter...

Pahar Ganj

2010-04-19T11:16:00.005+05:30

Pahar Ganj is a very fun, but very dirty neighborhood and bazaar near Connaught Place in central New Delhi. Pahar Ganj is a magnet for western-backpacker travelers. It was made fairly famous by the recent hipster Bollywood Film, "Dev D," much of which was shot there.

An Australian chum, Monty Sagar originally introduced me to the neighborhood last year during the rainy season, but I really didn't get a chance to explore Pahar Ganj further until this past weekend.

Because this neighborhood caters to foreign budget travelers, its a great place to find bargains. Lesa, the kids and I and two British friends all met up there to check out some of the shops.

Pahar Ganj is definitely a mess. Some of the worst public wiring can be found there. Open sewers, flea-bag hotels, cheap, but really good hole-in-the-wall restaurants are all here. The street is torn up - probably being resurfaced in anticipation of October's Commonwealth Games. We wound our way through the obstacle course of debris and crowds to what were some really great shops. Two of our favorites along the main Bazaar are "Hari Piorko International," a shop filled with bangles, bells, handcrafts and trinkets. And the more difficult to find, Setu Handloom. This second floor shop is filled with handmade bags, pillow cases, puppets - most things fabric-related. Setu negotiates fair prices and has good, clean merchandise. Evan found a really cool set of scales (with weights and brass fittings in a velvet box) at Hari Piorko and Audrey found a hand sewn "banana bag" at Setu Handloom. Lesa and I managed to gather a nice assortment of wonderful little gifts for friends and family on our upcoming trip to the US! The gals all sat in the shade and had Mehndi (henna) done on their arms and hands while Evan and I shared a cold drink. It was a hot afternoon, but we had a nice time exploring this really unique neighborhood!

Easter at the Embassy

2010-04-03T15:19:00.002+05:30

I took Audrey and Evan this morning to the annual Easter Egg Hunt at the US Embassy. The hunt is held in the backyard of the US Ambassador’s home on the Embassy compound. We got to meet and chat with the Ambassador and his wife, Tim and Sally Roemer.
The kids got to hunt eggs, received little gifts and did some crafts. We all ate tasty cookies and brownies and drank nice coffee and punch, made by the embassy staff.
Of course Audrey, never one to be shy, asked Mrs. Roemer about her very big house: “Do you ever let anyone go inside?”
To which Sally Roemer replied, “Of, course, do you want to come see?” Mrs. Roemer then proceeded to lead Audrey and Evan inside and gave them a personal tour of part of the first floor! The Roemers are really nice – great Ambassadors. Their home is a large Kennedy-era mansion.

Happiness is an old Land Rover

2010-03-31T18:08:00.010+05:30

We ventured up to the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia to get out of the steamy heat of Kuala Lumpur for a few days... Tanah Rata, the town where we stayed, is at about 2000 metres above sea-level. The area is truly beautiful. It is mainly known for its comfortable climate, wonderful tea, and lovely flowers. I did not know the Cameron Highlands have the highest density (per capita) of Land Rovers in the world! These Rovers are literally everywhere you look. Many of you know old Rovers are a bit of a joy of mine, so I guess I was like a kid in a candy store... Even Lesa laughed about it, because we just kept seeing them.

Just from informal observations, I'd guess that at least 15% of the vehicles you see in the Highlands are old Land Rovers - mainly Series III and Defender SUVs and pickup models.

So why all the old Landies? After chatting with some locals I found out why there are so many. The vast majority are used for "farm vehicles" in the tea and produce plantations. The Malaysian Armed Forces wear them out and then sell them to the public... mostly to farmers and adventure tour companies. The trucks are narrow and perform well in the rough, muddy, and often rocky terrain.

The older Rovers we saw would often have a large "CH" painted on the doors indicating they are only for farm use. Their owners can provide limited, lowcost insurance if the old trucks are only used for local "farm to town" purposes. The Tanah Rata tourist board estimates there are approximately 4,000 Land Rovers in the Cameron Highlands region alone. In 2009, local Highland farmers held a harvest parade. The parade contained over 400 farm-based Land Rovers as part of the procession!

Grandma Comes for a Visit...

2010-03-28T20:15:00.009+05:30

Grandma (Lesa's mom) came to India for five weeks. Cousin Brandi came along as well for the first 2 weeks. We tried to fill their days with places to go and things to see. I think India was a bit of a shock. Sights of wide-spread poverty, cattle roaming freely in city streets and rubbish everywhere can be overwhelming for new-comers!

Grandma got to experience a lot while here. We took her up north to the Nainital hill-station so she could lay her eyes on the Himalayan mountains...

Then we got her to go on an Elephant Safari AND a Jeep Safari in Jim Corbett National Park. Of course we never saw any tigers... but she did get up close and personal with an elephant.

We dragged her east to the city of Agra to see one of the seven wonders of the world: the Taj Mahal.And then we sent her south with our driver, Chauhan to see the "Pink" city of Jaipur and the holy city of Pushkar down in Rajasthan.

I think Grandma was exhausted when she arrived back at ATS here in Noida. Cousin Brandi made her escape back home to Buffalo, but Grandma was determined to hang with us for 3 more weeks. She got a chance to shop and see some of the many sights in Delhi... then we dragged her off again... on a family trip to Singapore and Malaysia.Sights of the "Merlion" in Singapore, the spires of the tall Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, and the beautiful Boh Tea plantation in the Cameron Highlands were a great way to round out her visit with us... We will really miss having her here (especially the kids), but hopefully Grandma's India-experience was worth all the miles traveled.

Walking the Okhla Bird Sanctuary

2010-02-26T21:29:00.005+05:30

Lesa let me escape the apartment for a few hours on Sunday morning... Two good friends and I took a short trip over to the Okhla Bird Sanctuary. This under-appreciated public park borders a narrow strip of wetlands between Noida and New Delhi. My friends and I are not serious "birders." We just love the outdoors and are always looking for new places to hike. These hidden gems are often just a few kilometres away from doorstep to discovery!The park really is an interesting place to explore since it is surrounded by a huge urban landscape. It actually reminds me a bit of the John Heinz Wildlife Preserve situated just on the edge of the Philadelphia, PA city-scape - both are oddly peaceful places where wildlife, nature and urban industrialization seemingly coexist...

The Okhla Bird Park was created in 1958 at the same time a large flood control barrage was built to control the water flow of the Yamuna River. It is designed to give both shelter and protection to thousands of migratory birds who pass through New Delhi each winter season.February is a perfect time to explore the park because the weather is still cool here, and the winter morning fog is beginning to improve. There are many hundreds of bird species which can be observed in Okhla between November and March!

The park is filled with wide open marsh land - excellent terrain for quietly approaching wildlife. The walking trails are well maintained despite crossing over large sections of boggy ground.

For local lovers of nature - the Okhla Bird Sanctuary is opened during daylight hours. The fees are Rs50 per vehicle, and Rs30 per Indian Resident, and Rs350 for foreign citizens. Oh, and Oh, and don't forget a water bottle, good camera and your binoculars.

Sleeping on Indian Railways

2010-02-16T18:10:00.005+05:30

We took a weekend trip down into Rajasthan to visit the "blue city" of Jodhpur and try our hand at riding camels in the desert. We enjoyed Jodhpur - the kids will tell you all about it on their blog. But what made Jodhpur so memorable was the ride on the train. We traveled on a Second Class "Sleeper" (called AC-2) for the first time. Second class costs about half as much as First - you get a curtain instead of a door, but the service is about the same. There are four folding berths so we had the compartment to ourselves (with a few roaches along for the ride as well). This was a night "express" that takes about 10 hours to travel the 600 kilometres to Jodhpur. Lesa was a little unsettled by our roach companions, but otherwise the ride down was uneventful.

These trains depart at night - usually between 10pm and 11pm. So you depart the station in the dark, but get to your destination in the morning.

Sometimes there are long, dot-matrix printouts posted to help travelers find their coach. Sometimes not. If things go as planned, these printouts are also taped to the entrance to your rail car by the conductor as the train pulls up. Of course you first need to know which rail car you're on in order to read the correct list.

On the return trip from Jodhpur there was no space on the "express" so we took the "regular" train. This takes 12 hours instead of ten. We booked Second Class berths again, but when we arrived at the station there seemed to be a lot of confusion.

We were first sent in the wrong direction to find our coach. There were maybe 15 coaches. A friendly rider redirected us back up the long line of rail cars. We had to run with our luggage to the other end of the train worried it might start to leave before we found the right car. Huffing and puffing, and with the help of some other kind passengers we found the right one.

Oddly, the label "A3" on the outside of the rail car had been crossed out with white chalk. Handwritten next to this big "X" in white chalk was the label: "A-2." There was no sheet posted outside, but we jumped on anyway. The car was humid, crowded and confusing inside. There were six berths to each compartment instead of four. There were no privacy curtains and many confused passengers were wandering up and down the aisle. For whatever the reason, Indian Rail had apparently down-graded everyone from Second to Third Class.

Audrey and Evan were worried because I had to get off the coach twice to find a conductor and verify our places. It appeared that the passengers from two Second Class coaches had been jammed into one 3rd class rail car. As in a Bollywood movie, I found the conductor just as the train started to pull out of the station! Despite the confusion, we wound up sharing our compartment with a kind, elderly Indian couple - the Guptas - from Delhi.

