Day 7- The Wedding Day & Valentine's Day

Unfortunately blogging always has a challenge of being appealing only when in the mood to write. Sometimes I'm busy doing other things, sometimes I'm not. I'm so glad I recorded my thoughts when I was in India to be able to continue to share them, even if at a snail's pace.

The day started with getting picked up by a van full of friends, some I've met in the US and some I've made here. We six went to the home of a mutual friend who was unable to make the trip back to India to attend the wedding. Her parents had set out this amazing spread of food and sweets and biscuits and had a really beautiful home. We sat down to lunch and they setup a webcam to talk their daughter who was in Seattle. It was nice to have everyone together and see how jovial and lighthearted they are. I rarely get moments like these because I don't usually get to go do things with a large group of friends. Usually it's small 3 maybe 4 people dinners but a trip to India and meeting people I know and hanging out was just way cool.

We ate as much as we could for lunch and drank just as much paani (water) as the filter here was really good and the water tasted great. Some of the guys even took a few bottles to go. We also got to talk to the daughter after eating and she shared the laptop around on video chat to show her friends and roommates who were also there and knew some of us. I didn't really know them but they gave an introduction. It was nice.

It was a beautiful warm sunny day out so after coming back to the grooms house with more sangeet happening we left for some last minute shopping. We found a tailor to do a very fast alteration on my suit. the top needed to be let out and he agreed to do it for rs 20. that's leas than 50 cents in USD!! incredible! We headed to Bhootnath market where some needed nagra type shoes (the tip is curled) and I wanted some bangles to wear with my Salwar. One of the ladies we were with jumped into a jewelry store guarded by a man with a large automatic weapon and I saw some anklets that were beautiful and I'm told this kind you'll only get in Lucknow. They are silver and sold by weight. I picked up a pair similar to my friends for rs 1700. Not bad for a type of jewelry you'll not find anywhere in the US. Speaking of things famous in Lucknow, it's known for tandoori chicken kabob and also Chikan fabrics. Chikan suits are hand made embroidered suits you can pick out and then have stitched accordingly to your size. I would love to get something like this for my mom but I'm not sure she would like the style. I think I'll have to look for some kind of kurta every day wear type thing.

I tried some street snack that was like a mixture of rice crispy cereal and salsa and it was actually pretty good (in hindsight this is bhel puri and some of my favorite chaat). In this market I saw so many pretty dresses for sale, lots of stalls selling knick knacks and some hawking religious things as well. There's sweets for sale and even fireworks. There was a flower stall as well that one of the girls picked to bring for the wedding and while we were waiting for the arrangement to be done there were street urchins begging us. We kept telling them no and finally someone bought them some fruit. I saw them picking through the bags but not eating. When I glanced again they were gone. I suspect these two commonly work at this market for some boss. If I was starving and begging for food and someone gave it I would be eating it then and there not running off.

From our group one of the girls picked a sari to wear with one of the guys getting his shoes. In the meantime a stall made a set of bangles for me that are beautiful red and green with white stones as well. They will match a few things I have to wear and they looked amazing with the mehendi on my arm. With a little trouble getting my American plastic to work in ATMs in India we haggled and begged. "Uncleji please let us have for this lower price, please." I really was always getting charged high prices just based on the color of my skin and hair.

We ran a little short on time so we had to go back and get ready for our friends big day! We picked up my altered suit which fit perfect and I grabbed a Thums Up on the way out, I love it's taste and we reached back and started to freshen up.

Right before all of the ceremonies were about to begin, someone brought a small brown bag to the groom's house. A few of us secretly stepped outside the Brahmin home to eat the most amazing Indian KFC chicken. I dream of how it tastes. I felt like a shady criminal, doing something untoward in an alley outside the home. In reality I was simply eating meat outside of the home to show respect to the family and it's beliefs who live there.

When we came back inside after eating and found the groom to have some thatched palm tied to his head, being walked down and a candle lit in the streets. I'm not sure what the word is for this but it had to be some form of pooja to help him on his journey to a blessed married life. We also watched as he was then dressed in a wedding form of dhoti and two men tightly wrapped a turban around his head.

