Finally at the Taj Mahal!!

The TRUMP Taj Mahal that is!  We took yet another "get your minds off the wait" trip to Atlantic City this week and couldn't pass up the opportunity to experience some type of "Taj Mahal!"  We arrived in Atlantic City with $3 in our pocket, staying at the first non-gaming hotel on the boardwalk: The Chelsea.  Thank goodness for our lack of cash or we may have been tempted to pull just one slot machine handle for a chance to WIN BIG!  Instead, we gambled with calories by eating at the Borgata Hotel/Casino Buffet.  Yum!



If you love Psychic Readings, 99 cent stores, and cheap massages, then Atlantic City should be at the top of your list!  We enjoyed it for the morning walks on the beach, endless people watching, long walks on the boardwalk, and the lovely breakfasts.  We took a few photos, mostly on Tim's new ipod touch camera.  They are attached in the slideshow below.  Enjoy!

The Big Apple

NYC Skyline from Circle Line Tour

On Thursday morning we took a train ride into NYC and arrived at Penn Station.  After a short subway ride to 57th Street, we walked on over to our hotel.  We had tickets for a Thurs. night Broadway show called "Promises, Promises".  The show was hilarious (mostly because of Sean Hayes and Katie Finneran) and very, very good!   

Click on the link to see Katie Finneran in the show...  Promises, Promises!

On Friday, we did a bit of walking... went down to the World Trade Center site and walked into the World Financial Center, through a park on the water, and visited the 9/11 memorial site preview.  That night we took 6 hour bike tour!!  We started in the lower East side and made our way through East Village, Greenwich Village, West Village, up the Brooklyn Bridge and back down again, up about half the length of Manhattan by the new Harbor Park and back down Broadway through the heart of NYC.  We stopped about half way through for pizza at Bleeker Street (GREAT pizza) and gelato.  The tour was really great (Red Apple Bike Tours) but I would say 5 hours would be enough.  The last hour was pretty tough and tiring.

On Saturday we set out to get discounted theater tickets.  We started by visiting the "Wicked" Box Office and signing up for the matinee ticket lottery (basically we put our names in a lottery for a chance to win 2 front row tickets for $26.25 each).  We lost that lottery, but learned from another person in line we could go to another theater and get discount tickets by saying that we lost their lottery drawing... so we got $40 tickets to the show "In The Heights" (with Jordin Sparks).  Sat. night we tried again for the "Wicked" lottery, but this time there were about 200 people in the lottery instead of the 50 that were there for the matinee.  We lost the lottery again!  This time we had a plan... we went to another theater that was holding a lottery right after the Wicked lottery and we had just enough time to throw our names in the bucket.  We lost that lottery also!  But this show had "lottery loser" tickets, so we got $40 tickets again and saw "Next to Normal" (a good, dramatic play).

Sunday was check-out day from our hotel and we ONCE AGAIN tried for the Wicked lottery.  We lost again!  After that, we spent the rest of the day walking in and around Central Park.  The weather was perfect, and the park was hoppin'!  There was even a retro skate dance party where people of all kinds were dancing on rollerskates/blades.  "If you're not dancin', you're in the way!"  In case you are wondering, we got out of the way, but enjoyed the show!  Photo slideshow below...

Skype Again!!

This morning I was able to Skype with the parents in my class during their Back to School (Curriculum) Night!  It went really well and I was happy to see and talk with them.  They offered their empathy, support, and asked if I needed them to pick up my household shipment and start decorating our apartment - haha! (since our air shipment arrived long ago and our sea shipment has just arrived in Mumbai and is on the way to Delhi as I type).  We are headed for NYC on the train now for the weekend!

Goodness Gracious Me - Indian Name

Funny clip from old BBC show "Goodness Gracious Me"

One Month!

