Sari Shopping!

     I imagined myself walking down the street at a small village market, surrounded by bright colored sarees, looking for the perfect sari that a women had spent hours making, then asking her to help me try it on. WRONG! Reality check- it is 2011 in India too...and they do most of their clothes shopping at the mall. When I came to India and realized how many women wear sarees and salwar kameezes, I finally understood that they shop for these "everyday clothes" at the mall, just like we would shop at our stores. There are so many shops full of Indian clothing from stores like our Target to Bloomingdales. Walking through the mall trying to find a sari was incredibly difficult! Mostly because you can't just buy a sari right there. A lot of women buy the material that is usually the appropriate length for any sari, they hem it there and cut off some of the material to make a top to match, which you have to take to a tailor to get made for you. Then you have to buy a skirt that matches the color so you can wear underneath and use the waist line to tuck in the sari! Some of the really nice stores had sarees premade, but they were hundreds of US dollars. Some of the designs and different types of sarees were so beautiful they looked like gowns.

     After an hour of trying on different sarees, Rianne and I decided not to get one because we have no where to wear it, an underskirt, a tailor to make the shirt, and we would need to learn how to put it on! The store we went to was so much fun because we had four guys helping us, getting us all different colors, and they were the ones dressing us! One guy even put on a skirt to show us how it worked haha. Definitely not the expereince I had in mind, but they were so helpful and funny, we were really thankful they let us try them on.

   

I have a new appreciation for the women I see everyday wearing a sari walking down the dirty street, riding a motorcycle, working all day in the office, etc. They must be extremly comfortable and natural to them, but when I tried them on, I thought they seemed like a lot to maintain (and hard to keep from falling off!). They look extremely elegant in them but the way the middle is open seems very revealing to me! I couldn't imagine wearing one every day. I also don't know how they manage to keep them so clean when they are in dirt, its humid and everyone is sweating, and the material looks like it has special washing instructions. It would be so fun to wear one to a nice dinner or party here, but I don't see myself wearing it anywhere else. We did buy a salwar kameez (the other traditional outfit they wear) for our trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal!

Delhi

     We are in Delhi for a business trip! We got to visit the Free Trade Warehousing Zone being built in Kurja and have been working at the office in Delhi to learn more about Arshiya’s Transport & Handling team. Luckily for us, this means we get to tour Delhi too (and then take a few days off to visit Agra, Jaipur, and Udaipur)! The moment we arrived in Delhi I noticed the drastic weather change immediately- dry heat! I felt like I was in Arizona in the summer, but hotter. Our apartment that we are living in is great, and we love our new cook, although we can’t exactly communicate.

   

    On the drive to Kurja we passed by thevillages we usually see on our way to the FTWZ in Mumbai. I usually see buffalo cooling down in the stream along the road with just their heads sticking out, but this time we saw kids playing in the water with buffalo! They were climbing on their backs, standing up on them, and playing games right next to them! All of the kids were so friendly and kept waving at us. It was funny because when we pulled over, the ones out of the water would pose for our pictures!

When we got back to Delhi, we went out to tour the city. We started at the Lotus Temple, also known as the Bahai House of Worship. It was one of my favorite places we visited. The building is made of nine petals facing upward towards heaven, and nine pools around it symbolizing the green leaves of a lotus flower. The number nine is a symbol of unity in the Bahai faith. The walk up to the temple, gardens, simple inside, and architecture was so beautiful. You have to take off your shoes before walking around the temples here, and it was hard to get used to!

Next we headed to the India Gate, a huge sandstone arch built in 1931 in memory of the 90,000 soldliers of the British Indian Army who fell in WWI and the 3rd Afgan War in the late 19th Century. In the 1970's the government added a memorial to Indias unknown soldier beneath the arch.  It is in the center of a huge park with kids playing in the fountain, families hanging out on the lawn, vendors everywhere, hawkers, etc. There were so many people visiting the gate, it felt like a smaller version of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. We read in our tour book that there are dancing monkeys by the gate! But when I excitedly ran up to the two police men circling the area asking "Monkey?" and danced for him to try to communicate this...we didn't exactly get the reaction we were hoping for haha. Instead he look very confused, shook his head and walked away. Crazy Americans! Gaby also got tricked into getting a Henna tatoo on her hand and was asked to pay 100 rupees for it! We have learned to say no to the hawkers quickly now before they grab your hand!

