Polo

It's odd to do something totally new in Delhi as you'd think after over 3 years I'd have tried most things. But this weekend Dana, Gertrude and I went to a polo match! Not just my first polo match in Delhi, that was my first polo match ever! Really we went to take pictures, so much of this blog is photos. The craziest thing is that there are matches almost every day and they're free! You just walk in to the stands. The stands aren't huge but they were full. There were VIPs down front (have no idea who they were, the announcer mentioned some army high up guy several times) and a VIP area with men in white chef hats serving food. I didn't try to get in but I assume that wasn't free. There were two bands - although only one played - with drums and bagpipes(?). About 10 members were in the band all decked with turbans and flags.


The game was actually fun to watch and pretty exciting. It was the Kingfisher team (big company here that produces beer and has an airline - so assume they're just sponsors) versus the Calvary (army) team. Having never seen polo (I don't think even on TV, I think my only experience is the bit in Pretty Woman - and we totally didn't do the divits thing) I have no idea if they were any good but clearly better than me! The game was close and could have been tied at the very end but alas, they missed the goal. The continual stopping of the play for some foul or another was a bit annoying but no major incidents. No one fell off. I think one guy got hurt and had brief medical attention and returned to the field and immediately scored. And one guy got kicked out for some time (like a penalty box thing, it seemed) and appeared very pleased with himself. Anyways, considering I can barely get a horse to go forward and stop, the idea of turning on a dime while people are using sticks to swipe at their legs (which do have cute little pads) is pretty unbelievable. Dana said he saw the horses as they left the field and they were all sweaty! Not surprising, they really sprint.

They had tons of horses (like 20 extra on each side) who seemed very well cared for if a little shy. Their handlers were shier. And there was a whole group of photographers there but they didn't seem to be shooting the game, their cameras were on the VIPs the whole time.

So then the game ended. Then these boys came prancing out. Yup, prancing. You'll notice that one guy forgot his matching shoes. And then the real fun began. These army showmen (I'm sure there's a better term, but I don't know it) came and performed stunts. Like picking up swords and flags. And pretending to run over the silly prancing boys. Very entertaining.

I'm surprised more people don't go - as it's free. Definitely a fun way to spend a sunny afternoon!

Ananda

Aaahhh - just returned from a weekend at Ananda in the Himalayas; a spa in the mountains close to Rishikesh. It's a very expensive and widely recognized spa - voted worldwide best destination spa. When my friends went a few months ago, the other guests were Seal and Heidi Klum. Rachel was in town doing more Methane in Markets work in India so we did a quick getaway to Anada; taking the train up on Sat morning and returning Sun night. It was clearly rushed but really didn't feel ridiculous.

Ananda's on a lovely compound, this time of year it's quite hazy and cool but not truly cold. There and peacocks roaming around and monkeys, who stay pleasantly away and I swear I saw a pig. So we spent our time in steam rooms, the gym, doing yoga and having various massages, facials, and body scrubs. And eating. In case people aren't aware, I am still a total spa novice. I had my first real massage in Thailand, which was a gift for organizing a company conference. Since then I've done some low-end massages in different countries, and I vaguely think I had a massage once in DC. I've had one or two facials; both in Delhi. That's about it.

This time, I indulged in a jasmine salt scrub - which was just a more thorough, longer version of the scrub I use in my own shower! But really nice and wonderful smelling! The next day I did stone massage which was wonderful! Rachel had one of the ayurvedic treatments (when in india....), which I slightly tried to warn her about but don't want to impart my opinions on what others will like. I had one done when I first got to India (probably like 2003) at the yoga center I went to. I found it absolutely horrifying. I was totally oiled up and flipped around on this hard, slatted wooden table. There was a level of touching in places that I wasn't prepared for. I felt oddly violated and part of it was that I'm in a society which is totally non-nudity, non-touching so it surprising. Rachel felt the same way about hers (without me biasing her at all) - sad to not enjoy a massage but I'm glad to know others share my opinion. She also had a facial that was really nice, she said.

Like way too many cult-ish retreats in India they give you these kurta pajama outfits that everyone's supposed to wear (technically only for yoga and meditation but people seemed to wear them all the time). Just reminds me of cults - and they never fit. The rooms were beautiful, the facilities all around were pretty great. The service was nice and well intentioned but utterly obnoxious. Forgetting meals and serving the wrong ones at the restaurant. Twenty-five people saying "namaskar" in a two second time period. It's clear to me that my definition of good service is leaving me alone.

The train ride home (about 5 hours) was fairly uneventful. Satender picked us up at the train station and as we were driving home, smoke started rising from the engine. He pulled over and realized that for the third time in about a year, some tube had burst. It was about midnight, cold out and Rachel had a 9am flight to Pune and I had physical therapy. So I basically told Satender to figure out what to do and we took an autorickshaw home. I'm not sure what part exactly surprised Rachel so much; that I would trust someone so completely with the car or that I don't have to deal with anything but it was one of those moments when you realize your life isn't "normal". If I understand correctly, he got some stranger to use their car to push (or pull) my car home (which wasn't all that close) and got home about a half hour after we did. Can you imagine a stranger doing that in the US? But we couldn't find any towing company (even though I see tow trucks occasionally). Not the most relaxing end to an otherwise lovely weekend but does make me appreciate Satender yet again!

