Happy Hallowe'en

Happy Hallowe'en guys!!!

Eat some good old North American junk food for me!

And a special Happy Halloween to Jayden! Have a good time!

And Brett, I know you're too old for that kid stuff but don't go egging! (or at least don't get caught ;P)

As for me. I'm tempted between a party at a Canadian embassy worker's apartment (re: mansion) or sitting curled up watching movies. Right now the latter seems more tempting. One way or the other no Tequila.

Love you all! Take care guys and have fun!!

"I wanna be a dancer"

Navrati was amazing. Ahmedabad was completely throbbing with excitement and festivities. During the day Georgia and I walked around town, bought a chenni and choli (the most beautiful skirt and short top covered with little mirrors and different fabrics), jewelry and bindis for the night. Ahmedabad, with its long history, is littered with architecture and ruins. Most have been adapted – forts into houses, offices and temples and old city walls now shelter for slums. George and I found one fort – Bandra – which happened to be in the centre of an amazing little bazaar. We bypassed the people attending temple ceremonies on the main floor, walked up through the offices, and to the rooftop. There was the most amazing view of the bazaar and the surrounding gates. That night we attended Navrati. It was wonderful. I can’t describe it. Amazing dancing, life, celebration. Families tried their best to teach us the steps but I wound up tripping them all as we tried to dance around in the circle (the Navrati dance is a traditional dance with great symbolism to the goddess Durga (too little time to explain the symbolism – look it up if you’re interested) people dance in a big (or small circle) around their shoes (or a puga or a small temple of some sort). Usually there are two or more circles and members from the opposing circles clap sticks together – o.k. that’s not the best explanation…here’s a picture I found on the web)



It was wonderful…I wish I could describe it better for you folks. It did really make me want to take dancing lessons!

I have get back to work but I love you all. I promise my next entry will be better and much more descriptive.

The Big Yellow Pill

I’m still feeling a bit sick. Dizzy, confused, tired – all the usual that goes with rapidly loosing all your vital fluids.

I’m being overly dramatic. I’ll explain.

So sometime between Friday night and Saturday morning I finally got the Delhi Belly (or what will now be called the Diu Belly – to be more location specific). I have never been that sick in my life. I spent the last 4 days trying desperately to rehydrate myself before the exorcist style vomiting convulsed my body or, well, I’m not going to get into details but we all know what else happens with good old Diu Belly. And those of you who are lucky enough to know me so intimately know that I have never had anything that could be really considered diarrhea (hence my extreme babyness on my experience) I got back from A-bad on Monday morning and spent all of Monday in a feverish sweat sleeping in my room. Mrs. Singh has been wonderful. Very motherly and sweet (although, Mrs. Singh herself never leaves the Defence Colony out of fear “of this very thing”, so she gave me a few guilt trips about “traveling all alone” but it’s still sweet). I went to work yesterday like a zombie. In my highly emotional malnourished state I starting thinking about how I’m not accomplishing anything here…just like all the other interns, I feel like I’m not doing anything. So, once again, I made a vow to buckle down and squeeze myself into any niche I felt would better mankind. That was yesterday…we’ll see how far I get today. I have to start being happy just being. Like the red lights say here in Delhi – RELX (yes, often the forget to paint the A in). My weakened emotional state also forced me to start thinking about “what I’m going to be when I grow up” but that’s for another entry.

Back to the sickness and the wonderful Yellow Pill. We have a doctor at work. She comes in once a week to check on us and to be there for any questions we have. I saw her yesterday and she gave me a name of a pill I should take. (you have to love Indian chemists for this – as long as you have a name for a drug they’ll sell it to you – even if its valium.) I was about to take the infamous Yellow Pill. Yes, many of you who were in the TAP India 2000 trip with me took this pill and raved about it which alone gave me the strength to take some unknown pill without instructions or a nice list of FDA approved side effects (I’m getting too dramatic) but yes I took the pill and I’m feeling much better.

A few random bits before I let you folks go –
-I’m really feeling Christmas lonely! Deewali is like Christmas for Hindu’s and from now until Deewali (November 12) celebrations, lights, gifts are all over the place. Even the reruns of Hogan’s Family, Friends, and Caroline in the City that I watch on T.V. are the Christmas Specials. It makes me miss you guys, snow and that feeling of mom’s house at Christmas time! It’s going to be really hard this year!

-I have my own driver. Well, o.k. not really, but I have an auto rickshaw guy who waits for me at the main street by my house everyday at 8 and takes me to work. It all goes unspoken. Both of us are very happy to notice that the other is there waiting but we never talk at all.

-I’m sure I had some more random things to tell you but I can’t remember. I’ll trty to write about my weekend tomorrow (just didn’t want to bore you guys too much in one sitting) miss you all! Hope you’re doing well!

Like Gold

I went to Amritsar this weekend. In a brief summary: Amritsar is in Punjab in the north-west of India. It borders with Pakistan at the “Wagah” crossing at the Attari border. Amritsar is also the most holy city for the religious sect Sikhism due to the town's Golden Temple resting on the “holy nector” of Amrit Sarovar (obviously Amritsar got it name from this pool). The Golden Temple has a long and history for the Sikhs but I’m starting to sound like a book so I’ll let you guys figure it out on your own.