We again came downstairs to see a beautiful horse. The groom would then mount the horse as we became the baraat, dancing our way between him atop the horse and a bus with a DJ playing bollywood and bhangra songs. We danced in the street, cordoned off by men carrying large pillars on their heads with rope lights keeping us safe from the traffic in the road we were sharing.

Street urchins dashed in and out hoping to pick up some spare coin from the elder folks swirling rs 100 notes (And more) above the dancers heads to bless them for a very good dance performance. They eventually disturbed us they got yelled at and kicked out of the baraat by my friend's uncle. It was sad and funny at the same time.

We eventually arrived at small hall where there was some small food, I think another ceremony was performced, then we danced again to the main wedding hall. This was as large as a football field, almost. As we came in we were greeted by all of the people from the bride's side of the family and inside there was a stage area, another area nearby with a fire burning, vendors lining the entire place with wedding food (pav bhaji, paani puri, hakka noodles, vegetarian, ice cream, sweets, you name it) mocktails, and even a paan & hookah stall.

We came in, roamed around, took photos, ate. I was approached by some brave desis who had some grasp on English and were eager to talk to me. I felt under the impression that an American coming so far for a wedding in Lucknow was not only memorable but I seemed like a celebrity. I also felt the stares from the thousand or so pair of eyes on me.

When the bride and groom were ready they walked out onto this small raised stage, holding large garlands (traditionally made from flowers which a game is played to 'catch' the other person) and everyone went wild as they placed the garlands on each other. A staple of nearly any Indian marriage (smaller customs vary not just on state but regionally, India is host to hundreds of cultures) This is one part of the ceremony done.

The bride and groom then sat and we joined them for dinner and drinks and guests came and gave their congrats. After a time, the people who came just for the food filtered out and we approached the mandap by the stage. As guests came in, we removed our shoes to sit near the bridge and groom for the coming rituals (Again a temple like respect is given so removing shoes is important) and a game of hiding the grooms shoe's began as the friends and family delighted in this childish game. Even to some of the Indians, the pandit who was beginning some chanting couldn't understand what he said, but its a very lengthy ritual. Sometimes the women were singing or drumming on a dholki, even I tried my hand at it and got some impressed looks as I tapped out what I thought was a bhangra beat.

We sat patiently, even spying an uncle who fell asleep during the long ceremonies, eventually getting some marigold petals ready to throw as the bride and groom made their traditional 7 rounds around the sacred fire. This is there in almost all Indian weddings as well, and we watched the tieing of the manglasutra, and the donning of kumkum in bright crimson red on the bride's forehead. A true sign of a married woman. My heart was swelled with happy emotions, elating in the revelry, traditions much older than my own country, and a sense of pride in myself for having made the journey to witness something so sacred.

The work wasn't all over for the bride and groom, however, they had more rituals to finish but the remaining friends and family returned home. I noted that it was about 5am. Definitely time to rest up.

How to order the American Coffee: Wilbur in Seattle

Day 6 (the day before the wedding!)

Getting back on track to telling my previous trip to India..


The day before the wedding


I got ready in the morning and came over to the grooms house not knowing what to expect. There's a ceremony called haldi rasam where turmeric is applied all over the groom and the families faces. The moment I stepped onto the top terrace aunties were more than happy to apply on me and give to me to apply. Afterwards I Was told that whoever puts the haldi on is said to be married next. I wonder if its true? It's amusing also that there's an equivalent of catching the brides bouquet and that this is it.


Afterward there was more sangeet with blessings and gifting of new clothes. Also mehendi (aka henna) was being done this day. Some common friends had landed this day in time for the wedding as well so we were participating in mehendi. I had traditional Indian designs completely on my forearm and hands. The artist who did it had almost permanently stained thumb and forefinger from working with the henna paste and he was very swift and steady and above all patient. He worked on the ladies and kids in the day and later came back in the night to do the grooms design. Here he did a very nice one and kept the bride and grooms name in the design.


