Head spinning

Back from our first weekend in India and my thoughts are racing with all we’ve seen. The more I try to make sense of it all, the more perplexed I become.

On the 10 hour drive round trip drive to and from Agra I saw some of the worst living conditions I could ever imagine. People living in tattered tents made from scraps of fabric or tiny huts made of dried mud patties (we originally thought these were dung patties but we decided on mud, possibly wishful thinking)…women and children digging through piles of garbage…pitiful animals everywhere you turned milling through the hoards of people that crowded the sidewalks and streets…cows grazing on garbage or eating directly out of the dumpsters…men and children relieving themselves everywhere…girls piled into the backs of trucks like sardines, actually every vehicle whether it be an ox drawn cart, a van or a rickshaw were piled with people…children in rags so filthy you could barely make out their features…and these are just a few of the dreadful things I saw.

But in the same drive I also saw incredible beauty….women dressed in colors so vibrant and stunning they seemed unreal like birds of paradise rising out from the dust and dirt that surrounded them…children laughing and playing truly without a care in the world…men playing intense games of cricket with their friends in dirt fields…brilliantly hued fresh fruits and vegetables in each town market…idols draped in flowers and glowing in candlelight overlooking their devout followers… faces, remarkably striking faces everywhere I turned…and these are just a few of the wonderful things I saw.

India is captivating and undesirable, detestable and enchanting, repulsive and fascinating…all of these and more in the same breath.

I have no hope of ever really understanding it all…which I suppose is the true beauty of India.

Delhi-Take 1

We traveled into Delhi on Sunday upon our return from Agra. We were without a guide and our driver and his assistant didn’t speak much English so it was a bit of a strained situation from the get-go.

We attempted to see a mosque but decided against the wait because when we arrived it was closed to non-Muslims for prayer.

We also attempted to go to Kinari Bazaar, but after a harrowing 5 minute walk into the back streets of Old Delhi we were told it is closed on Sundays.

After many hours of traveling in the van, most of these spent in horrific Delhi traffic, these two setbacks put us all in the mood to just go back to the serenity of our hotel.

Luckily, one team member asked if we could see India Gate on the way back. We did and found this monument (built to commemorate the Indian and British soldiers who died in WWI) to be surrounded by a beautifully landscaped park filled with pleasant families out enjoying the gorgeous weather.

We also found a bit of celebrity as we were all asked to be in photo after photo with Indian men and women in front of the gate.

I think he was as uncomfortable as I was!

Taj Mahal

Our visit to the Taj Mahal began at sunrise and ended at sunset. I can truly say that it is something that I will remember always. It is a beauty you cannot truly appreciate until face to face with it. And even then it is almost more than you can process.

Believe me when I say that no picture or description could ever truly do it justice. If you are ever presented the opportunity to go to India you should take it just to see this if nothing else.

And when your guide takes you across the river to watch the Taj at sunset be sure to get a ride from Anan and his brother on their camel, Roger. Give them a few extra hundred rupees and tell them I said hello.

2nd Round!

Schedule came out officially today and we are headed to GREECE in March!!

We couldn't be more thrilled to be going back! It was almost three years ago that we went on our honeymoon to the islands. We'll actually only miss our anniversary by a couple of weeks.

We loved Greece so much and are looking forward to getting to see so much more of it in the 8 weeks that we are there.

We hope some of you take advantage of us being there and COME VISIT!!!

Hospitality & Politics

I really couldn’t be happier with our hotel. Last night they threw a private reception for the team and spouses to introduce us to the heads of all the staff. They served drinks as well as delicious little bites from the chef.

It was really nice being able to converse with locals and we all had a great time picking their brains for weekend ideas, shopping tips and Indian culture in general.

They were all so incredibly nice and when one told us of how incredibly important it is for Indians to have their guests feel welcome and comfortable I thought how similar it is to my Southern culture.

