Beyond the Curls...

The Things I Like to Make...

2012-02-08T12:34:00.003-05:00

My made up bread: Feta, Kalamata, and Rosemary Bread. It turned out a bit denser than I wanted so I will have to play with it. But it tastes yummy with all the garlic, black pepper, salt, a pinch of sugar, and heaps of fresh rosemary. I have two days left of working from home and I will miss this. Oh so much.

THANK YOU!

2012-01-30T09:58:00.002-05:00

Today...

2012-01-27T12:36:00.001-05:00

I just applied for astronaut!

In 2008, I applied and kept it a dire secret, fearing admitting I applied AND didn't get selected was the ultimate demise. Then three and a half years later, I grew up and realized there are SO many worse things that could happen. Like the marshmallow man from Ghostbusters storming inside my new house and getting it all gooey. Not that I have such nightmares or anything.

So now it's 2012 and I am hoping that decaring my excrutiatingly painful need for becoming an astronaut known to the world will bring me good luck. The world...my blog readers. Same thing. Right?

Here's the insider info. First sign that you may get selected is they actually contact your references. It's the slightest of hints but quite a big deal. Second, of the 3500 applications, they give 120 interviews. Then it gets cut down to 40. Then it's however many they think are qualified for what they need. 8, 10, 17. Probably 10 or 11 though.

And that's why I am making myself not pretend I have a chance. I am leaving it to yall to help me.

A year later...

2011-12-22T22:13:00.055-05:00

It was a year ago today that we departed on what I am sure will prove to be a rare moment in life-our around the world trip. The honeymoon of all honeymoons, as we were told. It's almost unfathomable how much hasn't changed in our lives post-return to the States. We are still homeless, still in an attic, still wearing the same five or six outfits, and still paying for storage 2000 miles away. You want to know the oddest part? It hasn't really phased us. Being a minimalist apparently comes naturally to me. Now, don't get me wrong. I miss my shoes. A lot. And my clothes. I'd be lying if I said a manicure didn't conjure up the warm cozy feelings of the old Mamta. My point is, however, that I don't mind life as it is given to me, granted the major things remain constant. Gainful employment. Family. And food.

The most major thing to happen this past year since returning from a trip that changed us both (in enlightening, appreciative ways) is we bought our first home together. It's a great little place with wonderful potential. I call it "Small but Mighty". It seems that with every second look there appears a third thing to do. But, it's exciting. We are completely renovating our kitchen, and despite some bumps in the road, it hasn't been a terrible experience. I think it would have been down right the most fun thing I ever did (minus the aforementioned world trip) if I were doing it in my past single life. But, in our first real test of married life, Srin and I have survived working together on multiple projects that have cost us multiple Benjamins. Or should I say Grovers. That made things stressful at times but certainly proved that we make a great pair. Making compromises isn't the easiest thing to learn when you spent so many years in complete control.

This year has been about learning about myself and my husband. And how the two of us complement each other. It's been about finding our balance again. And adjusting to so many of life's changes, welcomed or not. It's been a year of excitement and frustration. Of highs and lows. Of promise and luck. Family and new additions. But, mostly, of patience, compromise, and learning to let go.

Maybe Starbucks is THAT Powerful...

2011-11-22T09:27:00.000-05:00

If I had only known when I was single and eager to mingle...

I'm at the Starbucks again and I ask a guy if anyone was sitting in the chair next to him. It's my only choice with an outlet nearby. He was on the phone and quickly gestured that no one was sitting there. When I am all setup and ready to start work, I notice I forgot my phone. Eh. We have so much going on with the house that forgetting my phone is a pain. Oh well.

Well, not more than two minutes later, the guy asks if I have "my phone". Or something like that. He's not a native Englisher speaker so I assumed that was what he asked me. So my response was so obvious to me...I mean, how could he know? He must be telepathic. So I said "Oh...No. I don't have my phone." He replied, "You don't have phone?" (He's got his own in his hands with the keyboard slid out and ready to type, mind you.)

"Correct. I don't have my phone."

"Oh. Okay."

I look behind me and "my table" is open so I move over, whilst realizing this guy wanted my phone number...not my phone. I should mention I haven't been wearing my wedding rings because I have been painting the house...

I am, officially, the coolest person. Ever. I'd hit on me.

Well...That's Starbucks Drinkers for You...

2011-11-21T11:56:00.002-05:00

I'm at the Starbucks near Srin's work, happily enjoying Christmas music and all sorts of season's tidings. When all of a sudden, the sweet young girl across from me and I hear "I want manager. Get me manager. I want manager.", crescendoing in volume and decrescendoing in the articles.

It's a Starbucks emergency. Some poor and now distraught affluent lady probably got whip cream from a can instead of the cow in the back in her venti-fied grande chai peppermint latte on the rocks topped off with a bit of Grinch.

Geez.. I mean...I think the poor Starbucks lady heard you the first time when you asked for the manager. Give her a moment to finish making the other drink (for heaven forbid she have two Starbucks drinkers yelling at her).

Oh...you don't hear my sarcasm from across the store. I wish you could because then maybe you would stop yelling. Oh! It's so annoyingly loud. And you sound psychotic since no one can hear the Starbucks lady. Now I know what people in high school meant when they heard P and me argue.

P.S. Yes, I agree with the Thanksgiving rule but do I really have power over Starbucks? Alas...I shall enjoy mistletoes and stockings and the smell of nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves... I mean, technically, it is Thanksgiving week, right?

I have a new niece!

2011-11-16T12:25:00.000-05:00

Born November 14th, 2011 as Keira Laxmi Clarke.

Whoo hoo! Love her already and can't wait to meet her.

WE WON!

2011-11-12T23:31:00.002-05:00

$3.

Megamillions...

2011-11-11T22:09:00.003-05:00

Tell me it's not meant to be.

We closed on our first home together on 11-11-11 at 11AM and then bought 11 megamillions lotto tickets because...well, that's gotta be some sign, right? And then to seal my fate? The drawing is tonight...wait for it...

11-11-11 at 11PM.

I'm gonna be rich!

Jackpot: $22 million. That's $11 million for each of us.

Territorial disputes...

2011-11-09T13:38:00.002-05:00

Me: S-there's a bug.
Srin: Okay.

A few minutes later:
Me: Srin-there's a bug.
Srin: Great.

A minute later and just before we turn out the lights for bed:
Me: Srin-there's a bug and I think it might get me when we turn out the lights.
Srin: Get you?
Me: Yes. Get me. Like there are no lights to hover around so my face looks better to the devilish bug who can see in the dark.
Srin: Sigh.

A few seconds after finding a magazine with which to protect me from the aforementioned bug:
[Looking at his enemy closely] Srin: Do you really want me to kill a ladybug?
Me: Yes. ... Yes, yes I do. Kill the ladybug.
Srin: You want me to kill the ladybug?
Me: Look. It's the one who encroached. Her territory is outside and mine inside. It's very simple.

Must I explain that I don't like creepy crawly things? I mean...I have a heart. Generally, I would not want that poor bug to die. And if it had been day time and I hadn't been about to go to sleep in the dark, I would have kept her alive. I think Elton said it best. It's the circle of life.

PS-I cried for mercy during the final moments, if it makes you judge me less.

Five Quick Takes...

2011-11-02T22:00:00.001-04:00

Truth be told-the reason I haven't written anything is because I lack material on which to entertain my loyal readers. Except the loyal ones will read anything I write because you are you. And that is why I love you.

That said, while I feel as though I have no material on which to write, there is quite a lot going on these days. So here's a quick take on life.

1. We have a closing date! We started our venture to buy a short sale in early May and the saga is destined to end in just over a week. November 11, 2011. That's right: 11-11-11 at 11AM. That must be good luck. Dear Mega Millions: Prepare to be owned. Love, The Nagarajas.

2. I love my weekends. Srin and I head over to my sister's (P) apartment. And the four of us hang out and we spend the night. It's been the best thing about D.C. We laugh, make fun of each other (well, they make fun and I laugh), eat, shop, and watch football. What more could a girl want?

3. I have always said that Srin's ability to keep up with old friends is enviable. And I truly mean it. And alas, I am super excited about our weekend which starts tomorrow night. We are road trip'n to Asheville, North Carolina to meet up with the infamous Corner. The Corner consists of Duvall, Srin, Reyes, and 'Gela-four crazy friends who inevitably create laughter and trouble wherever they go. This time, though, the reunion is of not only the Corner but also the loved ones they have evolved to include. Kids and significant others. Lots of food. And lots of memories are awaitin'

4. Good friends all around are pregnant and having cute little babies. Brini just had her sweet baby boy this week, Laurie is the cutest and skinniest pregnant lady ever, Tress is probably the happiest (though I need to call her!), and my own sister, D, is due soon for her own baby girl. Phew. That's a lot of babies to share my love.

5. It's cold and I miss my warm beautiful long Fall's. Sure the foliage is prettier here but the weather has been horrid (okay not horrid but it is cold). However, this week has been the best Fall surprise. I see yellows and reds and oranges whilst running in the most beautiful sunny but crisp weather. Dear Sagamartha: You win. I now can tolerate lower temperatures. Thank you, M.

Long Live Borders...

2011-10-20T08:22:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, I received a book from Textbooks.com's Marketplace (which I learned is Barnes & Noble Marketplace when my credit card was charged). Are you there, Vodka? It's me. Chelsea. Can't wait to read it!

But, in it was a tracking slip printed on...yup! Borders receipt paper. It was so sad, and I couldn't believe it.

A Tribute...

2011-10-12T20:53:00.002-04:00

To women. To girls. And, most of all, to my mom.

http://nocountryforyoungwomen.com/?p=3086

Thank you, Elena. You are the *best* and I adore you. One day, we should write a book or make a documentary. And tour Paris and India together. I shall sleep well tonight so deep in my imagination of fresh croissants, delectable fruit, and unpasteurized moldy cheese. Mmmm...good!

While I have you, check out Elena's latest documentary currently in work. It is called The Illusionists and relegates itself to covering the commodification of the body and searching for beauty endlessly.

http://theillusionists.org/

Perspective...

2011-10-11T10:46:00.004-04:00

Me: Hey-I added you as a beneficiary on my new bank account.
Pritty: Awesome! I'm yours AND "The Boy's".

Really?

2011-09-28T15:09:00.006-04:00

The conversation between the NASA Federal Credit Union guy and me:

Me: I'd like to open an account.

NASA: Sure. Come on in.

Me: Great. Thank you. I have one question. I changed my name recently and have my new Social Security Card but my license is still in my maiden name. I have been told this would be okay since the Social Security card is issued by the US Government.
NASA: Umm...I am not sure. Let me check.

NASA: Well, my supervisor said it has to be a picture ID or the original (not certified copy) marriage certificate.

My Brain: Well, seeing as how that bad boy is somewhere in a storage unit in faraway Texas, that's not happening. I drove out here and I don't want to come back just to change my name.

Already annoyed. Great.

Me: Okay, let's just do this since I am already here.

NASA: Okay. Great. So do you know how you can qualify to open an account with us?

Me: Well...I work for NASA so I assume that qualifies me.

NASA: Yes. It does. [Insert: Sincere but somewhat intimidated smile]

NASA: All right. Is it Headquarters, Goddard...

Me: Actually, it's NASA in Houston.

NASA, after scrolling on his computer: Hmm...Hang on. Let me ask someone a question.

NASA to Me, holding his hand over the phone mic: There's a base in Houston? [Insert: Seriousness]

Me: Ummm... Yes. [Insert: Utter confusion. Umm...Helloooo "Houston, we have a problem."]

NASA to Supervisor: Yeah, she says she works for a NASA in Houston? [Insert: Questiony-doubt]

NASA to Me, holding his hand over the phone mic: Is it called Houston Center?

Me: Ummm.... Johnson Space Center [Insert: Telepathic sarcasm that says "Mission. Control. Center."]

NASA to Supervisor: Yeah, she says it's "NASA Johnson Space Center". ... Okay. ... Okay. Thanks.

NASA: I'm sorry. It's not listed here. Let me just sign you up as an...

Me: I'm sorry. It's not listed for NASA's Federal Credit Union?

NASA: Umm..Yeah..Well. Umm...

Me: Okay. Let's just do this. [Insert: Logical mini-Mamta on emotional-about-to-blow-up Mamta's shoulder saying "This isn't Verizon. You can't just yell at them to get your way. Remain calm."]

So I am now a member of the NASA Federal Credit Union as an associate. Great.

My Big Apple-versary...

2011-09-21T12:45:00.000-04:00

A last minute trip to NYC to seal the deal. 1 year was celebrated in Manhattan with great food, a lot of walking, the Subway, Soho, Broadway, and The Village. Oh how dare I fail to mention the extremely random Broadway lottery winning to see The Book of Mormons in $155 seats for only... drum roll... $32 big ones. Approximately 250-300 people show up, put in their names in a big vat for half an hour, and wait for the lucky front row or box seat giveaways. 22 tickets. Ultimately 11 names chosen. We were number 10. Thank-you-very-much Broadway-yes, we will be seeing you again soon. Very soon. Oh and for the record, The Book of Mormons now rivals Rent as my favorite show ever. Ever.

The 9/11 memorial opened up last weekend (though not completely finished) and this is one of two pools that stand in the original footprints of the twin towers.

I love me some NYC pizza.

Meet me at Central Perk, okay?

Survival...

2011-09-16T14:02:00.002-04:00

There were most definitely days in the past year that I didn't think Srin or I deserved to be in the category of the "fittest". And I don't mean health-related. Alas, though, as with most successful couples (our parents, our siblings, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson), the happy days were far more memorable and copious. Thus, we made it. Our first year. Just one year ago today, the festivities celebrating the Indian union of two began. And on Sunday, we will celebrate the anniversary of finally reuniting in one city, traipsing the entire world (-ish) together, commiserating home-buying of a short sale together, living in an attic (yes, that's real), and figuring out how to live with each other and still be in love.

You know what I mean. Like I don't love finding socks lying around. But I love him. I don't love toilet seats not being closed (you have seen the 20/20 special on how many germs all jump out of that bowl, right?). But I do love him.

In celebration, I finally made our wedding album. Well, the first of two. Below is my formal one with just the good pics. To come? My fun one! With all the pictures I want: of friends and family and boring, repetitive poses if I wish. Not that I wish. I actually prefer this book with all the artsy wonderful timeless pics. But I do wish to capture the memories spanning further than artistry so I shall now begin on my fun wedding album. YAY!

Flying on this day...

2011-09-11T18:52:00.003-04:00

Not as nerve-racking as imagined...

But delayed...

And randomly screened.

