To be continued...

I've decided to keep my blog up and running to share mine and Ani's travels through the US in May. So far we are planning to visit Louisville, New York, Pittsburgh, and Miami, in addition to spending a fair amount of time in DC. Sure, Louisville and Pittsburgh aren't the most exciting places in the US, but Ani has a friend in Louisville and my sister is in Pittsburgh. It's not only about the places, but also the people, right?

And from there, I'll share my future travel adventures on the blog too. I'm sure there are more to come!

Final Tally of My India Checklist

I love checklists and when I first arrived in India, Louise and I put together lists of things that we wanted to see/do/experience while there. Over the past 6 months, I checked off most of these items. Here's my final report:

Go to an Indian Wedding - Done. I went to an awesome Indian wedding in a sari in November. Definitely one of the highlights.

Get henna on my hands - Nope. I never got around to this and then when I remembered last week, it was too late. I was a bit worried that the henna would remain on my hands too long and wouldn't impress Mrs. Kondor at Diane's upcoming wedding. Next time I will make sure to get this done.

Travel to Goa - Done. I actually did this twice. Once for a weekend with Louise and once for a week with Ani. Had a blast both times.

Ride on a cool animal - Done. I rode on a camel in Jaipur when Joey and Jarret were in town.

Learn basic Hindi - Done. Although I still have a long way to go, I definitely made some progress in this area. I'm like a little kid though as I try to read aloud street signs every time I'm in the car. My friends and colleagues are very amused.

Visit the orphanage in Amritsar - Nope. I never had a chance to return to the orphanage, but at least I did get one trip in during my first weekend in India.

Travel to Kerala - Done. Spent a week in Kerala at the end of my time in India. Had a wonderful time there and I got to experience a very different India.

Incredible India

Incredible India. The Ministry of Tourism's catchy slogan (with accompanying theme song) perfectly sums up my thoughts of India.

I've just left after being lucky enough to live and work here for just over 6 months. I definitely didn't want it to end. I loved the work, the experiences, and the people I met. I loved the cultural differences I encountered everyday. I loved the challenge the living in a world where I couldn't always be understood.

Plus, I hate goodbyes. Fortunately, this one was considerably easier than most I have dealt with in the past. First, I only had to say goodbye to Ani for a week since he arrives in Washington next Thursday for his month-long visit to the US. Second, I only had to say goodbye to my friends for a few months, since I plan to return by September. And third, I said goodbye to the work, but I know my colleagues will keep me updated on our projects by email and I may even check in on them when I return.

Here are a few of my favorite things about India:

1. As crazy and chaotic as many things are, things still manage to function. Somehow.
2. Family is the center of Indian life and the most important thing - above work, friends, and everything else.
3. Eating with your hands is not a bad thing.

As much as I love India, there are still a few things I could never get used to:

1. Women are revered and respected, yet are still not regarded as equal to men.
2. Infidelity is rampant and this is often attributed to arranged marriages. But why boast that the divorce rate is so low if it also means the amount of cheating is so high.
3. Toilet paper is not readily available. Many Indians prefer to use some water and a hand.

And India has also taught me a thing or two about life back home:

1. Central Air Conditioning is a wonderful thing. I left India just as the weather was hitting 105+ F on a regular basis and I'm sort of happy that I will be missing the scorching, dry summer in Delhi.
2. The racial, cultural, religious diversity in the US is an amazing thing and something most Americans take for granted. I know I did. It's so ingrained, that I don't usually even notice it.
3. India isn't so far away, thanks to email, cell phones, and friends that are willing to travel to the other side of the world!

In the end, I found that India was truly incredible and I'm looking forward to returning and continuing the adventure.

Highlights of Kerala

Yesterday Ani and I returned from a week long trip to Kerala, in southern India, which was absolutely amazing. I think the best thing about it was that it was so different from the rest of India that I've seen. The people were very friendly. The surroundings were green and lush. The food was incredibly fresh and very tasty.

Our first stop was Fort Kochi in Kochi. We spent two days there, enjoying our hotel, the Old Harbour Hotel, exploring the small fishing village, and viewing the Portuguese architecture throughout the town.

From Kochi we travelled to car to Munnar, a hill station in Kerala that filled with tea plantations. The only downside was that most of the tea plantations are owned by Tata Corporation. The company seems to run the city, along with the local tea museum and several of the major roads that climb the hills. Despite this, our two days here was very relaxing, and very cool, compared to the heat and humidity of the other towns we visited.

Next, we headed back the coast of Kerala and stopped in Allepey. Here, we hired a houseboat and spent the next day exploring the backwaters. Life here was quiet and peaceful. No car horns anywhere. On the boat, all of our meals were provided and were prepared with fresh, local produce. Very yummy.

Our Kerala trip ended in Varkala, a small beach town that sits on a cliff above the ocean. Aside from enjoying the views and the fresh seafood, we also visited a Hindu temple that is over 2000 years old and enjoyed aryuvedic messages.

It was wonderful exploring Kerala and there was so much we didn't even get to see everything. A return trip to Kerala is definitely in a my future and next time, it'll be even longer.

Kerala-Bound

I'm off to Kerala, in the south of India, for my final trip in India, this time around. People have warned me that it can be oppressively hot and humid there, but I don't care. It's also supposed to be green and lush, quite a contrast to the dust and dirt of Delhi.

Plus, it's 106 F/41 C in Delhi today! How much worse can it get? It's only supposed to be 91 F/33 C in Kochi, so I am looking forward to the relatively cooler weather.

Kerala is a small state on the Arabian Sea and it's often referred to as "God's Own Country." It has lush greenery, tea plantations, better beaches than Goa, and amazing cliffs on the edge of the sea. At least that's what I've heard. It's also one of the best Indian states, in terms of life expectancy, literacy, infant mortality and gender equality. And surprisingly, Kerala has one of the world's only democratically-elected communist governments.

Here's an interesting National Geographic article on Kerala.

So, I'm off to the airport soon and will be MIA on my blog for the next week. Hope the weather is warming up back home. If you get sick of the chill, just think of me in the sweltering heat of India!

Fear of the Police Part 2

The Delhi Police are also working to enforce laws about residential vs. commercial zoned areas. All over town there are shops and restaurants operating in areas that are supposed to be residential-only. Months ago the Supreme Court ordered the police to close down such establishments, but enforcement has been slow, thanks to significant protests by traders associations.

But the Supreme Court yelled at the Delhi Police this week for their inaction and they are working to "seal" these places again. I just got to witness some of the actions first hand. I was in my local market and saw a huge mass of people gathered. Turns out the police were there to close legal shops and push back legal shops that had expanded their businesses to the sidewalks and areas in front of their stores.

I also noticed that all of the newspaper, tobacco and PCO stalls were closed. I saw people scurrying around closing gates and removing signs. My guess is that all of these shops are not legally operating and their fears got the best of them.

Despite all of the fear and commotion today, I bet that tomorrow, life and business will be back to normal. Until the Delhi Police come through again...