Beating Retreat . . . On A Camel?

On Monday, we were fortunate enough to get "VIP" passes to Beating Retreat, which is one of the closing ceremonies for Republic Day in India. The bands for each of the three branches of the military service, Army, Navy, and Air Force, get together and put on a show, each one trying to out-do the others. The ceremony was quite the spectacle, though rather thinly attended, which surprised us. Apparently George Clooney was in the crowd and in the cheap seats, like us, but we didn't see him...quel dommage. I was sure that he was in Delhi just to celebrate my birthday, but perhaps not....

The Indian military did a bang-up job on the great band-off. There were three full brass marching bands and a huge group of bagpipers, complete with plaid uniforms. From a distance, it looked much like something you would see in the states, however, touches of the exotic definitely shone through - the camels lining the ramparts of the government buildings, leopard skins thrown over the shoulder of the drum corps, and regional costumes integrated with the marching band uniforms. On the whole, very impressive. I think my favorite part was when all three bands lined up together and played. Halfway through the tune, the conductor lowered the volume of the marching bands, and directed someone playing a carillon from the twin campaniles of the Indian government buildings. Just beautiful. It reminded me a lot of the Stanford Hymn, and I found myself humming "from the foothills to the Bay. . . ," as we left the performance. The finale was pretty good too - they lit up all of the government buildings as Heather said, "like Tivoli gardens." I said, "or like the Disneyland Electrical Parade," at which point she informed me that Disneyland's light show is based on Tivoli Gardens. "Ooohhhh. . . ."

'The Pool of the Nectar of Immortality'

This past weekend, the Essel Towers posse (Heba, Heather, Tim, James, and me), headed to Amritsar, which is in northern India, in the state of Punjab. Amritsar is the center of the Sikh faith, and home of several significant religious and historical sites, including the Golden Temple and the Jallianwala Bagh memorial park.

Heather and I splurged and stayed at the Ranjit Svaasa hotel, which I highly recommend. It's US prices per night, but is lovely, restful and calm, all of which we were in much need of.

To get to Amritsar, we took the Shatabti Express train from Delhi Station to Amritsar. The train ride was a pretty cool experience - we got to see a fair bit of the northern Indian countryside. They fed us three times, so we literally rolled into Amritsar station. The only slightly questionable part were the speedy little cucarachas that came out when we had our meals. Luckily, none of them decided to disembark at Amritsar along with us. Coming back, we were only able to get a flight, which was also an experience. The Amritsar Airport looks as though it has been thoroughly bombed, but in fact, it's just under construction. Some highlights:

• The list of forbidden items
• The subsequent, lengthy list, of persons exempt from following those rules (Prime Minister, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, various Ministers, etc.)
  
• The nameless name tags, which somehow play into security proceedings? (Think paper and elastic address tags that are usually at the check-in counter, sans any information...very odd)
• Heather's bag being disemboweled, all in search of a less than 10 ounce bottle of Oil of Olay, while my 32 ounce bottle of water went undiscovered
  
• The bus that drove us from the terminal in a very tight (less than 30ft. in diameter) circle, in order to drop us on the tarmac in front of our airplane
  
• The sign for "Turkmenistan Air" side by side with "Uzbekistan Air" (Really. Heather has a picture)
  

But I digress....

Have I mentioned that I love the Golden Temple? Hands down, one of the most beautiful and welcoming places of worship that I have ever visited. I think that just the colors even appealed to me - all turquoise, white and gold, interspersed with bright flashes of color from saris and turbans. The Sikhs have a particular cobalt blue fabric that they use for some of the men's turbans. I'm not sure of the significance, but it's a beautiful color, especially when paired with bright-gold kurtas. I think my favorite moment of the trip was when we were waiting in line to go into the Golden Temple and the crowd began singing the hymns softly with the cantor inside the temple. Just gorgeous. The temple itself is very 'come one come all.' People are free to sit inside and listen to the music, view the holy book, read scripture, etc. We sat for a while, listening to the music, before heading out to receive our blessed sweet, which was similar to a dense, sweetened rice porridge. Despite the number of people and tourists, there is deep reverence here. Many people prostrated themselves as they arrived on the banks of the sacred pool, or reached down to touch the threshold before crossing into the temple. Out of respect, it is required that you go barefoot and cover your head in the temple complex. They have pools of clean water that you walk through to wash your feet, prior to entry. Very surreal - I quite frankly didn't think I'd go barefoot anywhere in India, but it all worked out ok.

