Waiting in line.
In Minnesota there is an unwritten rule..... leave the appropriate empty space between people, first person in queue is first to be 'served'.
Not so here.
The queue is really just the first step. After that, it's every person for him/herself. It seems as though the old have an advantage in budding through the line. At first I thought it was out of respect for elders..now, I'm not so sure. I think it's actually just because they have more experience.
Example: on the layover in Amsterdam, I felt a bump then pressure on my hip. I mean, I'm not even sure I would go this far on a first date! I immediately moved. I'm just not into pushing and why do I need to get on another plane for a 9 hr flight sooner rather than later? Well this 65ish old lady was a pro. On the tarmac (sp?) waiting for the shuttle to the plane later on I tested her skill. We were at the same point in line. She got on the plane 9 people in front of me.
Application of this fine fact applies to all life here......walking, biking, motorbike, auto-rickshaw, car or bus.
Unfortunately sometimes when in Rome, you have to do as the Romans do to get by.
And now you know-
W:)
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Bangalore- Commercial Street, Fine Fact #1
A typical weekday morning in the Murphy house, except that today is Halloween! Happy Halloween everyone! :-D
(<- Commercial street after dark)
So. Yesterday was big fun for me. After getting the kids dropped off at school, Sarvenon, Tom and I headed towards commercial street- the main shopping district here. So..... it's a small street, with cars, auto-rickshaw (motorbike seating three), bicycles and people walking. In general you drive on the left side of the road....but, potholes, cows, bikes, motorcycles and pedestrians drive where anyone really is moving. The person/vehicle that first arrives to any given point has right of way.
Commercial district is one shop after another....10 foot openings, rough, with merchandise displayed. Some shops are only that and open to the street, some are actually nice shops with glass cases, wood floor and doors separating the shop from the street. You can get just about anything there.....and I found one of the things that I came to get (Xmas is a coming....that's all the detail I can provide, family). I was a happy kid. Without Sarvenon, I'm not sure how a person could really know exactly where to find anything here!
India Fine Fact #1: Here is the most magical thing that I've discovered about Bangalore through Tom trials. You can get anything fixed, get it fixed well and it's inexpensive. Things are fixed, not thrown away.
Well today is a new day. Tracy and I have already done yoga. Headed to the club to work out with Tom later. We've got trick-or-treating this eve and then we're off to our long weekend get-away to Pondicherry. We'll drive part way there tonight and arrive tomorrow.
The weather could be a bit choppy as there was or is a tropical storm in the Bay of Bengal (the weather forecast is a bit unreliable here.)
After today, you won't hear from me for a bit....... on vacation from vacation.
Love and Hugs- W:)
I'm on vacation
You know a funny thing happened today.
I stopped thinking about what time it was at home.
Sincerely on vacation, W:)
I stopped thinking about what time it was at home.
Sincerely on vacation, W:)
Bangalore it is!
So when last I left you, I was rattling on about Agra. Cool place. Go there.
My individual adventures ended Saturday. On Sunday I scrambled out of bed and readied for my trip to airport. 10:30 a.m. flight, so had to leave the hotel by 9:00. Oops, discovered the plane was now scheduled for 9:50 departure at check-in. I may have been a bit worried about that except that I'm on vacation and in true Indian fashion the flight departure was changed twice more before we actually left. The plane took off about the time it was originally supposed to and at the gate that they announce just before the departure. Really, do all those details really matter? (they seem to at home....)
After I got my bags I found Tom waiting with a smile. After a couple hugs- one wasn't enough- their driver Sharmenon (sp?) pulled up in the car with Tracy and the three kids- dressed in Halloween costumes. We went dirctly to an OWC (overseas women's club) charity Halloween party for the kids. The Power Ranger (Jimmy), Princess (Kay) and Herbie the Love Bug (Billy) looked stunning and had a blast. The best part about the party was being led by Billy to every Jack-o-Lantern in the building. He was enthralled (even though the pumpkins where an odd green color). In true Murphy fashion that was only the first gathering of the evening. We also had an Ex-pat BBQ- pot luck gathering d0wn the road. A fun group hosted this time by a couple from Germany.
Oh Bangalore. I was going to tell you a bit about that. Let me share with you my first two impressions. I love to discover things just before landing so had my eyes peeled as we descended... first: it's Sunday afternoon- every field was full of people playing cricket! Having just had that experience for the first time a couple months back with my work group, I got a big smile from it.
My second impression, and shock before landing.... look at that building. Familiar, somhow. You've got to be kidding me. Target India HQ. Standing out and proud with an oversized bullseye. It's built at the end of the runway!!!!! What are the odds, y'all?
