Wednesday, September 19, 2012


September 18, 2012
Here I am-in India. I have been here for a little over 3 days and have experienced so much already. For people not as familiar with India, let me start with some of the things that are bound to stand out…let’s just say!
-Welcome to land of no traffic regulations-let me elaborate... This is what I call a zoo of cars, rikshaws, scootys, motorcycles, bikes, busses, people, dogs, cows, and occasional other animals. The people here have accustomed to maneuvering their way through the chaos to their destination astonishingly. My cousin suggested I learn to drive scooty, but trust me, keeping my balance on it is a big deal for me as it is. Basically, who needs roller coasters when there are Indian roads. No doubt there does need to be more regulation -it is hard with over a billion people though.
- Thank goodness for Odomos! I award it Best Mosquito Repellent Award of the century! Added bonus: a natural moisturizer. My dose- BID (twice a day). Buy it at any medical shop here for cheap. I personally prefer it over mosquito repellent sprays found in the states that are heavy, expansive and wear off quicker.
-What else can I say. I guess I am not really in culture shock. This is the culture I have lived in various times in the past.
Oh yea, come to Gujarat, and you will not recognize the same area as much. There is so much development occurring. When I went to my home city, Vadodara, I could not recognize the roads. The expressway is a new blessing for travelling between major cities. Thanks to Narendra Modi, the CM, Gujarat has progressed dramatically while he has been in office. It was his birthday yesterday. I read the Gujarati newspaper here daily-my way of trying to add speed to my Gujarati reading skills.
Seeing family is a blessing. I have yet to meet so many more relatives and friends, but the ones I got to see in last 3 days have lightened up my trip already.
I am on mission “not to get sick”. I try to not eat too much at one time, but sometimes, it is inevitable as we have family meals. My family already thinks I don’t eat much. They look at my serving size and just wonder. It will take a while for my appetite to come back because of this jet lag. I plan on joining the gym here temporarily! The only thing is that BP gets low and I feel lightheaded. Good thing I bought my BP cuff and stethoscope. It came handy earlier on in the trip than intended. Solution: keep my H20 bottle on me at all times.
I got 2 hrs of sleep the last two nights. Took day time naps.Tonight, I slept for a good 5 hrs! Ka-ching! Progress! I still woke up at 4 AM. Instead of turning on bed, I thought I would be productive. I have some books to read and activities to plan anyway! I thought I would write now as once my lovely little niece wakes up, she will attack my computer. One year olds nowadays-they go straight for the technology. She is a darling-so adorable. Kids-they are nature’s gifts. I went from being the kid in the family, the youngest of all cousins, to being an aunt. I’m a masi (mom’s sister) and a foi (dad’s sister).
I won’t be able to post online until much later when I get internet and converter.
Until later, ta-ta.

Edit: Finally got a converter laptop charger for my . Guess how much?!... just 30 rupees. That is 60 cents! beats any converter you buy in the U.S.! It is still hard to use the computer when my little niece is around. I will use it sparingly...aka when she is asleep. I will make a more recent post soon! 





3 comments:

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  2. hi jinal. i am so glad to hear you are enjoying your time in india. i am VERY jealous of you. i miss that dust, the noise pollution, that zoo like road. I really hope i was there right now. I wonder how much india has changed since the last 9 years. I really hope i can also grow along with you and your experience in india. Thank you for creating this blog and sharing it with me. It's like seeing india with your eyes or more like words.

    Your daily blog reader,

    STUTI.

    P.S : keep the blogs coming. SOON!! :) and be safe!!

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  3. @Stuti, glad to share my experiences with you. I wish you were here too. If all of us could get together sometime somehow and go on a trip that would be great! Take a train and explore all corners of India!
    I'll post soon again. Take care.. Ta Ta (my little niece learned those syllables and she says the cutest "ta ta" and waves her hand"

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