After visiting the Temple and the very gory Sikh museum, we had Punjabi food for lunch. My mushroom tikka masala was fabulous! Our next objective was to attend the border-closing ceremony at the Pakistani-Indian border, known as the Wagah Border. Apparently, in an attempt to foster good relations between the two countries, a very elaborate ceremony has been devised for the opening and closing of the border each day. Because we were there on Indian Republic Day, the crowd was pretty fired up. The ceremony is like a cross between a step show, a pep rally, and a military parade. There is much goose-stepping and some of the best high-kicks I've seen outside of Radio City Music Hall. The Indian soldiers are clearly picked for their height - each of the border guards was well over 6' tall, and crowned with a high, fan-shaped red hat, to boot. Just by virtue of being female and foreign, Heather and I were christened "VIPs" and escorted to front-and-center seats at the rally. Oh, and did I mention our conveyance to get to this auspicious event? We paid Rs. 100 per person to be crammed into an SUV with 11 other people and ride for 30 minutes or so to Wagah. Very interesting.

Back in Amritsar, we had Kingfishers at a somewhat shady local bar called the "Bottoms Up" and then headed to a restaurant called The Green Zone in a brand, spanking new hotel called the Khyber Continental. Dinner was excellent, and the hotel was so nice that Heba, James and Tim decided to upgrade from their somewhat less auspicious accommodations downtown. It wasn't quite as quaint as the Ranjit Svaasa, but by all accounts very nice and clean - altogether a solid option if you're visiting Amritsar.

On Sunday, everyone had a lazy day and slept in. Heather had a massage at the Ranjit Svaasa that was, shall we say, interesting. I'll let you read her blog once she gets it posted. After everyone rallied, we headed to Jallianwala Bagh to view the memorial. It was such a nice day that everyone was lounging on the grass and enjoying the sunshine. There were little kids flying kites, which must be a regular pastime, as the trees were littered with colorful kites gone astray. More Punjabi food and I discovered fruit beer, which tastes a lot like Martinelli's, then it's jump in an autorickshaw and head back to the hotel to catch a cab to the airport. I rode in several autorickshaws this weekend. Little by little, our barriers are breaking down. The next step is bicycle rickshaws, and then maybe scooters. After seeing the myriad types of conveyances on Indian roads, the autorickshaws begin to look downright safe, if not reputable. I don't think I'd want to try it at Gurgaon speeds, but for a smaller town such as Amritsar, it was de rigeur. The glories of the Amritsar airport, I have already described above. The whole weekend was quite the experience, but so much fun and well worth it. If ever you are in India, you must visit Amritsar. Heather and I joked that James and Tim are our India traveling training wheels - both guys are very well traveled, as is Heba, and as much as it kills my feminist heart to say so, it's just damn nice to have dudes around when you're traveling in the hinterlands. By the time you all come to visit, we'll have completed the re-con and be ready to lead the charge ourselves.

That's probably more than enough from me. I'll post again soon about our Monday evening adventures at Beating Retreat. My Amritsar photos (ad nauseum) can be found here:

Amritsar - 1/25-1/27/08

Qutub Minar and Humayun's Tomb

On Sunday, Heather and I repented for our shopping spree by doing some sightseeing in Delhi. Delhi is really a lovely city in many ways. There are long tree-lined streets and beautiful monuments and cultural sites right in the city proper. After working out at our very nice gym in Gurgaon, we set out to see two of the most notable sites, Qutub Minar, which is a mosque and minaret, and Humayun's Tomb.