The sangeet continued where more singing was done and the groom was anointed with tikka and some other traditions. I couldn't quite understand the meaning of everything but there was a coconut and marigolds and some holy water type of things. Eventually we threw some flower petals at some point. Prayed at some point. Put our hands on the grooms head at some point and photos were taken. I'm trying to recall this two days later and it's difficult because of so many intricacies in the tradition. There's also a part where blessings are given by waving rupees over the head and rupees collected in a thali plate along with some of the flowers. Ill have to research a little more to completely understand the purpose of it all.


Later that evening the aunties left and it was time for some kana and Bollywood music. After we had eaten there was dancing and of course any desi tends to be a little surprised and happy to see me dance. I only wish I could become really good at it like the bride's sisters. It was as if watching them as heroines in an actual movie dancing!


The boys came and joined and the ladies left actually to go for a ride to see where the parents of a girl who couldn't make it are living. They showed us Gomti Nagar area and took us for sweets. There were sweets I'd never seen before but I saw gulab jamon (deemed "syrup-y donut holes" by my AT&T gora colleagues) I had to have the real deal. It was soft warm squishy and so sweet with its rosewater syrup that I was in heaven! The rest of the group got kulfi which is Indian ice cream kind of but I of course am avoiding dairy thanks to my lactarded state. It's been hard when chais all have milk :(


One thing I didn't like was when we were done with the sweets there's no actual garbage system here. Instead of finding a can and throwing it people just throw everything on the street. I mentioned it was hard for me to do as in the US it's just what were taught and it comes natural to think garbage is what you put in the can.


After the sweets we went to a vendor making fresh paan on the street. This is basically a bettle leaf with some seeds and sometimes tobacco and maybe a molasses kind of syrup which all gets wrapped in the leaf and you eat it after food to help digestion. A stray thought occurred that thank god I'm not sick like I was in El Salvador. I wouldn't be able to do or see much! Mostly bottled or filtered water and having food in home or at reputable places seems to have made it alright.


We returned back after accepting an invitation for breakfast the morning of the wedding with the missing friends family. When we reached there was great music playing up on the terrace and we were rushed upstairs to join the festivities. While us ladies were out the boys boozed a little, maybe even a lot. At first it was hard to tell because everyone was so happy, but one of the uncles definitely had a bit too much to drink and it sort of let everyone end the night on a happy note.. and drunk one if you were one of the boys!

Happy Ganesh Charturthi

In India Ganesh's birthday was celebrated yesterday but now that the sun is shining in the west (Or, hiding behind the clouds in Seattle) today is the day to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi.

It is an auspicious time as it is the birthday of Lord Ganesha. If you click these links to view the wiki page you'll understand why this is important. If you're an outsider to the Hindu religion I also recommend checking out the Hindu pantheon to understand some of the history, structure, and background of the deities. Even I have just scratched the surface of this.

I had a few thoughts on this recently due to some exciting events in my personal life. Let me digress a little and talk about my thoughts on religion growing up.

My mom was raised catholic and my dad was raised episcopalian. I was raised without any formal religious teachings about God. Basically I grew up without going to church, but mom kind of taught me that there is a God, this is how you pray, etc. We never said grace at dinner or anything like that, but if you really want to talk to God you can do it in your heart. I don't remember dad ever saying much on the subject. I remember visiting Grandma's place and she would sometimes have a priest at her house and she would take communion.

Sometime when I was about 5 or 6 years old I distinctly remember a time while riding in the car with my mom.
Me: Mommy, Santa Claus isn't real is he? You guys just put the presents.
My Mom: Sweetie, I don't want to get into a wreck. I was hoping it would take longer for you to figure out but that's right. He's a really cool guy who brings you presents and we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
Me: Okay, so its still cool to celebrate the Holiday, but will you keep bringing me presents?
My Mom: Of course, and your birthday is very close so we'll celebrate the whole time
Me: Yay! Hey, does that mean God is fake too?