Anywho, I went to Amritsar with two other Canadian FAC interns and some of their coworkers (a really really sweet Columbian, an Aussie and a experienced India Irish traveler – in total 2 boys and 4 girls). We wound up taking “chair class” air conditioned on the way there (we did this mostly for time – the lower class seats were only on the slower trains). It was fancy. To tell you the truth I hated it. The windows are sealed (because of the AC) and fogged up which meant you couldn’t buy anything from the platform on the train, give beggars food or really see the scenery. But it was an experience.

Our trip to the border crossing was enlightening. I couldn’t believe the crowd! The soldiers puffed up their chests and stamped their boots to intimidate the Pakistan soldiers on the other side of the gate. The crowd cheered and chanted “Hindustan! Hindustan!”. It was insane. Amongst this primate warlike show of strength and aggression families were having picnics, groups of school children were breaking out into Punjabi dance and tourists were trying to get their photograph in front of the gate or with a guard. Huge national flags were being waved on the Indian side and over the gate you could see the massive Pakistan flag waving in the stands. At the end of the stamping and precession the gates are opened and the flags are lowered.


These aren’t my pictures I’ve stole them but I should be getting some photos from Saul (the Colombian) that I can post.

Everyone “stormed” the gate in the end but it seemed that it was more for the token photograph in front of the gate and not for the symbolism in the act.

The Golden Temple was breathtaking, immense, shinny(!) We walked around the pathway and I decided not to go into the actual center of the gudwara where the actual prayer ceremony takes place. I waited in line for a short time and then realized with all the stares, heat and bodies pressed up against me that this is a sometimes life-long pilgrimage for Sikhs and I felt bad taking someone’s place in the gudwara or even line. Anyway it doesn’t matter were you pray (right Aman?).



The weekend was all in all very good. We saw what we wanted to see but weren’t too rushed (even with the aftermath of partying for Saul’s Last Saturday In India). Just 3 days of work and then I have my overnight train to Amhedabad!

Back by popular demand.

Back by popular demand.

O.k. after all the great phone calls I got yesterday (it was so great to talk to you guys!) I decided to write up another entry for my blog.

I’m doing much better these days. Sunday, I had another really great night out with Ronnie. He’s really grown up and he’s very honest and sincere. It may sound strange but I trust him more then anyone here. (which may not be the best thing…but don’t worry I’ll keep my head on me). I’m traveling to Amritsar on Saturday (the town with the Golden Temple). I’m not sure about he crew I’m going with, they’re nice enough I guess. Ronnie’s girlfriend is in Amritsar so I’m hoping to meet up with her. Next weekend I’m planning on taking an overnight train to Ahmedabad to catch the end of the Navarti festival (the stick dance) and maybe head down to Diu. Supposedly it’s turtle hatching week. I spoke with the other COL intern in India, George last night (she’s in Ahmedabad) and it was such a great conversation. The first foreign person that I’ve talked to that’s on the same wavelength as me.

So what have I been up to? I don’t even know where to begin and I’m sure you folks don’t want to hear every detail of my life. So the parts I think you’ll find interesting:

Bebe, everyone seems to remember the maid. How are things between us? Good actually! But here's alittle story for you - I was horribly unanthropological the other day. She had rang for me (there’s a bell attached to my room from the kitchen) so I ran down stairs wondering what was up (it was too early for dinner). She showed me these two name cards and asked me something in Hindi. For the next 5-10 min. she tried desperately to ask me something in hindi. All I understood was “bol” (say) mera (name) and that’s about it. She kept going “oyyye” and smacking her head. I kept staring at the card (which was the name and address of a dentist) and watching her point to her mouth. I couldn’t get it – she wanted me to go to the dentist? Did she need me to take her to the dentist? Did she want to tell me that this was a good dentist to go to? Did he drop by and need something from me? Did she give him my name? Finally she gave up. I pointed at the card and asked her if she wanted me to tell Dr. BLAH the dentist something? She smiled nodded her head and put the cards away in a drawer. Which really just confused me more. It actually wasn’t until after I walked back to my room that I realized she needed me to tell her what name was on the card because she couldn’t read it. My god. I’ve been hanging out with expats too much and I guess I started thinking that everyone knows English and how to read. Wow. But all in all everything’s going well between the two of us. Since she’s moved the TV into the kitchen I sit and watch Indian soaps with her while I eat supper. Mrs. Singh is also doing well. I try and sit and talk with her at least once a week. The woman has a history. She remembers the emergency. Her family used to live in the old Punjab that is now in Pakistan. I get so closed minded sometimes and forget that everyone has history and stories to tell.

Everyday I cross this bridge (“flyover”) which is lined with pigeons. There are even cement bowls on the sides of the bridge which auto drivers fill with water. Seeds and crumbs are given to the birds each morning as well. It’s so strange. There are men sleeping on the divider in the middle of the road poor and hungry, while the pigeons are flocked in hundreds on the “pigeon” sidewalk eating lavishly. I love that aspect of living someplace “different” you see everything from an outsiders eyes and pick up on these things…I’m sure we’re mostly oblivious to these oddities in Canadian culture.

I wish I could show you folks a video of life here, it’s hard for me to pick and choose what to write about.

I should run but on a side note my eyes are a very strong hazel now just like last time. I don’t know what it is about India that can change my eye colour. Hope it’s not all the pesticides in the water. (:-) oh mom, don’t worry, I’m fine!)

P.s. My nephew was born on the 30th of September!!!! Little dark haired baby Christian Jared! Congratulations sis!