Rhythm Divine

A few years ago, mixing Indian pop music and hip hop music became popular in NYC nightclubs. Today, playing Akon, Backstreet Boys and especially Enrique Iglesias in coffee shops is very popular. In the last month alone, concerts in Mumbai included Akon, Beyonce and Chamillionaire.

Globalization-- allowing me to hear the same music anytime, anywhere.

Riding The Rails

Mumbai has a pretty extensive public transportation system. Trains and buses run frequently all day and night. And they are not expensive. 6 Rupees gets me to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST/VT), the main central train station shown in the first pic.

Each train has at least one ladies only car, and you will find me here. Ladies cars allow women to feel more comfortable and safe on the train. If you`re a guy, you`ve gotta work a little harder.

Because they are so crowded, using the trains can take some nerve. Maybe because I`m a city girl at heart, but I don`t think the trains are so bad. OK, they aren`t very modern. And there are no doors. But no doors means you always have fresh air. And if the train is stalled in between stations, you can just walk off, like the people in the second pic did. Tell me where else you can do that!

Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlaixXhNGOE to see ride the train.
Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFU2vu3wSGs to see the women come in.
Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86iyoRm8OzA to see the men shove in.

I`ve Got the Power

Who is he? Where does he come from? What does he do? When did he become so popular? Why is he so popular?

I don`t know the answer to any of these questions. All I know is that crowds of people were making a huge fuss over him and were excited to see him. And why not? The man is rocking out like P. Diddy with his own manservant carrying an umbrella for him. When that happens, you know you`ve made it.

Oooey Goooey

There are 2 type of stamps that I am used to. Everyone`s favorite self-adhesive stamps (yay!) and the not-so-delicious stamps that you must lick (boo!) I`ve now learned of a new type of stamp, the one used here in India. You dip your finger into a tub of watery glue sitting on a counter in the post office and rub the glue onto the back of the stamp. Once you place the stamp on the envelope, hold it for a bit, then wait for a minute or 2 until it dries. Just make sure you have a napkin ready to get that excess glue off your finger!

Wha?

I have absolutely no idea what this is. Actually, that is not entirely true. I know it`s some sort of food. A lot of food. But that`s it. I went to the market. Saw it. Thought it looked utterly fantastic, fabulous, outrageous and outlandish. And just had to take a picture of it.

Cheeeeeese!

This is cheese dosa. The shell is made out of lentils and is like an extremely thin pancake or crepe. It is folded but you can see that it`s so big that it can`t fit on the plate. There is cheese on the inside and outside, but you can have other things as well. And it`s served with the brown and white sauces. I was actually surprised by how much cheese there is in some Indian cooking. I mean, it`s not as much as in Switzerland or France or even America (or as good either), but it`s still much more prevalent than I thought. Well, you know me, I`m all about cheese so that is perfectly fine with me.

Do Not Put Maple Syrup on This

This is tomato utapa. It`s basically a thick pancake filled with tomatos, onions and herbs. It`s served with 2 very common sauces. The brown sauce is warm and thin. The white sace is cold and creamy. At first, I didn`t like the white sauce, but we`re cool now.

Chicken Soup`s Got Nothin on This

This is masil pav. It`s a chickpea stew that is always served overflowing out of the bowl. I don`t know why. It`s served with 2 rolls. Like a lot of other dishes, it`s also served with a handful of chopped raw red onions and a tiny piece of lime on the side.

Mumbai`s Big Mac

The most popular fast food you can get anywhere on the streets of Mumbai is the samosa pav, aka Bombay Burger. A samosa is a fried ball of thin dough that can be filled with just about anything. It can be served with a number of sauces. The one at school is filled with potatos, peas, onions, and spices. Then it`s put into a roll. You dip it into a spicy green sauce. It`s fried so it`s not very good for you but as a quick, filling snack between classes and at a price of only 7 Rupees, how can you say no?

P.S. Whenever you see "pav" or "S/W", at least one roll is served to eat your food as a sandwich. Learn this because there are no explanations of foods in most menus. Usually, if I see something interesting, I`ll ask that person what it is. If I am feeling extra-adventurous, I just point and hope for the best!

