Heading Home, Farewell to India

After 2 years and countless cows, it is time to go back home to the United States. This is the toughest post I have had to write. I have mixed emotions about going home. India has without a doubt made an impact on us – some positive and some negative. As they say, “You can take the boy out of India, but can’t take the India out of the boy.”

 

Changing Priorities

India has been a challenging place to live, but we have grown stronger from it. It has forced us to reconsider the priorities in our lives . . . to simplify and enjoy the moment. We realize that we do not need a lot of “stuff” to be happy. We have been forced to live without a lot such as consistent power, clean water, beef (which is a big deal for me), sidewalks, parks and more. We have overcome these challenges though and recognized that the most important thing is to be healthy and together as a family . . . and have have a good internet connection.

Lucky to be American Citizens

We are ecstatic to be moving back to the US – the entire country seems like a 5 star hotel to us after living in India. We are looking forward to being back in the land of good and plenty. While the US is not perfect, we truly appreciate our country and the opportunities and freedoms it affords all its citizens. We have never been more proud to be an American citizen. At the same time, it has given all of us a perspective on the importance on being good global citizens and our responsibilities to improve the entire world we live in as we are all interconnected (regardless of the barriers and borders governments try erect.)

Question Authority

A not so positive impact is that we have become aggressive and loud. In a country that is so crowded you can be heard and succeed in your daily life if you yell the loudest. Moreover, as evidenced in this blog the rules usually make no sense and change constantly. Combine that with the incompetence of the local government and agencies we have learned to always question and debate the rules. This can be a good skill to have on occasion but we are going to have to learn to pick our battles.

What is Charity?

Seeing the absolute abject poverty contrasted with the exceeding wealth over the last two years has caused us to question the efficiency . . . and integrity of charity. All too often we have seen money wasted or stolen by charitable organizations and never get to those it is intended to help. As a result, we have taken on more personal charitable endeavors such as sponsoring a student scholarship or handing out clothes to the migrant worker children who cheer us on during our runs. This is much more satisfying but still has its pitfalls. One of our friends literally adopted a small local school that was not much more than a one room school house built out of a tarp. Laura became involved in assisting the school by providing books and supplies. The kids and teachers were thrilled by all this. Then one day the school was burned to the ground. Arson by neighbors who were jealous of the attention the school was getting was the suspected cause. It is already a seemingly overwhelming task when you experience the vastness of the poverty, but when the society appears to thwart charitable efforts it can be outright heartbreaking. Because of this, we are very conflicted about the best way to continue philanthropic endeavors. We will continue, because we believe it is important, but will seek out more personal and locally driven efforts where we know the help is being delivered directly to those who need it. For example, Laura also worked with the Tom Shoes company to distribute shoes to local children. The company delivers on its promise of donating a shoe to a needy child for every shoe it sells.

The Kids

India has definitely made an impact on the kids. I think for the first time they truly appreciate how lucky they are to have ben born in a country that is not only the oldest democracy but still the most successful. The kids have learned that there are many children that do not have right to education (India only has free education to 5th grade), clean water, food, clothing, shoes, electricity and social equality. I hope they never take these rights for granted.

They have become much more independent and self reliant. I did not think it is possible, but they have become even more voracious readers with Aidan, following in the footsteps of his big brother and sister, now in the middle of reading the Harry Potter series (he is only 7.) They will miss their school, Mosaica International School dearly. They were the founding 3 students of the school and that leap of faith paid of. In less than 2 years, they all made leaps and bounds in their academic careers and are well prepared for the future. The school had a special assembly this morning to wish them farewell. They made this touching powerpoint presentation:

The kids will miss their teachers and friends at Mosaica

The kids have also enjoyed traveling and exploring India and the region. They can go through any immigration office on their own which is pretty funny to see: Aidan and Abigail barely reaching over the counter to hand over their passports to the immigration officer. They are immensely adaptable. We can bring them to any park in the world and within 15 minutes they will be running around and playing with all the local children (of course now Ben is discussing Mindcraft and video games with the other kids more than playing on the swings.)

Finally, they have become even closer. There have been many occasions when they just have each other. In these times, they will still play together be it horsing around in the pool or playing a game of Apples to Apples. Through it all they are still planning to share a room when we return to our house in Suwanee.

People, Culture and New Friends

The most positive aspect of the experience has been the people we have met and learning the culture. My wife and I have been fascinated with Indian cultural since we lived in Singapore and being immersed in it has been terrific. The people, culture and food is what I enjoy most about being an expat. While cultural and language differences can sometimes complicate communication and socialization, good people are good people regardless of cultural and language. We are lucky to have met good friends all over the world. The great thing about living in the 21st century is that with social media we get to stay in touch with all our friends no matter were we are. The amazing thing about expats is that we are all extremely flexible so it is never a trouble to have someone drop in for a visit on a moment’s notice. So, as we enjoy our favorite pastime of travelling we also get to meet and reconnect with our friends. That is a special unexpected gift from our time living abroad.

While we have enjoyed many aspects of Indian culture, there are things that definitely frustrate and shock us (well used to, not necessarily any more.) There is a huge gap in equality in India – between the educated and non-educated (which is directly related to the wealth gap) and the between the sexes.

While India has a reputation for having some of the brightest scientists and engineers (which is true) the majority of the population has little to no education. One of the biggest surprises to me was learning that there is no learning or free education after the 5th grade in India. As a result, only the minority upper classes (and a small lucky number who get scholarships) have the ability to have a full education. That minority seems like a lot externally as a minority of a billion plus people is still a big number. However, internally this results in a large population that is quiet honestly ignorant and easily manipulated by corrupt politicians and unscrupulous business men. This is the single biggest issue holding back India in my opinion. If addressed, issues such as political corruption and gender inequality (my next topic) would be mitigated as well.

The other key issue in India is the lack of female equality. The western media has widely publicized the seemly regular brutal rapes within India. Unfortunately, the poor treatment and attitude towards women is correct and not sensationalized. Women are absolutely treated as the lesser sex. Men will openly ogle and stare at women especially if there is any amount of skin showing such as an ankle. In fact, it is routine to read in the paper that it was the rape victim’s fault because she was wearing a skirt or a provocative clothing such as jeans. The treatment goes beyond violent crimes as well. When applying for a credit card a man must list his father on the application. A women must list their husband. Laura can not make any official decision or sign any official document – which drives me crazy as she is responsible for the majority (. . . ok all) of the household decisions. Yet I have to be bothered at the office to sign a check or fill out all of our moving documentation for customs. It is offensive in this day and age . . . and a pain in my ass.

