It's already my last Saturday here...

I don't know where the month has gone.  It's my last weekend here.  It's been so busy, I haven't even had time to feel homesick.  I did a little bit of pre-packing organization.  I have a tendency to spread out in a hotel room, even if it's just for a night or two, so after a month here, I have officially moved in.  Aside from the little bits and pieces that I've purchased, things just take up more space on the way home.  I brought along my trusty, folding duffle bag and I am very glad I had that little bit of foresight

Since I haven't had much of a chance to do more than sit on my butt all week, I took a long walk.  I have noticed a market that pops up on Saturdays about a mile or so away, so I thought I would walk over and look around and take some pictures.  I got lost though and it wasn't on the corner I thought it should be.  So I walked to another corner, not there either.  Oh well, maybe it just wasn't there, but it's more likely I was a block or so away and just couldn't find it.

It was a great stroll, regardless.  It is sunny out, but it wasn't too hot; maybe around 27C (about 80F for my American friends) and early enough not to be busy.  I had lunch at my favourite outdoor veg restaurant and just a had a very pleasant time.

One thing truly stood out.  It was the billboards for a wedding that's happening in the neighbourhood.  Yes, that's right, full size billboards announcing the big day.  I walked by the huge outdoor venue where it was being set up.  Of course, being India, this elaborate wedding is beside some shacks with a small smudge fire going that are beside a stinky canal.  Just the perfect collide of all the worlds.  I wish Mahesh and Manisha all the best.  I wonder if I could do the same for my birthday? :)

Baby Falak

There is a news story here that has been going on for as long as I've been here.  It's horribly tragic and really shows the worst side of people.

The short version of this story is that Falak, a two year old girl was left outside of New Delhi hospital so physically abused that whether or not she survives has been touch and go for the last three weeks.  She was bruised, bitten, branded on her cheeks and has suffered brain damage as a result.  Every morning the paper has an update on her condition and the whole nation seems to be behind her.

The story on how she got there is equally horrific.  A man has been arrested for handing over Falak to his 14(!) year old girlfriend as part of a human trafficking ring.  Falak's biological mother was forced into prostitution by her husband, before running away.  From what I've gathered, the mother was then sold to another man, and her children taken away from her.  Falak ended up with the man who was arrested and his young girlfriend and it is apparently the girlfriend who beat the child.  But then, the 14 year old had escaped an abusive father to end up with a man who raped her repeatedly for three days before pimping her out to his customers and she took out her own frustration with her situation on Falak.

The whole story is stomach turning and is a sad tale of the state of women in this country and, I would say, of disenfranchised women around the globe.  I've done a bit of Google searching and it seems to be news only here.  I am always shocked that even though we can make such huge strides forward in the rights of women and basic human rights, this kind of abuse continues.  These women are victims just by virtue of their sex and their poverty.  Even if they could escape, there are very few places where they can go for help here, if they even know of their existence.

Here are some links.  The entire story is a bit convoluted and I've noticed different new sources will post slightly different angles on the same thing.  I've been following IBN.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/baby-falaks-brain-infection-starts-subsiding/231235-3.html

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/baby-falaks-brain-infection-starts-subsiding/231235-3.html

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/man-who-abandoned-baby-falak-arrested/229145-3.html

It's hot!!! Finally!

Just to rub it in to all the people enjoying a lovely, cold winter, the daytime high here today was 36C!  It was beautiful out.  Now if only I can get some time outdoors, I would be really happy.  I can't wait for the weekend to be outside and work on my "tan" (I think that I might be slightly more pink than my usual pastiness).   I've discovered that I can sit in the sunshine of the rooftop restaurant completely undisturbed until the hotel staff start setting it up for service in the late afternoon.  It's like a little oasis.

Here is the forecast for the next few days.  I find it interesting that for today (Feb 21), the description of the weather is "smoke".  Today, like yesterday was very hazy.

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather/inxx0026

New Shoes!

I'm actually not feeling well today.  I woke up with a very sore throat, runny nose and achy body.  Unfortunately, I did have to go out a bit and on the way home, I stopped off at nearby mall to head to the drugstore to grab a couple of things that I am running low on and have a bite of lunch.

Since I was there, I also had a poke around a few of the stores to get a few small presents to bring home.  Since I happened to be walking by a shoe store,  it just seemed wrong not to go in. :)

For the most part, I'm not in love with the shoes here.  Most of them are slip ons and are like flip-flops; they have that thing that goes between the toes, which I always find kind of uncomfortable.  Everyone here wears them though and I've noticed that women actually have a little gap between their big and second toes from wearing them since they were small.

I did happen upon a nice pair of red shoes with an espadrille-type heel that fit like they were made for me.  I was just thoroughly pleased to find a pair of shoes in my size and then thrilled that they fit and were a good price--about 45 dollars.