Time to Eat

This is our school cafeteria. This picture is deceptive though because it looks like it`s very bright and almost no one is there. In reality, it is often very crowded and quite dark, which is a shame because I like to eat with a little more light. Plus, forget about getting that food you see advertised in the picture. Most of it is Indian, with some grilled cheese sandwiches, omelets and Chinese food thrown in. The cafeteria, like almost all restaurants, does not give napkins with your food. In fact, many times you gotta fight to get one. Instead, there`s always a sink somewhere to wash your hands. Which is much more economical, yes, but there`s rarely soap so if you`re eating something oily with your hands (which is often), you ain`t gettin that off so easily. Also, in India, it is very important to specify if the food is veg or non-veg since so many Inidans are vegetarians. Ice cream bars are even labelled "100% Veg" so there is no doubt. Although plenty of places do serve chicken (and to a lesser extent, lamb and fish, though almost never beef), I find myself eating meat just about 2X a week here, and that`s usually on the weekends. Can you imagine me, the carnivore extraordinaire, cutting back so drastically? Wow, I must be so Indianized now. Who knew?

Gimme a T!

The Tiffin man brings me dinner 4-6X per week. Tiffin is very popular here. You get a full fresh-cooked meal delivered to your home or place of business.

The pictures show you how they work. The food comes in a thermos that keeps your food warm. In each thermos, are four stainless steel bowls. 1 contains rice. 1 contains 4 pieces of roti, a thin bread. 1 contains a vegetable like okra or potatoes or cauliflower. 1 contains dal, a spicy vegetable stew which comes in unlimited varieties.

Most of the girls in the hostel use the Tiffin service. Every night, around 8pm, the thermoses are dropped off by the security desk on the ground floor. Whenever I feel like it, I will pick mine up, which I can identify by my room number, F3. When I am done, I just leave the thermos in the hallway and the maid picks it up every morning. Then the Tiffin man comes later on, picks up all the thermoses and refills them for the next dinner. You pay at the end of the month.

Tiffin--healthy, cheap, tasty and filling. Mmm mmm... just how I like it!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Chai!

Without question, the most popular drink in India (and many other countries as well) is chai. It is a very sweet tea that is mixed with milk and spices. Often, you will see men dipping bread into chai as a snack. The small glass that its served in is shorter than my middle finger and its width is narrower than the length of my pinkie finger (granted I have pretty long fingers!) But considering the huge amount of sugar in it, a small glass of it is all you need. In fact, if you do not drink it right away, a layer of sugary skin forms on top of it. If that`s the case, just scoop it out with a spoon. Though completely harmless, I don`t like to drink it cause it feels so weird in my mouth. Other than that, chai tastes so goooood.

Hey Stella!!---#2

Round 2 of answers. (Check out the first answers I posted back on August 8.)

1. How`s wading through all that water? Actually, monsoon season is now finally over. It`s been dry since October began. It`s been replaced by temperatures from the mid 80s to mid 90s everyday (that`s low to mid 30s for my non-American people) and sun. It`s so nice because to me, sunshine makes everything better. And I`m so glad I can just walk around in a t-shirt, unlike many others at this time of year. It`s gonna be a cold hard slap in the face when I get off that plane in Switzerland in December. Luckily, Roland will have my winter coat for me when he picks me up. :-)

2. Sweet, so that means no more Crocs, right? Ummm...well, see, the thing is...they are mighty comfortable. Everyone in India wears sandals all the time so why not me and my Crocs. There is just no need to wear any other shoes.

3. How`s school? Well, the 1st session was tough those first 2 months. We had a hardcore schedule and so much work. Especially since everything was brand-spanking new for me. But I really enjoyed learning even though I ended up drinking more coffee in one month than I had previously drank my whole life. We started 2nd session on October 1. I`ve got HR, IT, multinational strategic management, and international finance. Plus, we visit 1-2 Indian companies a week.

4. Is India really that cheap? As long as you eat at local restaurants and shop in the markets, it`s very difficult to spend up to $10/day on food. During the school weel, I barely spend $5 on food per day--and that`s 5 very weak American dollars! Local trains within Mumabi are very cheap as well. However, housing in Mumbai is very expensive because like New York there are too many people and not enough space. Plus, if you are a foreigner doing touristy stuff, do know that you will get charged sometimes 10x the rate as Indian citizens. But sometimes a student ID helps lower the cost.

5. OK, all this sounds so lovey-dovey and that`s great. But what annoys you about Mumbai? Pushy people. Everywhere. They will not wait until you get off the elevator before they get on. They will easily cut in front of you in line at the restaurant or in a grocery store. And there`s no such thing as personal space. Oh no. They are all up on you. I guess all this is because there are so many people, you just gotta push. So push I do. Cuz otherwise, you will never get off that elevator or you`ll never eat.