Closer as a Family

We have experienced extreme highs and lows during our journey in India, which is a perfect description for the country. There is no middle or average in India. It is a country of extremes. In the end, though, the highs outweighed the lows and we are stronger for it. We are a stronger family, and we are a stronger couple. Laura and I honestly feel that there is no challenge now that we can not deal with or overcome. We have also learned the importance of appreciating what you have and living in the moment. These are valuable life lessons that will benefit us in all our days to come.

So goodbye India and thank you.

It’s been a While

First, let me apologize for not blogging in quite a while. It has been a crazy year so far as we get ready to head back to the US in June (Yea!) In December, I took on additional responsibilities of my new job when I repatriate (thus two roles for now.) Combine that with trying to get in our last big trips before we leave (including Benjamin’s Bar Mitzvah in Israel in November) did not leave a lot of time for the blog. I am back now though – like it or not.

With only a few months left living in India has gotten me into a reflective mood . . . but I will save that for a future post as I am still reflecting. We will focus this post on getting up to speed on what has been going on here in Hyderabad and our travels.

The fall was dominated by preparations for Benjamin’s Bar Mitzvah. This had been one of my biggest concerns when we accepted the assignment in Hyderabad. How would we continue the kids Jewish education and prepare for Benjamin’s Bar Mitzvah? We are literally the only Jewish family in Hyderabad. There was an Israeli family that we were very friendly with last year but the moved back to Israel. We then found two other Jewish families this year but one moved back to the US already as well.

As a result, we were on our own for Jewish education and Bar Mitzvah preparation. We found an online Sunday school program through the Afikim Foundation. (http://www.totallyonline.org/) This has allowed the kids to maintain their Jewish education and identity which has been great. However, we still needed to solve the issue of the Bar Mitzvah. I was lucky to find a wonderful Rabbi in Israel who helped arrange the ceremony as well as provide training to Benjamin. The majority of the training was done by Benjamin himself studying his haftorah portion and listening to the mp3’s sent by the Rabbi (no more cassette tapes like I used for my Bar Mitzvah.) To Ben’s credit (I guess he listened to Laura and my frequent reminders for him to study), he did a great job learning his Haftorah. A modern day self taught Jewish Abe Lincoln! Albeit studying Torah via the PC instead of reading books by candlelight. We were all very impressed with his performance.

The Bar Mitzvah was held at an organic restaurant in the western hills outside of Jerusalem. It was a beautiful and intimate setting held in a wooden and bamboo covered outdoor patio overlooking the hills – sort of like a Sukkah or big crunchy Chuppah.

As with everything in our lives, there was lots of excitement leading up to the Bar Mitzvah as the war in Gaza literally exploded a few days before we were supposed to leave!  Luckily, the day after we all arrived in Israel, Hillary (Clinton that is) flew in and negotiated a truce. It was a Bar Mitzvah miracle. I tried to thank Hillary and invite her to the Bar Mitzvah but my emails kept getting returned.

Thus, Benjamin had a terrific Bar Mitzvah with both sets of Grandparents, friends of our from Hyderabad (who decided to come along and join the Ventimiglia crazy train Israel tour for a week) and our Israeli friends who moved back from Hyderabad last year. It turned out to be very special for Benjamin as well as all of us.

This has been the year of “once in a lifetime” experiences (as if last year, our first in India, was not enough.) Laura and I learned the hard way a few years ago that you never know what life has in stored for you after the passing away of a good friend of ours far too young. Thus we made a pact to live in the now – we probably would of never come to India otherwise. Given this is our last year in Asia we decided to take advantage of being in the region and crossing off some of our “bucket list” trips. At the top of that list was visiting the origins of man . . . Africa.

Over Christmas and New Year we toured the national parks of Kenya including the expansive Maasai Mara. It was incredible. We never need to go to another zoo again as we saw so many animals. See for yourself: https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=30AC1F990981432F!1296&authkey=!ADWG21nppaj8X8U

We recently just took an adventure trip cycling from Bangkok, Thailand to Angkor Wat, Cambodia. It was an awesome trip in which we cycled over 220km over 5 days. The kids all did great. We were joined on the trip by one of the kids’ teachers and the same friends that came to Israel with us (having not gotten enough of traveling with the Ventimiglia’s.)

We used a great cycling tour company called Grasshopper Adventures http://grasshopperadventures.com/. They provided the bikes, tour guide and two vans that followed us the entire way (I felt like the POTUS having two unmarked vans constantly trailing us.) The owner of the tour company even joined us for the half of the trip. We got to experience parts of Thailand and Cambodia that most tourist never see including stopping at local’s houses for water breaks and using their bathroom/outhouses – which were surprisingly very clean.

We are in the last 90 day countdown in Hyderabad. Amazing. We are trying to go trekking in Nepal before we leave. It has been a wild two years . . . but more to come on that.

Dubai: are we in the Middle East or the US?

This weekend to celebrate Gandhi’s birthday, as well as my birthday and Laura’s, we went to Dubai. We were expecting a modern, conservative Middle Eastern city, but what we found was a Vegas-like (although no gambling and alcohol only in hotels, bars and restaurants) mecca in the desert with gleaming skyscrapers, glitzy malls filled with American brands and bikini clad (men and women mind you) sun bathers frolicking along the pristine beaches and blue waters of the gulf.

We arrived on Friday and picked up our rental car at the airport. It was already starting to feel like the US as we picked up our Ford Figo (the smallest Ford ever made I believe) from Alamo. When we initially planned our trip we were trying to figure out how to make our way around as we wanted to spend a night at a resort in the desert and stay in a couple different hotels in Dubai. Luckily, I was talking to one of our neighbors at our community pool a few weeks ago and he said that they just rented a car when they went to Dubai. The roads are all brand new with good signage, they drive on the right and the gas is cheap. Duh! We have been traveling throughout India for so long that it did not occur to us that you could actually drive yourself in most parts of the world. What a revelation.

It was odd that the rental cars were so small as all the other cars in Dubai were either huge SUVs or rare sports cars. I think that literally every brand of car from every country is sold in Dubai. We saw Ford, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Lexus, Volvo, BMW, Mercedes, Maserati, Porsche, Lamborghini, Ferrari and even Jeep. It was a stark contrast from India which seems like it  has less than 10 models of cars in the whole country.

After we checked into the hotel, we decided to start the fun right away and headed to Ski Dubai – an indoor snow sledding and skiing facility located inside the Mall of the Emirates. Yes, the first thing we did in the desert city of Dubai was going snow sledding!