We drove down Rajpath street that begins at the India Gate and runs through Lutyen's Delhi, Sir Edwin Lutyen's imperial city that was built between 1914-1931 when the British moved their capital from Calcutta to Delhi in 1911. In the picture below you can see the two identical North and South Secretariats on each side of Rajpath. Behind the North Secretariat is the Indian Parliment House, the Sansad Bhavan (on the right, but you can't see it in the picture). At the top of Rajpath is the Rastrapati Bhavan, where the President of India lives. It is the biggest presidential house in the world! Here is a picture of us in front of the gates. It was quite the challenge trying to get this picture...the people visiting the gate at the time didn't speak English and acted like they had never seen a camera before! They just wanted us to take a picture of them instead! About 5 trys later, we finally got one.

Round 2 in Colaba, South Mumbai

     After work on Saturday we finally made it to Colaba to go shopping! It was such a busy, hectic scene, but we had a great time negotiating and buying trinkets and souvenirs. The shopping was similar to most typical city stands, selling the same things, and  full of stuff we didn't need but had to have! Even though we expected to play the bargaining game, we quickly caught on to the fact that they are very tricky! Just when I thought I was getting a great deal for this colorful mirror I bought for half price, the next vendor with the same mirror asked for half the price I had bought it for! They sky rocket the price for foreigners, but I'm on to them now and they haven't fooled me again yet!

    

We had another fabulous dinner at Leopold Cafe and had our driver, Shukla, escort us to the Gateway of India. It was a busy night on the street so we were glad he was there to look after us. On the way we passed by lit up horse carriages, balloon vendors, food vendors, and more trying to get our attention, but Shukla took care of them. The Gateway of India was BEAUTIFUL at night! It was built in the 1920's to honor the king and queen of England. It also pays a role in India's Independence because the British soldiers passed through it when leaving India for the last time. Families and children were sitting and playing in the plaza, enjoying the warm night.  

Across from the Gateway of India is the Taj Palace & Tower Hotel, which was also amazing to see lit up at night. The entire setting was perfect! Rianne asked Shukla to hold her hot pink jacket while we took a picture, and when we looked back he had it tied around his waist. About twenty minutes later we looked over and he had it draped over his shoulders! We couldn't stop laughing, because it was totally unintentional, but it looked like he was enjoying wearing it!

We also went to The Comedy Store for a show! It was hilarious and being noticeably American, we were called out many times. But they made fun of everyone. I haven't laughed that hard in a while! 

Knee Deep In Work At Work- Literally!

So far, I have been to six Arshiya offices for work: MIDC (home office in Andheri East), OPUS (down the street), CJ House (downtown Mumbai), FTWZ (Mumbai), FTWZ (Kurja), and the Delhi office. It has been so neat to visit all the different locations and sites to meet new teams and learn about every part of the company. I’ve had the opportunity to sit in some really great client meetings at a few of these locations. The CJ House office is beautiful! I’ve never seen such an elegantly decorated conference room. We have been travelling to these places a few times every week and work has really picked up. I have lots of assignments every day and even homework! I don’t mind though, I’m so glad I am interning at a company that treats me like every other employee and demands a lot of work. It is preparing me for the real world after college! I had an interesting “Sales Workshop” all day meeting the other day. We managed to cram around 40 people in one room that only had 12 chairs around the main table! You can only imagine how crammed it was, but hey at least we all saw the presentations.

I usually walk to OPUS since it is about five buildings down from MIDC...but this is not as simple as it sounds in June! First off, I must be invisible to cars, buses, minivans, rickshaws, buffalo- you name it! Traffic doesn’t stop and will run your toes over, splash you with mud and puddles, or honk and make you jump. The good news is, the locals and street vendors get a good laugh! The other day it started pouring rain during our meeting at OPUS, and when it was time to walk back to MIDC, we had no choice but take on the challenge (which I thought would be fine because it had stopped raining). Did I mention there aren’t drains and sidewalks like at home? Roxana and I rolled up our pants, and hopped around puddles for about 100 feet, then realized there was only one way to get back. So we treaded through a giant, muddy, squishy, car oily, puddle- KNEE DEEP for about two blocks back to MIDC. I took the longest shower of my life that night!