The kids were exhausted - by now it was nearly 11pm. We were all hot and sweaty from the commotion and the crowd jammed into the coach. Lesa and I stowed the kids high up by the roof in the top 2 berths. I had to fumble through a stack of obviously used sheets, pillows and wool blankets and then climb up top to make their beds. Mr. & Mrs Gupta helped pull down the 2 middle berths and we finished making the rest of the beds. We agreed on which berths to take after a brief miming/English/Hindi conversation with our older compartment companions.

Lesa was now in a middle berth, and I was settled below her on the bottom. That's when I realized Mrs. Gupta was trying to climb into the middle berth opposite Lesa. The sight of a 60 year old, plump, Indian woman exploding out of her unraveling Saree while trying to climb up and squeeze into that small berth with her husband pushing at her broad behind -- was more than I could take.

"Nay, Nay, Nayhee," I said. I motioned for her to switch berths with me. Mrs Gupta grinned and waggled her head. Mr. Gupta got a big smile on his face and said: "Ha-jee. This is best!"

Although tired and bleary-eyed, we were all happy in the end. The older couple rested on the bottom, and Lesa and I were in the middle with the kids sound asleep above us. It was a relief to finally pull into the Delhi station the next morning. The train was on time and our faithful driver, Chauhan was waiting for us there on the train platform.

Farm Equipment?

2010-01-29T13:50:00.003+05:30

Okay... I just had one of those "only in India" moments... I was riding home from Greater Noida on the expressway when I spotted a piece of farm equipment being pulled by a tractor. Tractors on the Expressway in Noida are a common sight. It was the brand name that caught my eye.

Hmmm. I won't go into the definitions of "putz" here, but I will ask the bigger question:

Does the farmer know precisely what a "PutzMeister" might be?"

Republic Day 2010

2010-01-27T13:51:00.021+05:30

Evan and Audrey were off from school yesterday because of the Republic Day holiday (26 Jan). This year marks India's 60th anniversary under the current Constitution, which was ratified in 1950. India became Independent from Britain three years earlier in 1947. (Independence Day is celebrated on 15 August).

To mark the occasion Evan agreed to sing the Indian National anthem for me. The sound is a little low so you might have to turn your volume up.

I often here Evan singing Hindi songs to himself while he is playing. "Jana Gana Mana" is one of the first ones Evan and Audrey learned at school when we first moved to Noida.

Here are the lyrics:

'Jana gaṇa mana adhināyaka jaya heBhārata bhāgya vidhātā Punjāba Sindhu Gujarāṭa Marāṭhā Drāviḍa Utkala Banga Vindhya Himāchala Yamunā Gangā Ucchala jaladhi taranga Tava śubha nāme jāge Tava śubha āśiṣa māge Gāhe tava jaya gāthā Jana gaṇa mangala dāyaka jaya he Bhārata bhāgya vidhāta Jaya he jaya he jaya he Jaya jaya jaya jaya he!'

And here is the English translation:

'Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people, Dispenser of India's destiny. Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind, Gujarat and Maratha, Of the Dravida and Orissa and Bengal; It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas, mingles in the music of Jamuna and Ganges and is chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea. They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise. The saving of all people waits in thy hand, Thou dispenser of India's destiny. Victory, victory, victory to thee.'

Delhi Weather in January

2010-01-20T10:08:00.005+05:30

Delhi is the only place I have ever lived where the weather forecast is simply listed as, "Dreary." It's the fog. The locals are dressed for "winter." Scarves, winter coats, gloves, stocking caps. From our point of view, the temperatures really aren't that bad. They range from the upper 40s F at night to as high as 70 F during the day... if the fog thins out. If not, the day time temps probably hang in the low 60s F. We usually wear a scarf, a hat and a warm sweater.

At night I feel like I'm camping - minus the sleeping bag. If you've been camping, you know what I mean. The sheets are cold and clammy. The pillow is damp. The air often smells smokey and musty. You need a friend to get warm.

When we get up in the morning we often cannot see 15 feet beyond the railing of our balcony. The buildings across the courtyard are simply not there. "Morning" fog often winds up being just all-day fog.

To be accurate, the fog is really about two-thirds moisture and one third pollution. It seems to be caused by air inversions. A layer of cold air trapping a layer of warm air and moisture. These routine inversions are sometimes experienced in places like Denver, Colorado. The fog just makes the weather seem colder, darker and very, very damp.

Driving is challenging to say the least. Drivers aren't compelled to use headlights in the fog, so cars, bicycles and pedestrians emerge out of the mist like ghosts without warning. The kids' school start-time is delayed in January by at least a 1/2 hour because of the weather. And the malls are really crowded - although this is probably more due to big store sales than the foggy, damp weather.

To me, the swing in Delhi temperatures shows up best in the act of doing laundry. In the summer we hang our wet clothes out on the balcony. The intense, dry heat from the sun gets them dry in literally 20 minutes. This time of year we hang our laundry inside to dry - usually at night. This is when the space-heaters are on. Clothing won't ever dry outside in this "dreary" Delhi weather.

Another Posting about Elephants?

2010-01-14T09:41:00.005+05:30

OK, whether you are "swimming in India," or traveling to Thailand (or almost anywhere in Southeast Asia for that matter) there are many opportunities to see, and sometimes interact with elephants. I usually say it's "great for the kids." But really, Lesa and I love watching these very intelligent, gentle giants just as much as they do...

We had the opportunity to see a group of elephants outside of Chiang Mai. Elephant "rehabilitation" centers, training centers, retreats - whatever you want to call them (maybe "tourist-traps?) - they seem to have become something of a cottage industry in northern Thailand.

I do have mixed feelings about participating in this obvious sideshow. My observations have been mostly positive. The Elephant "programs" must have a sizable impact on the local economy around Chiang Mai. Also, the Thai elephants seem to be largely without abusive "training" scars. They seem happy and well fed.

I fear the elephants here in northern India may be less well cared for. Many of the elephants I have seen in India are thinner, and often have obvious scars on their rumps and heads. Perhaps diet, climate and culture all play a role in these apparent differences?

In Chiang Mai, Audrey and Evan both got to feed baby and adult elephants. And of course there was the "show:" a small program where we watched elephants paint pictures, play musical instruments and even play soccer. I think the elephants enjoy these goofy activities much more then their mahouts...At the end we all walked to the river to watch them bathe and drink and then went in small groups for a short ride through the jungle. Without a doubt, these elephants would much prefer the wild to this carnival of sorts. But, coupled with large tracts of National Parks where wild elephants still reside, these tourist-based organizations are raising awareness and are helping to integrate the elephant population into the increasingly modern Thai economy.

Happy Holidays!

2010-01-07T10:36:00.007+05:30

If you can believe it, Delhi is typically chilly between 15 December and 15 January... Damp cold and smoggy. As a way to avoid the chill we decided to celebrate the year-end festivities (Lesa's birthday, Christmas and New Year's) in Thailand.

Before we left we managed to squeeze in a bit of early Christmas - we opened some early gifts, hung our stockings, and colored lights then decorated our little tree.

On the 22nd we headed off to Bangkok for two weeks of respite from India. We spent Lesa's birthday (23 Dec) seeing some of the sights in Bangkok. My favorite was the Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha Temple) The image of the Buddha here is massive. As Audrey commented: "his fingernail is bigger than my head!" We managed to find a nice traditional holiday dinner (Turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce) at a local hotel, so we celebrated Lesa's birthday with an early Christmas feast. On the 24th we headed north by bus to Sukhothai - an ancient capital of one of the many past kingdoms in Thailand (12th Century). The park at Sukhothai is a World Heritage site and contains multiple ruins of temples (Wats), palaces and fortifications. There are no cars allowed within large areas of the park, so we rented bicycles to explore its many locations.

On the 26th we took a second "VIP" bus to Chiang Mai where we explored this northern city's famous markets and spent a day out in the country hanging out with some Elephants (more on this later...)

As the New Year approached we returned south again via Bangkok using taxis, buses, an airplane, a minivan and two ferries to get to our final weeks' destination: Koh Lanta. Lanta is a lovely, but quiet island near its more famous sister, Koh Phi Phi (seen in the movie, "The Beach").

We rang in the new year hanging out in the sun with our toes in the sand, swimming in the warm ocean and eating lots of really good Thai food!

Back to reality and our little spot of India again... Noida.

Shopping in Old Delhi

2009-12-14T17:17:00.008+05:30

Lesa and I have been exploring some of the market streets in Old Delhi. We do this on Saturdays when the kids have school - which gives us about 5 hours to explore some of the slightly sketchier parts of town without worrying about keeping track of children. One of our favorite areas includes the streets and alleys surrounding Chandni Chowk.This is a famous Old Delhi market street that runs into the massive Red Fort (Lal Qila). It is always full of shoppers looking for "cheap and best" prices.

One of these alleys is called, Kinari Bazaar. Also known as "Wedding Street," this alley is ground-zero for fancy Saris, ribbon, beads and special decorations and garlands. Its also a great place to shop for a man's turbin. This is the same place where I recently found capes for the kids' Halloween costumes.

