Day 11 - $how me the money

Thursday’s highlight was another trip to the base that was wildly successful. It certainly could not have been more unexpected, but I managed to make arrangements with the finance office to ensure my training in Chennai would be paid for. Shockingly, not only was everything set up for me, but I was also paid in cash on the spot! And this was all in the course of an hour or so! Wow, things are starting to look up!

As if that good news wasn’t enough, I also forgot to mention that I found out that Winston Churchill lived at a place called the retreat, just a 5 minute walk from my house. Apparently he served here during World War 1, although I have not researched it yet. The house has a large picture of him on the front porch and highlights the fact that he stayed there, so it must be true, right?

Day 10 – Exploding bladder averted...

Wednesday we finally got approval to go on base, so I got the tour of my future workplace. I even got to see the Kiran Mk 2 up close. It looks like a pretty durable, reliable machine, so I hope that will in fact be the case. The offices were small, but sufficient. They people were friendly and welcoming. They even have people constantly going around offering you glasses of water. I realized after about 3 or 4 glasses that I probably didn’t need to worry about dehydration anymore. Sitting in my new commander’s office, I remembered that Tycho Brahe had died from a ruptured bladder (don’t believe me, well check out Exploding Bladder). Fortunately, things did not deteriorate to the point that I feared for my life, but it was nonetheless a bit of a concern. At one point we were recalled to the guard shack to present our credentials. That should not have been a big deal, but we did waste more time trying to prove my legitimacy yet again. It seems everyone thinks I’m a spy or something. I guess I do kinda look like Daniel Craig (James Bond) would look with a shaved head. Or maybe Austin Powers? After all, I am an international man of mystery! Ha!

Okay, so moving on from the guard shack, we made a trip over to meet the base commander and had a nice visit with him before calling it a day and heading home. After getting home, we decided it would be wise for me to open a bank account so we hopped in the car and drove into the city. Once again, we were met with resistance and told we should come back in the morning because they didn’t know what paperwork was required. We said that wouldn’t do and then they did their best to accommodate us. That meant surrendering all of my photo IDs and signing my name countless times to papers that were never intended to be read… only agreed to. So you ask the question, how can you agree to something you don’t read? Well, you don’t. It’s India and you just accept it. I was happy that in less than an hour and a half we were done and my new bank account was activated. I know that’s all the time it took because I was timing… maybe they knew and that’s why it didn’t take 3 hours like the cell phone ordeal!

Day 9 – More fun?

While I managed to follow-up one quiet day with another, this day would be characterized as slightly more fruitful. However, as you will see, that was not without a lot of effort. We spent about 3 hours (and I say about because it was probably longer than 3 hours!) at Vodafone setting up my cell phone service. The funny thing is that we even had everything necessary to open an account. They required copies of every form of ID that I have, a letter from the consulate, pictures, and even after all that, they send someone to both your house and your work to do a security verification. Oh and in case you ever come to India and need to buy a cellphone, be prepared to sign your name about 50 times. As if that’s not bad enough, there’s so much paperwork for you to sign that you can’t even begin to read any of it. You’re just expected to sign and agree to all the terms and conditions. It doesn’t matter that it’d take a good 2 hours or so to read through all the paperwork! If I would’ve know that it would take as long as it did for everything to get worked out, maybe I would’ve kept myself occupied by reading through everything I signed my name to. Hopefully, they didn’t slip something in there that equated to me signing away my soul. I would be in trouble if they did because I wouldn’t have caught it! Well, at least we managed to get something done.

Day 7 - (Indian) Wedding crasher!

Wedding crasher...  courtesy of B.H.

Saturday night ended up being a sleepover, so in the morning we (and by “we” I really mean “they”) made a delectable quiche and a fruit salad. It was a lovely surprise for Mr. Sleepy. Folks begin to filter out during the course of the day and I drifted back to studying.

As I was catching up on some reading and trying to prepare myself for the big final week of classes, my buddy reminded me that there was a wedding he’d be going to with the ex-pat gang that evening. I wasn’t sure if I could swing it, but then again, who passes up the opportunity to crash a wedding? With the offer to wear an Indian outfit on the table, I could not resist. We got ourselves ready and they made the trek into the city to meet up with the rest of the gang. We ended up at a friend’s house with the guys waiting for the girls to get ready. Of course that never happens in the states, but here those saris take a long time to put on, especially if you don’t regularly don the sari. I must say that this was yet another “I’m proud to be a man” moment. Ha! Okay, so once the girls were ready we had to take a few pictures because they really did look wonderful all decked out in their beautiful saris. After the photo shoot, we were off to the wedding.