The next morning we woke up early as there was so much to do in Dubai. Our motto was “We can sleep in Hyderabad.” Our plan was to hit the beach for an hour or two before breakfast and then head out to the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. We had booked a night and the Al Maha, the only resort located within the reserve, and we wanted to maximize our time there. We were looking forward to a camel safari and dune bashing.

The beach was awesome. The water was the nicest water we have ever swam in. It was calm, perfectly clear, smooth sand underneath your feet and very warm. We were not expecting it to be so nice.

It took us over an hour of driving to reach the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. While the weather is “cooling down” in Dubai this time of year the temperatures were still rising to 100OF. It is pretty hot when you are cruising down the highway to Al Ain in a little black Ford Figo. When we finally arrive there was a security gate and a guard at the entrance to the reserve.

The guard peers into our car and asks us “how many babies do we have?” We answer “none.” He then asks the ages of the kids which we provide. He then says that the Al Maha does not allow children below 10. What??? He makes us wait while he phones the resort. I am starting to get upset. We have a reservation. This guard must be wrong. I made a reservation. Still thinking I was in India, I tell Laura just to ignore the guard and drive into the reserve. Thankfully, Laura ignores my request and reminds me that we are in Dubai and we will probably get arrested if we just drive off into the reserve.

When the guard finally comes back we are told that we are not allowed into the reserve and the hotel. I am boiling now and not just from the heat. I ask to speak to the representative from the hotel and he echoes the guard in telling me that the hotel does not allow children below 10. I prepaid the room though! He says that my card has not been charged even though it was a prepaid, non-cancelable rate. After living in India for a year I do not believe him and ask to come and speak to the General Manager. The General Manager comes on the phone and says to drive into the reserve to the resort. However, the children can not come out of the car. I agree and he greets us as we pull up to the resort. He is very nice and has drinks brought to the kids in the car. I follow him into the resort to discuss the situation with him.

The General Manager apologized and was surprised that I did not see anything on the website about children as this has always been the resorts policy. He assured my that we would not be charged for the room and then assisted in getting us a reservation at the Atlantis resort (which we ended up cancelling when we got there – too big of a resort for our taste.) The General Manager explained to me that the Dubai government does not allow children under 10 years old as they deem it too dangerous due to the private plunge pools (that every room has) without a lifeguard and the wild animals that may roam up to the the resort. Thus, in order to get a license to operate in the reserve the Al Maha had to agree to not allow guests under 10 years old. Did they not realize that we live in India where on any given day the kids have to avoid monsoon floods, wild dogs and water buffalo stampedes. The Al Maha desert is much safer!

The visit to the desert was not a complete washout though. We got to drive into the reserve and we saw the famous and endangered Arabian Onyx. The Onyx was actually hunted to extinction in the wild but were raised to “vulnerable” status in 2011 (the 1st animal to receive this status after being listed as extinct in the wild) after being saved in zoos and reserves such as the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. We also saw a herd of camels walking down the road. Not as rare as the Onyx but still very cool.

By the way, I checked the Al Maha website when I returned to Hyderabad and there is no mention of the child policy on the home page. The only mention of this policy on the entire website is if you actually go to book a room and go into the booking engine. There is a small “special conditions” link under the Select Rooms and listing of available rooms. This link is on the booking engine for every Starwood hotel and usually states things like “Currency Fluctuations” for international hotels. On the Al Maha booking engine it states the no children under 10 policy with a bunch of other crap. I feel redeemed that I did not screw up when I made the reservation and have issued a complained with Starwood.

The day was not lost though, we got to visit the desert and see the Onyx and the Camels. We then went to Atlantis and the man-made Palm Islands. While we decided not to stay at the Atlantis we did visit the aquarium which was designed in an Atlantean theme and was fun.

After the disappointment of getting the boot from the Al Maha, the next day we decided to go for complete adrenaline – and go to the Wild Wadi Waterpark (Laura could never pronounce or get the name right. If you get a chance ask her where we went. It is a good laugh.) The park was incredible. The best waterpark we ever went to. They have created slides in a rapids theme called “Master Blasters” that have jets that propel you and your tube up and then over. I have never been on a water slide that you go up on. It was a blast. There was also a slide called the “Jumeirah Sceirah” that drops you straight down. You have to stand in a big capsule like the pneumatic bank tubes and the floor drops from beneath you to launch you down 120 meters and speeds of 80 km/hr according to the Wild Wadi website. Unlike the Al Maha, there is no age limit at Wild Wadi. The price and ride accessibility is determined by height. Anyone over 1.1 meters can ride all the rides and pays full price. Very fair. Aidan is just over 1.1 meters so he could ride everything. He even went on the Sceirah – twice! A few ladies were surprised when Abigail got of the slide and then Aidan came down and they were shocked as they were too scared to try the Sceirah. The rest of the day, I would see people point at Aidan and Abigail saying that they went down that slide. Everyone had a great time at Wild Wadi. The kids did not stop all day, spending seven continuous hours on the slides.

Monday was my birthday and we started the day by going to the Gold Souk (a traditional market.) Dubai is known for its gold and jewelry. It is estimated that Dubai trades about $5.8 billion in gold and $7 billion in diamonds a year. One of the reasons jewelry (as well as shopping in general) is so popular in Dubai is that there is no sales tax. There is actually no tax whatsoever in Dubai – no sales, income, property or capital gains tax (there are taxes on alcohol and hotels.)

The Gold Souk was very much like the Diamond District in New York. There were lots of little shops selling gold and diamond rings, necklaces, bracelets etc. Moreover, all the shop keepers went to the same school of negotiating and calculator button pushing. Do you really think they are doing calculations as they rapidly tap away on the calculator or do they already know the number that the calculator roulette will land on? The only difference between the Diamond District and Gold Souk was that there were no gold Jewish stars for sale.

We, of course, could not come to the Gold Souk without buying something. Laura bought a bracelet and Abigail got a necklace of her name for her upcoming 10th birthday. Funny how she gets a present on my birthday.

What I really wanted for my birthday was cheesecake. Luckily, there is a Cheesecake Factory restaurant in the Dubai Mall, the largest mall in the world, which is next to the Burj Khalifa, the largest building in the world. Starting to see the the world record pattern?

