Newly discovered leaks in my St Paul roof, Injured kitty paws. riots in Agra, car accidents, success finding ONE tailor so far...
Our poor renter, discovered a leak looking like it may come from the roof from the storms a few weeks ago. Wish ALL of us luck please!! She has been great about helping us deal with all this so far away.
My little Alex kitty has had a little limp. We were hoping for it to improve, but no luck so he went to the vet to discover that Nikita probably bit him during their usual tussles and now it is infected… though the puncture healed quickly so it is hard to find. So, Jeff, the BEST pet sitter in the WORLD (not even complaining about Alex digging his claws in to him during the vet cramming a pill down Alex’s throat… A TOTAL TROOPER!!) is getting the joys of administering drops and holding Alex’s paw with a hot wet cloth each day for a while.
Agra, where we are supposed to go this weekend, had a bit of a riot yesterday. Looks like a truck hitting a biker who was part of a Muslim group coming back from a pilgrimage turned in to random people rioting, attacking cars and police. There was escalation attempts trying to make it a religious issue, but in reality, it looks like that wasn’t the case. So, roads to Agra are blocked. Hopefully things will clear up by tomorrow. TOTALLY unfortunate. A child died from a stray bullet and over 50 hurt. The Taj itself is open, it is just a matter of road blacks or “Curfews”. We will see about things tonight and figure out if we need to change plans.
India is a complex place. Can be very peaceful, but when something breaks, it can get out of control and really bad quickly… and no real idea of what and where will set things off.
The last but TOTALLY not least or our tragic tails. On Joel’s way home last night our driver ran in to a cement road block. Not sure what actually happened. Probably a miscalculation when turning the corner? Looked away for a split second? Joel thinks they were going at a pretty good speed but doesn’t remember much besides thinking that it was getting a bit close and then wham. He was a bit sore when he got home but seems to be fine today, just a bit tired. The impact was hard, but the driver was fine, he was wearing his seatbelt, Joel was not, and not really sure if he was thrown against anything.
The front of the car was smooshed a bit.
LUCKILY one of the other drivers Moses and 3 other co-workers HAPPENED to be going out to dinner and HAPPENED to see the car as they drove by. Moses stopped and Rajpal said it was just a flat tire… which surprised Joel a bit as he thought it was more impact then that. Luckily. Ramya, one of the three passengers called Joel on his cell and asked if he would like a lift home which was SO wonderful as Joel figured the 10 minutes Rajpal thought it would be was PROBABLY underestimating a bit. So, Kind of freaky. We weren’t sure if our driver would still have a job, but he showed up this morning…
SCARY!! But everyone is OK thank goodness.
I found a shop with a tailor that works with them. SO, I met with him last night and have 3 Kurtis/ladies shirts. SO, next week I should have that to share. I’m excited!! I still need to find one that I can bring material I already own to. And want to see about looking at different designs. This guy looked at the material and drew me pictures of what he thought he should make and asked me for preferences. I figured I’d run with it and see what happens.
That’s it for now. Hopefully we’ll have Taj pics in a few days!
Happy Labor Day weekend all!
Judy and Joel
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
Cooking Class.
I took an Indian cooking class a few weeks ago. It was interesting. A bit challenging on a half, English, half Hindi level. So, sometimes I wasn’t sure what was going on and when I should be listening. Their was a lot of interweaving the language in to each other in sentances... plus combining the accent, it was a game of de-coding.
It was held in the teachers house. A GORGIOUS house, the parts I saw anyway… We sat in the dining room facing her kitchen. She had a counter where she could face towards us with a 1 burner movable stove on the counter as she demonstrated.
We were given copies of the recipes which was vey good. I think this was the first time she taught this group of recipes since she missed a few steps… so trying to catch what I needed to add was a bit interesting. Never the less, the food was WONDERFUL! And I gained good information out of it like the English translation for a few Hindi words and spices. Managed to convince Joel we should get a pressure cooker… which we did this weekend and have used it once with success. I hope I can catch another class before I leave.
It was held in the teachers house. A GORGIOUS house, the parts I saw anyway… We sat in the dining room facing her kitchen. She had a counter where she could face towards us with a 1 burner movable stove on the counter as she demonstrated.
We were given copies of the recipes which was vey good. I think this was the first time she taught this group of recipes since she missed a few steps… so trying to catch what I needed to add was a bit interesting. Never the less, the food was WONDERFUL! And I gained good information out of it like the English translation for a few Hindi words and spices. Managed to convince Joel we should get a pressure cooker… which we did this weekend and have used it once with success. I hope I can catch another class before I leave.
Earl and Pen’s 50th Anniversary party Day. Aug 18th. Sushi, Sake and stuff.
So, Joel and I decided that since we couldn’t attend Earl and Penny’s Anniversary party, that to honor their 50 years of marriage we must do something in celebration over here.
So, we did…
We headed over to the Grand Hotel at about 1:30 in the afternoon with the intention of getting tea and having a read of our books before going to the Sushi restaurant. We figured we are THIS close to Japan, it would be a miss if we passed up the opportunity.
We were seated by the window in the coffee/tea shop
But moved, though the view GORGIOUS the sun yet lovely was REALLY hot. Not wanting to melt we opted for a table just out of suns reach. We ordered tea and chatted. We then ordered drinks. I, a Mai tai, my first REAL one EVER… and man was it GOOD. Joel got an Iced mocha. Now that I think of this, I find this odd. I am the one who usually goes for the mocha’s, and Joel always said mochas are HOT and are nasty cold. But he had no great challenge getting this one down the hatch. It was TOP NOTCH nummy. I think we had something snacky to eat, but I don’t recall what. And we sat and chatted again. NO reading actually happened, but it was a nice afternoon of taking it easy and chatting.
We headed down to the Japanese/Sushi Restaurant Enoki at 6. It didn’t open till 6:30 so we had a bit of a wait. NO biggie. When we did get in we were seated at a table where the sushi bar itself was in view.
We ordered the usual California rolls. They have to be tried and tested!!
It was PRETTY! The first interesting thing was that, at this restaurant they served the sashimi with no rice beds underneath that is customary at home. I THOUGHT everywhere, but guess not. The fish did NOT need it. OH MAN the Tuna and salmon were MELT in your mouth good! I think the best Joel and I have ever tasted. With each order they made sure that we were going to be OK with what we ordered… encouraging us to order one order of raw spring rolls first to see if we really wanted more. Very nice of them really.
For those of you who like Sake, we had a really SMOOTH sake called Gekkeikan. I would dare say the best Sake I have ever had.
For desert - Spiced Chocolate pudding… more like cake really… and grilled bananas with chocolate.
So, maybe the reading – that never happened - and tea are the parts Earl and Penny would appreciate most, but it is the thought that counts?? :)
Happy Anniversary Earl and Penny! Hope you had a GREAT party!!
Judy and Joel.
So, we did…
We headed over to the Grand Hotel at about 1:30 in the afternoon with the intention of getting tea and having a read of our books before going to the Sushi restaurant. We figured we are THIS close to Japan, it would be a miss if we passed up the opportunity.