What You've Asked...Or Are Probably Wondering

I think about 5% of people I know are either familiar with, have been to, or are from India. For the other 95% of you, here are the answers to all your curious questions you keep asking!

First of all, India is HUGE (look at the map comparing the US and India's area!). I am in Mumbai (Bombay).  

Facts About Mumbai:
1) It is India's largest (and richest) city and the 5th largest city in the world
2) It is "modern and old-fashioned, rich and poor, beautiful and ugly- all of India concentrated in one metropolis" -Fodor's: India
3) The population density is 20,500 per sq. km (Manhattan's population density is 27,000 per sq km.)- VERY CROWDED

FAQ's

1. Where do you live?
• I'm in Mumbai, Maharashtra which is on a peninsula on the west coast of India, facing the Arabian Sea. I am not in the heart of the city though, I'm living in Powai, suburbs right outside the city.
2. Is it Mumbai or Bombay?
• Everyone calls the city both names. I read that the right-wing Hindu nationalist party Shiv Sena won elections in the state of Maharashtra and took control of the state assembly. Their leader argued that "Bombay" was a corrupted English version of "Mumbai" and an unwanted legacy of British colonial rule. So they renamed the city in 1995 after the Hindu goddess Mumbadevi, the city's patron deity.
3. Have you visited Delhi yet?
• No, it is a 20 hour drive (which I won't be doing!) or a 1.5 hour flight, so we haven't had a chance to go yet. Luckily, Arshiya (my company) is planning a 7 day trip to Delhi at the end of June, so I will get to travel to all the places in Delhi I've been wanting to see very soon!
4. Do they shake hands?
• Yes, in the office. Otherwise, most people say "namaste" with a head nod (I feel like I'm at yoga) which means hello.
5. Do you have to act any differently there around certain people?
• Everyone is treated the same as far as I can tell, especially at work. However, when we are on the streets, women are advised not to make eye contact and smile at men (obviously) because we don't want to give off an invitation! I also I have to act uninterested around hawkers and beggars, but this can be especially difficult when little kids are asking for food and money.
6. Do they have American TV channels?
• I'm not really a TV expert since I barely watch TV at home! There are a lot of Indian channels on the TVs in our apartment that aren't in English, but there is also VH1 India (all American music videos) and American movie channels. I usually just watch those channels. If you want to get the news, you have to watch it online.
7. What are some easy words you have learned?
• Namaste: hello, Dal: lentils, Dahi: yogurt....umm is it bad that's all I know off the top of my head?! I can't pronounce anything correctly anyways. Its really hard to understand people sometimes because of their accent, so its best to have them write it down. Most people at work, stores and restaurants speak English, so we usually figure it out.
8. What is there language called?
• The official language is Hindi and English is the secondary official language. 
9. Are most people religious and how/where/when do they worship?
• The Indian people are free to follow any religion- 80% practice Hinduism, 13.45% Islam, 2.35% Christianity, and 1.94% Sikhism. I haven't been to any places of worship yet, but every morning when we come into the office it smells like incense. There is a special corner on our floor at the office with pictures of gods and flowers, and every morning they light the incense. Many people pray when they walk into the office in the morning and when they leave in the evening. Also, 1/3 of Indians are vegetarians mostly for religious reasons.
10. When you want a second helping of food, why do they try to serve it to you?
• We have been wondering this every time we go out the waiters insist that they serve us more food every time we try to help ourselves. The old fashioned reason is that serving yourself is considered polluting the food if you try to help yourself because you have already been eating with your "food-contaminated" hands. For the most part, they just want to give you good service.
11. Do they have dots on their foreheads and what does it mean?
• This dot is called a "bindi" and is a forehead decoration. Traditionally it was a red or maroon colored dot, but many women also wear jewels and other colors and shapes. Now they have stick on bindis too! They aren't as fashionable to younger generations but are worn on special occasions. There are a lot of interpretations. It is known to be mark that enhances beauty. It is placed in between the eyebrows, known as the seat of wisdom. It is also believed to be the exit point for coiled energy, so the bindi is said to retain this energy and increase concentration. The color red represents honor, love, and prosperity. It is a myth that only married Hindi women wear bindis as a symbol of wedlock.
12. Do they listen to our music and go to American artists' concerts?
• Yes, they listen to ALL the same music. Our driver likes to listen to indi-pop music in the car, but when we have gone to to the night clubs, they play the same stuff at home. In fact, on Friday night we are planning on going to Blue Frog because T-Pain is performing!
13. Do they have police and what are they like?
• What police? We have barely seen any police! This explains the crazy driving! I've seen a couple police regulating traffic. People don't get speeding tickets- that's for sure. Our friends did say that they will sometimes sit by a red light in the city and get people that way (the only traffic light I've seen in India)
14. Do they carry machine guns like a lot of countries?
• I think I saw one police carrying a gun while directing traffic. Other than that, I haven't seen enough police to say.
15. Is there anything British left there and do you feel the influence and how?
• You drive on the left side of the road like in England! There have also been a few words I've heard, like biscuit for cookies, and lift for elevator. Cricket was introduced by the British and now it is the most popular sport in India! 
16. Do they have big families?