And saw relaxed security. I mean it doesn't take much to make fake airport badges... Shouldn't we check more closely...

One would think today would be that day...

Update: Incident. Stupid lady is trying to board out of zone and delaying us more with her insuboordinate ways. More juicy details later

Update 2: So this lady decided to not heed the Delta representatives when asked to go back and wait. She wanted to stand at the boarding jetway until it was time for her zone (the very last one, by the way) was called. She was told she couldn't stand there and needed to return to the waiting area so she literally says "Fine. Then I will board instead." At this point the other hundred of us are now rolling our eyes wondering if she knows what the date is. She is told that if she takes one more step she wouldn't be going. We're talking outright yelling in the gate area. She retreats, leaving me wondering why they didn't kick her out right then and there. If you had been there, you would totally agree.

More later. Taking off! Finally. Been here for nearly four hours now...

Update 3: So enough about crazy lady. Now my lovely run-in with selfish people. I'm about to place my bag in one of the bins, which are all about full, when this guy obviously went to beat me to it. I was slightly caught off guard and was going to say something when the flight attendant decided to instead. He refused to move his bag and made it a point to tell her he refused to put it by his feet, implying his size to be the reason. I blame poor upbringing or pure rude personality. I mean I was clearly not the only one who noticed. The sweet old lady next to me said 'Some people huh?' Coupled with the smirk and knowing agreement of the young girl on my other side, I actually felt avenged. I seem to get satisfaction from knowing I am the one who looks like the wronged wide-eyed doe. Call me Taylor Swift.

I arrived safely despite travelling on this day from our nation's capital. See. You just gotta show em they can't scare you. God bless America.

Take that, Irene...

2011-08-28T10:51:00.001-04:00

All is well here. Irene visited in the middle if the night, waking even me up. Her winds were ferocious, but it was nothing like Allison of 2001 (a tropical storm at landfall that sent I-10 under water). Power is out and tree branches and debris cover streets but nothing like Ike of 2008. It's something indescribable to see your city beaten to a pulp. Thankfully I am not witnessing that as much as Houston, even two weeks after Ike.

In fact, I can hardly claim to be dealing with any after-effects. We are living in the attic of the most wonderful family's house. The Vignola's are like my parents' house. You can find everything here! So luckily the engineer professor had recently purchased a generator for his research equipment and voila! We have essential power. Internet for instance. Definitely essential.

So in this calm after the storm we are blogging, eating homemade brunch strata (thanks for the recipe, Reyes), and enjoying the end of our weekend. No complaints here.

P.S. P has power so all the Patels are good.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:The District Area

Goodbye to the house that built me...

2011-08-18T14:16:00.002-04:00

An Excerpt from Miranda Lambert's "The House that Built Me"... (the song you hear playing)

Lyrics by: Tom Douglas and James Shamblin Ii

I know they say you can’t go home again.

I just had to come back one last time.

Ma’am I know you don't know me from Adam.

But these handprints on the front steps are mine.

And up those stairs, in that little back bedroom

is where I did my homework …

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it

this brokenness inside me might start healing.

Out here it’s like I'm someone else…

I thought that maybe I could find myself.

If I could just come in I swear I'll leave.

Won’t take nothing but a memory

from the house that built me.

You leave home, you move on and you do the best you can.

I got lost in this whole world and forgot just who I am.

The first address I memorized: 2819 N Chadbourne.

Home.

Well this was the moment I was most looking forward to and dreading, all the same. This is the moment my parents were "freed from prison", as they say. And the same moment they had to say goodbye to 32 years of life's work. Life's home. The work that educated five children. Housed them. Raised them. And molded them.

And today is the moment where it has all sunk in, finally. Just a few days ago, we sold the only true home I have ever had. The one place I returned to every holiday, summer, and random weekends. The one town I inevitably spurted out when asked "Where are you from?". The state I so proudly claim as my own.

It was not an easy move, for 32 years is a long time to accumulate...what's the word...stuff. P, Bhik, and I returned to San Angelo's thriving Park Motel and prepared it for a new owner. It was 110 degrees outside and 109 degrees inside (no central air). We were wholly exhausted, yet rarely cranky. Spirits were high despite some bumps in the road. The end seemed as though tears should have flowed. But, instead, we were all exhausted, barricaded by smiles and laughter amid relief and excitement for what lay ahead. Be it as it may, we drove to closing with a packed trailer in tow. We, most definitely, were not a crying bunch. We waved goodbye to the Park Motel around 1PM on Thursday, August 12, 2011 and happily closed the deal by 2:15PM. And off we went to Phoenix, AZ to settle our parents into their long awaited retirement. And Clint babysitting.

I'm pretty sure we were not all smiles DURING the cleaning process... Pictures DO lie...

Just a small peek at the house post-cleaning...

An example of some things we just couldn't convince Mom to throw out. Half bags of flour. Roti flour. Chick pea flour. Flour. Yes. Flour. But, we caved because...well, we made them throw out nearly EVERYTHING. I'm pretty sure we wouldn't appreciate them going through our own homes and telling us what was junk and what wasn't... Wow. I just had an epiphany. Oh well... Too late.

At CLOSING! Wow. I am still in awe that it happened. The guy on the left is the new owner.

A cool isolated thunderstorm on the trip out of Texas. Apparently, when my parents moved to San Angelo with Hemben, D, and me (three weeks old), the five of us drove from California and stayed in Van Horn, Texas before reaching San Angelo. And wouldn't you know it? Unintentionally, the five of us (mom, dad, Bhik, P, and me) stayed in Van Horn heading in the same direction from which we originally came. Life is a full circle, isn't it? Or nearly one at least.

HELLO RETIREMENT! I'm not so sure it'll be easier than the motel...

Ah, why must you break my heart, Borders...

2011-07-25T09:27:00.005-04:00

It's crazy. I wasn't going to post about Borders because I thought I was the last to know and who wants to read about an old news story, right? I was alerted on Thursday night, though I refused to believe it until Friday. Let me explain my stubbornness. My home page is CNN, and my iPAD alerts me to breaking news by the minute. I listen to NPR every morning on my way to a grueling 5:45 AM workout...outdoor workout (read: hot, humid, record-breaking heat index outdoor workout). Yet, I swear I had no idea that Borders was closing until I received the email (from Borders themselves) that broke my heart : " A fond farewell...Thank you for shopping at Borders.". Apparently reports of liquidation were diffused throughout the internet on Monday. That's four full days of not knowing. But, on the bright side, that's four fewer days of mourning. Ahhh, the silver lining.

You see-Borders is my store of choice. It has become what my hometown library was to me. My place to go. To be at peace. To browse. To sit and learn. It was my happy place, if you will. On Friday, disconcerted by the e-finding, I scavenged CNN.com for a headline or something. Yet, none. I found not one piece of news on it. I just searched CNN.com again and all I can find is an Opinion article. At least I don't feel as crazy. Why the news skipped right over the closing of yet another US business and one that has graced our nation for 40 years-I will never know.

I like to imagine that I am still young at heart, with my blog and Facebook (albeit, a reluctanct use of). My knowledge of Hipstamatic and Instagram. Swype and iPADs. But, in reality, I am quite a traditionalist at heart. I love the library and attained a library card within a few days of moving to D.C. My girl, Reyes, and I are probably the only other people who still care to know the Dewey Decimal System. And, don't even get me started on the look, feel, and touch of books. Oh and the wonderful smell. It's...gosh. How do you describe sentiment? You can't get any of that on an e-reader. Not the Kindle or the Nook. Not even the Kobo no one knew about (Reason 1, Borders. Reason 1). But, I fear that I am part of the dying population who feels this way.

So I took the weekend to really think about this whole "Borders closing thing". And I thought back to the last time I bought a book from Borders. It shames me to say that I opted for the $0.01 book + Shipping on Amazon. Sad, huh? That it all comes down to money. And the internet. So, with that partial explanation, I have come to peace with the news. The shock has worn off, but the sentimental burning hasn't appeased.

So long, Borders. It is my sincere hope that this is not a sign of what is to come-the end of all non-internet bookstores and God help me, libraries.

Fresh and Fun...

2011-07-18T22:45:00.003-04:00

I think one of my favorite things about being married is having someone for whom to cook (and with whom!). Someone to share in the joy of fresh squash. The greenest beans. The juiciest lemons. And all things yummy. Of course, when you are the chef, you get to call the shots. So mushrooms have immersed themselves in our eating routine in ways my mushroom-averse husband wished impossible. Who doesn't like mushrooms? I think it may be a sin. They're so savory and when given the time to brown up in an olive oil-wine-butter sautee... My mouth is watering. I digress. My post is not about mushrooms at all, though now I wish it were. It's about the summer. And the farmer's market. And D.C. The outdoors. Cooking. Eating. And enjoying life with your husband and the sun's warmth.

It's amazing the ways in which you turn into your parents. I am generally too ~~lazy~~ efficient to buy the green beans I have to prepare (or other preparation-requiring vegetables like spinach) when I can just buy the pre-washed, largely over-priced versions at my local market. But, my parents. Well, they're a different story. My dad is the man when it comes to prep work. And my mom is the chef of choice, not just by my account but that of numerous villages in India once upon a time. I tell them that they were "green" before being green was cool. Reusing ziploc bags and never using paper towels, to give you an idea. They would never dare buy the packaged (thrice-washed, thank-you-very-much) spinach when for a dollar they could buy the bunch themselves. I can picture my dad studiously washing away, ensuring no dirt or rocks infiltrated our spinach saac/sabji. Or patiently finger-picking the ends off of green beans and diligently slicing them in thirds. So when I saw these green beans, my assumed "efficiency" walked right out the door and the au natural Mamta took over. I seized as many of these gorgeous, perfectly crisp beans as I could and racked my brain for creative recipes. I settled on sundried tomatoes and olive oil. Something simple and fresh.

It's been a good week for me. I surprised Srin with a kayaking on the Potomac amongst nature-monuments-and serene plane noise and just found out one of my closest friends is pregnant. I've been taking time to grab the Nikon more, and I never fail to cook a meal that soothes my taste buds. It's like I am recovering from my blah moment.

Welcome to the real world...

2011-07-17T21:39:00.000-04:00

Imagine this. Marital bliss. The party in your honor ended, leaving a lasting image of smiles and laughter. You stumble to your room, hand-in-hand with the man you just committed your life to. You wake up excitedly ready for the honeymoon. Ah-the honeymoon. The Amalfi coast. Sorrento. Fresh mozzerella and delectable basil. On-the-vine tomatoes. Mt Vesuvius and Pompeii. Ten days of ... gosh... how do you describe it... elation. That's it.

The ten hour journey back reminds you that the "honeymoon" may be over but there is so much to look forward to. D.C. A new job. A real paycheck. The wedding gifts! For now, you'll take some sleep as jet lag washes over you.

You arrive back home and wait as your husband parks the car. As you stare at the door of your apartment, boredom causes the thought to float your mind: I wonder if my door is unlocked. You have no reason to suspect so, but boredom has a way of spurring imagination. You cave to your curiosity and touch the handle. Hmm...It is unlocked. Could it be?

You wait for your knight in shining armour, and when he arrives you both try the door again. A sneak peek in reveals a thundering thought. Our TV is gone. Are my eyes playing tricks on me? The TV is actually gone.

Exit complex. Call 911. You just got robbed. Welcome to the real world. The honeymoon is over.

And now you know what it is like to be my baby sister.

Mamta and Jinx...Friends For-e-ver...

2011-07-14T16:55:00.005-04:00

It was 1986. I still remember that year. I don't remember specifics, but I can picture the TV turning on and President Reagan, in all his grandfather-i-ness, consoling America. The world, in ways. January 28th. Challenger. Teacher in Space. Frost-biting cold. Poor managerial decisions. Seven lives lost. More devastated.

Sure it did poor in the box office. Yes, I know. What kind of timing was the release based on? After all, it was only six months after the accident. Crazy. Still, suffice it to say that Space Camp may be credited with maintaining the "sexiness" of spaceflight among my generation. I am, by far, not the only one my age who is obsessed with the lackluster performance by now famous actors (Lea Thompson, Joaquin Phoenix, Kelly Preston, Tate Donovan...Oh and dare I forget Spielberg's wife Kate Capshaw). For those of us who were around the ages of 6-7 (just old enough to remember Challenger but not old enough to fully comprehend its impacts), the timing of this movie did nothing to detract our attention. We were mesmerized. Encapsulated. Swallowed up like a caterpillar in its cocoon. One day. Some day. We would be astronauts. We would sit on the moon. Fly through the heavens. Touch a cloud. Catch a star. Space Camp made it seem so real. So possible. Unrealistic...yet....inspiring.

And so we did. The few whose dreams were not simply dreams. We made it to NASA. And on Friday, we bade farewell to the one program we have had our entire lives. The one image we associate with NASA. On Friday, we buried our quest to fly aboard her tiny flight deck. We cherished the roar of launch. And we saluted her goodbye.

[Sap alert] Sigh. I am sappy. You know that. I know that. It's no secret. But, can I please tell you just how special last weekend was for me? Not only for closure to my life's dream but also for the friends with whom I spent that moment. And to share it with my new husband. [end sap...mostly] It was the joy and anticipation in him that refueled my fire. Not that my fire was ever unlit. I mean, let's just consider my fire eternal. But, I too, am victim to complacency. I have seen many rocket launches, including a few Shuttles. Maybe the reality of the "end" never hit me until I heard him tell others what this meant. It was his shock and awe that sent shivers up my spine. He never grew up wanting to be an astronaut. Or waiting feverishly by the tiny window in the Old TV room, anticipating the Earth's shadow crossing over the moon. Or spending nights in college on top of the hood of the car, gazing at the trail falling stars leave behind... Yet, he felt the bittersweet end just like all of us. It was Srin who said "We grew up with the Space Shuttle. I can't believe this is it." Me either, Hubs. Me either.

And so we gathered once again. Most of us having left Houston a decade after first starting our co-op tours. And we commemorated the dream. With Cocoa Beach and slap the bag. Two hours of sleep and too much laughter. With The Things and Happy Hour. And best of all, Wheezy's i-capture of it all.

Thank you Yo Mama's. It was real and spectacular.

Bini and Em

Laur, Me, and Tasch

Laura, Em, Bries, E-Booty, Tasch, Srin, and me

Our very cool and super fun hosts. Dan and Emily Weiland. No one else I know would be willing to fit 8 people in their two bedroom apartment.

You may need those. We'll be 10 miles away...

Meet the Launch Virgins: E-Booty, Bries, Tasch, and Srin

First name The. Last name Beard. The Beard.

Are you surprised?