Today is the one month anniversary of our scheduled departure for Delhi, India that never happened.  It's also the first day of school for CMS (my former school district).  The thought of seeing those yellow school buses carting schoolchildren around while I should be in the classroom is too much.  On Monday we headed north, destination New Jersey.  Saying goodbye to Charlotte, family, friends, and our first home was difficult, but we are one step closer to our adventure in India.  We are currently staying with Tim's parents in Asbury Park at their condo by the sea.  We have a day trip into NYC on the calendar for Friday!!  More to come...

Advice

Despite all the people who were shocked upon hearing our announcement that we were moving to India, there were quite a few people who have been there, done that and had some advice.  Much like the reactions we got about moving to India, this advice varied greatly.  I have decided to share some of it here for those that are interested, curious, or moving to India themselves.

Advice (in no particular order)...

• Things to bring:
• toothpaste
• deodorant
• makeup/toiletries
• bed
• air purifier
• undergarments
• long pants
• 100% cotton clothing
• mosquito repellent (with plenty of Deet)
• travel adapters/converters
• plenty of shoes if you have large feet
• Don't drive.
• Look all directions before crossing streets or intersections.  There will be cows, bikers, rickshaws, motorbikes, street animals, trucks, and cars flying from every direction.
• Don't drink the water.  
• Drink carbonated bevarages, or tea /water that has been boiled and filtered.
• Don't haggle with market vendors.
• Do haggle with market vendors.
• Be careful taking a taxi from the airport, they will overcharge you because you are a foreigner.
• Pre-pay for a taxi from an airport taxi stand.
• From former Indian nationals: "My (insert family member here) lives in Delhi!  Here is his name, address, phone number.  Call him as SOON as you arrive and he will show you around the city."
• Don't give to beggars.
• Give your food to a monkey if it appears interested or it will attack.
• Travel by train in 1st class only.
• People in India don't value money as Americans do; they value emotional happiness over physical belongings.
• You will be invited to at least one wedding your first year.
• Be careful when interviewing maids, cooks, etc.  Petty theft at the hands of hired help is the most common crime you will come across.
• Eat crackers, trail mix, and other foods from the U.S. for the first week.
• You will get nauseous from the food and water eventually ("Delhi Belly").
• The people are very warm, generous, and kind.

The one comment we heard consistently from everyone: India is like no other place.  It will overwhelm all of your senses and emotions.  India will transform your life and sense of self.

We know India will be a difficult adjustment (but overall rewarding experience) so we are trying to keep our minds as open as possible towards the experiences we will have in the country we will soon call home.  Unfortunately, India is not yet opening the seemingly iron gates that protect it from foreigners like us who wish to come and work there.  Minds open, gates closed.

I am told there is a saying in India: "T.I.I."... "This is India."  The delay of my employment visa should be filed under this phrase for now.  T.I.I.!  Our experience with India so far is teaching us patience.  We shall continue to practice patience for now and look forward to the many lessons to come.

Hurray for technology!

Tonight I was able to see and talk to the 17 kids in my first grade class through Skype!!  I was on the laptop screen in the classroom and then on the BIG (Smartboard) screen for about an hour while the kids came into the classroom in the morning.  Each child had a chance to say his/her name and I got to speak to each one for a few minutes.  We talked about the weather in Delhi (RAIN, RAIN, RAIN), brothers/sisters, losing a tooth, favorite books, birthdays, star student of the week, home countries, pool parties, scootering....

It was a pleasure to talk to each one and finally put names with faces!  I look forward to being in my classroom, meeting my class for the first time, and actually teaching...  I know teachers are supposed to be excited for summer break, but really... I've had enough!!

NEW!! Visa Status Update Center

In an effort to keep everyone who cares up to date, check our Visa Status Update Center on the top right section of our blog.  We find out every weekday around 10:30am if the visa has been released.  We will try and update this section every day!

Also, if you would like to call us in India once we get there, check out the local Delhi time under the "updater!"  We can talk about the weather!...also displayed!