• I haven't noticed any big families walking around together. I think family size depends on how many people you can support. I was told that most average families have 1-2 children. I was super surprised to find out that it is really normal for extended family to live together. Families usually live with their grandparents in the same house (well, building in Mumbai). There aren't any houses in the city, everyone lives in buildings. Some families even live with aunts, uncles, and cousins all on different levels in the same building! 
17. When do the women get married?
• Women are allowed to get married at 18, and men are allowed to get married at 21, but if they are 16 or 17, they can get annulled. Until a few years ago, 50% of the women got married before they were 18, but now women are getting married a little later.
18. Are most marriages still arranged or is that another myth?
• Yes they are still arranged! In the city, most people get married in their mid-20's but in the villages arranged marriages are happening earlier.
19. What is the fashion like?
• Most women wear the traditional sari or outfit called a shalwar kameez (loose trousers and a loose shirt). Men wear a button down shirt and any kind of pants. I haven't seen very many people in jeans, but sometime women wear jeans with their kameez (loose shirt). There are many types of shalwar kameez outfits and sari fabrics are all so different! The clothing is colorful and you rarely see solids or black. Some women at the office wear Western business clothes, there is no dress code. When we go out to dinner and out at night, I feel like I am in the US. Girls wear dresses and fancy tops, and guys wear anything. 
20. Do the girls style their hair or wear makeup?
• Yes I have seen a lot of girls wearing makeup and with beautiful hair! I don't know if they style it or if it just drys naturally wavy, but it is really shiny. We have seen a lot of commercials on TV for hair too and I can tell it is an area they pay a lot of attention to. Also, I've seen a lot of pretty elaborate eye makeup on women.
21. Do the kids like our fast food?
• So far I have seen KFC, McDonalds, Dominos, Pizza Hut, and Subway. McDonalds has a completely different menu (no hamburgers, just chicken and vegetarian things) and Pizza Hut and Dominos pizzas are really expensive because they are the best pizzas around. If I were a kid, these would not be my choices for dinner! Pepsi is extremely popular though! There are Pepsi commercials on TV all the time.
22. Do they have Starbucks?
• No. Good thing I'm not a coffee lover! It seems like they serve you free tea and coffee everywhere though, so I don't know how much business Starbucks would get.
23. Are they into technology; ie cell phones, iPods, computers, cameras and does everyone have one?
• Everyone has a cell phone from a Blackberry to an old school Nokia "brick". My work phone is just a newer version of the "brick" haha but it gets the job done. Everyone at the office has a Blackberry, but most people I see on the street using phones have just a simple cell phone. I don't see anyone using iPods when they work out or anytime. At work everyone has a computer, but it is so funny to use my computer at home because our caretaker is fascinated by it and loves to look at the screen. I'm not sure if everyone has cameras. I have mine out everyday to take pictures and I catch a lot of people staring...but they are probably just wondering why a crazy tourist is taking pictures of them!
24. Do they have pay phones?
• I haven't seen one.
25. Do they have subways or buses or any public transportation?
• Yes, there are lots of buses. No subways. There is also a train but I heard it is insane. A few of our friends from Brown said that it is so crowded in the train that people are hanging out the windows. Then when the train is coming up to the next stop, people just start jumping out because there isn't usually enough time for everyone to get on and off at the actual stop. I hear it is very stressful, hot, and unpleasant. It is also interesting that having cars is a "luxury". Many people walk to work, take rickshaws, or have drivers because no one likes to drive in the Mumbai traffic! It is really dirty on the roads, so if you do own a car, you have to wash it every day!
26. Do you think it's beautiful there or not, any natural beauty like flowers, trees, rivers, mountains?
• I do think it is beautiful. I am in the city, so there isn't a lot close by, but it is still very green. We are going to the mountains soon to visit some beautiful waterfalls! When we drove to the FTWZ for work, we went up through the hills and it was really nice to be out of the hectic city.
27. Do they have super markets or do you have to go to the butcher, baker, and so forth like in Europe?
• They have super markets. Haiko is my favorite because it is really clean and organized, has American food, and lots of organic things (reminds me of a whole foods). There is also D-Mart and G-Mart, which wasn't as fun to shop at because it was hot and the quality of food wasn't the same as Haiko!
28. What are there past times?
• People love to play games (tag, etc.), even adults! We see people playing cricket and soccer everywhere too. I haven't gone to the movies yet, but I heard it is a very popular thing to do.
29. Do they kids have public schools and have you seen the school children?
• I saw one private school and have seen some little kids walking around in uniforms, but besides that I really haven't seen any schools.
30. Any parks or playgrounds, baby carriages pushed down the street?
• That's a funny question because I don't think anyone here would even know what a baby carriage was! Women and men carry around their children like they are dolls- they keep them safe but in the US people would think they were dolls! There are no strollers, car seats, booster seats, or baby backpacks. Women ride side-saddle on the back of the motorcycle holding onto her husband in front with one hand and the baby in the other. There aren't really any parks in the city.
31. How are the bathrooms?
• The bathrooms at the office are really clean. A women is usually in the bathroom cleaning up after everyone. You aren't supposed to flush toilet paper in the toilet though because it will clog the drain, so there is a trashcan in the stalls, which the lady empties constantly. There is also some type of hose and a drain in the corner of all the bathrooms (I think it is supposed to be used like a bidet). Outside the office, it is very hard to find a public restroom and most women don't use them! There is no such thing as getting off the freeway to stop at a gas station here, you just have to suffer. 

