Festival Time! First off: Dussehra

We have been told numerous times that we have come to India at the perfect time. From April through July the weather is over 100 and Aug through September is monsoon season (this year being the wettest in 15+ years). A taxi driver told me last week that this was his favorite time of year. Why? I asked. "With nice weather comes many festivals!" he said smiling with his head bobbing wildly.
 

The first big Hindu festival of the year is Dussehra a.k.a Dasara, Dashahara, Durgotsav, Dasara, Dashain, Vijayadashami and Navaratri. I'll try and give a simple description:

Dussehra takes place on the 10th day of the waxing moon during the Hindu month of Ashvin (around September or October, this year Oct 17). On this day, Rama, the god-king and hero of the great Hindu epic, Ramayana, killed the unrighteous Ravana, the 10-headed demon king of Lanka who had abducted Rama’s wife, Sita.  Basically, it is a celebration of good over evil.  People celebrate by burning effigies of Ravana.  In burning these effigies, people are asked to burn the evil within them, and thus follow the path of truth and goodness, bearing in mind the instance of Ravana.  The timing of Dussehra also marks the end of the blistering summer and start of fall/winter season.  Click here if you'd like a detailed description. 

8 days ago, our neighborhood had it's very own effigie of Ravana erected in a traffic circle about 100 yards from our apartment.  It towered over the trees about 40ft high.  It was quite a spectacle!  Check out the photographs below.

North part of Central Golf Links Rd.

I don't know who was in charge, but a guy would set off (by hand) huge roman candles and then fireworks that shot 300ft in the sky and exploded with various colors (the kind you'd see at a medium sized town's 4th of July celebration...you know....where firemen would set them off 100+ yards away from behind some barrier).  Here, people sat 20 yards away.  Some fireworks exploded a bit low and embers fell onto the happy crowd who just quickly brushed them off their heads and shoulders.  Very amusing to watch!  This continued for about 15 minutes before Ravana caught fire!

Ahhh, no more evil, only goodness!

First Weekend Exploration

We officially arrived in Delhi, India last weekend (Friday PM).  However, because we were jetlagged and busy unpacking, finding our way around, etc. we didn't have any time to venture out.  This weekend was our first attempt to venture out a little.

On Saturday, we were home for the repairmen who came to fix our: 1) toilet leak, 2) guest room A/C, 3) kitchen cabinets, 4) caulk around the mirror where ants were coming in, 5) broken closet door handle, 6) broken desk drawer.  After that, we ventured on the brand new Delhi Metro to Connaught Place and Janpath Road where there is supposed to be great shopping and a few good markets.  Because we didn't eat lunch before venturing out, we were a little under-energized for the crowds and hectic scene that greeted us at the top of the Metro Station.  After wandering for a little bit with sunglasses and trinkets being shoved in our faces for purchase, we decided to head closer to home to eat at our new favorite restaurant: Side Wok.  We ate and then walked around Khan Market, which is only a 5 minute walk from our apartment.

Road scene from taxi

On Sunday, we ventured out after lunch and took a taxi to the American Embassy Club (ACSA).  Tim watched a softball game in action while I found the ACSA Commissary, the veritable "Oz" of Delhi - carrying food and other items from the US.  Tim isn't allowed access to that yet since he's waiting on his ACSA membership card.  Afterwards, we walked around the AES school campus and then took an auto-rickshaw (our first ride in one!) back to Khan Market and walked home.  Later in the afternoon, we participated in a Heritage Walking Tour of Lodi Gardens, a beautiful and treasured park in Delhi and only a 20 minute walk from our apartment.  A 1.5 hour walking tour for $4.50 per person is a deal!  Photos of this will be in a later blog post.

American Embassy School campus

Our first auto-rickshaw ride!