Pray the Cushiony Soft Way

This is the inside of St. Thomas Church in South Mumbai. Look at these chairs! How comfortable does that look?!? No hard pews here, oh no. Just big, soft, tall cushions that put you that much closer to God. And they`re pretty too!

Siesta

Like many countries around the world, afternoons are break time and little activity actually goes on then. Post offices, medical clinics, small shops, and small restaurants are closed during this time. Here in Mumbai, manual laborers, all of whom are men, take a nap wherever is most convenient. This is usually on a quiet street, maybe underneath a tree, and if not, under some newspapers as seen in this pic. I think naptime is generally an hour or two. What do you think? Would naptime work in the West?

Mooove On Over

Sorry, that title is really lame. I know, I know. But this pic just sooo called for it, no? The 4 cows are chillin in an actual lane of traffic---crazy midday traffic! And everyone`s just gotta deal and switch lanes. Cows rule!

U Sure U Hafta Pee?

This is the toliet in the Prince of Wales museum. While many places here have the toilets I am used to, others still use the hole in the ground technique. Which in one sense is ok cuz it`s not like I sit on public toilets anyway. But on the other hand, I better make sure my targetting is on point. As Leah, my roommate said, "we`ll probably have thighs of steel by the time we leave here."

Another thing is that many Indians do not use toilet paper. In every bathroom there is a bucket next to a faucet. You fill that faucet with water and use your left hand to clean yourself. Hence, like in many other countries, no one uses their left hand to eat. Also with drains, pipes and the sewage system not really being on point in a lot of places, it is frowned upon to put toilet paper in the toilet. My roommate and I, the only girls on our floor to use toilet paper, learned this the hard way when a note was put on the back of the bathroom door warning us against that. Oops!

P.S. don`t my legs look all black as night and shiny in this pic? Love it!

And All That Flash!

Here`s a little taste of Hindu architecture for your viewing pleasure. Everything is so decorative, so beautiful. I especially love the pink temple. It stands out so well against the dark building and sunless sky. Couldn`t you just see Mattel advertising to a replica to little Indian girls as Barbie`s Dream Temple? Of course, Barbie would look A LOT different! And her name would probably be changed to Shilpa.

Water Water Everywhere...And You REALLY Don`t Wanna Drink It.

Welcome to Banganga Tank, home of the annual Banganga Festival that takes place every January here in Mumbai. Ritual Hindu bathers come here for the sacred healing power of the water. To be honest, the water looked really dirty to me, but as its source is supposed to be the Ganges River, I`m not surprised. Unfortunately, the Ganges, as holy as it is, is also known to be one of the most polluted rivers in the world. But the Banganga Tank still looks pretty from afar, no? And with a great name like Banganga, how could you go wrong?

Mosque in the Sea

Swimming? Boating? Paddling? Nah, just plain old walking. That`s how you get to Haji Ali, the mosque in the sea. Haji Ali was a Muslim merchant from Mumabi who died on his way to Mecca after giving up all his possessions. According to legend, his body floated all the way back to Mumbai. The mosque is in desperate need of maintenance but that would mean shutting the whole mosque for some time and few people like that option.

During high tide, and especially during monsoon season, it is impossible to get to the mosque because the walkway is under water. Along the walkway, you see plenty of people selling things, and that`s fine. But what is hard to see is the many physically deformed people, mostly men, laying on the ground chanting for what seems like hours, even days. That was really, really tough.

The Wheels on the Cart Go Round N`Round

If you`re in the business of selling something, how do you get your product from the distribution center to your place of business? Trucks are may be too expensive, so how bout a cart? It`s common to see men using all their strength to push and pull these carts on the street, right next to insane traffic! You can transport fruit, kerosene, clothes, anything. And there`s little fear a car will hit you.

Business on the Street

Mumbai is the biggest city in India that attracts more than 1000 new settlers everyday. The population is estimated to be anywhere from 12-18 million people. No one knows for sure because lots of people are never counted. Anyway, people come because you can make money here. And you don`t need a lot of space to do it. Look and see a shoe repairman who has squeezed himself into the tiniest corner of the street to run his business. Or, the typists who spend all day outside typing important documents for people. The typists can read, write and type in English, Hindi, and several other Indian languages. All these businesspeople spend all day working, hear all the loud noises and watch all the people push against each other. Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qwZBqCfJxw to hear and see a street market.

