So the rain came back last night with a vengeance. It was getting cloudy at around 6 so I decided to run home before the rain came so I wouldn't get caught in it. I managed to make it home with about 5 minutes to spare. And man did it rain. It was quite the storm for about 1/2 hour - super windy and then it continued to rain quietly for another 4 or 5 hours. About 5 minutes into the storm my lights started flickering on and off. Then I noticed some lights flashing outside and I went to investigate (read: walked to the window). I saw a tree that was causing one of the power lines to spark - it was kind of scary. After a few minutes of scary sparking the tree cut the power line and poof; no power. I was half torn between being happy that the line was cut because those sparks were going everywhere and that was pretty dangerous, and half freaking out thinking how am I going to live in this weather with no power. I mean the rain cooled things down but still; New Delhi in June/July with not even a fan? Not fun.
Turns out I managed to last 'til around 1 a.m. I feel asleep around a 1/2 hour before that and then woke up covered in sweat. One cold shower later I was somewhat better but was pretty convinced that I wouldn't sleep one more wink. Then suddenly at around 1:30 it was fixed!
That is one good thing about India. Public works are kind of useless so people just deal with power and wiring themselves. Thank goodness because I'm not sure how much longer I would have lasted. Made me start wondering which is worse; to be stuck without power when it is super hot or when it is super cold. I think probably when it is super cold but I hope I never have the opportunity to compare.
Another discovery, or query I think, is I wonder if my water tank gets filled up with rain water when it rains. I wonder this because when I took a cool shower to cool off it was cold and my water is never that cold so I thought it might be rainwater. That would definitely explain why my hair keeps falling out.
Oh yeah, my hair is totally falling out here. It is a pretty common problem for women in India actually; all the shampoo commercials are anti "hair fall". Apparently it is because of the pollution. Luckily I've always had super thick hair but now I would say that my hair is down to just normal level. It is kind of scary to see such a difference after a year. I've been given the name of a product to pick up when I get home that is supposed to help. I sure hope it does. I mean I wear my hair up every day because of the heat but it would be nice to have something to put up, you know.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Happy Monday
So I'm still sitting at my desk sweating but today is a good day. Why? Well I had 3 good things happen. In reverse order they are:
1. I'm not actually sitting at my desk, I've been moved for the day because they are finally installing an additional cooling system in the office and it is being installed next to my desk. I'm thrilled because I'm tired of sweating indoors.
2. My driver is back. I've had my substitute driver for over a month now and he was fine but I missed my driver. He knows me and all the random places I like to go; plus his car is better. I'm so very happy.
3. I saw a green parakeet. I haven't seen one since before I went home in May and I used to see them once every 2 or 3 days then nothing for almost 2 months. Really made me happy to see one again. I hope I'll start seeing more again now, they are so pretty.
Question: Are there any bird-type people out there? I was going for a short walk this weekend and noticed that every bird I saw had its mouth open. Do birds get thirsty? Was that why? Or was it just an odd coincidence. Anyone know?
1. I'm not actually sitting at my desk, I've been moved for the day because they are finally installing an additional cooling system in the office and it is being installed next to my desk. I'm thrilled because I'm tired of sweating indoors.
2. My driver is back. I've had my substitute driver for over a month now and he was fine but I missed my driver. He knows me and all the random places I like to go; plus his car is better. I'm so very happy.
3. I saw a green parakeet. I haven't seen one since before I went home in May and I used to see them once every 2 or 3 days then nothing for almost 2 months. Really made me happy to see one again. I hope I'll start seeing more again now, they are so pretty.
Question: Are there any bird-type people out there? I was going for a short walk this weekend and noticed that every bird I saw had its mouth open. Do birds get thirsty? Was that why? Or was it just an odd coincidence. Anyone know?
Thursday, June 25, 2009
watch your soul!
I saw the most wonderful typo the other day on the road. The sign read “stay right, loose soul”. Really it was loose soil, or, in American terms, there was work being done on the shoulder.
That just cracked me up.
I also had someone in the office ask me to issue a “refundment” to someone.
Good times in India.
