I've had the chance to get out and about over the last few days and have so many things rattling around in my head that I want to share with you all. I hope I can both remember and adequately express them all. Also, it appears that the video didn't properly upload and post last time so I'll try again today. (No promises though....).
As mentioned, I went to Kingdom of Dreams on Thursday afternoon. (The picture of me on a camel is just outside of it.) Inside, there were two main components: An area that I'll refer to as the "mini Indian Epcot Center", which has food and shopping from all of the major areas of India, and then the theater, which houses two large productions. The Epcot center area was awesome. Since I won't have time while here to visit all of the areas of India that I'd like, at least I was able to see some of the food and typical products, and my colleague was able to tell me about some of the primary characteristics of each area. We ended up eating some delicious Punjabi food, which is from northern India. Ironically, I am in Gurgaon, just outside of Delhi, which is also northern India, yet I find myself eating a lot more Southern Indian food, both in the hotel and in the restaurant at the office. My colleague theorized, and it seemed reasonable to me, that since everybody here eats Northern Indian food at home, when they go out they want something different. While at the Kingdom of Dreams we also saw a show called Zangoora. I can only describe it as a mix between Cirque du Soleil and a Bollywood movie. There was constant singing, dancing, costume changes and performers flying all over the theater (for those of you that have seen Spideman on Broadway - this show gave them a run for their money as far as the flying around the theater aspect and spraying the audience with things...) I loved it! The costumes were expecially fascinating to me. One of my favorite parts about India is the beauty of the women's clothing. The Sarees, scarves, etc are so vibrant and just fascinating to look at. I could sit and people watch all day.....
That brings me to my next point. Yesterday I was out an about in Delhi. A driver picked me up at the hotel and we met up with a colleague who took me shopping in a large outdoor market (Dilli Haat > you can google it for good pictures), then to some local monuments (India Gate, Parliament, the President's house, a beautiful Hindu Temple) then on to a yummy lunch. While all of those were very interesting, I really loved the time that I was just sitting on the car seeing the different neighborhoods of Delhi. The streets of Delhi seemed to be a bit more organized than the streets of Gurgaon, and I have to admit - I missed the chaos! Now, if I was the one driving, that would be a different story > I'd have a heart attack from the stress, regardless of the location, but as a passenger, I love riding in the midst of it.
I regret not getting some better pictures to share, but most of the interesting moments would come and pass too quickly for me to capture it. I can't tell you how many times I tries to snap a picture of a family on a moped/small motorcycle. Usually a male would be driving, then a female sitting side-saddle on back, often in her saree, looking quite relaxed/comfortable. Then their might be a small child wedged between them and even a baby in her arms. It was amazing how comfortable they'd look crammed on that tiny motorized bike in the midst of chaotic traffic.
There was one neighborhood in particular that was extremely interesting to me. I would have loved to snap some pictures, but it felt invasive, as if I were gawking, so I just tried to imprint the memory in my brain. Along this one street, right on the side of the street were a number of street vendors selling off of carts. It looked like they were mostly selling vegetables. All of a sudden next to a cart there's be a large pile of trash with cows and dogs grazing in it (cows are sacred in this society, so you often see them just wandering around). Then there'd be an empty cart with a stray dog sleeping on it (I've seen a number of dogs, but I think they're mostly strays. I'm not sure who really has the room or money to keep them as pets). Then behind the carts was a row of two story buildings that were really pretty, each one painted in a different pastel color. There were makeshift ladders going from the ground up to the second floor. On the second floor were one-room "houses", where I'm quite sure entire families lived. I saw a teenage boy scrambling up one ladder and an old lady in a beautiful saree walking around on the second floor of another building. Picturing that older lady just trying to get up and down that rickety ladder pained me...., but the concept of folks with very little making the best of it was a really beautiful picture.
I think it might be wedding season over here right now. Driving around yesterday we saw a number of different wedding tents being set up. I was told that it can take up to a month to set up (at a cost of $10,000 - $20,000 USD!!!). Then when I got back to my hotel I realized that there was a wedding, or at least a wedding party here. Looking out my room last night there music, decorations and dancing on the hotel property just in front. It was really fun. On the same theme, while we were visiting the Hindu temple my colleague explained that that's a very common place for a potential bride and groom to meet for the first time prior to an arranged marriage. So he would point out couples to me who were walking around, talking quietly, with the female often looking a bit shy/timid and say "I think that's a couple meeting for the first time".... Quite different from what we're used to in the US.
The last thing I'll mention before I try to upload a picture or two and that video of my ride to work in the morning is that I'm delighted at what a small world it is. For those of you that don't know, I taught English for three years in Budapest right after college. One of my prior students from that time happened to be on a business trip to India this past week and was also staying in Gurgaon, so we got to have dinner together on Friday night! What fun it was to catch up > even if it did make me feel really old!
Hope everyone's had a restful and enjoyable holiday weekend!