Testing from Srin's Droid

2011-07-09T13:11:00.001-04:00

Go atlantis!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.2

Congratulations Little Patel...

2011-07-06T15:03:00.006-04:00

A snapshot in time. A small part of this world. A big part of my world.

To view the entire album easily, go to Simplicity. To download the entire album, go here.

Don't pretend you haven't wondered...

2011-06-30T14:52:00.004-04:00

What does NASA do for me? After all, Mamta blogs all day and gets paid...by ME...the taxpayer. (If you are my boss reading this, first off, why are you reading my blog? And second, of course, I ONLY blog off the clock...)

You've heard it before and without doubt have asked that one friend who has a friend who knows someone who works for NASA: "I always hear that NASA gives us technology, but what?".

Fair enough. I am the first to say it-NASA does a poor job of communicating the advances to the general public. And, you should be the first to know. Thank-you-very-much, taxpayers.

http://curiosity.discovery.com/topic/transportation-science/ten-nasa-inventions.htm

*The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author of Beyond the Curls ONLY. This blog is in NO way associated with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).*

*These pictures have nothing to do with the article to which I linked above. Just seemed like the right post in which to include some rather cool pics...NASA-related, of course*

infidelity...

2011-06-24T17:04:00.000-04:00

There's one thing about Srin everyone should know. He had an affair. In fact, multiple affairs. Her name is Mexican Food. First name-Mexican. Last name-Food. Mexican Food. Ain't she a beauty?

Make your own Taco Salad here!

Summer...

2011-06-23T09:02:00.001-04:00

Fresh salsa, guacamole, and enchiladas. Yummo. (Recipes linked if you like what you see...)

Stick and Puck...

2011-06-23T08:16:00.004-04:00

Ah hockey. I once was the girl who judged all hockey players because they seem so brash. So unrefined. I mean who just beats down on each other? Grown men at that. To some, it's shamefully amusing. To others (myself), it's utterly revolting.

So of course as my fate would have it, I have now become a hockey wife. I mean...don't get me wrong. The grace of my appearance is few and far between, but I don't find myself imploring for it to end. Well, I do...but that's for the unabashing cold, breath-visualizing temperature. Indoors. I mean, seriously? I'm sure there is a way to provide heaters for the Clams' most fervent fans.

For the record, Luke didn't seem to think it was as algid as I did...

GO DAD!

Oooh...is this the thing where I can see myself immediately afterwards? I'm so glad I was born in the 2000s...

Bryan's wife, Jenny, and adorable son, Luke

Mark's son, Collin, and his friend

My personal favorite as the boys beseeched the other team...

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Alas, in my years of knowing, dating, and eventually taking the plunge with Dr. Nagaraja, I have grown to enjoy the sport. It's fast paced and exciting. I've learned NHL players are actually classy, attesting my previous notion. So, what I am trying to say is I'll pretend to be Carrie any day. Just for you, Srin. Now if you could just do something about that temp...

*All pictures taken through icky-finger-lick-and-touch-little-boy-snot-nose-stained plexi-glass. It's a wonder my f1.8 lens managed to get some blog-worthy pictures.*
*That first picture is a shout-out to #17 (the number we Patels wear in lacrosse)*

The comfort of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves...

2011-06-16T21:05:00.014-04:00

I was reading Smitten Kitchen today, and for some reason, I got upset. Not with her of course. She's my go-to girl for recipes. Trustworthy. Reliable. And always delicious. No...I can't really explain why I got upset. I wasn't crying or raging. Neither sadness nor anger. It's just that there are all of these things that I want to pursue. All of these hobbies and interests. And sometimes I just feel overwhelmed at the thought that I never see anything through. For instance, remember when I blogged that I wanted to write a book? Well...suffice it to say... Sigh.

I watched Julie and Julia on the way back from France in 2009, and after a week of fresh cheese and delectable fruit, I was inspired. Both to cook and to blog. Sure, I cooked and blogged thereafter... Oh consistently, you ask? Well...I didn't really lay down any ground rules, did I?

Recently, I discovered one of my favorite blogs, The Sartorialist, and I envisioned myself creating a similar theme but in the District. A bit copy-cat-ish-I know. Let's call it "inspired". Have you seen even one shot of someone fashionable? And I am privy to Adams Morgan, Dupont Circle...Gosh, Georgetown for goodness sake. If you want quirky, I can find it. If you want high society, I live in it. Yet...no pictures.

Gosh, pictures. Ever heard of Simplicity? No? Not surprising. Yet another venture...plummeting towards its own demise.

I digress... What? Stream-of-concsiousness drives you crazy? I'm sorry...why do you read my blog again? Back to Smitten Kitchen...so I am reading her blog, and I realize I am so jealous. Oh that's it. Jealousy. Envy. I love what she has created. And I wonder-why can't I pick one hobby (or two as she has...photography and cooking) and just go with it. Run like the wind, as they say. Which I always found funny since wind doesn't really run. Digression, again.

So I don't mean to complain. God, help me. I have told myself numerous times that I am not allowed to complain. I am healthy, happy, gainfully employed, and in love. I cannot complain. There. I said it. So, let's just call this "expressing myself". Not complaining. Expressing.

For now, I will take my myriad of interests and reap the benefits. Homemade fancy pasta, garlic-ky french green beans, and spicy oatmeal-chocolate-chip cookies. And my Nikon D40. Life's good.

The Top of the World...

2011-06-02T22:59:00.001-04:00

And us.

As if it couldn't get better...

2011-05-28T12:12:00.003-04:00

NASA called and asked me to work in Mission Control for this mission! I trained 'em but left 'em early. Yet, I get to complete the circle by being a part of the actual mission for which I trained 'em. Gosh. Sigh of sheer happiness...

Workin' hard or hardly workin'?

Endeavor's namesake in the foreground of Mission Control Center

And in front of our beautiful Stars n' Stripes...

Our entire Orbit 3 team...We split working in mission control into three equal shifts (or what we call "orbits") and handover to each other in aims of continuity of operations...

And the CATO who requested me...my girl, Toni

And our Superman CATO, Steve...my partner in backroom complaining & laughter...

*All pictures courtesy of the awesome NASA photographers. Thanks!*

Blastoff!

2011-05-16T16:53:00.001-04:00

My crew finally made it up! STS-134/ULF6 launched this morning, with her crew in tow. Aboard the last mission for Endeavor... She's a special bird, having replaced Challenger after her own demise. All of this reminds of being a little girl, memorizing Shuttle dimensions and random facts in hopes that I would one day be...

A super cool pic snapped by someone as she sat on her plane this morning...

My crew, with Mark Kelly (Front, Right) who is commander and dealt with the incomprehensible and salacious act of heinous anger when his wife, Representative Gabby Giffords, and other civilians were attacked in Tuscon. Behind him is Mike Fincke, who married an Indian girl from Assam. We happened to be married by the same Gujarati priest!

My team just as they were about 75% of the way done with training.

Thank you...

2011-04-28T19:01:00.003-04:00

to the many friends and family who made this journey around the world possible.

This last post on Turkey is long overdue, but forgive me. Internet was scarce after India, and Srin and I remain homeless and hunting in The District since settling back in the US of A. I have found little time to muster up the energy to keep up with my blogging, but never fear-I vow to resume releasing the jumble of thoughts into verbose literary prose from this moment forward. I mean, a girl's gotta have priorities.

I hope you enjoyed following us around the world. It was great knowing so many of you read about it and checked in on us and our safety. We are wholly indebted to our friends and families for making this trip possible for us.

Thank you to our parents for the love and support of raising us to enjoy the company of those different from us. It was invaluable on a trip like this and certainly the inspiration to embark on such a journey.

Thank you to my parents for giving us the gift of a beautiful wedding. Your money was well spent-it was exactly as I imagined. Thank you to my in-laws for the generous honeymoon gift, which provided us with irreplaceable memories. To Bhik, D, and P-thank you for making sure my house was taken care of. You have no idea how much that meant to me. In particular, thank you to Bhik, who took an entire day off of work to drive to Houston just to be sure closing went without a hitch. Of family, it is often expected - such acts of generosity. But of friends, it is not always certain. Thank you to Laurie, Brini, and everyone who assisted them in making sure my stuff was moved into storage before my house sale closed. To our many friends and families who gave extremely generous wedding gifts, thank you. These opportunities, memories, and pictures are because of you. Lastly, thank you to our colleagues for allowing us to leave for three months and more importantly to come back to a secure job.

Call it history...call it mystery...

2011-04-28T18:48:00.014-04:00

Our last stop was a diversion around Egypt, which was our original destination purposely chosen to end this worldwide trek. Unfortunately, though, we just were not comfortable going in naivete and worrying our families back home. And seeing as how the world decided to start dropping bombs over neighboring Libya, we probably made the best decision. After much discussion and debate over the best place to visit in lieu thereof, Srin was eventually convinced by my need to see Turkey. It was not the beautiful weather Cairo boasted, but Turkiye did not disappoint in history, mythology, religious wonders, and aesthetically pleasing sights.

We began our travels in Istanbul, and let's just say that we visited THREE continents in a time span of about 12 hours. That's right. THREE. We flew from Africa to Europe and then ferried over to Asia. Confused? Well, Istanbul boasts being the only city that spans two continents as it is split between the two by the Bosphorous Sea. In fact, most think Turkey is Eastern Europe, but in fact, it is mostly (97% or something) in Asia. And by Asia, of course, we mean the Middle Eastern section of Asia. Convoluted, I know.

In Istanbul, we visited beautiful mosques, learned about Islamic customs, and even witnessed the small Christian population praying in a Greek Orthodox church. And get this-the patriarch (the Greek Orthodox equivalent of the Pope in ways) actually is in TURKEY! It goes back to the Ottoman days, and they don't want him to leave because he is one of the few lasting Ottoman legacies. Gosh, we learned so much that I fear I will not be able to remember it all to share here. For one, I could not believe I was in modern day Constantinople. I mean-that's something I learned in history. It's like the Byzantine Empire. I was surrounded by all of this history, and all I could think was that when my kids learn about this era in school, I must bring them to Turkey.

For the rest of Turkey, I decided just to post a bunch of pictures and tell you the rest in captions. Of course, the verbosity in me couldn't just leave it to captions...Now it is just a blog post separated by pictures! Enjoy the end of our trip around the world!

Since we were planning this new leg of the trip whilst traveling the world, we had to rely on sporadic internet availability and some luck. I emailed ten travel agencies when we decided Egypt was a no-go and based on what little research we could muster, we chose a company. They picked us up from the airport and brought us to their offices in the Sultanahmet area. We confirmed the itinerary and we were off on our Turkish adventure! Here we are in front of the ever famous Sultanahmet Mosque, which is more popularly called the Blue Mosque for its adornment of blue Iznik Turkish tiles on the walls.

Here's Srin in front of a Turkish flag by the Topkapi Palace, which was commissioned after the fall of Constantinople in 1453 to be the official residence of the sultans (Muslim rulers) until 1853. For 400 years, it was the educational, administrative, and cultural center of the Ottoman empire. Like many countries we traveled, I observed that Turkey took great pride in themselves. Turkish people are proud to be...well Turkish. The flag embraced homes, buildings, and stores alike.

Perhaps one of the most famous structures in the city is this thrice ruined-and-rebuilt church called Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia). It was built as a church in the 500s, declared a mosque in the 1400s, and then named as a museum in the 1900s. Through its tumultuous history, it remained a picturesque representation of the Byzantine empire with its massive dome and architectural beauty.

This was one of my favorite pictures-one of the few I am proud of because there was little light and no tripod. It is of the Basilica Cistern, which is basically an underground water palace. It was commissioned during the Byzantine period (6th century) to provide water to the palaces and other buildings of Constantinople.

Recognize this face? Don't stare too hard. It's MEDUSA! According to mythical legends, Medusa was one of the terrifying female creatures of Greek Mythology called Gorgons. Medusa, with her hair of snakes, could turn anyone who looked at her into stone. Therefore, she was used to protect great buildings.

We also visited the Roman Hippodrome (which is no more, by the way. It has been replaced by a sidewalk. Surely there is some law that says you can no longer list things as a tourist site if your government decides it is only now worthy of being a sidwalk. Right?), the St.Sophia Museum, the Million stone, the Tomb of Sultan Mahmud, and an ancient Ottoman cemetery before concluding the day at the Grand Bazaar. The Grand Bazaar is exactly as the name suggests: a huge collection of stores-high end and local alike. It's a bit overwhelming at first but after the travelling we did, nothing phased us!

The next day in Istanbul was spent seeing more Mosques (something like India almost-temple after temple after temple...but somehow you still want to see them all) and other city highlights like the City Walls (which were one of my favorite as this is how cities used to protect themselves before guns and such), the Chora Church, Pierre Loti Hill, the Eyup Mosque, and the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate. We regrettably took a Bosphorus Cruise, which would have been beautiful on a non-cold and non-rainy day before ending our tour at the Spice Bazaar below.

The colors were beautiful!

And I became obsessive about my baklava! I had it every single day pretty much.

After Istanbul, we decided to tour the western border of Turkey, which it shares with Greece. Here we are at ANZAC Cove (Australian and New Zeland Army Corps), which was one of the sites of an important battle during WWI known as the Gallipolli War. For Australians, it is a rite of passage-something that everyone does before they die. For me, it was amazing to see and learn about world history in person. I am one of those nerdy ones...

From Istanbul, we took a bus to Ecebat/Cannakale to begin our tour.

Lone Pine Cemetary, which is an Australian memorial for those who lost their lives in Gallipolli.

These are real and untouched trenches dug up during the war. I could have survived...See.

From there, we continued south to Troy, the ancient city of much debate. It was made famous by Homer's Iliad and for years, archaelogists debated whether it was myth or not. In the 1860s, German archaeologists excavated ruins, using the descriptions in Homer's tales to find the exact location of this city. It was amazing to see! The coolest thing about Troy is that it was rebuilt at least nine times-on top of each other! So over the centuries, the city moved only a bit and thus the excavations found concentric circles of city walls.

We saw so many ruins of ancient cities. It's tough to decipher between mythology and history in a world like this. And, did you also think Troy was in Greece? Admit it...

Some of the best kept (and restored) ruins were the theaters. Grand shows took place in amphitheaters such as this one and in fact, the ruins in Efes (see below) now even has modern day shows in it! Elton John performed recently!

Another picture that I was a little bit proud of...Ruins through ruins...

We then headed to Pergamum, which was the center of learning and the arts in ancient times. This is part of what remains of the library, which once contained 200,000 books! Also, I think this is a snazzy pic...