That is all I have for today. Am too hot to think of much else. On Sunday the high is supposed to be 45. Yikes!!!!
That just cracked me up.
I also had someone in the office ask me to issue a “refundment” to someone.
Good times in India.
That is all I have for today. Am too hot to think of much else. On Sunday the high is supposed to be 45. Yikes!!!!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
I'm melting...
I am so hot it is not even funny. I am seriously over and done with this summer. Why suddenly so very hot? Well for starters the AC in our office is barely working and our office repair guy didn't seem to understand the gravity of the situation. I had to yell and I hate doing that. I am a fairly flexible person when it comes to being warm but I refuse to sit at my desk and sweat.
Plus the monsoon has disappeared which means no rain which means no daily cool down. Not that it cools it down much but it does help.
And what do I mean about the monsoon disappearing? Well I thought it was less strong than last year but figured that was just how it began. Then a few days ago it just kind of stopped. Turns out that it is 45% below normal amounts and that is a really big problem. Not only because selfish me is hot, but also because the monsoon is necessary for agriculture; not just big time agriculture, but also people that grown their own food.
I hope it comes because this country needs the rain. If it doesn't pick up it could have serious affects on crop output which would increase food prices which will make life even harder for people that don't have very much to begin with. All in all not good. Global warming rears its ugly head again.
Plus the monsoon has disappeared which means no rain which means no daily cool down. Not that it cools it down much but it does help.
And what do I mean about the monsoon disappearing? Well I thought it was less strong than last year but figured that was just how it began. Then a few days ago it just kind of stopped. Turns out that it is 45% below normal amounts and that is a really big problem. Not only because selfish me is hot, but also because the monsoon is necessary for agriculture; not just big time agriculture, but also people that grown their own food.
I hope it comes because this country needs the rain. If it doesn't pick up it could have serious affects on crop output which would increase food prices which will make life even harder for people that don't have very much to begin with. All in all not good. Global warming rears its ugly head again.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Hindi lessons - the one
I've heard a few people mention to me that in Slumdog Millionaire (no, I still haven't seen it) that the kid at one point has a job where he is a "chai wallah". So I thought I would give a bit of a Hindi lesson about the word wallah (or wala - you can spell things how you want here). Wallah means "the one" so since chai means tea then a chai wallah is the one with tea.
Aside: yes, chai does mean tea so when you order a 'chai tea' you are ordering a 'tea tea'.
Anyway...there are several jobs here that follow that same logic. Like the people that do the laundry are the laundry wallahs - I forget the Hindi word for laundry. My favorite is for the milk sellers because the word for milk is doodh which is pronounced like 'dude' so they are doodh wallahs and that is just fun to say.
However...the word wallah also extends into things; like if you are looking at some shirts and you want the red one you say "lal wallah", and if you are buying water and you want the small bottle you ask for the "chotta wallah".
All in all it is a very useful word. There is also a way it can be used in a verb tense but that is a whole other story.
In order to get by here there are really only 4 Hindi words I really need:
Kitne = how much or how many. I use this all the time at the market
Jana = the infinitive of 'to go'. So when I get in an autorickshaw and say I want to go to the area of town called Saket the driver will almost always look at me and say "Saket jana?" as confirmation
Chalo = lets go. This is useful when people are moseying around and need to get moving. Kind of like Vamos.
And of course, wallah.
And that is my Hindi lesson for today. All you really need to get by.
Aside: yes, chai does mean tea so when you order a 'chai tea' you are ordering a 'tea tea'.
Anyway...there are several jobs here that follow that same logic. Like the people that do the laundry are the laundry wallahs - I forget the Hindi word for laundry. My favorite is for the milk sellers because the word for milk is doodh which is pronounced like 'dude' so they are doodh wallahs and that is just fun to say.
However...the word wallah also extends into things; like if you are looking at some shirts and you want the red one you say "lal wallah", and if you are buying water and you want the small bottle you ask for the "chotta wallah".
All in all it is a very useful word. There is also a way it can be used in a verb tense but that is a whole other story.
