Denise's monologues

The birth of a new blog!

2009-04-10T06:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm currently on skype with Janice..and we decided to set up a blog for the 3 of us! http://battleofthelims.blogspot.com When three of us talk...we fight...so let's hope this will be interesting! We kinda of miss the fighting (both verbally and physically) since all 3 of us are in different countries right now. Me in Barcelona, Janice in Perth, and poor little Eunice in Singapore with our parents...hahaha...

Anyway...I'm going through depression! Graduation blues! Just got news that I passed my last exam (barely though)...Where am I going to go from now? It complicates matters that I'm physically situated in Barcelona, and I want to work overseas for a while. Plus...I don't freaking know what I want to do for a career! Having interests in both business and social science doesn't help either. I'm a confused individual. The corporate world or the social world? For profit or for society? Multinational or small business? Work or travel? You know..the usual...

Enough of these depressing stuff..Im contemplating about what I should do with this blog of mine...It could be a travel log; but I have facebook for that...It could be an update about my daily life; but thats very narcissitic and boring for people who do not give shit about every small detail of my life (see above paragraph...haha...reading it makes me feel kinda childish)..It could be random rantings about the world and people around me; but that's so...common and bimbotic in some sense...haha...

I've decided. I'll make this blog about issues...being a slightly (or extremely depending on who you ask) opinionated, stubborn and expressive individual, my rantings about issues could be interesting for some no? haha...Many thoughts are floating around in my mind now...once I've consolidated some of them, I'll make an entry=) Till then!

besos,

denise

The Revival

2009-03-22T05:36:00.000-07:00

Half a year has passed...went through the most horrendous of terms in SMU (5 social science credits!!), got a binging disease (self-diagnosed), went to Kolkata 3 more times and built a school...and now i'm halfway across the world in Barcelona doing my exchange...

Life, I would say, is treating me well. I've met muy bien amigos in Barcelona..people whom i can't bear to leave..so much so that I've extended my stay here for another 3 months=) Let me introduce the closest people I have here...

My SATC girls Mandy, Natasa & Irena
With whom I share everything=)and mr Lester who forms the table of late night conversations with Mandy and me

Of course, there are many others that I enjoy hanging out with...but uploading all the photos will be a chore...let's just get to know them through a few photos of my actividads in the past 2 months!

Chinese New Year Dinner at Tom's place...4 hours of cooking..28 people...meet the Italians, Mexican, Turkish, Polish, Peruvian??..Finns and Norwegians, especially my partner-in-crime (of not attending lessons) Lene!

Introducing Tom, our favorite polish guy who is always so kind with opening up his place. I miss going over Tom; where are you!!!

My nightly activity - Clubbing...haha...as all would know, clubbing starts at 2am here in Barcelona...and lasts till after 5am..wtf? haha..favorite club here? Opium Mar! Alex makes an entrance here...my sexy polish carino (on my left in the photo)...roar~ no photos of my other favorite polish Zofia=) (she's a sexy one too!)

Clubbing in Opium Mar - with Xiaopu and Alex if I remembered correctly..

(notice mandy's asian blush...hahha)

We had crazy parties like the one in Sitges where we all dressed up for the Carnival!

and took photos of us doing weird and crazy stuff:

Let's not forget to mention skipping school to travel to fabulous places like Italy and portugal=)

Lisbon

It was so hot and sunny that we went around in skimpy attire. The sun was great, and we all got a tan...It was miserable coming back to cold Barcelona..haha..

Well..I spent an entire hour procrastinating by uploading these photos...haha..Last exam on tuesday (Financial economics 2), and its very very hard...given that I did not go to class....hahha...anyways, I passed corporate finance! I was laughing when i saw my grade because it was so unexpected..Let's hope I repeat it with financial economics!

Oh, what made me revive my blog was actually the realization that I have friends who really care. Was kind of in a bad mood last night and got multiple hugs from my friends! Special mention to my housemate Dave who came into my room with his guitar and sang me songs to cheer me up. It was so very sweet. I need to pick up the guitar now!=) Let's end this entry with the one I share the most with here in Barcelona:

Oh Mandy...

2008-07-23T05:20:00.000-07:00

been a long time since i last blogged, judging by my entries. so many things happened in that short period of time. my camera got lost, my heart suffered and recovered, i fluctuated between depression and enthusiasm, i learnt to dance , got to know people...got more broke...drank, shopped...seems like i've been through alot! learnt much about myself along the way...