We then traveled to Efes (Ephesus) and Kusadasi for a couple of nights. The first side trip was to Pammukale, which boasts these calcium-rich travertines and penned its name Cotton Castle. To be honest, it was totally not worth doing.

I loved Turkey for taking pictures. These were ruins in the city of Efes, which is probably the most well preserved ancient city excavated in Turkey. It was the religious center of the area at that time. In fact, they claim that after Jesus was crucified, Mary went there to live out her life. We visited the House of the Virgin Mary, where Srin tried to bargain for Holy Water and since the market owner was having nothing of it, a nice presumably Christian tourist decided if the man wanted holy water, 1 Turkish Lira shouldn't keep him from it.

The library in Efes, which was the third largest in the ancient world after Alexandria (Egypt) and Pergamum.

Here is Srin using an ancient toilet in Efes...

I was so excited about going to Efes because although I didn't get to see the pyramids as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, I was going to replace it with the Temple of Artemis (Diana). How cool. One wonder for another. It appeased my anger with Egypt. Only come to find out, it was torn down and used for parts to build the Ayasofya and other Christian buildings. Tell me. How do you just break down something that is ...what I don't know...thousands of years old?

One of the most famous things in Turkey is their darn carpet trade. You see, Turkey, I am not interested in buying your carpets even if you must insist. Though some of the shop owners were fine, most were pushy and it was just uncomfortable. In fact, on our first day in Istanbul, we were approached by a local who asked if we needed help. Against our better judgement (and because we are just too nice), we asked where to pick up the metro. And thus began our warped carpet-jewelry-buying experience. He kept saying "Don't be afraid. We are hospitable people. Us Turks. Hospitable." and before I knew it, we found ourselves in this man's store drinking apple tea. We had warned him before going in that we did not want to buy anything and it was like a supernatural force made us enter his store. Before I knew it, we had politely declined which stirred his hospitality into vehement anger. And how dare we leave without finishing our tea. It was fun. Nonetheless, I later learned about the silk-making process which was super cool. Above are the cocoons of raw silk from silkworms.

The raw silk. Notice it is coarser than what you associate with silk.

After much treatment, it becomes this wonderful thread we all love and pay uber amounts for.

A sample of their carpets. I mean if I were an older Indian Ba or something, I may want one. But really, I just don't. Thanks though

Seriously...

2011-04-26T16:57:00.000-04:00

Must it come to the point where your passenger has to tell you to "Please don't text while we are moving. It scares me."?

Because, let me tell you, if I catch you repeatedly taking your eyes off the road (for 55 solid seconds once!) to text someone who can (and should) wait until you are no longer with me, then I will. Thank-you-very-much.

But I may get all pansy-like and say thank you one too many times coupled with nerve-racking divulsion as to why accidents have always been a life long fear...

But tell you, I will!

Lions, Cheetahs, and Giraffes...OH MY!

2011-03-28T16:44:00.004-04:00

I SO regret not travelling with my zoom VR lens. For this very moment. What was I thinking? Just because I was travelling around the world and did not want the hassle. Stupid, stupid, stupid me. Thus, any zoomed in pics (and lower-quality-looking) are from our point and shoot.

We have just travelled around South and Central Kenya, going on game drives for a real life safari. Masai Mara is the famous game reserve here, which is essentially the Kenyan side of the Serengheti (in bordering Tanzania). Here, they have what they call the Big 5 because to kill those animals one must exert special effort and be courageous. They are the rhinocerous, elephant, lion, leopard, and the buffalo.

And WOW. To see a cheetah in the wild. That was a sleek and memorable sight. She (I think it was a she because of the air of royalty with which she stepped.) was beautiful. And we saw oh so much more. The wildebeest (whose migration by the millions in July-September from nearby Serengheti makes Masai Mara famous), the giraffe, the topi, the hyena, the wharthog, the Thompson gazelle, the waterbuck, the cape buffalo, the eland, the baboon, the impala, the lion, the zebra, the crocodile, and the rare sighting of a black rhinoceros (only 47 remain in Masai).

We also took time to visit a Masai village. Kenya has 42 distinct tribes, and one of the famous ones is the Masai. They are known for never straying from their traditional way of living no matter the land on which they call home. We were greeted by the Chief's sons, and Wilson gave us our tour. Their village has 200 people among only 6 families, with 6 different entrances. Each family has an entrance at which they bury their dead. The village has a medicine man and a midwife for medical care. In fact, the two most common diseases that they must treat are malaria and upset stomach. For that, they use a special tree. The bark is stripped and soaked in water, and the solution is a malaria treatment. The leaves are spicy (we even tasted them) and can be used for stomach issues. The best part? You know how we often talk about the Kenyans and their white teeth, sans Western dental care? Well, they chew on a special tree bark.

The Masai women build the homes while the men build the fences once setting out to create a new village. The homes last about 10 years, whereupon they must settle somewhere else. The reason is that as it rains, the women mix cow dung and water to create a cement-like paste to cover the roof. Over time, the roofs weigh down the home, and their lifespan comes to an end at ten years. The women later return to collect the wood (which forms the structural component) for fire. Oh yeah, speaking of fire. The Masai create fire using friction and wood-a soft and strong wood. They spin the long stick using their hands until the hay begins to smoke and catches fire. We decided Srin has not proven his Masai warrior-ness yet though.

One of the most fascinating traditions is the becoming of a warrior for the men and the skill that must be proven before one can marry. A Masai boy must kill a lion! And numerous men have died doing it. It is in this way that he shows he can take care of himself and his family. The ceremony is extravagant, and he comes through, if victorious, with the tail on a stick and the men following will bare other body parts of the lion as well.

If marriage is the next step, the family must pay a dowry of sorts. In Masai culture, money is in the form of cow ownership. To ask how many cows one has is like asking how rich one is in the West. To marry, it will cost the family around 10 cows. When they need to buy goods, they sell their cows in special Masai markets. And to invest their money, they buy cows. Dressed in their traditional color of red, the Masai were a welcoming host and to learn of their culture was one of my favorite parts of my African trip.

We then travelled to a city about 6 hours away called Nakaru, home to a lake bearing its same name with thousands of pink flamingos, pelicans, white rhinos, a plethora of baboons, and tree climbing lions!

First, the baboons. Those punks are such troublemakers. Five weeks ago, they set fire to the forest, burning acres of it down. Stupid baboons. Now the lions. We were disappointed to not see a leopard, which is apparently more likely to be sighted here than in Masai but really luck manages it all. In fact, we didn't see many animals at all in our two game drives in the national park, save for those silly baboons. But, on our way out, we ran into a pride of tree lions crossing the street to climb...yes a tree! The lions in Masai cannot climb trees (generally, only the leopard can in the cat family). But this is a different species that was born in Tanzania. It was a cool sight.

A real life safari. I think all families should do one. It's hands on learning at any age. And, one of my most shocking moments was entering Nairobi. There is so much talk about it being unsafe and whatnot. But, I felt comfortable the moment I got here. And once you leave Nairobi, it is tourist land. Safety is NOT a concern. And in Nairobi, just use your head. Common sense tells you not to pull money out of your wallet by the wad, don't wear your diamond engagement ring, and just be aware. It is no different than any other place I have traveled. Sure, luck dictates. So I am sure you know someone who knows someone who heard from their uncle about how he got robbed. But, I am pretty sure walking in NYC could give you a similar story.

Isn't this just how you picture Africa, with giraffes lining the horizon?

Other things about Africa. The Kenyans are a good looking population. Seriously. And well dressed. You know how in general people say the Brits are not blessed aesthetically. Well, the Kenyans are. Beautiful, white teeth bared all in earnest, heartwarming laughs. They are happy with a great sense of humor. Also, Kenya is so clean. I was pleasantly surprised to breathe clean air and see no garbage. Oh gosh. How could I forget to tell you about the 5 kgs of weight we must have put on at the safari lodges. First off, they are gorgeous lodges. Secondly, the food was in sheer abundance. And, they are so aware of vegetarianism. They keep the meat separate, and when they say the soup is vegetarian, it means they also do not use meat stock. In fact, at the Lion Hill Lodge in Nakuru, we were introduced to the vegetarian chef in case we needed anything else. If only other countries would get on board. It was fantastic to be able to eat so well! Lastly, we attempted to do a tour of Nairobi, only to be hindered by the worst traffic we have ever been through. Due to a comedy of errors (like the Masai Market apparently being closed), we only saw one thing but it was totally worth it! It is called the Bomas of Kenya, where they show you dances from the 42 different Kenyan tribes. It was SO cool.

All in all, I hope people forget their pre-conceived notions about safety, etc and just GO TO AFRICA! Well, at least Kenya. So much of Africa is well traveled and tourism (as sad and wonderful as it is) has shaped up much of the continent.

Stepping in two different countries at one time. Tanzania on the left and Kenya on the right!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:All Over Kenya

We are back!

2011-03-25T18:47:00.001-04:00

Back on American soil. Feels great. More blogging soon!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:The US of A

Actually Turkiye...

2011-03-22T17:10:00.002-04:00

We don't care to buy any carpets. Double knot or not. Yes, we get it. "Our" country (India) does single stitch. No good...I get it. But we still do not want to buy a carpet or rug or whatever.

Apparently that is the big market here...carpet.

I prefer me some yummy baklava. Gobble gobble.

We are in Turkey and cannot believe the history in front of us. From 3000 B.C. forward to WWI. It may be freakin' freezin' but the sights are great. I owe you two countries on this blog: Kenya and Turkey. Apparently blogspot has been deemed incredibly block-worthy as Turkey has made my blog unreachable. I am posting using my app which still won't let me post pics. And no way am I telling you about my safari and 30th century B.C. history without the work of my fab Nikon. So you will have to wait until I get home for the conclusion of my around the world Odyssey. Pun intended.

In the meantime, we cannot believe in three days time we will be States-bound. Ahh home.

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Location:Turkiye

Her Majesty...

2011-03-16T11:19:00.002-04:00

Sagamartha-Goddess of the Sky. Mount Everest in all her glory. We maintained a journal that I will publish after this to anyone interested. We had a most fabulous guide if you are also interested. His rates are spectacular for what you get. We had a most "out of our element" time, pushing ourselves in ways we had never done.

The Himalayas...My Nikon found its heaven.

Enjoying the view of Ama Dablam...

Ahhh...Base Camp. Finally. We greet you.

Look at that horrific weather...Most people go to Everest Base Camp in April and May when Expeditions (those crazy enough to climb the thing) set up camp. But I chose not to...partially because of the timing of my travels. But it all worked out because the trail was ours to enjoy almost entirely on our own.

The beauty herself.... (the back peak)...

Summitting Kala Patthar. At 5545 meters (18,192 feet), it was our highest ascent. It is the peak from which the view of Everest is most grand. Everyone who does Base Camp also climbs Kala Patthar since you cannot see Everest from Base Camp itself due to its own geography.

Hooray! We are heading home!

Her Highness

2011-03-11T11:36:00.002-05:00

Srin and I have returned from two weeks of no showers, star gazing clearer than anything we have witnessed, and the majesty of Sagamartha (Everest) and her Himalayas.

I will post pictures when we arrive in Nairobi tomorrow (our time). We leave in the middle of our night but your afternoon today. Do not fear...we are safe and sound. After Africa, we will most definitely still skip Egypt and go to Turkey instead. Thus, we return in two weeks from now. Cannot believe it!

EBC Trek Day 14...

2011-03-10T11:44:00.000-05:00

And we are off! We are airbound for Kathmandu now, flying through the majestic mountains that we just traversed. WOW.

EBC Trek Day 13...

2011-03-09T08:26:00.002-05:00

We have been awake since 5:30AM today and at the airport since 6:30AM. The system is hilarious. Everyone stares out the window to see if the clouds have dispersed. Sooner or later, someone gets word that the airport is open and we should head there. Doesn't matter if our flight is at 7:00AM. We don't budge til someone tells us to!

Of course, we are still waiting as it seems the Kathmandu airport may be closed. We just met up with one of our trekking buddies who said he has tried to get out of Lukla for two days now. Lord help me if that happens to us. Not because of the cost of delaying our international flight but because I want a shower. Now. Badly. I had an awful dream about underarm hair. It was so weird. I know-too much. Well, it's my blog.

Update 1:

Flights have departed Kathmandu. HOORAY! 25 minutes until a landing. Cross your fingers!

Update 2:

Plane took off!

Update 3:

Planes turned around.

Update 4:

Stuck here. Winds awful.

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Location:Lukla Airport, Lukla

EBC Trek Day 12...

2011-03-08T08:24:00.000-05:00

Our last day of trekking. I couldn't go very fast due to the pain in my toes. That is-until I changed into my guide's Teva's. Thank god for them. Starting off, my energy was high, but, unfortunately, my spirit was broken sometime in the morning. So I won't talk much today.

We entered the Lukla gates at 5PM, though it was not as life changing as I envisioned for 12 days. The entire trek was different than I imagined. In some ways good and other ways not so much. I trekked most of the days on my own, and for the most part, I thoroughly enjoyed the alone time with the Himalayas. But on this day, I really missed P. I knew that if she were here, she would have trekked right by my side, commiserating my toe pain and commending my ability to trek right through it. Just like in graduate school, even though those hikes were incomparable. But still. The principle remains. I really missed her today. Hi P:)

That's really it for today. Except to tell you that our dinner was amazing. We ate fresh veggies for the first time in weeks and the Nepalese bhaijya were fantastic.

Our daily stats:

Start Location: Namche Bazar

Time Started: 9:00 AM

Altitude: 3440m

Destination: Lukla

Time Reached: 5:24 PM

Final Altitude: 2860m

Total Distance: 24km

TOTAL DISTANCE: 180km

TOTAL ALTITUDE: 3KM up and back down

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Location:Lukla, Nepal

EBC Trek Day 11...

2011-03-07T08:24:00.000-05:00

Day 2 of our descent. Today was more challenging and certainly longer. The trek was a combination of up and down and the toes were a bit in pain by the end. All I could think was how I had to get to Namche because then I could buy a hair brush. Why, you ask? Because I was stupid enough to travel without one. And imagine not washing curly hair for two weeks. Suffice it to say that I may have ruined my hair. Of course, I had found a brush on the way in Pangboche for 40 Rs. SO CHEAP! But of course, I tried to catch up with Srin to get the money and no amount of yelling or running led me to him fast enough. I wished I had turned around though once I got to him because all hair brushes were 10 times more expensive in Namche. So I passed. Maybe I will get rid of the knapsack in Lukla tomorrow.

Our daily stats:

Start Location: Pheriche

Time Started: 8:15 AM

Altitude: 4200m

Destination: Namche Bazar

Time Reached: 5:45 PM

Final Altitude: 3440m

Total Distance: 28km

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Location:Namche Bazar, Nepal

EBC Trek Day 10...