What we went to was actually the wedding reception, but as you may have heard, they are huge! We walked into an enormous room that probably had seating for 500 people or so. At the front is a large, colorful stage decorated with various ornaments, colorful flowers and stuff. The bride and groom sit on the podium or stand or stage or whatever it’s called. They just smile and look pretty for the cameras. Every once in a while some folks walk up and pass along their congratulations, but for the most part, they just sit there smiling at the crowd. Although it was a little awkward, my friends invited me onto the stage with them and introduced me to the bride and groom. I’m still not sure how I feel about meeting someone for the first time at their wedding, but without their invitation! I’m just gonna chalk that one up as being okay because of the cultural differences…

Next, we went downstairs for food. As was expected, it was a catered meal and the food was excellent. There were plenty of different options, so fortunately the “Man v. Food” side of me did not take over otherwise I probably would have exploded! Interestingly enough, there were only a couple tables for people to sit down and eat even though there were probably at least 2-3 hundred people. Again, it’s pretty standard to eat standing up (Mimi, if you’re reading this, don’t get any crazy ideas right before your wedding!). There was also a water table, but most people don’t drink anything with the meal, they just grab a drink after the meal. It makes sense if you think about how hard it would be to hold a plate, eat, and hold a drink while standing up. The dessert was okay, but nothing amazing.

Oh, I just realized that in addition to my first Hindu wedding, I also got into my first car accident as well! It was a pretty rainy night and basically we pulled out into some fast-moving oncoming traffic and they could not stop in time. It was like slow motion as I’m sitting in the passenger’s seat watching the car skid towards us. It seemed inevitable that they would hit us and when they finally did, I was surprised that it didn’t feel much different than getting hit in a bumper car. Honestly, we bounced and they bounced. Some words were exchanged, but since no apparent damage was done we both drove off. And so in addition to attending my first Indian wedding, I was also involved in my first car accident. Fortunately, as far as I could tell, no one was hurt in either.

Day 8 – And the fun begins…

This was to be the day I get to go see the base where I’ll spend the majority of my time here. Unfortunately, due to the lengthy coordination process, that did not happen. Paralyzed by indecision seems to be an accurate description of the way things work. Oh that it were not so, but alas no one is willing to change the system! I hope this doesn’t become a regular refrain for me. Unfortunately, as I would soon come to find out, it could be… good thing I had plenty of schoolwork to keep me occupied!

Day 6 – Things are finally slowing down a bit

 After a whirlwind my first 5 days in India, I begin to get settled in and realize that I have 2 master’s classes winding down! In less than a week, I would have to write two papers AND take a final exam! Okay, it may not sound like much, but given all that I’ve been doing this summer finishing those two classes well would be a challenge. It certainly doesn’t help that I’m trying to adjust to a nearly 12 hour time difference! At any rate, the guy I’m staying with has been really understanding and accommodating. As I mentioned in another blog, he’s helped me tremendously by making the transition go as smoothly as possible. Oh and I must not leave out our cook/driver/cleaning dude. He speaks very little English, but man does he clean the house meticulously every day and boy can he cook! I’ve probably gained about 4 kilos since I got here and that’s mostly because of him! If his driving were only as good as his cooking and cleaning, of course that’s easier said than done over here. I certainly am not interested in testing my driving skills on the roads here. You have to constantly honk your horn to let other drivers know where you are. There also aren’t really any rules. Then you’ve got bicycles, motorcycles, rickshaws, cars, trucks, buses and just about everything else vying for their place on the road… to include the cattle. I haven’t gotten a picture yet, but they’re everywhere. They walk around like they own the place, but then so do the dogs. The point is that driving in India stinks. It’s a weird mix of channeled aggression and patience. I will be glad to be passenger for the next 2 years or so.

Returning to the day’s events, it really ended up being pretty chill. In the evening a few friends came over for dinner and a little movie night. They brought pizza and made a few other delicious dishes. It was good to have a relatively relaxing and refreshing day.