Once you start wandering these streets and alleys it becomes quite a maze... These passages are often narrow and snake their way through the neighborhood. I often think of an electrician-friend of ours back in Austin when I see the wild web of phone, cable and electricity lines tangled above us as we walk. (see above)

The smells are memorable - usually good ones! Paratha Walla Marg (translated as "paratha sellers street") smells wonderful. One of the open-air restaurants here is well over 130 years old. (1872) Parathas are made of unleaven bread stuffed with vegetables, spices and sometimes cheese (paneer) - pretty much a meal on the go. These are often eaten for breakfast here in north India.

On our last trip in, we took one of our friends, Jane a little farther up Chandni Chowk to the Fruit and Nut/Spice/Pickle Market. This neighborhood smells incredible. Once you hit the spice stalls you often find yourself sneezing from all of the wonderful spices drifting in the air! Our favorites items are definitely the nuts, though. We go for the cashews, pistachios (pista) and almonds!

Do You Speak Hindi?

2009-12-04T16:48:00.008+05:30

Next week we will have lived in India for an entire year! As a family we've accomplished quite a bit, but I have to admit, one of my big goals is still unrealized... my Hindi is still really bad. Our Indian friends and neighbors are very polite and encouraging, but it's still a thorn in my side that I haven't done better with the language.
I know a good deal of vocabulary now, but I just can't seem to get it together. And finding a conversational tutor in Noida has been a challenge. Everyone wants to teach, but no one seems to really know how to teach Hindi as a second language - conversational Hindi.
I'll side-step my guilt for now and bring you to the real topic of this blog... After being so exposed to this ancient language, it's been interesting to discover how much of it can be found in spoken English. We use it almost every day and don't realize it.
I'll give you a few quick examples... "Bangle, jungle, cot and sentry." These are all Hindi words and mean essentially the same thing in English as they do in Hindi.
The word "khaki" (light brown or tan) was not a surprise to me... probably adopted by the British Army, but the words "bandanna" (a scarf) and "bungalow" (a house in the Bengal style) were.
The word "cushy" (soft) is from Hindi, as well as "thug" (meaning thief). If you have kids, you use the word "pyjama" almost every evening - I know I do... but then again I live here. I'm supposed to be speaking more Hindi. I should note that Indians wear these during the day, not necessarily to sleep in... And of course we all wash our hair with "shampoo." - this word has its origins from the sub-continent as well.
We listen to the 'pundits' on radio or television - also a Hindi word meaning "scholar" - although I'm not sure its original meaning holds very true. Anyone, it seems, can now be a "pundit."
"Cheetah" and "calico" (colorful fabric) are also words from India. And finally, if you're into computer imaging, or online communities, or maybe are aware of the new James Cameron film, you've also used the word "Avatar." This is Hindi word meaning "incarnation or embodiment." As the story goes, Hinduism's Lord Vishnu projected himself in the form of the original "avatars:" Krishna and the Buddha to name just two.
Oh, and for the language purists who may be reading... yes, many of these words are not only Hindi, but may share common origins in the rich Urdu and/or Persian languages as well.
OK. I guess I'd better get back to trying to speak the Hindi language, rather than just be fascinated by it...
Meri Hindi kucch khaas nahi hai! (My Hindi is really bad!)

Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T11:00:00.002+05:30

Ok, we managed to pull off a nice Thanksgiving dinner last night. No turkey though. We hear you can find one for about $75 to $120. But without an oven, what would we do with it? After some menu planning and searching through markets and stores, here is our Swimming-In-India Thanksgiving menu:

Homemade Applesauce (made from Kashmir apples)
Stuffing - we made our own chicken broth and added pear, raisins, onion, celery and spices. The hardest ingredient to find was celery. Not a typical veg used in Indian cooking. (Also - I diced the bread and dried the cubes in the hot Indian sun).
Sweet Potatoes in brown sugar. (these are not orange, but a pale yellow, but tasted mighty good!)
Garlic Mashed white potatoes
Yellow corn (got this frozen at the market)
Green beans sauteed in butter with almonds
Jellied Cranberries (OceanSpray -found this at the INA market in Delhi)
and Pumpkin Pie (Made to order at the Canadian-operated Red Moon Bakery in Sarita Vihar)

All of this was prepared on our stove top or in our small microwave. We shared the results with our neighbors Mini & Shail, who seemed to give the menu a thumbs up!

We all have a lot to be thankful for this year. We are all healthy one year into our India adventure and eating pumpkin pie! Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Elephants in the River

2009-11-24T09:33:00.009+05:30

We'd been hearing nice things about Jim Corbett National Park. The kids had an unexpected day off from school (not so unusual), so we headed north by car to the neighboring state of Uttarakhand. Chauhan drove us. He seemed to enjoy the drive as Uttarakhand is his home state. We stayed in a great little resort called "Tiger Camp." It's right on the river bordering the eastern edge of Corbett.

Our lodging was lush and jungle-like. Tiger Camp had great service, was very tidy and had good food. Since it was chilly at night there was a camp fire to keep us warm with guitar/singing to entertain us.Audrey and Evan enjoyed cutting loose... There were safe paths to explore in the lodge compound and each morning we walked down to the rocky shore of the river. There we would see many birds and even troops of monkeys coming down for a drink. This was by far the clearest, cleanest water we have seen in India.

While were were exploring the rocks and winding our way up the shoreline we heard an odd noise behind us.We looked back behind us and there to our surprise was a male elephant standing all by himself on the rocks in the middle of the river! As we got closer, we realized there was a second elephant as well! Their mahouts had brought them down for a drink (a very large drink) and a morning bath!

We all stood with our mouths wide open as one of these gentle giants walked right past us, up the middle of the river. Then the two started playing in the water - splashing, and spraying, "trumpeting" and making large waves with their trunks. Such a pleasure to watch them enjoying the river.

We became alarmed when the mahouts started throwing rocks at the two elephants. They seemed to think "bath time" was over, but the elephants definitely had other plans... The elephants ignored the two ranting mahouts. Stones just bounced off the elephants' thick hides with a thud - the animals just kept right on ignoring their keepers, and continued to play in the cool rush of the water...

When we finally left the scene, the elephants were still nudging one another and splashing in the middle of the river. They seemed to enjoy this moment of freedom and defiance - turning their large elephant-rumps towards their still very upset mahouts!

Good Coffee Beans in Delhi

2009-11-16T08:58:00.005+05:30

When we first moved here I think we brought about 6 pounds of coffee beans from Austin. Lesa and I love a good cup of "joe" in the morning. We were afraid we might have a problem tracking down quality, fresh roasted beans. Of course Indians love their Chai, but if you order coffee here, nine times out of ten what you get is Nescafe. Instant coffee. They often try to hide it in foamy sweet 'cappuccino'-like drinks, but it's still just bad powdered coffee.

Our coffee supply ran out in a few months and then the dilemma struck home. I thought I would try and assimilate and go with the Nescafe... It didn't work for me.

Fortunately a sympathetic Canadian friend came to our rescue. He pointed me to Devan's Coffee & Tea. This small, but tidy shop is located near Lodi Colony in Khanna Market. The market is "L" shaped and local in atmosphere. It seems to be mainly known for fabric shops, but as you round the base of the "L" you begin to smell the aroma of wonderful roasted coffee. The beans are grown in the hill stations of south India. The shop has a wonderful variety of beans (pea berry, robusta, etc) and roasts - all types from dark french to light. Devan's will sell you whole beans, or grind them to your liking. It's also a good place to find teas from all over India. Devan's also sells brewing equipment, presses, and accessories for both tea and coffee.

Remember to keep your beans at home when you come to Delhi.

Lost in Translation

2009-11-04T21:18:00.004+05:30

Communicating successfully with the children's school and teachers has been very challenging. We are confused by assignments, terminology and the names of school supplies. Typically we end up frustrated, not understanding what is required. But today's communication jumble gave us a good laugh!

All children have an almanac in which they write their homework assignments. The teachers and parents use it to exchange information. Last night I wrote this message in Evan's almanac:

"Dear Teacher,
Evan lost his first front tooth on 31 Oct. His other one is very loose. It may fall out during the school day. He must bring it home. He has a container."

Tonight, Evan reported that his teacher had the whole class look around the classroom for the tooth he lost.

Having A Bad Day? Think Again.

2009-10-29T18:28:00.008+05:30

Traffic accidents are a common scene here. Most are frightening, this one is absurd. What was he doing?... changing radio stations?

Wild Deer in Noida?

2009-10-26T09:49:00.009+05:30

We are still finding interesting places to explore on foot here in Noida. Early on Diwali-morning we went out again to walk through a nearby forest. Our neighbors, the kids, Lesa and I made up the expedition troop this time 'round. The forest is less than 1 km from ATS. The rumour was that there are deer (Nilgai) living in this patch of woods. I was pretty skeptical. This eastern part of Noida has been pretty worked-over from construction and deforestation. Much of the area around ATS is dusty and desolate. There are plenty of domesticated goats, cattle and water buffalo, but I've never seen a wild deer anywhere I've explored in Noida...

As we approached the woods, the asphalt quickly became a dirt road and then random trails and brushy forest - mainly eucalyptus trees. Locals were watching us as we entered the woods... looking quite perplexed. These stares always give me the feeling I've shown up at the wrong wedding reception. A few asked why we were there? Shail helped explain that we were, "just out trekking." I think this confused them even more. Especially because it was Diwali.