Have even more questions? Post in the comment below and I'll be sure to answer them :)

Open Your Eyes and Clear Your Mind

I have been extremely comfortable in the suburbs, with my safe apartment, personal driver, and friendly accommodations at the office. I know the road we take to work, to the gym, and home five to six days a week. That route, the shops, and people I pass by everyday are what I think of when I think of India. But the other day, we drove through some new areas, and I saw a whole other side of India- the side people associate with India because of movies like Slumdog Millionaire. My co-worker described it as corruption- the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.

People told me I could not understand what India is like unless I came here. They also said that no matter how much I tried to prepare myself with orientations, books, travel guides, and talking with friends, nothing could explain what I would see. This is what I have discovered. I cannot grasp India because it is impossible to wrap my mind around the overwhelming diversity of life I have witnessed. I'm used to diversity, but have never seen so many diverse lives overlapping each other all in the same place. I cannot think rationally and try to comprehend what I am seeing because so much is irrational. My heart aches and my mind wants to spin, but our car never stops long enough to understand. The truth is, all I can do is open my eyes, clear my mind, and absorb what I am seeing.

There seems to be a large divide between the impoverished people here: the people who work for 10-15 hours for 120 rupees a DAY (about $2.00) and the people who beg. When I asked my friend here about begging in India, he said not to give the children money. If I were to give anything to them, its best to give them food. Half of the beggars, especially children, are organized by an agent. It is all business for them. The children are forced to beg, and once they get money, their agent takes it away from them. It is extremely hard to comprehend why the children would go back to these awful businesses day after day, but they have no choice. They aren't educated and it is all that they have. This lack of education restricts them from seeing what they need, what they can have, and how to demand it. Then the people that work for minimum wage are trying to make a living off of so little. To pay rent for an apartment, feed a family, or even just take care of yourself must be so hard. I heard that many apartments will be rented out by 10 people all cramming into one room just to have shelter at night. The shacks and slums we see along the streets are typically filled with people just trying to survive by begging. We were told that only 90% of the people living in those conditions don't work.

