Every breath you take... Every move you make...

Shopping in India is not an easy thing for several reasons. First, there is not the selection of items that we have in the UK or US. Fine, I can totally deal with that. I can also deal with the haggling that is necessary at times to get a decent price on things. What I can not stand is the staring and being followed around. I was at the grocery store today and a man that works there would stand two feet away from me and stare at me as I was trying to figure out what juice I wanted to buy. Nathan and I went to a handicraft emporium this afternoon that sold incredibly beautiful things, but I wanted to run out of there screaming within ten minutes. Picture the worst car dealership you have ever been to and you will start to understand. We walk into the shop and a man runs up to me and shouts,"Madam, (I am always Madam here) what do you want to buy?". Then we had at least three people trailing us everywhere we went. We told them at least twenty times that we were just wandering around and that if we needed help we would ask. This was no deterrent to them and anything I looked at or commented to Nathan about was pulled down and pushed on me. Finally I said to Nathan,"I need to get out of here" and we were gone. Turns out that this wasn't the store that we had asked our driver to take us to, but it was the one that his buddies work at. He pulled this with Nathan the other night on his way home from work. He took him to a rug store where Nathan was told by the five men surrounding him that he should buy the $800 rug to surprise his wife. I do not want a $800 surprise. Today when we dropped Nathan off at the train station Muktar suggested another store to take me to. I was too tired to put up with that baloney and told him to take me home. If he is going to keep doing this we may have a problem.

This is one thing that we have learned being here. It sounds incredibly glamorous to have a driver and a maid. It is not. What it means is that for an hour a day I have to watch Chinu and make sure she does what we are paying her for. Not that she doesn't do a great job, it's just that I am trapped in the house when I have other things to do. I just like having my house to myself, but I also like not mopping my floors and cleaning toilets so I put up with it. People don't understand why we don't have a cook, I just want to have my evenings alone with Nathan.

Not that his company makes this easy (Wow, I am whining in this one!). Nathan was contracted to work five days a week and to have US holidays off. This has not proven to be true. He has worked every Saturday since we have been here except for the one where we had Delhi Belly. It was lovely. Last weekend he worked Sunday as well and he did not get Memorial Day off. I've decided that India's low divorce rate is due to the fact that married couples never see each other here.He usually gets home at around 7:30, eats dinner, and works until midnight. When we are together, he is helping me with my math homework (even though I did it almost all by myself last night!). He is on a train right now to Punjab where he will be until Friday. They wanted him to go to another fair on Saturday and Sunday but we decided that he would set this weekend aside so that we could do some sightseeing. It doesn't matter, he has been scheduled for a meeting Saturday at 2:00. I am really trying to be supportive of him but it is hard to be alone so much and to not be angry at people who are clearly oblivious to the fact that Nathan has a family. We had originally planned on me going with him, but with his schedule there we wouldn't have been able to do anything anyways so it seemed kind of pointless to spend the money.

This sounds so moany but the fact of the matter is that one day I will be enchanted by this place and the next I am kicking and screaming against it. Today is the latter. So that must mean that tomorrow will be a great day, right?

Security Issues

Safety has become something that we have thought about a lot lately - not just how to keep ourselves safe, but how different it seems that the Indians view it. For example, our apartment has one door. All of our windows are barred and we have no fire alarm. We were told that we don't need one since cement houses don't burn. Okay. Yesterday we were driving home from church and passed a tow truck pulling a car. Standing, that's right, standing on the back of the truck only holding on to one cable was a man watching the car, apparently to make sure it didn't fall off. We were going about 45 miles per hour so this was no small feat.

A bit more pressing in my mind is that in the month that we have been here there have been several bombings, one in Hyderabad and several in Guwahati. The one in Hyderabad was of a mosque at the end of prayers. Several people were killed, but more were killed by the police firing into the crowd of protestors. The bombings in Guwaharti have been done by a group called ULFA or the United Liberation Front of Assam. Assam is the little bit of India that sits off by itself between Bhutan and Bangladesh and it is suspected that ULFA is backed by Taliban camps in Bangladesh. Kashmir is another hotbed area. When India received its independence, the Maharajah was given the choice as to whether Kashmir would align itself with India or Pakistan. Apparently, he didn't take into account the fact that the vast majority of people living there are Muslim and wanted to be Pakistanis. From what I understand, it is absolutely beautiful there and the rugs are gorgeous but we had to promise that we would not travel there in order to get our visas. We have made sure to register with the Embassy and High Commission to make sure we know where is safe and where we should stay away from. The amazing thing is that nothing shuts down after a bombing. Markets don't even shut down for a day. People go back to work and get on with their life. We view it very differently.

On a funny note, yesterday at church a talk was being given on faith. The young man giving it was talking about Noah and how the people reacted to him. He said (I paraphrase), "They thought, what the h--- is he doing?". Classic.

