One Week//Everyday Life//RAMBLE//reflection

So with my time in Manipal wrapping up, I've suddenly became frustrated with how little I've focused on my real life here on my blog. Instead, I've posted only about my exciting travels, which are awesome and important, but traveling is certainly not how I spend the majority of my time. In fact, sitting here at my desk procrastinating my very last fifteen page paper, is how I've spent the majority of the last week. I'm generally over-caffeinated, due primarily to the coffee maker I purchased at the beginning of the semester, but also with the help of the brand new fresh & honest just built into the bottom of my lobby. Fresh & honest are these tiny booths scattered about campus that sell machine brewed coffees that aren't terrible. Usually I just go for the "black coffee" for rs 9 (18 cents) or, if I'm feeling snazzy, the "cappucino" for rs 12 (24 cents). Mind you, they are quite small (see below), and, it shouldn't surprise you that, instead of doing homework, I took it upon myself to determine whether this coffee was cheaper, by ounce, than a small dav coffee. So, let's do this math, alright! Nerd time! 18 cents for 100ml means 18 cents for 3.333 oz means 65 cents for 12 oz. (A small dav coffee is 12 ounces and a dollar if you bring your own mug). So factoring in quality, atmosphere and good looking/friendly staff, they're basically the same price. Great. Now where was I? Oh yea, environmentalism & Indian philosophy. Because we've all become terribly sick of the mess, we've been eating a majority of our meals at local canteens and restaurants. I've been eating a whole lot of maggi (indian ramen, sort of), egg cheese sandwiches, dosa and paneer butter masala. Not complaining! ...though I'm getting increasingly psyched for my favorite americano food.

aka dixie cup coffee

I leave Manipal in five days, if it weren't for this whirlwind of work, I might be sad, but instead, I'm more excited than I have been in SO long. Primarily because my Manipal departure in no way means leaving India, as I have ten days of traveling (with Ari!) to look forward, not to mention reunification with many of my favorite people in the world. My last week will be a flurry of last minute make-up classes,  presentations and a closing ceremony, at some point. This weekend is devoted to finishing papers and this coming week I'll be frantically packing and going crazy with excitement. Hopefully I'll squeeze in meals at all my favorite Manipal haunts and, perhaps, even hit up the ever-wild blue waters club once more (for the second time ever). Manipal's been good to me and I'll be sad to say goodbye to a few of my professors and classmates, but this semesster has tested me and, while I feel like I've met the challenges, I'm ready to sit on my couch in front of the fireplace sipping hot cocoa.

So here I am, getting ready to pack, trying to conduct a cost/benefit analysis of whether or not I should bring my full Indian wardrobe home. Will I be back to India? certainly, but will I ever be living here again? I really do hope so. Despite difficulties and a moderate skin tone difference, there's a part of me that thinks I fit in here. I love the lax attitude about time, disorganization doesn't usually get to me and I really admire the generally warm & hospitable nature of everybody here. That being said, there's a whole lot of things I'm looking forward to when I get back. I have not the time nor the desire to list, but to put it simply, the Christmas music I've begun listening to in the last few days has started to make me emotional and I yearn for boots and scarves. I'm going to look like a fool getting off the plane in flip flops.

I do have a few trips to breeze over in another post or two, maybe I'll get to that next week amidst the work I won't want to do. alll my looove.

Bombay

get ready for a lengthy one, people...I've got a lot to say about this incredible city. 