I happily made my way  out the store and then happened by the sale rack and there was another pair--sort of a patent bronze.  Same brand, same size, so I had to try them on.  Also a perfect fit.  And the price made them worth while--399 rupees, so about 8 dollars.  Love it and love the shoes.

Street Chickens

I get a kick out of the animals I see on the streets here.  I've already rambled on about the dogs and there are the expected cows, but I also see goats, the odd sheep, and have witnessed a riderless horse ambling along the side of a street.  Recently though, I've noticed the the odd stray chicken.  

Every morning, I see truck loads of live chickens being delivered.  If I had access to a kitchen, I could buy a live chicken, have it plucked and butchered and bring it home.  I've gone by some of the stalls selling them and I'm both intrigued and feel very sorry for the chickens at the same time.  The feeling is not unlike the one I have on my way to work in the morning.  My schedule matches up to the delivery of live pigs to the last abattoir left in more down-townish Toronto and I always feel bad for those pigs on their final trip. 

What I like about the chickens, is that I think of them as "escapees" from the chicken truck.  I see them pecking away at whatever they can find with everyone ignoring them.  Although I am sure that their freedom is short lived;  if someone doesn't grab them, they will likely peck their way in the wrong direction and get flattened by a speeding rickshaw and still end up in the stew pot.  

Even so, I can't help but smile when I see them on the run.  Run, Chicken, Run!

Chaat or Street Food (aka Sev Puri)

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I finally got to indulge in street food.  We went to a place that is know not only to be clean, but some of the best in the city.  The cart certainly lived up to its reputation.

We indulged in my new Indian food addiction, sev puri.  It is just a delicious looking mess.  Basically, it's made of sort of a flat, cracker like bread, with potato on top, sauce and crunchy bits.  It doesn't sound like much, but it's the perfect combination of crunchiness, softness, and sauciness.  In the last week, I've eaten it five times.  I can get it at the cafeteria at work, plus there is a restaurant nearby that makes it.  This afternoon, on my way to the grocery store for some juice, I ended up stopping off at the restaurant and getting an order.  What's fun about the restaurant is that they have a counter that sells "street food".  I can just walk up, get my sev puri, eat it and be gone again in less than 10 minutes.  Plus it's dirt cheap.  Less than a dollar at the restaurant and at work, it's about 20 cents.

Below is a recipe.  I will make attempt it when I'm hope.  I'm sure that I can get most of the ingredients in Toronto's Little India.  If I can't, I'll just have to find a reason to come back here.. :)

Sev Puri

10 - Flat Puris (crisp)
1 cup Fine Sev
1/2 cup chopped Onion (Pyaj)
1/2 cup Curd (Dahi)
3 tblsp Tamarind (Imli) Chutney
3 tblsp Coriander Leaves (Dhania Patta) Chutney
1/2 cup boiled Potato (Aloo)
1 tblsp Chaat Masala
1/2 tsp Red chili pepper (Lal Mirchi)
1/2 tsp Cumin Seed (Jeera) 

How to make sev puri:

• Arrange the puris on a plate make a hole in each puri in the centre.
• Fill with a few chopped boiled potato cubes.
• Add about 1/4 tsp of tamarind and green chutneys in each.
• Sprinkle cumin powder, salt, red chilli powder.
• Sprinkle finely chopped onions.
• Then generously sprinkle sev all over the puris.
• Garnish with finely chopped coriander.
• Serve fresh..

Last Sunday :)

This is a short post as the day was merely "meh" instead of the fun that I had hoped for.

One of the things that I had been looking forward to was a trip back to Colaba and tea at the Taj Palace.  I had reserved a car and was so looking forward to my old haunt.  Unfortunately, it wasn't quite the same.

It is high season for tourists and since this is almost my third week here and every day has been sunshine and every evening cooling down to just the right temperature, I can see why.

I wandered around and saw my old haunts, including checking out my favourite building, but there were scads and scads of tourists.  When I went to lunch at my favourite cafe, I had a 20 minute wait and when I made it to the Taj  for tea, the only available table had no view.  So it was ok, still interesting and still the neighbourhood I like the best, but I think I prefer it in the pouring rain when I'm practically all alone, rather than having to share it in the sunshine with the rest of the pushy tourists.

And I can't believe that I almost forgot the best part.  As I was walking around, I was stopped by a man who blessed me.  He had me eat this little white sugary candies, wrapped my right wrist with a piece of yellow, red and orange wool and gave me a marigold that I was too keep in my pocket for food fortune.  I remember him from the last time I was here, he blessed me then, too.  I went with it again, though, and when he suggested a "donation" of 500 rupees (10 bucks), I just gave it to him (last time I haggled him down to 150).  I just wasn't in the mood to haggle over my good fortune.  In fact, I wasn't in a haggling mood at all, so perhaps that's part of the reason of my discontent with Colaba that day.

Below is a horrible picture of me, post blessing.