1. I'm a very optimistic person (and sometimes unrealistic)

2. I exude happiness! (when im not depressed that is)

3. I have great pride in me that helps me survive and recover from anything; the will to survive!

4. I'm very easily influenced by others!

5. I can do girly stuff like putting on make-up, painting my nails, have a girls'day out, dance, talk to girls...

anyways, im getting a little depressed at having to leave india and the friends i've met here. zoe, azusa, annie, shanker, shamaun, gurshaan etcetcetc...or maybe im sad to leave this fun and exciting lifestyle! hmm...im really not used to writing about my feelings and thoughts on a blog...hahaha...so i shall change to my travel plans:

Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Delhi, Leh (himalayas!)...this is a desperate plea for funds! need about S$700 for the 2 week trip..mummy...if u are reading this...=p

really bored now..........................shall put up some photos when im in the mood. tata!

2008-07-07T05:59:00.000-07:00

Azusa's birthday was on the 5th of July, and we sort of had a 3-day celebration for her! Every night for 3 nights, we went out partying in our best clothes..haha..it was wild...and crazy...and so damn tiring..anyways, here are some photos from our wild nights out:

(1) Party at Shamaun's place where things started to get wrong...

Introducing Annie from England! And Shamaun

Shamuan, Gurshaan, Me & Azusa

Zoe's and my favourite in India Lay's chips! Magic Masala for me, Spanish Tomato and American Sour Cream for Zoe. We should be hired for their ads!

Hmm...

(2) Party @ Tantra with MOS deejays - Azusa's birthday countdown!

Me and Shankar, the nicest man i've meet in India! He's 40 years old, and a damn good dancer=)

Shamaun - One thing to remember. Never trust playboys! I should learn that...

Was dancing with Azusa the whole time, and Sharon was scandalized!

Me, Azusa, Annie (Zoe was depressed and was at home, though she came for 5 mins in her sleep wear! haha)

(3) Azusa's birthday cake @ City centre, after which we went out at night again..not much photos of that though...

What I wore the next day we went to Roxy, Underground and Seesha. I love that top! That's all for now!

2008-07-07T05:48:00.001-07:00

Part 3
Day 7 and 8: Jaipur to Agra
5.5 hoursNon-AC bus

After Jaipur, Agra just seems so…bland…We sort of went there just to take that ‘all-important’ Taj Mahal photo. It’s a very ‘tourist’ city, which takes away some of the flavor of the place. The boss of our hotel (Sai Palace) was very very perverted; more about that later. Oh, we met up with Juro again! He was there for the night, and we had breakfast with him the minute we reached agra because his train left in 30mins, haha=) It was so nice to meet up with people you travelled with in other cities. Notice the Taj Mahal in the background!

We paid 750 rupees to enter the Taj, and I felt that it wasn’t worth the money. The inside of the Taj was nice, but it was like…that’s it? Haha..the view of the Taj is much more majestic than the Taj itself, but here are the photos. We dressed our best for these photos btw, and everyone wanted photos with us, haha. It was so crowded!

The place was huge though; notice my size!

We were so bored that Zoe made me dance around for artistic shots. So embarrassing! Notice the guy behind laughing at me…haha…

Anyways, here is the photo everyone has of the Taj and its reflection…haha=)

Here’s the Agra fort:

Anyways, back to the perversion of the hotel boss. He kept putting his arm around me and hugging me when he made a joke, as if we were best buddies. That’s not the worst! We asked him to hire some masseurs for us that night for 150 rupees an hour, and he said he will get some people from the beauty parlor down the street. It was pretty late when we got home that night…in the end, him and his 3 employees ended up massaging us! Wtf…he said the masseurs were coming…the first one came, and I was like…he looks familiar…but didn’t think much about it. The second guy came after 15mins, and I definitely saw him working at the hotel. He was the cook for bloody sake! And the third guy, and the boss himself. I found it pretty funny at that point in time, because everything was so unprofessional (they even had to borrow Zoe’s moisturizer), and they did not know how to give massages at all! One guy was like caressing the whole time! I kept saying, harder! Also, the 4 guys rotated among us, as if they wanted to ‘feel’ all 3 tourists. In the end we got ‘massaged’ by the cook, the boss, the rubbish man, and the receptionist; the boss insisted they were masseurs…wtf…we even had to pay them! At least the guy that massaged Zoe was good. The other 3 were horrible. No wonder she didn’t complain. Poor Azusa and me though. It was so uncomfortable, yet funny. I just treat it as an interesting experience, haha…The boss had the cheek to ask us to not tell others about it, because he normally doesn’t provide such services, but did it because we were friends…haha..wtf…

That’s the boss and Zoe. When do we ever have to put our heads on the masseur’s lap when getting a massage? Just so wrong, haha…Such a perverted look...