At Qutub Minar, we were approached by a guide who offered to show us around the site for 200 Rupees (~$5). We decided this was a pretty good deal, and proceeded to have very enjoyable tour with A.G., who claimed to have been trained as an archaeologist. The complex consists of the minaret, a mosque and madrasah (Muslim school). The purpose for the minaret is much speculated upon. Our guide asserted that the tower was in fact used as a large sundial with 24 crenelated sides, each representing one of the 24 hours in a day. The monuments are an interesting mix of Muslim and Hindu artistry, being as it is a Muslim mosque, built by Hindu workers, and made from the pieces of Jain temples that had stood on the site previously. The carvings on the buildings are beautiful to look at, all done in red sandstone blocks and marble. There are bright green parrots nesting in the walls of the buildings, providing a startling contrast to the russet tones everywhere else. Apparently, Qutub Minar is the second most popular tourist destination for Indians, after the Taj Mahal, so there were lots of people walking the grounds and taking pictures. Still, it was quite peaceful, even with all of the hubbub; I would highly recommend going if you're ever in Delhi.

After our leisurely stroll through Qutub Minar, we set out for Humayun's tomb, which is also in Delhi. We must have serendipitously hit a lull in the crows, for the complex was not crowded when we arrived, nor throughout our visit. As we were leaving, however, four huge bus loads of Asian tourists rolled up, and the grounds were very quickly crowded. The buildings themselves are the attraction here, as well as the lovely gardens and waterways. Each structure is surprisingly empty. The characteristic red and white tomb, which you'll see in the pictures, is nearly empty inside, save three or four family sarcophagi. It seemed to me like a place that should have been lived in, or at least visited, for it is lovely. Heather and I were commenting that it would be nice to come back with a blanket and book, and read in the garden. Here again, there were chartreuse parrots swooping amongst the domes of the tomb and nesting in the walls. Waterways and a reflecting pool lead up to each of the main entrances, with delicate fountains casting droplets into the reflection of the sky - truly peaceful.

Sunday evening began setting in, and we were tuckered out. We headed to Connaught Place with the idea that we would do some shopping. However, the shops were mostly closed because of the day, so we just strolled around and eventually stopped in the N-block to have dinner at Banana Leaf, which offers South Indian food. We had to ask the waiter to define most of what was on the menu, but it was fun to try new things. We ordered dhosa, uthappam, and one other dish that I don't recall the name of, and topped it off with sweet-salt Lassi. Replete with fried goodness, we headed for home, only to get a guilt trip from our cook, Abdul, for delaying dinner with our flatmates - enter more snacks, just to compensate for our tardiness, of course.

All in all, a fun and fairly productive Sunday; definitely an enjoyable way to kick off our week. The roomies are planning a get-away for the weekend to Amritsar, which is the seat of the Sikh faith, so I should have many adventures to report shortly. Even with a concierge to help us in the office, just making reservations for Indian trains, hotels and flights is an adventure in and of itself. This weekend is Ms. Heather's birthday, so it's nice to have something to look forward to, for all of us. I am so lucky to have other ex-pats to spend time with, especially those who are so entertaining and such great conversationalists.

Humayun's Tomb

Qutub Minar

She Who Shops A Lot

On Saturday, Heba, Heather and I had a lazy morning. Heba slept in and Heather and I bummed around in PJs, getting the apartment set up, etc. For breakfast, Abdul made us Masala omelets, which are like an egg crepe with onion, tomato and peppers baked into the egg. We also had toast, fruit and cardamom chai. The chai here so far seems to come in three varieties - Masala, cardamom, and ginger. All are good, though I might have a slight preference for the cardamom.

Well rested and fed, we headed for Delhi with our driver Dhananjay and a list of good shopping spots from the folks in the office. Our first stop was Dilli Haat, which is a handicraft market in Delhi with tons of stalls that were chock-a-block with shawls, stoles, kurtas, shoes, bedspreads and more. Bargaining here is expected and so, with Heba's help, I refreshed the skill set that I initially acquired in Mexico's mercados, with fairly good results. I am now the proud owner of a pashmina scarf, a wool stole, a silk and wool stole, and a huge wool shawl. The textiles here are so beautiful that it's hard not to get greedy. All of the above cost me less than $40, so I think we did alright on the bargaining. Heba and Heather also bought lovely shawls and Heather found a very nice, modern-looking kurta. There were a few moments of panic as we got ready to leave Dilli Haat because we couldn't find our driver. Three cell phones were working full time, all to no effect. Luckily, he had parked nearby and we were able to walk to and find the cab, complete with somnolent cabbie, and accompanied by much giggling from the parking attendant.