We walked the perimetre of the forest for a bit, but then managed to find a pretty good trail to follow. Once inside, the forest let us momentarily escape the urban-Noida landscape. I could hear the breeze through the leaves of the trees. We started to see animal tracks that we couldn't identify... and then after a short distance, sure enough, there were some very large deer peering at us through the underbrush!
At first we just saw one or two. Then we quickly realized there were as many as fifteen healthy, large Nilgai in a herd. They kept watch of us, and would let us get to within 75 or 100 feet of them, then shy back away into the woods. We followed and enjoyed watching the deer for a little while and then finished our walk, passing a local Temple near the far side of the woods.

It was great to know these large animals are surviving, despite the rapidly changing landscape that surrounds them!

Hiking in Noida

2009-10-21T13:48:00.008+05:30

I've been doing some hiking with our neighbors (Mini and Shail) over the past few weekends... The treks have started at the gates of ATS where we head out on foot to explore 'rural' our Noida. The weather has cooled down considerably here (upper 80's during the day and between 65 and 70 at night now) making it a great time to hike.

Our first recent trek took us south - in search of the river Yamuna... which we did eventually find. This is the waterway that divides Noida from Delhi. The river itself is less-than spectacular. Without much rain the Yamuna is reduced to a slowly moving swamp. But the five kilometre journey to the water's edge was interesting...

Our first barrier was the Greater Noida Expressway. This is a four lane highway that runs past ATS. It gives us easy access to New Delhi, but cars typically drive too fast and the highway has a reputation for really bad trucker accidents. The three of us scrambled across this road at about 7:15 am in the early morning mist.

Very quickly we ran into the last thing I would have expected... the Indian Air Force. The IAF's local shooting range, oddly, is in the farm fields to the South of our complex. Hoping their rifles were routinely pointed in a less populated direction, we gave the troops plenty of space as we hiked on.

As we traversed planted fields, we came across quite a few birds including several eagles, a male peacock and many small songbirds.

We saw many farm families working in the fields. Corn, wheat, rice and radishes seemed to be the main crops growing in the area at this time of year. We also walked through several local nurseries. Maybe these are a bi-product of all of the new construction - both commercial and residential -going up on along the Expressway? India loves her beautiful, ornate gardens... so more and more of these are planted with the completion of each new construction project.

Perhaps the strangest encounter along the way was discovered as we walked along a narrow, bricked village alley. Over the top of a stone wall we saw the large statue of a figure standing in a private garden. Shail spoke to some guards at this compound's gate, and with a little insistence they let us in. There, towering in front of us with the figure of Nehru himself, the first PM of India. The guards told us we had entered the workshop-retreat of an apparently famous state-sculptor! There were fiberglass statues (probably molds) and a few bronze ones scattered throughout this enclosed garden. All famous politicians or historical figures. Evan a large horse and the head of the god Brahma. For me, the place was a little creepy - random statues standing in the relative quiet of this slightly over-grown, hidden garden...

Diwali

2009-10-17T14:25:00.008+05:30

Diwali or Deepawali (in Sanskrit this means a "row of lamps") is probably the biggest festival in India. It is celebrated by Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains. Each religion emphasizes a different (and sometimes complex) aspect of this holy time. Diwali, in its most basic form, is a Festival of Lights. We went out and bought some of these little lamps (that's one of ours above). They're called diyas. After some head scratching (and the help of our trusted driver) we figured out we needed to get cotton wicks and mustard oil. Lighting them signifies victory of good over the evil within an individual and the welcoming return of the goddess Lakshmi.

The holiday in many ways reminds us of Christmas. Colorful lights are hung everywhere outside - in town centers, on buildings and temples. We put up our own - out on the balcony. Gifts are exchanged between friends, neighbors and loved ones. Candles and lamps are lit in the evening to light Lakshmi's way - the goddess of prosperity - to your doorstep.

Since this is a festival to share with friends we tried to jump right in! Last night we had some of our good neighbors over for snacks and chai. We exchanged simple gifts, our kids played, we all chatted and ate cake and namkeen and Indian sweets!And, oh yes, there is plenty of food during Diwali! Leading up to Diwali, the markets were filled with vendors making special gift packages and baskets. Special Indian sweets are prepared for sale in sweet shops.

For days leading up to the festival, fireworks (known as "crackers" here) are constantly heard going off in the distance. This is our first Diwali here in India. I think our whole family agrees that this festival of light is a very accessible, joyous and heartfelt occasion!

The Land Rovers of Ghoom

2009-10-09T17:20:00.003+05:30

Strange as it may seem, the town of Ghoom (spotlighted in the previous posting) is the location of some of the few remaining classic Land Rovers in India. The Land Rover company (ironically now owned by the massive Indian Tata Corporation) hasn't sold Rovers here for decades. I have never seen them in other parts of India. But a few surviving examples can still be found still running about on the narrow, winding roads in the Himalayan hill stations of Darjeeling District. The kids and I managed to spot four of these rugged, aluminum-bodied trucks. The oldest dated back to 1952 - A Series I, still in working condition.

Tea Train

2009-10-09T09:30:00.001+05:30

One of the most famous (and oldest running) narrow gauge trains in the world runs through Darjeeling District. The track starts in the city of Siliguri and winds its way up through the Himalayan foothills to Darjeeling. During its run up into the hill stations the train passes through what most consider to be the best tea-growing region in India.The track for this train really is narrow. The rails are only about two feet apart. The train is very small and very slow, (agonizingly slow), but the seats are comfortable and the views are often spectacular.

We just took the "Joy Ride" version of a trip, riding the 8 km from Darjeeling to the next town of Ghoom (sometimes spelled, Ghum). The train ascends about 1,200ft as it travels from the center of Darjeeling over to Ghoom. It is slow going as the train passes beside the main road and winds its way upward past guesthouses, village shops and several Buddhist Monasteries. The train makes a 10 minute stop at the Batasia Loop. Here the train circles around a garden memorial dedicated to all the Gorkha soldiers who have died for their country in past military actions. The Gorkha are considered to be some of the best Special Forces soldiers in the world - known for their courage and incredible abilities in high altitudes. The memorial overlooks the Himalayas and the massive snow-covered peak of Kanchenjunga.

The town of Ghoom is the highest point on the entire 83km line, with an elevation of about 7,400 feet. The top floor of the Ghoom train station has a small museum dedicated to the history of the train. As you can imagine, the track was not easy to build - many workers died during construction of the line which was completed in 1881.

After a 30 minute stay in Ghoom, we all hopped back on the toy train for our return trip back to the city of Darjeeling.

Darjeeling District

2009-10-03T21:58:00.010+05:30

We have returned from our trip to Darjeeling... Spent eight days in the Himalayan foothills overlooking Mount Kanchenjunga - the world's third tallest peak (approx 28,160 ft.) The weather was cooler and everyday we had a view of the snow-capped range.

Darjeeling has a much more Asian-oriental feel to it due to the huge shadow of China. The cultures of Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, India, Sikkam and Burma all mingle together in Darjeeling.

While there, the kids discovered a fondness for Momo's - a Tibetan dumpling filled with pork, chicken or cabbage. Lesa and I savored the Tibetan soups... very nice on a chilly evening. We all enjoyed eating at the "English" bakery in Darjeeling as well!

We traveled to three hill stations in the district. Kalimpong was the first and our favorite. It was quiet and we stayed in a lovely family-run Guest House (Holumba Haven). Good food and plenty of garden space for the children to play in. The owners had two small children (aged 6 and 8) - so Audrey and Evan had a blast there. Hide and Seek, Tag, bunnies and guinea pigs - plenty to do. All while under the shadow of massive Kanchenjunga. Who could ask for more?

Kalimpong has a fascinating past as it was a trade crossroads for hundreds of years between Sikkam, Nepal, and Bhutan. As a result, all four major orders of Buddhism are represented in the town by monasteries - the oldest of these dates back to the 17th century. Buddhism is probably the most prevalent religion in this part of India. There is also a strong influence from Christianity and, of course Hinduism. We chatted with monks in each of the several Buddhist monasteries we visited - they were all well spoken, educated, and gracious.

Darjeeling, (elev approx 6,000 ft) was the second place we visited. Although established on a high ridge, the city was a bit of a disappointment. The city-center is crowded, noisy and has a lot of diesel pollution because the taxis ("Sumos") constantly running between neighboring towns. More on Darjeeling (and the unusual neighboring town of Ghoom (elev. 7,400 ft.) later...

Finally, we had a one-night stay in the town of Kurseong - in a pleasant, but weathered hotel called, Cochran Place. This small hotel sits on top of a ridge line with a near-360 degree view of the neighboring foothills. Warmer, and lower in elevation (4800 ft), Kurseong is surrounded by tea plantations. This is the heart of Darjeeling Tea country where many plantations have operated for 150 years or more.

The trip to Darjeeling District included a three hour flight from Delhi to to Bagdogra and then at least another 2-3 hours by jeep/taxi up into the many hill stations above.

Monkey Business, Part 2

2009-09-17T17:21:00.002+05:30

We've been having some issues again at ATS Village with "invading" monkeys. I think it's the same bunch who have taken a liking to Towers 10 and 11 (ours is Tower 10). These marauding monkeys can be quite dangerous. One recently entered a nearby apartment, ransacked the refrigerator (that's the first place they go once inside your flat) and attacked a guard before being chased away! The ATS management has hired another monkey-handler to "patrol" the grounds. Different for a large Langur (see "Commando Monkey," Relee-India, Feb 2009) who was used earlier in the year - these fellows are the more common Rhesus Monkey. Supposedly the "domesticated" monkeys dislike wild ones and will chase them away...

