Sunday, June 29, 2008

Kolkata

Touring the city I was born in was a good experience. I started the day fairly early with a government organized city tour. The tour guide spoke English which was a welcome feature and the tour was small, only about seven people, which was nice because it allowed us to move at a decent speed without having to wait.
We started with all the major monuments in Kolkata. Unfortunately it was predominantly a bus tour and most of the places we visited can either not be reached by the public, or there is no stopping. The governor's house was absolutely huge and almost all the buildings that we saw had a very colonial British look. I was later informed by Dad's friend Rajiv that this is because Kolkata was once the capital of India before Independence in 1947 when it moved to the present city of Delhi. I had to end the tour early because I was feeling a bit ill but I felt better later that evening.
That evening I went out to a club in Kolkata with Rajiv's son Karan and it was a fun and new experience. Clubs here are very similar to those in Canada and it was a lot of fun.
The next day I woke up later than usual and went to visit Mother Theresa's Mission of Charity. It was amazing. It was much smaller than I expected, with a small courtyard leading to Mother's tomb and a small room that outlines her history among a variety of poster boards. I got so caught up with reading about her accomplishments and her letters that I lost track of time and the opportunity to see her bedroom passed. I knew she was an amazing woman, but truly when you read about all that she accomplished with what she had, it really makes her seem like a saint.
Later in the afternoon I had a lovely lunch at the CCFC (Calcutta Cricket and Football Club) with Rajiv and his family followed by a very special drive down memory lane. Rajiv took me to the apartment I used to live in, the bank building (HSBC) that dad used to work at, and most importantly Woodlands Hospital, which, on May 18, 1986 was the hospital where the world became a better place. Rajiv also took me to buy a pair of Kurta Pyjama's, a comfortable cotton outfit which is very comfortable for lounging but I bought a pair that can also be dressed up and worn with jeans.
Kolkata was definitely a great experience. It was nice being able to see where I was born and spent the first year of my life but was also nice to see India from the pre-independence capital.
Tomorrow I leave for Nepal so I can't guarantee when the next posting will be, so bare with me.

Friday, June 27, 2008

Rahul Doloui

I arrived in Kolkata at about 8pm on the 26th evening. For those of you that don't know, I was actually born in this city, so I felt it was my duty to come and visit before I leave for Nepal. I'm staying with my Dad's friend Rajiv and his family who have been very kind to open their home to me. Actually the majority of my travels in India are spent with family friends of my parents. The entire Delhi trip was organized by my dad's very close friend Uchil who not only provided me with a place to stay, but also a car and driver to travel in. A big thanks to him as well.

On the 27th morning I headed to small village on the outskirts of Kolkata, about a 2 hour drive. I sponsor a child through Christian Children's Fund of Canada and specifically chose one in Kolkata because I was born here. Mr. Ghosh (a CCFC associate) accompanied me to the village. Upon arriving I was greeted in a way you would only reserve for foreign dignitaries and celebrities. The children were dressed in ceremonial clothes and almost half the community had gathered around the community center to see me. "I'm kind of a big deal."

Then, after looking through the crowd, there he was. No taller than maybe my hips, little Rahul was dressed in his finest clothes sporting a CCFC baseball hat. He was very shy but came up and greeted me in the traditional way of touching my feet, then his face and head. It was adorable. After a brief stay in the community center, which is little more than a large garden shed, I was taken on a tour of the village. It looks like something out of National Geographic. Straw huts dot the village with cows, chickens and the occasional goat roaming about. On either side of the 2 foot wide brick path are either a big man made pool for growing fish and shrimp, or rice paddies.

After the tour we went back to the community center for lunch. I was not looking forward to this part since my stomach wasn't feeling great, and we all know what that leads to in foreign countries. Luckily I was armed with a bottle of Pepto Bismal. Lunch was rice, dhal, shrimp, more shrimp, and fish. It was quite delicious, but for the sake of my stomach I took it easy. They women kept trying to put more in my plate and as bad as I felt, I had to finally just take my plate away.