Until then- W:)
My individual adventures ended Saturday. On Sunday I scrambled out of bed and readied for my trip to airport. 10:30 a.m. flight, so had to leave the hotel by 9:00. Oops, discovered the plane was now scheduled for 9:50 departure at check-in. I may have been a bit worried about that except that I'm on vacation and in true Indian fashion the flight departure was changed twice more before we actually left. The plane took off about the time it was originally supposed to and at the gate that they announce just before the departure. Really, do all those details really matter? (they seem to at home....)
After I got my bags I found Tom waiting with a smile. After a couple hugs- one wasn't enough- their driver Sharmenon (sp?) pulled up in the car with Tracy and the three kids- dressed in Halloween costumes. We went dirctly to an OWC (overseas women's club) charity Halloween party for the kids. The Power Ranger (Jimmy), Princess (Kay) and Herbie the Love Bug (Billy) looked stunning and had a blast. The best part about the party was being led by Billy to every Jack-o-Lantern in the building. He was enthralled (even though the pumpkins where an odd green color). In true Murphy fashion that was only the first gathering of the evening. We also had an Ex-pat BBQ- pot luck gathering d0wn the road. A fun group hosted this time by a couple from Germany.
Oh Bangalore. I was going to tell you a bit about that. Let me share with you my first two impressions. I love to discover things just before landing so had my eyes peeled as we descended... first: it's Sunday afternoon- every field was full of people playing cricket! Having just had that experience for the first time a couple months back with my work group, I got a big smile from it.
My second impression, and shock before landing.... look at that building. Familiar, somhow. You've got to be kidding me. Target India HQ. Standing out and proud with an oversized bullseye. It's built at the end of the runway!!!!! What are the odds, y'all?
Until then- W:)
Monday, October 29, 2007
Yooo Hooo!
Hi! :-D
All has gone according to plan to this point....although I feel a little lost today because it's the first day that I've had without a plane or train! (I am in Banalore now at the Murphy's, but this blog account covers only my first couple days).
Here's what I've been up to.....
- I only had one connection on the flight here and made it to Delhi probably faster than anyone. My departing plane was boarding when I landed in Amsterdam. I stopped rushing when I ran across a Target employee and her family on the way out of the place. I only knew she had a connection to TGT because of the Mizrahi designed Target bag she was carrying- a one of a kind freebie given out at our annual meeting. I met her for the first time, but she knew of me as she works in an area that I used to work in. Her brother (?) assured me that "it's the airlines liability, not ours. They'll wait for us. ". And so they did. No worries, we had plenty of time.
I arrived in Delhi about 'lunchtime' Friday for you. It was really after midnight here though....and I turned out the lights at 1a.m. with a 4:45 wake-up call to catch my train to Agra early Saturday a.m.
Holy sightseeing batman:
1) Saw the Taj- no reading could prepare me. The size of it, the intricate detail all over the outside carved with many illusionary methods to portray perfection and symmetry, what the inlaid gemstones really look like in the white marble....incredible. The Taj is a mausoleum built by Shah Jahan as a memorial to his favorite queen. He is laid to rest beside her here. It took over 17 years and 20,000 men to build. She died giving birth to their 14 child....that must have been a powerful love!
2) The Red Fort of Agra. (Photo of Red building, above). Also built by the Mogul empire, this by Emporer Akbar (1566). Beautiful red sandstone fort with intricate carving and architecture design. It provided for water cooled air conditioning in the emporer's rooms. It is only a couple km's from the Taj. Shah Jahan was imprisoned for the last years of his life here by his son. He was able to see the Taj from the fort, but not allowed to go visit his late wife.
3) Fetehpur Sikri-a. (Photo of white marble temple within the ruins, above). A preserved palatial 'ghost town' abandoned only 16 years after it was built. After the Taj, this was most impressive.....and usually not seen by many tourists because it's a 1 hr drive outside of Agra. The interesting thing....no one really knows why it was abandoned?! Water supply is a favorite guess.
4) Visited a craft shop grinding gemstones into intricate and tiny patterns for inlay into white marble. This is the technique used at the Taj and famous to the area.
5) Visited a hand made persian run craft shop..... and somehow managed to get out without buying one. Whew!
6) Visited a gem/jewelry shop and got the low down on gems available only to this area (they are not released to anyone except local craftsman).
7) At last.....it was over an hour late, but caught the train back to Delhi. Arriving back at my hotel again after midnight.
How?