Day 5 – My welcome to the Biryani capital of India… Hyderabad!

Trinket salesman...  courtesy of B.H.

I arrived in Hyderabad late on August 12 (Day 4 of the India adventure) and was fortunate enough to have been welcomed at the airport by my soon-to-be predecessor. He has been incredibly helpful in coordinating everything and I honestly don’t know that I could have done it without him. As I have come to find in India, “this takes time” is one of the most common phrases whenever you try to get anything done. At any rate, it has been quite a learning process for me thus far as the red tape in India makes the U.S. bureaucracy look like a playground!

I spent a good part of the day getting settled into my (future) house. It’s a lovely 3-story building that by Indian standards is pretty sweet. There are bugs to deal with, but that’s pretty typical here. Fortunately, we have electric tennis rackets to show some love to the mosquitoes! The ants are a bit annoying as they seem to show up out of nowhere. I did happen across a couple geckos the other day—one in the first-floor kitchen and another in the third-floor entertainment room. They may not be paying rent, but I’m told they do help keep the insect population under control, so they’re welcome guests.

Okay, so my first full-day in Hyderabad was pretty interesting as the neighboring village had a Hindu festival celebrating some snake god. It was rather eye-opening for a guy who’s really only read about idol worship. I couldn’t help but notice all the beautiful people in their colorful clothes who are such clear evidence of our being made in the image of God. My friend took so many wonderful pictures of them. It was really incredible seeing their faces light up with smiles. As many of them are so poor, seeing their happiness is such a blessing for someone who materially has so much more wealth. Of course there was the occasional trinket peddler who tried with all his will to sell you something you’d never be interested in buying or maybe he’s just testing your nerves. You see the desperate side of humanity when confronted with people who struggle even to find their next meal. It is heartbreaking to feel such an overwhelming need and not know how to respond. If God calls me to care for the poor and needy, what does that look like when I’m surrounded by the poor and needy? I am continually reminded of Mark’s words describing Jesus, ironically enough as He was speaking to a rich, young man. He says that Jesus “looking at him, loved him.” I long to express that love as Jesus did and show care, compassion, and concern for the people God brings into my life. I know each person and situation is unique, but I really yearn to have the courage to love as Jesus did. No preconditions, no reservations, no fear, just perfect love.

As my mind is swirling with these thoughts, I’m still trying to process what I’m seeing. People walking around a tree surrounded by little wooden snakes, stopping momentarily to pray. What’s going on? I don’t understand. Then a friendly young man asks us if we want to go in the temple. I’m not sure at this point if that’s a good idea. I think of the living God and the glory He deserves being given to gods made by human hands. Am I honoring the true God by entering this temple? Will they try to force me to observe some idolatrous ritual? What do I do? We finally decide to enter and I pray for courage to stand firm in the face of any idolatry… What I see as we enter breaks my heart. There are many small snake statues and in this dark, damp, dreary place there are different shrines set up for various gods. People stand in lines to worship these icons who in their man-made form somehow represent deities. People pay their respects and offer their praise… As my mind is racing, I am reminded that God will not give His glory to another. And then back to reality as our guides whisk us over to another “sacred” place. More people lined up for worship. This time it’s a room with yet another god who is trapped in the confines of the space where he was placed. A man gestures for us to make some sort of bow of allegiance, but we ignore the request. Right behind us people are holding coins against the open hands of a female goddess. My best guess is that they hope for a blessing that might come if the goddess accepts their offering. Then we pass thru a small room with a four-sided statue onto which people are pouring milk. The milk runs down onto the floor and our bare feet cannot avoid it as we make our way around yet another lifeless god. At this point I am thankful that my sense of smell has been significantly hampered in recent months due to allergies or something. I’m not sure my stomach could have handled the foulness of that place… I might have offered my stomach contents to that god. Not that he or she would have cared much anyway. We finally step back outside and sunlight is a welcome relief. I’m glad I saw all that I did, but the plumes of spiritual darkness were as thick as the night. The light is refreshing and so are the beautiful creatures God has made in His image. We make our way back to the car and I’m pestered one last time by a trinket peddler. This guy will not leave me alone. He’s trying to sell me something like those little horns kids blow into at a birthday party. They roll up when they lose air and then expand as they’re filled with air. I think they’re called blow-outs or party horns or something like that. Ironically, not only did he offer me something I would never buy, but I also didn’t have any money. Well, he didn’t get it until I emptied my pockets and showed him. That’s all it took and he finally decided to leave me alone.

