The view from our hotel - it was gorgeous!
Meditating inside Agra Fort
The TAJ MAHAL!!
Mother Theresa Tomb
Sidd and I on a beach in Visakhapatnam
Shiv and Parvarti Statues in Visakhapatnam
Me on my first train ride!!What I love about India and what I despise about India… They both exist and they both seem to peak out from random corners at random times. The vibrancy of life here is something I fell in love with long back; the people are magnificent. Everyone smiles at you when you walk by (as long as they aren’t gawking at the six foot white girl) and the woman are all beautiful from the small girls in school uniforms to the 60 year old toothless woman in a ragged sari. It is a stunning culture here one that is simultaneously trying to advance to a developed nation as well as cling to it’s cultural heritage. The food is wonderful, most of the time… a few nights spent racing to the bathroom have not been some of my favorites. The sweets take some getting used to, they aren’t rich chocolaty and baked like the cookies and cakes we have at home. Most sweets are made from some form of milk or cheese and it swims in some variation of sugar syrup. The history is deep, the buildings old and crumbling but still beautiful. And you can't beat the prices on almost anything (a new shirt for $4... tailor sewn for $5). There is a lot to discover here, and so much to love.
What drives me up the wall about India… well if I get started I may not stop and you’ll think I hate it here, I don’t, I love it. That being said… the lack of organization and efficiency really sums up most of my disgruntled moments. I wanted to send a packed to the States so as to have more space in my suitcase to bring home all my purchases. I made the long journey to the post office by bus which is the cheapest way to travel in India, albeit the most crowded, hottest, dirtiest and all around uncomfortable. Finally I reach the post office which I confirmed was open until 5:30, I arrived at 5. What greets me?? Well lets leave the details out and just say, the office is open until 5:30, but you can’t actually send anything after 2pm. It makes me wonder why they are open after 2 at all. You can’t do anything simple like send a package, buy train tickets, or catch an auto rickshaw without fighting for it., fighting poor timings, fighting poor booking procedures, fighting for a fair fare. Always fighting... Sometimes I’m just tired of fighting. It makes me scold this nation for being so seemingly backward…*sigh* I love India – really
Sidd and his horse Raja (it's a boy - but you wouldn't know by the flowers on it's bridle)
Ooty lake reflections - my attempt at artistic photography So it’s been quite sometime since my last post. Sorry bout that! I’ve been getting myself settled in B’lore (note the updated address) and trying not to lose my mind out of boredom at work. Last weekend Sidd and I went to Mysore which is a town about three hours by bus from B’lore. It took us four hours because we had to cross the length of B’lore to catch the bus. We had a very nice time exploring the city. On the first day we slept in a bit which was a nice break from getting up early for work. We met this very cute kid who took it upon himself to show us a bit of the town. Granted we ended up at his house were his parents sold incense and oils, but he was still a fun kid. He took us to the English Market which sold a lot of produce and such things. Sort of interesting to see what a small town market was like. From there we went to see the famed Mysore palace. It was huge and very ornate. Lots of murals on the walls and of course a lot of Hindu gods and goddesses depicted all over the place. We also visited a garden famed for its illuminated fountains. It was there I met the tallest person I’ve ever seen in my life. I have photographic proof, see for yourself.
Market area
The Mysore Palace
In front of a temple outside the Mysore Palace
This is me in silhouette at a beautiful garden fountain.
Me and the tallest person I've ever seen!!
Chinese Fishing Nets in Fort Cochin, it can take up to four men to operate them!
Fort Cochin Street way 
Kathakali performer. I saw a performance in Kumily... it sort of creeped me out but was interesting nonetheless. They make use of expression and gestures to convey a story without language aside from song.
Clouds rolling in a valley in Munnar
Four little girls in a village near Munnar, all they asked for were pens... I wish I had some to give them, they were so sweet.
Me in Munnar amongst the tea... lots and lots of tea.
Blowing out the candles
Chowing down on some AMAZING cake
Double birthday kisses
Siddharth and I with the tasty cake!
Vikash... realizing how much we have left to cover in three hours!!
Yup, that me in a saari with Jeannie also looking beautiful
Oh what fun!
Mudricka and I at Lakeside on campus!
Hiranandani (apartments and shopping near campus)
Sunset at Lakeside
Sidd and I before heading out of campus - I'm a bandit so I don't breath so much pollution (plus I look cute :) )
My mom has come and gone and it feels like it was such a tease of a visit. It was wonderful to have her in India. I loved being able to share a bit of my world with her, take her to the places I hang out, introduce her to my friends, have her eat my favorite foods, and just spend time. Too bad the three days she was here was not long enough. She and her friend Sally came for three days before jet setting off to north India for two weeks. Unfortunately I had class in the mornings which cut down on a lot of the time I could spend with her. We had a lot of fun though when together, like I said, just showing her a bit of my world over here. Siddharth and I took mom and Sally to south Mumbai for an afternoon which was a very great time. I exposed her to the Mumbai local train, which turned out to be just fine despite the warnings of all my friends (Sidd included.) I still don't believe that any trip to Bombay is complete without experiencing the train - I love it! Here are some pictures of our outings around IIT and in the city!!
Mom and I at Mocha's - my FAVORITE coffee shop, I spend A LOT of time here :)
Mom, Sally, and I at Hira Nandani... yes there is a KFC here - a Pizza Hut too
This is the Gateway of India in the Colaba area of Mumbai
Chowpatty Beach is a 'beach' in south Mumbai which offers a pretty nice view of some of the downtown area.
Siddharth and I at lunch out our afternoon in downtown.
This is a monkey on campus about 20 seconds before he nearly attacked me. There was a family of monkeys who all started to squeak and approach me. You can't tell but in this picture I'm about 2 feet from the monkey... just a typical day on campus!