The time is finally here!! Hopefully my Dad and Hollis have arrived safely into Mumbai and have made their way to the hotel. Tomorrow morning, I'll be picking them up and we'll be off on a day trip around Mumbai. I'm going to be showing them downtown (Gateway of India, Taj Mahal Hotel, Queen's Necklace, Flora Fountain.....all the landmarks of the historic Mumbai) then we'll do some shopping for Indian clothes and a nice lunch and dinner. Then Friday we're off to Chennai! For the next 10 days after that, we'll be traveling around south India....enjoying the local cuisine, relaxing on Kerala's backwaters in a houseboat, getting Ayurvedic massages and just soaking up what the south has to offer.
I'll be leaving Mumbai for the U.S. on the 20th and will be back in Providence on the 21st. During my time in south India, I doubt I'll find the time or place to upload pictures or even blog of my experiences. But once I get back, hopefully I'll find the time to do so :)
See everyone when I get back!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
You never know how much someone means to you until something happens.
I can't believe it, but it's almost time for my Dad and Hollis to arrive and for us to board a plane to Chennai. These last few days have been crazy to say the least, so I'll be happy for the craziness to end and for my vacation to begin.
After coming back from my internship and a little shopping with Barbara on Saturday, I learned that Blanche was admitted to the hospital. They thought that it was heart problems because she has had it in the past. But after running some tests, the doctors think that she has bladder stones...which are soo soo painful! After hearing about what happened, Dennis & I went to the hospital to see how she was doing. When her friends had told me that she had been admitted to the hospital, my heart sank. I guess you never really know how much someone means to you until something happens. Over the past several months, she has been such a comfort for me. Now that she's at the hospital and not at the apartment, it's weird not to have our three hour conversations every day. Usually we'll both come into the kitchen and start to make dinner or tea or something, and then never leave the kitchen until either one of us realizes we have something to do or that we should just move our conversation to the living room. She has been such a wonderful friend to me while I've been here. I never imagined myself to feel as welcome in a stranger's home than I do at hers. I thought that it would be weird living with a stranger for four months, but if anything, it's been the opposite.
So when I heard she was at the hospital, I wanted to go right over to see her. Luckily they were allowing visitors into her room. After seeing that she was okay and having a good conversation with her, I went home to start packing for south India. Later that night, Blanche's daughter flew in from London to be with her at the hospital. I'm so glad that someone is there with her, making sure the doctors are doing what they're supposed to be doing and just being there for her.
On Sunday, Barbara and I met up in Andheri and went shopping for some last minute things. And of course, me being the "Martha Stewart" and scrapbooker that I am, I spent 600 rupees (about $15) on Indian stickers, little appliques and everything else for my India scrapbook. Even though it might not seem like a lot of $, 600 rupees is very expensive for Indian standards to be spending on scrapbook stuff. And then, our trip would not be complete without getting some Indian jewelry. So now, I have enough jewelry to last a lifetime.
After coming back to the apartment with all my stuff, I made some dinner and attempted to get some sleep. Ever since the terrorist attacks, I haven't been able to get a good night's sleep. I guess subconsciously I'm on alert all the time and so I don't feel safe when I'm not in control (aka when I'm sleeping). I'm hoping that once my Dad gets here, I'll feel safer and will have a better night's sleep. And I reaaally hope that when I come home, I'll be able to sleep. Because surviving on 4 hours of sleep a night is just not enough for me!
After getting some sleep, I went to the orphanage then met up with Barbara again to hang out. We got some reaaally big cups of coffee...
Just kidding :) But they were still pretty big! And then after getting fueled up on coffee, we began our search for some mehndi. For anyone that doesn't know, mehndi is the henna ink art that is done on people's hands and feet. After looking everywhere, we were finally able to find a girl (probably no older than us) who had set up a table and a sign saying that she did mehndi. 200 rupees later ($5), I had myself some mehndi on my hands. And it's gorgeous!! It was so hard to keep the henna on my hands for 2 hours while it dried, but I managed to do it. Here's what it looked like before I rubbed off the ink:
And then here's what it looked like after:
If facebook lets me, I'll post more pictures of my adventures up online. If not, I guess you'll just have to wait til I come home for me to upload the pictures. Just a few more weeks everyone and I'll be home!
After coming back from my internship and a little shopping with Barbara on Saturday, I learned that Blanche was admitted to the hospital. They thought that it was heart problems because she has had it in the past. But after running some tests, the doctors think that she has bladder stones...which are soo soo painful! After hearing about what happened, Dennis & I went to the hospital to see how she was doing. When her friends had told me that she had been admitted to the hospital, my heart sank. I guess you never really know how much someone means to you until something happens. Over the past several months, she has been such a comfort for me. Now that she's at the hospital and not at the apartment, it's weird not to have our three hour conversations every day. Usually we'll both come into the kitchen and start to make dinner or tea or something, and then never leave the kitchen until either one of us realizes we have something to do or that we should just move our conversation to the living room. She has been such a wonderful friend to me while I've been here. I never imagined myself to feel as welcome in a stranger's home than I do at hers. I thought that it would be weird living with a stranger for four months, but if anything, it's been the opposite.
So when I heard she was at the hospital, I wanted to go right over to see her. Luckily they were allowing visitors into her room. After seeing that she was okay and having a good conversation with her, I went home to start packing for south India. Later that night, Blanche's daughter flew in from London to be with her at the hospital. I'm so glad that someone is there with her, making sure the doctors are doing what they're supposed to be doing and just being there for her.