After the lunch, it was time to finally meet Rahul's family. I thought it was just a case of walking there, the community had other plans. Making me feel like more of a big deal, there was a huge procession. About 30 kids and some adults all dressed up. One boy was banging a drum and two girls in ceremonial dresses on either side of me throwing flowers on the ground and in the air as I walked, pretty amazing. When we arrived at the house, there was a sort of stage set up out of various tarps (it started raining) where some of the children did some dances and sang some songs, very cute.

Finally I met the parents. They honestly could not have been more than 25 years old. The mother looked really young. But they were so sweet and the mother even went so far as to make a Saree for my visit. It was beautiful, a red one with embroidery on it which I was told is usually sold or exported. This for sure looks like something you could get on Main Street, I'm sure for about 10x the price though. I gave Rahul and his sister Riya their gifts, a t-shirt for each and a Team Canada soccer ball for Rahul. Next I was shown their home, which after stepping in I immediately thought "I'm truly blessed". The entire house was no larger than my bathroom at home with a "porch" the size of a walk in closet. But they make due. That was the fascinating thing, amidst all the poverty in this community, everyone was still so cheerful, hospitable and just all around happy. I never saw anything but a smile.

Finally it was time to leave. I was going to take the father to the nearby town to buy him and his wife some bed sheets as well as a Saree for her and a shirt for him. Before getting into the car I learned my first Bengali words "Ami arash bo" - I will come back, which they really urged me to do. In all, a very humbling experience.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

The Capital

Today was my day to tour the capital city of India, Delhi.
It's a great city, full of history and culture...and great food as I would soon learn.
The first thing I noticed (even before my tour) was that road rules do NOT apply in Delhi...probably India. Everyone who thought Vancouver had bad drivers, bite your tongue and come to Delhi. Yeah there are lane markings, but no one follows them. I wish I could say it was uncommon to see 3 motorcycles to a lane, or 2 cars and a bus sharing 2 lanes. Forget to indicate when you were changing lanes? No worries, just do it...everyone else is. It seems the way to indicate that you are changing lanes, breaking, overtaking, turning...driving, is to honk your horn. The horn is more of an alert in Delhi than a way to reprimand someone for crappy driving, although I'm sure that is done too. Cycles, rickshaws and even pedestrians navigate through moving cars with ease. Actually, these are probably some of the best drivers, I haven't seen a single accident.
The day started with a visit to Qutab Minar, a HUGE pillar erected our of red stone that is 72m high. It was built by Akbar, but I have no idea why. The thing to note about all Mughul architecture is the symmetry. Even the Taj and Agra fort were the same, everything was symmetrical. An arch on one side would have an identical arch on the other. Two gardens on either side of a building would be the same dimensions and same look, which basically means if you see one side of a building...you've seen all sides.
Next we saw Red Fort, a MASSIVE fort in Old Delhi which was built by Indians, taken by Brits, then taken BACK by the Indians...lousy British. Red fort has some great architecture with lots of intricate inlays. It also has two museums which outline Indian military history as well as one that outlines the history of the dynasties that ruled with artifacts of actual notebooks of the leaders of the dynasties.
After Red Fort we crossed the street...which was a little more than game of Frogger with the being me, and instead of a colorful mass of blocks making a vehicle...I had a real bus/rickshaw/car/bicycle who had no intention of stopping but decided honking was just as effective.
Jama Mosque is a very nice place but walking up to you reminds of what Jesus was so upset when he saw people selling and gambling in the Temple. The mosque is surrounded by a huge bazaar and even the stares approaching the mosque are covered with people selling things. I wish I could tell you what was inside...but I wore shorts...and had a camera. The camera they were willing to let slide for a mere 200RS but the shorts were unacceptable and they wanted me to wear pants. I was almost liquid from the 40 degree temperature...long pants? Are you insane? I skipped the inside of Jama Mosque and went for an authentic Mughulai meal instead, delicious. Navigating through the Bazaar after the meal was not only a good way to take in some culture but a good way to digest...dodging traffic, Delhi's biggest hazard in my opinion!