Anyways, weird experiences aside, here are some photos of us in the city, and getting caught in the rain.

Day 8 and 9: Agra -> Kolkata
20 hrsNon-AC train (Sleeper)4 hours late

We made a huge mistake. We were on the train on the 29th, but our ticket was for the 28th. So we were ‘ticketless’! Our 2nd illegal train ride home. Luckily, we were in the tourist cabin, and the Bangladeshis there helped us talk to the conductor. Being a tourist had its privileges, though Zoe and I had to share a bed. We had a huge fight with this guy on the train because he accused us of stealing his stuff and not being grateful that he helped us out with our ticket, and was almost thrown down the train (because he was childish and called the conductor, saying we were disturbing him). Luckily, some guys from the other cabin came to help us. There was this particular Indian guy who was really really cute (maybe it’s because he came to our rescue), and it was such a pity I didn’t get to talk to him or say goodbye when he left. I’m such a sucker for nice guys, haha.

2008-07-07T05:33:00.000-07:00

Part 2
Day 4 to 6: Varanasi -> Jaipur
19hrsNon-AC train (Sleeper)4 hours late

Here comes the exciting part. Jaipur was originally not on our itinerary; our train ticket was from Varanasi to Agra. On the train, we met our second pick-up, William from US. He was on his way to Jaipur, which was 6 hours further than Agra on the same train ride. I don’t know what happened, but suddenly, we decided that we will ‘miss’ our stop and spend a night in Jaipur! Haha…it was totally spontaneous and crazy; what if we got caught! We made many plans, like how we were going to pretend that we overslept, or hide in the toilets when the conductor came, or bribe him (we had 500 rupees prepared). It was hilarious, with Azusa worrying so much about getting caught by the police, me being super excited and Zoe simply remaining cool and sleeping. In the end, nothing happened and we had our first illegal train ride in India=p

Here is William and us (Azusa with her eyes closed again!)…He’s 20 this year, studies agriculture at Cornell, and is going to Jaipur for an agricultural internship at a farm.

On the train, we witnessed my first and most fantastic sunset in India. It was mesmerizing…

Anyways, Jaipur was the best stop of the week. Also known as the pink city (because the maharajah supposedly painted the whole town pink to welcome the Prince of Wales in 1876), Jaipur is the gateway to the desert state of Rajasthan.

I’m glad we decided to make that illegal train ride. First, the hotel we stayed at was simply beautiful! Hotel Pearl Palace, with intricate designs on its walls, superb décor, and a magnificent rooftop restaurant. 4 of us shared a room for 800 rupees. There was even free wireless connection!

We went to tiger fort that day, and it can rival any place I’ve ever been to! The view from up there was orgasmic (seriously)! Imagine the vastness of the city and the desert, friends and beer! I was so happy up there that day. Very very happy, as you will see in the following photos, haha.

Advertisement poster for Godfather beer: Beer without international boundaries!

(Sorry mummy, don’t scold me!)

Jaipur’s buildings have one of the best architectural designs I have ever seen. Where ever we went, we were awed by the intricate carvings and paintings on the ceilings and walls.

The Hawa Mahal

At the Maharaja’s residence; Look the peacock designs!

We went to Amber fort the next day, and it was another fantastic place! Jaipur just kept getting better and better=) It sort of reminded me of the Great wall of China. We took many crazy photos there!

Thanks to William’s proficiency in Hindi, we got to know this lady and her kids. She was 23, and already had 5 kids. Her husband died, and she is having problems feeding her children. I think that she’s probably from the lower caste. The more we stayed there, the more we felt for her.

Conversing in Hindi. So cool!

Her 3 boys

We promised to send her the photos that we took. Azusa’s gonna do it!

It’s goodbye Jaipur and hello Agra now!

2008-07-01T07:52:00.000-07:00

22nd – 30th June 2008
VaranasiJaipurAgra

This week long journey is filled with memorable incidences, including illegal train rides, arguments and spontaneous activities. Had so much fun with Azusa and Zoe, us 3 girls picking guys up along the way to travel with us, haha=)

Part 1: Varanasi
Day 1 to 3: Kolkata -> Varanasi
15 hrs Non-AC train (Sleeper) 2hrs late

Our first pick-up: Juro (pronounced Euro) from Slovakia. He was in the same cabin as us, and we struck up a friendship in that 15 hrs, well, at least Zoe did at first. Juro had been traveling for the past year and a half (if I remembered correctly), and our group had much to talk about as we are from such different places! Btw: The Indian railway office has allocated seats for tourists, so we often meet new people on the train.