After Dilli Haat, we headed to Khan Market, which is sort of like a double-decker, double-wide strip mall in Delhi. We had a late lunch at Chonas, which was quite good. Despite the opportunity to have 'continental' food, we ended up going with Indian. Heather and I ordered the rather generically-labeled 'chicken masala roll,' but it ended up being really yummy - spicy chicken and vegetables, rolled in a large, thin naan bread, with a creamy chutney (possibly sour cream and cilantro) sauce for dipping. We topped it off with a strawberry milkshake (Heather), salty lemonade (Heba), and a mango smoothie (me). Refreshed after our snack, we were off to tackle the warren of Khan market. Probably my favorite spot was Fabindia, which is sort of like a large, Indian-influenced Crate and Barrel, that also sells traditional Indian clothes. I bought a medium-length kurta, which is usually worn over traditional pants, but in Google Gurgaon chic is most often seen with jeans and flats. I also bought some very nice Indian wrapping paper at the stationery store, to replace the newsprint that was used to line my closets at the apartment.

Once we'd made a few passes through Khan Market, we were tuckered out and ready for a cocktail. We headed for a restaurant that we thought was called 'Olive,' and ended up at 'Olive Beach,' which is attached to the Hotel Diplomat. Since the bar looked lovely, we decided to stay where we landed. We were ushered into a very tastefully decorated bar with whitewashed walls, turquoise accent pillows, crackled antique silver mirrors and silvery buckets of white gladiolas. I had a cocktail called a Passionata that was a mixture with basil and some sort of passionfruit with black seeds - similar to what in Mexico is called a maracuya। It was very tasty. We also had a foie gras appetizer and a mushroom and prosciutto pizza, which were fabulous. We headed home and watched a very little bit of one of my DVDs before all three of us were sacked out. Definitely a decadent day, even by US standards, but so much fun to hang out with the girls and enjoy a bit of the culture.

Hello, My Name is मेगन

Thursday night we went into Delhi to run errands and have dinner. Our little posse includes me, Heather, and Heba from Mountain View, and James and Tim from Dublin. It has been great fun to spend some time with folks from other parts of the organization, and to have other people to hang out with. The traffic into Delhi is horrible during rush hour, so we had plenty of time to chat. Our cab driver deserves a medal for getting us there and back in one piece. But, it definitely makes for an interesting spectator sport!

We went to Connaught Place to get a camera for one of the housemates and then headed over to the Hotel InterContinental for dinner at Baluchi. The doormen at the Intercontinental were the most impressive I've seen - tall gentlemen with deep red, traditional suits, complete with turban, plume and topped off with very proud handlebar mustaches. Their "Welcome, Madame," resonates in booming tones over the lobby, with no indication that they're put off by our very casual, Western attire. It's probably gauche to go to the InterContinental in jeans and flats, but that's how we ex-pats roll ;).

Dinner was great। Baluchi is an Indian restaurant with nightly traditional music, consisting of a chanteuse accompanied by gentlemen with tom-toms and a sitar। While we have been eating very well at Google and at home, the food here was a step above. Indian food is often heavily spiced and sauced, but here you could still taste the vegetables and the flavors were very delicate. The Palak Paneer, which is spinach with Indian cheese curds, was bright green vs. the usual dark, combat green, and it tasted fantastic. We also had lovely chicken in tomato sauce and "baby lamb" (according to the menu). One does feel a bit brutish, eating baby lamb, but it was very good. James also introduced us to Kashmiri Naan, which is a buttery flat bread with pieces of dried apricots and other fruit on top - so good. We rolled home around midnight and headed straight for bed. Our cab driver stuck with us the whole time - makes for a very long day for him, but he seemed glad to do it. I suppose it's a good way to make some extra money.