The Taj Mahal

If I could sum up Agra in one word it would be: Amazing!
The road to Agra is long, whether by car or by train. I never thought I would wake up at 4:30am on vacation, but suffering the effects of jetlag, I gladly woke up at 3:30am and ended up watching Indian TV for about an hour before the driver arrived to take me to Agra.
The 5 hour trip is pretty comfortable if you are in an air conditioned car and stopping midway for a breakfast of Dosas only made the travel better.
About 200km from Delhi in the state of Uttar Pradesh is the city of Agra. Upon arriving, the first thing we did was head for the Taj Mahal. Built for the memory of his wife, Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal out of marble and gem stones and it is quite possibly the most beautiful monument I have seen to date. Walking through the red sandstone gates you finally see it. It glistens in the sunlight, and although I couldn't see it, apparently it is spectacular under a full moon. You can't help but stand and stare in awe for a good minute while you look at it; I even caught myself smiling as I just stood and stared. It is sandwiched between a mosque and a guest hall both in red stone which are also equally beautiful. The Taj sits in front of the river Yamuna which is a slow flowing river that runs through Agra. I wish I could say it was a beautiful river, but it is quite polluted.
Next came Red Fort, the famous fort where Shah Jahan's own son imprisoned him when he took power. From this fort, Shah Jahan stared at the Taj (and the grave of his wife) through the windows of his room. The fort itself is quite spectacular. It is huge and has some great views of Agra city. At the top of the fort you can get an idea of what Shah Jahan was looking at as you get a crystal clear view of the Taj.
On to Fatehpur Sikri now, where Mughul Emperor Akbar WALKED to from Delhi (200km) to get the blessings from a priest to have a son. After the walk, he was indeed blessed with a son. Fatehpur Sikri, although impressive, has unfortunately not been as well maintained by the Archaeological Society of India as the Taj or Red Fort. Because of this is is crumbling in places and the locals have more or less taken over. Still, it is quite beautiful when you walk around its walks and various room and chambers. It is helpful to have a guide as well as they show you shortcuts and what to see. Did I mention ours was only 12? Nakeem, he is a student...and apparently a businessman. Visiting it after the Taj however takes away from its beauty stince really, nothing can compare once you've seen the Taj Mahal.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

One Night in Tokyo

Tokyo, aside from its insane prices and its extremely complicated subway system is amazing. Everyone is really friendly and contrary to what you may think, most of them speak English, well!

After an 8 hour flight in which I probably watched 10,000 BC and Vantage Point about 3 times...each, I arrived at Narita.
A friend of mine who used to work at Artigiano lives in Tokyo so I could not think of a better guide. Hisako gave me detailed instructions on how to get to her in Tokyo station...but she failed to realize just how overwhelming a Japanese subway system is to a foreigner.

Luckily, Im sure the Japanese tourism office knows too since they have a special office for foreigners to book tickets.

The lady at the office was very helpful and helping me organize my trip into Tokyo. For a small price of only 2900yen (only $30 to a ride a train....) I was on my way to Tokyo via the Narita Express, an express train that gets you to Tokyo in a little over an hour and a half.

Arriving in Tokyo Station Hisako took me on a brief tour of the Imperial Palace. It was 6pm so the Palace was closed to visitors but we walked along the outside, in the pouring rain. We decided indoors was best so we walked along the extensive underground network of stations which are pretty cool. Dinner was the best. Up high on the 35th floor Hisako treated me to a dinner that I can:t remember the name of, but was declicious...only 16,000yen....good thing I get paid so much at Artigiano...

After dinner Hisako showed me the cheaper alternative to get back to my hotel. Sacrificing a comfortable express train seat for a standard subway system seat and taking on transfer to a different train ride, I made it back to my hotel Nikko in the same amount of time for only 1,200 yen. Thank God for for Hisako!

That all for now. I definitely want to come back to Tokyo, but for more than just an evening this time!

Ps. Did I mentioned they have beer in vending machines? what a country!