Anyways, let’s come back to Varanasi, India’s holy city! Situated long the western bank of the holy Ganges (pronounced Ganga) river, this is a city that all Hindus come to wash away their sins and burn their dead. Around 80 ghauts border the river, and one can witness anything from people washing their clothes, bathing, brushing their teeth, praying and scattering ashes of the dead. A very interesting sight!

Of course, no one can miss the holy ganga aarti ceremony that took place at sunset at the Dasaswamedh Ghaut when they are in Varanasi. 7 Brahmin priests perform puja everyday, offering their respects to the Ganges. We made a trip down there for the 1 hour ceremony. It was holy, and the fire was indeed mesmerizing…but I was bored out of my pants!

Anyways, Varanasi is the dirtiest city I’ve been to in India. There are animals, dung and rubbish everywhere, and because it is close to the river, the air is perpetually damp and wet, giving the place a ‘dirty’ feeling. Imagine alleyways and cramp housing, and the cows! haha. And of course, I stepped into cow dung. According to Juro, that’s lucky!

A common sight, bulls on the street

On our way to the Dasaswamedh Ghaut

The next day, we took a 2hr boat trip along the Ganges river in the wee hours of the morning. It was a very calm and spiritual journey; the Ganges river is great! The cool air, colorful ghauts, interesting sights. I saw the Ganges dolphin twice! Must say I was really lucky=)

Me trying to row the boat! (and get some exercise to lose the calories I’ve put on!)

Us girls=)

We visited some temples after that, but the highlight of the day was the romantic night on the rooftop with Juro playing Slovakian songs on his guitar, and Rob, a Russian guy we met at the hotel. Music, candlelight, the moon, great view, cool air and Indian Rum!…what more can one ask for! I became so high that night that I put caution to the wind and went out with Rob to the Ganges river at 3am in the morning. Just the 2 of us, walking on the empty streets of Varanasi. It was quite the experience! Wonderful adventure I must say=) Walking around Varanasi in the night was great…

Juro left early the next morning, and we spent our last hours in Varanasi with Rob. He brought us to a ghaut with the most amazing view of the Ganges.

Fantastic view

Rob had the most amazing blue eyes btw. Was totally mesmerized and tried to get a perfect shot of them, haha.
Something new I picked up from the Europeans – drinking beer in the afternoon! Haha…It was really strange, buying beer in the afternoon, but actually, it was very enjoyable! Azusa felt weird about beer too, but it was fun, and it made the hot weather bearable=)

Wait for part 2 and 3 of the trip (Jaipur & Agra)! Didnt have time to blog everything..and uploading is uch a chore..so im doing it in parts..the smart way! =p

2008-07-01T07:47:00.000-07:00

The AIESEC Conference was…boring. I’m sorry, but my first Indian conference did not give me a good impression. Presenters were boring; most of them were either reading from their script or making unsupported statements. And they were from the corporate world! Anyways, the only savior of the night was the good food, and the chance for me to wear my cool formal attire!

After taking photos the whole duration of the conference, we had a change of pace…and went for drinks at 3 places, meeting 2 groups of guys we met a few days before. First stop was Someplace Else, the bar at Park Hotel. Abishek called and we left to meet him and his friends at Aqua. Abishek is “Azusa’s cute guy” from Rajasthan, currently doing his MBA at Harvard.

Drinking in business attire!

AquaAbishek is the guy to Azusa’s left

After that, we left for Underground, the first club we went to in Kolkata. Inside was totally non-Indian! Girls were dressed in sexy clubbing attire, hanging onto guys, and the club had its fair share of desperate guys. Who said India was traditional and conservative? We saw modern India that night.

We met up with Kaustav and his friend Shamaun. Well, Kaustav was “Zoe’s guy”, haha, and they had quite a romantic time dancing together (I have evidence, but shall not put up photos, haha).

Us and Kaustav the photographer

Us and Shamaun the model; cute!

If you are wondering where Azusa was…well…she was with “her guy” the whole night, ignoring me and Zoe! Haha=) Zoe and I had 5 beers each that night; so broke after that! But it was a very fun night; the first time I stayed out till morning time in my entire life! We danced till 6am in the morning and when Shamaun sent us back, there was already daylight. My life in India is so much wilder! Haha..