Another waiting weekend

Fountain at Forsyth Park, Savannah

This past weekend, we decided to take a more historical trip down to Georgia's first capital city, Savannah. Because Tim's parents lived there for a while, we had already visited a few times, but this time we were strictly tourists. We stayed at a hotel on E. Bay St., overlooking River Street, in the historic district. We ate at amazing restaurants, took a carriage tour of the city, walked in the rain, and toured the Owens-Thomas House where the adored Marquis de Lafayette (French military officer, American ally, and General during the American Revolution) stayed on his visit to Savannah. The house had plumbing and flushing toilets 8 years before the White House!

We also took a bike tour with another couple around historic Savannah, stopping at several squares and learning various historical facts. That night, we watched part of the movie "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" (based on the famous and controversial Savannahian socialite, Jim Williams) and toured his house, the Mercer-Williams House, the following day. He was antiques collector. And for all you Forrest Gump fans, did you know a lot of the movie was filmed in Savannah? The photo of the "Chippewa Square" sign is the location of the park bench/bus stop where Tom Hanks sat at the movie's opening scene.

Despite the hot and rainy weather, it was a great weekend escape! See photo slideshow below for some highlights.

Senator Kay Hagan to the rescue???

Thanks to my mom for suggesting we contact our state representative in the U.S. Senate, Kay Hagan! Her representative Cristina just called me after looking into the issue of my Indian Visa... Result: The Indian Embassy is waiting for clearance from the Indian Ministry of Labour. My life at this point sounds like a broken record, this is the same thing we have heard since July 19th. Now it's almost a month later. I'm just waiting for some Indian holiday to close the Indian government for the next few weeks, that would be par for the course.

The good news: 1) More time to spend time with family & friends! 2) I get to see "Eat, Pray, Love" in the movie theaters here tonight (partially filmed in New Delhi with some of my coworkers as movie extras). 3) We are on paid vacation until further notice.

We thought we would hear good news by today, Friday the 13th, but at least we heard back from Sen. Kay Hagan's office today. We just have to trust that we will receive clearance soon enough. In the meantime, we are off to Savannah for the weekend to get our minds off this endless wait. VACATION here we come!

Got Insurance?

Thankfully, yes!  After looking at the photos below, you may be asking: "Is this our stuff??"  (We had the same question when this photo came up on the front page of Yahoo! News after checking our email accounts.)  Luckily, a reliable source at school confirmed that this ship was NOT carrying our stuff.

Containers fall from the deck of a damaged cargo ship that collided with another vessel off India's coast near Mumbai (Bombay).

A Lot of Hot Air!

If you ever need a place to unwind because you own a vacant condo during a crappy housing market and almost all of your possessions are either in storage, on a ship in the Indian Ocean or in a warehouse half way around the world, go and stay a few days in Asheville, North Carolina. If you don't do drugs or drink excessively but need a peaceful and calming way to ease your nerves because you've been a vagabond/drifter/tramp/rogue/hobo for 2+ weeks, take a hot air balloon ride! This was our reason for spending the weekend in Asheville and going ballooning!

One cool and unexpected thing that happened during the flight was closing my eyes for a few seconds when we were more than a mile high. The balloon was sooo still. When you close your eyes, you feel like you are still on the ground. You hardly feel any wind because the huge balloon carrying you is moving with the wind. There is zero turbulence as well (unless you jump in the basket). I'm not usually scared of heights but looking down the side of a wicker basket 6500ft in the sky made me slightly freak out! I think that is why I closed my eyes for a bit! Anyway, here are some pictures from our ride. As an add on, I'm happy I didn't search YouTube for balloon disasters until after the trip! Check them out...they are quite interesting!

Wow!

I ran across this video on YouTube. I don't think this fella signed Oprah's "No Phone Zone" pledge!