We were seated by the window in the coffee/tea shop
But moved, though the view GORGIOUS the sun yet lovely was REALLY hot. Not wanting to melt we opted for a table just out of suns reach. We ordered tea and chatted. We then ordered drinks. I, a Mai tai, my first REAL one EVER… and man was it GOOD. Joel got an Iced mocha. Now that I think of this, I find this odd. I am the one who usually goes for the mocha’s, and Joel always said mochas are HOT and are nasty cold. But he had no great challenge getting this one down the hatch. It was TOP NOTCH nummy. I think we had something snacky to eat, but I don’t recall what. And we sat and chatted again. NO reading actually happened, but it was a nice afternoon of taking it easy and chatting.
We headed down to the Japanese/Sushi Restaurant Enoki at 6. It didn’t open till 6:30 so we had a bit of a wait. NO biggie. When we did get in we were seated at a table where the sushi bar itself was in view.
We ordered the usual California rolls. They have to be tried and tested!!
We ordered a combo plate of sashimi. The waiter made a special trip BACK to the table to make sure that we NEW we were ordering RAW fish. We assured him that we new what we were getting in to.
When the plate came…
It looked much less blurry then this...
When the plate came…
It looked much less blurry then this...
It was PRETTY! The first interesting thing was that, at this restaurant they served the sashimi with no rice beds underneath that is customary at home. I THOUGHT everywhere, but guess not. The fish did NOT need it. OH MAN the Tuna and salmon were MELT in your mouth good! I think the best Joel and I have ever tasted. With each order they made sure that we were going to be OK with what we ordered… encouraging us to order one order of raw spring rolls first to see if we really wanted more. Very nice of them really.
(Raw Sping Roll)
For those of you who like Sake, we had a really SMOOTH sake called Gekkeikan. I would dare say the best Sake I have ever had.
For desert - Spiced Chocolate pudding… more like cake really… and grilled bananas with chocolate.
So, maybe the reading – that never happened - and tea are the parts Earl and Penny would appreciate most, but it is the thought that counts?? :)
Happy Anniversary Earl and Penny! Hope you had a GREAT party!!
Judy and Joel.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Random Tid-bit.
I wonder if I will ever stop jumping a little at the knock of people/children on our car window with their attempt for us to give them money or food. I’ve gotten pretty good at ignoring them while walking as well as when they are intently looking at us through the window of the car. It’s just weird cuz my first instinct is to look up. At home USUALLY this means one needs to assess the situation. Someone I know perhaps?? And it is a very rare occurrence. Here, this happens a lot around busy mall areas and just driving through the streets of Delhi. Some times it is people looking to sell you magazines, rubber chickens or other “interesting” stuff. This seems like a scary transaction to make as the car is moving, stopping, moving, stopping and then occasionally an actual DRIVE forward. I’m SO amazed people don’t loose their toes around here.
Scope’n the rows for cocoa” OR “Scope in the rose for Cocoa
The above sentence either says you are in the grocery store searching intently for baking chocolate, or presenting a gift of a flower filled with mint mouth wash to Lisa Spit’s cat Cocoa. This particular confusion was had by Joel when I said sentence #1 and he took it as #2 and had NO idea what I was talking about or trying to do. Yes, sometimes our language listening is trying so hard to decode the accents of our Hindi accented friends that our own sounds TOTALL foreign to us.
The language barrier is interesting. Many people DO speak English and have a really good vocabulary. But there are varying types of accents as well. And I’m assuming what method used to learn English and confusion with their own language rules is where my decoding process goes eschew . Some people pronounce some of their ESSES like SH. So we have “shalt and pepper.” Which, though I get the pepper word, my brain is still stuck on decoding “Shalt”. The interesting thing is this same person has just asked me if I wanted “vegetables” not “Vegetablesh”. I feel bad because things I should understand I just don’t. Or I do 2 minutes later. A women said to me “lee-MOAN and sue-GARE”. I had left the shop before I figured out she said lemon and sugar. Well, heck, there is NO H in Sugar. The joys of going from one difficult language to another.
I think Joel has a little advantage to this since he actually spends time around Hindi speaking people on a daily bases. He isn’t picking up a ton of Hindi but I do think it helps him translate Hindi English to American-mid western English for sure. The folks here have the same problem with us. They understand English REALLY WELL, It is our accent they don’t’ understand all the time.
(ACCENT! What do you mean ACCENT!!!?? We are Americans. WE don’t HAVE an accent. :).
The language barrier is interesting. Many people DO speak English and have a really good vocabulary. But there are varying types of accents as well. And I’m assuming what method used to learn English and confusion with their own language rules is where my decoding process goes eschew . Some people pronounce some of their ESSES like SH. So we have “shalt and pepper.” Which, though I get the pepper word, my brain is still stuck on decoding “Shalt”. The interesting thing is this same person has just asked me if I wanted “vegetables” not “Vegetablesh”. I feel bad because things I should understand I just don’t. Or I do 2 minutes later. A women said to me “lee-MOAN and sue-GARE”. I had left the shop before I figured out she said lemon and sugar. Well, heck, there is NO H in Sugar. The joys of going from one difficult language to another.
I think Joel has a little advantage to this since he actually spends time around Hindi speaking people on a daily bases. He isn’t picking up a ton of Hindi but I do think it helps him translate Hindi English to American-mid western English for sure. The folks here have the same problem with us. They understand English REALLY WELL, It is our accent they don’t’ understand all the time.
(ACCENT! What do you mean ACCENT!!!?? We are Americans. WE don’t HAVE an accent. :).
Monday, August 20, 2007
Chocolate! (calling all ladies!)
So, Joel and I head over to Visant Vihar (a section of New Delhi) for some shopping, errands and a little breakfast. Well. TGI Fridays was closed for an early lunch.
This unhappy dog (first kinda scary dog, in Joel opinion...) seemed to be even more upset then we were… (Look at that unhappy body language.)
So we went to a place called Choko La. The inside reminded me of a café that I went to with Wayne in New Jersey but that was where it ended.
The photo below is what I stared at over Joel’s shoulder during the time we were there.
The bench/couch seating you see was not common in the rest of the dining room. Just that area I believe.
The menu stated that it served “single source chocolate”. It provided some history of Chocolate and explained that it was served with respect to the Aztecs, my favorite ancient friends who “discovered” chocolate believing it was from the Gods. (DUH!)
So, we order a breakfast. Joel a Spanish Omelet and a cup of Tanzania Chocolate – 70% cocoa with various spices. I ordered a breakfast special with omelet style eggs, fruit, croissant and a cinnamon roll with a cup of another kind of chocolate – 73% coca and I don’t what else was in the chocolate. We expected this to be like a hot chocolate basically. OH MY GOODNESS!! No, this was a warm cup of melt the bar of chocolate. It was thick yet light. An INDESCRIBABLE texture of chocolate STUFF!! OH MAN IT WAS GOOD! Both drinks were fantastic and completely indescribable. It wasn’t like cooking with chocolate. As it cooled it didn’t congeal much at all. But it clearly didn’t have much if any cream or milk in it. It was amazing. Yes Ladies! This is a MUST do in India during PMS time BELIEVE YOU ME!