In order to get by here there are really only 4 Hindi words I really need:
Kitne = how much or how many. I use this all the time at the market
Jana = the infinitive of 'to go'. So when I get in an autorickshaw and say I want to go to the area of town called Saket the driver will almost always look at me and say "Saket jana?" as confirmation
Chalo = lets go. This is useful when people are moseying around and need to get moving. Kind of like Vamos.
And of course, wallah.
And that is my Hindi lesson for today. All you really need to get by.
Monday, June 22, 2009
lets all go to the movies
I went to the movies again this weekend. I like going to the movies here although I don't go that often because I prefer western movies and there aren't that many released here. But Star Trek was just released over here so I figured I would check it out. It is lots of fun, a few times I was the only person in theatre laughing because it was a joke that didn't really resonate for Indians.
So, why do I like going to the movies here? Because...
- it is only $5
- you have assigned seats so you can pick where you want to sit and you can get there at the last minute (although this also means that usually for the first 10 minutes of the movie people are still coming in)
- the seats are so comfy!
- you can order things at the refreshment counter and have them bring it to you
- it is air conditioned.
- there is an intermission in every movie. The funny thing about that is that in Bollywood movies the intermission is built into the script. For Hollywood movies it isn't, obviously. So quite often they just stop mid-scene for intermission. Luckily in this one the break was more convenient. But I'm all about these intermissions because that way you can go to the restroom and not miss anything.
I wonder if there will be anything good out this weekend? It will probably be another month before something I want to see comes over here, but hopes spring eternal. And if I'm really in the mood there are always plenty of silly Bollywood movies to watch.
Aside: root canal is finished and today apparently my face is kind of swollen so I look funny. Oh well. It was worth it; my head felt like it was going to fall off last week.
So, why do I like going to the movies here? Because...
- it is only $5
- you have assigned seats so you can pick where you want to sit and you can get there at the last minute (although this also means that usually for the first 10 minutes of the movie people are still coming in)
- the seats are so comfy!
- you can order things at the refreshment counter and have them bring it to you
- it is air conditioned.
- there is an intermission in every movie. The funny thing about that is that in Bollywood movies the intermission is built into the script. For Hollywood movies it isn't, obviously. So quite often they just stop mid-scene for intermission. Luckily in this one the break was more convenient. But I'm all about these intermissions because that way you can go to the restroom and not miss anything.
I wonder if there will be anything good out this weekend? It will probably be another month before something I want to see comes over here, but hopes spring eternal. And if I'm really in the mood there are always plenty of silly Bollywood movies to watch.
Aside: root canal is finished and today apparently my face is kind of swollen so I look funny. Oh well. It was worth it; my head felt like it was going to fall off last week.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
broken bones and sore teeth
Grrr, the computer just took away all of the work I had just done with no warning. Clearly a sign that I should take a break from working to blog.
A year ago this past weekend I broke my foot. That resulted in me flying to India with my foot in a great big cast; truly the scariest (stupidest?) thing I've ever done. So, I can say with expert knowledge that broken feet and India don't mix well...there are stairs everywhere! That said, I sometimes feel like the fact that I really couldn't do much of anything on my own that first month here; and even the month after I got my cast off my leg was pretty weak and achey; if that actually in an odd way had a positive influence on my time here.
See, I was so frustrated with not being able to do anything that I set about, once I could walk well, to see something of Delhi every weekend. I was determined to get out and about simply because I could. As a result I have seen Delhi inside out and backwards and I feel totally confident hopping in an autorickshaw and getting around.
I mean if I had to go back and do it all again I definitely would rather not have broken my foot (the monsoon rains and the humidity are making it so achey again) but I can't help but wonder how much I would have explored if that hadn't happened. Did being overwhelmed with dealing with my foot actually take away 50% of the overwhelmed feeling I would have had about being here?
Just a thought a year after it happened.
And how did I celebrate the anniversary of that painful moment? Why with another one, of course. Last Friday I got a root canal, well I guess 1/2 of one, I have to go back today for the dentist to finish it off. And on behalf of everyone out that that is as completely scared of the dentist as me (I've had a few quite painful moments) I can say that in my experience the pain before the procedure is way worse than the actual procedure. I mean it isn't fun, but it isn't that bad.