2008-06-21T02:22:00.000-07:00

I went shopping with Azusa yesterday at South City Mall, Kolkata’s best shopping mall. It resembles Paragon in Singapore! It was a tai-tai lifestyle. Shopped, had lunch, watched The Incredible Hulk, shopped again. I spent around S$200 (Thanks mummy, haha) on formal attire, 2 tops, and a really pretty dress. I fell in love with it! When I return, I will keep it under lock and key, away from the 2 thieving sisters! Haha=)

We went to the bar at Park Hotel at night (SPE); it was Friday night! It was there that I learnt that Indian guys are really a perverted bunch! This guy from Punjab asked me to go to his room (rm 424), and when I said I wasn’t interested, offered me around S$300. At that time, I thought it was hilarious (maybe I was alittle high), so I was just laughing away, but come to think about it, it was really rude and disrespectful of him. Apparently, many Indian guys are like that. Very direct in wanting sexual favors and very persistent in their efforts (they keep calling and smsing). The last time we went there, this guy wanted Azusa to go to his room 505. haha…now these numbers are a joke among us interns.

The gender inequality in India is very apparent; it exists in the attitudes and behaviors of people. An example is how guys in the bar just expect you to have sex with them, and think that they can buy you for the night. No subtle hinting nor efforts to develop a relationship, just a simple “come to my room tonight, room 505”. If we decline, they ask the guy (Gary) that is with us to arrange, as if he were our pimp. What makes them think that Gary can ‘arrange’ us for him when we already said no? Is it a guy-to-guy thing?

Many of the women here just seem like mothers and wives. They follow their husbands around, carrying the food, looking after the children, as if they were mere housewives instead of an individual person. People who talk to us are almost always guys, and the crowds you see outside on the train, streets or shopping centers are predominantly males! Where have all the females gone to? Speaking on this topic, I remember the Sikh Indian wedding I attended with Zoe a few days ago. It was an interesting experience, and we found out that it was a love marriage, not an arranged one=) Here are some photos:

The ceremony

The happy couple

Zoe & Me with the family

The food was great! I had 4 different kinds of curry. The people were very friendly, and we learnt much about what goes on during an Indian wedding. Hmm…I seem to have veered off topic! Back to gender inequality, I felt a little sad for the bride because she was just 19 (going on 20), and had to drop out of her first year in college to leave Kolkata for Delhi, to her husband’s place. She was sadly happy (or happily sad), while he was full of smiles.

It just seemed to me that she was giving up everything to embark on her new life as a housewife. Her individual life no longer mattered anymore; she is someone’s wife now. Of course, I wouldn’t know if this was true, but this was what I felt from what I saw. The wedding ceremony’s rituals gave signals of this inequality; how the girl follows behind the guy in the ceremony, how she is to remain very quiet and serious, how she is ‘marked’ by marriage bangles and a red spot on the forehead. Below is the groom ‘marking’ his new wife. See how happy he looks!

They were, however, very much in love, something which is very sweet=) Lucky her! Sikhs do not believe in the caste system nor dowries, so the wedding was not the traditional Indian arranged marriages aka transactions that we often read about. An interesting nugget: Many from the lowest caste (like paravans) converted to Christianity/Sikh to escape the caste system. That’s why many of the rural villages have churches!

Anyways, I have started to cook in India! Surprisingly, I have some talent in it, or so my friends say. I feel like I’m starting to become housewifey!!!! Oh no! Sometimes I think of what to cook on the way home! I’m sort of the official cook at the trainee house now. Below are some of my creations:

The first attempt when Iris was still here; Chilled sweet corn & Tuna

Macaroni soup for lunch; my diners Gary & Zoe

My first attempt at a 3-course dinner: (1) Pasta with chicken, (2) Scrambled eggs with onions, (3) Soup with sweet corn, eggs, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes (without any seasoning!)

Of course, I had some behind the scenes help from Azusa (gotta say that because she has my blog address….hi Azusa!) haha…Anyone wants to try my cooking back in Singapore?

Anyways, here is a map of the metro (MRT) in Kolkata. (Yes, my random train of thoughts…)

Here are some landmark information nuggets:
I stay near Tollygunge metro, my office is near Mahatma Ghandi Road (around 30 minutes journey). The airport is nearest to Dumdum, while the Howrah train station (to get to other parts of India) is at Esplanade.

Further down, Park street is the tourist place, with KFC, bookstores, expensive coffee cafes, clubs and hotels. You can see many tourists at Sudder Street, which is on Park street. Tata Steel is at Maidan (Sharon, the other smu student interns there), while Gary works at Jatin Das park.