The food was good too, but the chocolate was what really stood out of course. We ordered a cup of coffee to split in to the mugs to attempt to finish our sweet drinks. These were not thimble sized cups. They were bigger than your average coffee/tea mug in the US. Our two breakfasts, tea, the two chocolate rivers of goodness, and coffee cost $20. I LOVE THIS COUNTRY!
In our walk we ran across this fine visual.
Citibank, It’s the cows! (Oh wait, that’s not right is it).
There was a guard who was trying to get the cow to move or something that I caught on video.
A little girl snuck in to my video and I’m sure was not impressed when I was, not annoyed, but far more focused on the cow then the cute little child. She followed me around for a short time but eventually gave up.
I LOVE COWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We were full but not fully satisfied so we went back to a mall closer to us in efforts to find a particular material store. We ended up finding our way to TGI Fridays at the metropolitan mall. This is not note worthy, but I took a picture of my view out the window that is a special piece of India.
It is our Mr. Orange juice stand and the McDelivery/McDonalds delivery sign. CHECK OUT THAT PHONE NUMBER!!! the last 3 digits particularly. (telling, don't you think!)
Leaving this mall tends to mean meeting our driver on the other side of the street and taking our lives in our hands to get across the 4 lanes to the other mall where Rajpal, our driver can pick us up. Little kids begging were out heavy. One little kid… MAYBE 4-5 was EXTREMELY adamant about trying to get something out of Joel and I. We didn’t give in, but I was shocked at how long she stayed tapping our arms for our attention, right up to getting into the space that would be normally used for closing the car door that Joel was trying to not hurt the girl in just getting into the car back into traffic so the car didn't get hit.
This unhappy dog (first kinda scary dog, in Joel opinion...) seemed to be even more upset then we were… (Look at that unhappy body language.)
So we went to a place called Choko La. The inside reminded me of a café that I went to with Wayne in New Jersey but that was where it ended.
The photo below is what I stared at over Joel’s shoulder during the time we were there.
The bench/couch seating you see was not common in the rest of the dining room. Just that area I believe.
The menu stated that it served “single source chocolate”. It provided some history of Chocolate and explained that it was served with respect to the Aztecs, my favorite ancient friends who “discovered” chocolate believing it was from the Gods. (DUH!)
So, we order a breakfast. Joel a Spanish Omelet and a cup of Tanzania Chocolate – 70% cocoa with various spices. I ordered a breakfast special with omelet style eggs, fruit, croissant and a cinnamon roll with a cup of another kind of chocolate – 73% coca and I don’t what else was in the chocolate. We expected this to be like a hot chocolate basically. OH MY GOODNESS!! No, this was a warm cup of melt the bar of chocolate. It was thick yet light. An INDESCRIBABLE texture of chocolate STUFF!! OH MAN IT WAS GOOD! Both drinks were fantastic and completely indescribable. It wasn’t like cooking with chocolate. As it cooled it didn’t congeal much at all. But it clearly didn’t have much if any cream or milk in it. It was amazing. Yes Ladies! This is a MUST do in India during PMS time BELIEVE YOU ME!
The food was good too, but the chocolate was what really stood out of course. We ordered a cup of coffee to split in to the mugs to attempt to finish our sweet drinks. These were not thimble sized cups. They were bigger than your average coffee/tea mug in the US. Our two breakfasts, tea, the two chocolate rivers of goodness, and coffee cost $20. I LOVE THIS COUNTRY!
In our walk we ran across this fine visual.
Citibank, It’s the cows! (Oh wait, that’s not right is it).
There was a guard who was trying to get the cow to move or something that I caught on video.
A little girl snuck in to my video and I’m sure was not impressed when I was, not annoyed, but far more focused on the cow then the cute little child. She followed me around for a short time but eventually gave up.
I LOVE COWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We were full but not fully satisfied so we went back to a mall closer to us in efforts to find a particular material store. We ended up finding our way to TGI Fridays at the metropolitan mall. This is not note worthy, but I took a picture of my view out the window that is a special piece of India.
It is our Mr. Orange juice stand and the McDelivery/McDonalds delivery sign. CHECK OUT THAT PHONE NUMBER!!! the last 3 digits particularly. (telling, don't you think!)
Leaving this mall tends to mean meeting our driver on the other side of the street and taking our lives in our hands to get across the 4 lanes to the other mall where Rajpal, our driver can pick us up. Little kids begging were out heavy. One little kid… MAYBE 4-5 was EXTREMELY adamant about trying to get something out of Joel and I. We didn’t give in, but I was shocked at how long she stayed tapping our arms for our attention, right up to getting into the space that would be normally used for closing the car door that Joel was trying to not hurt the girl in just getting into the car back into traffic so the car didn't get hit.
A rose made out of a beet. (Another cool food pic
Decoration at a lunch we had at an Oriental restaurant, Golden Dragon, in DT Mega Mall.
Sasha’s Birthday party.
Last Thursday we attended Sasha’s 1st birthday, as mentioned in a previous blog… Shreyansh’s little boy. To get there we started out in one state, traveled through a second and attended the party in the 3rd, on the other side of Delhi. Not sure how long it took us to get there, but some time between one and 2 hours?? We got lost a few times.
It was an interesting time. They rented a hall where it was beautifully decorated and MUCH food! Much GOOD food. The ladies have such pretty outfits! They had music and a funky make-shift dance floor that felt like sheets of aluminum over another floor covering drains and unevenness.
It was an experience walking in to a crowd of family and friends, the only foreigners, with little guidance, being unfamiliar with customs, etc. I think Joel felt the oddness of not fitting in more than I did. Probably because most of my PERSONAL faux-pas were made unseen by the masses and Joel was there to correct. So it worked out OK... for me anyway. And, I spent a bit of time busy on the dance floor. NOT that, that, club dancing in India, doesn't come with its own cultural confusion.
I brought a gift that I carried for a bit till we found the gift table, then after placing on the table Joel realized that we oopsed since people looked at us like we growing additional heads. Perhaps we were to present the gift to the parents. We had sort of intended on giving it to them, but they were sort of running about a bit as well. They do not open gifts in front of people. Kind of a bummer in the interest of learning what others get for gifts here and just general culture understandings.
Poor Joel scared some little kid who’s dad wanted him to meet Joel. But the little boy freaked as Joel approached. BIG SCARY WHITE GUY!! He had a more successful meeting with Shreyansh’s wife’s niece who was 5. Joel and I were the first foreigners she had ever seen.
A few of Joel’s co-workers were there as well as Ramya. She drove with us there, but not back home.
We left as things were winding down. And getting out of the area was interesting. DARK. NO street lights, and this was very much a neighborhood we were clearly out of place. Many people walking about…. Handy for when our driver needed directions.... and he did. But a bit uncomfortable and uneasy making as well. Dead ends that Rajpal had to drive in reverse to get back out of, dark spaces and corners... People hanging out in those dark corners. Perhaps just chatting during the cool part of the night?? People sleeping where they could on sidewalks or what ever. Shops and houses all very closed and dark. Not to mention the random cow and stray dog protecting his territory barking at our car.
We found our way back to the main roads and back to home by a bit after 1 AM or so.