Then this same woman began to ask us about President Obama (God that feels awesome to type!!) and went on to tell us how happy India is to have him in office and how much they respect him. All of the women in our little group were chatting about the Obama family...how cute the girls are, how loving Barrack and Michelle seems as parents. But, more so how they believe our new President will be such a great leader not only for the U.S. and for India but, for the world.

When it comes to politics I am quite the minority in not only my state of Georgia but the South as a region.

How nice it is to be so far away from home, to be in a land so different than my own and find myself no longer in the minority.

TGIF

I left the hotel for the first time yesterday when I joined the team for lunch. I know it sounds awful that I have been in India for 3 full days and not stepped foot off the “compound” but I’m still a little nervous going out by myself into Delhi and Gurgoan doesn’t have too much in the way sightseeing or authentic shopping. It is mostly Western stores and their versions of malls so I’m not too interested.

We leave for Agra tomorrow early afternoon to see the Taj Mahal and then will spend Sunday shopping and sightseeing in Delhi. After I know what to expect I’m sure I’ll feel more confident to explore. I’m also hoping to pair up with the other spouse. Although, she speaks no English and I truly don’t know a word of Portuguese. Should be interesting if nothing else.

Back to lunch…

As I waited by the front entrance for the team to pick me up I could hear the traffic commotion coming from outside the walls. I’m a pretty nervous rider and have heard all the horror stories of Indian traffic…hoards of motorbikes, rickshaws, cars, trucks, bicycles, pedestrians and cows all converging together in intersections with seemingly no sense of traffic rules.

I was hoping this would be yet another aspect of India that was overblown but I can tell you with great certainty that if anything the stories I have read and heard were a bit sugarcoated. Total insanity is probably the best way to describe it. Luckily, I was in the back and just so happy to be seeing an India outside of my bubble of luxury that it didn’t scare me too much. Jules is going to take the video camera to work with her and film the 5 minute drive to give you guys an idea.

For lunch we were going to patronize a T.G.I. Fridays. Yep, that’s right….me, the girl who would usually rather starve than eat at a suburban chain restaurant traveled more than half way around the world to be served by a waiter wearing more “flair” than should be allowed by law.

Anyway, the menu was pretty norm for a Fridays (haven’t they changed their name to that now in the US?) but we decided salads probably weren’t a good idea.

In countries like India it is best to avoid salads because the veggies are washed in water and water is your digestive system’s worst enemy.

It was a few moments after we ordered that a team member pointed out the placemat...

From blog photos

Looks like we could have ordered the salads. I’m guessing those people are smiling and laughing because they don’t have a case of “Delhi Belly”.

east and west collide

a sewing project kept me in the room for most of the day yesterday (btw- he is done and i think turned out pretty well) so i got exposed to a lot of indian commercials while watching CNN's indian sister station IBN.

maybe it is the jetlag, maybe it is the head cold i'm getting but i found the 6 or so commercials they play over and over both amusing and extremely interesting.

garnier is apparently a big brand for women's beauty products over here. not only can you get a moisturizer that will lighten your skin up to 2 shades fairer but you can also use their "fall fight" shampoo to keep your hair from falling out. not sure why "hair fall" is such an issue here but they promise 5 times less hair in your brush.

in another, an oily face teen attempted to put her nose clip on only to have it slide off onto the floor. no problem! just wash your face with clearasil and then you and your buddy can rock out at a concert with nose jewelry securely in place.

the most confounding to me was the "hidden secret" cookie commercial. here a woman and man dressed like the cover of a grocery store romance novel have a cookie baking lesson that would make a porn star blush. i mean, i'm american, i know sex sells...but in a society where women don't show their legs or cleavage it seemed beyond over the top.

after seeing these over and over (and over and over) i couldn't help but wonder how difficult it is for women here. to straddle the fence of modesty and influence of the west seems an impossible task to me.

first impressions

I bid a bittersweet farewell to the midtown skyline as our plane taxied into the take-off line yesterday. Saying goodbye to our nearest and dearest was much harder than I had imagined. Fortunately, the heaviness I felt in my heart got easier and easier to ignore as the anticipation for what lay ahead grew stronger.