Interesting People

This week ended busy and exciting. On Friday night we were invited to a dinner at the house of the Vice-Consul of the US Embassy who just happens to be a member of our church. They also invited Nathan’s boss, Charu Modi, who was more than happy to come to help facilitate student visas. Also there were the government liaison missionaries as well as the country directors for LDS Charities, the Dunns. There were also some friends and acquaintances of the Vice-Consul, one of whom was named Vikram Dutt who has one of the most interesting business cards I have ever seen. He is on the board of four charities as well as teaching ethics in management courses for one of the local university and a frequent visitor to BYU for world religion conferences where he has had the opportunity to meet President Hinckley on multiple occasions. What I didn’t realize about him until later is that he is Hindu but speaks glowingly about the members of our faith. We were given a presentation about LDS Charities’ efforts in India which was very interesting. Last year they distributed hundreds of wheelchairs and also focused on clean water pumps. As it turns out, one of their major partners here in India is Charu Modi’s cousin! Small world, huh? After the dinner, Sister Dunn talked to me about what she is doing here. She is teaching music at a slum school and asked me if I would like to help her. She said that there are several programs that are available so I am going to give her a call and discuss it more in depth. It sounds like something I really shouldn’t pass up, especially if it is for a few hours a week. We shall see.

Charu is a fascinating character. She was telling us how she got involved with Western International University. She is a Thunderbird grad and came home wondering how she could bring quality western education to India at a price that would be affordable to more people. So she spoke to her father who told her that if she could find a partner with assets of $1 billion or more he would back her (I wish I could have that conversation with someone!). So she went online and found out which schools could be transferred to India that had the resources necessary. There were four so she called them up, went and saw them, and presented her idea. Western International took the bait and here they are. She also runs a group that works with Banner Health in Arizona to make up for the lack of nurses. Her group trains Indian nurses, has them take the necessary boards, and then contracts them to Banner for a few years. The nurse, along with his or her whole family, receives a green card so they can stay as long as they want, but the majority plan on returning to India within a few years. The great thing is that, of the fifty who have gone to Arizona, ten have already purchased their own homes there. This is something they would never have been able to do at home. Then when they come home they can bring their skills and capital with them which will help boost the Indian economy. I think it’s a great plan. I love that when she comes up with a business idea, it is always with an eye towards how she can benefit her country in the long run. I think she’ll be a great contact for Nathan throughout his career.

I also had a great discussion with Brian Reynolds, the Vice-Consul. He was telling me about life at the State Department. Sounds amazing! His last assignment was Beijing and the things he was telling us about China were fascinating. He was the secretary to the ambassador there and said that the things he heard in meetings made Tom Clancy novels seem pretty tame. He couldn’t tell me what they were but I have been wondering ever since!

This is getting long, but something really nice happened today. Our driver, Muktar Khan, is a lovely man who sings whenever he drives us around. He is Muslim and is very excited that we have the same God. Last week he dropped us off at church and then followed us in later to see what it is like. He took his shoes off at the door, as you would in a mosque, and sat in the back for a few minutes. Today, he came for the whole meeting. I think he was embarrassed that we sat with him since there is a social order here that is pretty inflexible but in the end we employ him so if we want to sit with him than so be it. We got him a copy of the Liahona in Hindi and will get him a Book of Mormon next week. He told me that he felt good in our meetings, and I must confess that sacrament meeting was especially good today. So on the way home I told him that he has to take us to a mosque so that we can learn about his religion. He seemed very pleased to do that. I don’t know if anything will come of it, but I love his curiosity.

By the way, Nathan found out that Brian Mueller, the CEO of the Apollo Group is coming to India next month to see how things are going. That should be an interesting couple of days!

Thank you, Wikipedia. (see previous post)

The use of the swastika was associated by Nazi theorists with their conjecture of Aryan cultural descent of the German people. Following the Nordicist version of the Aryan invasion theory, the Nazis claimed that the early Aryans of India, from whose Vedic tradition the swastika sprang, were the prototypical white invaders. It was also widely believed that the Indian caste system had originated as a means to avoid racial mixing. The concept of Racial purity was an ideology central to Nazism though it is now considered unscientific. For Rosenberg, the Aryans of India were both a model to be imitated and a warning of the dangers of the spiritual and racial "confusion" that, he believed, arose from the close proximity of races.

Thus, they saw fit to co-opt the sign as a symbol of the Aryan master race.

World Religions 101

I woke up this morning with a mosquito bite on the tip of three fingers in a row. Apparently, I am going to have to bust out the tennis racket of death a bit more!

One of the things I knew about India before I came was that religion is an important part of life here and that there are many different kinds. Hinduism is the most prevalent but there are pockets of Buddhist, Islamic, Jainist, and Christian communities throughout the country (along with a myriad of others). Delhi, being the capital, has a little bit of everything it seems. We have a new Hindu temple being built less than a quarter of a mile from our house on one corner and on another corner is a Sikh temple that has people coming in and out of it all day. They also have music all the time that we can hear from our house so it gives the neighborhood the feeling of being at the beginning of a movie where they are trying to emphasize that this is the Middle East so they show a man on a tower singing to call everyone to prayer. You know what I mean? It's kind of cool. What I have learned about Sikhism is very interesting to me. They believe in one god and that all men are equal before him. At their Golden Temple in Punjab they serve free meals to anyone of any religion that comes to the temple. The belief is not that this will make the poor feel better about themselves, but that the rich will be more humble. I think that's a smart way of handling things.