At this point my mom didn't crash the car but I can imagine after being indoctrinated with Catholic beliefs and guilt I really have to give her credit for being so level. She knew they were raising me to allow me to have my choice of what to believe, which is very wise, but I'm sure this is a difficult topic from the eyes of the parent.

So my mom's parents who were staunch Catholics felt I was praying and believing in God and all these things. After I asked this question to my mom I remember her asking me not to let my Grandma know that I didn't believe in God. In retrospect I find it kind of messed up yet harmless at the same time.

I went through a period where I was a complete atheist. Science and Logic were my friends, especially when it came to explaining things that went BUMP! in the night. For a while as a kid I was scared of the dark and that aliens would come beam me up and probe me. Also, possibly ghosts.

In time these feelings wore off and I went back and forth between atheist and agnostic. I felt a little redeemed that atheism is on the rise which means Americans are being less suppressed and can truly express their religious freedom - or freedom to lack of religion.

While all of this was going on, and only now at age 30 can I see it, I learned fantastic things about the universe. And Physics! and what a truly remarkable place we live in, that our tiny brains simply cannot comprehend. I would fall asleep at night when I wasn't able to sleep by trying to understand how vast the universe is, and what else could exist out there. My favorite thoughts were what the shape of the universe was like and what its edges are made out of - or if it doesn't have edges, how does that work?

I started to understand that faith doesn't need God - you can check what Secular humanism and maybe in a way it best describes me. I'm not sure, that keeps changing even now. I also began to realize that the Universe contains such wonderful seemingly magical mysteries- that I believe if we evolve enough we would somehow come to understand- but in my lifetime and next few generations it wont happen, that that child-like wonder towards the universe and its contents and my inability to fathom all it contains is kind of what God is to me. When people assume God has a toga and a beard and sports everlasting flipflops, it kind of makes me laugh. Why should I presume this shape and sense and things in the Bible which were man made things?

Throughout my life maybe I believe in God but just in a very different fantastic, typical Christie way.

And recently I had a revelation. In order to understand Hinduism and its various deities, maybe it has a place in my understanding of God. Deities would be conduits to connect my thoughts to the universe.

Praying, to me, has been willing the universe to do something in my favor, for which my willpower alone has accomplished many things for me. I never understood how it worked. Maybe I just asked nicely, or was in the right place at the right time, fate or kismet, something always worked out. In order to understand how Indians do poojas (a Hindu prayer) this is how I have begun to understand Hinduism.

Again, I'll never actually be a Hindu, I was not born to it - in the eyes of Indian people, but there is nothing stopping me, or anyone else who believes in the concept of God in any way, to think of the universe like this.

And at this auspicious time, I've found a friend in Ganesha.

Day 4 - Headed to Lucknow!

The morning of day 4 was a little hectic as I had to pack and meet my friend for breakfast, rush up to the metro line that goes to the airport, and then to fly to Lucknow. It's not easy getting two people 1 suitcase and 2 bags into an auto rickshaw!




Breakfast consisted of what I would describe as masala French toast (I think I would try making this at home) and some sweet stuff like oatmeal but more mashed up. I liked it a lot but I'm not sure if I ate it everyday if it would become boon or bane to my waistline.




The whole time I have been in India so far people stare at me since I am a foreigner and my skin and hair are fair. I know I stand out. I just try to act normal and it's easier to do at an airport where people are used to foriegners. Upon reaching Indira Ghandi International I saw the whole airport in the daytime clearly, not in a jet lagged sleep deprived daze. The sun was shining and the dust that covers this region blanketed everything and created an ever looming haze outside. I think this is a mixture of dust that comes from the region and leftover smog. The city has changed it's public transportation away from oil products so air quality has improved somewhat from a few years ago from what I'm told.




I walked around the terminal and it's shops for time pass (how you pass time when bored) and saw some masala dosa place and some Mughlai cuisine as well. I avoided them as my flight was only an hour and I didn't want to spend on food when I just had breakfast. The smell of the non veg on the grill was tempting though.