So I am hoping that a year of maladies has come to an end. Originally I was only going to stay for a year here which would have meant that my time would have been bookended by the foot and the tooth; but now I'm staying on for a few more months so here's hoping that when I leave forever that I will be in good health.
A year ago this past weekend I broke my foot. That resulted in me flying to India with my foot in a great big cast; truly the scariest (stupidest?) thing I've ever done. So, I can say with expert knowledge that broken feet and India don't mix well...there are stairs everywhere! That said, I sometimes feel like the fact that I really couldn't do much of anything on my own that first month here; and even the month after I got my cast off my leg was pretty weak and achey; if that actually in an odd way had a positive influence on my time here.
See, I was so frustrated with not being able to do anything that I set about, once I could walk well, to see something of Delhi every weekend. I was determined to get out and about simply because I could. As a result I have seen Delhi inside out and backwards and I feel totally confident hopping in an autorickshaw and getting around.
I mean if I had to go back and do it all again I definitely would rather not have broken my foot (the monsoon rains and the humidity are making it so achey again) but I can't help but wonder how much I would have explored if that hadn't happened. Did being overwhelmed with dealing with my foot actually take away 50% of the overwhelmed feeling I would have had about being here?
Just a thought a year after it happened.
And how did I celebrate the anniversary of that painful moment? Why with another one, of course. Last Friday I got a root canal, well I guess 1/2 of one, I have to go back today for the dentist to finish it off. And on behalf of everyone out that that is as completely scared of the dentist as me (I've had a few quite painful moments) I can say that in my experience the pain before the procedure is way worse than the actual procedure. I mean it isn't fun, but it isn't that bad.
So I am hoping that a year of maladies has come to an end. Originally I was only going to stay for a year here which would have meant that my time would have been bookended by the foot and the tooth; but now I'm staying on for a few more months so here's hoping that when I leave forever that I will be in good health.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
bag blogger
I've been a bad blogger lately. I think it is the heat. It is really wearing on me. It is like March back home; when you just want winter to stop already. Sadly I have 2 or 3 more months of this to go. Luckily I'm getting out of here next month for 2 weeks; that should put me back in order.
The main problem with the heat vis a vis blogging is that I'm a total home body so I'm running out of things to write about; alas India must have heard my thoughts and it gave me something to write about...
So last Friday as I'm showing my visitor around a monkey strolls right in front of us and hops up on a wall. The last time I saw a monkey was in April when my last visitor was here. I'm telling you this country is like a living organism that just knows when to have a monkey walk out in front of you. When I first got here last summer I saw one a few times the first month. I saw a ton when I went to Elephanta Island outside of Mumbai...but the island is known for having tons of monkeys. Other than that the only times I have seen monkeys has been with visitors.
They say that monkeys are very intelligent. Maybe they can spot tourists so they come out when they see us hoping to get some extra food?
Aside: never give a wild monkey food; they then expect it and will grab it out of your hands.
I guess from that perspective the monkeys are complimenting me because I don't look like a tourist to them, which is nice. But it would be nice to see them more often, it is fun...especially when they happen to be eating a banana, that is just too cute.
The main problem with the heat vis a vis blogging is that I'm a total home body so I'm running out of things to write about; alas India must have heard my thoughts and it gave me something to write about...
So last Friday as I'm showing my visitor around a monkey strolls right in front of us and hops up on a wall. The last time I saw a monkey was in April when my last visitor was here. I'm telling you this country is like a living organism that just knows when to have a monkey walk out in front of you. When I first got here last summer I saw one a few times the first month. I saw a ton when I went to Elephanta Island outside of Mumbai...but the island is known for having tons of monkeys. Other than that the only times I have seen monkeys has been with visitors.
They say that monkeys are very intelligent. Maybe they can spot tourists so they come out when they see us hoping to get some extra food?
Aside: never give a wild monkey food; they then expect it and will grab it out of your hands.