The Golden Temple

As Hinduism is the major religion here you see its religious iconography everywhere. To be honest, it reminds me a lot of Argentina with the pictures and statues of saints everywhere. Here, of course, it is the multiple gods and goddesses that are represented. I was intrigued when I was at Nathan's office and noticed that as you come downstairs to his office there is a carving of Ganesh, the god with the elephant head. You certainly wouldn't see that at home!

I wanted to know more about him because you see his image everywhere (along with the swastika which always catches me a bit off guard - I still have to figure out why the Nazis used that one!). Ganesh is the son of Vishnu and he is the god of material wealth. Praying to him is done to remove obstacles to worldly success. So that makes sense to me as to why you see him everywhere - everyone's got rupee fever! But I still didn't know why he has an elephant head. Well, it seems that there are many stories about that and so you get different ideas from different people. My favorite, thus far, has been that Shiva comes home after years of being away (yes, this sounds very much like a Greek tragedy) and comes looking for his consort Parvati. He finds her in her bedroom with their son Ganesh who Shiva had not seen grow into a man. Shiva thinks that he is a suitor and, rather than ask who this guy is, he chops off Ganesh's head. Parvati tells him what he has done and, in remorse, he gives Ganesh a new elephant head so that this will never happen again.

There are several lessons that I think we can learn from this tragedy. First, knock before entering a room. Second, get to know your kids. Play ball. Take them to the movies. Don't let decades go by without going and getting a coke with them. Also, memorize your child's face. If you are worried that you might chop their head off a second time, perhaps you should have the elephant head so he can see you coming and run! Thirdly, if you have been away from your wife for that long, she will more than likely have made friends that you know nothing about. Ask her who the guy is before inflicting mortal harm on him. He might just be a handyman or a eunuch or something. You are the one who's been gone that long - give her the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps I am being too pragmatic about it, but this is how I interpret the story. Oh geesh, I hope I don't get into trouble for this one!

Love, Indian Style

So I wanted to post yesterday - I had a mental outline and everything - but the power kept cutting out all afternoon so I gave up. That's what happens when everyone is using their air conditioning when it is sweltering, the net effect being that we all get to sit around in our sweat for a few hours. Every once in awhile I could get our power inverter working but I eventually gave up and sat in a dim room and cracked into my new Alison Weir book. That made the time pass well enough. In fact, I am enjoying it so much that I woke up at 4:30 this morning to read some more and then woke up again and read for about a half an hour. I love books like that.

I had a really fun morning yesterday. Some of the ladies from church and the neighborhood got together for a play date with their kids and invited me along. It was really nice to sit and chat in a casual environment and get to know some really interesting people. One of the women there, Michelle Jordan, teaches the Marriage Prep/Building a Successful Marriage class at church and we were talking about the differences between the western idea of relationships and the Indian idea. To be honest, she said that she still hadn't figured out how it works here. The idea of dating is still quite foreign to people here and arranged marriage is prevalent. In fact, Merinda, our hostess, was telling us that she and her husband were at a party once and were dancing together and having a good time. At the end of the party some of the people there asked if they had an arranged marriage. When Merinda said no, she was told "But you seem so happy together!" Apparently, "love marriages" are seen as less stable because they are built on infatuation. Arranged marriages allow people to grow up knowing each other and seeing each other in different lights, thus allowing for them to understand each other better. I can see how that would work here, because it doesn't seem that there is nearly as much opportunity for people to have social interaction here without it being deemed inappropriate or obscene.

I was reading the Times of India the other day and there was an article about the Morale Police. These dudes are freaky. There is no uniform code of what is considered immoral behavior, but they make it their job to chastise and punish anyone who they feel cross the line. This could include anything as innocuous as holding hands or even just sitting together. In one village on Valentine's Day they even declared it illegal for any man and woman to be seen walking together. This is insanity and people are starting to get really annoyed by it. In the paper there has been a lot of discussion as to the standards that are enforced here and how hypocritical they are. For example, there is no kissing in Bollywood films, but the commercials here insinuate sexual behavior all over the place. Handholding might be looked down on, but India has the largest AIDS population in the world. Women need to remain covered and chaste, but the depictions of the goddesses all show these Pamela Anderson like figures doing their utmost to please the gods. For Pete's sake, the Kama Sutra is one of India's greatest exports! I don't get it, but fortunately we western women are known for having loose morale character so I can hold Nathan's hand whenever I want!

Things I love about Delhi...