I wandered into a magazine shop that had some books and DVDs as well. It was a little odd because right next to the cool Bollywood stuff was a section containing Playboy and other, erm, adult themed items.

I picked up Forbes magazine with a shiny silver cover featuring Shah Rukh Khan. This edition is talking about how Indian celebrities have made and sustained their fortunes. I also grabbed Filmfare so I could jam my brain with useless Bollywood gossip and look at photos of the likes of John Abraham and Saif Ali Khan while I waited for my flight.




While sitting in the terminal none other but a very likely American and most definitely a nerd walked by with thick glasses curly hair and a very fat travel book that simply said "India." I felt bad that he was likely being overcharged on everything! I really felt even just being here with a friend is by far a better experience than being a complete foriegner and not having a more personal connection with the place of visit.




Finally I boarded my flight, still a little frustrated I had to pay for some baggage overage, but took my front row window seat and settled in to watch the land roll by for the next hour. I really enjoyed seeing temples and other tall buildings that rose from the land and want to spend time with Google earth later on when I'm back in the USA to learn what I saw.




Finally I touched down, got my luggage and saw another friend waiting to greet me at the gate. I haven't smiled so big in a while!! This friend is about to get married in a few days and it will be in a most grand style. He has a driver who works for his family who took us from the airport to where his dad works at a botanical research guest house. It was roughly and hour ride and I noticed Lucknow is much less densely crowded than Delhi and seems more affluent as well. While still crowded and chaotic it was only half that of Delhi! My friend told me this is mostly due to this having always been a place where kings and queens and royalty would visit from the British.




I greeted my friend's father and while he speaks English I think he is a quiet person normally and more so being shy not knowing what to do or say to this gori. He was so incredibly kind, however. He let me stay in his guest house for an evening while there is a whole crew at his house preparing renovations and work for the wedding. I freshened up and put on a Salwar kameez (kind of an indian ladies suit) to properly meet my friends family. I wanted to make them feel comfortable as much as possible especially since my friend's mom doesn't speak English.




Before visiting his house and family we ran some errands. I got to see inside of a very large bank, and while it was a little boring waiting on all the finances for the wedding to be done, it was a very curious experience seeing and listening to how a bank here is compared to one from the West. Afterward I got to see the area and house my friend has grown up in. He was pointing out where he and his friends would meet to just chit chat and enjoy some food for a short while and also where he went to school. If I had spent roughly 20-25 years in this area I think I would feel happy and fond to be home. I am looking forward to meeting his fiancée, I think she'll be perfect for him. They have known each other for sometime and he works in the tech industry and dresses very well, while she is a fashion designer. Hoho, truly a match made in heaven and they even look like they belong together!




I felt shy reaching his house. It is a tall 3 story one that's white with orange accents. He introduced me to his mom and I bowed and put my hands together and said, "Namaste." She gave her blessing to me putting a red substance called tikka on my forehead and some rice. Ill have to ask more of the meaning behind this tradition. Then she fed me a sweet and invited me in. I met many aunts uncles and cousins and a maid. We talked for some time as some of the elders were asking questions and my friend patiently translated. The whole time we were treated to tea and snacks and then a dinner of paranthas and sabji with some veg curry. It was delicious! I was impressed by the hospitality and had no idea how much I was about to bond with this family. They were a little impressed I could speak a little bit of Hindi- and over the next several days my skill would increase a little also!




We then left and went for some shopping so I would have something to wear for the wedding. We went to this shop that had the most amazing clothes- I wanted to buy so many things but still haven't fixed my situation with money yet. Still working on that! I later found out that this shop was in a place called Bootnath Market. I could definitely go for shopping here on the weekends if I lived nearby!




I picked out a red one that is a little tight they will need to alter it, I suspect it's not too much trouble. At least it shouldn't be expensive even if the dress was a little bit.