Things at home are normalizing a bit. The housing coordinator very graciously provided an Indian hair dryer, so I was able to dry my hair this morning - woohoo! Heather has requested house plants (for both of us) and soft Kleenex (for me). I already asked for and got yogurt (best defense is a good offense, in sports and in fending off Delhi Belly). I fear I am becoming a horrible princess, but some of these small things make all the difference, especially when you're living in a very nice marble-floored echo chamber (I'll post pictures soon). I think my jet lag is pretty much over - I'm sleeping through the night on the new hours now, so hopefully we're moving on.

Today, I learned how to spell my name in Hindi (मेगान). We have a long way to go with the rest of the language, but it's a start for sure. We're hoping to get a Hindi instructor set up shortly, and possibly someone to teach yoga at our apartment as well.

This weekend, Heather, Heba and I are planning to explore Delhi and shop a bit. I managed to bring a ton of stuff and leave out some key things, so I'll try to fill in the gaps with local goods. The main thing is that it's still quite cool here in the evenings and I didn't bring a lot of sweaters, so I'm hoping to find a nice wool shawl - they have lovely ones here, so I'm sure that we'll find something.

The Indian Adventure Begins. . .

My colleague, Heather, and I left San Francisco on Sunday evening around 9:50pm. We had an early dose of European flair from the lovely flight attendants of Lufthansa. A great sushi dinner at Ebisu in the airport + some generic Ambian (?) meant that my flight to Munich was quite pleasant. I slept 7 out of 10 hours of the flight!

We were in Munich just long enough to catch some Apfel Streudel (for me) and a beer (for Heather), before jumping on our flight to Delhi, also with Lufthansa. This time, the sleeping pills did not quite trick my body into sleeping the full flight, but still I caught a few winks (and a Bollywood flick) before we touched down. From the air, Delhi is already quite different from home. The horizon is as blue as an ocean, though I suppose it's from smog, and the earth is a rust red, quilted over with a patchwork of green fields, mirrored rivers, and the sharp points of smoke stacks.

Fortunate girls, we were met at the airport by a fellow ex-pat, and so were eased rather gently into the Gurgaon experience. Our guest house is Essel 201, and just across the hall in 202, we have four other colleagues in residence. For the six of us, there are six, live-in house staff, all men. We're already learning the intricacies of cross-cultural communication, but so far so good. After quick showers, a breakfast of cut fruit and chai, plus partial unpacking, we headed into Google's Gurgaon office, which is quite nice. We had lunch with a few of the managers that we will be working with and headed to 'NHO' (that's New Hire Orientation) to meet the other folks who are new to the office this week. Over the next few weeks, I'll get re-trained on ad approvals and emails, Gurgaon-style, all of which will be a good refresher.

The traffic in India is as eclectic as it has been billed to be. Our sightings for today alone include brahmas, a heard of donkeys, hogs, mopeds, buses, cars, rickshaws, auto rickshaws, and highway pedestrians. If you try to watch it all, you get serious sensory overload. This YouTube post gives you a taste of what Gurgaon is like:

We just had a great Indian dinner, made by our cook, Abdul. My vow to diet is going to be sorely challenged here, as fried bread, curries and all sorts of lovely gravies over rice seem to be the order of the day. And, the chai is wonderful. I am trying to get an initial post out, because there is so much that is new and different here, but I'm fading fast since I've essentially been up all night by West Coast standards.

As a parting shot, here are a few key learnings from my first day in Gurgaon:
1. When the menu says 'mutton', that might mean goat - even in the Google canteen.
2. Goat is yummy!
3. There are delicious fruit that I have never tasted. I had my first chickoo today.
4. Pointing out that there's no hot water is a sure-fire way to get a blow-by-blow explanation on how to operate a faucet.
5. Much like the Europeans, Indians don't seem to believe in large cups. Ergo, all coffee cups in the office are the size of an espresso shot.
6. Hairdryers use a whole lotta voltage.
7. My new haircut CAN air dry - who woulda thunk it?