Having the gift wrapped was its own set of fun. I went to a shop in DT mega mall where there is a stand to purchase gift bags and other package and some decorating bling. The paper is all hand made and REALLY pretty. I settled on a light blue with soft flowers. I figured it was safe yet very pretty and SO SOFT!! The guy at the shop took many pains to wrap it beautifully. He measured out the gift with a ruler, NO tape, but a glue gun. Same with the ribbon. He took much care in making it perfect. It was quite impressive. I’m still trying to figure how I can sneak this guy in my suitcase to wrap all gifts at home.
Left to right, Shreyansh's wife, Sasha, Shreyansh, Judy, Joel. 
It was an interesting time. They rented a hall where it was beautifully decorated and MUCH food! Much GOOD food. The ladies have such pretty outfits! They had music and a funky make-shift dance floor that felt like sheets of aluminum over another floor covering drains and unevenness.
It was an experience walking in to a crowd of family and friends, the only foreigners, with little guidance, being unfamiliar with customs, etc. I think Joel felt the oddness of not fitting in more than I did. Probably because most of my PERSONAL faux-pas were made unseen by the masses and Joel was there to correct. So it worked out OK... for me anyway. And, I spent a bit of time busy on the dance floor. NOT that, that, club dancing in India, doesn't come with its own cultural confusion.
I brought a gift that I carried for a bit till we found the gift table, then after placing on the table Joel realized that we oopsed since people looked at us like we growing additional heads. Perhaps we were to present the gift to the parents. We had sort of intended on giving it to them, but they were sort of running about a bit as well. They do not open gifts in front of people. Kind of a bummer in the interest of learning what others get for gifts here and just general culture understandings.
Poor Joel scared some little kid who’s dad wanted him to meet Joel. But the little boy freaked as Joel approached. BIG SCARY WHITE GUY!! He had a more successful meeting with Shreyansh’s wife’s niece who was 5. Joel and I were the first foreigners she had ever seen.
A few of Joel’s co-workers were there as well as Ramya. She drove with us there, but not back home.
We left as things were winding down. And getting out of the area was interesting. DARK. NO street lights, and this was very much a neighborhood we were clearly out of place. Many people walking about…. Handy for when our driver needed directions.... and he did. But a bit uncomfortable and uneasy making as well. Dead ends that Rajpal had to drive in reverse to get back out of, dark spaces and corners... People hanging out in those dark corners. Perhaps just chatting during the cool part of the night?? People sleeping where they could on sidewalks or what ever. Shops and houses all very closed and dark. Not to mention the random cow and stray dog protecting his territory barking at our car.
We found our way back to the main roads and back to home by a bit after 1 AM or so.
Having the gift wrapped was its own set of fun. I went to a shop in DT mega mall where there is a stand to purchase gift bags and other package and some decorating bling. The paper is all hand made and REALLY pretty. I settled on a light blue with soft flowers. I figured it was safe yet very pretty and SO SOFT!! The guy at the shop took many pains to wrap it beautifully. He measured out the gift with a ruler, NO tape, but a glue gun. Same with the ribbon. He took much care in making it perfect. It was quite impressive. I’m still trying to figure how I can sneak this guy in my suitcase to wrap all gifts at home.
Left to right, Shreyansh's wife, Sasha, Shreyansh, Judy, Joel.
. 
Left to right, Ramya, Co-worker from Genpact, Sasha, Shreyansh.
(sorry about cruddy picture quality.)
(sorry about cruddy picture quality.)
My poor tree...
Here lies my tree.
(photographs by Becky Linder)
And the truck UNDER my tree.
Post surgery...
(Photograph taken by A Linder... not sure which one)
Poor naked thing.
(photographs by Becky Linder)
And the truck UNDER my tree.
Post surgery...
(Photograph taken by A Linder... not sure which one)
Poor naked thing.
Independence day. Wed, Aug 15
Last week’s Wednesday was India’s Independence day. We stayed in and were pretty much lazy. It had been recommended that Americans stay in and away from the crowds during celebration due to the increased police presence, crowds and tensions that still remain. One of those situations where it might be fine, but if something were to escalate if it were to be misunderstood, it could be a bad situation.
At 9AM I woke to the sound of sound system testing. There were tents and chairs set up in our court yard for a celebration here that lasted from about 10-11 or so. I expected it to be all day so I didn’t pay too much attention. If I had known it would be over so soon I would have stood out on the deck and watched. There were music and speakers and they ended it with a verse and chorus of “brick in the wall” played by a local band/singer. That ended it and we heard very little the rest of the day. No fire works… Those are for weddings and other holidays here.
It has been a LONG TIME since I have let myself be that lazy. Joel and I channel surfed and had a marathon of the TV show BONES finishing off season one. (MUCH looking forward to season 2 - out on DVD Sept 11th 2007… JUST incase you are interested…) It was a beautiful day too. Nice for folks around here to have a more overcast day to be outside and celebrate.
The night before things start getting crazy busy on the roads. I guess many people from Joel’s work who live in Delhi hung out at people’s houses who lived in Gurgaon until 1 AM or so to go home. The traffic is THAT BAD. One of the people that live 20 minutes from the office was in the cab 2:45 to make her 20 minute trip from work the night before. CRAZY!
At 9AM I woke to the sound of sound system testing. There were tents and chairs set up in our court yard for a celebration here that lasted from about 10-11 or so. I expected it to be all day so I didn’t pay too much attention. If I had known it would be over so soon I would have stood out on the deck and watched. There were music and speakers and they ended it with a verse and chorus of “brick in the wall” played by a local band/singer. That ended it and we heard very little the rest of the day. No fire works… Those are for weddings and other holidays here.
It has been a LONG TIME since I have let myself be that lazy. Joel and I channel surfed and had a marathon of the TV show BONES finishing off season one. (MUCH looking forward to season 2 - out on DVD Sept 11th 2007… JUST incase you are interested…) It was a beautiful day too. Nice for folks around here to have a more overcast day to be outside and celebrate.
The night before things start getting crazy busy on the roads. I guess many people from Joel’s work who live in Delhi hung out at people’s houses who lived in Gurgaon until 1 AM or so to go home. The traffic is THAT BAD. One of the people that live 20 minutes from the office was in the cab 2:45 to make her 20 minute trip from work the night before. CRAZY!
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
So, if a tree falls in your backyard while you are in India does it still make a mess??
Why yes! yes it does!! Especially when it falls on someone else’s truck and in the middle of the road. I think the truck owner just wanted my tree. WELL BUDDY! It’s ALL yours!! I guess he doesn’t see it that way.
Back at home there was a bit of weather this last weekend and mother nature decided to topple a tree... a very BIG tree in my backyard. So, why am I responsible for the mess when the Gods blow through? They are almighty and powerful and I have to clean up THEIR mess from INDIA?? WELL, who's almighty and powerful NOW.... OK, maybe I should wait to say that AFTER it is all cleaned up huh?
Luckily our house is still in tact. It didn’t damage my fence… but it had something against the truck. I haven’t even seen pictures yet.
The area around my house has been without electric for a few days and my poor renter has been displaced to her mothers where they HAVE electricity. Handy that! :)
AHHH THIS is FUN to try to deal with half way ‘round the world.