Anyways, the interesting thing is how I got the picture of this map, or the reason why I got it. Haha…

The story goes like this:

Azusa, Zoe and I were at the railway office at Esplanade to get out train tickets to Varanasi & Agra postponed. We were supposed to go down to the village that day, but were delayed for 2 hours at the office (so inefficient!). So the trip was cancelled, and we were left with nothing to do. People do weird things when they are bored out of their skins. There were this 3 jap guys at the office, and I was so bored that I decided to try and ask them to lunch with us girls. It was pretty hilarious, with the girls egging me on, and me feeling shy and enthusiastic at the same time. In the end, I used the excuse of borrowing their traveler’s guide (a Japanese one which I absolutely cannot read), and taking photos of the map of Kolkata to try and start a conversation with them. Haha…it is pretty hilarious, come to think of it=) I almost took up Zoe’s idea of using her cigarettes and pretending I did not have a lighter to approach one of the guys (and then telling him that I don’t smoke, and was using it as an excuse to speak to him). Alas, he went in before I summed up enough courage, haha. It was great fun, but I didn’t get to ask them for lunch, haha. I got the map though...hahahaha....

I realized that there are so little photos of me in this post! So I’ll end with one that I took at the Indian Museum (10 rupees for locals, 150 rupees for foreigners – blatant discrimination!). The place was pretty boring, but the building was great. I stood there staring at the huge columns and white colonial walls for a while, listening to my music and resting my mind.

Formal NGO event at Park Hotel tonight! I finally get to wear my formal attire and look intimidating! See you guys after I come back from Varanasi and Agra in one week’s time!

2008-06-17T01:58:00.000-07:00

8th – 16th June 2008
ChennaiMamallapuramBangaloreHampiHyderabad

This was a totally spontaneous 1 week trip (we decided to go after 2 days of strike in Kolkata). Iris was leaving for Singapore, and Gary was going to send her off in Bangalore. He did not want to take a 37hr train from Bangalore back himself, so he ‘persuaded’ us to take a train to Chennai to send Iris off to Singapore. We did it for Iris, not him=p `

Day 1 and 2: Kolkata -> Chennai
30hrs3AC train

We took a train from Howrah station, the main train terminal in Kolkata. It was a bustling place, filled with rows of yellow taxis, people jostling around and 2 lost-looking foreigners; Azusa and me.

It was a sleeper train, with air-conditioning. Surprisingly clean and comfortable. Here I am on the bed that had to bear with me for 30 hrs. We met another foreigner in the same cabin, Irena from US.

We heard that the food on the train does not really like foreigners (diarrhea!), so we had an arsenal of biscuits. Milk Bikis. I swear that I felt nauseated whenever I saw them after the 30hr train ride. Milk Bikis the whole time! The ‘chai’ (5 rupees) was pretty good though. A lot of interesting food was sold on the train! Samosas, biryani, chips…all tempting me to spend my money in exchange for calories. I ate like a pig=)! (only chips and biscuits though).

30 hours is a long time to spend alone, thinking, reading (The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy), talking. The countryside ran by, as if it were a pretty picture. It was calming for the body and mind…until I started to get fidgety and impatient. Where is Chennai Central!!!! The train was delayed for 2 hours!

Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu, the southern part of India. It seems like the Indians in Singapore came from this region, as they speak the same language (Tamil), have the same kind of food (Thosai etc), and have jasmine flowers in their hair!

We went to the airport (took the train) to send Iris off, and said our sad goodbyes. It was a pretty heartwarming scene, Iris and Gary=)

We stayed for a night at the Salvation Army Guesthouse (300 rupees), and here is the state of the room. 3 of us, squeezed onto the small double bed. I slept at 5am.

Day 3: Chennai -> Mamallapuram
2 hrsNon-AC bus

Mamallapuram is a world-heritage site, and it has a fantastic beach, rock carvings and scenery.

Arjuna’s Penance

We had fun making a fool of ourselves, trying to climb up numerous fixtures:

Level 1 – Short wall

Level 2 – Short tree

Level 3 – High wall! Have a look at the process, haha… It was really fun, with Indians laughing at us, and trying to get up to take a photo with us=p

The beach was really beautiful…we had a swim in it, and stayed the night at Hotel Laskmi! We got cheated by the boss…paid 400 rupees when it should only cost around 200 rupees.

Day 4: Mamallapuram -> Chennai -> Bangalore -> Hampi
2hrsNon-AC bus
5hrsNon-AC train
9.5hrsNon-AC train

It was a mad rush in Chennai because MR GARY lost our tickets to Bangalore! As soon as we reached Chennai, we rushed to Chennai Central to get our replacement tickets. It got it 5 minutes before the train left. Very exciting…we ran like mad animals. Haha…

Azusa, Me and Gary in the train to Bangalore. Notice the banana…haha=p It was the first non-AC train we took. It was pretty comfortable, though warm. Many people pass through trying to sell us torches, food, newspapers, beggars begging for money.