Beauty Expanded

This is the inaugural issue of Vogue India. I picked it up to read on my train ride to the museum. Although I am not really a fan of Vogue (although I was told to try the French version, which is supposed to be excellent) and have been trying to wean myself off fashion magazines in general, I thought, "Hey, the very first issue, why not?" Although it is not the first American fashion magazine here in India, I applaud Vogue for it`s new venture. I can`t figure out though, why the blonde, Australian model is front and center of the cover. Don`t get me wrong, I believe all fashion magazines around the world should show all types of models no matter what. But for the very first issue, I think it would have been best if the cover focused a wide spectrum of solely Indian beauty. Now that I`ve been living in India for 2 months, I have an idea of what Indian beauty means in general, but that`s a whole `notha topic!

Sights & Smells That Can Bring Tears to Your Eyes

I first arrived in NYC with my mother just a few days before I started college. I remember my mom`s reaction when we got out of the cab: "Eeeww. There`s bags of garbage everywhere and it`s so dirty. You`re going to stay here for four years?!?!" I tried to reassure her by saying that all big cities had a lot of trash and dirt, including Chicago. She was quick to point out that Chicago was significantly cleaner and I quickly replied that while this was true, especially since Chicago has alleys while NYC doesn`t, it was also significantly smaller. In any case, she grew to like NYC more and more with each subsequent visit. I don`t know if she`d ever like Mumbai though. Mumbai is a lot bigger and a lot more crowded then NYC, and oh so a lot trashier. Mumbai is so filthy and the smell is sometimes so bad, that it stops you in your tracks. And sometimes, you literally do have to stop in your tracks in order to avoid the animal or yes, human waste on the ground.The picture above is the very extreme and rare, yet, around town, I have seen that mess enough times that I`ve lost count. The city tries its best, I suppose, although there`s a lot more I think it can do. Ultimately, with so many people who don`t care enough, it`s difficult. How do you make people who already live in such a dirty town feel personally responsible for their own mes?

That`s My Ganesh!

The next party on the streets of Mumbai was Ganesh Chaturthi, an extravagant festival from Sept. 15-25. Like Gokulashtami, those dates vary from year to year depending on the lunar calendar. Every single day for 10 days, thousands of people wait in long lines to worship Ganesh, the elephant-headed god. Many stages housing many Ganesh statues are built all over the city to accommodate the crowds. Every evening, until about 11pm, the celebration went into the streets with drumming and dancing—causing traffic to be even WORSE than normal…I know, how can that even be possible? But there you go. Anyway, the last day all the Ganeshes are paraded down the street towards the ocean where they are submerged and given back to nature. The parades were fun but at a certain point I felt we were more of an attraction than the Ganeshes were just because we weren`t Indian. That was OK since so most people smiled and waved at us. And every time we stopped to talk to 1 or 2 Indians, we ended up being surrounded by 20 more! The only bad thing was that it made us more of a target for the tikka powder bombs. As you can see, that`s how I ended up red, pink, orange and yellow. Yes, I had to scrub parts of my hair 4 times to get it all out but hey, all those colors made me even prettier, no? :-)

Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5YhkhkT9RU to honor Ganesh right.

Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnyqxuTL7Sc to ride with us towards the ocean.

Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcQWAkCpNW0 to say farewell to Ganesh.

Gotta Have That Butter!

The predominant religion in India is Hinduism. It runs on a lunar calendar so holidays are not the same day every year. This year, Gokulashtami, took place on September 4^th. Gokulashtami is the celebration of the birth of the god Krishna. As a boy, Krishna would always get into his mother`s butter so she hid it up high so he couldn`t reach it. Clever boy that he was, he got his friends together so they could reach the butter and eat it. Mumbai has the best recreation of this in India. Clay pots called Handis are hung up high in the air. Towers of people called Govinda Pathaks then climb on top of one another to reach and break the pots. The professionals can get up to 40 feet high! Amazing! My school, Welingkar, had one girls and one boys team. The day started with prayers and offerings of a buttery dessert to Krishna. Then came all day dancing, spraying of water, and dusting with red powder. We rode in the back of huge trucks singing songs and going completely crazy. Thane, the celebration site, had thousands of men but few women, for some reason, I don`t know what. Anyway, it was fun. And, guess who, along with some other students, ended up in The Times of India, the country largest English newspaper? Yep, that would be me. The picture highlighted international students` love of Gokulashtami. Sweet. And buttery. Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nugubSNn2qw to dance. Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgbugDsiuW0 to sing.

