Ugh…I don't think I have ever been so sick in my life. I am the first in my apartment to officially get the whole "Delhi belly" thing. We went to a restaurant for dinner and I just wanted something simple and familiar. I ordered a toasted cheese sandwich (more like a cheese panini than a grilled cheese), tomato soup, and orange juice. The sandwich was really good, the soup was spicy and not very good, and the orange juice was amazing. I thought it was a success. Not so much…
I woke up at about 5 o'clock in the morning with nausea and cramps. I spent the rest of the morning sick to my stomach, carrying a bucket with me around the apartment in case I had an urgent need to vomit. I have never wanted to be home so bad. India is a hard country to be sick in. They don't have Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup, saltine crackers, or easy access to flu medicine. The beds are rock hard and the furniture is wicker. I really just wanted to be home in my bed. Luckily, I have two amazing roommates who took good care of me.
The nausea calmed down sometime in the early afternoon, which was such a relief. A day later, I still feel really weak and can't eat much, but the Delhi belly has passed. It was awful and a very long morning, but I can now say that I have truly experienced India.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
A Streetcar Named... "Holy Crap, Are You Gonna Stop!?!"
I've never considered myself to be much of a risk-taker. I've always been cautious and have never felt the urge to put my life in danger for a rush of adrenaline. Living in Bangalore though, I risk my life everyday. No, I'm not talking about terrorism or kidnapping or being carried away by a giant mosquito. I'm talking about crossing the streets of Bangalore. Laugh all you like, it is a terrifying experience. Indian streets are like little, linear worlds of chaos. Motorcycles and rickshaws dart in and out of traffic, families of three or even four are piled onto a single bike, and driving into oncoming traffic is no big deal. There is an entire language of honking. People honk when they're passing, when someone is in the way, when another car is about to hit them, or sometimes they honk just for the sake of honking. It is very interesting (and noisy).
Crossing the street is like playing a real-life game of Frogger. There are four lanes of traffic and the idea of stopping for a pedestrian is merely a suggestion. To cross, one has to wait until there is a gap, run across the first lane, stop at the center line, wait for another gap, cross to the median, and do the whole thing over again. You can try to wait until there is a lull in traffic, but during rush hour you just have to go and pray that they stop for you, or at least go around you.
Crossing the street is like playing a real-life game of Frogger. There are four lanes of traffic and the idea of stopping for a pedestrian is merely a suggestion. To cross, one has to wait until there is a gap, run across the first lane, stop at the center line, wait for another gap, cross to the median, and do the whole thing over again. You can try to wait until there is a lull in traffic, but during rush hour you just have to go and pray that they stop for you, or at least go around you.
Monday, January 25, 2010
I'm Not Dead Yet
I'm here! I'm alive! I finally have internet! Yes, I know I have been in Bangalore for two weeks already, but I'm going to start from the beginning:
Plane rides are not the most comfortable experience in the world. The seats are cramped, the food is bad, the bathrooms are nasty and you're stuck making awkward conversation with your neighbors. Now, imagine dealing with all of this for twenty-four hours. Oh yes, not fun. The first leg of the trip was a 15-hour flight to Hong Kong. I was in seat 48F. I had an Indian guy on my right and an old Sikh couple on my left. Both men seemed to believe that they had the right to both arm rests. At one point, both of them fell asleep leaning in my direction. It was a bit cramped and very awkward. All in all though, the flight could have been a lot worse. Cathay Pacific had enough movies and TV shows to keep me occupied almost the entire time.
When we finally landed in Hong Kong, I got to meet the rest of the USAC people on the group flight. All of my flat-mates were there so it was nice to have that time to talk to them. The second leg of the flight, I'm glad to say, was way better. It was a seven-hour flight and, once again, I was in seat 48F. This time, however, fate took pity on me. I was the only person in my row. I got to spread out across the four empty seats and sleep for the entire flight. It was wonderful!