Us in the non-AC train to Hampi (Hospet). We were right beside the toilets, and boy did it stink…throughout the night. No blankets nor pillows! A non-AC ride is ½ the price of an AC one. Interestingly, people cannot believe that we would want non-AC tickets. The guy at the train station said: “non-AC?” 3 times before giving me my ticket. I’m a poor student!

Day 5 and 6: Hampi!!!!

This is the best, most fantastic place I’ve ever been. It was so…well, I will let the photos speak for themselves. Hampi (part of Karnataka), another World Heritage Site, is a ruin of the 15th century city of Vijayanagar. Time seems to have stopped at this place. We rented bicycles the first day, and cycled through the ruins and giant granite boulders.

Wherever we went, people wanted to take photos and shake our hands. Everyone was so friendly! With the wind billowing in my hair, I smiled till my jaws hurt. It was really a magical place.

Cute uncle!

Well, everyone except maybe this little girl..haha..

While riding, we chanced upon a shelter built right at the top of huge granite boulders. Without thinking much about safety, we embarked on a trekking cum rock-climbing adventure!

We tried our very best, but were prevented from going further up here. I tried, believe me, but without rock climbing gear, it was near impossible! Nevertheless, we had great moments on the boulders. Staring out into the great expanse, as if we were looking down at our little kingdom; like pride rock in the Lion King!

Though it doesn’t look like it, it was a pretty dangerous climb. Look at Gary!

And what I would have to do if he fell down…Anyways, we came down tanned, fit, and entirely proud of ourselves.

The next morning, we visited the Virupaksha Temple, and got a blessing from the cute elephant Laskmi (1 rupee).

We then decided to visit the village of Anegundi (actually, I decided it), across the river from Hampi. We trekked across nature’s wonders! Here I am with the traveler’s bible – Lonely Planet.

Great scenes on the way to the village! The round thing in the picture is the type of transport they take to cross the river.

Us in the so-called ‘boat’. My thighs ached from squatting…

The village was a charming one, with little cars on the road. We made a fool of ourselves, monkey-ing on the empty road and taking photos!

This little girl was elated at receiving a pen from Gary. Everywhere we went, the children wanted school pens! Advice to future travelers: Bring an arsenal of pens to give away! We were so sad that we didn’t have pens to give the kids.

The kids in the village were really friendly, and they all wanted their photos taken! I took so many photos that my battery died! But their amusement at themselves in the photos were well worth it=)

The result of 2 days in Hampi. Bruises and a well of very happy memories=)

Day 7: Hampi -> Hyderabad
10hrsNon-AC bus

We took a night bus from Hampi (Hospet) to Hyderabad. 300 rupees, and it was the most dangerous roller-coaster ride I ever took; one without safety mechanisms. The bus driver drove like he was drunk and holding his pee in the same time. Reckless speed demon on the bumpy road. Imagine driving fast right into a hump in Singapore – felt like that the whole night. The horns, flashing lights, people shouting out in pain whenever their heads hit the railings.

Here I was, trying to get some sleep in an extremely unglamorous position; captured down thanks to Azusa.!

We reached Hyderabad 1.5 hrs before time, at around 5am. Haha…I was too relieved to be alive and kicking that I did not take any photos at the bus terminal. We checked into a slightly more expensive hotel (910 rupees) due to a matter of principal. I refused to pay 600 rupees for a dingy place just because the owner knew that all the other budget hotels were full. So we got a nice room at Hotel Rajmata, with a TV!

Indian attire. I’m turning native!

Hyderabad (part of Andhra Pradesh) was seriously…the most boring stop of the tour. I think that I’m not really a fan of cities, the pollution and crowd. Cities are Gary’s thing…Azusa and I are the un-city people. We were only in Hyderabad for a day because we couldn’t get tickets back to Kolkata in time.

Look at how happy Gary was being in the city…(note the traveler’s bible again)

Here is a photo of the Charminar, and the messy pavements. I love the mess though! There was nothing much to do in the city, but the food was good…Hyderabad is known for its Biryani!

Food at Hotel Shadab. It came to only about 300 rupees per person! Vegetable curry, mutton biryani, tandoori chicken, special lassie (yogurt). The bible again!