The neighborhood and area we live in is amazingly green.  The streets are wide and lined with huge trees.  Our neighborhood is near the Prime Minister's residence and the residences of some government officials and diplomats.  We haven't seen too much of the "India" seen in movies and on TV.  The poverty here hasn't been "in our faces" as much as I had expected.  We have come across a couple of people begging for money - particularly one woman at Khan Market carrying a small baby and touching my and Tim's arms and pointing at the baby, speaking in Hindi.  She followed us, repeatedly tapping Tim's arm, for nearly 2 blocks before finally turning away.  Today on our walk to Lodi Gardens, we noticed a woman holding a small baby with a young girl (maybe 5 years old) selling roses in the center of the street to passing cars.  When they noticed us, they called out something to us in Hindi the small girl ran over to us with her tin drinking cup.  She pointed to the bottle of Mountain Dew (filled with water) we were carrying and said something in Hindi.  We kept walking and she diligently followed, pointing again to the bottle and holding out her cup.  We gave her the bottle and she ran back to the middle of the road.  It's difficult to know how to deal with poverty.  You are warned never to give money in these situations because the money usually ends up going to a ring-leader and not to the person begging, which only proliferates the situation.  We will look into ways to give back to the Indian community that we are now a part of.

Our Apartment

Our living room from the front entry way

Here are some snapshots around our apartment.  We are on the second floor (called 1st floor in India because the first floor is called the ground floor) of a 3-story gated complex.  Our apartment is about 1400 sq feet with 2 bedrooms, 1 & 1/2 baths.  The floors are all marble or tile and the ceiling is about 11 ft high.  There happens to be a bunch of built in cabinets.  Luckily, it came furnished with the basics.  We can't wait to get our shipment, though, as the mattresses here are like what you'd find in a college dorm.  Thick springy western beds are not the norm in India.

We have a large reverse osmosis with UV light water filter that makes good drinking water as the regular water would give us the runs.  There's a great big new fridge and a small washing machine which is also rare to have in India I am told.  We have an oven and a gas stove.  The gas is supplied by a large tank that is sitting in a cabinet.  Due to a large amount of power outages (we haven't had one yet), there are 6 heavy duty car like batteries that serve as our reserve power.  There are a ridiculous amount of lights around our place too, which may be why Delhi has so many power outages!  It takes about 15 seconds to turn on the proper light as there are about 12 switches grouped together for each room (a reason we are looking forward to getting our label maker in the shipment!).

There is no balcony or terrace, but the view from the large window in our living room is really pretty (nothing but green flowering tropical trees with parakeets and other pretty birds).  The landlord who lives on the ground floor said we can use their garden in front any time.  We might wait until mosquito season is over (should be about 3 more weeks when the temperature begins to drop).  Dengue fever is rampant this year due to the wettest monsoon season in 15+ years.  All the colorful designs in the stairwell are made of flower petals and the designs (called Rangoli) in our entryway are made of colored rice.  It is welcoming custom I believe.  Here are the pictures of our new home!

First few days in Delhi...

Arrival outside Indira Gandhi Int'l Airport

Good first 2 days in Delhi.  We are still jet lagged so excuse the lack of eloquence in this entry!  Here are some things that we have noticed, thought, and did in the past 72 hours in no particular order.  (We arrived on Friday night and it's now Sunday night - although it feels like it's been both longer and shorter, all at the same time!...hope this makes sense.)

-No Delhi belly yet!  I wonder how long it will take....  So far we've stuck to the bottled and filtered water.  We haven't had to go food shopping yet.  The school filled our fridge with a quiche, lasagna, cheese, coke, beer, water, Skippy, variety fruit jam, butter and a few other things. 

-Walked past our first pack of street dogs and many lone street dogs unharmed.  I like to think Cesar Milan had a little something to do with our success.  We walked with a confident stride past the pack with our chests pushed out!  Although, one black wirehair dog with a snickering expression did start barking at us when we stopped in front of his spot.  20 seconds later he got up and walked closer and started barking more when we didn't move, so we moved.  We have learned not to text near that dog at that corner of the street that he seems to own.  The majority of the dogs seem very sweet and harmless.  It's hard not to want to pet them!

-Walked past some street monkeys that were just chillin on a fence....didn't look them in the eye! 

-We haven't seen any street cows yet...apparently they were all wrangled up and moved somewhere for the Commonwealth Games that happened the past 2 weeks.  They are supposed to be coming back soon however.