A Case of the Mondays

Well, the bull ended up tossing us around like a pair of rodeo clowns. All we wanted was to get our visas by Friday so we could fly on Sunday, but, as you can tell, all we have is a case of the Mondays! :(

Looking at the bright side, we now have peace of mind knowing we tried everything possible to get to India on time! Here is a little of what happened on our trip to D.C.

Wednesday
8:00pm - Left Charlotte in the evening to avoid traffic.

Thursday
3:00am - Arrived at a random and fairly safe looking Bloom Supermarket parking lot just outside of Washington. Cracked the car windows, reclined our seats, and fell asleep.
5:30am - Woke up, cranked the A/C, and thanked God for keeping us safe! Then hopped back on I-66 toward Washington D.C. (now I know that traffic around D.C. starts early!)
6:16am - Parked in front of the Visa "expediting" company's office and asked TomTom to find us a McDonald's to walk to. Yes! 0.6 miles!
9:00am - Met with our visa "expediter" to get my passport back. It turns out, my passport isn't even processed until Karen's is approved. So, once Karen's employment visa is approved, I can apply for my entry visa in person, therefore speeding up the process.
11:00am - Found a shady spot on the sidewalk across the street from the White House to sit and people watch. Talk about great people watching! Behind us in Lafayette Park, there was a group of young demonstrators coordinating their freshly painted signs so they say something meaningful. In front of us were bus loads of Japanese tourists walking around as if in a daze. To the right, there were a couple of hippies with grotesque posters demonstrating nuclear weapons. Across the street, families proudly took pictures of themselves with the White House.
11:15am - Yes, 15 minutes later, it was nap time! A sidewalk never felt so soft!! The wind was blowing just right and strangely, a demonstrator about 50 yards from us chose to demonstrate using his AWESOME operatic voice. He was far enough away that we couldn't understand what he was singing. All we could hear was a soothing voice that put me right to sleep. I woke up after about 10 minutes and Karen said that a Japanese tourist just took our picture! The police didn't seem to care that we were sprawled out!
2:00pm - Found, parked, and walked to the Indian Embassy with optimistic hopes to walk in and talk to someone who could answer our questions. Unfortunately, the embassy didn't reopen for another half hour. Fortunately, there were some Indian students there that needed new passports so we asked them some questions. They were from Bombay. One of them spoke English very well and told us a lot about the climate, people, why they came to the USA etc. The other student wasn't a big talker but smiled a lot....the kind of smile that said, "Why the Hell do you guys want to move to India? You guys won't last 1 day!" When the conversation slowed, the smiling Indian chuckled and spoke Hindi to the talkative Indian. The talkative one asked us "so what makes you want to move to India?" The smiling Indian smiled even more. So, a few minutes later, the Embassy opened up and brushed us off, telling us to talk to the company they use to process visas. Yes, India outsources too! :)
4am-10pm - Ate lunch, found a nice B&B called Adam's Inn, walked around the neighborhood, got a $30 parking ticket (but otherwise had free parking), ate dinner at an Indian Restaurant (for good luck), went back to the B&B and watched a movie on NetFlix.

Friday
10:30am - Visa not approved today, drove back to Charlotte.
8:00pm - Made it home safely. We happened to run into our neighbors in our hallway as we were walking up to our condo. They invited us to stay with them as we were holding a newly purchased air mattress. What great timing! Their bed and hospitality were awesome!!

 A self-portrait in Lafayette Park across from the White House

Taking the Bull by the Horns...

It is now 4 days before we are supposed to move to India. Still no visas stamped in our passports. Since the middle of May, our passports have been in the hands of a visa "expediting" company in Washington D.C. Without going into highly frustrating detail, lets just say we have tried everything we know to get our visas on time....well, everything that can be done from a phone calls length away. We have decided to drive up to D.C., full of American Spirit and Southern Pride, and take the Bull by the Horns and get our visas! YeeHaw! Ok, I'm being dramatic, but come on, really. I hope we don't get gored!