India Trip 2013 - Part 3 (Jaipur)

On the morning of the 16th we got up around 4:15AM to get ready for the early morning train to Jaipur, on the famous Shatabdi Express. The drive to the station was smooth almost all the way and our taxi-wallah brought us to the station via Chelmsford Road Entrance with time to spare. Due to the traffic jam around the station entrance, we all got off in the middle of the road and walked into the station dragging our luggage! The journey of 4 hours started auspiciously on time from Platform 2, with the train stopping at Patel Nagar, Delhi Cantt, and Gurgoan stations, to pick up passengers on the way. We victualed on  two rounds of breakfast comprised cereal with milk, cookies, idlis, upma, sambar and rounding it off with tea. Food was clean and the service very professional. The overall journey, although very comfortable, was not otherwise noteworthy.

L-R : Admiral, Jan, Maa, I

We arrived in Jaipur with time to spare and were taken by taxi to the place to stay during our stay in Jaipur; the beautiful Devi Niketan. Our host is the former Head of Indian Navy, Admiral Madhavendra Singh. Devi Nikatan is his ancestral home with the Admiral tracing his Rajput ancestry to one of the Navratna of Emperor Akbar, Raja Mansingh! It should come as no surprise to anyone that several positive adjectives apply to the Admiral including handsome, educated, well-informed, friendly, sophisticated, and articulate! We had a great time here and we recommend it to everyone.

L-R : I, Amar Singh, Maa, and Sarika

After check-in, we secured our passports in the safe conveniently placed in the room (an important point we will come to later), we cleaned ourselves of our travel grime and went to meet a friend of mine from my days in Lucknow during the late 80s. Mani Mama, whom I introduced in my previous post used to live in a large Bungalow in the heart of Lucknow along with several other family including Amar Singh and Sarika. At that time Bhai Sahib and Bhabhi (I address Amar Singh and Sarika by the honorific "Bhai Sahib" and "Bhabhi" respectively as is customary in North India) were newly married and were starting their family. I was particularly friendly with bhai sahib's younger brother who was an exercise fanatic. I was meeting them again after a gap of nearly 25 years! They were as affectionate as I remember them. It should also come as no surprise to all if I say that bhabhi  is a great cook. I know I put on at least 1 pound just because of the lunch I ate that afternoon at their place.

Johari Bazaar

From there the driver took us to the Johari Bazar in the heart of Pink City, India's oldest planned city. Ostensibly Raji and Inchara were at a conference, but it seemed more like they were Whatsapp-ing with Jan images of various jewellery they were buying or recommending for Jan. I call Raji a vicarious spend-thrift! Maa was bored but I enjoyed the teeming humanity. It was colorful, loud, crowded, lively, and I could not get enough of it. After a couple of hours of shopping we went back to the hotel.

We arrived in time to see Naveen and his daughter Siri along with Harsha and his children, Sam and Vee arrive from the airport. A few minutes later Raji and Inchara also came back from their meeting. We were all finally together, the entire group would travel together for the next 6 days. The picture on the right shows the whole group, as eclectic a group as one could get; doctors, scientist, software professionals, and a lawyer. At the bidding of the kids, we had dinner at a nearby Italian place called Little Italy, where we made our plans for the following day which was Sunday the 17th.

India Trip 2013 - Part 2 (Arrival in New Delhi)

Jan left for India on the 8th. After spending time with her family and meeting various friends, she flew to New Delhi on the 14th evening and checked into Thikana, a boutique Bed and Breakfast. B&Bs are a relatively new concept in India. A few years ago India hosted the Commonwealth Games and when it was clear there were not enough quality hotels, the New Delhi government, gave generous breaks for folks to convert their homes into B&Bs in time for the influx of visitors and tourists. Our host was one of the early adopters.

Maa, our younger daughter, and I caught a flight out of Dulles on the 13th. The 3-4 days prior to our departure was packed with action items for me. It turns out I was more vital for the successful operations of the company than I believed I was. Go figure! I helped the team with enough knowledge transfer to tide over the days I would not be in the town.

Our onward flight was uneventful with the first leg half empty. Maa and I stretched out in the 4 middle seats and had a restful flight. At Frankfurt, we had an early experience of India. At the gate, there was almost no semblance of order. This is normal in India but very strange for the folks that coined the phrase "Ordnung muss sein". Passengers were milling around the gate as if they would be left behind unless they were the first to board the plane. I watched this with amusement and waited for the traffic jam to clear. The plane left with us after all! The entertainment on Lufthansa flights leave a lot of to be desired.

In New Delhi, my friends Sandeep and Sanjay came to receive me. Considering it was past midnight, it was really very nice of them. By the time we got our bags and left the airport, it was past 2AM in the morning! I too checked in to Thikana. The rooms were spacious, the bed very comfortable, the bathrooms clean, and our hosts Atul and Sheetal very friendly and hospitable. The B&B itself is located close to a metro station and is within 30 minutes of Connaught Place, New Delhi Railway Station, and the International Airport.