On the way back to the house, we stopped near a park in our driver’s neighborhood. There were millions of little kids playing! Well, it is India and while it did seem like a lot of kids, it probably really was more like 30. Anyway, we got out of the car and they swarmed us. My buddy had his camera and after he took a few pics, everyone wanted their picture taken and I mean everybody! It was great! The only problem was that as soon as we showed up the kids stopped going on the rides and I think the owner didn’t appreciate us cutting into his profits. I felt like a celebrity as we departed with great fanfare. As we got into the car, the kids enthusiastically began offering their hands for me to shake. It was one of the few times in India that I felt like people actually cared more about me than about my money. It truly was a beautiful experience and thus far has been the highlight of my short time here.

That evening, we went out to eat at a fairly fancy Indian restaurant and I got to make a number of friends. Most of them are ex-pats, so it’s really nice to have a little American posse who are fun to hang out with. At dinner, I wasn’t exactly Mr. Excitement or anything because I was pretty tired from all the traveling and the sightseeing in Delhi. It was great to make some friends who will no doubt be good to hang out with in the future!

Day 4 – My Delhi Farewell Tour

I was fortunate enough to be able to do some more sightseeing with the same driver and tour guide (probably because of my generous $10 tip) and our first stop was Purana Qila, which means Old Fort. It was built on the banks of the Yamuna River by Afghan rulers and covers a very large area. A mosque and a library are about all that remains besides the surrounding wall and the impressively fortified gates. I found it interesting that there were some wild dogs running around, but I’ve come to realize that’s pretty standard around here. Fortunately, they’re pretty benign. They don’t really seem to bark much nor do they have any interest in attacking people. That’s good news for a guy who never had a dog growing up, but was once bitten in the hinny as a kid while riding his bike. Not that dogs scare me or anything, but I do tend to check my six a lot if there are dogs around!

From Purana Qila we went to Old Delhi, took a lap around Lal Qila (Red Fort) and then dove into the madness. Unfortunately, Lal Qila was closed for security preparations as the President of India addresses the nation there on Indian Independence Day (August 15). The Jama Majid mosque is nearby, so we went there instead. Up until this point, I felt like my tour guide had been taking pretty good care of me. It soon became clear that he wasn’t exactly watching out for my financial interests. At the mosque, I paid 200 rupees for a camera fee and 100 rupees for an entrance fee to climb to the top of one of the minarets. Then an adolescent Muslim boy shows you to the top of the minaret and offers to take pictures of you. Of course he expects a tip, so I gave him 100 rupees. After returning to meet my tour guide, we walked into the central area of the mosque, which supposedly can hold up to 25,000 people during Friday prayer services. There was a fountain in the center of the mosque where people would wash their hands and feet. Supposedly, it isn’t holy water and if my observation gives you any idea, I think you’d have to be crazy to call that brown, murky liquid in the pool “holy water”. I walked thru the archways in the covered area where many people were just laying around while others shooting the bull—oops, is it sacrilegious to say that in India? You know, it’s probably okay since I was in a mosque, right? Well anyway, I neglected to mention earlier that I had to drop off my shoes before entering the mosque. My tour guide said I should give 100 rupees or something like that to the keeper of the shoes. Mind you, I’ve already paid 400 rupees, so another 100 brings the total to 500 rupees. With the exchange rate being approximately 46 rupees to the dollar, this stop would’ve cost me over $10! I decided 20 rupees would be sufficient since Lonely Planet recommended 5 rupees! Oh, it should have been only 50 rupees to climb the minaret. Total, I should have paid… 255 rupees plus the tip for the expert photographer. I’m not bitter, I’m just saying “beware” all you Daddy Warbucks types out there and by Daddy Warbucks, I mean potential tourists!

