Veg with Non Veg. WHAT?

As you are probably aware the food here caters to vegetarians since many people in this country do not eat meat of any kind. Others will only eat chicken if they desire to eat meat but that is it. Of course they never eat beef for their religious reasons. Thus, my husband and I had a great conversation on the differences in food preferences here yesterday while eating at a restaurant in Delhi. 

We ordered the starter of "Corn Nibblers" (which is basically flour, water, corn, sugar, and green peppers) which you dip into a dill sour cream mixture. Really yummy. So we order our veg appetizer and when the waiter returns with our drinks we proceeded to tell him our main order. I was having the chicken sandwich and my husband was having the beef burger (water buffalo by the way). The waiter looks at us, staring with his mouth slightly open and says, "So veg starter....no meat....and beef sandwich for sir and chicken for mam?"

My husband says, "That is correct."

The waiter still stands there. "Veg for appetizer. Non Veg for your meal?" He looked confused. 

I respond, "Yes."

He says, "TK." (Otherwise known as 'thik hai' or in English 'OK.') He walks away to put our order in at the kitchen clearly slightly dumbfounded. 

As I sat there and thought about what had happened, which was a minor little incident, I realized the reason for his question. I asked my husband to see if he agreed, "Sometimes in India I get the feeling that people, like our waiter here who is probably a vegetarian, assume that if you are a meat eater that you must eat meat all the time. For instance, you must eat meat during your appetizer. You must eat meat during your main course. And perhaps you will eat meat during desert. And they appear to be concerned when you mix the two...veg with non-veg."

My husband laughed. "Hm. Maybe that is true. Or maybe he just assumed because we are American, and we all look overweight to them, that we must eat meat constantly." He made a little piggy face at me and oinked. 

We both laughed loudly at this. But as I thought about it a cultural reality hit me. Every time we ordered a vegetarian appetizer in the past year while living here we did get some confusion from the waiter about mixing the two. Maybe there is something to that. The concept that you can only eat veg or non-veg but NEVER combine the two. 

Funny what little cultural tidbits you randomly pick up while mulling over lunch.

Thank you India

So this past week has not been fun in India. The reason being, in most of the Middle Eastern and Southern Asian countries, there have been protests against that anti-Muslim made film that some idiot in the US made. So they have had protests occurring in Chennai and Delhi over the movie and over other things like the passing of FDI, which basically means that India is trying to allow global retailers into the Indian market but the different states in India are not cooperating with that ruling. Many here feel like FDI was American encouraged hence why they are further upset at the USA. In Chennai they burned cars and motorcycles, threw stones at the US Embassy, and burned an effigy of Obama. All in all, not so fun to be an American here this past few days and it is easy to get yourself all worked up about it too.



I stayed locked up in my house for a good part of last week trying to avoid downtown Delhi near the Consulate in case the protesters turn violent here as they have in many other places. I really am not paranoid...it is just that I normally go shopping or traveling around during the day by myself so it is better to be safe than sorry! And I kind of stick out as a foreigner here with my blond hair and pale skin.

No fun being caged up like an animal in my own home though. On the positive side of things though I have been painting, reading, and exercising a lot more.

I just finished the third painting in my fruits and veggies series. Here are two of them that I have painted thus far.

The one I finished this past week was an orange and a cherry. Just put the top coat on it about an hour ago so it is drying as I type this blog. And I have just finished reading Lord of the Rings and yes I read all three of the stories (Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and Return of the King). And I have lost about 5 lbs by walking for 40 minutes or doing an hours worth of yoga every day. Yippeee for me! So maybe being holed up isn't such a bad thing after all. It lets you do some things you have maybe been wanting to get done for a while.

But during all of this (the protests and the locked up in my house stuff) I have had a song stuck in my head. Alanis Morissette's "Thank U." It keeps ringing in my ear. Here are a few lines...

'Thank you India.
Thank you terror.
Thank you disillusionment.
Thank you frailty.
Thank you consequence.
Thank you thank you silence.'

So, thank you India. You teach me so much every day. Sometimes I don't listen. And sometimes I feel like I don't care to hear the lesson. But there you are every day trying to make me grow. I might not like what is happening in the world or like being blamed for things I didn't do (like the fact that my government didn't make that film) but India you are trying to teach me to slow down. To stress less. Do more of what I love. Tolerate differences better. Thank you India. Thank you. I hear you and I AM trying.

A Walk in the Neighborhood

Most mornings, before I start my yoga practice, I take a long walk around my neighborhood. This morning I was particularly motivated to write a post about what I heard, smell, saw, and experienced because it is so unlike my neighborhood in the US.