2011-03-06T08:24:00.000-05:00

Today, after 9 days of hiking 90km in distance and 3km in altitude, we began our descent down the Himalayas. Though, of course, we had to go uphill just to go down. So ludicrous. It was a pretty easy day, though, as the entire path after lunch was straight-a-way through a valley. We stayed in the fanciest place thus far, which was the Himalayan Lodge. The best part? No yak dung warmth and my appetite was back! What is yak dung warmth, you ask? Well, let me indulge. Yaks are mountainous animals much like mules in that they transport goods up and down the villages. Yak dung should be obvious. Now the warmth. Many of the village lodges have a furnace, for which I am thankful. However, as you get above the tree line, they use dung to burn for warmth. Now, I will say it is very efficient, using every bit of the yak for versatile needs. But, the smell, as I am sure you can imagine, is by far not worth it. Though, I am guilty for sitting near the furnace for the warmth. But if I cannot complain on my blog, where can I complain?

Our daily stats:

Start Location: Gorak Shep

Time Started: 8:15 AM

Altitude: 5140m

Destination: Pheriche

Time Reached: 3:15 AM

Final Altitude: 4200m

Total Distance: 24km

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Location:Pheriche, Nepal

EBC Trek Day 9...

2011-03-05T08:24:00.000-05:00

Today was the number 2 goal-Kala Patthar, the mountain (hill, actually, according to the rule I told you) from which the view of Everest is most grand and mesmerizing. Due to the geography of the mountain mass to which Everest claims the highest altitude, you cannot see the peak from Base Camp itself. On a clear day, you may see it from the path towards EBC. But not from the base. Thus, every trekker climbs Kala Patthar to see the monstrosity. And guess what? I DID IT! It is the only solace I have in this ridiculousy disheartening end to our uphill climb. Luckily, the weather was clear today, and I was certain we would have a spectacular view of the top of the world.

The climb was tough, seemingly never ending. We were tired, and I tried to quit at least three times, saying "Let's just take a picture and go home!" But, again, Srin wouldn't let me quit...or maybe he wouldn't let me let him quit. Who knows! Up and up we went, having to climb numerous meters before even being able to see the peak to which we aimed. Finally, God-willing, we summitted. 5555 meters. That's high. Over 18,000 feet. I couldn't believe I had made it and was staring at the top of the world. Sagarmatha-head of the sky-as they say in Nepalese. Although the gushing winds stole some of my enjoyment (the kinds of winds that could whip you off of the peak), nothing could take away this momentous feeling. 8 years I waited to accomplish this climb. And I had done it. After many pictures, we descended as I yelled over the gushing winds "We have to go now!".

The descent was mostly easy, save for the winds once again. They were so strong that one gush knocked me to the rocks, slamming me like a rag doll. I braced as I heard the next ones coming, sitting down and taking cover like we learned in school should a tornado roll through. As soon as we got low enough, the winds did not hinder us. We made it back, tired but fully satisfied at our accomplishment.

Our daily stats:

Start Location: Gorak Shep

Time Started: 7:30 AM

Altitude: 5140m

Destination: Kala Patthar

Time Reached: 11:45 AM

Final Altitude: 5555m

Time Back to Gorak Shep: 2:00 PM

Total Distance: 3km each way

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Location:Gorak Shep, Nepal

EBC Trek Day 8...

2011-03-04T08:24:00.001-05:00

Finally. The day I had been waiting for since 2003 and moreover for 8 straight days of bitter cold. And guess what? I awoke for the first time on this trek not feeling "right". I noticed in my sleep that I could feel my heart racing. Not just beating fast but RACING. As I awoke, I tried to ignore it. I mean-finally I was going to get to EVEREST BASE CAMP! But, alas, I informed Srin, who said he would feel a similar heartbeat from simple things like picking up his shoes. The reason? Well, the thinner air means less oxygen. So it takes much more for our bodies to perform simple tasks since we are not exactly high altitude people. Think Texas.

After some deep breathing and a bit of rest, my heart rate was in control. So off we went. The in-between stop was a three hour away destination called Gorak Shep, where we would eat lunch and take off! Except, well...about 30 minutes until we reached, Srin beckons me from up ahead saying I had to speed up. It was paralyzingly cold, and it was time to admit: "Srin...I think I should take something for my heart." It was at this point that I think he realized I was behind for a serious reason. I mean-I am most definitely not a hypochondriac, and I have enormous pride in my health and ability to handle almost anything. You see-my chest had just tightened when I said this to him (about 25 minutes prior) and it was a feeling unlike anything I have ever imagined. I described it to him as if someone were grabbing my heart and squeezing as hard as he could. There was pain, but completely due to the tightening. I had no other aches (no headache, no musclular pain, nothing at all but this deathly pressure in my most loved organ), and Govinda said it was a common reaction to altitude. Before I could mark it as altitude sickness, I had a breakdown. I was positive that this could be a sign of a heart attack to come. At the age of 31. How could I naively pushed myself like that? So I buried into Srin's chest and laid on the tears, mumbling something about not wanting to die and wanting to talk to "mom and dad, Daxaben, Clint, Pritty, Bhikhu, Hemben, and the girls." He said I couldn't think like that. I was only a short climb from rest and that would help. Sounds dramatic to you? Well, you weren't there. It was terrifying and the very first time in my life I thought I was going to need medical attention. Sights of EBC vanished from my head. At one point, I thought this tightening must have been what Dad felt that day of Christmas break of 1998. I soon realized that the pain I had could not compare to what he must have felt, and that made me sympathize with him all over again.

We reached Gorak Shep, and after a couple of hours of hot lemon water, soup, and rest, I was back to normal. It is with intense regret and a monumental swallow of pride that I admit to you that I told Srin to go ahead without me as he had to leave soon after we stopped in order to make it in daylight. I could not choose EBC over a potential "incident". So I didn't make it. I actually did not make it. I waited 8 years for this moment, planned this trip on my own, and trekked for 8 days for this opportunity. Something I had never done before. And I didn't make it. Although I know my health is more important (hence the conservative decision), getting within 3 hours of THAT moment was painful. Having to admit it here is again painful. I am happy to report, though, that Srin did make it. WHOO HOO! And it was not easy. I will let him describe it to you.

Take it away Official EBC Trekker.

After 4 hours of trekking to Gorak Shep, I was already exhausted, but knew this was our only chance to step foot on EBC given our tight schedule. Govinda basically told me to put on any warm clothes I had (including gators we had bought in Kathmandu for snow/ice) and we would head out at 11:45am. It started snowing ~15 min. into the trek and it was already cloudy and cold (-12 C) = no chance to see Sagarmatha (i.e. Everest). The trek took us along a ridge overlooking Nuptse and Khumbste mountains. The trail was quite challenging with loose rocks covered in snow/ice, and up/down terrain. The snow and wind made visibilty difficult at times. But when it did clear up, the Khumbu Glacier was spectacular... the bluest ice formations I've ever seen, perhaps only rivaled by Fiji's brilliant blue water. I don't think the pics we took could do justice to it.

I thought we had finally arrived at EBC when I saw this sign etched into a rock (Go Blue!). Nope. Govinda told me that we still had another ~2 km to get to the real BC. The terrain is a potpurri of small and large rocks that when combined with snow and ice make it quite difficult to traverse. We finally got to the real BC, and I was struck at how uncomfortable it would be to set up camp on these rocks. Though, I'm sure the expedition camps are quite elaborate. After taking some pics, I asked Govinda if we could head down to the glacier to see the ice formatons more closely. He obliged and it was "real and spectaular". We took a bunch of pics of these sheets of ice. it was pretty incredicle to be on the glacier that gets its water from Everest. The best part of the trip was that we had the entire BC and the glacier to ourselves. Absolutely no human around... we were the only stupid ones to visit EBC in that afteroon.

The trek back wasn't too bad as the snow had stopped and the sun was actually starting to peak out from the clouds. We made it back to the lodge as it was getting dark. Overall, exhausting, but a fantastic afternoon in front of the tallest structure in the world. Govinda likes to say that EBC is where earth ends and heaven begins. Can't say I disagree with him.

Our daily stats:

Start Location: Lobouche

Time Started: 6:40 AM

Altitude: 4910m

Destination: Gorak Shep

Time Reached: 10:44 AM

Final Altitude: 5140m

Total Distance: 6km

Destination: Everest Base Camp

Time Started: 11:44 AM

Time Reached: 2:30 PM

Final Altitude: 5364m

Time Back to Gorak Shep: 5:45 PM

Total Distance: 6km each way

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Location:Gorak Shep, Nepal

EBC Trek Day 7...

2011-03-03T08:24:00.001-05:00

We made it to Lobouche today through some mud but more ice and snow. The toughest part was climbing straight up for an hour through rocks. The rest of the trek was not so bad, with pretty clear and sunny weather allowing for beautiful views of Ama Dablam, Kantega, Tomsherku, and Tabouche. Even Govinda (who has done EBC 53 times) remarked how rare the views of the Himalayas were.

Overall, I think both of us were really tired today, but as I write this, we seem to be much better. The only thing keeping us going is that tomorrow is our shot at Everest Base Camp. Yup-the Holy Grail. I cannot wait to reach so that I can head back home! Or in this case, Kathmandu.

Our daily stats:

Start Location: Dingboche

Time Started: 8:30 AM

Altitude: 4410m

Destination: Lobouche

Time Reached: 1:45 PM

Final Altitude: 4928m

Total Distance: 12km

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Location:Lobouche, Nepal

EBC Trek Day 6...

2011-03-02T08:24:00.000-05:00

Boy-today was tough! We did the whole 'climb high, sleep low' climb today, and climb high we did! The path was straight up and back down, and if it were not for my "slow and steady wins the race" attitude, I may have died right then and there. Okay okay. That is a bit dramatic. But it was difficult, and certainly it is the highest Srin or I have ever climbed (~16,500 ft). And it was all in preparation for our bodies as we continue trekking up.

The weather was quite cloudy, making us wonder what our chances were of seeing Everest in a few days. Guess only time will tell. We ended the night by noticing the stars. I mean-you could not imagine the clarity with which we could see what seemed like every star in the universe. We couldn't believe we had not noticed it until tonight.

Tomorrow is Lobouche at 4900m.

Our daily stats:

Start Location: Dingboche

Time Started: 8:30 AM

Altitude: 4410

Destination: Nakharjum

Time Reached: 11:45 AM

Final Altitude: 5000m

Time Back to Dingboche: 2:00 PM

Total Distance: 1km each way

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Location:Dingboche, Nepal

EBC Trek Day 5...

2011-03-01T08:23:00.000-05:00

Ahhh, I actually warmed up overnight and awoke refreshed. Well, as refreshing as -18 deg C can allow. We started earlier (well, we attempted) because Govinda had said the first hour was quite icy and slippery. He reasoned that if we started earlier, then it would not be as treacherous. I thought the man was nuts since earlier meant colder to my feeble mind. Then, I started trekking and realized what his experience had already told him. When the sun melts the ice, it gets wet and much more slippery than when frozen. And the frozen mud allowed for a much easier trek than I had anticipated. I couldn't believe that I, Mamta-the-Texas-snot, was trekking in below freezing weather and feeling just perfectly fine. It was a grand moment for me.

The trek was relatively easy only because we took it SLOW, up the gradually inclining routes. We made it to above 4000m which coincides with the tree line. We were officially in that part of the mountains that looks so daunting from a far. Who would think it would be possible to point to the snow-covered mountain face and think it possible that one could trek there. The weather was phenomenal and the sky so open and blue. I cannot wait to share pictures with you.

We arrived in Dingboche and retreated to our room for a bit of rest. I had my first slight headache so acclimating was very important. Govinda's advice of Snickers and water did the trick, and I feel much better as I write this. Tomorrow is another acclimation day here in Dingboche.

That's it for tonight so I will see you tomorrow as we trek to a ridiculously high "hill" nearby. It better be worth it as I still firmly believe climbing is not worth it if not towards your destination.

Our daily stats:

Start Location: Tengboche

Time Started: 8:15 AM

Altitude: 3900m

Destination: Dingboche

Time Reached: 3:30 PM

Final Altitude: 4410m

Total Distance: 18km

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Location:Dingboche, Nepal

EBC Trek Day 4...

2011-02-28T08:23:00.000-05:00

WHOO HOO! I was so worried that I was a horrible trekker after my difficulties yesterday. But, it turns out that I just need to take more breaks than Srin. The trek from Namche was easier than our "rest day"-that's for sure. We trekked up for 0.5 hour and then laterally for about 1.5 hours and then DOWNHILL for 1.5 hours to our lunch spot. Then, we climbed about 2 hours upwards to Tengboche.

The path was mostly good, though we did encounter patches of ice and snow and some mud. Thank goodness for my trekking pole!!! The only bad thing was the mixed reviews we received from trekkers on their way back from EBC. Some said: "It is so !&@^#&#* cold. It is -40 deg C and I got horrible altitude sickness...". Some said: "Nah...it is cold but the weather is not so bad. You can do it. The temp is closer to -15 eg C." Believe it or not, we breathed a sigh of relief. I felt encouraged. Though, I am, of course, not naive enough to think I can EASILY handle that temperature. But, at least I am not ready to give up so early.

My favorite part of the day was the moment we arrived. Not because it was the end of my climb for the night (though, that does take second place) but because of the view. We immediately took it in with our eyes, desparately willing our memories to capture the sight like a digital camera. Nuptse, Everest, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, Kantega, Tamserku, and Kongde surrounded us. The sun's warmth made me bring my book outside, and Srin and I enjoyed the life. And enjoy it we should since I am positive tomorrow and the days forward will bring bitter cold that my Texas body has never experienced.

We finished the day off by visiting a Buddhist Monestary, eating dinner, and playing cards as usual. I leave you with one final thought. Climbers often remark that with a "nice" sleeping bag and a blanket, the cold is not so bad. I am here to tell you that they are, in fact, wrong. Don't forget that, Hiroumi.

Our daily stats:

Start Location: Namche Bazaar

Time Started: 8:42 AM

Altitude: 3440m

Destination: Tengboche

Time Reached: 3:35 PM

Final Altitude: 3900m

Total Distance: 11.5km

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Location:Tengboche, Nepal

EBC Trek Day 3...

2011-02-27T08:23:00.000-05:00

Today was our acclimatization day so we took a side trip around the area. Now, call me crazy but why would you climb on a day where you are "acclimating"? Apparently climbers do a "climb high, sleep low" method. Thus, the so-called "rest day" is not really resting by any stretch of the imagination.

