My first day

Wow, where to start?! I was just writing to a friend telling her that I feel like jumping up and down and saying “I’m in India! I’m really here!” M was just pointing out the different medical institutes and hospitals you can see from their bedroom widow. They have a great view. Because there is a biomedical institute located in the blocks outside their window, many medicinal plants and trees are gown all around the building and no tall buildings or skyscrapers built there. Their view is lush green leading up to a city skyline.
I promise not to always go into such detail, but this was my fist day. So here’s what happened:
- Friday-3am, Getting through customs was no problem, the airport smelled just like the YMCA locker room; old, chlorine, sweat, and bleach.
- My friend was there to greet me right as I stepped out into the thick tropical air of Mumbai. Many people talk of the smell when you first taste the Indian air. To me, it was a mix of masala spices, pollution and humidity
- It was 3:45am when we drove home so everything was quiet, there were stray dogs here and there, and slum type dwelling along the sides of some roads (as you’ve seen in Slumdog millionaire) but the only thing that actually bothered me was the location where the homeless were sleeping; the street. In between parked taxis and other cars there were people sleeping on mats or blankets they had rolled out. Any drunk driver could easily run them over. And yet they were sound asleep.
- Quiet arrival home to freshen up and crash for a few hours
- Breakfast of granola cereal and milk (that had been cooled in the fridge just for me) and orange juice. They eat on mostly all metal plates here.
- Then there was time for me to give the gifts from friends in the US and I. Most were for the baby of the family, who loved the musical instruments and plastic carpenter set. Its great to watch his interaction with things and the family.
- I went for my first bike ride! Bike=motorcycle in India speak (please don’t worry mom, A’s a great driver and we went slowly) We took a short drive to a road stall where I got my mobile hooked up. $5 for a new sim card and 180minutes. Then we stopped for petrol and an ATM.
- 12:30pm lunch of American style cole slaw, Indian green beans, chapatis and, specially for me, a plain fluffy omelet. And for dessert: mango pulp! Just squeezed from the mango. Its true, Indian mango are far better then their Mexican cousins.
- Napped for a good 3-4hours
- M took walked with me to a small clothing road stall – just like on Devon, there were thousands of shirts and pants, each folded and wrapped in plastic, and stacked to the ceilings, I picked out two cotton shirts, kurtas, and the total for both was 350Rs=$7.50. In Chico's they would go for $60.
- We met A at the parking lot of the apartment building for a trip to the mall
- We stopped in at a department store much like what you would find in the states, except that the first floor was Western style clothing and the upstairs was “ethnic” clothing. On the second floor I tried on a few things. Sizing was surprisingly fine, though it was sometimes hard to find shirts with broad enough shoulders. I walked out with a pretty light pink cotton top with a sort of Nehru collar.
- We stopped for a snack at Costa Coffee, since the baby needed a break. A went to the counter while M, the baby and I sat down. When he returned he smiled and said he ordered an ice cream Sunday. I was sure he was joking, there’s no way they make American style ice cream Sundays, and even if they do, A wouldn’t have ordered that. Double wrong. It was made with chocolate ice cream, chocolate sauce and chocolate chips with whipped cream. It was excellent. We all shared. And here I thought I would be chocolate deprived in India.
- Then we grabbed some juice, soda and shampoo and conditioner (the later for me) from Big Bazaar. M described it as the Indian Walmart.
- Once home there was dal (lentils) and rice for dinner, with a veg that tasted somewhat like asparagus, but you could not eat the outer shell, it was too hard, you would just eat the middle and toss the outer layer. There was coke and a tamarind candy-like sweet that I found delicious, much to A’s surprise.
- I unpacked and repacked my things and we all waited for the arrival of A’s younger sister who was arriving from the States just after midnight.
And that was my day in a nutshell.

On my way!

According to the “E-Box” in front of me (E for Etihad), I am now flying over Bucharest, after passing Budapest. The view from the airplane bathroom window tells me that it’s a beautiful, thriving, spring day in Bucharest.

It’s been 9½ hours since take off, and 13½ hours since I arrived at O’Hare. I still can’t believe this is happening, that I’m really going to step off this plane into Abu Dhabi and onto a plane to Mumbai! It feels so surreal. I did remember what I forgot. My hat. ‘Could be worse.’ I can’t sleep at all, though the flight is really lovely, I’m just too excited.

I have to say, this is the nicest flight I have ever taken. I am sitting in the exit row and I can stretch my legs all the way out and rest them on a foot rest connected to the seat in front of me. Now THAT is legroom. The flight attendants are extremely accommodating. They bring around assorted drinks and glasses of water regularly, and I’ve been given/offered snack crackers, an Asian vegetarian meal with pineapple, grapes and watermelon for dessert, a big Klondike bar, any type of coffee or hot chocolate, popcorn or sandwich choice, warm apple crisp, and breakfast hasn’t even been served yet. My movie loving friends will be happy because I watched Memoirs of a Geisha, Little Miss Sunshine and Ratatouille. The plane is very clean and every seat comes with a blanket, pillow, and pack with socks, sleeping mask, and ear plugs. And you don’t need a neck pillow, the headrest bends just perfectly around your head. Well, that’s enough promotion for Etihad.

I will write something much more interesting after breathing-in India and meeting the family friend I will be staying with.