19 ½ hours proved to be as tiring as expected. The flight to Paris left much to be desired. I am always amazed at how dismal accommodations are with Delta. Domestic flights are usually short enough to overlook them but 8 hours in coach to Paris was pretty trying. The layover in Paris was nondescript saving the overly friendly woman with security who seemed to enjoy her pat-down duties just a bit too much for my liking.

The flight from Paris to New Delhi was far more pleasant. I find European Airlines to be so much more comfortable, have more amenities and by far more accommodating and pleasant staff. Air France was no exception and with a slight upgrade to the 2nd level of the 747 we found ourselves each with an entire row to ourselves to stretch out and get some much needed sleep.

As the plane started its dissent into Delhi I was overwhelmed with curiosity. Luckily, my expectations of the Delhi airport were well off-base. Although it is far from modern, I found it to be quite easy to navigate and fairly clean. Our line through customs was a bit long but ordinary and baggage claim was a breeze. Dare I think my lost baggage curse is over?

So far all the warnings of initial shocks; smells, crowds, waiting…India had yet to even make my heart skip a beat…the most discomfort we encountered was the heat and the humidity in the airport but even it was no worse than some in Mexico.

Our drivers were waiting just outside baggage claim and it was as we stepped into the night that I had my first case of “India shock”. I had read much about the pollution in Delhi but I could never have prepared myself physically for the shear thickness of the air. The smoke and dust were so overwhelming (even in the car with the air conditioning running) that I found it difficult to imagine that this air wouldn’t kill me, much less keep me alive for the next 7 weeks.

After a quick 15 minute ride from the airport (only once was I nervous and that was when all lane lines disappeared and it seemed a free-for-all was going to ensue) we arrived at The Trident.

In one word….breathtaking.

As we got out of the car we were greeted by numerous people and given business card after business card but in truth I found it difficult to pay attention. With each turn of the head my eyes were filled with grandeur…from the enormous reflective pool at the entrance (above photo) to the 30 foot glass doors that opened into the stark white lobby capped high above with an impressive gold dome…it was a welcome to this country I couldn’t have imagined.

Our room, is of course beautiful and each staff member we’ve encountered could not be more accommodating and pleasant. As I lie here in the sunny spring-like weather next to the enchanting pool listening to the sound of the flowing water of the infinity feature encircling above (even the air seems a bit lighter) I cannot imagine being more comfortable and relaxed... the two emotions I felt sure I would be running low on in this country.

They say India is a country full of the unexpected…with just 12 hours under my belt I have found this to be true in a most delightful way.

Some photos from the hotel...

k.i.t.

just 3 days to go before departure...the excitement is great, the anticipation is extreme and the anxiety...well, i'm keeping the anxiety in check.

the next 3 days are going to be busy and i know before i realize it we're going to be on the plane looking at each other wondering how we got there.

we're so glad we have gotten to see almost everyone to say goodbye and we've had a great time making our rounds. we don't want to miss any one person too much so be sure to keep in touch.

our mailing address has obviously changed. coke will forward our mail weekly so if you want to send us anything (they will send letters, books or cds) email me and i'll give you the po box address.

we will no longer have our cell phones (that means no more texting as well) so if you want to talk to us you'll need to use skype. if don't have skype already you should download it. it is free, easy to use and the best part is you can see when we're online so there is no fear of waking us up at 3am because you messed up the time difference. our skype address as of now is melissa&julie.

our email addresses will remain and we're both on facebook. although the Wife rarely checks it anymore.

i will continue to post photo slideshows on the blog. be sure to click on them to go to the actual slideshow and i'll do my best to be more detailed with the comments so you'll know what you're looking at.

if you have gmail there is also gmail chat. they even have video chat now if you have a webcam.

also, i have opened up the comments on the blog so feel free to let us know what you're thinking.

we're going to miss everyone while we are gone, but in this day and age there is no reason for us to feel too distant...no matter how far away we may be.

worth watching again...and again

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