This week I'm going to North India, home to buttered naan, stuffed chipote, and tandoor chicken (all food that I like).
We're going to:
Delhi, to meet Levi and catch a train to Agra.
Agra, to see the Taj Majal
Allahabad
Hosur, to visit a place called ACA
2/4/07
The Joneses
This guy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shah_Jahan has upped the anti for everyone in India. I got to go the Taj Majal yesterday. It really deserves to be a wonder of the world. (I found out just now that there really is no official "7 wonders of the world". The Taj Majal makes some of them, but not all -- it depends on who you ask. )
If you ask me, it's pretty fantastic. Shah Jahan built this giant mausoleum for his second wife Mumtaz Mahal, after she passed away giving birth to his 14TH! child. They had been married 18 years. He spent the next 22 building a place for her to be buried.
More than 200,000 artisans from countries around the world built the building. It has various features like:
Minarets at the four corners that are tilted out slightly. If there's an earthquake, the turrets will fall outward, and not harm the main building in the center.
Three acres of dirt excavated, then refilled, to start a reliable foundation for the tomb.
Deep wells dug down to bedrock, then refilled with stone, to build a solid platform for the tomb -- much the same way that skyscrapers are built today.
If you ask me, it's pretty fantastic. Shah Jahan built this giant mausoleum for his second wife Mumtaz Mahal, after she passed away giving birth to his 14TH! child. They had been married 18 years. He spent the next 22 building a place for her to be buried.
More than 200,000 artisans from countries around the world built the building. It has various features like:
Minarets at the four corners that are tilted out slightly. If there's an earthquake, the turrets will fall outward, and not harm the main building in the center.
Three acres of dirt excavated, then refilled, to start a reliable foundation for the tomb.
Deep wells dug down to bedrock, then refilled with stone, to build a solid platform for the tomb -- much the same way that skyscrapers are built today.
1/24/07
Eggs in a plastic sack
I bought groceries Sunday. It took some work, and some much-needed help from a shop owner and friends, but I managed to buy enough groceries to cook American breakfast in the morning. On the way to the store, we were talking about culture shock and how long it takes to get used to being in a different place.
I'm probably in culture shock now. I don't really think of it as "shock", though. It's fascinating to me what other people think is "normal", mostly. Little things -- like the fact that I can't buy eggs in an egg crate. In Bangalore, you buy your eggs one-by-one, and then the shop owner drops the lone eggs in a plastic sack and hands them over the counter. "Seriously!?", I think to myself.
Other things that seem strange at first, but you take to them after a while:
Eating with my right hand -- no utensils needed. Just make the first three fingers on your right hand into a spork, and dig in. The left hand is not acceptable (it's considered unclean as a rule), so it makes a leftie try a little harder.
Finding drinking water. Most people don't trust the public water system, and there are "drinking water" fountains or bottles all over.
Bobbing heads. Wagging your head back and forth means, "Yep, OK, I got it." I like the gesture so much, I've caught myself doing to, too.
I'm probably in culture shock now. I don't really think of it as "shock", though. It's fascinating to me what other people think is "normal", mostly. Little things -- like the fact that I can't buy eggs in an egg crate. In Bangalore, you buy your eggs one-by-one, and then the shop owner drops the lone eggs in a plastic sack and hands them over the counter. "Seriously!?", I think to myself.
Other things that seem strange at first, but you take to them after a while:
Eating with my right hand -- no utensils needed. Just make the first three fingers on your right hand into a spork, and dig in. The left hand is not acceptable (it's considered unclean as a rule), so it makes a leftie try a little harder.
Finding drinking water. Most people don't trust the public water system, and there are "drinking water" fountains or bottles all over.
Bobbing heads. Wagging your head back and forth means, "Yep, OK, I got it." I like the gesture so much, I've caught myself doing to, too.
Christians and Moguls
I was standing outside a church Sunday morning, listening to Christian worshipers sing joyfully -- listening to their voices wash out of the open church doors, echoing off buildings in the surrounding neighborhood. It was one of those moments that strikes you as poignant, right there as you're in it.