1. Lychees - Lychees are one of the most wonderful fruits on the planet. They are juicy and sweet and fun to peel. The texture is so cool and smooth and the seeds are actually kind of pretty. Nathan and I polished off a huge bag of them the other day and they were just perfect. We had sticky hands and faces but it was worth it!
2. Rickshaws - These are our after-grocery shopping treat to ourselves, and as we have a very small fridge we get to do it a few times a week. The drivers are amazing! Nathan estimates that he weighs about three times as much as them (that might be pushing it a bit!) but they will carry the two of us home with all of our purchases and only charge you 20 rupees - about 50 cents - to do it.
3. The Work Ethic - Indians work hard. I mean, really hard. And they are incredibly industrious in how they do it. I need to get a picture of this, but if you want a hair cut and shave (for a man, of course) there is a man with a chair and a mirror on the street corner who will do it right there for you. If you need an alteration, there is a man with an ancient Singer machine on the opposite street corner that will do what you need, all the while keeping the machine going by working the pedal on the bottom. Down the road, another man will iron your shirts out on the street for ridiculously small amounts of money with an iron that the pioneers would have used. There are fax machines, fruit stands, candy carts, flower stands, and food vendors lining the streets and they are there every day, all day in the 100+ degree weather. We even saw a a man breaking up a block of coal on the street the other day. In Being Indian, the author cites that over 60% of savings in India are made by people who work on the street. When you consider how incredibly wealthy the upper echelons of India are, that's a lot of hair cuts and shaves, a lot of alterations, and a lot of shirts ironed.
4. Going out to dinner with wealthy people - Let's face it, I like this one anywhere in the world! Last night we went out to dinner with Sharu Modi and her father in one of her mother's restaurants. I have never had Thai food before, but I will have it many times in the future. It was exquisite. My order was chicken fried rice cooked in pineapple juice with cashews served in a hollowed out pineapple. Ohmigoodness. We dined like kings for three hours with waiters hovering over us to make sure that we did not do anything so foolish as to serve ourselves. Along with the Thai restaurant they own Italian and Indian restaurants as well as a cafe and lounge and they are all within walking distance of our house. We met them in the lounge and you would honestly think that you were in some swanky club in Scottsdale from the atmosphere. It was gorgeous. Low couches, dim lighting, funky tunes. It was heaven. I think we may sample the delights of Italy this evening...
5. Delhi Branch #1 - We have really been blessed with the branch that we belong to. People are so friendly and welcoming, even if we don't share a common language. Lessons are given in both English and Hindi (which I think is so smart since you only have to teach half as much!) which the RS president was very apologetic about until I told her that I am in her country and I am just happy to be able to follow what is going on. Nathan taught Institute on Saturday and we had a great time. The kids all read the lesson beforehand even though their English is not that good and then come to class ready to participate. I love that - that they do not let the language barrier get in the way of their testimonies. They are great kids.
6. Nathan - Perhaps this sounds sappy, but I am so incredibly proud of my husband. He has had some pretty tough obstacles to deal with at work, but he is handling it beautifully. I listened to him talk shop with the Modis last night (who head up the Modi group - the seventh largest conglomerate in India) and he was not only comfortable with them, but they sought his ideas and advice. I have definitely hitched my wagon to a star. I love him so much. He has just been a hero this month. We are also having a great time together. Like I said, there have been some tough things to deal with but we personally are having a great experience. I am a lucky, lucky woman.

Requiem

There's a grief that can't be spoken.
There's a pain goes on and on.

Empty chairs at empty tables

Now my friends are dead and gone.

Here they talked of revolution.

Here it was they lit the flame.

Here they sang about `tomorrow'

And tomorrow never came.

Oh my friends, my friends, don't ask me

What your sacrifice was for

Empty chairs at empty tables

Where my friends will sing no more.

MAN! I'm so bummed, I have turned to showtunes to convey my emotions.

We love you boys. See you next season...

My name is Bethany and I am a bibliophile.

I seriously think I have a problem. I lugged 50+ books to India, telling myself that I would finally have the chance to get to them all and I am sabotaging my efforts already. You see, I LOVE used book stores and when I go to one the same thing always happens. I tell myself that I am there for one book and I end up coming out with four or five. As you can guess, this creates a serious backlog as I am at the bookstore multiple times a month. So I figured that I wouldn't be buying any books here and I could finally get to all of these books that I have been craving for a long time. Well, I found a bookstore yesterday and I now have 53+ books that I will have to lug home. It's a sickness, I know. I am reading a fascinating book right now called Being Indian by Pavan Varma. In it, he strips India of all the myths that Westerners and Indians themselves have built up about the country and gives a very frank and honest assessment of the general Indian psyche. I find this fascinating because I have spent the last month in complete confusion. The India that I have always pictured does not seem to exist. Wealth and power seem to be the ultimate goal of society here - not spiritual enlightenment. The caste system, though legally abolished in the Constitution, is alive and kicking. You only have to look at the marriage listings (personal ads) in the newspaper to see that they are divided by social standing. There are lots of little things that happen every day where I shake my head and think, "That's not what I thought it would be". This is not a criticism at all, except to those who have perpetuated unfair ideas. I have been told, though, that the India that I envisioned is available if you have enough money. Hmmm...

The bookstore that I found is in Khan Market. This shopping area is touted as the most expensive and exclusive in the city. Personally, I don't get it. Yes, it has an Adidas and Benneton, but I don't get it.