As I walked out of my door this morning, one of the workers in the neighborhood was coming up the walkway to my house to collect the garbage. This gentleman comes every day of the week to collect the rubbish. And if we have failed to lay it outside on the porch he rings the doorbell and politely asks for the trash. I smile at him and say hello. He bends low and whispers, "Namaste mam." Such a lovely greeting.

I walk around the corner of my house and along the sidewalk that connects the houses in my complex. Each home here is a crisp white with pinkish colored roof tiles, balconies, and small gardens with pools. Each home looks the same but has owners/renters that do something different. I notice that my neighbors have planted a new group of pots along their fence. It smells lovely as I walk by. Another has recently hung up a row of brightly colored metal lanterns. Reds, purples, yellows, and greens shimmer back at me. 

I turn up the next row of houses and a security guard for my block stops to stand at attention as I walk by. I say hello to him too. He nods back at me. Eyes sharp as a hawk. Always watching. For what I do not know.

Down the block I notice a pretty Indian woman cleaning off the front steps and entry of the house for which she works. Her sari is bright red and green in the morning's early light. She is barefoot and scrubbing the floors with all her might. Her head is covered in a beautiful embroidered scarf.  She smiles shyly at me as I walk by before returning to her hard labors. 

To the front entry of my neighborhood I go. Security guards again, checking out a car and logging it in before allowing it entry into our block. They ignore me as I walk at a fast pace working up a good sweat. Busy and diligent in protecting the entrance.

I turn down the next lane, and immediately begin to faintly hear the sound of some mournful women singing in Hindi. I realize that it is coming from over the fence from outside the neighborhood. As I continue walking the woman's voice gets louder and I realize it is coming from a radio. It is turned up to a loud volume so others might enjoy her smooth voice. It is so different that the music we enjoy in the US that I stop to admire it for a while. Moved by words I do no understand but feel in my soul. 

Someone is making a delicious Indian breakfast on this block. I look around and notice a window open in one of the houses while women are inside cooking away. The smell of curry floats through the air and invades my nose. My mouth waters as I wonder what lovely foods they are preparing for breakfast. 

More security guards. Stoic and silent. I walk past. 

I am now heading back towards my street and notice that several drivers have gathered in the parking area at the end of the lane. They are chatting loudly while they lounge on the grass enjoying some beverage together out of a tall, silver canteen. Chai I should think. They smile at me as I walk by. My driver, who is sitting with them, stands and says, "Good morning mam."  

"It is a good morning Sushil. Happy day to you!" I respond while smiling. 

He smiles back and return to his seated position to finish the drink with his friends. 

As I walk back up my walkway my dog starts to bark at me as if welcoming me back home. I unlock the door and she jumps on me in her tail wagging, tongue licking, yipppeee your home greeting. Even she is in a good mood today. 

This is just a normal day in India. Outside the fence drama of course is happening. People are arguing or getting into fights but for this little moment all is peaceful in my neighborhood. Each day a new experience. A new smell. A new sight to see. 

Aw Rats....

I love monsoon season in India. It is great because all the rain makes the sky on a non-rainy day appear a piercing blue color. I love the fact that every plant turns deep green and hangs its head heavy soaking up all the lovely fat rain drops. I love the afternoon showers that are perfect for reading a good book. I love watching the little kids play in the falling rain and splash in the wide puddles.

So, the other night I go outside to take in my deep green backyard and appreciate the evening down pour. While sitting on my back porch sipping some Chai I spot something that made me yell out a loud, "Aw, Rats!"

Rats indeed. A rat den had been built in my back yard between my pool and the exterior wall of the garden. I could tell immediately what it was not because I could actually see a rat peeking out (had I seen that I would have yelled out a curse word and ran away immediately while shrieking), but because I knew the look of a rat hole from seeing them all over India over the last year. Aw Rats! Ugh! Beady red eyes. Dull gray coat. Disease spreading vermin.

The monsoon rains make them come out of the ground and spread like wild fire. When the roads flood and the water rises in the gutters and underground tunnels you see them everywhere. Hence why they had taken up residence in my yard having been forced up through our overflow pipes in the garden. The heavy rain forcing them to relocate to areas higher above the rising water. And it doesn't matter what neighborhood you live in every area has them. You can't stop the impact from the torrential amounts of rain that fall here.

So a quick trip to the store to purchase some rat killing cakes and half an hour later the bait was laid out for them. All over the yard the tasty treats awaited to kill their prey. I headed inside thinking....'Let them eat cake!'

And of course I awoke the next morning to the lovely smell of dead animals. So of course I had to say it again, "Aw Rats!" Smelly, yucky rats.

That is India for you. You have to learn to take the good that comes with the rain and the bad.