As if getting ripped off at the mosque weren’t bad enough, my tour guide then took me on an expensive cycle rickshaw ride through Changi-Chowk, which is something like a bazaar, but in reality is just a maze of narrow alleys lined with small shops. Our cyclist did a nice job avoiding the potholes and navigating the tight network of tiny roads in spite of all the distractions and obstacles. It was about a 20 minute ride and probably should have cost no more than 50 rupees or so, but my driver recommended 150. I obliged because our rider was pretty young and obviously had to work pretty hard to move my fat tush around. Also, I found out later that it was the first day of Ramazan and since he’s Muslim he wasn’t allowed to eat until sun down. Enjoy a nice meal tonight on me pal!

Our last stop was the Akshar Dham temple, which was on the east side of the Yamuna River. It is a Hindu temple that was built only in 2005. We just saw it from a distance because we didn’t have much time and then had to head back to the hotel. There were some large, newly built structures near the temple that I was told are part of a “Commonwealth Village”. For those of you who didn’t know this, Delhi is hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games in November. Apparently, it’s a pretty big deal and a number of areas in the city were being renovated to prepare for the upcoming event. Unfortunately, it seemed like much of the construction was well behind schedule, so that not even the most quixotic of people would expect it to be completed. If nothing else, at least progress is being made…

Day 3 – Delhi sightseeing

After my expensive half-day tour of Delhi using the hotel car and driver, I made it a point to see if the Embassy could hook a brotha up. Indeed, they were fantastically helpful in making arrangements for me. I was able to do two half-days of sightseeing with a car, driver, and a tour guide for 2,000 rupees. To put that in perspective, I paid 3,000 for my half-day with the hotel driver who spoke very little English. My tour guide, Maneer was really quite knowledgeable about the many dynasties that have ruled India over the years. Having him show me around the archaeological sites was truly a delight. He told me everything I ever wanted to know about the Moguls, Afghans, and Brits who have all played prominent roles in India, but particularly in Delhi.

The first stop on our tour was the Qutab Minar (minar means tower in Arabic), which was built by the Afghans after they defeated the last Hindu kingdom in Delhi. Construction on the Qutab (named after the conqueror who started construction on the tower) began in 1193, but it had to be completed by successive Afghan rulers. There are other ruins there as well like a mosque (purported to be the first one built in India) and the base of a tower that was initially designed to be taller than the Qutab one. The ruler who started building it died shortly after construction began, so it is not much higher than forty or fifty feet because none of his successors were as concerned with building a tall tower when they had enemies to worry about. The intricate, Islamic architecture is beautiful as anyone who has seen Islamic ruins can attest. The mosque was actually built on the foundations of a Hindu temple partly with sculptures of Hindu and Jain gods and goddesses, which had to be defaced.

After seeing the Qutab Minar we went to the Lotus temple, which looks a lot like the Opera House in Sydney, but is actually a Ba’hai temple. It was built in 1986 in the shape of a Lotus flower (hence the name) and is considered a house of faith for all religions.

We stopped at a rug store and I was given a demo on how they make rugs. They had some beautiful designs and colors, but having recently arrived, I was not confident enough in my bartering skills to make a purchase! Of course, the rains came (as they do regularly during the monsoon season) so a brief stop at Safdarjung’s tomb was all we had time to do after the lengthy “shopping” detour. By the way, I have since learned that those “shopping” stops are not unusual as drivers often get a cut of any sales. Beware, that if and when you visit India, you might as well be wearing dollar bills on your forehead. Anyone will be your best friend for the right price!

Day 2: Adventures in New and Old Delhi

It took me some time to get going today as it will take a while for me to adjust to the 11-hour time difference from the Rockies.  I did manage to get a little schoolwork done, which was good because I'm currently taking 2 master's classes that will finish in 10 days!  Nothing like packing your bags and moving to India just as two classes are concluding!  At least I only have a final in one of the classes, but unfortunately papers in both...  Please pray for me!

So once I felt I had gotten enough work done to justify a little sightseeing, I decided to ease my way into the chaos of this new world by renting a car and driver for 4 hours.  It seemed a lot safer than jumping into the fray and potentially getting myself into trouble.  That will have to wait til tomorrow.