-It's a lot cleaner than I imagined.  We are told this is also because of the Commonwealth Games.  Also, this time of year, we are told, is the best for air quality.  It is post monsoon season so the rains clean out the air leaving blue skies.  Once it gets cold in a couple of weeks though, people will start burning anything to keep warm, so the pollution levels will rise.

-The traffic hasn't been too bad.  The worst was driving home from the airport during rush hour.  Still no that bad.  It felt like an extremely less orderly version of driving home on the outer loop of 485 in South Charlotte during rush hour.  Again, we have only been in a small part of Delhi where it is not as congested.  Our impression will undoubtedly change once we venture out a little more!

-There is a lot of foliage that I didn't expect, very tropical in our neighborhood and around the school. 

The view from our living room window is complete greenery - beautiful flowering trees and palms.

-We had a successful first taxi ride to the American Embassy where we had pancakes, eggs and bacon. 

-There are flocks of parakeets and pigeons who intermingle among other bird species in our neighborhood.  Its peaceful to hear the parakeets in the morning.

-The apartment is very nice.  It came furnished but we cant wait to get our shipments in the coming week.  It will feel a lot more like home.  We live within walking distance to Khan Market (we went there our first day...they have pretty much whatever you need, but at a premium price compared to other markets in Delhi) and Lodhi Gardens.

 

-Tonight there is a celebration in Delhi called the Dussehra Festival.  We just learned about this festival when we noticed a huge statue made of wood and paper being erected in the traffic circle just outside our apartment in the Golf Links neighborhood.  The statue stands about 40 feet tall and it will be burned tonight to signify the burning away of evil.  We will post some pictures of this in a later post.

Basically, everything is new and very foreign.  Everything.  It's all very overwhelming and sometimes we sit and do nothing just to let our minds catch up or maybe just rest...don't know which!  Luckily, we have both been through this kind of experience before so the culture shock is not a surprise!  It is definitely there.  We will be on a roller coaster of emotions as we learn how to fit in to this new culture, make new friends, eat new food, see new things, smell new smells and all that jazz!  Thank you for reading this and we look forward to sharing our experiences with you!

Visas Issued!!!

INDIA, here we come!

13 turned out to be our lucky number today... My visa was approved yesterday and arrived in the mail today (Wed. Oct. 13th), and Tim's visa was approved TODAY (also the 13th) the same day we applied at the NYC Indian Consulate.  While waiting for Tim's visa today, we sprinted 10 blocks to the theater to put our names in a ticket lottery for the Broadway show "Wicked".  They drew 13 names for the lotto, guess which place my name was called... 13th!  Tim and I got front row seats for this show today....seats 1 & 3!

Long day.  Very excited!  Already reserved a flight leaving tomorrow afternoon for Delhi!
Long day tomorrow.  Will send an update soon after our arrival!

Indian English

Since we have no good news to share about my employment visa for India, we continue to imagine what our life will be like in a matter of days? weeks? months?  We have anticipated this move for so long (well... February) and we've read articles, blogs, and books about India to prime ourselves for this adventure.  The latest book I'm reading is "Speaking of India: Bridging the Communication Gap When Working with Indians" (very relevant right now as we struggle to communicate with the visa officer at the Indian Embassy).

One chapter discusses "Indian English" and offers a list of words and expressions that are unique to India.  How many can you figure out?   (ANSWERS UPDATED)

  

     Fresher = a novice, someone who just started
     A cover = an envelope
     She's eating my brain = giving me a hard time
     Bills = receipts or invoices
     Prepone = move forward an appointment, opposite of postpone
     Good name = a polite way to ask someone their name
     Curd = yogurt
     Snaps = snapshots, photos
     A mixi = a blender
     Canteen = cafeteria
     A real time pass = waste of time
     Homely = a good home-maker/housewife

The Joys of Travel: India

Since we haven't posted in a while, this is a link to an article from EFAM (Escape from America Magazine) about living overseas.  Hopefully we'll be able to post more about "The Joys of India" soon enough

LINK:  The Joys of Travel: India

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!