I guess from that perspective the monkeys are complimenting me because I don't look like a tourist to them, which is nice. But it would be nice to see them more often, it is fun...especially when they happen to be eating a banana, that is just too cute.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Random visitors
I love surprise visitors, it totally makes my day. I mean I love non-surprise visitors too but the unexpected "hey I'm in India wanna meet up for dinner" is so great. So far I've had 3, no actually 4, of those; 2 of those from people I've never even met before - just people that knew people I know and suggested that they look me up.
Last Friday was #4; a former colleague from Boston who, oddly enough, moved up to Toronto about a week after I moved here. She was here for a week working in another office we have in India (and outsourcing type office that I don't work with) and she emailed me asking if we could meet up. So I took her on a whirlwind tour of some of my favorite places in Delhi including a bit of shopping. It was a fun way to spend the day; although with the heat we were both beat by the end.
One reason I like visitors; other than just the fun of seeing people; is I realize just how much I've adjusted to life here. Like I don't even notice the women on motorcycles holding babies any more; things like that.
I did notice while we were out and about though what a traffic hazard cows are. She was staying just outside of Delhi where there are lots of cows and they were just running in and out of the roads nonstop. It is amazing that there aren't more cow related accidents.
Anyway, if anyone else happens to randomly be in Delhi, or has a friend that will be and they want to meet someone who knows the lay of the land (as much as anyone can ever know a city this big) let me know. I love visitors!
Last Friday was #4; a former colleague from Boston who, oddly enough, moved up to Toronto about a week after I moved here. She was here for a week working in another office we have in India (and outsourcing type office that I don't work with) and she emailed me asking if we could meet up. So I took her on a whirlwind tour of some of my favorite places in Delhi including a bit of shopping. It was a fun way to spend the day; although with the heat we were both beat by the end.
One reason I like visitors; other than just the fun of seeing people; is I realize just how much I've adjusted to life here. Like I don't even notice the women on motorcycles holding babies any more; things like that.
I did notice while we were out and about though what a traffic hazard cows are. She was staying just outside of Delhi where there are lots of cows and they were just running in and out of the roads nonstop. It is amazing that there aren't more cow related accidents.
Anyway, if anyone else happens to randomly be in Delhi, or has a friend that will be and they want to meet someone who knows the lay of the land (as much as anyone can ever know a city this big) let me know. I love visitors!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Monsoon time!
It is officially monsoon season; or at least I declare it to have officially started. It has been raining periodically every few days and had gotten a little humid but yesterday was the change. It rained 3 times - twice the seriously crazy rain I wrote about - and this morning when I went out for my morning walk the humidity had arrived full on. Looks like I have to officially move up my walk time to 7 rather than 7:30 because I was dragging by the time I was done today with the humidity.
Amazing how the weather can change that quickly.
So now I have a few months of getting caught in rain storms to look forward to. I don't mind, although it is a bummer when it is a super windy rain and my laundry is outside drying and then gets completely soaked again. Oh well, c'est la vie.
Anyway...much more importantly (especially now that the humidity is here), my AC is fixed! Although somewhat ironically 10 minutes after it was fixed my power went out for an hour, but at least for those 10 minutes I was comfortable. The power actually went out a lot last night. Usually it goes off for 30 minute to an hour every few days during the summer but last night it went off about 3 different times. Very odd. I hope that was not a sign of things to come. I'll just be happy that I have the AC at least some times rather than not at all.
Amazing how the weather can change that quickly.
So now I have a few months of getting caught in rain storms to look forward to. I don't mind, although it is a bummer when it is a super windy rain and my laundry is outside drying and then gets completely soaked again. Oh well, c'est la vie.
Anyway...much more importantly (especially now that the humidity is here), my AC is fixed! Although somewhat ironically 10 minutes after it was fixed my power went out for an hour, but at least for those 10 minutes I was comfortable. The power actually went out a lot last night. Usually it goes off for 30 minute to an hour every few days during the summer but last night it went off about 3 different times. Very odd. I hope that was not a sign of things to come. I'll just be happy that I have the AC at least some times rather than not at all.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
still hot and other thoughts
So the AC isn't fixed yet but we know what the problem is. How quickly I can get it fixed is another story, but the one in my bedroom still works so I'm surviving. Luckily I'm down to about 1 hour of TV I like per week so other than my puzzle there isn't much going on in my living room.