I think our little monkey-patrol was bored the other day so the trio put on an impromptu show for the residents of ATS. Using a little tambourine to call us down, the Monkey-handler had his troupe perform some tricks...One monkey sat on a large can, used a walking stick, and then nodded/shook his head to questions. The other "played dead" and rolled over. A bit humiliating.In the end, the poor little guys were dressed up in sunglasses and hats as their performance finale! Lesa and I enjoyed the show, but I'll believe it when I see that these two monkeys can actually scare away their marauding, balcony-hopping brethren....

English with a Hindi Accent?

2009-09-10T10:08:00.003+05:30

Early on, Evan had difficulty communicating with his local schoolmates - especially in Class I where most of the children primarily spoke Hindi. The other kids and Indian adults had difficulty understanding his American accent and he became very self-conscious.

I think his early solution to this anxiety was to just stay very, very quiet at school. He became an observer rather than a speaker. Evan has never been very out-going, but this increased reticence worried us about his ability to adapt to his new social environment.

Much of our concern has evaporated over the past months. An incident this weekend confirmed this... Evan had a play-date with his good friend and classmate, Pulkesh. It was just the three of us at the apartment. Lesa and Audrey were out shopping with a friend in Delhi. We went swimming in the pool and later, the boys had fun playing with Star Wars figures in Evan's room.

That's when I observed the change. Evan would speak in his normal voice to me, but when he spoke to Pulkesh, his voice and accent completely changed. He was speaking with a thick North Indian accent to Pulkesh... Indian-English. I had to do a double take to see who was speaking. Audrey has used an Indian accent on occasion for some time, but not to this extent. Evan was doing what a Speech Pathologist calls "language code switching."

Evan (the observer) figured out the easiest way to connect with his Indian schoolmates was to mimic their speech. And I have to say, it seems to work. Pulkesh didn't seem to notice or acknowledge Evan was switching his speech. And Pulkesh was clearly understanding what Evan was saying! It didn't affect their play together in anyway. The boys were just having fun.

Lesa and I still worry about Evan a bit, but less now that we have both seen this new "India" version of him emerge. Kids are far more adaptable than their parents ever will be!

Two Unexpected Encounters

2009-09-03T12:44:00.006+05:30

There are very few Land Rovers in India. I have only seen one in our nine months here so far. This is a fact that is a little annoying to me, since many of you know I really like old Land Rovers. Mine (1963 Series IIA) is being baby-sat by a good friend back in Austin.

It came as a huge surprise that one was parked in the driveway of our Hotel in Mussoorie this past weekend. We had just returned from a walk into town and there it was - a late model Defender 110 with Denmark plates. Denmark? I had a chance to speak with the owner/driver. He and his wife are driving across Asia... 20,000 kilometers so far from Denmark to Mussoorie, India. Apparently Land Rover has been helping their adventure with some spare parts. His only major mishap so far was breaking down in Pakistan. Fortunately, the Pak army uses LR Defenders in their Armed Forces so the couple was able to make repairs without much delay.

A second chance meeting came through a local bookstore in Mussoorie. Before we traveled up to this hill station, it had been one of my hopes to maybe meet the Indian author, Ruskin Bond. He's a prolific writer, and happens to live near Mussoorie. Two of his more famous novels include "The Room on the Roof," and "Delhi is Not Far."

While we were poking around a small street side bookshop (an opportunity to get out of the misty, Mussoorie weather) Lesa spotted a poster of Ruskin Bond. He is apparently friends with the shop owner - and comes faithfully every Saturday (4pm-6pm) to sign books, and chat with readers. Both of us were excited - we bought one of his novels and a collection of children's stories and told the shopkeeper we would return the next day to meet Mr. Bond.

We arrived at the bookshop at 5:30 the next day from an afternoon of sight-seeing. We were afraid we might have missed our opportunity to meet this local legend. The shopkeeper recognized us right away: "I told Rusty you'd be coming. He's waited even though he's not feeling himself today."

And there he was. Very gracious and charming. We apologized for being late from our sightseeing trip and he asked us where we'd been - Mr. Bond has lived in this area most of his 75 years - He seemed genuinely interested and was willing to take some time with us. He shared his thoughts on how things have changed in and around Mussoorie. The author told us he lives about an hour's walk outside of town and when the weather is pleasant his still enjoys the stroll from his village into Mussoorie. What an honor and a treat to meet him in person!

Mussoorie

2009-09-01T11:13:00.006+05:30

We finally made a trip to one of the many hill stations in the Himalayan foothills. Mussoorie is a regional town sitting at about 6,000 ft above sea level. It is about 5 hours away by train (Dehradun) and then another hour by taxi up into the mountains. Our friends, Nicki, Jennifer and her 2 children, Artie and Mazzy made the trip with us.

When we arrived in Dehradun our group hired two cabs to take us up into the mountains and our hotel in Mussoorie. This was definitely a treat, because we all got to ride in "Ambassadors" up the mountain roads. The Ambassador is a very old design - the original Indian "Luxury" automobile. Now they are mainly used by government officials and taxi companies. There are hundreds of Ambassadors in Dehradun and Mussoorie.

The town of Mussoorie is situated on a winding ridge that overlooks the valley below. There is an increase of maybe 4,000 feet from Dehradun (in the valley) up to Mussoorie. As you increase in altitude you begin to see fir trees for the first time and the air becomes clean and cool.We often found ourselves wearing jackets and looking out above the clouds. We walked narrow village streets shrouded in thick mist. Our hotel was in an old summer-estate originally owned by a former Mugal prince. We ate some wonderful Tibetan food (common in the hill stations) and our visitors enjoyed poking around in the local shops. Sellers on the street roast fresh popcorn and sell hand woven clothing, Himalayan crafts and, oddly, magic kits - a strange phenomenon Mussoorie is known for... Because much of the town was laid out by the British during the Raj, some of the streets look rather English, lined with flowers and trimmed with wrought-iron.

We definitely will be exploring more of these lovely hill stations in the future - as with so much of India, each place we go has its own unique beauty and personality.

Bollywood Audition?

2009-08-15T15:42:00.002+05:30

India continues to have moments of absurdity... A Canadian friend, Mark, who lives nearby, recently had a chance to do a screen test for the Bollywood director, Onir. Mark met him through a "friend of a friend." Apparently Onir's latest project includes the role of a middle-aged, "European" man. Mark rang me up a week or so ago to see if I might be interested as well... He gave Onir my number and sure enough, I received a call from the project's casting director, Swati. She asked for a few photos.
The whole thing seemed kind of silly, but I emailed her the photos, letting her know that I wasn't really an actor. Apparently I look sufficiently European and middled-aged to her. Swati sent me a text message requesting I attend an audition with some other actors at 6pm the next evening.

Chauhan (our driver) drove me over to a neighborhood in Delhi I'd never been to before. It was a maze of narrow streets, town homes and small businesses. Swati was waiting for me outside. She waved me over and let me inside a somewhat shabby three-story town home. We went into a brightly lit, large room where an assistant director was discussing the script with a group of actresses. Swati handed me the script.

The short film, called "Afia," is slated to be part of a 5 film project about some of the malices of India. I was definitely feeling like a fish out of water. The part they wanted me to memorize was multiple-pages long.... I am not used to memorizing lines, and I do not feel natural speaking them in front of a camera and people I have just met.
Then I read the description of the scene. I'm swimming in the scene. I had to re-read it twice. Swimming. I'm swimming and then the main character, Afia, flags me down at the edge of the pool - she's urgent and has to speak with me. Then I have to get out of the pool and wrap a towel around myself before the dialog starts... Can you visualize me actually doing this?

Each actor had about 15 or 20 minutes in front of the camera. I tried to stay away from the filming in an adjacent room. I helped one of the actresses run through her lines and she did the same for me. It was finally my turn at about 7:30. They saved me for last. At this point I was pretty nervous.
"Since there's no pool," I asked, "Do I need to take my shirt off for the scene?" There was a long pause, then everyone laughed. "No, no, no. We just want to see what you are like on film."

I have to say, everyone was very nice and very encouraging. They shot footage of me for about an hour and thirty minutes. Standing, walking , sitting, attempting to exchange dialog... wide shots and close-ups. They were very patient and cordial. We joked and laughed through most of the audition. I am definitely not a natural at this sort of thing. My guess is, maybe I had some part of the look they wanted, but in the end I am just not an actor.

Anyway, after some tea, and a few final shots I thanked them and off I went into the darkness and the ride back to Noida with Chauhan. He and I laughed about it most of the way home. Lesa and I are still laughing about it.

Indian Houseboats

2009-08-12T13:52:00.006+05:30

We spent a night on an Indian houseboat while we were down south in Kerala. (near the village of Alleppey). House boating seems to be a fairly common thing here in India... You can do it is several locations throughout the country - the coast of Kerala being one of the more famous places. The Indian Houseboat culture here reminded me a little of the sail boating culture in the US - both are definitely relaxed, special ways of living.Our houseboat was very similar to the one pictured above. The boats use what is essentially a river-barge hull with "cane" mobile-home on top. The boat we were on, called the "Mind Sweeper," had 2 air-conditioned state rooms (each with a bath), a kitchen in the stern and a dining room/lounge area towards the bow. The boat had an inboard diesel engine that was actually fairly quiet. Most of the cabin is is made of wood, cane, and bamboo. At the peak of the season (winter months) there are about 250 houseboats cruising the lake waterways and canals around Alleppey!