When we got off the plane and finished with customs, we left the front door and got our first look at India. My first impression was that it was not what I expected. People tell stories about arriving in India and talk about being drenched with sweat in minutes and the smell of sewage greeting you at the doors. In reality, the air was fresh and while there was more humidity than Spokane, it wasn't unbearable. Apparently 2:00 in the morning is the perfect time to arrive in Bangalore.
It was late, we were all exhausted, but after 10 months of waiting, I was finally in India.
Plane rides are not the most comfortable experience in the world. The seats are cramped, the food is bad, the bathrooms are nasty and you're stuck making awkward conversation with your neighbors. Now, imagine dealing with all of this for twenty-four hours. Oh yes, not fun. The first leg of the trip was a 15-hour flight to Hong Kong. I was in seat 48F. I had an Indian guy on my right and an old Sikh couple on my left. Both men seemed to believe that they had the right to both arm rests. At one point, both of them fell asleep leaning in my direction. It was a bit cramped and very awkward. All in all though, the flight could have been a lot worse. Cathay Pacific had enough movies and TV shows to keep me occupied almost the entire time.
When we finally landed in Hong Kong, I got to meet the rest of the USAC people on the group flight. All of my flat-mates were there so it was nice to have that time to talk to them. The second leg of the flight, I'm glad to say, was way better. It was a seven-hour flight and, once again, I was in seat 48F. This time, however, fate took pity on me. I was the only person in my row. I got to spread out across the four empty seats and sleep for the entire flight. It was wonderful!
When we got off the plane and finished with customs, we left the front door and got our first look at India. My first impression was that it was not what I expected. People tell stories about arriving in India and talk about being drenched with sweat in minutes and the smell of sewage greeting you at the doors. In reality, the air was fresh and while there was more humidity than Spokane, it wasn't unbearable. Apparently 2:00 in the morning is the perfect time to arrive in Bangalore.
It was late, we were all exhausted, but after 10 months of waiting, I was finally in India.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair
I know, I know. I promised more updates and I lied. Who would have thought that working part-time at Macy's would be so exhausting.
I'm on my way. I flew to San Francisco this morning. From Spokane to Las Vegas and from Las Vegas to San Francisco. Not too bad, especially considering that the next leg of my trip will take 24 hours.
So far I feel...okay. I did better than I thought on the plane over. I thought I would be much more freaked out. Now I'm starting to get a bit more panicky. I'm in a hostel now and while it is very nice, one of my roommates seems a bit scary. Not a student, more like an old homeless lady. I'm sitting in a lounge area because I don't want to stay in my room. I feel out of place and at this moment I just want to go home. I wish I had sprung for a single room.
Oh well, I'll be fine. I definitely won't be getting much sleep this week. I don't land in Bangalore until 1:30 am Monday morning and have to be up and ready for orientation at 8:30 am. I'll be exhausted and I'm sure I'll be a sobbing mess by the end of the week. Don't be too freaked out by that. Things will start to calm down after the first week is over. I'll be able to sleep and will begin adjusting to everyday life in Bangalore.
Talk to you when I get there!
I'm on my way. I flew to San Francisco this morning. From Spokane to Las Vegas and from Las Vegas to San Francisco. Not too bad, especially considering that the next leg of my trip will take 24 hours.
So far I feel...okay. I did better than I thought on the plane over. I thought I would be much more freaked out. Now I'm starting to get a bit more panicky. I'm in a hostel now and while it is very nice, one of my roommates seems a bit scary. Not a student, more like an old homeless lady. I'm sitting in a lounge area because I don't want to stay in my room. I feel out of place and at this moment I just want to go home. I wish I had sprung for a single room.
Oh well, I'll be fine. I definitely won't be getting much sleep this week. I don't land in Bangalore until 1:30 am Monday morning and have to be up and ready for orientation at 8:30 am. I'll be exhausted and I'm sure I'll be a sobbing mess by the end of the week. Don't be too freaked out by that. Things will start to calm down after the first week is over. I'll be able to sleep and will begin adjusting to everyday life in Bangalore.
Talk to you when I get there!
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