Dubai has more western and American stores and restaurants than we have seen anywhere . . . other than in the US. There were the standard international version of US brands such as Gap and Starbucks, but then there was also American Eagle, Macaroni Grill, Shake Shack, Carvel, IHOP and Cheesecake Factory. The Cheesecake Factory was exact replica of the US versions – down to the same sugar packets (everything imported from the US) on the table and the NFL football game being shown in the bar. Even the waiters are imported. Most of the service staff in the hotels, restaurants and shops were expats from all over the region and the world – Australia, India, China, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, and more. There were even a bunch of Tim Horton coffee shops for our Canadian neighbors to the north. If you were blind folded and dropped into the Dubai Mall you would probably guess you are in the Mall of Americas before you guessed the Dubai Mall.

Next to the mall is the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world no matter how you measure it (structure, top of antenna, most floors and so on) holding 17 world records.

Between the Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa is the Dubai Fountain, the world’s largest dancing fountain, designed by the creators of the Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas. They claim that the beam of light shining up from the fountain can be seen from space. This place is crazy.

Dubai was wonderful. It proves what can be accomplished with determination . . . and a lot of money.

It is nice to know that we are just a 3 and 1/2 hour flight from American-style shopping and cheesecake.

We are Back!

We have been back in Hyderabad for over a month and back into the swing of things. The kids are back in school, Laura is playing tennis and Maj Jong, Sunday Hash runs . . . and bandhs and protests in the Old City – it is like we never left.

India has definitely made an impact on us all after just one year. We can pretty much deal with any situation now. We have learned to live without consistent electricity, water and internet service (the latter being the most difficult.) We have learned to be patient (this is very hard) as things will “always workout in the end.” We have experienced some of the culture of “Incredible India” such as Diwali fireworks, Bollywood dancing, Holi color wars and an Indian wedding.

On the flip side, we have learned to be more argumentative (especially me) and that if a rule does not make sense than we do not need to follow it (especially the kids which I am not sure is a good thing long term.)

Without a doubt, the best part of our time in India has been the opportunity to travel to some amazing places. Last year we focused on traveling throughout India visiting Goa, Cochin, Rajasthan, Delhi, Hampi and the Taj Mahal. This year we will be focusing on Africa and the Middle East with trips planned to Dubai, Kenyan Safari . . . and Benjamin’s Bar Mitzvah in Jerusalem!

We would not have had the chance to visit all these places if we were not living in Hyderabad. Thus, we welcome back Hyderabad as our home and base camp for exploring the region. Namaste.

Last Weekend Visitors

We had the pleasure of having old friends, the Finkel’s (Abigail was very excited for them to come as she thought they may be related to Allie Finkle from the Rules for Girls books), from Austin visit on our last weekend in Hyderabad before Laura and the kids left for the summer (and left me here for a month of bachelor life.) It was a wonderful weekend and visit – a great way to cap off our first year in India.

David and Kelly are seasoned travellers having seen much more of the world than us; it was terrific sharing stories of our adventures. They were travelling with their two boys (one recent college graduate and one currently in college) who got along with our kids swimmingly. It was funny listening to my 12 year old Benjamin discuss video games and technology with the Finkel’s 23 year old Benjamin. This is what we have to look forward to. It is not a phase he will grow out of. Ben will always be obsessed with video games. I guess it is ok if he gets a degree and a great job like the their Ben.

During their visit, the Finkel’s took Indian cooking classes with our cook (we got to eat the results. Yum.), ate biryani at the most famous restaurant in Hyderabad, came to a Hash run, and visited some of the key sites such as the Golconda Fort and Charminar.

David keeps a blog and documented their visit to Hyderabad in the following posts:

Cooking up a storm in Hyderabad:

http://finkelsfotofusion.blogspot.in/2012/06/cooking-up-storm-in-hyderabad.html

First time trying Hash:

http://finkelsfotofusion.blogspot.in/2012/06/first-time-trying-hash.html

A Visit to Paradise:

http://finkelsfotofusion.blogspot.in/2012/06/visit-to-paradise.html

David is also a professional photographer and offered to take some Indian family photos for us. I know having a good camera helps but the ability to compose an amazing photo and get just the right angles is definitely a talent David has that I do not. I will post the final pictures but here is a sample of a few of the raw proofs. You be the judge, but I think they are incredible . . . Incredible India.

Our First Cricket Match – Deccan Chargers defeat the Bangalore Royal Challengers

On Sunday afternoon, we attended our first cricket match in which the Deccan Chargers (the Hyderabad Indian Premier League team) defeated the Bangalore Royal Challengers.

Cricket is the national sport of India – it is really the only sport in India – and attending a live cricket match has been on our “to do” list once we moved to Hyderabad. Thus, we were very excited to go to our first match, but at the same time a little nervous about the crowds and unsure of what to expect. While it was extremely crowed, no parking, somewhat confusing, hotter than hell and no water . . . we still ended up having a lot of fun – and the local team won (even if it was their last game of the season and they missed the finals of the IPL.)

No Parking Lot

The Deccan Chargers play in the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Uppal east of Hyderabad. Since we live in the western part of the city it took us an hour to get to the stadium. As we got close, we noticed cars parked all along the road leading to the stadium. Then our driver says that the road the stadium is located on is closed and he would have to drop us off at the intersection. The scene was crazy with barriers, police and military surrounded by swarms of people making their way to the stadium. At this point we were a little shell shocked and questioning how much we really wanted to go to the match. Then I realized the amazing fact that there is no parking lot. The stadium is fairly new having been built in 2005 and seats over 55,000 people (the match was completely sold out as are most matches.) Yet no parking! This is insane, but we should have expected it. We decided that we were here already so we might as well try and get into the stadium.

The scenic path around the Stadium

After walking about 100 yards down the closed road we were standing in front of the stadium trying to figure out how to get in. There are 11 gates around the stadium in which you enter based on your ticket. Our gate was number 11 and we saw directions to gates 1 – 4 and 5 – 9, but no gate 11. I asked a police officer and he pointed us past him. We ended up walking around the entire stadium which was quite a task and workout. While the stadium is fairly new and relatively modern, it is old Hyderabad right up to the gates and walls of the stadium, replete with dirt, wire fences, stray dogs, stray people asking for tickets and all sorts of hawkers selling T-shirts, hats, face painting (yes there are tons of guys walking up to us with paint asking if we want our face painted) and food. My favorite were the vendors selling bottle water through the walls of the stadium. Apparently, there is no bottled water or bottles of any kind sold inside the stadium as people will throw them on the field or pitch as it is called. To get around this there are vendors selling bottles of water through the walls.

Saying the path to our gate was a hike is an understatement, we had to make our way through waves of people, vendors, rock and sandy paths, up and under wire fences, and more. We arrived though and made it through security. The security people were surprisingly nice and let the bag the kids had with water (bottled no less!) and chips through.