I have also noticed there is such a difference in sizes. Women wearing saris and loose clothing make it difficult to see, but they look similar to people at home. At home though, being thin is usually a good thing, so most women look great to me. The men's sizes are where I have noticed differences. So many men are extremely thin and frail. I saw a full grown man on the street the other day who must have had a 22 inch waist! It is crazy to imagine how little he must eat. But then when I really started to think about it, I'm sure he is working extremely hard, with high amounts of stress on the body, and barely making enough money to eat. If he needs to support his family, he would probably eat even less in order to give his children just enough nourishment to get through the day. I'm sure this process continues throughout generations and generations, so the entire family is genetically thin, but also malnourished.

These workers would be considered to be extremely poor in the United States, but here they are average, and make up a huge percent of the population in India. The living conditions and lives they live are drastically different than anything we would suspect for a working class at home. However, since it is normal for them, they seem happy. I smile everyday because I catch these people smiling, laughing, and living their life like everyone should. They do not resent their work, they are thankful for it. Even children living in the slums who are running around naked along the street after just going to the bathroom in the middle of the road or dancing in the rain during the storm are running around laughing. Its beautiful to see, it just makes me want to give them so much more.

Life Is Good...Even In The Rain!

Monsoon season has officially hit! It started to rain a little bit here and there last week, but now it pours everyday! The weather has also cooled down, but it is still warm. The only problem is...it has really been effecting some of our plans! I tried to take pictures from inside the car during the storm, but it is impossible! Here are some googled images of the level of water we have seen on the street and on the freeway. I'm also adding a video from our drive on the freeway, but you can't really tell how hard it is raining. It is hilarious to see the women side-saddle holding umbrellas! Men on motorcycles wear "rain suits" which is like a rain jacket for the entire body over their work clothes.

We planned to go to Colaba on Saturday and see the Elephanta Caves, Gateway of India, and go shopping, but the rain was so bad that we had to have our driver turn around and take us back to Powai. We ended up going to R City Mall to hang out, which was very different than the malls I'm used to! We tried to do some shopping but most of the shops had traditional Indian clothing or really unfashionable, poorly made, overpriced clothing. One store was really cute, ONLY, but way over priced! We were laughing because it was literally the ONLY store in the mall with anything we would like. They also have lots of entertainment throughout the mall...mini ice skating rinks, bungee jumping (for kids, but I almost did it), zip lines, etc. I also enjoyed some Baskin Robins ice cream!! We went to the Rainforest Restaurant (almost identical to the Rainforest Cafe except without animals and it wasn't as kid friendly). It had Indian, Italian, and Chinese food and it was great! It was very dark and had black lights across the ceiling creating a cool atmosphere.

The girls went to the theatre in the mall on Friday night. They said that it was really interesting because the previews were in the middle of the movie during intermission! The Indian movies are so long that they usually have an intermission. They also come around asking your for tea and coffee during intermission, just like in the office at work. Also, when you buy your tickets, the price depends on the seats you choose.

Saturday night when the rain stopped Rianne and I drove to South Mumbai again to go to meet up with some friends. We met up at the Mittal's house. Mr. Mittal is the Chairman of the Board and Mrs. Mittal is the Joint Managing Director for Arshiya International (the company I'm interning at), and we have been hanging out with their son Ananya. They were so welcoming and their place was incredible. It was great to finally meet them! We went to the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower for dinner at Souk, a Lebanese restaurant.

The hotel was as beautiful as all the travel books described it. Souk was right across from the Gateway of India and had an incredible view of the city because it was on the 20th floor. We had 15 people in our group, and around 12 people were from Brown- it is crazy how many Brown students we have run into here in Mumbai! After dinner we went to Arshiya's birthday party (Ananya's sister) and then went to the club we went to last weekend, Prive. It was a great night!