Aside: did you know that there is a new Knight Rider TV show? I know this because it is now going to be showing twice a week. It is amazing to me how the one channel that shows American shows manages to get some of the most completely random shows ever. I mean on occasion there are good ones but right now...well lets just say I'm reading more than ever.
Anyway...this morning on my ride to work I saw a horse pulling a cart full of fruits. For some reason I find it so odd to see horses here. Maybe it is because they are "normal" animal for me so seeing them here they seem slightly out of place, I can't explain it. I mean camels, donkeys, cows, those I barely register any more; but when I see a horse I always think it looks out of place. It is fairly common for me to see one, usually I see one once or twice a week, but it always catches me off guard. Oh - I realize that cows are fairly "normal" animals, but seeing them just strolling down the street isn't exactly "normal".
I do love seeing horses though, it makes me happy!
Aside: did you know that there is a new Knight Rider TV show? I know this because it is now going to be showing twice a week. It is amazing to me how the one channel that shows American shows manages to get some of the most completely random shows ever. I mean on occasion there are good ones but right now...well lets just say I'm reading more than ever.
Anyway...this morning on my ride to work I saw a horse pulling a cart full of fruits. For some reason I find it so odd to see horses here. Maybe it is because they are "normal" animal for me so seeing them here they seem slightly out of place, I can't explain it. I mean camels, donkeys, cows, those I barely register any more; but when I see a horse I always think it looks out of place. It is fairly common for me to see one, usually I see one once or twice a week, but it always catches me off guard. Oh - I realize that cows are fairly "normal" animals, but seeing them just strolling down the street isn't exactly "normal".
I do love seeing horses though, it makes me happy!
Monday, June 8, 2009
pet geckos and broken machines
I have 3 air conditioners in my apartment. 1 in my bedroom, 1 in my living room and 1 that is in what is I guess my dining room but it is more like the area between the kitchen and my bedroom. I never use the dining room one because I'm never in there. Last night at approx 7:30 p.m. the one in my living room died. It was very sad. Very very sad actually. I lasted until 8 before I had to go into my bedroom and hide away for the rest of the night. Now I have to try and get it fixed. That could take a while. I hope I don't have to become mean Alison (quite often the only way to get things done here is to yell at people; I don't like it, but it works) to get it fixed. I can live without TV but I have a puzzle in my living room and it would be soooo hard for me to not be able to work on it.
Stay tuned for more details on when I will be back in air conditioned splendor (I mean I still wear shorts and a tank top inside when the AC is on but I don't sweat while sitting).
And speaking of my living room...I have a baby gecko! He appeared about 2 weeks ago and he is so tiny! The first week he could only walk on the floor but whatever it is that makes their hands sticky now works so he can now walk on the walls and the other day he made it up to the ceiling. I think he is trying to figure out how to get outside; I would help him but he is afraid of me. Eventually he'll figure it out though. I've named him Joe. Why Joe? 'Cause I think that 'Joe Gecko' sounds funny (did I mention how hot it is? yes, my brain is melting). He is only about an inch long now, the grown up ones I've seen are about 4 or 5 inches so he has a ways to go. I like having him around, kind of like having a pet, but I hope he manages to figure a way outside because I think he would enjoy exploring that more.
Stay tuned for more details on when I will be back in air conditioned splendor (I mean I still wear shorts and a tank top inside when the AC is on but I don't sweat while sitting).
And speaking of my living room...I have a baby gecko! He appeared about 2 weeks ago and he is so tiny! The first week he could only walk on the floor but whatever it is that makes their hands sticky now works so he can now walk on the walls and the other day he made it up to the ceiling. I think he is trying to figure out how to get outside; I would help him but he is afraid of me. Eventually he'll figure it out though. I've named him Joe. Why Joe? 'Cause I think that 'Joe Gecko' sounds funny (did I mention how hot it is? yes, my brain is melting). He is only about an inch long now, the grown up ones I've seen are about 4 or 5 inches so he has a ways to go. I like having him around, kind of like having a pet, but I hope he manages to figure a way outside because I think he would enjoy exploring that more.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Say cheese!!!