train station

After frantically finishing a paper, my journey to the great city of Mumbai began on the afternoon of October 25, the first day of Diwali, a major Indian festival. In fact, it was Diwali that allowed us the extra few days with which to go out and travel on our own. Because our travel agent had told us that we would be waitlisted if we left from Udupi, the closest train station to Manipal, instead we left from a tiny nearby station in Suruthkal (on the way to Mangalore). We arrived at the station early and waited anxiously for the sixteen hour journey ahead of us. Much to our surprise, upon boarding we found our train car almost empty, both before and after reaching Udupi. I think traveling on Diwali is kind of like traveling on Christmas day…not terribly desirable for the majority of the population. Unaware of the tragic tale of our future train ride home, we certainly took all the vacant space for granted. So, once on the train we hung out for a while, waiting for a food runner to come by and after eating the incredibly mediocre biryani, we went to sleep. With very little movement in our car throughout the night, I managed to sleep for almost 12 hours…pretty miraculous! It wasn't until waking up to a text reading "Airtel welcomes you to Mumbai!" a full two hours before our scheduled arrival that I began to realize just how huge Bombay really is. Our final destination was south Bombay, the main tourist beat and stomping grounds of some of India's richest & most influential, but because the city is essentially an island shooting of the mainland of the state of Maharasthra, you have to come down through north Bombay first. Gazing out the window for the final few hours of the trip, it didn't take long to sense the unique energy of Bombay that I don't think is found elsewhere. Save for the twelve hours spent in Bombay upon first arriving in India, this was the first time I had been north and I quickly noticed the stark differences in landscape. Though Manipal and its surrounding areas, like probably everywhere in India to some extent, are experiencing growth and seeing new buildings sprouting up all the time, the ride through Mumbai revealed a chaotic, crowded and sprawling landscape of countless new high-rise projects one moment and slums the next.
      On slums: Having never been to a slum, I by no means consider myself as someone of authority on the subject, but with Slumdog Millionaire & Shantaram making up so many people's perception of India, I have a few of my own thoughts to offer. Living in India has caused me to question almost everything I've ever thought to be true, and the topic of slums is no different. From the outside it's easy to look at a slum and think only of poverty, minimal sanitation, cramped living conditions, sickness, and so on and so forth. BUT, while it's true that in slums disease susceptibility is probably quite high and cleanliness is questionable, slums here essentially function like small towns, some complete with governing councils that punish immoralities or wrongdoings outside of institutional law, million dollar economies (at least in the largest of Bombay slums), access to electricity in homes, and many are organized in blocks of people with the same homeland, all having left for Bombay dreaming of new opportunities in the city. Urbanization is, indeed, a problem in developing countries and also the reason why slums will keep growing. Seeing agricultural opportunities slip away, many leave home to seek new livelihoods in cities, especially super cities like Bombay.But while people being forced to leave their homes is tragic, it would seem that Bombay is still full of new opportunities, or people wouldn't even bother coming. Many slums actually begin as temporary and legal settlements established to house the massive workforce required for large-scale projects (ie: the Bombay world trade centre), but to oblivious governments' surprise, when the projects are completed, people aren't exactly enthusiastic about picking up and leaving. So, to save face, the government generally resists the desire to knock down slums, a pragmatic decision considering that two thirds of Bombay's population are slum dwellers. However, every so often, areas outside the original "legal" borders are bulldozed, it's quite similar to a border conflict, I suppose…except the Indian government would be China and the Slum, India. So, today when I think about an Indian slum, rather than disparity, I try to consider the miracle that is thousands and thousands living in such close proximity under sometime terrible conditions, but in relative PEACE. Perhaps it's an Indian phenomenon or maybe it's true elsewhere, but I feel that in many other places on earth, areas densely populated with the most impoverished also tend to be the most violent, chaotic and crime-ridden. Though slum councils can suffer from rampant corruption and black market criminal activity, this is certainly not a problem unique to slums. Clearly it is high time that Indian officials took action to create alternative low-cost housing options, but in present day, relatively speaking, I'm not even sure that US cities' subsidized housing options could be considered as more desirable than a slum in India. Now I realize these are naive and fairly undeveloped thoughts and I must add that my reflections do not express the views of anybody but myself. I really try to resist being just another Gora making sweeping generalizations about Indian society, as my learning has only just brushed the surface, but I feel a sense of obligation to offer my ignorant and simple notions for my American readers who might never come to India.

cst

we at the hotel motel travellers inn

OK, apologies for that major diversion, just trying to do my part in promoting a more well-rounded perception of India, a place I find more amazing every day and growing nearer to my heart. Sorry I'm not sorry, yo! So, we arrived at CST (Chhatrapati Shavaji terminus), a UNESCO world heritage site and supposedly the busiest train station in Asia, an hour early. Built by the British and originally called the Victoria Terminus, CST is an enormous and beautiful building that could easily be mistaken for a church. Already trying to stay on our toes and avoid getting touted by a cabbie eager to rip off a few fresh-off-the-train goras, we opted for the fifteen minute walk to our hotel. After checking in to the palatial, Traveler's Inn, we popped into the neighboring Universal Cafe for some eggs and toast. There we were introduced to the excessively high Mumbai prices, too. After breakfast we decided to stroll through the fort area, where we were staying, and check out the scene/sweet british architecture. Shortly thereafter, we set out to meet up with a friend of a friend of Becca who offered to show us around Bombay, as he had grown up there and only recently returned after graduating from Columbia (hi christina). When he took us to the Oberoi, one of the most expensive hotels in Bombay (and, thus, one of the targets during the three days of terrorist attacks in 2008) for coffee, we knew we were in for an eye-opening weekend. That evening we putzed around chowpatty beach during sunset, held our ground resisting an absolutely relentless peanut seller and ate some pseudo-gelato.  We took a cab back (there aren't  autos in most of Bombay) and had a cheap and delicious dinner at a punjabi place next to our hotel. Interestingly, they were in the middle of performing a Puja for Diwali when we arrived and after dinner, they gave us a free plate of sweets!

chowpatty

restaurant puja

are we in Europe?