Health care in india

So I finally saw Sicko on the plane to the US last month. And when I got back to India my guard (who is actually an employee of a company my company pays) returned from an emergency trip back to his village. He had left suddenly in the beginning of December when the hospital called him to say that his mother was bleeding profusely but wouldn't tell him more over the phone. I am witness to many more grown adults crying here than I was in the US. When he returned he reported that she was better but it would be an on-going problem related to high blood pressure. And then he asked for money. Apparently the treatment to date cost $1000 and he had taken a loan which required 2% interest a month. I have agreed to give him that money but it's a harder decision than for Satender's wife's situation a year back in that I don't actually employ him and $1000 is not going to solve his problem, there will be on-going expenses. He probably makes about $100 a month (assuming the agency takes half of what we pay them). I consider it part of my 10% of salary end-of-year donations, which I hadn't completed yet anyway.

Then yesterday I finally decided that I should see a doctor about my ankle. It's been in pain for probably 8 months but never seemed serious enough for a doctor. I called one guy at the hospital across the street but they didn't have an appointment for over a week. So I called a guy recommended by friends and scheduled an appointment for the next day. Saw him this afternoon, he asked some questions, poked around and then suggested x-rays and an MRI. They took 3 x-rays. Total cost of x-rays and appointment was $30. They don't take credit cards so you know it can't be too expensive! Went around the corner, got an MRI done for about $125. I hadn't had an MRI done in 15 years (last time was for the jaw) and it's a really long process. My favorite part was while I was waiting I had a work phone call. As soon as I got off, the front desk called me. I went up and she ignored me for what seemed like forever (probably 15 seconds), no eye contact, no acknowledgment. She then walked me into this closet and told me I could keep my watch, phone, wallet, pocket change in this "locker" (a drawer with a key). As it seemed locked I looked at her questioningly. She responded that when the patient came out I could put my stuff in. I asked, "should I sit down now?". She nodded yes. So why we had that conversation then, I don't know. When the patient came out she rushed me to the "locker" insisting I put my stuff in now - ignoring the fact that the previous patient was trying to collect his spare change and with her and him in the closet there was no way I was fitting in. After disapprovingly saying that they were waiting for me I proceeded. The MRI machine had a swastika painted on front with red marker as well as some hindi word I couldn't read as the first symbol was in sanskrit and I forget the sound. Someone had tried to erase them but unsuccessfully.

All in all, the appointments and tests cost me about $150 (without insurance) and took a total of an hour and a half. Pretty unbelievable when you think about how much it would cost in the states. And how many doctors you would have to go through before being allowed to get the tests.

India is always contradictory, no?

Nepal

Okay - I'm going to just blatantly skip over everything that's happened between Jodhpur and now (including a surprisingly enjoyable trip to Calcutta and the entire trip to the US for Christmas) because I'll never catch up and just tell y'all about my weekend in Kathmandu that I returned from yesterday.

Some of my favorite trips have been spontaneous and this one definitely was last minute. Doug's mom and aunt have been in India for the last few weeks and Doug decided that their last weekend (and only trip where Doug was with them outside of Delhi - they did a group tour earlier) he'd take them to Kathmandu. So Wednesday I decided to join in. We left Friday morning, and after a predictably delayed flight arrived in time to spend the afternoon sightseeing. I of course didn't bring any charged batteries for my camera on this outing so no picts from the first day. However, I bought a new camera lens when I was home so I did have fun the next day! Doug had arranged for a guide and car for all days so we went to various hindu and buddhist temples and sites. Didn't really seem to go to any sites that didn't have religious affiliations but probably that's because people are religious so even when we were in areas for shopping or pottery making or eating, there were temples too.

I guess overall I was struck by how similar Kathmandu (and I won't say Nepal because I suspect that outside of the city it is a different story) is to cities in India. Lots of ethnic indians (and tibetans). Tenzing's mom was born there and her ex-husband lives there now.

• Kathmandu is dirty. I picture Nepal and this clean air, snowy loveliness and again maybe outside of Kathmandu that's true but there is trash everywhere and pollution and honking horns and all the stuff you want to get away from in Indian cities.
• People wear saris. I thought there would be a totally different dress code. Obviously the Tibetans had their distinctive dress and the monks stand out but lots of women (nepali and indian) were wearing saris and salwar kamises.
• Can still play my favorite game (created by Meg, I think): is the building being built or destroyed? Tons of brick buildings that looked either like they'd been hit by a wrecking ball or were under stalled construction.
• All same brands and ads - mostly using bollywood stars.
• About the same weather as Delhi - cold, I should have brought a jacket but not ridiculous.
• About the same level of service as India - due to the mountains of backpackers and other tourists I would have expected a different world of service at hotels but not so much.
  

On the different side:

• Better bars and restaurant choices (due to all the backpacking tourists) - mmm steak and cover bands
  
• Better backdrop - the Himalayan peaks in the background of the city are stunning and I can understand why people are drawn to climb them (I'm still okay, feeling no need to summit anything)
• More soldiers/police - not sure which they were, police I think but they are everywhere. Especially guarding the King's palace (we were staying nearby so walked by it a lot - one of the guards made a really disgusting kissing noise to me one time)
• Better sidewalks, not good but they exist and that alone makes them better than 90% of Delhi
• Nicer monkeys. Lots and lots of them (not surprisingly, mostly at the "Monkey Temple") but they really didn't seem to be stealing things from tourists or otherwise trying to intimidate anyone.

It was definitely too quick and I would really like to go back, spend some more time and get outside of Kathmandu but I'm glad to have gotten a quick taste:)