There are no assigned seats at the stadium, just an assigned section. Luckily, our friends had arrived before us and held five seats for us. I was concerned that it would be mayhem inside the stadium and we would need to hold onto our kids for fear of them being swept away in a raucous crowd of spectators. However, once we were seated (we had to go through one more security and metal detector to get into the section) it was very civilized with comfortable seats.

Phil at CricketBen at CricketAbigail at CricketAidan at Cricket 2

A Baseball game and a Nightclub had a Baby

I have never understood the game of cricket. However, watching it live I was able to pick up the basic flow and rules of the game. Cricket is the forefather to baseball and the similarities were apparent. The match consists of one inning in which each team bats once. Some cricket matches can last for days, but the IPL matches are only 20 overs (an over is a set of six balls thrown by the bowlers) and lasts about 3-4 hours. I will not go into all the rules but this Wikipedia article is a good overview. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket

The match was fairly exciting as there is a lot of scoring and even more cheering. It seemed like every minute hip-hop music would be blaring and the entire stadium was jumping up and down, yelling and dancing. It was as if a baseball game and a nightclub had a baby. Someone told me that the cricket matches are just an excuse to party and dance in the stands. It certainly was a festive environment (even though I did not see any alcohol sales.)

Here is the Deccan Charger theme song. There chorus of “Go Chargers! Go Chargers! Go Chargers! Go! Go! Go!” was played incessantly throughout the match.

Deccan Charger Theme Song

Cheerleaders!

The most surprising thing about the cricket match were the cheerleaders. Young, blond, Caucasian women in skimpy short-shorts. We could not believe we were in India. Yet, here were these cheerleaders jumping and prancing around.

More White Mischief: http://unstoppabulls.deccanchargers.com/photo-gallery/white-mischief-gals-at-the-xenoh-event

Hot as Hell

It was extremely hot during the match. The temperature was over 110 degree Fahrenheit – the hottest day of the year so far. The breeze felt like hot dragon breath and made it even worse. We could not even buy water or soda as the concession stands ran out. Incredibly, we must be becoming acclimated because we sweated out about 10 pounds of water weight and just enjoyed the match. When I got up to leave, I noticed a huge sweat mark formed by my butt cheeks. It almost looked liked Baby Jesus . . . but I could have been delirious from dehydration at that point.

The cricket match was a success – even with all of the challenges – and a nice way to spend a late Sunday afternoon. We are looking forward to next season. Go Chargers! Go! Go! Go!

Party Rocking in Hyderabad

Hyderabad is not the most exciting place in the world. I am sorry, but it is a sad fact. There is not a lot of things to do beyond shopping, eating at restaurants (which are still small but expanding) and going to Sunday brunches at the international hotels. Thus, the weekends can get pretty dull at times if you do not find ways to entertain yourself. Luckily, there are many parties and events to keep us amused on most weekends.

There is a very active expat group here called the Twin Cities Expatriates Association of Hyderabad and Secunderabad or TEA, through which we have made some great friendships. The TEA group hosts a few parties throughout the year such as a White Christmas Dinner Party or more recently a Cowboys and Indians Party (The men dressed up as cowboys and the women wore traditional Indian sarees.) These parties always feature good food, drinking and dancing.

The dancing can be quite entertaining. It is typically an eclectic mix of American, European and Indian music and dancing (while it is not surprising that Indian dancing is very different than than American dancing, European dancing is also much different – being more smooth, refined . . . and just cooler, than the prototypical American bump and grind method.) While we are on the topic Indian dancing is a something that has to be experienced. It is a complicated mix of different genres including line, Broadway, hip-hop and traditional Indian ethnic dance – it makes the Macarena look like the Hokey-Pokey. What is really amazing is that it seems all Indians are amazing dancers (Bollywood dance lessons are very popular) and have memorized all the moves to the most popular songs. Indulge me for a slight diversion to explain a little bit about Indian music. The business model for music in India is very different than the rest of the world. Music is usually given away for free in order to promote and sell movies. Bollywood and Indian movies almost always included a dance number (regardless if it is an action flick or rom-com.) Many of these dance numbers are considered an Item Number which means it has absolutely nothing to do with the plot of the movie and is there only for entertainment value featuring the current Indian “IT” girl. These songs and dance numbers are put on You Tube and the Internet prior to the movie launching to generate buzz and sell the movie.

To give you an understanding of what I am talking about and experience Indian music and dance, here is a popular song and video from the 2010 Bollywood movie Tees Maar Khan. I find the lyrics hilarious (the chorus is in English.) Be warned, though, the song is catchy and  grows on you.

“Sheila Ki Jawani” with Lyrics

 

Paparazzi

An interesting part of the Hyderabad party scene is the paparazzi. Yes, at most parties – particularly the big expat parties or an event hosted by one of the hotels – there are usually photographers snapping pictures that find their way to Facebook pages, the entertainment section of the newspaper, or magazines. We feel like celebrities having our picture taken as we walk into a party . . . it is also can be annoying having your picture taken while you are eating and spilling pizza on your shirt. I was not exaggerating when I said there is not a lot to do – if people find reading about our social life exciting . . . please help us all. Maybe we should start a reality show. Laura could become the Kim Kardashian of India. I guarantee the highest rated episodes would be the ones when the in-laws visit. Now there is a million dollar idea!

Park Hyatt Grand Opening

On Sunday, we attended our fanciest shindig yet, the grand opening of the new Park Hyatt hotel. This was a high class affair with formal attire, security and a who’s who guest list.

A galaxy of top politicians, film stars, industrialists, business tycoons and others graced the grand opening here on Sunday of Park Hyatt, the only luxury brand hotel in India from global hospitality major, the Hyatt Group. Union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, and several other Union and state ministers led the inaugural ceremony. – Deccan Chronicle, April 30th 2012

The kids and I were trying to decide if Laura and I were considered the business tycoons or the others.

The hotel is fabulous with great food and the best wine cellar we have seen in India. Suffice to say we ate and drank to excess during the evening. My hands were filled the entire night with plates and glasses – thankfully others took some good pictures that I stole for the blog.

Perspective from the Mom – In – Law: Observations and Commentaries

To me, India is not just a vacation spot, it is an experience (I’m sure Phil is smiling right now). There isn’t another Asian, or for that matter, any other country Dad and I have ever visited that even comes close. It’s in its own category. This is not a negative statement; it just is what it is. As you read this, judge for yourself.

OBSERVATIONS:

India is reading Phil’s blog, while seeing in your mind all the created images about the sites and stories, and trying to relate them to our world. Impossible. But for this Nani (Grandmother in Hindi) it turned out to be a reality. The truth is that until you see it for yourself, it’s actually impossible to visualize or to rationalize what is really happening out there.