Afterwards we returned back to the guesthouse where I stayed the night. There I met Piyush's uncle and he was very friendly. Curious and bold about this gori. He seemed like an uncle from a college like a professor type. I recognized the longtime Lucknow accent when he spoke as it reminded me of some coworkers from AT&T.




The hospitality is too generous and a little suffocating. I've ended up with a room full of snacks sweets fruits and an unfortunate bottle of expired orange juice. I'd really enjoy an orange juice right now. I didn't mind though, I had a place where I could sleep peacefully- and also watch Bollywood songs on UTVStars channel on the TV. I also, thank the heavens, had hot water and a western toilet!

Photos from India!

Here's a nice little slideshow of my travels in India. This set does not include the wedding photos. I'll have a separate post for them.

Day 3

Today I was supposed to go to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. I found out the phone I got wasn't charging and still didn't have wifi or money. It took quite some time in the morning to get a new charger, realize the bank had blocked my ATM card because of charges in Dubai, and I had to borrow my friends phone to figure all this stuff out.


I needed to have a way to communicate throughout my time here so I spent time fixing all of these things and it was 11 am by the time I got a new charger, borrowed a phone to send an email and figured out options to wire money.


I had cholay bhature for breakfast at the hotel at then met up with my friend to at least get to see some really cool parts of Delhi since we would have reached the Taj with only an hour left to visit. Ill try to see it from Lucknow or on last few days of my trip.


The morning smells as I had walked out of the hotel were a cacaphony of firewood burning, animal piss, food cooking, fresh fruit from the carts and sizzling dishes of what the street vendors were making. In a way I was getting used to this smell or almost looking forward to it since it always had something interesting and different. I thought maybe my sense of smell would be keen enough to know exactly where fresh rotis were being cooked.


The sun rising played nicely on the dust that always exists like a blanket on the city and I snapped some pictures while running errands. While getting the phone charger fixed a very lean aunty (an Indian woman approximately your mother's age, like addressing a woman as "Mrs.") approached me asking for food. She appeared genuine, but you never know. It's heartbreaking but I cant fix everyone's problems here and I again don't know if she's truly begging or working for someone. I had to ignore her as I didn't even have spare change myself at this point. My day would be sponsored by my friend.


The first place he took me was through the metro system to Indraprastha and we took an auto a few miles away to the memorial park where Gandhi's funeral pyre was.


Here there are carefully manicured lawns similar to near India gate and parliament buildings. There's a ramp that goes up in the center of the field and let's you look down at the memorial area, or you can take off your shoes and go to the center and pay your respects.


A local school had taken a field trip here so as I walked upwards on the ramp I was greeted by a hundred smiling and curious faces. Teachers with bamboo sticks were shoeing the boys out of the bushes and onto the proper places on the lawn. Green parrots were flying overhead in and out of the nearby trees. I could look down and feel the gravity of one of the most well known men in the world where there was a small pool where the pyre would have been and again a flame that burns and will never go out to honor Gandhi It seemed like a place locals trek to but I also spotted a Sardar (Sardar is also colloquially used to refer to adult male followers of the religion of Sikhism) with a tour group following him with a mix of foriegners.


Afterwards we went towards old Delhi where there was a large mosque called Jama Masjid and some semi famous hotel foreigners stay at. Here there seemed to be even busier markets and I saw a child going through some goods on a table and was picking up stickers of Salman Khan and a few other Bollywood actors. I wanted to stop and buy some but I hope I'll have better luck shopping in Lucknow. There was a large Muslim population where we were at so even in the heat I was wearing my jacket to avoid too many stares. It is respectful and easier if you stay covered up. Definitely keep a scarf handy for that!


We tried to enter the masjid but three guys tried to take money charging for having a camera. They seemed suspicious even to me as most monuments and places i had seen so far have clear places to buy tickets and enter. Foreigners are charged like 5x that of locals too. My guide talked to a young helpful looking desi and he recommended we go in through another gate where because I was wearing jeans they would charge me and give me a Salwar to wear. I know if I go I Agra now to wear something like this and to cover my head with a dupatta scarf too.