After texting a few people about our safe arrival, we popped 1/2 a tablet of Melatonin and slept soundly for 6 hours and woke up at 9AM fully refreshed. Melatonin was a savior, during this trip as well as on my return back. I did not suffer a single day of jet-lag although I used it no more than 3 nights. At least for me, it reset the biological clock was nicely.

Mani Mama and Jannavi

I had two items on my agenda for that day. First item was to meet my father's friends who are in some sense an adopted uncle and aunt of mine, in fact far more closer to me than anyone in my family. Mani Mama, as he is addressed by me, is a very handsome octogenarian, with a strong resemblance to Kishore Kumar. I could write an entire post about mama but not today. Lalitha Mami is a beautiful woman, young at heart and looks, a great grandmother, and a wonderful cook. They were staying with their son Raju and his wife Latha.

L-R : Maa, Jan, Mami, Mama, Raag

We made a late start and reached their house a little past noon. Latha had cooked a delicious and wonderful lunch, the details of which sadly elude recollection.We spent several hours reminiscing about the days I lived in Lucknow with them. Things were going great when Maalini accidentally dropped my phone and shattered the glass cover. I am proud to say, I did not even flinch much less lose my temper.

For the second item on my agenda, we left at around 4PM to go to Janakpuri to meet the parents of my best friend from high school. Although we were very dissimilar in temperament, we were quite close during the senior years at high school. My friend's father was away from home, but his mother and his niece were at home. She made tea for us and served us savories and sweets, enough to feed an army. Oh how I wish I were 15 years of age and tuck into food with verve! It was obvious aunty was very happy to see us. After meeting them, we went back to the B&B to rest and get ready for the journey next day to Rajasthan.

India Trip 2013 - Part 1 (Planning)

A sad freshman in college

A few months back, my brother-in-law Naveen, and his wife Raji asked us, Jan and I, if we would like to vacation with them in Rajasthan, India. Raji, it seems was to attend a conference in Jaipur along with her colleague, Inchara. At the end of the conference, we, along with Raji's and Inchara's family would join them in Jaipur. Thereafter we would rent a Tempo Traveler that could seat a dozen persons along with their bags and travel and sight-see three of the famous locations, namely, Jaipur, Bikaner, and Jaisalmer. We got on-board once we found we could get cheap airline tickets. The only black cloud in all this was, Devi our older daughter, would not be with us for this trip as she was still adjusting to her freshman year in college.



After many back and forth and few more detours, we finally came up with this plan.

1. Leave USA for New Delhi on 13th of November.
2. Spend 15th in New Delhi meeting some friends and family.
3. Travel by train to Jaipur on 16th and meet our fellow travelers, meet an old friend from my Lucknow days in 1980s, and finally sight-see the Pink City.
4. Spend 17th seeing more of Jaipur.
5. Travel to Bikaner on the 18th; see the Junagarh fort; visit the Camel farm; and stay overnight in Gajner Palace near Bikaner.
6. Travel on 19th to Jaisalmer and check-in at Suryagarh.
7. Spend 20th and 21st in Jaisalmer. See the fort, abandoned village, and ride on a camel.
8. Drive on 22nd to Jaisalmer and fly back to New Delhi the same day.
9. Meet friends from DCE and sight see New Delhi on 23rd and 24th
10. Fly back home on 25th.

After these dates were decided, Jan felt that she would like to spend a few days with her parents in Bangalore. So we decided to travel to India separately. Maa and I went as planned and Jan went a few days earlier to Bangalore and met me in New Delhi on the 15th. I decided not visit my parents in Chennai as they had been with us for 3 months from early August to early November. In fact their departure to India was timed to be just a few days earlier than our own.

We were excited!

I was held up ...

The year was 1994. The locale was inner city Detroit. The specific address, Deroy Apartments at the Wayne State University Campus.

My friend Subbu and I came back late from the sports building called MATTHAEI to have dinner with my wife and a couple of friends. I had been taking swimming lessons and Subbu was my teacher. The friends were already at my home and were deep in some conversation with Jannavi but obviously waiting for us to come back.

Subbu and I apologized for being late saying, "we were held up".

They said they understood.

And we again said, "we were held up"

And they wisely nodded their head and assured us it was OK.

"You do not understand, we were really held up"

My friends assured us that they did no mind waiting for a nice dinner; my wife was known as a good cook.

We were clearly not communicating - so we acted it out. I made a gun with my hand and put it next to our head and pulled the trigger and said - we were held up! Get it?

Yawn. No one believed us. We were just making a excuse. So we pull out the business card of the police office. Then we told them the complete story

After the completion of the lessons and the showers, we walked out of the sports complete. And as we reached the parking lot, someone wearing a hoodie walked up to us, pointed something at me and asked us for our money. After nearly 20 years, I am unable to recollect the actual words he spoke or gestures he made. I distinctly remember a small, shining, probably golden color, gun. The gunman pointed it at me first and asked me for my money. I did not have a penny on me. Frustrated, he turned to Subbu and asked him for his money. He also did not have any. He asked us empty our pockets. I had only my student ID, but Subbu unfortunately had a copy of ATM receipt. The guy put the gun next to Subbu chest and ordered us to take him to an ATM, but with difficulty we assured him that we did not have the ATM card on us. Much frustrated, the gunman was a little unsure. It was a dangerous moment; he decided to walk away.