Suffice it to say Srin is a better climber than yours truly. Although I feel as though I can do practically anything (the strongest trait I feel would make me a good astronaut candidate...not that I am biased), on this day, I was certain I should turn back. I mean...climbing just is not worth it if it is not towards your destination. Right? Alas, though, neither Srin nor our guide (Govinda) would let me give up. Govinda's advice was so sound: If something happens later, then at least you can say you saw Mt Everest. Whoa...this whole climbing on my "rest day" leads me to a view of Everest? All of a sudden I had the shakti of 10,000 elephants.

And it was, in the end, worth it. The view was phenomenal. Mostly clear skies, beautiful sunny weather, and Himalayan beauty. We saw Everest rising to the top of the world, accompanied by her fellow peaks Nuptse and Lohtse.

Our plan was to continue climbing to the Edmund Hillary school and hospital, but it was really up to me (the dead weight). I decided we should head back as it was already close to lunch and who knew what the path would be like. Turns out that my pansiness was a wise decision. At one point, I thought Srin looked like Brad Pitt in Seven Years in Tibet. I mean, I have never trekked through snow thanks to my Texas upbringing. Worse, though, was the mud and muck formed from melted snow. Not pleasant but adventurous.

We arrived back to the Buddha Lodge, took our first shower (and last if you ask me). It was surprisingly warm but horribly cold once the water was turned off. We shall assume that my hair will go two weeks without a wash.

We ended the day with a quick walk through the Tibetan and Local markets. I managed to purchase a North Fake jacket thanks to the Tibetans. And from the advice of Govinda, I got myself a trekking pole from the local market. I take it he observed my horrible trekking-in-ice-and-mud skills.

Before I leave you, I will be honest-the climb dwindled my confidence and I sleep concerned if I will make it forward. We'll see!

Our daily stats:

Start Location: Namche Bazaar

Time Started: 8:45 AM

Altitude: 3440m

Destination: Everest View Hotel

Time Reached: 12:00

Final Altitude: 3900m

Total Distance: 2km each way

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Location:Namche Bazaar, Nepal

EBC Trek Day 2...

2011-02-26T08:23:00.000-05:00

Today was definitely much more difficult. We climbed to 3440m where the village of Namche Bazaar has become home for an acclimatization day. That is, we must get used to the "thinner air" of higher altitude before continuuing upwards. This prevents what they call altitude sickness, which can manifest if the form of headaches, nausea, dizziness, and in extreme cases, death. The only cure is to descend, and the most common cause is climbing too high too fast. So tonight and tomorrow, we stay put! We will hike in the area to see the Edmund Hillary school and hospital. You do know who he is right? Shame on you if not! He is the first person to climb Everest, way back in the 1953. He returned to the West (he was a New Zealander on a British Expedition) and collected donations to go back to Nepal and establish these facilities.

As for the trek today, it started off well. A great breakfast from the See You Lodge in Phakding put us on our way. The first four hours were relatively easy, minus the ice patches through which we slipped n' trekked. Thank goodness for the good human nature of trekkers in making sure I made it through the ice! The second two hours were our uphill climb...or rather up-mountain climb. They were...ummm...not easy. But, not terrible either.

Feeling good now, we just finished playing cards, trying to warm up, and eating dinner. I have started my new novel: The Immigrant by Manju Kapur. And that's it for tonight.

I leave you with one last thought: can altitude affect eloquence? I sure think so...

Our daily stats:

Start Location: Phakding

Time Started: 8:30 AM

Altitude: 2600m

Destination: Namche Bazaar

Time Reached: 3:45 PM

Final Altitude: 3440m

Total Distance: 12km

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Location:Namche Bazaar, Nepal

EBC Trek Day 1...

2011-02-25T20:22:00.000-05:00

We trekked from Lukla to Phakding, which was a pretty easy three hours down 230 meters. I know-confusing since our goal is to go UP! But remember it is a mountainous region here in the dreamy Himalayas so you can go up and down depending on your path. For reference, Kathmandu is ~1300m, Lukla is 2840, and Phakding is 2610m. We will climb to EBC at 5364m but to a maximum height at Kala Pathar at 5555m (where the view of Everest is spectacular).

We saw so many "hills" and mountains, the distinguishing feature of which is apparently a cutoff height of 6000m. The first so-called mountain was called Numri and next to it was Kongde Ri. A few kilometers later was Kusum Khangkaru (6367m), which is composed of four distinct peaks.

We arrived in Phakding around noon where we stopped in a quaint, not-very-fancy-looking guest house. We were served daal bhat and thakari (saac), and it totally fit the bill. Warmth and flavor. Combined with my hot lemon tea, day 1 was a great start!

Thereafter, we spent the evening playing cards and learned a Nepalese game called Dhumal. Why? Well, because we decided to trek in the Himalayas in February-March, and it was of course snowing all afternoon. Beautiful though. As our guide told the company manager, "If they don't mind it being a bit more adventurous, of course we can do the trek." So here we are cold but inspired. The best part? We have almost the entire path practically to ourselves. It's so quaint-just as I feel something so majestic should be. I am SO glad I didn't come in peak season.

Our daily stats:

Start Location: Lukla

Time Started: 9:15 AM

Altitude: 2860m

Destination: Phakding

Time Reached: 12:15

Final Altitude: 2600 m

Total Distance: 8km

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Location:Phakding, Nepal

You are my...

2011-02-25T11:31:00.000-05:00

Everest.

Literally.

We just took flight to begin our journey in finding the base of Mount Everest, the top of the world per se. That is after we initially departed and turned around when I convinced the pilot we had to return so I could blog! Or maybe it was the clouds in Lukla. Who knows.

This journey began in my imagination in 2003 and has finally become a reality due a long life lesson learned. I can still remember when I initially heard of Everest Base Camp. I was a first year graduate student, sitting at a friend's Uncle's house. This Uncle is amazing-he has often climbed Everest-WITHOUT oxygen! And he often prepared trips for young ones to make this journey to the base of the top of the world. I can picture the conversation as if it were yesterday. My friend and I had arrived to visit, her cousin was having a snack (cucumbers to be exact!), and Auntie was brewing tea. The greatest dog ever (after Shorty and Dax, of course) was at my feet, in huggable form. Uncle arrived and the conceivable part of this once-unimaginable journey began to form in my pea-sized brain. I said to him, "Uncle, you must plan a trip for all of our friends." He said, "Of course. We plan to." I replied, "Please tell me about it. I will be 100% certain to join. No matter at all the cost." A promise all around the table later, I was certain I would make this trek among great friends. Little did I know that God would ensure I would make this trek with someone even more special-my brand new husband. Four years later after that conversation, the trip was being planned, but I would only learn this much after-the-fact. For a while, I was sure I would never make my wildly imagined picture a reality. I am unsure why I was so intimidated to plan it on my own, but I was. It was from this experience that I learned to never trust your dreams to anyone but yourself. And, with the powerhouse of the mind (and the internet), anything is possible.

Before that moment in Uncle's house, seeing Everest was something in textbooks for me. I never thought I would be on my way. And here I am. Once and for all. Thus, you will be subjected to every moment, documented despite inevitable mountainous-induced energy drainage.

Yay!

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Location:Kathmandu, Nepal

Discovering Your Roots

2011-02-25T08:22:00.001-05:00

I am Mamta's guest blogger. As we leave India, I wanted to talk about the main theme of this trip to the "motherland": Family

Growing up as Indian Americans in the States, we hear from our parents about how close families in India are... like the Corleno family in the Godfather (except we don't make people "sleep with the fishes"). We are certainly close with our immediate family and we are somewhat close with our cousins and aunts/uncles that have also settled in the US, but America is a big country and seeing each other periodically is very different than growing up together.

I've been fortunate to have visted India seven previous times, and each time my bro and I were treated as rock stars. Couldn't ask for better aunts, uncles, and cousins. And although we don't have the type of relationship as if we had grown up together, you can see the respect and love runs deep as they talk about how "Naga uncle or Mali did this for me back in..." So on this trip, with my parents, I wanted to see where my father's lineage started (Channapatna) and see my grandparents' houses, which I somewhat remembered from my childhood.

And this didn't happen to just me in Bangalore. In Gujarat, we visited countless of Mamta's family, extended family, old friends of her parents, etc. And that same sentiment came out over and over. In Mamta's case, it was even stronger since she hadn't been to India in 25 years. So strong that it made her cousins and aunties instantly cry at seeing her. Spending those days visiting gaams where her parents grew up, sharing meals with family, and catching up on the last 20+ years was priceless to Mamta.

And so this was the main point of our India visit: discovering our roots and learning about your significant others roots. Because we weren't just born in the US; there is a long fascinating story of how we got here. And there is something to be said about never forgetting where you came from.

And I'm out.

S

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Location:India

Hot Wheels Dad...

2011-02-23T11:27:00.000-05:00

The Reason...

2011-02-21T08:55:00.000-05:00

It is for these reasons that I came to India. Not solely, of course. But, certainly my best souvenirs.

Chagankaka, Dad (note the only smile in the pic), Mom, Dada's sister, Manjumahi, Dada, and Ba. And of course my HEMBEN!

Chagankaka and Dad (background)

Dad and Chagankaka

Kaki, Manjumahi, Hemben, DAXABEN!, Prabhaben, and Ba

Chagankaka, Hemben, Bhulamama, and Daxaben (going to America for the first time to be reunited with Mom and Dad and the newly born ME!)

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Location:Surat, Gujarat

'Charming' redefined...

2011-02-21T08:01:00.001-05:00

Gaam (village) life is quite different in 2011 than when my parents labored in modesty in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. The silence of locked homes is louder than the grunting of wild bulls in the streets. A walk through the village with Manumama (my mom's uncle...Ba's yougest brother) is littered with descriptions such as "...and they are in America...and they are in England...and America...America...and they are back from America for three months...". Forty years since the beginning of an exodus of legal Indian emigrants has brought growth back to the rural areas of Gujarat. For these young laborers sought opportunity in a far away land and now rejoicing in the fruits of their American diligence, they have returned over the last decade to build new homes and install gaam-wide water filtration systems.

I have been through a multitude of emotional waves in the last nine days, depictions of which will require multiple posts, photographs, and energy. Before me have been what I like to call old money homes (people who never went to America) and new money homes. Elderly and young. Poor and definitely not poor. Shockingly nice work performed at a next-to-nothing profit. Modesty and happiness. But, what sent my emotions on an upswing were times when I witnessed Ba's and Dada's living alone, with only a caretaker (a young, poor gaam lady who would otherwise probably not have a home). The children in Dallas or Houston or California, inevitably running a motel with children and no time to come back to care for their ailing parents. Earnest and desparate conversation containing the translated phrases of "If only God would take me, life would be better." Flashes of childhood news stories of Kevorkian seep into my mind. And then my emotions take an unexpected sharp turn when I come across another elderly woman, my dad's own mami, who lives contently on her own. 91 years old and no high blood pressure, cancer, eyesight loss, or anything. She has many times visited the US and knew right away life in India was better-as she says-where the doors are wide open and gaam visitors enter at will.

As a calm car ride levels my emotions, my mind wanders to what it must have been like for mom and dad, not to even mention Ba and Dada. No running water. No electricity. Kerosene lamps. Milling their own flour. Lord only knows about potable water. It is all I can do to contain my own curiosity, after barraging my mama with a gamut of questions. Srin and I have had long reflective discussions upon drifting into an acoma-like slumber. One of us remarks "How the world goes round, for India is seeing a large return of young Indian-Americans due to our own economic downturn and the rising of this one's. My mind is baffled at the notion but my heart swells that life has improved for so many deserving human beings. For I believe our economic woes pale in comparison to poverty around this planet. I too have lost thousands of dollars due to the housing market (oh yeah-I sold my house in Htown!), yet I am thankful each day that even in this state, my American status grants me a well paying job, a home, food, and even fashion. Not to mention the sheer ability to travel in style. Not that I mean to be insensitive to the numerous Americans who have lost their jobs (I personally know many), but people still eat out and shop and carry on somewhat normalcy. My travels confirm my suspicions that even in our struggling, we are far better off than millions abroad. It is, however, with a smile that I witness the gaams of my grandmother, mother, and father having surpassed those millions. Having resisted Westernization (not the faintest sight of English within a 10km radius), "domestic" help and social classes remain in tact. Sure, the laborers work beyond diligently for amounts we throw in wishing fountains. But, their skills are used and families provided for. And happiness rings in the gaam air.

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Location:Varad, Gujarat

Swaminarayan Mandir near Varad, Ba's gaam

Mom's old high school in Digas

Near Patel's gaam of Khoj

Imagination may be my favorite personal asset...

2011-02-21T07:47:00.000-05:00

Reading is the best way to pass time. I love it. I am so glad Hemben and Daxaben used to take us to Tom Green County Library.

My latest read (Thanks Rameshbhai!)...

Istanbul it is...

2011-02-11T02:31:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, we pre-booked flights from Nairobi to Istanbul and then Istanbul to DC (both direct flights!) on Turkish Airlines. Get this-we have seven days to review (the price is locked in now) and then can book it with our credit card. AND we can cancel any time before the flight for NO FEE! And we will break even on the cost so it doesn't cost us any more to make this detour around Cairo.

So do not fear family and friends...we will not walk like Egyptians this year (though it is a HUGE disappointment). But, Srin was convinced by my dire need to see Turkey when he found this ticket. YAY! So we will end this amazing journey with another unique location.

Bombay Rocks!

2011-02-10T14:24:00.004-05:00

I love Mumbai! I want to move here.

We are staying with Ramesh, who is Srin's grad school roommate and certainly one of his best friends. He is now a professor at Indian Institute of Technology. Here we are at the Gateway of India, which is where George V and Queen Mary set foot on Indian soil.

Behind us is the Taj Hotel, one of the attacked hotels (the other was Oberoi) in 2008.

Farewell Bengaluru...

2011-02-10T14:18:00.001-05:00

It's been a good trip overall. Mostly centered around family, it was a time to get to know the cousins, aunties, and uncles. The Century and Cricket clubs gave for good times. And a nice lunch with Srin's mom's side at MTR (a family tradition apparently) rounded out the trip.

On our last night at the Cricket Club in Bengaluru with Vathsa, et al

Sprinkled with bits of shopping (4 or 5 shirts and counting) in 4th block, 9th block, Mahatma Ghandi (MG) Road, and Brigade Road, Bangalore is a bustling city perfect for young and old alike. The weather is phenomenal right now but the traffic stinks.