THANK YOU Beck and Walt!!!!!! For saving my keaster AGAIN!
Back at home there was a bit of weather this last weekend and mother nature decided to topple a tree... a very BIG tree in my backyard. So, why am I responsible for the mess when the Gods blow through? They are almighty and powerful and I have to clean up THEIR mess from INDIA?? WELL, who's almighty and powerful NOW.... OK, maybe I should wait to say that AFTER it is all cleaned up huh?
Luckily our house is still in tact. It didn’t damage my fence… but it had something against the truck. I haven’t even seen pictures yet.
The area around my house has been without electric for a few days and my poor renter has been displaced to her mothers where they HAVE electricity. Handy that! :)
AHHH THIS is FUN to try to deal with half way ‘round the world.
THANK YOU Beck and Walt!!!!!! For saving my keaster AGAIN!
You know you are NOT in America when...
You are invited to a 1 year old's birthday party and it starts at 8-PM.
Guess we'll/I'll be doing a little gift shopping on Thursday. The party is Thursday night. I'm excited. It is Joel's co-worker Shreyansh. That is SUCH a cool name, don't you think??
It is India Independence day tomorrow, Wed Aug 15th. So Joel will have the day off. I guess EVERYTHING closes so we are doing a bit of food prepping and not sure if we will be going out or hanging out here. Not sure how much their will be to do for westerners. I'm sure we could partake in the festivals. WE BROKE FROM THE BRITISH TOO!! It may be fun to explore. We'll see.
Guess we'll/I'll be doing a little gift shopping on Thursday. The party is Thursday night. I'm excited. It is Joel's co-worker Shreyansh. That is SUCH a cool name, don't you think??
It is India Independence day tomorrow, Wed Aug 15th. So Joel will have the day off. I guess EVERYTHING closes so we are doing a bit of food prepping and not sure if we will be going out or hanging out here. Not sure how much their will be to do for westerners. I'm sure we could partake in the festivals. WE BROKE FROM THE BRITISH TOO!! It may be fun to explore. We'll see.
Monday, August 13, 2007
FABRIC and CLOTHES SHOPPING!
Two weekends ago Joel, I and Suchitra from his work went out to do some material and clothes shopping. It was MUCH fun and so many pretty things to choose from! I got some clothes ready made, but being a big American girl makes finding anything wide enough in the shoulders a pretty big challenge!
Suchitra was instrumental to our success. We haven’t found a tailor yet. I have some directions so that is good.
OH MAN!! One mall we went to had MANY fabric shops. Floor to ceiling with tiny isles, bolts packed in. BEAUTIFUL Fabrics. You just point and they clime on counters or what ever they have to do to pull a bunch down for you.
Suchitra was instrumental to our success. We haven’t found a tailor yet. I have some directions so that is good.
OH MAN!! One mall we went to had MANY fabric shops. Floor to ceiling with tiny isles, bolts packed in. BEAUTIFUL Fabrics. You just point and they clime on counters or what ever they have to do to pull a bunch down for you.
We went to other stores where the bolts are 3 fabrics. One for the top, pants and scarf. SO MANY to choose from that were AMAZING!
Below are picturess Joel took of what we purchased in total.
The black draped accross and red in the middle left are scarves.
The middle bottom white and blueish are fabrics for yet to be made shirts
The blue and green in the middle are fabrics that will be turned in to suits. See below.
Pictures does not do the fabric, embroidery or the FEEL of these fabrics justice.
These will turn in to dressy suits with pants, shirt and scarves from the long piece. The Gold are the embroidered beads. It will be fun to see them when they are all done!
Disco Joel (actually rock star/wrestler??) Read this one quick before Joel delets it. :-)
OK, so I am so moving to India. Joel and I went to a DISCO!! Yes, really. OK, It was a WORK function that Joel really couldn’t say no to. He spent most of his time outside of the disco after enjoying a few Indian beers he headed to the hallway in the mall outside the club where it was only about 80 degrees to cool off. Joel has found that the lite Indian beer is to his liking. The disco literally was hotter than ANY place in India I have been yet; indoor or outdoor. The place was packed with Joel’s company people and I think maybe another. A small bar/disco and over 200 people. I don’t usually sweat so much it runs in my eyes, but I did that night. The disco had 2 small wall air units at opposite ends of the room. One as you walked in and the other near the dance floor. It was fun. Mostly American music with some Indian as well. A pretty good mix. But nasty grotty hot. I can NOT express this enough. And it stopped no one from dancing giving all they had to give. Daily I gain new respect for this culture and their physical feats. I danced a few songs with some random dude on the dance floor but took my favorite spot dancing by the entrance with the revolving air condition vent that swung my way every 30 seconds or so. It was a fun night.
OH, and then there were the bar fights. They all took place in the mall hallway outside the disco. I was out there for one of them when a person was denied entry because he wasn’t with the parties who rented out the disco, he insulted the bouncer and found himself on the floor being kicked by about 4 people. A few hours later he was up shaking hands with those that were kicking him. So, I guess that was good. Not sure what the other fights were about. Joel was a witness to them, not I. It makes it a bit strange when the fight is in Hindi, so you don’t know what REALLY happened unless you are lucky to have someone loosely translate for you as we were with fight #1. You don’t know if you should duck and cover or just stay out of the way and let the boys’ testosterone it out.
Joel is quite the celebrity here in India. He spent much of the night getting his picture taken by ramdom people who just ask for him to pose for a pic. At Lotus temple he wsa sitting on the steps and a family basically handed him their 2-3 year old kid who stood in front of him for a pic with the long haired, big white guy.
Men RARELY have long hair here except the rock stars and wrestlers.
Who knew! Go to India and become a celebrity. He’s been asked if he was a wrestler by some guy in one of the stores and his picture requested by a butcher to hang in his meat shop.
OH, and then there were the bar fights. They all took place in the mall hallway outside the disco. I was out there for one of them when a person was denied entry because he wasn’t with the parties who rented out the disco, he insulted the bouncer and found himself on the floor being kicked by about 4 people. A few hours later he was up shaking hands with those that were kicking him. So, I guess that was good. Not sure what the other fights were about. Joel was a witness to them, not I. It makes it a bit strange when the fight is in Hindi, so you don’t know what REALLY happened unless you are lucky to have someone loosely translate for you as we were with fight #1. You don’t know if you should duck and cover or just stay out of the way and let the boys’ testosterone it out.
Joel is quite the celebrity here in India. He spent much of the night getting his picture taken by ramdom people who just ask for him to pose for a pic. At Lotus temple he wsa sitting on the steps and a family basically handed him their 2-3 year old kid who stood in front of him for a pic with the long haired, big white guy.
Men RARELY have long hair here except the rock stars and wrestlers.
Who knew! Go to India and become a celebrity. He’s been asked if he was a wrestler by some guy in one of the stores and his picture requested by a butcher to hang in his meat shop.