Azusa and I woke up early the next morning to visit the Ananda Buddha Vihara while Gary slept (the lazy guy). We wanted to try the 1 hour meditation session at 6am, but when we got there, we realized that on Sunday, the session was at 8am! Lonely planet failed us! So we just took a few photos of the beautiful place atop a small hill, overlooking the city. Had a fight with the auto-rickshaw driver over the price (2nd fight in Hyderabad), but all is cool.

Day 8: Hyderabad -> Kolkata
30hrs3AC train

The train back wasn’t as clean as the train from Kolkata, but it was easier to bear. For one, we bought REAL food for the first day. Haha…I had my book, my music, Azusa and Gary=)..

Back in Kolkata for now, with uneven colored feet and bodies.

Stay tuned for my next trip out to Varanasi and Agra next week! (Am I here to work????)

2008-06-07T02:52:00.000-07:00

11 days since i've came to Kolkata, India for an internship. It seems like I've been here a long time, the friends that I've made, and the experiences that I have had. As the saying goes, a picture speaks a thousand words (and since the max limit of the post is 500...), here are some of the special moments I've had.

First, a picture of my dining room. In the photo are my fellow interns, as well as my boss, Mr Ail (he is only 24!) We had a party the 2nd night I was there and it was really fun. Here is another photo to prove it!

Zoe (Greece) and Me had to kiss everyone on the cheeks! The lucky girl here is Azusa (Japan). I was in my Salwar Suit that I bought for 290 rupees...Exchange rate is around S$1 to 30 rupees.

It was really sad because Andy and Momo had to leave on the 3rd day i was there. It seems like people make fast friends in foreign land! I had many happy memories with Momo and Andy, and I will miss them so...haha...Anyways, for those who have never been to Kolkata, here are some pictures of the city i'm going to be in for 2.5 months...

The modes of transport here are by Metro, rickshaws, auto-rickshaws and taxies.

Costs

Metro: 3 to 5 rupees a trip

Rickshaws: 10 rupees a trip
Auto-rickshaws: 5 rupees a person
Taxis: Starts from 20 rupees to god knows how much.

To work, i take the metro to M.G. Road, and then an autorickshaw to Rajabazar everyday. Takes around 1 hour!!!!!

Kolkatans are generally very friendly and smiley people! One main problem they have is not knowing how to say no, even when they do not know the answer! Problematic... This city is one of the safest place in India, especially for women, which is good news!

The latest I've been home to Tollygunge (nearest metro to my place) is 9+ at night?

This kid signalled to me to help him take a photo! I love their smiles=)

Well, my fellow interns are very very independent people. Hence, I have no choice but to venture out on my own to explore the city sometimes. The first time i went out by myself was the 3rd or 4th day I was here. It was a great experience! Visited Mother Teresa's house (changed me, reading about her story), before meeting Azusa and Zoe at Babu Ghat for the sunset.

The kids love looking at their photos!

One thing that often strikes me here in Kolkata is the poor and destitute people, lying on the streets, being treated like they were not there! Many poor people love on the streets, naked kids running around, beggars asking for money. People sleep on the streets, together with animals like dogs and cats! It was raining one night in Kolkata and Azusa, Zoe and me were caught ithe rain. We thought it was pretty fun at first, but the drains and streets started to be flooded and it got really cold. Then, a thought stuck me: If I was feeilng cold and miserable, what about the homeless families living on the streets everyday? How are they able to withstand such hardships and suffering. Hai...

Not much time left to blog! So here are some photos with minimal information, the purpose just to showcase me looking nice and pretty in India=p.

Here is a photo of me in a Salwar dress I bought for 350 rupees! Victorial Memorium garden (left), and the Kali temple (right). There is supposed to be pants, but it's too hot and humid here!

Us girls at the Park Hotel Bar. 1 glass of wine costs 400 rupees! Around S$12...thats very expensive..so i bought a beer instead. I actually 'hit' on a cute guy that night, ahha...well, for Azusa actually, because she didn't dare to. The guys there a generally quite desperate! and One guy even asked azusa to come to his room, and told her he will pay her. WTF! I wanted to show

him my middle finger...

At Babu Ghat trying to see the sunset. (Failed!)Where ever we went, thousands of guys swarm around us to talk to us. Sometimes, I get freaked out...haha..

I'll leave my very first post with the sunset taken at Victoria Memorium garden. It was a really nice place to chill out. I'll be going to Chennai tomorrow on a 30 hour train ride with Azusa, and then to Bangalore and Hampi with Gary for the entire week. Going to be quite a journey! Its 37 hours back from Bangalore to Kolkata...37 HOURS!!!

Till the next post then!

(Forgive me if the pictures and words are misaligned. First time blogging! It was supposed to look nice and structured)