As my daughter said, it’s similar to watching the workers make tools in 1800’s Williamsburg…only now it’s 2012.

Or to quote my husband,” it’s comparable to riding in a stagecoach through western towns over a hundred years ago. This includes all the ruts and bumps and pot holes!”

And from my grandchildren: Why did the cow cross the road? Ans. To see the trash on the other side.

I found I had two buckets lists: one with things I wished to experience before I die and the other, things and sites I never even thought existed that belonged on my “Oh my God” bucket list. Below, for better or worse are examples; I definitely have more of the latter and here they are in no particular order:

  • Knowing that every day in India opens my eyes to something new, crazy, irrational or just plain culture shock, for example, approximately 97% of marriages are prearranged and that the average salary for a registered nurse is about $50/month? No I did not miss a decimal point.
  • Three wheeled/3 person cars (called autos) carrying minimum, yes minimum, of at least 8 to 12 people. You think being stuffed into an elevator would be uncomfortable; trust me, this site is beyond…I saw it time and time again and still can’t conceive how they all fit….with women in full saris no less…and let’s not forget seeing buses with more people on top of the roof than inside.
  • Having to pay 25 rupees ($.50) for toilet paper and be thrilled to see someone passing it out. Otherwise let’s just hope you have some in your pocketbook.
  • “Major toll highways” with autos etc. going 60 mph and having to stop in the middle of nowhere to let all kinds of animals, people, trucks, autos, motorcycles and bikes cross the road. And of course no one is looking to see if it is safe, but I’m sure you figured that out already.
  • Speaking of animals, so far, I have seen and no, not in a zoo, cows, bulls, buffalo, camels, horses, goats, dogs, chickens, peacocks and pigs and elephants….but no cats…no idea why
  • Hawkers trying to sell you their wares wherever and whenever we visited a tourist site; now I know how actors feel when chased by the paparazzi.
  • Seeing a Mercedes parked next to cows combing through litters of trash for something to eat or us walking out of a 5 star hotel and seeing mud dung huts within viewing range.
  • Roads paved for 2 miles and then dirt roads for the next 4 miles…along with bumps, ruts and god knows what else. Phil said it’s because each section of road is contracted out to different companies. Our trip from Delhi to Agra was approximately 5 hours and I think we saw one paving machine. That’s India!
  • Poverty and 80%+ illiteracy: kids living in filth; little children selling pencils instead of being in school; mothers with babies coming to our van window for something to eat; maimed men
  • Staying at 5 star hotels without clocks, but with bathrooms having a glass wall with pull up shades in order to see TV or use your imagination.
  • The best way to describe the massive population wherever, anyway, and everywhere is to visualize the amount of people in Times Square on New Years Eve …and adding the same amt of vehicles in every which direction at once….overwhelming, awesome, overpowering, (feel free to add some more synonyms)….I keep seeing this site every day and I still have to pinch myself to believe what I am seeing
  • Getting to Jaipur airport one and a half hours before flight and hearing ‘final boarding call’.
  • Seeing an 8″ green lizard (Dad says it’s really a gecko, like I care) running across the wall, yes wall, in our bedroom …I’m still recovering.
  • The adventure of riding an ATV (by myself) and loving it.
  • Racing around a national park in a jeep looking for tigers
  • Seeing a 10 story office building in Hyderabad built like a fish including the eyes and tail!
  • Feeling like a little girl in a candy store at the Indian market places and bazaars
  • Riding a camel with Abigail in the street and on an elephant with Philip and the kids up to the top of Amer Fort in Jaipur.
  • Taking pictures like any other tourist but feeling special having my family beside me (even with Phil’s relentless teasing)
  • Seeing the Taj Mahal at sunset: Breathtakingly beautiful. Pictures don’t do it justice.

Now for some more observations:

I found all types of bazaars packed with every type of merchandise existing on earth (maybe a slight exaggeration). I saw inexpensive wooden elephants to the most beautiful cashmere scarfs and rugs one could imagine. Laurie even took me to the factories where I saw rugs, scarfs, saris and marble items being meticulously crafted…..all by hand…incredible. It would never be done this way in the US. I think that’s why we see so many inexpensive items labeled “made in India.” I must interject here to brag about my daughter whose bargaining skills could secure her a spot in the Guinness book of records. Who else could bargain an item down from 1000 rupees ($20) down to 400 ($8) and make it fun?

Honestly: In Jaipur, we saw an elephant rambling down a major city street in between ‘hundreds’ of cars; our driver alleges he was just taking his owner home.

I think one reason that most Indian people are basically thin is the fact that a chocolate candy bar costs double what a vegetable or piece of fruit costs (grapes: $.70/lb; mangos: $.10 each; cucumbers:$.15 each) while in the US we have just the opposite. We could take a lesson here.

Because I didn’t bring valium, I was only able to sit in the front seat of our van once. Reason……how would you react….I kid you not…..to seeing a raging bull charging in front of you or a 3 ton truck driving head on into you? No wonder our kids here need a driver. Except for the larger cities, there is absolutely NO regard to traffic laws. If these drivers drove like this in US, I swear they would get life imprisonment.

And yet with all of the above, I am loving India. It is a place like no other with its smells, its multitude of people, and the incredible, unbelievable, amazing and shocking sites that make India so unique.

And lastly, (thanks to my great sense of humor even in the face of merciless teasing by you know who) I want to thank my kids for making this visit a trip of a lifetime for Dad and me. Our memories are beyond priceless and this trip ranks “far above rubies (or rupees)”.

Holi Wars

Today we celebrated the Hindu holiday of Holi which is also know as the festival of colors. Holi celebrates the end of winter and beginning of spring. The holiday is famous for streets filled with mobs of people throwing colored powders and shooting colored waters at each other. It is the craziest water fight you have every seen – except with colorful dyes instead of just water. It is like Halloween for Indian kids in terms of excitement and fun. The movie Oustourced featured a classic scene during Holi (the original 2006 movie is much better than the more recent TV series.) Our neighborhood hosted a Holi party this morning. We did not know what to expect – other than wear old clothes that we did not care about. It turned out that everyone had a blast – even Nana and Nani.

Laura getting soaked
Nana enjoying Holi
Nana and Nani on Holi

 

Nani shakes it

Most of the colors wore off after a shower . . . but not all. If you did not know any better you might think that we were all in a fight as we were left with faded yellow, red and purple blotches all over our bodies. The kids are already talking about how the are ygoing to prepare for Holi next year.