I thought I had a pretty good plan of what I wanted to see, but the driver basically trumped me and I humbly admit it was probably for the better.  Our first stop was at Indira Gandhi's house, which has no been turned into a museum and also happens to be the place where she was assassinated.  It was an interesting window into Indian history, but one that sadly has been too often repeated.  Of course, Mahatma Gandhi was also assassinated and that happened to be the next place I was taken by my driver.  Gandhi towards the end of his life rented a small room in a large house, which ironically enough has been turned into a historic site and also happens to be the site where he was killed.  Without getting too much into the history of the political leaders in India, suffice it to say if you are prime minister of India you are a marked man or woman as the case may be.  It was interesting to see the display of the clothes Indira was wearing on the day she was assassinated.  She persuaded her son Rajiv to enter politics and eventually he became Prime Minister, but suffered the same fate as his mother.  Unfortunately, it seems that assassinations are a very real part of the political landscape in India.

We then made a brief stop at the President's house and saw the India Gate before heading up to see Old Delhi and the Red Fort.  Today I was quite thankful to be a passenger, as the traffic and driving was much more chaotic than it had been when I arrived yesterday.  I did get a lot of attention from the locals, most of it a result of their interest in my wallet.  While there are poor everywhere you go, Old Delhi certainly appeared to have a fairly sizable population in comparison to the other areas I have seen here.  There were also a lot more people, which gave it something like the feel of Times Square on New Year's Eve.  I didn't have much time in Old Delhi, but am hoping to go back tomorrow as there are a few things I'd like to see there.  We stopped at a store to look at various types of hand-crafted goods from carved wood to jewelry to paintings.  The detail on the wooden statues and the paintings was incredible.  It was somewhat overwhelming to see all the Hindu gods formed into miniature idols created by the hands of men.  I can't help but think of how we in American have formed similar idols in our minds and hearts.  They may not be physical manifestations of idolatry, but they certainly are just as real.  The false gods of power, money, and sex are just a few examples.  India has millions of gods, but then again, so do we.

Day 1: Initial Reflections on India

The day I never thought would come has finally arrived. After months and months of delays, questions, and doubts, I've actually set foot on the same soil Gandhi once walked upon. It was a long, exhausting journey of over 20 hours of flight time coupled with lengthy layovers in Tokyo and Singapore. We touched down at 10 till 5 in the morning and the temperature was 29 degrees Celsius or about 84 F! Add to that, the fact that its monsoon season so you've got high temps and high humidity as well! Aside from the harsh reality of the heat and humidity that I'd been living in denial about, I was quite impressed with the newly renovated Indira Gandhi Airport, except that I had to wait forever for my luggage to come through... that's because unfortunately it didn't make it (I'm hoping it'll somehow get to me tonight, but I'm not holding my breath).

I was met at the airport by representatives from the Embassy who've been very helpful in getting me situated. I really haven't had to fend for myself thus far, although I may venture out tomorrow to see some of the sights in Delhi, so that could be interesting...

As for my first impressions of India... they're fairly similar to what you read about or see on TV or in the movies, but there's something quite different about living it out in person. The sights, sounds, and smells just have so much more meaning when they're personally observed or experienced. I haven't really taken in any delightful or putrid aromas just yet nor have the sounds been terribly overwhelming. Of course, who would expect a lot of noise at 6am on a Monday morning or crowded roads for that matter? I will say that even though the roads were seemingly less travelled, I still felt like everyone was testing their horn out for no good reason. I say that because I would have been comfortable driving here if that's all the crowded the roads got! So while the sounds and smells didn't really hit me, I must say that the sights did. I don't even think I've seen the poorest of the poor areas, but there were still ragged tents strung up along many of the roads. There were also lots and lots of tin shanties. It didn't really bother me too much until I realized that people were actually living in them. It's nothing like what you might see in a big city in the U.S. either. It's everywhere here and the living conditions are much worse too. I saw naked children playing in a filthy mess under an overpass and other kids peddling whatever goods they could to stopped cars. I think more than anything, it's the poor children I found myself sympathizing with because they have so little control over the circumstances of their lives. So here I am staying in this incredible hotel and within blocks of it are people just struggling to make their next meal. What a striking contrast that really reveals the great challenge India faces as a nation. While it seems nearly impossible to overcome, I believe India's success in the world and as a country depends on its commitment to improve the lives of all its’ people. I hope in some way God will use me to make a difference in the lives of a few of these kids during the course of my time here and that I will not grow calloused to the needs of the poor or feel that I am powerless to help them.