Judy’s Ayrvedic Treatments - Hot stuff
Saturday was my last of 7 treatments that I went through for my knees at the Ayush Ayurvedic treatment center. This was different then the massage described earlier. The Doctor changed my treatment half way through because she thought I wasn’t getting the benefit I needed to see. We went from a very hot sponge type thing with oil mixed with some sort of herbal gritty mixture to pouring hot oil over my knees and legs with massage. I definitely feel that it is doing some positive. My knees are less tender and different in a good way I don’t know how to explain. I do think the oil is penetrating the inner tissues of my knees and muscles in general. It feels less creaky and a little more sturdy when I bend down and when stretching. Seeming to have an over all body effect on parts they aren’t working on. So, I’m excited to see how things continue.
The Doctor finds my overall body composition to be too dry so she thinks this has caused me a bit of trouble. Consistent to what I have been told for YEARS. The Doctor has some ideas for improving this thankfully.
Sadly, the practitioner/therapist who has been working with me for the past week or so is going back to her home in Karalla to stay. Go figure.
All this being said. I still miss you Cheryl Larson! My Duluth Rolfer extraordinaire!!
The Doctor finds my overall body composition to be too dry so she thinks this has caused me a bit of trouble. Consistent to what I have been told for YEARS. The Doctor has some ideas for improving this thankfully.
Sadly, the practitioner/therapist who has been working with me for the past week or so is going back to her home in Karalla to stay. Go figure.
All this being said. I still miss you Cheryl Larson! My Duluth Rolfer extraordinaire!!
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Sunday Aug 12th AM
Good morning all!
Time is going fast. This weekend has been kind of LAY LOW for us. Joel and I have both been feeling ucky so we told our driver we didn’t need him today, so this means we are pretty committed to staying in. Last night we sat around, watched American Treasure, had left overs for super, flopped on the couch and then flipped through our 95 cable channels numerous times to prove there wasn’t much on. Some fun music videos and news clips. Not sure if this means we are really settling in to our new digs, are REALLY boring, or what. Definitely not like HOME since we don’t have cable or a couch at home. It felt quite good to do for a night or two. Next weekend we’ll be out and a bout again.
I found a station that is playing American music right now. Some of the stations seem to have times of the day they play particular types of music. I found country on one station last week for a few hours. On current station it is fun to hear Nelly Fertado right before “Jesus Take the Wheel” by Kerry Underwood. Fun variety. However they cut songs a ways before they are done. I do find this annoying at times.
OH YES! We just had “Love Bites” from Def Leoppard and now we have “make the world go away” by Elvis Prestley. THIS is how radio should be!!
We had great success on Friday night ordering for delivery. Joel had tried a few times but with little success. Our neighbor from South Carolina, who is also here connected to Joel’s company, told us that telling the delivery folks what sector we are in is a HUGE key. Addresses here are WAY different then home. I have NOT figured it out. It is common when you go anywhere to call on your cell on the way to figure out WHERE in the world to go. Land marks are big here. Many places don’t have road signs.
ANYWAY! We ordered from YO CHINA! Ya, I know, this sounds like a bad fast food mall joint. Well, it is a fast food mall joint but REALLY YUMMY!! We got a few dishes to try and of course chocolate cake for desert. (I feel it is my duty to search the world over and look for cake that is better then 50’s grill chocolate fudge cake. I have not found it yet, but I must say, the few cakes I have had here have been FANTATIC!!)
I hate to repeat myself, but it is SO true. I love the fact that I LOVE VEGETABLES here. I ENJOY eating them!! I crave them. My mall steamed veggies were NOT over cooked; even for Saturday nights left over re-heat. I REALLY think the veggies taste better to begin with. Perhaps they just still have actual nutrients in them. I would suspect this has some if not a lot of merit.
Less oil is used in the dishes so the food was much less greasy then what we get at home especially at inexpensive oriental places.
The rains haven’t been bad in our area. It does NOT rain every day here by any means. We have many days pass without rain. However, when it does, it can be pretty intense, hard rain. Streets flood pretty deep in spots. So, traffic slows as people wade through on cars, bikes and rickshaws.
Today it is looking thickly overcast and has sprinkled a little bit.
Time is going fast. This weekend has been kind of LAY LOW for us. Joel and I have both been feeling ucky so we told our driver we didn’t need him today, so this means we are pretty committed to staying in. Last night we sat around, watched American Treasure, had left overs for super, flopped on the couch and then flipped through our 95 cable channels numerous times to prove there wasn’t much on. Some fun music videos and news clips. Not sure if this means we are really settling in to our new digs, are REALLY boring, or what. Definitely not like HOME since we don’t have cable or a couch at home. It felt quite good to do for a night or two. Next weekend we’ll be out and a bout again.
I found a station that is playing American music right now. Some of the stations seem to have times of the day they play particular types of music. I found country on one station last week for a few hours. On current station it is fun to hear Nelly Fertado right before “Jesus Take the Wheel” by Kerry Underwood. Fun variety. However they cut songs a ways before they are done. I do find this annoying at times.
OH YES! We just had “Love Bites” from Def Leoppard and now we have “make the world go away” by Elvis Prestley. THIS is how radio should be!!
We had great success on Friday night ordering for delivery. Joel had tried a few times but with little success. Our neighbor from South Carolina, who is also here connected to Joel’s company, told us that telling the delivery folks what sector we are in is a HUGE key. Addresses here are WAY different then home. I have NOT figured it out. It is common when you go anywhere to call on your cell on the way to figure out WHERE in the world to go. Land marks are big here. Many places don’t have road signs.
ANYWAY! We ordered from YO CHINA! Ya, I know, this sounds like a bad fast food mall joint. Well, it is a fast food mall joint but REALLY YUMMY!! We got a few dishes to try and of course chocolate cake for desert. (I feel it is my duty to search the world over and look for cake that is better then 50’s grill chocolate fudge cake. I have not found it yet, but I must say, the few cakes I have had here have been FANTATIC!!)
I hate to repeat myself, but it is SO true. I love the fact that I LOVE VEGETABLES here. I ENJOY eating them!! I crave them. My mall steamed veggies were NOT over cooked; even for Saturday nights left over re-heat. I REALLY think the veggies taste better to begin with. Perhaps they just still have actual nutrients in them. I would suspect this has some if not a lot of merit.
Less oil is used in the dishes so the food was much less greasy then what we get at home especially at inexpensive oriental places.
The rains haven’t been bad in our area. It does NOT rain every day here by any means. We have many days pass without rain. However, when it does, it can be pretty intense, hard rain. Streets flood pretty deep in spots. So, traffic slows as people wade through on cars, bikes and rickshaws.
A picture from one of the rainy days we were out and about. Can get much worse...
Today it is looking thickly overcast and has sprinkled a little bit.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
An India Experience - AKA soy sauce **RATED PG-13 - contains descriptions of massage.
Last Thursday I went to Ayush in the DT Mega mall here in Gurgaon for my first Ayurvedic theraputic massage here in India. I wasn’t FULLY sure what I was in for since the language barrier was a bit of a challenge when I made the appointment. But, I figure I’m game to go with the flow…
I knew I was getting a rejuvenation massage with a Shirodhara afterward the massage. (I’ll explain the Shirodhara in a bit.)