Touring the Golden Triangle with Nana and Nani – Part 2

Day 5 – Aman-i-Khas

On our 5th day we were very excited to head to Ranthambore National Park and the Aman-i-Khas – a luxury camp located on edge of the park. We have wanted to come here to go on a Tiger Safari since friends of ours visited it years ago and raved it. Laura and I had high expectations – we expected that this was going to be the highlight of our trip and one of our most precious memories from India – and we were not disappointed.

On the way there we stopped at Fatehpur Sikri which was an ancient city from the 1500’s. In 1571, after capturing the city, Akbar the Great relocated his capital here from Agra. Akbar spent over 10 years building and expanding the city but ultimately abandoned it in 1585, shortly after its completion, due to a lack of water. The architectural and carving details that still exist at Fatehpur Sikri are quite impressive.

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Late that afternoon we finally arrived at Aman-i-Khas. The best way to describe the resort is a luxury adult sleeping camp. There are only 13 tents on the property. There is a dining room tent, a library tent, a spa tent and 10 guest tents. “Tent” is a loose term as they are absolutely enormous with soaring ceilings, comfy king beds, full bathrooms with concrete bathtubs in a modern khaki and teak safari décor. Katy Perry and Russell Brand were married at the camp – or as we were excitedly told by Nani when she found this out, “Katy Perry and Russell Hantz were married here!” Huh? The guy from Survivor?

As a professional product marketer, I am very familiar with the concept of Delighting the Customer. Yet, I have never seen it executed to perfection as it was at the Aman-i-Khas. Forget about daily housekeeping and turndown service. Every time we left the tent the staff came in to clean and refresh it. Better still, most times we returned to a surprise present. When we first arrived at the camp, we each had a khaki Aman-i-Khas hat placed on the beds. Later in the day, we found personalized leather luggage tags affixed to our bags. After dinner we found Aman-i-Khas safari polo shirts. The next morning after breakfast, there was a box with a stone elephant carving wrapped inside. On the final morning, the kids each had a locally made kurta (traditional Indian shirt.) Laura loves presents (who does not) and now wishes all hotel would follow suit.

My mother-in-law also thoroughly enjoyed the pampering. She claimed to initially be “uncomfortable” but seemed to quickly overcome that feeling as she ate up all the attention. I have resigned myself that our kids have become spoiled travellers, but now I have spoiled in-laws. I spent over a quarter of last year in a hotel room which provided the benefit of platinum status. I used my status during this trip to get perks such as suite upgrades, free wi-fi, lounge access, and breakfast. It turns out this may not have been a good thing. It is bad enough to have your kids ask “are we flying business class?” or “are we staying at a 5-star hotel?” or “can we order room service?” Now, however, I have to deal with my in-laws asking “did we get a room upgrade?” or “do we get free cocktails?” . . . or simply “what do we get for free?” Let this be a warning to all about the perils of taking your in-laws on holiday.

We did have some fun though with Laura’s parents. Laura and I were able to control her parents – almost as if they were truly children. We accomplished this by controlling all their cash. Since we have Indian bank account and local currency it made no sense for my in-laws to incur fees converting dollars to rupees. Instead they bought rupees from us. However, we held the money and judiciously doled out the cash as we saw fit. Now, Nani had to ask us for money if she wanted to buy something – such as the crappy postcard books that are hawked by street vendors in front of any of the sites. This allowed Laura and I to refuse to give her the cash if we did not deem the purchase worthy – even if Nani whined and sulked about it (which she did, especially over the postcards.) That provided some amusement during the week. While this may sound cruel, it really was needed. Nani is by her own admission quite naïve and easily can get suckered by any street vendor. Without Laura’s intervention her mom would be the one who does not argue when a vendor asks Twenty for a cheap soapstone elephant – and pays 20 dollars instead of the 20 rupees it is actually worth. By the way, Laura did eventually buy her mom the postcards – for a fraction of the price her Mom originally was going to pay. They are the worst postcards too. Abigail and Aidan take much better photos. There are random people in all the shots. They are crooked etc. I will try to scan one in, but I have not been able to get Nani to give up the book.

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Day 6 – Ranthambore National Park

After a relaxing morning at the camp, we went on our first safari into Ranthambore National Park. The park was established as a game sanctuary in 1955 and was became a protected tiger reserve in 1973. There are about 30 tigers living in Ranthambore as well as plenty of other of animals such as crocodiles, deer, jackals, monkeys and many varieties of birds including peacocks – the official bird of India.

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Phil and Abigail in their safari gear[3]

Access to the park is tightly controlled by the Indian government. Only government vehicles and guides are allowed to enter the parking during two 3 1/2 hour windows: one at 6:30am and another at 2:30pm. Moreover, the vehicle are restricted to staying on the rocky (very rocky) trails. In addition, each vehicle is limited to a specific sector of the park covering about 10 or 20 square miles. As such, it is difficult to see a tiger. The joke is that the guides always say “we saw a tiger . . . yesterday.” Knowing this we still headed into the park excited about going on our first safari.

We had a 10 person open air canter truck for the safari ride. It was the bumpiest, bone jarring ride we had ever experienced. The “roads” through the park were nothing more than dust and rock trails. It makes the rest of the roads in India seem as smooth as a race track. Our guide was excellent and our meandering tour through the park was like an amusement park ride through a wildlife adventure TV show. We half expected Jack Hannah to pop out of the forest. We saw lots of crocodiles, deer, boar, monkeys, birds and more . . . but alas no tigers. Even so, it was a wonderful ride.

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In the evening, we relaxed by the fire pit before heading to a jungle dinner behind the lake at the camp. A full outdoor kitchen with a tandoori oven setup there. We arrived early at dinner and got a chance to make our favorite Indian bread – naan – and then eat it as soon as it came out of the oven. Absolutely delicious.

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Laura making naan[4]
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Naan cooking[11]

Day 7 – Tiger Hunting

Our second safari trip into Ranthambore was first thing in the morning. We were up at 5:30am (even Nani who usually is not a morning person) and headed to the park by 6:00am.  We were hopefully that at that time of day we would have a chance of catching a tiger as it awoke.

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If our first safari was a leisurely Disney World-like jungle ride, our second safari was a white knuckled, heart pumping, adrenaline inducing roller coaster ride. We decided to take two jeeps into the park rather than the canter trucks as we thought they would deliver a more comfortable ride – which they did. It meant that we had to split up into two jeeps with my in-laws taking a jeep with a Russian couple from another resort. My mother-in-law was thrilled to have an international couple to talk to for over 3 hours; the Russian couple probably not so much.