There were quite a few westerners there and lots of Indians dressed like westerners, but I don't quite get what the appeal is. Personally, I will take the malls in Gurgaon any day over Khan Market. I'm sure the fact that it was really hot didn't help. I did learn a lesson. I decided to get a chocolate milkshake from McDonalds since it was blazing and I went to the take away window (imagine a drive-thru for pedestrians). My milkshake had not even been on the counter for a nanosecond before I was flanked on either side by two little boys begging me for it. I hate this so much, not because I despise the boys for what they are doing, but because they feel they have to do it. Nathan and I were walking around the neighborhood a few weeks ago when a child ran up to me and started begging for money. When I didn't respond, he started crying until he saw someone else coming up behind us and his tears magically dried up and he was all smiley for the next person. Again, I do not begrudge these kids for what they are doing. It is survival for them, but I wonder what happens to a child when this is how they start life. We have been told not to give them any money as people are regularly mobbed and hurt by the swarms of people that will run up. Nathan's co-worker Cherie saw a man knocked over by a gang of children trying to get at his chewing gum. It's horrible and feels so incredibly un- Christian to blatently ignore these people as they are standing right next to you pointing at their mouths. I don't know enough about the Indian government to really comment on its efforts to eradicate poverty, but I know it is not doing enough.

Now about something fun. Nathan and I rode in our first autorickshaw the other day and it was a blast!

Imagine this, banged up a lot and with stickers all over it and you get the idea!

We took it home from church since our taxi driver couldn't pick us up. It is basically a four-stroke motorcycle trike with a canvas roof that is just a little too short for us tall white folks. It's loud and has no shocks to speak of, but we had a lot of fun on it. I am trying to imagine what it would be like for my family to race these puppies home from church! The auto is everywhere in Delhi. They are more economical and run off gas so they are more environmentally friendly. You do get a more in-your-face experience with the city when you ride around in these. To be honest, it feels kind of like you are on the Scrambler.

Because this was so amazing, I have to share a Delhi driving story with you. Yesterday, the taxi came to get me to take me to Khan Market and we had gone about two blocks when I realized that I had left my phone at home and would need that to call the driver when I was done. He said, "no problem" and proceeded to REVERSE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC for a good block before he found a place to do a three point turn. I used to tell myself that if I survived Argentine bus drivers I could survive anything. I did not take into account any kind of driver in India. Let me tell you, I was praying to God, Buddha, Kali, I was saying Hail Mary's, and I'm not sure which one responded, but I am here to tell the tale today. Wow.

Now I will speak as a Phoenix Suns fan. I am currently praying to God, Buddha, Kali, and saying my Hail Mary's that justice will be served and that the entire Spurs team will have their talent and thuggery sucked out by the Nerdlucks just like what happened on Space Jam. I am already so sad, but I will be just miserable if this championship is taken away from them (and that is what it would be) by the ridiculous stupidity of two men who find people leaving the bench more detrimental to the game than other people inflicting bodily harm (oh, and only some people who leave the bench). Just remember, in the words of that great humanitarian and philosopher R. Kelly, "I believe I can fly, I believe I can touch the sky..."

Love lift us up where we belo-o-ong

We have an all new reason to fear. We have giant eagles living outside our apartment. I am not kidding. I noticed when I was hanging the laundry out one day that there were hundreds of these very large, very fierce birds flying overhead all over Delhi. I'm talking massive. So, having lived in Arizona for the last couple of years, I assumed that they were hawks. Oh no, silly American girl, these are Golden Eagles. I looked Golden Eagles up on the Internet and learned this about them...

"Golden Eagles primarily prey upon small mammals such as hares, birds, insects and carrion. When hunting, they swoop over open country in search of food and take prey in spectacular stoops (dives from high altitudes). Hunting solo or in pairs, these large raptors are capable of preying on lambs and small goats."

Lambs and small goats. Lambs and small goats. Lambs and small goats.

Our new neighbors
Okay. So these suckers don't play around. Well, as long as they don't come too close, I guess we are okay. Oh wait! What is that sitting on the ledge of our window? Oh it's only a massive bird with a four foot wing span READY TO CARRY OFF MY LAMBS AND SMALL GOATS!!!

I'm watching you, cause I'm a watchbird!

Yeah, they are always around and they look ticked! But you don't have any livestock, Bethany, you may think. Neither do my neighbors, I would reply. Then why do they hang out around your house, we would query. Well the answer came in church on Sunday when our teacher asked, "You know how we all have rats in our houses?" No, I did not know this. This was not made clear to me by the Indian Embassy when I applied for a visa. This is in none of my guide books. How the heck was I supposed to know this?!? Nathan's answer is that he will buy a cricket bat and have it next to his side of the bed to bash whatever rodent might enter our room in the night. I would then go all Dakota Fanning and cover my eyes with a scarf and softly hum "Hushabye Mountain" while he does the dirty deed. Alternatively, I might just tempt one of the eagles in Lord of the Rings style and have it take care of the problem. My enemy's enemy is my friend.

As if this was not enough, we were warned yesterday to watch out for monkeys. Warned. These monkeys are not cute and cuddly, apparently. These monkeys will drag you into a dark alley and rough you up a bit if they don't like the look of you. Maybe that's exaggerating a bit, but I am living in stinking Wild Kingdom out here! They are quite aggressive, apparently, and so we have to be careful around them. Nathan and I have a bet going to see who catches an eagle carrying a monkey off first. I am going to win that prize.

On a more serious note, what is the NBA thinking? Maybe we should take a collection to pay Stern and Jackson whatever Popavich (or Pop-my-zit as I like to call him) is paying them. Such an utter disgrace. And congrats to Nowitzki. That has to feel pretty hollow since everyone knows you don't deserve it. Way to go. I'm ticked.