I had a chance to meet up with Heather Lip and the George's on Sunday, and go to church at Bangalore Bible Church in north Bangalore. I managed to take an auto(rickshaw) to the north end of town in record time. The church was half orphans from the school that the church is attached to, and half believers from around town -- some newly-justified believers from the surrounding village. We sang from well-worn hymnals that read "Northwest Bible Church, Dallas, Texas" in gold-stamp on their covers. The service was long -- almost 2 hours. The time of collective reflection wasn't just a time of silence. The older men in the congregation would read scripture, pray, or start singing hymns that everyone could sing from memory. You could feel the well-worn faith of the people in the congregation.
Afterwards, the George's took their guests to Samarkand Restaurant. The food there was excellent. The second course was Tandoori chicken with your choice of five curries. The chicken was so tasty (melt in your mouth good), I think the curries would've just gotten in the way. If they had this stuff in Austin, you'd be right over....
I had a chance to meet up with Heather Lip and the George's on Sunday, and go to church at Bangalore Bible Church in north Bangalore. I managed to take an auto(rickshaw) to the north end of town in record time. The church was half orphans from the school that the church is attached to, and half believers from around town -- some newly-justified believers from the surrounding village. We sang from well-worn hymnals that read "Northwest Bible Church, Dallas, Texas" in gold-stamp on their covers. The service was long -- almost 2 hours. The time of collective reflection wasn't just a time of silence. The older men in the congregation would read scripture, pray, or start singing hymns that everyone could sing from memory. You could feel the well-worn faith of the people in the congregation.
Afterwards, the George's took their guests to Samarkand Restaurant. The food there was excellent. The second course was Tandoori chicken with your choice of five curries. The chicken was so tasty (melt in your mouth good), I think the curries would've just gotten in the way. If they had this stuff in Austin, you'd be right over....
Indian Niagra Falls
Saturday was a big day for me -- my first road trip in India.
The guys from work planned a trip to Hoganeckal, a set of falls on the river that seperates the Karnataka state from the Tamil Nadu state. I was really excited about getting out of the city, and seeing what life was like outside the two neighborhoods I've been in so far. So, early Saturday, we took off in our Avis-rented minivan and headed 200km south -- a 4 hour trip.
First, breakfast at the border.
Then, we headed into the country at breakneck speed. We'd pass little towns like this about every 5 miles, all the way from the border to Hoganeckal. It's just like the drive from Dallas to College Station (slowing down every few miles for towns), only you have to dodge and swerve to miss motorcycles, potholes, people drying grass on the road, and trucks... We'd get upwards of 100km/hr, which feels really fast on the roads we were on.
Hoganeckal: You rent these little boats that look like papasan chairs with tar spread on the bottom. One had a family of 10 in it, floating around. The falls were beautiful. I was very impressed. I got a little close to the edge of a couple, and the guys in boats called me down to move away. To tour the falls, you get in these boats, go to the first stop, get out, take pictures, get back in, go around to the second stop, get out, take pictures, then get back in for the ride back to the beginning. All-total, it takes a couple hours.
The guys from work planned a trip to Hoganeckal, a set of falls on the river that seperates the Karnataka state from the Tamil Nadu state. I was really excited about getting out of the city, and seeing what life was like outside the two neighborhoods I've been in so far. So, early Saturday, we took off in our Avis-rented minivan and headed 200km south -- a 4 hour trip.
First, breakfast at the border.
Then, we headed into the country at breakneck speed. We'd pass little towns like this about every 5 miles, all the way from the border to Hoganeckal. It's just like the drive from Dallas to College Station (slowing down every few miles for towns), only you have to dodge and swerve to miss motorcycles, potholes, people drying grass on the road, and trucks... We'd get upwards of 100km/hr, which feels really fast on the roads we were on.
Hoganeckal: You rent these little boats that look like papasan chairs with tar spread on the bottom. One had a family of 10 in it, floating around. The falls were beautiful. I was very impressed. I got a little close to the edge of a couple, and the guys in boats called me down to move away. To tour the falls, you get in these boats, go to the first stop, get out, take pictures, get back in, go around to the second stop, get out, take pictures, then get back in for the ride back to the beginning. All-total, it takes a couple hours.
Most creative job I've heard of in awhile? Professional cliff jumper. There were kids who'd yell "5 rupees, 5 rupees!", rub their fingers together, and wait for one of us to nod or raise our camera. Acknowlege 'em, and they jump in and come get their 5 bucks ($0.12) from you. Nice work, really.
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