I get there and they take my tennis shoes and trade them for a pair of slip on slippers. A girl about half my height brings me to her therapy room after walking up 2 steps with a burning candle in the middle of the walk way. I see the massage table. Very different then what traditional massage tables are like. I believe this was plastic, maybe coated wood??. It is flat but with a ridge around the outside about 2 or a little better inches high so ya don’t fall off. I put my stuff down and we chat a little bit telling her this is my first time with the hopes of getting as much direction as possible.
She handed me a white strip of cloth with 2 strings attached to it. “put this on” she says gesturing that the strip goes in front, it ties in back and that is your attire. (It took me till the next time to discover that the strip of cloth goes in front and then tucks in to the ties in the back going between your legs. This made sense, but it wasn’t what she had shown me and I was bound to follow directions). So, I head in to the bathroom to get in to my nearly “emperors new clothes” and come back out. First you sit on a stool where she pours oil on your head and rubs it in to scalp and neck. She did a stroke like Swedish massage’s Tapotement – the rhythmic tapping of the sides of ones palms - all over my head.
So here I am, lying naked on a table drenched with oil, from which I can’t reach the ground from with my eyes covered. (Some of you are cheering, some are hiding under their computers in the fetal position shivering.)
So then they move the bucket thing over my head. It has a tube or something that comes from the bottom toward my head. Basically it is a stream of an herbal treatment oil that is constant over your forehead. I’d love to take a closer look at the table to be sure, but what I THINK happens is there is a drain that, when it runs down your scalp, through your hair, it collects and then is drained in a bowl under the table. This goes on for, I really don’t know, like 30-45 minutes. It sort of tickled at first, but it was nice after a while. Had I had my druthers, I would have had the oil warmer and had it covered a little more span of my head… but I’m kind of for-head deficient so there isn’t much room to work with. And the oil did run slowly down the top of my head towards the end. Occasionally they squeezed out my hair along with a scalp massage.
The oil runs out and they wrap my hair in a towel, sit me up and down we go back in to the shower. She shows me how to run it, my shampoo and soap, etc. Took my towel and head wraps. They have choices of 2 showers. One regular shower head and one that comes out of the ceiling like rain.
They ran around doing their clean up while I got no actual privacy in the shower. This was actually kind of a saving grace since they saw my struggle with getting the silly shampoo bottle open and came to my rescue.
After I was ready to leave the room, the handed me a comb… By the I believe owner I was offered a hair dryer and a cup of detox tea… that was quite tasty I might add… and we had a chat.
I went back the next day for a visit with the doctor before doing one of the other type massages. You need to talk to the Doctor before they set you up with a joint pain massage.
As you can see this is NOT for the timid or of you have any hang-ups about being birthday suited up with other people around.
The massage was in fact rejuvenating and very interesting. I’m looking forward to the meeting tomorrow and what is next up for me there.
Till next post
Yours truly,
Soy Sauce
I knew I was getting a rejuvenation massage with a Shirodhara afterward the massage. (I’ll explain the Shirodhara in a bit.)
I get there and they take my tennis shoes and trade them for a pair of slip on slippers. A girl about half my height brings me to her therapy room after walking up 2 steps with a burning candle in the middle of the walk way. I see the massage table. Very different then what traditional massage tables are like. I believe this was plastic, maybe coated wood??. It is flat but with a ridge around the outside about 2 or a little better inches high so ya don’t fall off. I put my stuff down and we chat a little bit telling her this is my first time with the hopes of getting as much direction as possible.
She handed me a white strip of cloth with 2 strings attached to it. “put this on” she says gesturing that the strip goes in front, it ties in back and that is your attire. (It took me till the next time to discover that the strip of cloth goes in front and then tucks in to the ties in the back going between your legs. This made sense, but it wasn’t what she had shown me and I was bound to follow directions). So, I head in to the bathroom to get in to my nearly “emperors new clothes” and come back out. First you sit on a stool where she pours oil on your head and rubs it in to scalp and neck. She did a stroke like Swedish massage’s Tapotement – the rhythmic tapping of the sides of ones palms - all over my head.
A few minutes later I hopped up on the table that, with its raised edge, was more like a serving tray…. Fitting since now I smell like SOY SAUCE!!
(borrowed pic from the web... This is what the table looks like for the most part.)
No towel or sheet. Just my Adam and Eve loin cloth.
She has a metal bowl of hot oil. Not a bottle, but a BOWL.
(much like this one pictured in this borrowed pic from the web.)
THIS ROCKS in MY opinion! The oil is really quite hot as it first hits the skin, but in less then a second cools to a warm temp. This is a less of a spend time focusing on an area type massage. Longer strokes covering a greater portion of the body at one time. So, more of an ALL OVER body rub down. Not so much a gentle but faster paced movement. It is called “rejuvenation” for a reason I guess. She hits some specific points on hands and feet especially. I realized exactly WHAT was sore from yoga class.
The table’s ridge collects the oil that splashes on the table and keeps it off the floor. The oil also makes it easy for a person half my size to, with little effort, more me around the table if needed.
Flipping was kind of fun. And quite easy. The key is to not give TOO much momentum to throw yourself on the floor. The table has a really nice pad for your head. Not the hole, or as Jeff likes to say “toilet seat” like my table has. (There goes MY clientele!!)
Again, getting up and off required a wipe off of the feet and a skid lined step stool. In to the steam bath I went. (and for those of you either paying attention or wondering… Yes, my fig leaf, quite the oiled outfit and was taken away.
I was ushered back in to the small bath/changing room in to the shower. She flipped some switches and told me to sit down on a chair in the shower, placed each of my hands on a railing to either side of me. Shut the doors and went about her business of getting ready for the next part of my treatment. The shower began to get quire warm and steam soon filled the space for the, yes, steam bath portion of the show. I learned quickly that this was a time to breath through my nose and NOT my mouth for that coughing, slightly drown-y feeling factor. The Stephen King side of me kept wondering if those shower doors locked, or if when I saw through the clear walls of the shower, that she left both the bathroom and the main room, if she was ever REALLY coming back, and other things that I managed to wipe from my mind most moments and relax. And then there is the fun when the electricity goes out and it takes 15 seconds to get the back-up generator going.
She DID come back and let me out. Now there was an additional woman in the room. She guided me to the table again and I step stooled up to the table again.
NOW it was time for the Shirodhara. They tie a small wrapped towel around my head like the headband Olivia Newton John wears in the Physical video… YA remember that song!! Anyway. Then another over my eyes.
The table’s ridge collects the oil that splashes on the table and keeps it off the floor. The oil also makes it easy for a person half my size to, with little effort, more me around the table if needed.
Flipping was kind of fun. And quite easy. The key is to not give TOO much momentum to throw yourself on the floor. The table has a really nice pad for your head. Not the hole, or as Jeff likes to say “toilet seat” like my table has. (There goes MY clientele!!)
Again, getting up and off required a wipe off of the feet and a skid lined step stool. In to the steam bath I went. (and for those of you either paying attention or wondering… Yes, my fig leaf, quite the oiled outfit and was taken away.