My friend didn't like the kind of exploitation happening here so we walked a while to catch an auto and I got to see the Sunday market happening at Chandni Chowk. People were buying new shoes socks and jeans on the street and in the traffic folks were trying to hawk suits and magazines and odd shaped balloons for kids. On the motorbike in front of us a young boy on the back of his dads bike was excited to get this large balloon as dad paid maybe 5 rs to the vendor.


The auto rickshaw took us to the area where the Red Fort, where the Mughals ruled around the 17th century. It's incredible looking at Old Delhi and this impressively large fort thinking very little has changed in the last several hundred years. Again, for tickets to the fort I had to pay like 150rs and my friend only 10 because he's Indian.


We strolled through the opening which was filled with tourists of all kinds, including a disgruntled German we saw earlier at the mosque. I don't think he liked paying the gora tax.


There are emporiums lining the entrance to the fort- places where not many people were shopping because the goods for sale like jewelry and trinkets were clearly overpriced.


Once we finished walking through this long hall it opened up into a large well maintained grounds about the size of a football stadium, maybe two. We could stand right in front of where the Mughal king would sit on his throne and make decrees and also some guesthouses and museums. It was amazing to see such a place since the US doesn't have anything that I've seen thats quite so large or old. I felt a sense of awe and wonder. Now that India has its independence it can try to benefit from the buildings it's conquerers have left behind. Even the government buildings I saw earlier had been built by the British.


I delighted in taking photos of the many interesting folks by the fort, but soon after walking so much worked up an appetite. Strangely, I've been told KFC has much better chicken here than in America. Well it's true! We took a long autorickshaw ride to a large mall called Select City Walk. As we pulled up I could see a very large, tall building, and outside there was a construction pile with a man standing at the very top, peeing. If you're a guy in India it seems you can just go wherever, and whenever you want, no one minds. I felt a little embarassed though because he was looking around and when he saw a white blonde going by in the auto his stream just cut off mid-pee. Poor dude, wasn't expecting to see me! I think place is the largest mall in Delhi and we actually did eat at KFC. They have a curry flavored fried chicken that's delicious and I hope it comes to the US very soon!


I tried to take photos in the mall but the guards were afraid I was taking videos. Security checkpoints are installed in many large public places and they mean business. I'm glad to see security a priority but its sad also that India is caught between many warring countries and factions and actually requires such security. I wonder if these measures have prevented or stopped any bad events that may have happened, or if its more reactionary.


In this mall you could find almost anything you could think of. Western stores mixed with eastern. The most beautiful designer saris and suits and lots of jewelry stores. The wedding stores were gorgeous too with mannequins with bride and groom. Since Valentine's day was right around the corner there were lots of displays all around. It seems to have taken off as a super cute popular commercial holiday here. I even saw some guys with trucks on the side of the road selling big pink fluffy bears and cheesy items. Nothing says you love your girl more than a big pink stuffed bear bought by a creepy guy on the side of the road!


I was feeling pretty jet lagged so after eating I returned to the hotel to chill out for a while since I was tired from walking around all day. After some rest we went out at night and walked around a little bit and tried to get my ATM card situation fixed. If I was feeling more energetic I would have tried to see a movie theater or go to a club, but I was pretty overwhelmed with the crowd. Delhi is just wall to wall people at any time of day or night. I also wasn't too sure what kind of attention I might attract in a club just being white. I talked to my friend and we decided to just chill out so I could get rest and be ready to get up and get to the airport to fly to Lucknow the next day.


I think the next time I travel to India I'll stay a little longer in some places and shorter in others now that I've experienced jet lag and know more of what to expect. I can budget my time better and if I am passing through Delhi I'll know where to go and where to avoid. It was really difficult I wish my friends could take more leave and spend more time with me, I'd truly have a difficult time without help negociating and knowing where anything is. Imagine being in a place where you can't read an address or street sign! Its really amazing!