Uncle's side of the family (mostly all of them)

Some of Auntie's side (Her brother Raja Uncle and his family)

There are rich and there are poor. Developed and developing. Here we checked out the Shastry School for the Deaf and Dumb. As promised on our honeyfood, part of our donation went to this school. They house 35 of their 130 students who cannot hear or speak. They provide education, supplies, clothing, hearing aids, and food free of charge to the kids and their families. In fact, Asha Seattle and Arizona have supported them for 10 years now. One of Srin's uncles set us up to talk to them and we are honored to help them out. Let's hope for some change in this world.

Here are some shots of South India that intrigued me...

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Mysore Majesty...

2011-02-10T14:02:00.000-05:00

Well, I have had my fair bit of South India, huh?

Mmmm...Yummy fresh young coconut. I love how they cut part of the shell to use as a spoon. So resourceful.

So much has happened these last few days that I can hardly contain it to one blog. Let's see...where should I start? The government and its laissez-faire-attitude-on-crack? The roads and their ability to make body parts bounce as if detached from whole? The famous Maddur Vadas? I salivate at the thought.

Let's actually start with Mysore silk. Ooooh silk...saris...shopping. You see-this small town that used to be its own state prior to Independence is famous for many reasons. First and foremost for me is their silk. Okay and the royalty. Back when India was ruled by rajas (kings), Mysore was home to the royal family in the Mysore Palace.

Moving on...Let's discuss how we finally got to Mysore. Being a fluid plan, it took days to decide among the choices: Kerala was almost a surefire (that was my first choice) until we thought about Chennai, Pondicherry, and of course our eventual choice, Mysore. After numerous dicussion and a walk in Lalbahg, Mysore was chosen (Srin's maternal uncle lives there so that was a plus). The decisions don't end of course! Then there was Bandipur, Mercara, and Kabini parks. Ask one person and get one recommendation. Ask another and get another recommendation (and a stark reason why the previous recommendation was totally the wrong one). Eventually, we landed on Bandipur National Park. Next decision was what time to get there. Go early to get your safari tickets and then hang out-Sounds like great advice right? We check the web and sure enough-there is a safari at 5:00 at 100 Rs/person for the bus and a personal jeep for 1750 Rs. Great-Jeep it is and we will get there around noon, get our tickets, and eat/walk.

This is where the government discussion begins. Ticket counter is closed from 9AM-4PM (prime hours huh?). Nowhere is the information made available except in front of the counter. There is no jeep safari either. Oh and no elephant rides any more (like their website says). Oh and if you do want a jeep, they will "find one" for a mere 5000 Rs. Oh and the entrance rate tripled two days prior-of course the website is out of date. Not that I mind paying-I mean I am all about stimulating the economy as I did in Vietnam and Cambodia. It's just so INDIA!

Nevertheless, we waited our 5 hours and got tickets and went forest-bound in hopes of seeing India's wildlife. We saw one wild elephant, sambars, deer, peacocks, and monkeys.

The day before brought us to KRS, where the city puts on a light show and a dancing fountain. It was very pretty and well kept. Of course, apparently it is not as good as it was in 1986, when there were more lights, etc.

Combined with shopping for a gift of a sari from my in-laws and a visit to Srin's uncle's place, that was our trip to Mysore.

We like to describe our entire trip as a temple tour since we saw so many. This was our last one at dusk.

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Top 10 Thoughts from My Trip to Tirupithi...

2011-02-10T13:41:00.000-05:00

Tirupithi in Andhra Pradesh is home to apparently the world's largest pilgramage site of any religion. The Balaji/Venkateswara Temple attracts tens of thousands (100,000 to be exact) of devotees a day, bringing in earnest donations to Him in faith that wishes and hopes are granted. To my amazement, donations amount to a whopping 3 croes per DAY! That's $600,000 USD. The line to spend 3 seconds in prayer takes up to 24 hours, winding through four levels of "Q" space. If you want a true Indian experience, go to Tirupithi. You will leave behind personal space and take new meaning to "push and be pushed".

And if you do make the pilgramage, follow this advice. Don't say someone did not warn you.

1. Go with a local if you can. If not, go with someone who knows the local language Telegu. At the least, know Hindi. English, Gujarati, Kannada, etc will not suffice. Lucky for us, Srinidhi's dad speaks Telegu, Kannada, Hindi, and English. Phew.

2. The ride can take 7 hours from Bangalore. Don't let anyone tell you 5 hours maximum. Sure, traffic in Bangalore and one small break account for just over an hour but that still misses the mark.

3. It's hot even in winter but cool at nights. Come prepared. But don't wear shorts unless you are not of Indian origin. Western people can get away with it probably (even the sari warning below...that is not for you). Conservative in the States is apparently liberal to them...

4. Get over your fear of foot-fungus-ingrown-toenail-nastiness. You will walk on the same ground barefoot as millions of others, with spit, glass, rocks, and all.

5. If you are female, just wear a sari. Don't mind the rules. Even if they say it is not required. You will avoid questions (or remarks...) such as 'what world did she come from' in languages that may as well be Lao to your ears. And if you choose to defy my advice, just don't wear a dhoti in place of an ohdni (dupatta). It's just wrong. The Goddess of Fashion will judge you.

6. Don't forget to look straight ahead when the pushing gets real (and spectacular). It will be your only shot at seeing Him. After all, that is why you came. And I would hedge my bets you may not come again.

7. Always (always) test your driver's phone and always be sure HE is also topped off. Sure-it is not your job but you will be the one stuck looking for him in a sea of thousands looking just like him. And most likely, your stuff will be in his car.

8. Oh yeah, don't forget to write down his license plate number. Apparently, some Indian police may care just enough to help you find him. Not that we would know any of this from personal experience.... Right?

9. Enjoy the food. It is yummy and cheap.

10. Enjoy the view up and down the hill to the temple. It's amazing. Rolling hills...aerial views of the city...cleanliness...good roads.

Probably my most striking experience was seeing (actually feeling) that people really believe. I mean the faith was palpable. Transfixing almost. Even women readily give their hair (for real...wicked bald) when wishes come true. These people don't know I am watching...this was not an act. They truly have a faith that I have yet to see in the Western world (even having grown up in part of the Bible belt). And it is a benign faith. They do not wish to make you or me believe. They simply believe.

For the record, we only spent 2 hours in line. Thank you to not going during the weekend and paying the max of 300 Rs/person (~$6.50-$7 USD). I may not come again, but I am glad I came once. It seems to be the type of pilgramage people like us make only once in a lifetime.

I leave you with one last thought. Why may I not use my camera to capture the temple? I am pretty sure God is fine with being photographed... Thus, I have no artistic pictures to share with you. Only my sarcasm and written experiences.

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In Mumbai...

2011-02-08T04:57:00.002-05:00

And thoroughly enjoying myself. More posts about Bangalore, Tirupiti (Andra Pradesh), and Mysore to come. As for Egypt, we considered so many choices: Morocco, Greece, and Turkey topping off the charts. I plan to run the Athens marathon so my choice is Turkey (Casablanca was ridiculously expensive). The good news? Even if Egypt Air won't refund us (right now, they are only offering refunds for tickets booked until February 28th and ours is March 19th), we have REFUNDABLE tickets! Yes! So it would only cost $200 total to cancel. Phew. Will update you all soon!

In the meantime, here is my latest read (Thank you Sathe!). I totally recommend it-reading it felt like reading my blog almost, except I felt less accomplished.

Dear Egypt...

2011-01-30T20:59:00.002-05:00

I heard about your rumblings and I just wanted to ask you "Why, Egypt, Why?". It is not everyday that I decide to visit you. And now amidst your anger I must find a way to retrieve the money I used to help stimulate your economy and use it towards visiting someone else. It's really your loss. I mean is Mubarak really thst bad? It's been thirty years. I know-I know...he's not the best. I get it. You deserve the best. But must it be now? Yes it is selfish of me but meeting you was a dream if mine. So i ask you once again "Why?".

Love,

Mamta

P.S. Where should we go now?

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Congratulations are in order...

2011-01-30T00:02:00.001-05:00

to my nephew-in-law Nakul! He took in overall recognition for his speech on global warming at his school's Annual Day yesterday! He should be more heavily recognized for refusing to lip synch his speech (as requested by the school) and to further refuse lip synching to a girl's recording of his speech. Way to go Nakul!

Nakul's parents Vathsa and Pushpa and us.

I'm Back...

2011-01-28T12:12:00.000-05:00

in India again. And I am enamored.

Bangalore and its 4th block have a Mamta comin'. (That's one of its shopping districts, girls.)

Srinidhi's parents have joined us here in Bangalore and already family history is being recorded on my camera. I love my life.

At Bangalore's botanical gardens Lalbhag.

PS. You may want to scroll back about FIVE posts to catch up. I just uploaded them (and post-dated).

Read this...

2011-01-25T20:00:00.000-05:00

Trust me. It is worth it. It is not happy and is heart wrenching instead. The American media avoided it for obvious reasons (I mean-we were the enemy), but the story is one of human psyche. And human heart.

Just read it.

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Location:Ha Noi, Viet Nam

Ha Noi Hilton...

2011-01-25T11:42:00.002-05:00

We had the best day in Ha Noi, filled with rich Vietnamese history as heart aching as it is. Accompanying us on a tour was a young third year University student from Hanoikids, which is a volunteer organization built to give foreigners a tour of Hanoi in return for a day of practicing English. That's right. These kids do it just to practice English. All they ask for is payment for taxis, entrance fees, and lunch. That is quite a small price to pay for an all day locals' tour. Let's just say entrance fees were around $0.50 typically, and he got a student discount on top of that!

Our tour guide Anh at Sword Lake

We began at the Ho Chi Minh complex, which consists of a mausoleum, a museum, and two of his homes (including the one where he passed away). There were three things I came to correctly understand through this first hand visit to Vietnam. The first of which was at the complex. Ho Chi Minh was revered, respected to a level no textbooks or newspapers can depict. Hearing or reading about Ho Chi Minh does no justice to the regard in which the people of this country hold his everlasting presence and legacy. They call him Bac Ho (Uncle Ho), and their faces light up when his name breaches conversation. He is their Gahndiji or George Washington. Abraham Lincoln, Nelson Mandela, or Martin Luther King, Jr of sorts. The polar opposite of Adolf Hitler or Benito Mussolini. Modern America's Bill Clinton in ways. Serving as their leader and with admirable dedication, he never married so as not to distract himself from his people. He visited kindergartens and villages of elderly. He settled for a while in France, eloquently learning their native language. Same for the Soviet Union. He made political trips to India and the US. He could speak in seven tongues and read four of those languages. His life ended naturally in Hanoi, and upon his death the Vietnamese people preserved his body in the mausoleum, defying his request to be cremated and spread across three regions of Vietnam: North, Central, and South. Although not compulsory, many pay tribute annually.

Ho Chi Minh Complex

We then proceeded to the Temple of Literature, which was the first university in Hanoi. There are many temples of literature in the country, but this one is the largest and most well known. Much of the back portion was destroyed during the French-Vietnemese war and rebuilt thereafter. Today, it is more or less a temple and museum.

Temple of Literature

Our gift to ourselves was this "idea" I had whilst sitting in this vegetarian restaurant (Hats off to the chef at Tamarind). I wanted to get our family name (that's Nagaraja...not Patel) written in the local language on some cool canvas/cloth/bamboo. As it turns out, there are elderly folks outside of the Temple of Literature who do just that. Apparently, it is not just a tourist thing-it is quite common close to the Chinese/Vietnemese new year (February 8th this year-it goes by the Lunar calendar). We had Anh assist us and after much interpretation, we found a gentleman who took "King Cobra" and translated it into Chinese as "Big Snake". In doing so, I learned more about Vietnamese history. You see-Vietnamese language is actually NOT written in characters like many of its neighbors. It is based off of the Latin alphabet. Well, many years ago the good ol' Christians came through and through that influence the written language was changed to Latin-based. Some locals tried to adapt the Chinese alphabet and make it "Vietnamese", but it was too complicated to catch on. And thus, reading Vietnamese is much like Spanish to us-you can read it and not understand a lick of it.

Pretty cool huh?

After introducing our guide to a Indian food (which was not oily and quite home-cooked tasting), we headed to the famous Hao Lo Prison-or perhaps you know it as Ha Noi Hilton. Oh you don't? Allow me to explain. The prison was built by the French (oh yeah-ever wonder why the Vietnamese are good bakers? French occupation should say it all...) and used to imprison Vietnamese during the their war. And by imprison I mean brutalize, abuse, and punish. During the Vietnamese-American war, it was used by Vietnam for American POWs. When US planes and their US soldiers went down (including former US presidential candidate John McCain), they were captured and held at the Hao Lo prison. Though, it was nothing like how the French ran it all those years prior. I cannot say it more eloquently than Anh so let me use his answer to my innocent question: "What the French did was unheard of in its cruelty. We Vietnamese are nice people. We were not looking to abuse. The Americans were simply the enemy and they crashed in our territory. We had to imprison them and so we did." The POWs were not mistreated or abused or tortured. And thus, the Americans called it the Ha Noi Hilton. I had always known of this phrase and thought I understood it. But the meaning hit home when I saw the pictures. I only wish all humans on this Earth could learn history first-hand. It would be such dramatic learning.

Hao Lo Prison

Sculptures of Vietnamese soldiers during French imprisonment

US POWs playing cards, etc at Ha Noi Hilton

Zoom in on this and read the top left.

We finished the night off with traditional Vietnamese culture after Anh confirmed it was indeed worth it and not at all "only for the tourists". We saw what is called a Water Puppet Show. It is literally that-puppets in water. But it was also so much more than that. It was entertainment before modern entertainment existed. Paired with Vietnamee folk song, we had a great end to our taste of Vietnam.

The Water Puppet Show

I recommend every American visit and take a month to tour the entire country. Someday we will.

Finishing off with a quick lunch in Ho Chi Minh (the former Saigon)

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Location:Ha Noi, Viet Nam

Dang Nam

2011-01-23T11:57:00.001-05:00

Today, we went to a fishing floating village. We were escorted by locals on a paddle boat and greeted by the head of the village (in Vietnemese and translated by our tour guide Huong (or Bobby as he says...)). There were so many things I learned-for example, the company who runs our tour cruise has an owner who is quite philanthropic and donated $50,000 to fully cover the building of a new school in the village. There are 150 families here, and happiness is palpable. I also learned that Huong learned English by watching satellite TV from his Uncle's place (you know...Cartoon Network he says). I was surprised they had a satellite. For the record, his English is pretty darn good. Also, the village gets water from either the grotto, which collects rainwater naturally or through a vat they put out to collect rain themselves. The Vietnemese government sends doctors to the villages twice per month for the medical care of these locals, which I found quite amazing for a third world country.