Indians don't smile in pictures.
That is a rather all encompassing statement...maybe I should say that Indians usually don't smile in pictures and it weirds me out. I noticed this first when one of our staff members was giving a presentation. She had been sent on tour to Hong Kong and was talking about her experience. She had some pictures from her trip and she wasn't smiling in them. I decided to look through all of her pictures and she was only smiling in one and that was because she was laughing. I thought it was just her because she is kind of shy.
Then I saw the pictures from another staff members trip and same thing; tons of pictures and he wasn't smiling in any of them. Even more curious (to me) was the fact that every picture in both cases had them in it, there were no pictures without them. Of course I don't like pictures of myself so am disproportionately the other way.
Anyway... I started observing, an office picture from an off-site event - I was the only one smiling; when I'm out sightseeing and I see people taking each others pictures - not a smile in sight. So this begs the question of why? I mean not only do they not smile but they tend to look downright miserable (imagine those photos of people from the 1800s looking all stiff). So I asked and the answer is...I don't know. One guy said it is because people get nervous in front of cameras; one guy said that is just the way things are; and no one else had an answer.
So I am on a one woman mission to get Indians to smile in pictures. Not an easy venture because I can't exactly go up to strangers and say "smile!" but when I'm with people and there is a camera I'm on their case. All you have to do is look at that one photo of the girl in my office laughing and see that she looks a million times better than in any other photo and you will see why it is good to smile in a picture.
I feel like I should now add a picture of me all smiles but I've already posted all the ones I like so just imagine me smiling :)
That is a rather all encompassing statement...maybe I should say that Indians usually don't smile in pictures and it weirds me out. I noticed this first when one of our staff members was giving a presentation. She had been sent on tour to Hong Kong and was talking about her experience. She had some pictures from her trip and she wasn't smiling in them. I decided to look through all of her pictures and she was only smiling in one and that was because she was laughing. I thought it was just her because she is kind of shy.
Then I saw the pictures from another staff members trip and same thing; tons of pictures and he wasn't smiling in any of them. Even more curious (to me) was the fact that every picture in both cases had them in it, there were no pictures without them. Of course I don't like pictures of myself so am disproportionately the other way.
Anyway... I started observing, an office picture from an off-site event - I was the only one smiling; when I'm out sightseeing and I see people taking each others pictures - not a smile in sight. So this begs the question of why? I mean not only do they not smile but they tend to look downright miserable (imagine those photos of people from the 1800s looking all stiff). So I asked and the answer is...I don't know. One guy said it is because people get nervous in front of cameras; one guy said that is just the way things are; and no one else had an answer.
So I am on a one woman mission to get Indians to smile in pictures. Not an easy venture because I can't exactly go up to strangers and say "smile!" but when I'm with people and there is a camera I'm on their case. All you have to do is look at that one photo of the girl in my office laughing and see that she looks a million times better than in any other photo and you will see why it is good to smile in a picture.
I feel like I should now add a picture of me all smiles but I've already posted all the ones I like so just imagine me smiling :)
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
A thought on headscarves
I was just thinking about the origins of headscarves and turbans. Why, you ask? Well, here it is fairly common to see a woman with a scarf draped over her head; not for modesty or because of her religion, but because it helps to keep her hair back, or sometimes they have a very light scarf over their faces as well and that is to keep the blowing dust and dirt out of their eyes. Heck, half the reason I always wear my sunglasses here (other than the blinding sun) is to keep the dust and dirt out of my eyes, so it makes sense to use a scarf if you don't have sunglasses.
So that got me to thinking about headscarves and if it was a practical thing that just turned into something traditional. Also, I sometimes see men with what I call pseudo turbans on their heads; kind of looks like a really thin towel, and I think it keeps them cool in the sun, and they also will use it to wipe they sweat off; usually it is the men delivering things on bikes I see with them so they definitely sweat a lot.
I mean if you think about it the countries with headscarves and turbans are almost all hot and sandy/dusty so they are actually quite practical. I'm not trying to start a political debate or anything about them, just sharing my thoughts.