The crew consisted of a captain, crewman, and cook. - They were all very friendly and competent and served us great, fresh Keralan food, chai - even a cold beer in the evening! The kids had the run of the boat. We just kicked back, read, but mostly just enjoyed watching the South-Indian village life slowly glide by as we wandered down backwaters and canals....

Behind The Wheel

2009-08-10T19:08:00.002+05:30

I finally accomplished one of my big goals for self-independence here in India. Last week I got fed up enough to get behind the wheel of our Maruti sedan and start driving. It's been 9 months since we moved here (if you can believe that). Chauhan (our driver) was off and we needed to get some things at the store. It was hot and I couldn't stand the thought of taking an auto-rickshaw. Out the gates of ATS I went into the relative chaos that is driving in India... My only two real challenges are getting my left hand used to the gear shift and confusing the windshield wipers with the turning signal levers (opposite on a RHD vehicle). Accelerator, brake and clutch pedals are all in the same order as a left-hand drive car.

Since last Wednesday I have driven on the Noida Expressway and have handled the traffic at the local mall... not sure I will venture into Delhi traffic anytime soon, but I am out there now handling the local road-chaos. Chauhan will still do most of the driving, but at least on weekends, evenings and holidays I no longer feel dependent on the skills and good will of others.

Raksha Bandhan

2009-08-05T17:49:00.007+05:30

Today is Raksha Bandhan - a Hindu holiday celebrating the relationship, respect and love between sisters and their brothers. Its my basic understanding of the holiday that the sister places a Rakhi (bracelet) on her brother as a sign of love and respect. The brother also expresses his love and promises to be a protector for his sister. Often sweets or gifts are exchanged. Instead of sharing a sweet, Evan chose to take Audrey to the movies as his "thank you" gift for the Rakhi.

Since Lesa was working, and our driver was off for the day... we headed out first by bicycle rickshaw (in search of an auto rickshaw driver in our neighborhood). After finding a driver and a bit of price haggling we headed out in the three-wheeler to take us across town to the mall. Unfortunately, our first auto rickshaw broke down after just a few blocks.

The kids and I waited in the hot sun for a few minutes until we managed to hail a second auto. Off we went through Noida traffic to enjoy a cool movie theater, popcorn and "Ice Age 3."

Back from South India

2009-08-04T09:33:00.004+05:30

We returned safely from a wonderful trip to Kerala (South-west India). The weather was cooler, and in the mountains we even needed to wear jackets most days and nights! It was a great break from the dust and heat in Noida.

While in Kerala we spent a few days in Fort Cochin (a former Portuguese - Dutch - English colony). We all enjoyed the beach near Alleppey and an overnight stay on an Indian-style Houseboat. The trip wound up with four days up in the mountains near Kumily. This is where tea, coffee and spices are grown - very famous for its spices! The Periyar Wildlife Reserve is also nearby. It is a Cloud-forest preserve with about 1,500 wild elephants, and (at last count) sadly, 37 tigers.

I am excited this week because I have my first big voice-over assignment (Mahatta Media) ...I am putting in a few hours each day in the sound studio. More to come on our adventures in South India in the next day or so...

Shower Head

2009-07-20T13:26:00.009+05:30

The shower head in the guest bathroom broke last week. It was a cheap plastic one. A seal split open while Lesa's sister Heidi was taking a shower. She didn't realize it at the time so water shot everywhere up and over the curtain soaking the entire bathroom. I was just glad she didn't get an electric shock (having had my past experiences with Indian wiring).

I searched for over a week to find a new shower head. Our driver helped me find one in a local market for about $1. This didn't fit. I found another - a plastic chrome head- in an Indian Department store for about $10, but I couldn't see spending that much on what is essentially my landlady's shower head. Finally last night our cook brought one that her husband found (odd that he is conveniently a plumber): $2. Feeling satisfied, I screwed it into place and turned on the valve to test it. The plastic end of the head promptly blew off with a blast of water - smacking the opposite wall of the shower stall.

One of our toilets also broke last week. Water stopped filling up in the tank. There was pressure, it just wasn't getting from the wall to the toilet. Toilets (western style) are similar to the ones you find in the US, but the valve mechanisms are different. I was afraid I might break it if I tried to take it apart so I called the ATS plumber, Jaymaal, to fix it. He showed up in about 30 minutes.

After making an incredible mess and still with a broken toilet he told me (in Hinglish) that the mechanism was clogged. Jaymaal gave me the price of a new part and disappeared. That was four days ago. I called the maintenance office again this morning. Two plumbers showed up. Jaymaal and his supervisor.

First I had them "fix" my exploded shower head. They used plumbers tape on the front of the head and screwed it back on. It worked. They told me to just turn the valve on slowly so the water pressure wouldn't blow it off again... Then they moved on to the toilet, dissecting it and spreading all of the slimy parts onto the floor and sink. That was when the 3rd plumber showed up. They all managed to crowd into that little humid bathroom, clean and unclog the slim from the parts and then reassembled the commode. With a little fanfare, the toilet was flushed and it began to refill.

I thanked them, gave them a little tip and off the trio went. Since my bathroom was still a mess I went to the guest-shower to rinse two hours of sweat and frustration away. I undressed, stepped into the shower stall, turned the valve... and was promptly pelted in the forehead by a blast of water and the plastic end of my newly-repaired shower head.

The Golden Temple

2009-07-17T12:53:00.008+05:30

The highlight of our trip north to Amritsar was the famous Sikh Golden Temple. Built in the 17th-18th Centuries, it represents the spiritual soul of the Sikh religion. We actually visited the Temple at different times during the day. It is most beautiful at dawn, as the sun begins to strike its golden surface. The dome is supposed to be covered with 750KG of pure gold - most of the main temple (Hari Mandir Sahib) is actually covered with Copper. It stands in the middle of the "pool of nectar" (Amrit Sarovar) and is surrounded by white marble complex with beautiful clock towers and watch towers. Pilgrims are constantly strolling clockwise around the parameter of the pool. Men are bathing at the edges of the sacred waters. Families are sitting in the shade visiting, or mediating.

The philosophy of the Sikh religion is wonderful - their doors are opened to all. At this Temple, almost everyone working is a volunteer (hundreds of men, women and children are working all over the complex). My favorite place here was the kitchen (Guru Ka-Langar) where it is said the Temple feeds 40,000 visitors a day. There is a giant common dining room where travelers and pilgrims sit together and enjoy a simple, but delicious meal. Some of the kitchen volunteers called me over and invited me in to watch them cook. They were preparing the largest vats of dal (lentils) I have ever seen!

Although it was a hot day in Amritsar, being at the edge of the Temple waters and watching the families and pilgrims pass-by was a wonderful, peaceful experience.

The Border

2009-07-15T20:25:00.008+05:30

We spent the weekend traveling up to the Punjabi town of Amritsar. This small city in the northwestern corner of India is only 30 km from the border of Pakistan. The trip was fun for us because we went with Lesa's sister, Heidi, and traveled for the first time using the Indian train system.

The train ride took about 5 1/2 hours and was really very easy. Tickets are booked and printed out on-line, the train was on-time, fairly clean. We enjoyed some nice meals and had plenty of water and tea. We traveled in an A/C chair car on the express (Shatabdi) train from New Delhi to Amritsar.

The two big attractions for travel to such a hot, northern place are the famous Sikh "Golden Temple" (more on that shortly) and the daily gate closing ceremony at the nearby India-Pakistan border crossing. For obvious reasons, there has been quite a lot of tension between Pak and India recently so we were excited to see this daily cross-border celebration and shouting match.

Crowds from both countries (as well as many foreigners) flood to the ceremony each evening and to view the theatrics. Soldiers on each side shout over loudspeakers to one another, and a caller rouses the crowds like a cheerleader. The crowds on the India side of the board roar :"Hindustan!" Quickly followed by the roar of the crowds across the border yelling, "Pakistan!" This goes on for quite sometime.

It was hot in the summer sun, but the spectacle was fun. The whole circus was accompanied by loud Pak-Indian pop music, flags waving, and enthusiastic, very high-kicking soldiers marching to the border in repeated shows of defiance to their counterparts on the other side of the gate.This all culminated in the meeting of the 2 sides' commanding officers. The formally dressed soldiers strut, shout commands, and finally salute one another as the two nations' flags are jointly lowered to signify the official closing of the border for the day.

Its Hot Outside and You're Really Bored, Part 1

2009-07-07T13:12:00.006+05:30

This post is what I'd like to think of as a first installment in the posting-series: "101 Things to do in India When its Really, Really Hot."Ingredients: Sunshine, adolescent boy, magnifying glass, and a dry, crumpled page from the "Times of India."

4th of July

2009-07-06T18:08:00.009+05:30

We have our first guest here for a visit from the US. Lesa's sister Heidi has joined us in the steaming heat of Noida! The timing was perfect because she got to join us for an evening at the US Embassy to celebrate the 4th of July (US Independence Day). All Americans (US Passport holders) were invited to the event. Defintely had a blast - there was American food (hotdogs, beef hamburgers, fries, Tex Mex), a great live band, fireworks, cake and competitions.. There was even a US Marine Corps honor guard. One of the highlights for me was watching forty young kids beat ten off-duty Marines in a tug of war. The next day, Heidi got her first big taste of sight-seeing in the steaming heat of Delhi. We took her to the famous Chandi Chowk neighborhood to see the massive Red Fort .
The fort was built between 1639 and 1648 by the Mogul Ruler, Shah Jahan. The fort is a World Heritage site. We also headed across the street to the large Jain Temple in Chandi Chowk. The Temple is famous for its bird hospital where birds of all types are brought for recovery. The Jains are known for their reverence of nature and protection of all living creatures.