On Sunday, Barbara and I met up in Andheri and went shopping for some last minute things. And of course, me being the "Martha Stewart" and scrapbooker that I am, I spent 600 rupees (about $15) on Indian stickers, little appliques and everything else for my India scrapbook. Even though it might not seem like a lot of $, 600 rupees is very expensive for Indian standards to be spending on scrapbook stuff. And then, our trip would not be complete without getting some Indian jewelry. So now, I have enough jewelry to last a lifetime.
After coming back to the apartment with all my stuff, I made some dinner and attempted to get some sleep. Ever since the terrorist attacks, I haven't been able to get a good night's sleep. I guess subconsciously I'm on alert all the time and so I don't feel safe when I'm not in control (aka when I'm sleeping). I'm hoping that once my Dad gets here, I'll feel safer and will have a better night's sleep. And I reaaally hope that when I come home, I'll be able to sleep. Because surviving on 4 hours of sleep a night is just not enough for me!
After getting some sleep, I went to the orphanage then met up with Barbara again to hang out. We got some reaaally big cups of coffee...
Just kidding :) But they were still pretty big! And then after getting fueled up on coffee, we began our search for some mehndi. For anyone that doesn't know, mehndi is the henna ink art that is done on people's hands and feet. After looking everywhere, we were finally able to find a girl (probably no older than us) who had set up a table and a sign saying that she did mehndi. 200 rupees later ($5), I had myself some mehndi on my hands. And it's gorgeous!! It was so hard to keep the henna on my hands for 2 hours while it dried, but I managed to do it. Here's what it looked like before I rubbed off the ink:
And then here's what it looked like after:
If facebook lets me, I'll post more pictures of my adventures up online. If not, I guess you'll just have to wait til I come home for me to upload the pictures. Just a few more weeks everyone and I'll be home!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Yet more attacks....
You think that things are always going to happen to other people but not to you....to other cities, but not to yours. Buuut, here I am in Mumbai and that is no longer the case. And to be honest, my cool, calm and collected mind is starting to fizzle out to one that is nervous and highly anticipating going home. Following the terrorist attacks in Mumbai that began on November 26, I felt safe. I felt safe taking the train every day to my internship, taking rickshaws and going out in public by myself. After these attacks, I thought it was over. I thought that for the next several months, the only thing that they would be covering on the news is the commentary about what Mumbai is going to do after these horrible events....not covering more attacks after November 26th's ones.
No more attacks since November 26th's batch of ones has happened....yet. It's not good to get in a negative mindset that there will be more attacks and that it's only a matter of time until these things happen...but sometimes you just can't help it. After reading the newspaper and watching the news, there has been warnings that attacks and a threat of terrorists hijacking planes in India has happened. Here's the full story.....
Thursday, December 04, 2008 11:01 PM (New Delhi)
My Dad, his friend Hollis and I are supposed to have a 10 day vacation down to south India starting next week and ending on the 20th of December. My only hope and wish is that my Dad & Hollis are able to make it safely to Mumbai and that we're able to have a safe trip around south India. I cannot wait for this south India trip. I've been preparing for it for months now, so the anticipation is becoming like Christmas Eve or morning before you're opening those presents. But now, I almost can't wait just as much to go home and know that I am safe back in the US. Wish me luck :)
No more attacks since November 26th's batch of ones has happened....yet. It's not good to get in a negative mindset that there will be more attacks and that it's only a matter of time until these things happen...but sometimes you just can't help it. After reading the newspaper and watching the news, there has been warnings that attacks and a threat of terrorists hijacking planes in India has happened. Here's the full story.....
Airports on alert after hijack threat
Anasuya RoyThursday, December 04, 2008 11:01 PM (New Delhi)
There has been tight security at the airports in Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore after the Bureau of Civil Aviation issued a hijack warning.
The move follows an anonymous mail sent to a news organisation in Gujarat last week, warning of terror strikes at these three airports on the 6th of December that also happens to be the anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition.
Vsavaraj Malajhati, DCP, Bangalore Police, says: "Security has been stepped up. We are asking passengers to keep calm. Necessary arrangements have been taken."
There's a 5-tier security ring -- right from the time one enters the airport to the point passengers finally board the flight- which means more checks, but no one's complaining.
The terror alert seems to have changed the way people in India view aviation security -- no more tantrums or complaints about having to stand in long queues to be frisked several times
But there are some who still feel more steps can be taken to improve security.
"They stopped my car did not check my baggage they should do that also," says actor Kunal Kapoor, adding, "now the security agencies shouldn't become complacent, and this kind of security should be maintained."
If you're planning to take a flight, here's what you need to do:
I spoke to some of the passengers inside and they say the security measures are as usual, but security agencies tell us there is no visible presence to avoid panic.
My Dad, his friend Hollis and I are supposed to have a 10 day vacation down to south India starting next week and ending on the 20th of December. My only hope and wish is that my Dad & Hollis are able to make it safely to Mumbai and that we're able to have a safe trip around south India. I cannot wait for this south India trip. I've been preparing for it for months now, so the anticipation is becoming like Christmas Eve or morning before you're opening those presents. But now, I almost can't wait just as much to go home and know that I am safe back in the US. Wish me luck :)
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