In addition, to being more comfortable, the Jeeps were much more maneuverable and faster, enabling our wild tiger chase through the jungle.

Each vehicle entering the park is assigned a sector ahead of time. We were assigned sector 5. However, our guide said that there were only a few tiger cubs in sector 5 and they were not yet acclimated to motor vehicles and would hide when the tours came through. Our guide had seen a tiger in sector 4 yesterday and assured us we would see one there today. Sector 4 and 5 shared the same entrance so all we had to do is to give the guard a few hundred rupees to allow us into sector 4. This was our last chance to see a tiger so we agreed, but said we would pay the guard at the end of our, hopefully, a successful tiger hunt in sector 4.

Thus, began our roller coaster ride. Our driver and guide, motivated by the prospects of a big tip if we saw a tiger, hauled ass to get to the spot in which they spotted a tiger the previous day. There was no stopping to point out the various locales and wildlife within the park and sector 4. We were on a mission. When we finally arrived at the spot, there were at least a half a dozen other jeeps and trucks sitting there. The other guides believed that there was a female tiger sleeping behind the trees and when she awoke she would walk past us to the small watering hole on the other side of the trail. Thus, we picked a spot to wait and watch. Hunting tigers is a little like hunting the elusive Bigfoot. Our guide was whispering, pointing out marks on the trees, patterns of the birds flying overheard and footprints to prove we where in the tiger’s den. Yet after waiting patiently for over 15 minutes – no tiger. Then all of a sudden our driver throws the jeep into reverse, spins the wheels and takes off down the trail in an attempt to come up behind were the tiger is thought to be sleeping. Our driver thinks the tiger could move out this way. As we slow to a crawl we hear shouts that a tiger may have been sighted. The guide starts shouting at the driver “Go! Go! Go!” The jeep lurches forward as we all hold on to the roll bars. We bounce up and over rocky hills. The jeep splashes through jungle streams, sending water spraying across the landscape. We duck under low branches. Finally, the driver slams on the breaks, stopping an inch short of a parked canter truck with 20 people standing up staring, pointing and snapping pictures towards the tree line. We all jump up. I fumble for my camera. I look up and 100 meters into the jungle I see a majestic, huge (appears to be at least 6 feet long) male tiger lumbering along – then it disappears into the foliage. Our hearts are pounding. Beads of sweat are dripping down our brows . . . but we have spotted our tiger! We check to see if we captured the royal beast on camera. Alas, the only footage was a panicked, jumbled video reminiscent of one of those goofy Bigfoot videos. Still we are elated to have found our tiger.

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We had to leave the Aman-i-Khas and the Ranthambore National Park and make our way to Jaipur after our morning safari. We did so satisfied that we had seen our tiger.

Day 8 – Jaipur

With only one day in Jaipur we packed in all the key tourist attractions that we visited during our December trip to Rajasthan – now with Nana and Nani in tow: Amber Fort and the elephant ride, City Palace and the Conservatory.

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After sightseeing, our guide took us to see how block printed textiles were made. It was the same linen and rug shop that our driver took us to in December (the salesman actually remembered us.) Apparently, the shop is a) very famous for selling the finest quality tablecloths, shawls and rugs or b) they treat the drivers and guides very well. During this visit, I noticed ours were sitting in plastic chairs outside the shop with big smiles while they were served tea and snacks. Thus, my vote is for b.

The shop still has the same gimmick from our December visit of luring in tourist with demonstrations of how block printing and woven rugs are made by hand. The tactic worked like a charm with Nana and Nani who were mesmerized watching the men hand tie each knot to make a rug. This time, though, the snake charmer wielded its power over us with each of us – Laura & I and Nana & Nani – purchasing a 5’ x 7’ rug which they packed into a 6”x”6” burlap bag that they called The Flying Carpet. We are happy with both of the rugs purchased but a word of warning. The snake charmers can be very sneaky. I thought I was being a very sophisticated shopper when I used my iPhone to make sure the best rate was used to convert the price from dollars (we negotiated the price in dollars – in retrospect we should have done the negotiations directly in rupees) to rupees. I was even more smug when I successfully argued with the clerk when he tried to add in the credit card transaction fee. The last laugh was on me though. When we returned home, we realized that our credit card was charged for a separate 3% transaction fee. How could this be? The shop ran the charge as a cash advance – and as such we bore the transaction fee (which was not on the bill) and, to make matters worse, started accruing interest immediately (which Laura worked hard to have the credit card company remove.) This is some very tricky dicky behavior. I never knew that this was even possible. Hence, be very careful when using your credit card and read the receipt closely – later we noticed that the paperwork mentioned cash received (which of course I actually never received but the shop certainly did.) Let our rug be a martyr to this deceptive practice.

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Day 9 – Home to Hyderabad

9 days. Hundreds of kilometers trapped in a minibus. 6 UNESCO World Heritage sites. 3 cities. 2 tents. 2 safari ride. 1 Tiger. The Taj Mahal. . . and millions of times hearing “India is an experience” from Nani.

I am ready to return home to Hyderabad.

Yet, even this simple task has to be an adventure. . . or “an experience.” Laura and her mom spent the morning prior to our departure doing some last minute shopping at a complex in which they actually manufacturer many of the tablecloths, blankets and shawls we had seen. Surprisingly, the prices they found were some of the highest as well. When we got to the airport for our flight it was a mess. Masses of people, tons of trollies overflowing with luggage, thick lines trying to squeeze into just a few check-in counters – and as we try to make our way through this sea of confusion we hear the loudspeaker “Final boarding on SG 913.” Our flight is boarding and we still have not checked in. Usually, Laura and I chastise her father for being rude and pushy. On this day, we encouraged it and put him in charge of getting all ten of our bags through the security scanner (Jaipur has an added step of requiring all checked bags to be scanned – and as expected there was only one scanner operating for the entire airport.)

The airline staff kept contradicting themselves with some of them telling us to just go right to the front of the line, only to have the desk clerk tell us to wait in the queue the plane will not leave with out us. Thankfully, having the in-laws with us proved beneficial. We tried to use the “old and decrepit” card to speed our way to the front of the queues, but that proved unsuccessful. Dividing and conquering did work though. After Nana got the luggage scanned we sent him, Nani and the kids to get into the security line which worked out well. As soon as we finally were checked-in and had our tickets, Laura and I raced over to security where the rest of the crew was already at the front of the line. We finally made it onto the plane and after much undo stress flew home to Hyderabad . . . and 2 more weeks with Nana and Nani.