Heidi will be "swimming in india" with us for several weeks... she is in for quite a fun, albeit warm, adventure! Stay tuned.

Voice-Over Audition?

2009-06-30T11:34:00.004+05:30

I had a chance to do some voice-over samples for a Delhi-based software company, Mahatta Media Solutions. Not something that would ever happen to me at home. The company works on a lot of e-training programs and needed a clear, male American accent. After a few e-mail exchanges and phone conversation, the kids and I ventured into South Delhi to the recording studio.

Nothing may come of it, but is was fun for me to do the voice samples and great for the kids to see the studio and meet a sound engineer. Very friendly, professional folks.

Long Trip

2009-06-29T18:28:00.004+05:30

I've been wallowing in American culture for the past 6 weeks. The kids and I traveled up and down the US/Canada for a total of about 3,400 miles. Lesa joined us for about 3 weeks in the middle. It was great to get out of the India heat... and until today it has been really hot here. The past four days in Noida were topping 110F. Thankfully, rains seem to have arrived - dropping the temperature this morning by a good 15-20 degrees F. It is overcast so maybe this will give us a break.

Here are a few quick contrasts I can make with North America still fresh in my mind:

Central Air-conditioning makes all of the difference in the world when its really hot. Most Indian residences - if they have AC - have only room units. When the generators are running you can only operate - 2 units. Part of the house is always hot and/or sticky, and part is cooled. The AC is very expensive to run. We had 2 units running most of the weekend and the charge was about $20 US. Ouch. We are learning to live with one - a quick rinse in the shower helps too.

Populuation - This is the biggie - it affects everything here. Water, Power, Air quality, infrastructure issues and garbage. There is irony in both the heat and the population density. In North America, we just aren't as connected to our communities. In the US, Lesa and I can walk in a suburban neighborhood after dark and not see a soul - everyone is hunkered down in their homes. Here - when you walk in the cooler evening-time everyone is out and about. People are shopping, children are playing, neighbors are walking and visiting with friends. The pool is full. Life outside is lively and fun.

Taking Turns. Americans get angry when someone doesn't cooperate by taking their turn. Indians, on the other hand, are very bad with this concept. I don't think its personal at all. Turn-taking is just not part of the culture - I suppose just another bi-product of over-population. My first exposure to this happened 20 years ago boarding an aircraft departing from North America for Mumbai. This hasn't changed much. If you want to move forward here you have to just jump in and make it happen. It can be frustrating and it affects everything: shopping, queuing up at an ATM, getting on an elevator, and of course, driving.

I don't drive in India (although it is a goal I have). The roads are almost always congested with vehicles of all types. There are traffic laws, but in very few places are they truly followed or enforced. Road quality is inconsistent. There are few true highways here. Most roads are what North Americans would consider "secondary roads" at best. The road-side scenery is less than appetizing as well. With the exception of Embassy/Government sections of Delhi, the landscape around NCR (Nat'l Capital Region) is a dusty, sprawling trash-ridden sight. Outside of cities, the countryside is quite beautiful, but the roads and the driving are still an adventure.

Aside from family and friends, (and safe drinking-water), driving is what I miss the most. I love an open, clean landscape, and a safe, predictable highway.

Hiatus

2009-06-20T03:28:00.003+05:30

Don't worry, regular postings to "Swimming In India" are returning soon!

Street Smarts

2009-05-28T11:03:00.003+05:30

Being "street smart" in India is a necessity for survival. Being "street smart" here is like playing in a whole new league.

I get cheated here everyday. I accept that we will pay a few rupees more for our goods and services. I have made peace with this and as long as it is just a few extra rupees, I don't consider it cheating.

From time to time though, someone really tries to cheat us and we can't accept it. Like the time Jonathan threw a bunch of bananas back at the fruit-wallah who was trying to charge him double. (this was only a few rupees, but the price doubling caused Jonathan to lose it!)

I am still fuming about a taxi we hired for 2.5 days in January. The taxi (organized through my employer) charged me for 4.5 days. Two days that I did not even use the taxi! They also charged me for over 160 kms per day. This is absurd - the taxi would have had to drive from my home to office over 10 times in one day to rack up that kind of distance. It is May and I still have not paid this bill. I've argued and I've gotten my co-workers to argue. The 2 extra days have been removed but all the extra kms are still on the bill. My coworkers have told me to just pay it and that next time I must document all the kms from the odometer.

I notice when we go to "take petrol" that the locals intently watch the meter on the petrol pump the entire time the attendant is filling the tank. Chauhan explained that this is necessary or the attendant will add some extra rupees to the charges.

Sometimes a "leap of faith" does not work, and your "street smarts" need to jump in.

Where's the Beef?

2009-05-16T16:54:00.005+05:30

It seems as though eating meat in India is optional. Vegetarians are by far the largest group of food-consumers in India. This is mainly driven by the Hindu and Buddhist religions prevalent here (over 80% of the population). The veg diet is so important that the government here has adopted symbols to show if a product uses proper Vegetarian ingredients. Green denotes Veg and brown is for Non-veg products. The diet choice is not drawn simply by religious faith. It also seems to be connected to caste, region and one's status in the community. Many Hindus do, in fact, eat meat - chicken, mutton (which in India is actually goat), and sometimes water buffalo. Most of the meat shops are Muslim-owned, since this is one of the largest meat-eating communities here.

Cows are everywhere in India - one of the sacred animals of Hinduism. They are not wild, (although you would think they are). The cattle are farm animals, managed and milked by their owners. The casual observer might not notice, but if you really spend time observing the cattle of India, all of them have a routine. They wander out in the day to scrounge for food. Only to return back home in the evening to be milked by the farmer.

Most meat shops are open-air, fly infested establishments - only for the locals and (in my opinion) the brave. We have found a nice shop for meats in Noida's Sector 50 called, "Chick Mart." The shop is fairly clean and offers fresh boneless chicken and fish (flown in from Mumbai). The shop even has bacon and pork sausage (also hard to come by as it is not permissible by the Muslim faith).

Beef is everywhere, but you won't find it on your plate - just wandering about in city traffic.

Election Day

2009-05-08T17:51:00.006+05:30

Yesterday was election day for this part of Uttar Pradesh and a few other states in India. Our neighbors, Shail & Mini, invited me to come along to the local polling station to check out the voting process. The station was in the small village behind ATS. Security was provided by local and state police (including several commandos)... they wouldn't let me take any photos near the polling station. It was all much more sophisticated than I expected. Citizens check in to vote with a picture ID (Shail actually confirmed his name and voter registration online prior to voting). Once you are confirmed as an eligible voter, you get in a queue and proceed to the electronic voting machine.

Once you have voted, your index finger is marked with permanent ink - everyone displays this finger with a bit of pride as proof of their participation in the election... This year the "in" thing to do was have your middle finger marked - especially celebrities - giving a polite excuse to flash "the finger" at reporters with a wink and a grin. There where no reports of disturbance or violence in our area during these elections.

Hot... Really Hot.

2009-05-04T10:09:00.004+05:30

We've had to re-adjust to our surroundings again. India is now hot. The temperature climbs above 40 degrees (104 F) nearly everyday. According to the Times of India we are in the midst of a heatwave - about 5 degrees Celsius above normal.

Life continues on here for the locals... there are still plenty of smiles during the heat of the day. But the pace of life has definitely slowed. The heat sucks away your energy and enthusiasm, and for me, it drains a little of the romance out of life in India.

The biggest change for our family has been learning to readjust our schedules. Lesa and I now walk earlier in the morning and we all swim in the evenings to cool down. An extra shower late in the day also helps - even the kids are volunteering to take showers now!
Unlike Texas, which also gets pretty hot in the summer, Indian homes do not have central A/C. If a room has A/C it is cooled by a stand-alone unit. Because we are trying to be more energy efficient, we run our units selectively. Its just not practical to run them in each room at once. The hotter it gets here, the more area-brownouts occur. When we are on power backup during a brownout, the system will only support two A/C units anyway.

So far I have managed to live with just ceiling fans running during the day. In the evening, when the family's all home, we are learning to live in one or two cooled rooms. To be comfortable through the night, we sleep with our bedroom A/Cs on a low setting... I'm sure by the time we get used to these new routines the monsoon season and high-humidity will arrive. We'll just learn to re-adapt all over again.

Chai Break?

2009-04-27T17:46:00.004+05:30

This is another case of stumbling on to the unexpected... While driving through Noida yesterday, Lesa and I came across two elephants standing at the edge of a busy intersection. There were no drivers (mahouts) attending these giant animals. No ropes attaching them to anything. No one was really even paying attention to them (except us). The elephants were just standing there in the morning sun - gently nudging each other, calmly swaying their trunks as busy traffic passed them by...
Come to find out that the elephant's "mahouts" had decided to take a chai break. The two drivers "parked" the animals on the street corner and walked to the neighborhood chaiwalla for some tea...