The travel service that Tracy hunted up for me was incredible. I had the same driver and 'lead' in Delhi and another team that met me in Agra along with a guide. Most people don't get the extra lead...but, I was the only single person and he thought that it would be nice to always ride in my car. We had great conversation- they taught me a lot. You have no idea how nice it is to get off onto a train platform late at night and be immediately accosted with a warm handshake, smile and excited questions about my day from my driver.
He assured me of two things. My country is the best. (And, after telling him about the rest of my visit with Tracy, Tom and the kids) he assured me that the next time I travel to India, I'll have children of my own! I think not!!!!
Until next time, W:)
All has gone according to plan to this point....although I feel a little lost today because it's the first day that I've had without a plane or train! (I am in Banalore now at the Murphy's, but this blog account covers only my first couple days).
Here's what I've been up to.....
- I only had one connection on the flight here and made it to Delhi probably faster than anyone. My departing plane was boarding when I landed in Amsterdam. I stopped rushing when I ran across a Target employee and her family on the way out of the place. I only knew she had a connection to TGT because of the Mizrahi designed Target bag she was carrying- a one of a kind freebie given out at our annual meeting. I met her for the first time, but she knew of me as she works in an area that I used to work in. Her brother (?) assured me that "it's the airlines liability, not ours. They'll wait for us. ". And so they did. No worries, we had plenty of time.
I arrived in Delhi about 'lunchtime' Friday for you. It was really after midnight here though....and I turned out the lights at 1a.m. with a 4:45 wake-up call to catch my train to Agra early Saturday a.m.
Holy sightseeing batman:
1) Saw the Taj- no reading could prepare me. The size of it, the intricate detail all over the outside carved with many illusionary methods to portray perfection and symmetry, what the inlaid gemstones really look like in the white marble....incredible. The Taj is a mausoleum built by Shah Jahan as a memorial to his favorite queen. He is laid to rest beside her here. It took over 17 years and 20,000 men to build. She died giving birth to their 14 child....that must have been a powerful love!
2) The Red Fort of Agra. (Photo of Red building, above). Also built by the Mogul empire, this by Emporer Akbar (1566). Beautiful red sandstone fort with intricate carving and architecture design. It provided for water cooled air conditioning in the emporer's rooms. It is only a couple km's from the Taj. Shah Jahan was imprisoned for the last years of his life here by his son. He was able to see the Taj from the fort, but not allowed to go visit his late wife.
3) Fetehpur Sikri-a. (Photo of white marble temple within the ruins, above). A preserved palatial 'ghost town' abandoned only 16 years after it was built. After the Taj, this was most impressive.....and usually not seen by many tourists because it's a 1 hr drive outside of Agra. The interesting thing....no one really knows why it was abandoned?! Water supply is a favorite guess.
4) Visited a craft shop grinding gemstones into intricate and tiny patterns for inlay into white marble. This is the technique used at the Taj and famous to the area.
5) Visited a hand made persian run craft shop..... and somehow managed to get out without buying one. Whew!
6) Visited a gem/jewelry shop and got the low down on gems available only to this area (they are not released to anyone except local craftsman).
7) At last.....it was over an hour late, but caught the train back to Delhi. Arriving back at my hotel again after midnight.
How?
The travel service that Tracy hunted up for me was incredible. I had the same driver and 'lead' in Delhi and another team that met me in Agra along with a guide. Most people don't get the extra lead...but, I was the only single person and he thought that it would be nice to always ride in my car. We had great conversation- they taught me a lot. You have no idea how nice it is to get off onto a train platform late at night and be immediately accosted with a warm handshake, smile and excited questions about my day from my driver.
He assured me of two things. My country is the best. (And, after telling him about the rest of my visit with Tracy, Tom and the kids) he assured me that the next time I travel to India, I'll have children of my own! I think not!!!!
Until next time, W:)
Monday, October 15, 2007
This is a test of the global communication system......
..... if this were truely a global communicaiton, ...well, I'd have more to say. Until that time, I'd like to welcome you to my blog spot. :-D
Why True Places? Well, I'm certain that I'll have many adventures to share. Some unique adventures in places far away. Some may only be as exotic as my own back yard.
I don't think the place really matters. What matters is what I see. I'd like to share that with you.
"It is not down in any map; true places never are."
~Herman Melville
Peace- W:)
Why True Places? Well, I'm certain that I'll have many adventures to share. Some unique adventures in places far away. Some may only be as exotic as my own back yard.
I don't think the place really matters. What matters is what I see. I'd like to share that with you.
"It is not down in any map; true places never are."
~Herman Melville
Peace- W:)
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