Probably what strikes me the most is the self-sufficiency with which people live. I mean-we are pure wasters of everything on that side of the world. Or so it seems to me now. Or should I say in the West.

We just got back from kayaking, which was a bit more frustrating today than yesterday. Srin and I are not very good in all our noviceness and were constantly moving like a snake! But the scenery was breathtaking. Apparently 500 million years ago, tectonic plate movement created the formations in these pictures. A second movement only 250 years ago created more.

We are about to head to dinner, which will be in a CAVE! This trip just gets better and better.

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Location:Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Me Love You Long Time

2011-01-22T11:51:00.002-05:00

I kayak'd today. Me! All the way to the Chinese border (or so I was told). It was so much fun. The sights were breath-taking. I fear my words and pictures will do it no justice.

Today, we made a 4 hour road trip from Ha Noi to Ha Long, which is on the northeastern border of Vietnam. From there, we embarked on the Dragon Pearl Junk (a junk is a boat) to travel the waters of the bay. We are here for three day and two nights, kayaking and eating and enjoying the natural rock formations.

You know-you see pictures and wonder where that shot may be. Well, I found it.

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Location:Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Good Morning Vietnam

2011-01-21T11:37:00.002-05:00

If you want to see Vietnam in its most local form (but in a major city), try Ha Noi. Coming from Siem Reap where the city is reliant on tourism, Ha Noi is a breath of....well, not exactly fresh air. The air is certainly not fresh, but my observing eyes are refreshed. It is chaotic and non-Western. Crazy but organized. English-less and tourist-mild.

We spent the first day finding a jacket for Srin...you read that right. We came from perfect weather (and I do mean girl-perfect. Dress-wearing perfect.) in Cambodia to be greeted by cold Vietnemese weather. And stupid us assumed all of Southeast Asia would all be nice and warm. We were not even smart enough to check the weather in Singapore before we left (and mind you, we have nice winter wear for our Everest trip but guess where we left it?) And thus, I bring you to our day one plans.

We are staying in the Old Quarter where our boutique hotel is quite nice but affordable. We walked around, barely able to read the signs (well, we can read them but remembering the names is difficult...Hang Dieu...Hung Be...Dang Nam (Thank you Eddie Murphy)...) and found ourselves at the markets. After following a recommendation for an all vegetarian dinner spot, I got me the famous Vietnemese local dish called 'pho' all vege-tized. Yummo! And that was pretty much day one. The rest of the Ha Noi sights will be done via a local student-based tour from Hanoikids on Tuesday.

We are off to Ha Long tomorrow where we will traipse to the waters of the Ha Long Bay. Yay for cold water.

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Location:Ha Noi, Vietnam

Quick update...

2011-01-20T11:57:00.001-05:00

Still alive and kicking. Now in Vietnam. I have two posts ready and will put them up tomorrow.

Stupid Blogpress app won't let me post any pictures any more. Thoughts?

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Location:Hanoi, Vietnam

Briefly from Cambodia...

2011-01-20T11:35:00.007-05:00

I have much to say about Cambodia but not enough time to do it at the moment. So, here's my preview. Cambodia was a drastic change from our Western travels up to this point. It was rewarding but heartbreaking. The people were poor but happy. All in all, it is a country worth traveling and an economy worth stimulating. The friendliness of her people were an obvious highlight.

Much of our trip was seeing the famous temples of the ancient city of Angkor. The namesake, Angkor Wat (Angkor means city and Wat means temple), is the most famous. Here is a picture of sunset at Pre Rup, a temple built in late 10th century, about 15 years prior to Angkor Wat.

Can you believe sunsets are this red in Cambodia?!? Courtesy of $5 sunglasses...

One of my favorite parts was taking two Khmer (traditional Cambodian cuisine) cooking classes. The first one was WAY better than the second (and twice as expensive...but totally worth it).

Market fresh food with which to cook. Yummy mango salad.

Amok is a traditional Khmer cuisine, and the nyo leaves above make it an amok dish.

We also visited a local family, and this little girl was the youngest of 10 children.

This is her mom, and I really like this picture.

We finished our trip by visiting a local orphanage in hopes of improving their lives. More on this later.

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Location:Siem Reap, Cambodia

Hope

2011-01-18T10:14:00.001-05:00

Food and Family...

2011-01-16T11:17:00.002-05:00

It's always great when you have family around when you are in other countries. Our southeast Asia excursion began in Singapore, where the theme was food. Srin's cousin Mahesh and his wife Sona were the most gracious hosts-treating us to meals and drinks and meals and oh wait...more home cooked deliciousness. It was a precursor to India, if I do say so myself. Waking up to fresh masala dosas should say it all. They have two kiddos: Payal (age 9) and Akhil (age 4), and hanging out with them was a highlight of our trip.

Probably my favorite "epiphany" of sorts (I already knew this but a reminder is always nice) was when I saw the importance of family in Srin's life just from regular ol' interactions. One of his most attractive qualities to me was the regard in which he holds family, a tenet instilled in me naturally from my own parents. Anyone who knows me would tell you that I am unnaturally close to my family. It's a concept many "understand" but few fathom possible. I am often told that our relationships are enviable. And not one day goes by that I take it for granted. I did when I was young but not any more-I literally think about my family every day of my life. And that's part of what made me want to marry Srin-he holds family in utmost regard. And that includes family outside of family, if you know what I mean.

Akhil warmed up to us by mid-week and had fun with his boomerang we got him from Australia.

Payal and I bonded over Taylor Swift as she convinced her parents that she just NEEDED to go:)

The kiddos loved the "big I-touch"...Right Akhil?

One of my favorite parts of the trip was talking to Sona. She reminded me SO much of my eldest sister Hemben. I was so comfortable in her home.

We all went out to the Raffles hotel (the hotel behind Sona and me), named after the modern founder of Singapore.

After the Raffles, we ate at this late night hangout. Loved the name:)

Earlier that day, we went to the Treetop rainforest walk in McRitchie Park. This little guy let me get very close to him....only to find out they are "dangerous".

And we saw this lizard all over.

We walked on this very cool tree top bridge overlooking the dense rainforest.

We also spent a day visiting the city and this uber-new Double Helix bridge.

The Marina Bay Sands Hotel was something else...it was more of a theme park I swear!

We met up with a good friend from Georgia Tech. Sathyan was the leader of Asha for Education when Srin and I joined.

Of course I must brag that he is now a professor of Manufacturing Engineering at Nanyang Technical University. He lives onsite in their staff apartments so our last day was cool because we got to see a different, very local area of Singapore. And he was such a selfless host-thanks Sathyan for everything: dinners, lunches, our NTU keepsake, and best of all, your hospitality.

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Location:Singapore...

Posting!

2011-01-15T14:26:00.000-05:00

There are two new posts (not including this one) for you to see what the last week or so has been like for us. We will be posting from Singapore in the next couple of days. Enjoy!

Mr. and Mrs. Patel...

2011-01-14T00:09:00.000-05:00

It's okay to pretend to be your brother's wife, right? I mean, would your reaction change if I told you four free nights at any worldwide Hilton were at stake? Okay, what if I told you that you would inherit your brother's (ahem...husband's) Diamond status? Okay, fine...what if I told you that Diamond members were upgraded to the Executive floor, where there was a spread of Australia's finest in breakfast (freshly squeezed juices and market picked fruit) AND free canapes and drinks (spirits, wine, beer, and soft drinks) each day? Make sure you take into account that a beer in Australia is $8 minimum when you go out (prices only goes up).

Fine. Fine. Fine. I know-it is NEVER okay to pretend to be your BROTHER'S wife. I get it. I hear you all the way from the States. I know. But I HAD to! I didn't know about the perks at all when it happened. Let me at least explain to you and then you can choose to judge me or agree with me.

You see, my brother is a very giving person. He really is. So for our wedding gift (well, one of many) he gave us these vouchers he received from Hilton, entitling us to four free nights anywhere in the world. They were a blessing as housing was our biggest cost on the trip (not the airline tickets as many think. It is always the housing when you don't have the luxury of family.). Defying my long-standing rule to repel all American-anything while overseas, we booked our resort in Fiji as the temptation of ocean views, spas, and pampering overloaded our senses. And while we were at it, we booked in Cairns, Australia and Nairobi, Kenya too.

One night, I decided to call Hilton to be sure the vouchers were in my name since the bookings were in my name. And it all started there.

"Hello and thank you for calling Hilton Honors Diamond Desk. How may I help you?"

"Hello. I was just calling to confirm my bookings under some vouchers we received."

"Sure. Can you confirm your HHonors number, name, and address?"

Rattling off the numbers I had long ago memorized for the moment someone questioned me, she then says:

"Great. Thank you...Mrs. Patel I assume?"

And this was the moment I had to decide if I was Mrs. Patel or "Oh no...I am Raju's sister." And, well I guess you know which road I intrepidly explored.

"Yes. This is Mrs. Patel."

I mean, I am TECHNICALLY Mrs. Patel since I have not changed my name yet, right? I mean, I should always have the status of being a Patel, right? They cannot take that from me-can they?

She continues: "Great. Let's ensure your stay with us is all confirmed Mrs. Patel."

It's like she knew the phrase Mrs. Patel was a dagger through me each time so she said it every moment there was a crevice of opening. I mean, who in her right mind pretends to be her brother's wife? Well, apparently me. So many texts to my brother passed as I relayed how wrong this whole thing was and that was it. My vouchers would be printed in my name and resent to "our" email account.

And a few months later, I found myself on my honeymoon, enjoying the perks of Diamond life. The peak of which occurred in Cairns, where travelers embark on their journey to the Great Barrier Reef. We stayed in the Hilton before and after our liveaboard journey (literally where you live aboard a boat on the ocean...like a cruise but all about scuba diving). And it was here that we enjoyed our Executive status...until..they took it away. Oh it was so embarrassing but how could I make a big deal of it? You see, we came back from the boat and mosied on to the Exec Lounge for drinks as we had for the last few days. And, she says "I am sorry Mrs Patel but you do not have access to the Lounge. " We go back and forth just once or twice about how I am positive my account is Diamond and not Blue. How dare she suggest that I am Blue status:)

We retreat so as to not make a scene (especially since our new friends Clive and Tino were in there...wondering I am sure...). Only to receive a call from the assistant manager: "Mrs Patel...I am SO sorry. I checked your account again and you ARE a Diamond member. I apologize for the error and do hope you will join us in the Executive lounge."

Why, yes, assistant manager...I believe we will see you in the Lounge.

And so went our Cairns stay. Thank-you-very-much Bhikhu or Raju Jashvantlal Patel. We can now sport our "We are brother and sister" t-shirts again.

Here are some pics from our scuba diving, the obvious highlight to our trip. I scuba dived THREE times, and Srin did SEVEN dives in two days. It was the most thrilling experience. He even did a night dive (I had the pleasure of wondering where he was in the dark ocean while I witnessed a shark eat something, leaving a pool of blood for my viewing pleasure.)

We rented an underwater digital camera. Here I am snorkeling!

On my first dive! It was a most wonderful feeling to breathe underwater. Especially since I was so ridiculously scared until I went under and realized how easy it was!

My instructor took this really cool pic of his bubbles.

Srin followed me diving as he snorkeled and then dove in while I was ascending.

A huge clam one of us saw.

I love this picture Srin took.

I saw this reflection happening when Srin and I were snorkeling and I just had to try and capture it. I loved this shot as well!

And we were actually this close to the fishies!

My last dive was with two fellow liveaboard-ers.

I saw Srin while I was diving so I had to take a picture!

Srin had to wake up at 5:45 for one of his dives so at least he got to see this on his way down!

Oh yeah. Did I mention we saw sharks? Up close and personal.

The city that eats...

2011-01-11T22:10:00.027-05:00

It is known for its culinary expertise, and it does not disappoint. Melbourne has in fact some of the best eats we have ever put in our growing stomachs. For the entire time we have been in Australia, I have commented that it reminds me of a cross between the States and Europe. For example, where Europe is largely single-nationality within each individual country (exceptions exist of course), Australia is a melting pot reminiscent of the States. It is also a young country having been founded by James Cook in 1770. For it's European flair (or you could argue British flair), the people have a very cool accent, spoken English is more proper than the States, and many sites are copy-cats of the Brits (Liverpool, Hyde Park, Canterbury, and well the Queen still has a hand in government appointees). I am not sure what I really expected when I got here (it has been on my dream list but I am not embarrassed to say it was for the accent), but it is unlike what I expected. In a good way.

We stayed in a lovely bed and breakfast run by a man named Stan, who prepared fresh fruit in the morning accompanied by different cereals and bread and an egg if I wished. He gave us plenty of things to do and see, filling our itinerary with tourist and local sights in Melbourne.

There is this rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney, which I liken Melbourne to the little sister of sorts overshadowed by the other. We have to say though-hands down, Melbourne wins. Don't get me wrong-Sydney was great and the fireworks show grand. Our trip was fantastic, but if I were to move to Australia, I would live in Melbourne where the Brunswick eateries won my stomach and the prices won my wallet. For example, a day pass on the metro in Sydney costs $20 while we spent $6.80 in Melbourne. That's just the beginning. But more than cost, it's the ambiance-it is less touristy and underrated by the masses. It is like Florence to Rome. The only setback would be the fear of getting fat.

Speaking of food, we over-ate at many places. The most resounding was a recommendation from our host: Vegie Bar. I know-right up our alley. It was a completely vegetarian place but get this-meat eaters go there too! It was sooooo good and I had my choice of anything on the menu AND it was not an Indian place. Or a mock-meat place. Truly veggie-based and delicious. So good, we checked out the other veg place across the town and CAME BACK! In the same day! I have NEVER done that while traveling, a self-imposed rule I strictly followed prior to this week.

Then there was the pizza place and bar called Bimbo's (hmmm...) that some Uni (that's Aussie for college/university) students from Hyderbad told us about. $4 pizzas! They didn't prove to be as good as they looked or sounded but it was fun nonetheless.

Gosh, how dare I forget to tell you about the Queen Victoria Market. It conjured homesickness in me for I had no kitchen to whip up a fresh meal with these ingredients. Cheap prices and truly fresh greens. Even the kitchenware was cheap!

We tried our luck at the local Crown Casino, but we didn't manage to make enough to pay for the trip. Bummer. Good thing we had a honeyfund:)

All in all, we loved Melbourne and wished we had one more day in which we could taste more of its local eats. And of course by local that means Malaysian, Thai, Indian, Greek, and anything from this side of the world.

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Location:Melbourne, Victoria, Australia