proof

      The next day we did a little shopping at Fabindia and some street sands after eating dosas at our new favorite punjabi place. In a cafe above Fabindia, I ordered a coffee and it was served in a french press. I about passed out with happiness. They also had "bagel w/ philadelphia cream cheese" for those willing to pay rs 250 ($5), but I assumed it would be sub-par and resisted the temptation. Later we tried to find the coolest bazaars north of CST, but ended up lost and wandering around chaotic and crowded junk bazaars with no success. That evening we went to this restaurant Indigo with our new pal and met up with some of his friends. It was great hanging out with a cool group of people who grew up in Bombay, but left to go to school at western institutions (like LSE!! worlds colliding...) because they have such interesting views of the world and enjoy a lifestyle I never expected to be exposed to while in India. After imported white wine, incredible mac & cheese (!!!) and dangerously delicious deserts, I could have died satisfied. But the night was not over, as afterwards we went to Dome, an overly trendy rooftop bar at the intercontinental. The all white decor may have been a bit much for my taste, but the amazing view of the sea and the Bombay skyline that this place boasts was just right. Just to give you an idea of the price stratification between Manipal & Bombay, a cocktail at Dome was around rs800 and I generally pay around rs 100 for dinner. YEA.

bazaar world

Dome...I didn't take this photo

      The next day, opting for a bit more traditional tourism, we decided to head over to elephanta island and check out the famous caves. First we hit up the Gateway to India (built to celebrate some famous person from the British monarchy) where we were harassed for a photo about 100 times and forced into a blessing from a fake prist. Finally we boarded a rickity boat that would take us to the island which is only a few kms from the Bombay harbor (though you'd never know, due to smog). The scene on the boat was pretty funny, per the usual in India, the crowd on the upper deck of the boat was largely made up of groups of young Indian men just goofing around. The ladies and familes sat on bottom, which I quickly realized was the smarter choice due to the scorching heat and beating sun. Because we were the only girls, our neighbors on the boat were, naturally, filled with curiousity about why were in India, if we spoke Hindi and, most importantly, if we had heard the Akon Bollywood song recorded in Hindi. We made it to the island and after walking up the seemingly endless & vendor-lined path to the top, we (exhaustively) strolled around the caves for a bit. Having been promised afternoon tea at the Taj (the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, not THEE Taj) by one of our new friends, we decided to head back to the city. Sitting in the swanky & air-conditioned lobby of the Taj was a welcomed contrast to the chaotic crowds by the gateway, but I also felt uncomfortable about the predominantly white customer base being waited on by Indians dressed in sarees and traditional raja wear. Before, I had this romantic vision of the Taj being the haunt for India's most fabulous and influential, which is only partially true. I sat in fascination, though, wondering "who are all of these people? what are doing in India? Is the Taj Palace their first exposure to Indian culture? what do they make of the rest of this place?" Finally we met up with our friend and got cold coffees in one of the Taj restaurants overlooking the harbor, incidentally the same place known for hosting countless meetings between Indian families arranging marriages. That evening we ate at this uber trendy thai place that had iPad menus and headed to Leopolds! I was pumped to see this Shantaram site, like a proper western backpacker and it met my expectations. It was definitely the most fun place we went during the weekend, which I suppose speaks to my unrefined taste. It's a great place, though, and proved resiliant, too, opening just a few days after being hit during the 2008 attacks. They never changed the windows, either, so you can check out the bullet holes. Only mildly disconcerting...but, hey, lightning never strikes twice, right? The swanky hotels that house the handful of restaurants frequented by the particular cohort of society from which the people we hung out with belong were also the sites of many of the attacks. read more here. Predictably they're now the sites with the most beefed-up security...I had my bag searched more times than I can count.  

taj palace and gateway

a monkey drinking from a bottle

then i had my lower leg amputated

      So our last day and a half in Mumbai were spent eating lunch on our friend's yacht (yeah.), strolling around Colaba and buying a few goodies, hitting up the Punjabi restaurant again, testing out the donuts at the city's only donut shop (they sucked), enjoying one last brunch in the lap of luxury (scrambled eggs, belgian waffles & coffee) and almost missing our train home. Though we made it, we quickly found out we had not made it off the waitlist and were traveling unreserved...which meant 16 hours with no official seats. For the first few hours we played musical chairs on empty berths, but things got tricky once people started to go to sleep and we didn't have beds. Eventually the conductor kindly offered us an hour of sleep on an empty berth, but luckily never woke us up again. So, though we uncomfortably struggled to sleep in a shared berth for around nine hours, it was better than laying on the floor, I guess...  I was sad to leave Bombay, but after the mostly-sleepless hours of discomfort, I was quite ready for that particular train adventure to come to an end when we pulled into Udupi at 8:30 am. I really don't know if I've ever been so sore and I spent the majority of the following 36 hours in my bed.
      So here I am with just ten days left in Manipal. It's so strange...eventually I'll update at least once more with photos from gokarna and a little info on my plantation visit and goa film festival experience. For now, it's back to paper writing. Final stretch here I come, then it's off to Delhi/Rajisthan for ten days with one of the best people I know!

all my love