GO SUNS!!!

Happy Mother's Day

NO WIRE HANGERS EVER!!!

You say you want a revolution...

Today is the 150th anniversary of the uprising of Indian soldiers against the British. Nathan chose to stay indoors. We saw some coverage of the parade that was held outside the Red Fort (an ancient fort which was also the place that the Indian flag was first raised in 1957 when the British left). The Prime Minister spoke and talked about how this event brings Indian people together but that it was the non-violent movement that Gandhi taught that truly brought lasting freedom. Something for us all to remember, I suppose.

It has been so great having the internet! We have been talking to people on Skype and finding out what is going on around the world. I guess I have to admit that I have come to lean a bit on the World Wide Web. It is so good to no longer be without it.

We heard a great story the other day that will give you a little insight into India. So this man was transporting a disused Boeing 737 through Mumbai to a flight training school in Delhi. He takes a wrong turn and realizes that the truck is too wide with the plane on it to turn around SO HE GETS OUT AND RUNS AWAY. It sat in the middle of the road for almost a week and people just came and climbed all over it. Now its gone missing and no one knows who took it or where it's gone. It just vanished. Absolutely hilarious.

I think that we are coming up on Monsoon season because we have started to have a thunderstorm every night. The sky lights up in different places like that scene from Close Encounters of the Third Kind where the kid gets stolen. I hate that part but I love the lightening. There is this low rumbling thunder that is barely perceptable when all of the sudden the wind will pick up and WHAM-O! The whole house shakes and it sounds like the rain is going to bust in through the windows at any moment. It's kind of freaky, to be honest. Tonight we got home from shopping just in time to pull the clothes off the line. Yes, that's right, I am officially a 1950's wife. I do a load a day in my little washer and hang it out with the hope that no bird will take a shining to my clothes as they did the first time. It's kind of scary because we live on the third floor and I am constantly worried when my clothes are hung out there that I will find them 30 feet below in the dirt. Also, I make sure to clean the line every time now since the first wash I did was underwear and I pulled it all of the line to find a nice thick, black line straight across everything. Smooth, Jones.

Speaking of laundry, I would like to show you all my washer machine...

In a country full of engineers, the space between the sink and the toilet is about three inches too short to fit in between so it sits in the middle of the bathroom. You will also notice that there is no curtain for the shower. This freaks Nathan out. Is it weird that it doesn't bother me a bit?

I think the washing machine is great there. It make a lovely arm rest when you are using the toilet and also can hold the tp as there is no holder anywhere else. I also love living dangerously with taking a shower with an electric cord just hanging out there. I like to think of it as Extreme Showering. Just check out the water heater that hangs over the other side of the shower.

Is the bottom of that rusting out, you ask. You bet your bippy it is!

I have also found a new measuring stick. Often we measure things by how many jumbo jets, pyramids, school busses, or footballs it would take to equal an object. These are much to big. I have found one that will be much more useful in everyday life. It is the Nathan. For example, an Indian bed is one Nathan long.

His head touches the headboard and his feet overhang the footboard so it is effectively equal. Nathan has found that if he sleeps diagonally or in the fetal position he can almost achieve REM!

See how happy he looks?

Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters

Thanks, Meg. We really needed that.

Celebrate, Celebrate, Dance to the Music!

That's right - I'm back! I no longer have to sit in the corner of the bed with one foot on the floor and the other propped up on the headboard while wearing a hat made of tinfoil and humming "Battle Hymn of the Republic" to pick up a random signal for a few fleeting moments. It's good to be back in 1997!

If you ever want to get a picture of the world’s cultures all at once, I would suggest going to the Foreign Registration Office in Delhi. We spent our morning there on Monday and I think we covered the spectrum. There was us, of course, and a few other Caucasians, but the rest were an interesting mix from all over the world. My favorite t-shirt there was one that said “Kabul Style!”. Not sure what that style is, but the t-shirt was cool. Then there were the several Buddhist monks in their red and gold robes. Despite their clothes, they seemed like a fairly normal bunch of guys – laughing and joking with each other and trying to make the best of an incredibly boring situation. I checked out their shoes and they had some heavy duty sandals. The better to march up the Himalayas with, I suppose. You know, I’m not a Buddhist, but I have to respect anyone who will give up a life of normality to devote it exclusively to religious practice – especially if they have to wear Tevas for the eternities.

Oh, Tevas, how I love you...
Speaking of which, I have a new love. It is my new pair of sandals. Nathan practically had to shove me into the shoe store to try them on, but now I will not be without them. They are Teva knock-offs (POWER sandals - as you can tell, I have never really cared for Tevas) and I can’t believe I ever shunned them in the past. I was wearing my flip flops everywhere, but they don’t take care of your feet and they slide all over the place in water (hence a VERY embarrassing situation at Target once), but these sandals are amazing. Thank you, Nathan, for caring about my feet.