We were lucky. It could have ended tragically. From that day onwards, I always carry at least $20 always in my pocket.

Going Mainstream in USA

I came to this country in the late 80s. Except in the major metros, being Indian implied that one stuck out like a sore thumb. It meant answering the same question again and again; Are you a Hindi? Do you speak Hindu? Are there really 300 dialects? How come you eat meat? Is it not a taboo? What part of your name refers to your village?

Then came Y2K and with that a sudden influx of varieties of Indians. The tide slowly turned. The number of questions dwindled and the few inquiries you received were intelligent. Around the middle of last decade, I felt that being Indian was no longer unusual when I saw the Inside Man, starring some main stream Hollywood stars. As the opening credits rolled, I was surprised to hear this super hit song Chaiyya Chaiyya by the peerless AR Rahman.

Fast forward to today and I was completely shocked. I had some time to kill and I was watching Eternal Sunshine of the spotless Mind starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. Fast forward to around 11 minute mark.

Here is the challenge. Identify the three Hindi songs you hear in the back ground and tell me the name of the songs and singers.

Do not look in the Wikipedia.

I still have not yet seen the movie. I was just so thrilled to hear those songs that I dropped everything to write this post.

Two cats and a Monkey

I am sure you all have heard of the moral tale of the two cats and a monkey, but please indulge me in reviewing this story with you.

Once upon a time there lived two cats that came up a nice big cookie. They immediately claimed it for each other and quarreled bitterly over it. This was seen my a cunning monkey up on a tree who immediately offered to lend a helping hand in arbitrating the dispute. He started by breaking the cookie into two parts with one being small and the other little larger. Since it was not fair to one of the cats, he took a bite which subsequently made the smaller piece larger which he now claimed was not fair to the other cat. This went on till there were two very small piece which the monkey put in his mouth. When the cats asked him why he ate the last two pieces the monkey answered that those two pieces were his price of arbitration. The two cats, now wiser, realized their folly a little too late.

Now comes the geopolitical analogy to this moral tale. Substitute India and Pakistan for the two feuding cats, China for the cunning monkey that is above all fray and only wishes to bring harmony to the region, and finally the cookie could be any number of discords between India and Pakistan. We could for simplicity call Kashmir the cookie, although the folks that live there may not like to think of themselves. This is only an analogy and should not be taken too literally.

Basically it is a tale of India and Pakistan fighting constantly that has opened the door for opportunistic China in its drive for dominion status over all of Asia. China knows clearly that there is only one potential power that can derail its plans and that is India. So long as China keeps India engaged in Indo-Pak conflicts that do not ever end, the less chance India has in playing a role in the larger stage. The less the other countries recognize India as a global power, the more they see China in that role.

Saving the Planet - baby step

The area where I live is called Brookeville, adjoining Olney. The housing communities are planned and well maintained with lot of walk paths. From spring all the way till late fall, it is not unusual to see a lot of residents running or walking. When I was not jogging, I walk a lot in my neighborhood, generally to stay fit. Despite being a well maintained neighborhood, it is not uncommon to see a little bit trash especially around common area that belong to no particular neighborhood and also in the wooded parts. It may seem rather a generalization, but I attribute most of this to a few thoughtless teenagers and some folks from other parts that commute on Georgia Avenue and Olney Laytonsville Road. I personally do not understand this, but I presume it is more of  "I do not live here, so it is acceptable to throw trash here" would seem to be the mentality. They probably subscribe to a form of NIMBY!

In the past, I would simply bemoan the fact, shake my head, and continue walking. More recently, I have felt the need to take some concrete action such as getting a group together to perform cleanups. Now I find it hard to convince anyone, if I tell them to zig, they tend to zag. In fact, I always say that if you want to convince someone to your point of view, send me to that person to argue to the opposing point of view! Maybe if I performed the task, my actions would be more convincing than my words. More over I felt I was not doing my share. So last week, I went to Home Depot and purchased a Trash Grabber. 

The weather earlier today was too nice and I carried the trash grabber along with a trash bag. I filled by bag with plastic and aluminum cans within a mile of my house and there is still a lot of trash to be picked up. As I walked and picked trash, I observed myself puffed with self-righteousness. I had to talk myself down a bit and put it in perspective; it was only one walk and one bag. At the other end, it was hard to stop myself from getting frustrated by the amount of trash, I could easily have packed ten bags. I felt my instincts to overdo needed to be curbed. I could not clean my neighborhood of trash in one walk. If there is still trash around it is not a failure. There is one bag less today than there was yesterday! It is continual process, more of a marathon than a sprint as most things in life are. This is only the beginning. 

I want to make this now part of my walks which now serve dual purposes; improve my health and the health of my neighborhood. Clean the neighborhood one walk, one bag at a time.