Joel and I went out for some exploring. We went to a mall nearby called Sahara Mall. The first thing I noticed as our driver pulled up to the mall was how decorated it was on the outside. Some signs and advertisements but some other pictures and colors.
We got out and entered the mall through the metal detector passing a few guards. There were a good many of these guards in various places around the mall. The top of the escalators, outside of stores as you entered, etc. They dressed in blue uniforms. (These guards didn’t seem to carry guns during the day, unlike our apartment complex guards who have riffles mostly after dark.) The mall was sort of a big square with 4 floors with an open middle. Kind of like City Center in Minneaplis, but much smaller, but taller. There was music playing from large speakers in the middle of the first floor from some radio station.
We ate at the same place where Joel had his first meal; not by planning, but because my tummy was stressed from not sleeping well and the Indian place was closed. This is where I had my first double decker taco on India. Much more REAL then TB at home, good tasting, a full meal at about the same cost as we would have spent at TB. I then proceeded to have Baskin Robins for desert. HEY! There aren’t many Baskin Robins at HOME either! :) This was about the same cost as if you were to purchase it in America. Same Ice cream and hot fudge, but I don’t think they add “wheat crispies” on top at home. There were a LOT of people at the mall. It was very hot, which Joel said was unusual there, and I got to experience my first electricity outage. It was out for maybe a good 30 seconds and no one really seemed to notice or care. This tends to be a daily occurrence around here. It usually doesn’t last for 30 seconds though. More like 10.
Mall number 2, CTC (also known as Mega City Mall) was also playing music at a fairly loud level. I think this is kinda a trend here. We didn’t really go in to many stores, but did some window shopping. Joel and I shared a mocha and a chocolate covered Florentine pastry. You can see I’m REALLY diving in to the Indian culture head first can’t you? The mocha was fantastic. Served in an actual china type cup and plate. I don’t think they have any to go options. Environmentally, this is a wonderful thing with less waste of paper cups, etc.
We then went to the Galleria which has an open air-middle with small shops in buildings along it. We purchased meat at one of the two meat shops for supper (later to be found to be a bad choice of butchers for fish as Joel got himself slightly sick). Lesson learned to not go to the empty meat market, but wait in line at the busy one!
The trip to this mall holds a special place in my heart. FIRST of all, on the way we saw many cows on the side of the road and in the streets! IT IS SOOO COOL! Second of all. I got to see 3 puppies… OK, DOGS hanging out at the mall. I have seen 2 dogs actually on a leash with owners, but most of them run free with no human home. So, they just lay on the sidewalk, you can get right next to them and they just sit there. I didn’t get brave enough to touch one with either hand or foot, but was certainly close enough to, and they just didn’t really care.
We got out and entered the mall through the metal detector passing a few guards. There were a good many of these guards in various places around the mall. The top of the escalators, outside of stores as you entered, etc. They dressed in blue uniforms. (These guards didn’t seem to carry guns during the day, unlike our apartment complex guards who have riffles mostly after dark.) The mall was sort of a big square with 4 floors with an open middle. Kind of like City Center in Minneaplis, but much smaller, but taller. There was music playing from large speakers in the middle of the first floor from some radio station.
We ate at the same place where Joel had his first meal; not by planning, but because my tummy was stressed from not sleeping well and the Indian place was closed. This is where I had my first double decker taco on India. Much more REAL then TB at home, good tasting, a full meal at about the same cost as we would have spent at TB. I then proceeded to have Baskin Robins for desert. HEY! There aren’t many Baskin Robins at HOME either! :) This was about the same cost as if you were to purchase it in America. Same Ice cream and hot fudge, but I don’t think they add “wheat crispies” on top at home. There were a LOT of people at the mall. It was very hot, which Joel said was unusual there, and I got to experience my first electricity outage. It was out for maybe a good 30 seconds and no one really seemed to notice or care. This tends to be a daily occurrence around here. It usually doesn’t last for 30 seconds though. More like 10.
Mall number 2, CTC (also known as Mega City Mall) was also playing music at a fairly loud level. I think this is kinda a trend here. We didn’t really go in to many stores, but did some window shopping. Joel and I shared a mocha and a chocolate covered Florentine pastry. You can see I’m REALLY diving in to the Indian culture head first can’t you? The mocha was fantastic. Served in an actual china type cup and plate. I don’t think they have any to go options. Environmentally, this is a wonderful thing with less waste of paper cups, etc.
We then went to the Galleria which has an open air-middle with small shops in buildings along it. We purchased meat at one of the two meat shops for supper (later to be found to be a bad choice of butchers for fish as Joel got himself slightly sick). Lesson learned to not go to the empty meat market, but wait in line at the busy one!
The trip to this mall holds a special place in my heart. FIRST of all, on the way we saw many cows on the side of the road and in the streets! IT IS SOOO COOL! Second of all. I got to see 3 puppies… OK, DOGS hanging out at the mall. I have seen 2 dogs actually on a leash with owners, but most of them run free with no human home. So, they just lay on the sidewalk, you can get right next to them and they just sit there. I didn’t get brave enough to touch one with either hand or foot, but was certainly close enough to, and they just didn’t really care.
Last night I could here a bunch of dogs barking from our balcony. Hard to say how far away and how many there were, but I would say a good 10-15 distinct barks.
Certainly more posts are in the works - need to catch up on sleep and homework as well. Many other things and pictures to come.
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