I forgot to mention the squall we had on Sunday. Nathan and I were just sitting down to dinner when the sky suddenly went dark and the wind kicked into high gear. This is the second one we have had since we have been here and they are pretty amazing. We ran around the house making sure that everything was buckled down and that all the laundry was off the line and then just sat and listened. Sheets of rain started pouring down and the wind screamed like it was trying to break in. It was pretty exciting. Yesterday morning was the first since then that Cheenu has been here and I think she got in trouble with the gardener. I think he thinks that we caused the mess out there and he’s not pleased. She is holding her own against him though. It’s good to have Cheenu on your side.

I'm handing out lollipops...

...and butt-whoopings, and I'm all out of lollipops.

By the way, still no internet. I think Nathan might go postal. I wish I was kidding.

Delhi Belly

I have exciting news. Apparently I will have internet access at home tomorrow! That's right, folks! No more stealing what little signal I can get in between power blackouts... Why it's almost enough to make a girl cry! I have been writing my blog on Word and then waiting until I could get a signal so I could post it without losing the whole thing. If I get the access tomorrow, and lets face it - I am not holding my breath, I just may type it directly into my blog with a Devil may care joie de vivre! Whew, I am living on the edge!

Well since I wrote last, a few interesting things have happened. On Friday, our Branch President and his wife invited us out to dinner and a movie. It was at a theater way out of town so it took us quite awhile to get there. Once we did, we only had a few minutes for dinner so we ended up going to McDonalds (which delivers here, by the way). Imagine McDonalds with no beef. I know, I know. That is crazy talk. But I have seen it. The legends are true. They have what is called the Maharajah burger here. It is the closest thing to a Big Mac on the menu so of course that is what Nathan got. They also have curry and paneer which is a cottage cheese that many vegetarians use to replace meat. While this all was new, the fries tasted the same so it was all good. The best part of the meal was, though, the chocolate shake. It was perfect. Cold and thick and chocolatety the way that milkshakes are supposed to be. I have had dreams about that shake ever since.

Going to the movies in India is quite the experience. First of all, you have to walk through a metal detector and then get searched. This is fairly common here as terrorism is a real problem but I'm pretty sure that the security guard got to second base with me. Fortunately it was a woman! Once we got through that and I had stopped crying (fully clothed in a running shower - thank-you Lifetime TV!) we went to our assigned seats. Now there is a message at the beginning reminding people to please be quiet during the film to not disturb others. I don't know why they bother because people talked during the whole thing. They even yelled across the room to each other. Thay also reacted in ways that were unfamiliar. For example, we saw Spiderman 3 and there is a point were Toby Maguire starts crying. At this point the audience erupts into laughter! These are some cold people. Then suddenly, at no real particular point in the film, the movie stops and there is an intermission! I hope they have Icees! You know, the movie was pretty good, but the experience of my first movie in India will be what I really will remember.

Friday was another milestone. After setting five different appointments with them in vain, we got finally got satellite tv. This means that I can now watch horrible American tv here too! Actually we get some great stuff - CNN, BBC, Amazing Race, Oprah, Tonight Show, and (as I learned this weekend) enough English football to kill a cow. That's right folks, I got to see part, if not all, of the Manchester United game, Chelsea, Fulham, Wigan, the list goes on and on. Of course, I also got to watch Megan's favorite movie - Dante's Peak (Paul, this is Harry, Larry, Terry, Mary, Carey, Barry, Fairy, Gary, Jerry, Perry, and Xarry). Why all the television viewing? Because Nathan and I came down with Delhi Belly this weekend - or as I like to call it, Bethany Jones's Quick Weight Loss in a Third World Country plan. You've seen it work before folks, nothing says she can't do it again. Let's just say that we were very grateful that we have two bathrooms. We busted out the Immodium and the antibiotics that the health center gave us before leaving, so hopefully we will be okay. One FANTASTIC thing that I saw on TV this weekend? The informercial for the Magic Bullet in Hindi! That's right, now I can watch it here too!

Church was really good. We have found that some of the things we were told about Indian people are just not true, at least in the North. For example, we were told not to cross our legs. Everyone does. We were told that Indians are not touchy people. Now, we have been told that holding hands in public is alright, but nothing else (thank you Richard Gere for teaching us that lesson!). What is interesting is that men hold hands here as friends. It was a bit disarming at first, but okay. Yesterday, though, a woman shook my hand and didn't let go of it. She looked at me apologetically and said "No English". Is said "Tee Kay (Their version of ok), no Hindi!". She thought that was about the funniest thing she ever heard! I'm a regular Jerry Lewis around here! Then another woman had here arm around me thoughout the entire Relief Society lesson. It's been a pleasant surprise to find that not everything we heard before coming is true - at least in Delhi.

Pardon me to any people who are reading this who are not members of our church but I am going to talk a little church talk. Yesterday was fast and testimony meeting and it was really quite moving. Every testimony was about how much the members want a temple in India. Only a few members have been able to afford the trip to Hong Kong to receive their endowments and to be sealed and so there were some who spoke about saving their money for five years to make the trip. Then one sister stood in RS and talked about how a woman who used to live in Delhi but returned to the States has invited her to come to Utah to go to the temple there. She said, "If anyone has a list of names that they would like me to take for the prayer roll let me know and I will take them". It really has made me think a lot about the temple. I used to pass it four times a day and hardly looked at it sometimes. It was just so available to me, whereas it is a near impossibility to many of the members here. I really hope a small temple comes here soon so the people here can enjoy those blessings. Also, if you can, give to the Temple Patrons Fund with LDS Philanthropies to help people around the world have what comes so easily to us.