I was ushered back in to the small bath/changing room in to the shower. She flipped some switches and told me to sit down on a chair in the shower, placed each of my hands on a railing to either side of me. Shut the doors and went about her business of getting ready for the next part of my treatment. The shower began to get quire warm and steam soon filled the space for the, yes, steam bath portion of the show. I learned quickly that this was a time to breath through my nose and NOT my mouth for that coughing, slightly drown-y feeling factor. The Stephen King side of me kept wondering if those shower doors locked, or if when I saw through the clear walls of the shower, that she left both the bathroom and the main room, if she was ever REALLY coming back, and other things that I managed to wipe from my mind most moments and relax. And then there is the fun when the electricity goes out and it takes 15 seconds to get the back-up generator going.
She DID come back and let me out. Now there was an additional woman in the room. She guided me to the table again and I step stooled up to the table again.
NOW it was time for the Shirodhara. They tie a small wrapped towel around my head like the headband Olivia Newton John wears in the Physical video… YA remember that song!! Anyway. Then another over my eyes.
(much like this one pictired in this "borrowed" pciture from the web.)
So here I am, lying naked on a table drenched with oil, from which I can’t reach the ground from with my eyes covered. (Some of you are cheering, some are hiding under their computers in the fetal position shivering.)
So then they move the bucket thing over my head. It has a tube or something that comes from the bottom toward my head. Basically it is a stream of an herbal treatment oil that is constant over your forehead. I’d love to take a closer look at the table to be sure, but what I THINK happens is there is a drain that, when it runs down your scalp, through your hair, it collects and then is drained in a bowl under the table. This goes on for, I really don’t know, like 30-45 minutes. It sort of tickled at first, but it was nice after a while. Had I had my druthers, I would have had the oil warmer and had it covered a little more span of my head… but I’m kind of for-head deficient so there isn’t much room to work with. And the oil did run slowly down the top of my head towards the end. Occasionally they squeezed out my hair along with a scalp massage.
The oil runs out and they wrap my hair in a towel, sit me up and down we go back in to the shower. She shows me how to run it, my shampoo and soap, etc. Took my towel and head wraps. They have choices of 2 showers. One regular shower head and one that comes out of the ceiling like rain.
They ran around doing their clean up while I got no actual privacy in the shower. This was actually kind of a saving grace since they saw my struggle with getting the silly shampoo bottle open and came to my rescue.
After I was ready to leave the room, the handed me a comb… By the I believe owner I was offered a hair dryer and a cup of detox tea… that was quite tasty I might add… and we had a chat.
I went back the next day for a visit with the doctor before doing one of the other type massages. You need to talk to the Doctor before they set you up with a joint pain massage.
As you can see this is NOT for the timid or of you have any hang-ups about being birthday suited up with other people around.
The massage was in fact rejuvenating and very interesting. I’m looking forward to the meeting tomorrow and what is next up for me there.
Till next post
Yours truly,
Soy Sauce
Thank you FAO and R&V at Ingenix.
This is long over due!!
Thank you guys SOOOO much for the care package!! How completely sweet and thoughtful! Both Joel and I sincerely appreciate it.
The goodies – MMM!! Joel and I spent the other night with our head over the bag huffing the twizlers. MMM that sweet smell. I had JUST been thinking about twizlers too! And AHH, every roll of toilet paper is another few days in sweet security of happiness. Admittedly, when Joel pulled out the target bag, I thought how funny it looked over here. A sweet reminder of home! Thank you too for the rest of the goodies and useful items. We assure you, they are much loved! :) And the small deodorant may be handy to keep with me to hand out in those unfortunate, WARM and crowded situations. :)
Thursday, August 2, 2007
35W
Thanks to Jeff we heard about the 35W collapsing about 4 hours after it happened. So tragic. It’s a rout Joel travels at times from work, and would potential be the time he could be there. Joel and I spent our morning looking at pictures saying “WOW”a lot! Wonder if they will do some sort of additional bussing to encourage folks to take alternate transport? Thank goodness I guess that part of it was closed for less cars being effected.
Hope everyone is all OK!
Peace and safety to all!
Sending good thoughts the MN way.
Judy and Joel
Hope everyone is all OK!
Peace and safety to all!
Sending good thoughts the MN way.
Judy and Joel
YAAEEEH!! Yoga.
FINALLY, I found, thanks to Neha at Global Adjustments, a place to take Yoga! I am officially a MEMBER of a club here in India. I can AFFORD them here, can’t at home. $25 American bucks gets me as many classes as I can manage through 2 centers. HOW COOL!
Took my first class on Saturday morning as well as Mon and Wed. Very nice classes. Very NOT like at home, but that is what I’m here for. The guy who runs them is SUPER and has been really helpful not only with Yoga but also Ayurveda information.
The classes are done in a more consistent OM/chant style (for lack of a more educated word) throughout the class. The classes are very similar to each other in poses and order. This will be good for getting the body solid in these movements and stretches. And used to the flow of the class.
You KNOW you are in India when you go to your Yoga class, there is no air conditioning, all the women are wearing t-shirts and long pants. (I saw my first 2 pairs of shorts… one male, and one female just yesterday), and the class is pretty much full! NO complaints…. However when one of the teachers asked us if we wanted to do round 7 of Sun Salutations… someone must have said no since we were shortly on our mats in shavasana-relaxation pose. The classes are INVIGERATING and REALLY FREAKING WARM!
See my new cool yoga mat bag?? (Cute Yoga Hair!!)
I got this at a center affiliated with the one I joined, but it is on the other side of Delhi, so about an hour or more at times. (They have a set of 7 days of Ayurvedic massages that I SO want to do!! The cost is SO reasonable it is sick! Not out of the question) I digress. So, this super cool bag is REALLY soft yummy fabric. Cost $ 9 bucks or so. An inspiration to go to class. Just in case anyone wants one…. Let me know. If I get back there, which I desire to, I’ll snag’m.
Took my first class on Saturday morning as well as Mon and Wed. Very nice classes. Very NOT like at home, but that is what I’m here for. The guy who runs them is SUPER and has been really helpful not only with Yoga but also Ayurveda information.
The classes are done in a more consistent OM/chant style (for lack of a more educated word) throughout the class. The classes are very similar to each other in poses and order. This will be good for getting the body solid in these movements and stretches. And used to the flow of the class.
You KNOW you are in India when you go to your Yoga class, there is no air conditioning, all the women are wearing t-shirts and long pants. (I saw my first 2 pairs of shorts… one male, and one female just yesterday), and the class is pretty much full! NO complaints…. However when one of the teachers asked us if we wanted to do round 7 of Sun Salutations… someone must have said no since we were shortly on our mats in shavasana-relaxation pose. The classes are INVIGERATING and REALLY FREAKING WARM!
See my new cool yoga mat bag?? (Cute Yoga Hair!!)
I got this at a center affiliated with the one I joined, but it is on the other side of Delhi, so about an hour or more at times. (They have a set of 7 days of Ayurvedic massages that I SO want to do!! The cost is SO reasonable it is sick! Not out of the question) I digress. So, this super cool bag is REALLY soft yummy fabric. Cost $ 9 bucks or so. An inspiration to go to class. Just in case anyone wants one…. Let me know. If I get back there, which I desire to, I’ll snag’m.
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