Cleaning fruits and Vegetables

2009-04-23T16:33:00.004+05:30

Several people have asked me about food and how you keep from getting sick. This is definitely an issue here - especially for fresh fruits and vegetables. Many of these are grown locally. The quality is usually pretty good - once you find the best local markets. "Cheap and Best," is the phrase that describes a good day of shopping here.

Because most produce is grown by local farmers, the fertilizer used to grow them is very inconsistent. The water they are rinsed in prior to sale is also contaminated in some way - either with chemical or biological waste. Fertilizer is part animal waste. Irrigation water often contains human waste.

We follow a few simple rules: Our neighbors have helped us find the best markets and we try to use consistent vendors. Our driver helps us get better prices.

The best way to prevent illness is to simply wash your vegetables when you bring them home. We soak them for about 10-20 minutes in a product called, "Steriliq." It is a mild solution of essentially bleach and water. As the bottle says, it was originally designed to sterilize baby bottles but it works great on produce as well. Steriliq kills most of the surface bacteria. Then we rinse the veggies with filtered (RO) water and let them air-dry on the counter before we place them in the refrigerator.This time of year the produce dries in a very short time! And as you can see, the vegetables are very fresh and nice. The whole process probably takes about 45 minutes.

Obviously we cook most of our vegetables, but we do sometimes eat raw cucumber, tomatoes, and many fruits. No major problems so far!

Passive-Aggressive?

2009-04-16T13:59:00.005+05:30

I think I've been pretty good at managing all sorts of folks in the US, but my learning-curve has been steep for managing household staff in India. Although I'm still not 100% sure, I might have made our housekeeper angry one day... and this was the result:My underwear was drying out on the front balcony railing for all 800 of my apartment complex neighbors to see. I suppose revenge is sweet...

Pushkar - city of Temples

2009-04-13T13:29:00.006+05:30

Puskar is a quiet town to the west of Ajmer in Rajasthan. It leads a bit of a double life... It is a very holy place for Hindus. The sacred lake Pushkar is surrounded by many ghats - holy bathing places where ancient stone stairs meet the waters edge. The main beacon in Pushkar is the Brahma temple - the only one of its kind in India. Thousands of Hindus flock here each year for religious pilgrimage. As a result of this, many, many small temples have been built, in part for worship, and in part for revenue gotten from the many pilgrims who venture to this place.

The second, somewhat more out of place, aspect of Pushkar is its quiet, hippie personality. Many younger Euro-American travelers venture to Pushkar for its quiet, relaxed nature, good food and ganja. Its an odd combination - I think the earthy western travelers perhaps feel closer to India and Hinduism by coming here. Unfortunately, I think most of them are unaware of how the locals actually see them - mainly as a source of dollars and not in any spiritual way.

Chauhan actually asked me "These people are disgusting. Where are they from?" (His words, not mine). He was referring to the Rastafarian clothing, hair and drab, over-washed cotton clothing most of the young, hip travelers wear. I chalked it up to youth, adventure and rebellious independence. (feeling guilty since I looked much the same when I traveled throughout Asia twenty years ago).

It felt a little odd how the context had changed for me. The realization was sad that these painfully earthy, good-hearted young travelers we being viewed by typical Indians in a pretty uncomplimentary way.
I think our favorite sites in Pushkar were the short treks we took to the two other ancient temples in Pushkar. Both of these are situated on separarate small mountaintops overlooking the city. One is dedicated to Savitri & Gayatri (wives of Lord Brahma) and the other to Pap Mochini (above) - a rather obscure diety, but very old temple.

Despite the contrasts, the food is really good in Pushkar - pizza and banana lassies, great Mediterranean food (thanks in large part to the many young Israeli tourist who venture to Pushkar). The quiet, peaceful nature of the town and the good food are worth the trip. But you still have to ask yourself - which came second, the Rastafarians or the Falafel?

A good Hindu would tell you that Lake Pushkar was here first - created by a lotus flower dropped from the hand of Lord Brahma himself.

Jantar Mantar - Jaipur

2009-04-09T13:37:00.005+05:30

As a kid back in Philadelphia I used to love going to the Franklin Institute... an early "please touch" museum showcasing Benjamin Franklin's love of science. It was all about how fun science can really be. The Jantar Mantar in Jaipur reminded me of that kind of wonder. In sanskrit Jantar Mantar (yanta mantr) means "instrument of calculation." Jai Singh, the city's namesake and designer started building this multi-instrument observatory in 1728.

At first glance it looks like a modern sculpture garden. Once you get close to these large calculation devices and with the help of a good guide their construction and accuracy will amaze you. You can see prototypes of each device and the still-accurate final instruments made of sandstone, marble and bronze. The Jai Prakash Yantra (above) was used in calculating celestial observations and tracking the signs of the zodiac. Jai created instruments for calculating the exact angle of the sun, positions of constellations (by calendar day and hour), and Calendar day. My favorite are his time pieces - two large sundials. The smaller of the two, which is about 15 feet tall, is accurate to 20 seconds...The large sun dial is 27 meters tall. It can calculate the time to 2 seconds - and it is nearly 300 years old!

Lassi Anyone?

2009-04-05T08:27:00.005+05:30

One of my favorite adventures in Rajasthan was our search for the perfect lassi! A lassi is the original "smoothie." Yogurt (called dahi in Hindi, or curd in Indian English) blended with cream, water, and sometimes fruit. Fruit is a western addition, though. An authentic lassi is made either sweet or salty. They are best when served cold. In Jaipur, we found the original "LassiWala". This shop has been in operation since 1944 and serves its lassis very fresh, very cold and very inexpensive - only 12 Rupees! (about 25 cents).

Each lassi is served in a large clay cup - the original disposable cup. The lassi-walas make each lassi fresh to order. They have a delightful foamy cream top, are ice cold, smooth and sweet! These lassis were so good, that we went on a lassi binge for the rest of our trip - ordering them wherever we went. By far, the Jaipur LassiWala served the best lassis that we ever had.

Road Trip

2009-03-31T21:12:00.015+05:30

Ten days in Rajasthan. We went with our driver in our compact Maruti-Suzuki "DZire." The drive took us through 4 cities - Jaipur, Ajmer, Pushkar and Udaipur. On this trip we traveled over 1,000 kilometers - mostly in semi-desert terrain - on India's Hwy 8. The highway is actually in pretty good shape, but has only 2 lanes and many crazy trucks driving North-South. Clean toilets and safe food are often few and far between - but on this trip none of us got sick and we had pleasant weather (Rajasthan can start to get really hot during the day in March). We found some really great places to stay. All of the hotels were mid-range in cost and are recommended by Lonely Planet.

In Jaipur we stayed 3 nights in all at Madhuban. A converted "Haveli," or mansion. The staff were a little grouchy on our last night , but it is run by a lovely family and is very charming. Great garden for tea some snacks and a good book to read. Madhuban has a simple menu for dinner. The kids enjoyed pasta and toasted cheese sandwiches. We enjoyed their veg and non-veg Indian dishes. Audrey has fallen in love with the banana "Lassi," a traditional sweet indian yogurt drink. (more about these later).

Next we were off to Pushkar for 2 nights. It is a small - somewhat hippie town that is famous for its Brahma Temple - the only one of its kind in India. There are many Indians who pilgrimage here each year to see this unusual temple. Westerners - Israelis, Europeans, Australians and a few Americans hang out here for the peaceful atmosphere, clothing and craft shops and the really great food.

Our hotel, was by far the best place we have stayed in India - "Seventh Heaven." Also a converted Haveli. Attentive friendly staff, reasonable prices for food and lodging and the rooftop restaurant, "Sixth Sense" is fantastic.

Our kids really enjoyed the manager of the restaurant who joked and played games with them. We all enjoyed the western/continental dishes for a few nights respite from Indian cuisine. And yes, Audrey loved the banana Lassis - I think she had one with every meal. Because the restaurant is on top floor and the kitchen on the ground floor the hotel uses a dumb waiter on a pulley system to deliver your food.

Our final destination was Udaipur - my personal favorite city on this trip. Although it is a city of 700,000 it has a very small feel to it. Not crowded or crazy like many of India's more urban areas. Narrow winding streets lined with shops and temples. Udaipur is most famous for its "Lake Palace - a large palace that looks as though it is floating on the water. Our hotel here was also lovely - the Mahendra Prakash Hotel. Built in the 1950s it was spotless, traditionally decorated and was reasonably priced. Best of all the Mahendra Parkash has a large, crystal-clear pool! We all swam in this everyday - especially nice in the hot afternoon sun of Rajasthan! And yes, Audrey enjoyed her banana lassi by the pool (Evan had fresh, cold Chocolate milk shakes)! We really like Rajasthan.

Surprise Visitor from Austin!

2009-03-19T12:39:00.008+05:30

We had a surprise visitor arrive yesterday - the first brave soul to travel here from our home in Austin, Texas. Flat Stanley has come to stay with us for a few days. Stanley is from Mrs. Stanfield's Kindergarten class at Lee Elementary School in Austin. His friend (and our neighbor from home), Mazzy, aged 6, encouraged him to make the Journey.

While here, Stanley has chosen to wear some traditional Rajasthani clothing - a Kurta Pajama and red turban. He is learning a lot about life here in India during his short stay. Be sure and check out the kids' blog for more details on his adventures in Noida...