So the camel picture worked, now let me try the video again!!!! Hmmm.... I can see it, but I don't think you'll be able to see it. I'm going to send it to my Blog Guru in the US and see if he can properly load it for me instead.....
As mentioned, I went to Kingdom of Dreams on Thursday afternoon. (The picture of me on a camel is just outside of it.) Inside, there were two main components: An area that I'll refer to as the "mini Indian Epcot Center", which has food and shopping from all of the major areas of India, and then the theater, which houses two large productions. The Epcot center area was awesome. Since I won't have time while here to visit all of the areas of India that I'd like, at least I was able to see some of the food and typical products, and my colleague was able to tell me about some of the primary characteristics of each area. We ended up eating some delicious Punjabi food, which is from northern India. Ironically, I am in Gurgaon, just outside of Delhi, which is also northern India, yet I find myself eating a lot more Southern Indian food, both in the hotel and in the restaurant at the office. My colleague theorized, and it seemed reasonable to me, that since everybody here eats Northern Indian food at home, when they go out they want something different. While at the Kingdom of Dreams we also saw a show called Zangoora. I can only describe it as a mix between Cirque du Soleil and a Bollywood movie. There was constant singing, dancing, costume changes and performers flying all over the theater (for those of you that have seen Spideman on Broadway - this show gave them a run for their money as far as the flying around the theater aspect and spraying the audience with things...) I loved it! The costumes were expecially fascinating to me. One of my favorite parts about India is the beauty of the women's clothing. The Sarees, scarves, etc are so vibrant and just fascinating to look at. I could sit and people watch all day.....
That brings me to my next point. Yesterday I was out an about in Delhi. A driver picked me up at the hotel and we met up with a colleague who took me shopping in a large outdoor market (Dilli Haat > you can google it for good pictures), then to some local monuments (India Gate, Parliament, the President's house, a beautiful Hindu Temple) then on to a yummy lunch. While all of those were very interesting, I really loved the time that I was just sitting on the car seeing the different neighborhoods of Delhi. The streets of Delhi seemed to be a bit more organized than the streets of Gurgaon, and I have to admit - I missed the chaos! Now, if I was the one driving, that would be a different story > I'd have a heart attack from the stress, regardless of the location, but as a passenger, I love riding in the midst of it.
I regret not getting some better pictures to share, but most of the interesting moments would come and pass too quickly for me to capture it. I can't tell you how many times I tries to snap a picture of a family on a moped/small motorcycle. Usually a male would be driving, then a female sitting side-saddle on back, often in her saree, looking quite relaxed/comfortable. Then their might be a small child wedged between them and even a baby in her arms. It was amazing how comfortable they'd look crammed on that tiny motorized bike in the midst of chaotic traffic.
There was one neighborhood in particular that was extremely interesting to me. I would have loved to snap some pictures, but it felt invasive, as if I were gawking, so I just tried to imprint the memory in my brain. Along this one street, right on the side of the street were a number of street vendors selling off of carts. It looked like they were mostly selling vegetables. All of a sudden next to a cart there's be a large pile of trash with cows and dogs grazing in it (cows are sacred in this society, so you often see them just wandering around). Then there'd be an empty cart with a stray dog sleeping on it (I've seen a number of dogs, but I think they're mostly strays. I'm not sure who really has the room or money to keep them as pets). Then behind the carts was a row of two story buildings that were really pretty, each one painted in a different pastel color. There were makeshift ladders going from the ground up to the second floor. On the second floor were one-room "houses", where I'm quite sure entire families lived. I saw a teenage boy scrambling up one ladder and an old lady in a beautiful saree walking around on the second floor of another building. Picturing that older lady just trying to get up and down that rickety ladder pained me...., but the concept of folks with very little making the best of it was a really beautiful picture.
I think it might be wedding season over here right now. Driving around yesterday we saw a number of different wedding tents being set up. I was told that it can take up to a month to set up (at a cost of $10,000 - $20,000 USD!!!). Then when I got back to my hotel I realized that there was a wedding, or at least a wedding party here. Looking out my room last night there music, decorations and dancing on the hotel property just in front. It was really fun. On the same theme, while we were visiting the Hindu temple my colleague explained that that's a very common place for a potential bride and groom to meet for the first time prior to an arranged marriage. So he would point out couples to me who were walking around, talking quietly, with the female often looking a bit shy/timid and say "I think that's a couple meeting for the first time".... Quite different from what we're used to in the US.
The last thing I'll mention before I try to upload a picture or two and that video of my ride to work in the morning is that I'm delighted at what a small world it is. For those of you that don't know, I taught English for three years in Budapest right after college. One of my prior students from that time happened to be on a business trip to India this past week and was also staying in Gurgaon, so we got to have dinner together on Friday night! What fun it was to catch up > even if it did make me feel really old!
So the camel picture worked, now let me try the video again!!!! Hmmm.... I can see it, but I don't think you'll be able to see it. I'm going to send it to my Blog Guru in the US and see if he can properly load it for me instead.....
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