This morning Rianne and I decided to take matters into our own hands and go to the grocery store for our cook. We walked to Haiko (the Indian version of Whole Foods) from our apartment in the rain in our flip flops (which almost got washed away many times) with umbrellas. It was our first time on our own in Powai. After walking through town, we arrived at Haiko and we were in heaven! Most of the food we have in the US was there! We got all sorts of fruit, vegetables, oreos, rice krispies and marshmallows for homemade rice krispies, ingredients to make chocolate chip cookies, chips, pasta sauce and noodles, spinach, oatmeal, peanut butter, granola bars, and more! When we showed our cook, he looked so confused because he doesn't know brand names. We rode in our first rickshaw home which was so fun- we will definitely take more rides in them another time!

We made Rice Krispy treats today! Our cook thinks we are hilarious because we have only been eating eggs, peanut butter toast, fruit, and picking at what he makes. Tonight will be a learning experience though, we are going to teach him how to make fresh vegetables with JUST butter, salt and pepper. No curry, no spices, no sauce.

One Week Down

It has officially been one week and we are settled!

Food: The good news is...I have figured out how to eat in India! Thanks to google images and my Hindi dictionary I have learned to explain to our cook what I like. I even showed him how to cook eggs, which was a funny challenge because he doesn't like us to be in his kitchen when he is cooking! Eggs, toast, yogurt, peanut butter, and fruit for breakfast. Office cafeteria food or Domino's pizza for lunch. Cross my fingers for dinner (you never know what Mr. Dhanapati will make!).

Exercise: My number one priority- to find a gym- was almost impossible. There are few gyms around and the membership fee for 2 months was ridiculous. Luckily my mentor at the office helped me find a gym yesterday, called "Planet Health"! The other girls and I signed up and plan to go after work every day! It is extremely small but has cardio machines and weights, which is all we needed. It is important to note that gyms in India are HOT. It was difficult to adjust to the miniature air conditioning and lack of fans. Also, its impossible to get a good breathing pattern going (in through the nose, out through the mouth) because you may pass out if you catch a whiff of the air- which is deadly.

Weather: Monsoon season makes the weather impossible to predict. There may be clear blue skies in the morning and torrential downpour in the evening. The traffic is unimaginable in the rain! A 30 minute drive took us 2 hours. There are no drains that I can see, so the streets flood. Rickshaws were stuck knee deep in the middle of the highway because they hit a pothole and lost a tire. At some points, driving on the freeway was like driving through a river. Thank goodness we have a great driver (below)! I tried to take a picture out the car window, but it is impossible to capture it.

People's response to the rain is really interesting. As we pass by towns in our car (so thankful to be inside), everyone is walking up and down the streets without an umbrella or coat like nothing has ever happened. Although there is so much rain coming down, it is warm, and people at the office say they love it! We saw a lot of children and adults playing cricket and soccer for hours outside our window. The rain makes a lot of mud, but it drys to quickly it doesn't matter.

The Other Interns: I love sharing a room with Rianne and it has been great to always have someone to talk to! The time difference and no texting makes it so hard to communicated on the other side of the word. The other two girls, Roxana and Gaby are great too and we pretty much do everything together. Roxana is my partner at the office, so we have been working on a lot of projects together. We actually give a presentation tomorrow!

Work at Arshiya: I really look forward to going work every morning. We have been working on different projects and feel like we are a part of the team here at Arshiya. Our focus for the past week has been to understand Arshiya inside and out before we start on our projects, so we have been listening to a lot of presentations and reading about the company. Here we are!

Roxana and I have been working with Pratap, our "buddy", who has been extremely helpful inside and outside the office. We had a fun time spending the day together yesterday! He has taught me a lot about India and answering my lists of questions. He also helped us find the gym (woohoo!) and has been giving us tips on places to eat and visit.

We visited one of Arshiya's sites, the FTWZ (Free Trade Warehousing Zone) and got to see everything we have been learning about! On our way to the FTWZ we stopped at McDonald's...which is not your typically McDonald's! They don't have hamburger patties. Instead, they have extra spicy chicken sandwiches and paneers- which is basically a milk patty. Ew! Ronald McDonald also looked a little different!