Okay, enough about that. On a personal note, thanks so much for the comments and emails. I have been blessed with some great friends and you are really helping to sustain me. I love you all so much. As Tina Turner said, "You're Simply The Best!"

I belong to Delhi

I have found a new favorite sound. It is the tinkling of Cheenu’s bracelets as she moves around the house. It is a happy sound that tells me she likes to look nice no matter what she is doing. It is a new concept for me to have a maid - someone in my house, cleaning my floors and dusting my furniture. But while it is odd, it is nice to have her around. She speaks no English, I speak no Bengali (neither does anyone else in the building!), so when she comes to me with questions I just nod and grin like a loon. She is very patient with me. I must admit that I am bad at having a maid. I made sure that everything was as tidy as possible before she came the first day and even washed the dishes out of guilt. I am hopelessly middleclass but have graduated to having her do dishes and the bed. I’m learning! While it sounds so posh to have domestic help, it honestly is the way that things are done here. I was told the other day when I expressed unease with hiring someone that even the servants have servants in their homesNow I am worried that I will get used to having someone do all the work I hate that it will be all the harder to do it again when we get home!

Why we need a maid. Gertie the Gecko welcomed us home the other night. She was lounging in our living room!

The other night we took a rickshaw home from the grocery store. The agility of our driver was very impressive as he slid into spaces that seemed far too small for us to fit. We passed by a park where a wedding was being held. Outside the groom sat on top of a wagon decked with heavy chains of flowers and ribbons. He looked absolutely regal in a deep crimson jacket and turban, sitting ramrod straight. He also looked a little sick. His face did not look overjoyed but rather a little overwhelmed at what was happening around him. And what was happening was a party! Drummers, dancers, stilt walkers, bagpipers, and fireworks all joined together to make a raucous celebration that made every other wedding I have ever been to appear positively snore-inducing. Later we were told that this was a poor person’s wedding, but there was nothing poor in what I saw.

One thing we have noticed is that everything in Delhi has a sensation to it. Whether it be the smells of the city, the taste of the food, or the sound of the unfamiliar languages to us, everything has flavor. Nathan observed the other night that you feel what you taste here. What you put in you mouth has one flavor to begin with and then it contorts itself into another all together. And as if the flavor is not enough of an experience alone, it fills your mouth with heat and spice that burns itself (but not too much) over your tongue and down your throat until it slides into your belly. It is truly something amazing.

Yesterday was a holiday so Nathan, Cherie and I took a little tour of Delhi. We first went to the symbol of the city, India Gate. It was built in commemoration of the Indian soldiers that fell in the First World War. It looks very much like the Arc d’Triumph in Paris down to the eternal flame in the center of it. As with all of the British architecture here though, it takes its cue from classic styles of the west and then adds an Indian twist to it. For example, after the Gate we went and saw the Presidential Palace where the Viceroy used to live and the current president does now. On either side are government offices, including the Ministry of Defense and Parliament. If you squinted a little you would swear that you were in DC except for two major differences. Instead of the gleaming white that we use on our buildings, theirs come in deep reds and pinks. And supporting the dome overhead are massive carved elephants. Taking its cue from the west, but distinctly Indian.

India Gate


Nathan with the Tourist Police
Afterwards we went to Connaught Place. This is the main shopping district in the city and was built by the British as their hub. Frankly, it was just too much for me. It is a ring road within a ring road within a ring road of shops. And outside the shops are individual vendors selling crafts. Also, the people there are incredibly friendly (pushy) in that they are all trying to direct tourists to the Cottage Industry Shops. These are government run bazaars where the prices are fixed but incredibly high. The standard greeting was “I’m not trying to sell you anything, but you should try Cottage Industries. It’s just around the corner.” Now this may seem harmless enough, but when two to three people give you that exact same speech on every corner you start to get suspicious. Again, not my cup of tea. What was wonderful was the weather. It was cool with a lovely breeze and just as we sat down to lunch the clouds opened up and it poured for about 20 minutes. It was perfect weather to be out and about. We did make one FANTASTIC purchase though! It is a tennis racket that has wires strung though it instead of strings. The wires are hooked up to a battery so you can use it to swat flies and mosquitoes and ZAP’EM!!! As Nathan declared at the check-out counter, “Tonight, we fight back!” A more stirring speech, I have yet to hear!

Mmm... I think I'll get my hair done there!

Nathan's GIGANTIC PJ bottoms.
I keep thinking about something that one of Nathan’s co-workers said to us the morning that we arrived here. We asked him if he was originally from Delhi or if he had come from somewhere else. He replied “I belong to Delhi”. His English is not the best, but I absolutely love the way he put it. It has made me think how nice it would be to feel as if I belonged to a specific place, somewhere that held my history and memories. I suppose though that instead I belong to several places. To Germany, Oklahoma, Washington, California, Arizona, England, Argentina, I belong to them all. I am planning on belonging to Delhi too.