We next went to a mall. When Alison told me we were going to a mall, all I could think about was a bigger market, crazy and swarming with people, but surprisingly it was like a huge US mall. I felt like I was in the US, or at least in Europe. It was well lit, clean and just like any mall in America. The locals there dressed more western. I saw shorts and skirts above the knees, and then of course still very traditional saris. But a lot of t-shirts and jeans. I felt right at home. Ha! Consumerist America, and the stereotype continues :)
We went to eat at an Italian place at the mall. It was all Indians no foreigners and supposidly children are allowed to do anything that they want without discipline. They were yelling and running around the resturant and yelling across the room and yelling at the servers. It was insane. Then I thought back to my worst plane flight ever - on my way to the Roman Holiday Convention. Paul and Kaitlin know exactly what I am talking about. I thought I was super lucky because I was on the aisle of the center 4 seat rows so I popped a sleeping pill and passed out only to be awoken by a flight attendant moving an Indian woman and her screaming 2 year old right next to me. Frustrated, I let them in and fall back asleep. Moments later I wake up to the child whacking me on the arm and yelling. The girl continued to hit me and throw her food at me for a half an hour before I gave the mom a death stare that caused her switch seats with her daughter. The girl instantly started banging on the mans computer next to her. It continued like this switching the girl back and forth for the next 7 hours while everyone except for me slept as normal until we landed and the little brat passed out in time for her mom to carry her off the plane. I tell you, I love kids and I am patient, but I have never wanted to kick a little kid so much in my life. I am not a bad person, I was just over tired.
So after the mall and realizing that there are places that I can get the stuff that I need even if it wasn't too convenient I felt much better. I now know that they sell Pantene for when I run out. Funny thing about hair products. They have this thing called No-Fall Shampoo. I was asking about what this was because I kept seeing adds for it, and as it turns out the water is so polluted here that your hair falls out much easier. So this shampoo was to make your hair stronger or protected or something. I think I need to invest in some of that, or you may have a very bald friend coming home in a year.
After that long adventure I was pooped and finally felt like I could go to bed at a normal hour. I have been going to sleep after 1 and waking up at 7:30 each morning for work. After the long flight and not napping, I was all messed up and wanted to take advantage of the exhaustion.
Today I woke up early to go on a Heritage tour walk with Alison. This group has 5 walking tours in different parts of Delhi and you go around with a tour guide for 50 INR for a couple of hours and they teach you about the site. I had invited Joel from the plane and he meet us at the Lodi Gardens at 7 am. While we were waiting I was chewed to bits by the bugs. Chad - I forgot my bug spray, but after the 800 Marlia threatening bites this morning I bought some this afternoon. The tour was so interesting. We walked into all of these Temples and Mosques and we was teaching us about how people are buried in the Mosques with their heads north to south so that when they turn the head the person is buried always facing west toward Mecca. So cool. Also the western wall is always different from the rest by some little structure or a blocked up archway or something. A Mosque can be many things. Even just a wall built on the West side can be an outdoor mosque for people to pray. I am definitely going to do more of those tours. You find out more from locals than just reading the few plaques.
Next we met up with a friend of Alison's in Khan Markets. I have now been to a bunch and I am learning where has the best fruit and where I can find milk, veggies, and I found Kraft Mac and Cheese. It was so expensive to buy, but I had to! Sunil, the company driver came and picked us up, and then helped me move into MY NEW PLACE! I am so excited. This is my first night sleeping here! Whoooo!
I unpacked some things and then headed out to Delhi center to an old fortress with Alex to meet up with Saabria. She told us the address and said that it was going to be 60 rupees to get there. Of course the rickshas drivers see two blonde, pale, blue eyed people and they charge us double to three times as much. If you are a tourist and if you are as pale as we are and traveling in groups you have no chance. So 100 rupees later Alex and I finally reached Saabria only to be encounter with the next disadvantage...admission. The sign says Indians - 5 INR, Others - 100 INR. No arguing we pay and go in and this is when the craziness started happening...
When Alison and I went to the Lotus temple, I noticed that people weren't only staring, but there were also couples coming up to us and saying "Hi" and trying to have a conversation with us. On the way out we passed a line of school children that without hesitation each said hello until it all blended into one sing song celebration of the people who looked different. Luckily the kids were cute and I left feeling very flattered. When I met up with Alex and Saabria I was telling them all about this happening thinking it was a one off until the fort. I don't know what it was - maybe both me and Alex together. He is bleach blonde and paler than I am, but everyone wanted to take our picture or have us pose with their daughters. It wasn't just me. Guys would come up to Alex and ask for him to pose with them. They would shake his hand and then shoot a quick picture with their cell phones. I thought that is was funny, but then I started getting self conscious...do I really look that strange? Little girls riding by on motos would point and start until I was out of sight.
picture of Alex and I with a random Indian in the middle.
Laughing Saabria asked if we wanted to try this restaurant that she has been to that is known for their kebabs. We both agreed and started walking. She turns to us when we were almost to the street and said, "brace yourself because this might be kind of intense." We turn down a street that is in the Muslim section of town. The street is so crowded and it was definitley the poorest spot that I have seen so far. Tons of old beggars and little kids yelling and following you down the street. Again, everyone was staring even more than before and we were rubbing shoulders with everyone that we passed. It was so dirty and there were stray dogs and goats amongst all of the craziness (but that is normal of all of Delhi, not just this area). We turned into the restaurant and I walked it. Literally it was like out of a movie. Everyone in the restaurant stopped talking and looked at Alex and me until we sat down and things went back to normal. As we looked around no one had food and there was only one really stressed out disgruntled worker in the whole restaurant. Saabria speaking Hindi told us that we came at the time of prayer and all of the other servers and cooks were praying and would be back soon so he would take our order and we would be served when they returned.
It was actually quicker than we anticipated. Today was a total lesson in culture. She was teaching us that in this restaurant that we should eat with our hands. Alex and I were laughing as she taught us to scoop rice the right way in our fingers and how to use our thumbs to push it into our mouths. There was food all over. She then looked at us as we were digging in carnivorous style and then told us that we should only use on hand. Never our left. It is very rude to eat with your left because most Indian use their left hand to clean themselves. You should just leave that hand on your chair. She said that you should also never hand money to someone or shake hands with your left hand. Alex of course then asked…”so what if you are left handed?” You are screwed.
Alex and I tried to get an auto rickshaw home…$120 rupees. Saabria then got one for $60 INR so we hopped in and went home.
"do I really look that strange?" You see, Quinnen, we're all your friends, so we were hoping to avoid having this conversation. But now that the cat's out of the bag...
ReplyDeleteWhat's the exchange rate? I would have assumed that the general cost of living is much lower over there -- is that true?
120 Indian rupees = 2.46756 U.S. dollars
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