Aside of the day: I saw a really cool bird this morning, I can't even begin to describe it, but I'm going to be pouring over my bird book tonight to see if I can find it. Definitely made my day because I've never seen anything like it before and there it was just perched on a branch by my house (still haven't seen any parakeets since I've been back - very strange).
So that got me to thinking about headscarves and if it was a practical thing that just turned into something traditional. Also, I sometimes see men with what I call pseudo turbans on their heads; kind of looks like a really thin towel, and I think it keeps them cool in the sun, and they also will use it to wipe they sweat off; usually it is the men delivering things on bikes I see with them so they definitely sweat a lot.
I mean if you think about it the countries with headscarves and turbans are almost all hot and sandy/dusty so they are actually quite practical. I'm not trying to start a political debate or anything about them, just sharing my thoughts.
Aside of the day: I saw a really cool bird this morning, I can't even begin to describe it, but I'm going to be pouring over my bird book tonight to see if I can find it. Definitely made my day because I've never seen anything like it before and there it was just perched on a branch by my house (still haven't seen any parakeets since I've been back - very strange).
Monday, June 1, 2009
Its raining, its pouring
When it rains here it really really rains, it is amazing and I definitely know why they call it monsoon season and not just the rainy season. The monsoons haven't actually started but now it rains every 4 or 5 days - a huge increase over the past few months. From September - April I think it rained 5 times total, definitely in October, November and December I didn't see one drop of rain.
When the monsoons come we will get rain probably every day, that will start at the end of this month. I'll be happy for the rain because I know that it is critical for the crops and the country in general; and also because it temporarily washes away the dirt, for about an hour, but it is so intense it is crazy (and the monsoons also mean the humidity which is kind of a bummer).
How intense? Well if it rains in the middle of the night it wakes me up every time it is so loud. I know, you are thinking you have heard rain that loud before - but probably not every time it rains. And it happens so suddenly; you are just minding your business and then whoosh, it is pouring, and it usually lasts about an hour or so. I guess in the areas of the country with the heavy monsoons it can last a few hours each time - crazy, huh.
And the ground is so dry that it doesn't absorb quickly so the roads get flooded, but once the rain stops things get back to normal pretty quickly.
It is amazing to me how people here just deal with the rain; I do too really. At first you freak out - ahhh, it is flooding! - then you realize that you just have to deal with it and really, it is just rain. So the bottom of your pants get wet, and you really have to watch your step so you don't slip, and you'll probably get stuck in even more traffic, but eventually the rain stops and an hour later it is dry and it is like it never rained at all.
I find the weather pattern here and how people live their lives around such extremes; rain every day for 2 months then no rain for 4 months; fascinating. Maybe if I grew up here I would have been a meteorologist??? One thing is for sure, with rain that intense umbrellas are kind of futile, you are just going to get wet.
When the monsoons come we will get rain probably every day, that will start at the end of this month. I'll be happy for the rain because I know that it is critical for the crops and the country in general; and also because it temporarily washes away the dirt, for about an hour, but it is so intense it is crazy (and the monsoons also mean the humidity which is kind of a bummer).
How intense? Well if it rains in the middle of the night it wakes me up every time it is so loud. I know, you are thinking you have heard rain that loud before - but probably not every time it rains. And it happens so suddenly; you are just minding your business and then whoosh, it is pouring, and it usually lasts about an hour or so. I guess in the areas of the country with the heavy monsoons it can last a few hours each time - crazy, huh.
And the ground is so dry that it doesn't absorb quickly so the roads get flooded, but once the rain stops things get back to normal pretty quickly.
It is amazing to me how people here just deal with the rain; I do too really. At first you freak out - ahhh, it is flooding! - then you realize that you just have to deal with it and really, it is just rain. So the bottom of your pants get wet, and you really have to watch your step so you don't slip, and you'll probably get stuck in even more traffic, but eventually the rain stops and an hour later it is dry and it is like it never rained at all.
I find the weather pattern here and how people live their lives around such extremes; rain every day for 2 months then no rain for 4 months; fascinating. Maybe if I grew up here I would have been a meteorologist??? One thing is for sure, with rain that intense umbrellas are kind of futile, you are just going to get wet.
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