Freedom from Rule, Freedom to Shop

It`s festiveal season here in Mumbai. It actually started back on August 15<sup>th</sup>, India`s Independence Day, which marked the 60^th anniversary of independence from British rule. There was a small ceremony at school with the raising of the Indian flag that morning. I was lovin` the bright orange turbans and really wanted to try one on. I mean, it is my color, don`t you think? Maybe I should start incorporating it more into my wardrobe. Anyway, it was crazy crowded that day as most people had the day off and decided to shop til they dropped. This was the 1^st time I`ve seen so much shopping on an Independence Day, but it`s kinda American in a way, no? It reminded me of the day after Thanksgiving. SALE! SALE! SALE! Speaking of which, you know what Indians think of Thanksgiving? Not turkey, not Pilgrims, not football. They think of it as the best time to got to the states to get the best deals on electronics. Love it!

Me! Me! CHEESE!

Speaking of star, everyone wants to be one, even if it`s just for a little while. Or at least, have a really good picture of themselves taken. Sometimes, when I`m out and about taking pictures, people want me to take a picture of them as well even though they know there`s unfortunately no way I can give them the picture. I even had someone ask me to take a picture of their baby! Just because! I wonder if it`s some sort of good luck. I don`t know. Anyway, yesterday another person asked if I would publish the pictures online, in the newspapers, and on TV. Well, there`s only so much I can do. I`m just not yet famous enough outside India! But I`m sure they`d be happy to know that a few people in countries far, far away have seen them on a random girl`s blog. So, without any further ado, meet some of my random friends!

More and More Famous Everyday

I bought the shirt in this picture in NYC this past May and I wore it for my birthday dinner last month (yes, along with my celebrity sunglasses that my girls in Switzerland know I love so much.) This picture is also appropriate because Rachel, the amazingly cool chick next to me is a mini celebrity herself with cool make-up and and even cooler jewelry. People here are extremely nice, and we have definitely become local celebrities without even trying. I think they don`t know what to make of me half the time. I feel like this is what some people think: “Who is that? She`s got dark skin like me, but she`s obvoiusly not Indian. She has funny hair…and wow, she is crazy tall! And why does she carry that enormous backback? That can`t be good for her! Well, I`m just going to stare.” And stare they do. Often, I get stared at HARD, and surprisingly, it comes a lot from teenagers. I thought it would be mostly from old people. Ah, but they mean well. Once I was at the store and I heard a woman kept yelling “Jambo.” Of course, I paid no attention to her because I thought she was speaking Hindi to someone else..and besides, people are constantly yelling at each other. Eventually this incredibly tiny woman of about age 50 tapped my elbow and waved. With a smile, she said “Jambo! Jambo! You Ethiopian!” I had to laugh. Well, my celebrity is to be expected, I suppose. After all, my name does mean star!

Yum Yum—I Guess?

There are plenty of outdoor food vendors here in Mumbai. It usually looks good but I really don`t know if it is. Why? Cuz I haven`t had the nerve to try any of the food yet, although one of my American classmates eats it every once in a while and hasn`t gotten ill from it. (He`s gotten sick for other reasons, just like the rest of us at least once.) The thing is, most of the Indian students at school don`t even eat it and warn me against it. I know I shouldn`t but the little adventurer in me says, “Come on, go ahead. You`ll be fine!” In the picture above, you can see a food stand I passed by last night. They were selling the very popular Bombay Burger, a fried ball of potato with some peas, onions, coriander and other spices put in a bun. Man, did it smell like Popeye`s Fried Chicken! Ah, the greasy goodness. Well, I already had my once-a-year Popeye`s for 2007 so I`ll just have to wait til I get to Philly next year, I guess.

D`OH!

I didn`t look for The Simpsons Movie since I was able to watch it in Switzerland before coming here. But I`m sure they must have shown it here. The show is aired twice a day here and they broadcast all the newest episodes. One episode I saw for the 1^st time here is when Mr. Burns outsourced the plant to India. "Kiss Kiss Bang Bangalore" is such a realistic episode that if you want a comical idea of what it`s like here, I highly recommend you watch it.

The Sport of Champions

In India, cricket is king. The king of kings. It looks a bit like baseball and everyone is dressed in pristine white. The game can take up to five days and there`s always time for a tea break. It is very proper indeed. Two nights ago, India beat archrival Pakistan in the championship game of the ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa. Today, everyone is in an uproar while the team parades through the city now that the team has returned home. The pic above is a game I watched the other day as I sat on the low wall studying my accounting notes. It`s being played by members of the exclusive gym across the street from the school. You can only become a member through invitation, connections, or because daddy is a member. Funny thing is that these are the same rules the British had here in India back in the day. The only extra disgusting rule they had then that they don`t have now? No dogs or Indians allowed. Well, look who runs it now.