Unfortunately we were not allowed to take any pictures at the site, but it was incredible to see it! On the drive there, which was about two hours, we passed many other container yards and warehouses, which were completely opposite of what we saw at Arshiya. All the buildings at the Arshiya FTWZ were brand new, huge, and on clean, developed land. Security guards and cameras were everywhere keeping the site on lock down. A driver drove us around the site and we got to go inside the warehouse and see how it operated. It was a really great experience! Hopefully we will be going to visit the site that is opening in Delhi while I am here!

Our last stop for the day was dinner at "Yoko Sizzlers"  and ice cream "Naturals". Sizzlers here is much different than what I know at home. We ordered a cheesy chicken plate which was HUGE. I'm not a fan of the "yellow American" cheese they serve a lot here (I mean- I've never liked it), but the chicken was great. Getting meat is such a specialty these days because everything seems to be vegetarian. Naturals Ice cream was awesome! The flavors depend on what fruits are in season so everything was really fresh.

MISC: It is very funny to see women riding motorcycles "side-saddle" here behind the men who are driving! Often times it looks like they are going to fall off! I don't know how they manage to balance. Another thing I'm always curious about is why there are men sitting in the back of a loading truck with all the boxes and the door up. Originally I thought they sat back there for security reasons, to make sure no one opened up the back of the truck and stole anything. Pratap explained to me that it is simply because they don't have room in the front, and those guys are needed to load all the boxes out of the truck. They either sit, stand, or sit on the edge of the truck in the middle of the highway!

Saturday Night in Colaba

Leopold Cafe is by far the best place I have eaten at since I arrived in India. It is in Colaba, Mumbai where the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower hotel, Gateway of India, and major shopping district for tourists is located. We will be going back to Colaba during the day next weekend to go shopping and see these tourist attractions! I finally got to order meat: chicken tikka masala (which I admit, is better from my favorite chicken tikka masala at Kabob and Curry)! The food was incredible and had nan on the menu! We went to the restaurant with a friend from Brown and his friends from Mumbai. It has been so great meeting the locals and connecting with many Brown students. One of them ordered a "burger" which is slightly different than an American beef patty, but was three times the size! After dinner we went to a night club called Prive, near the Taj hotel and met up with some friends from the night before. Ananya  had another private lounge area reserved for our group which was awesome! It makes it such a personal space so you don't have to be in the middle of the main crowd.

First Night Out

Friday night was our first night to explore Mumbai nightlife. It took us two hours to get to South Mumbai because there was a huge storm and the rain was so intense, making the roads the biggest traffic mess I've ever seen. The rain poured down so hard I thought the windshield wipers were going to break off! The three girls and I met up with some friends from Brown who took us to dinner. We went to the India Jones Restaurant (Asian fusion cuisine) in the Trident, Nariman, in South Mumbai for dinner. The Hilton Trident was a luxurious five star hotel known for the best views of Mumbai and is located in the heart of the financial/business district. Here are pictures of the hotel (the taller building) and us the restaurant.

After dinner the guys took us to Hipe, a nightclub in South Mumbai owned by Aqeel Ali, one of India's best DJs (who I got to meet!). The music was great and we had such a fun time! We had a private table because one of our friends, Ananya, is friends with the DJ. I felt under dressed compared to everyone there (no one follows the "cover shoulder and leg rule"- even at work) but have been trying to dress conservative to be safe. 

Regarding safety, we have been extremely cautious. I did not imagine we would be going out at all (didn't pack any dressy clothes either!) because we were told women were not allowed out after 6pm. It seems to be that there are very different ways of life here, varying by class. I had imagined going out at night here meant walking through dark streets with people begging along the sidewalk, sketchy alleys and corners to the restaurant and club. I sure it may be that way in other places, but not where we have been in Mumbai. Our driver dropped us off and picked us up at the entrance of the hotel for dinner, and dropped us off and picked us up at the entrance of the club, just like the guy's driver. We do not walk anywhere except inside, and there is security at every place. We have had to walk through metal detectors, exactly like we would do in an airport. I asked why there is such extreme security and the guys expained that it was because of the terrorist attach on 11/26/08 in India. The Trident hotel was a main target during the attack.

Here are some pictures of the club and Rianne and I dancing!