Agra

Agra is where the Taj Mahal was built. It is about a 3 hour car drive from Delhi. We got a personal driver to take us there and pick up a tour guide to show us around the Taj. The ride to Agra took a little bit longer on the crowded and bumpy streets there. I saw more poverty than I expected. More people living in straw and mud huts or under those blue tarps was a shock to see. When we stopped women would bang on our windows and press their baby who had dried tear drops under their eyes to the window begging for money. Your compassion is watered down by fear of how shocking they look. If you do pay them, they swarm your car. Our driver bought something from a child and dozens came out to sell him things he finally had to yell at them and almost slam them in the car to get away. I made the mistake of taking a picture of a monkey as we waited to cross the state border (exibit A to your left). The owner was all smiles and got the daddy monkey to flip and the mommy monkey holding her baby to look towards me. The monkeys looked like little slaves that had chains around their necks. The man then wanted his money. I didn't have change for him and he started banging on our car and yelling at us. The driver finally ponied up the cash. Scary.

No cars are allowed near the Taj Mahal for a half a mile or so because they don't want the pollution to damage it. I could see this being true. People burn their trash all day and this part of India smells like a chemical fire. I was worried by the snow white skies and milky air that the Taj Mahal would blend in the background. Luckily by removing the cars around it, when we arrived at the site of the Taj the skies were baby blue. The Taj Mahal can't be seen from the street. You go up to a gate where foreigners pay like 10x as much to see the thing- almost $16. We walked in and there is just a court yard that looks like USC's campus. There is one bobbins or turrets, not shure their propper name, at the top of the gate in front of the Taj for every year it took to build it- 22. As we walk through the gate, you get your first look at the Taj mahal (picture of my first look to the left). It looks like a painting and any other picture you have seen of it. Definitely one of the top 10 things I have seen in this world. 

The Taj Mahal is not all white like it appears from far away (as seen below). It is made out of an irridescent marble that glows a different temperature depending on the time of day. There are small flowers carved into the buidling. Each petal and leaf is a precious stone. The people that built the Taj had a secret cement recipe to make sure the stones would never fall out. The secret has been passed down generation to generation. The people that work to keep the Taj Mahal as incredible as it is are the grandsons of the original workers. Talk about job security!

Here are some fun facts about the Taj Mahal's structure:

• The four pillars around the Taj are 92 degrees from the ground so they are slightly slanted away from the Taj Mahal. Just in case there was an earthquake, they did not want the pillars to fall on it
• The Taj Mahal has arabic writing on the huge doorway. To make the script look the same all around the doorway, the writing on top us much large than the writing on the bottom. 
• To go inside the Taj and up on the platform, you have to take off your shoes. They give you booties at the front to put over them. 
• Inside there is nothing but the tomb of Shah Jahal's wife. She is directly in the center, he is at the side of her. 

The history of the Taj is interesting. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan build it for his dead wife Mumtaz Mahal (pictured right). He loved her the best of all of his wives as she had been pregnant non stop for 19 years before she died. On her deathbed, she only had a few requests:

1. Love our children equally
2. Never get married again (this meant he could keep his other wives he already had)
3. Build something that represents my beauty

Our tour guide mentioned that this is so special because a 

boyfriend would build the Taj Mahal for his girl, but a husband would never show this kind of romantic gesture for his wife. He tried to build a black Taj Mahal for himself out of a rare stone that is only in Agra that is puprle and black and when the sunlight hits it, stars beams coem off it. This was to go across the way from his wife's tomb and they were going to connect by bridge. He never got it build because his third son of seven children decided his father was wasting funds in building the black Taj and killed his older borthers, put his father under house arrest and took over as ruler.  The for that Shah Jahal was led captive  looks out over Agra where each day he could see the Taj Mahal. 

Rumor has it that if you see the Taj when you are not looking for it while in Agra, you are destined to return. Due to the pollution I did not see it again, but I know i will return when my Dad comes to visit in December.

Hot Breakfast

I have been getting my whole grain fix while in India by eating Wheaties for breakfast. The problem is, the only milk they have is whole which I find funny because they think peanut butter is too fattening to eat. I am used to lactose free and fat free milk so basically eating cream over cereal is not my ideal breakfast. Yesterday morning, I saw a guy pumping something out of a canteen that was placed by the pitcher of milk. This white substance looked a little bit more watery that the thick white whole milk. I assumed it might be soy milk. This morning I opted for the soy milk. As I squirted it over my cereal I saw steam coming out. I assumed it might be because it is condensed in canteen and super cold. I pumped again and more steam. This time I felt the bowl heat up in my hand. I finally put my finger in my cereal and realized that it was hot milk. I just poured hot milk all over my cereal- this is way worse than Europe's room temperature milk! I am open to new things and don't want to waste food, especially in India, so I decided I would try it. I put a little cane sugar on top and dug in.

It was actually not too bad. It got a little mushy but it was almost like oatmeal but with a different flavor. Reflecting on the cereal set up, I think the hot milk is meant for the dry t placed by the side of the cereals. Then again, the guy from yesterday put it on his coco puffs. I think I will do the hot cereal thing again- I bet hot Cinnamon Toast Crunch would be amazing!

For My Shopaholics

So I went to the local market which is like Broadway Plaza but with tents. It is basically an outdoor mall. It is really pretty inside with a courtyard and salmon tiles. I got to see an amazing assortment of goodies. I bought some Indian tunics with sequins and beads hand embroidered on them (. I also found an amazing silk scarf for only $4. The pashminas are to die for. They make Nordstrom brand look cheap! For those of you interested leave your pashmina order by commenting on the post. They have so many colors in addition to Indian patters (which is basically floral and paisley combined). will be back to buy a ton of them, I just have to choose the colors and patterns I want, and how much I want to barter for them! Oh, and did I mention everything is $10 or less?!?

After we were done we came outside the market and a little boy that ould barely walk and came up and started begging. He kept making the hand signal for food. We bought him an ice cream. I wanted to take him home. He was so cute, but he kept following us near the street and I was afraid he was going to get hit. finally caught a ride in a rickshaw. I got in this tiny yellow rickshaw with two other co-workers. Rickshaws are basically three wheel motor cycles. The driver does not have a wheel but a handlebar like a bike. It is then covered in a black cloth. My first bad smells of India were experienced were in this tiny rickshaw. The cost of the ride was only $.15 though, so I can't complane.

Two Weeks in India

n celebration of my past two weeks in India, I have thought of 14 things I have seen or learned since being here that have not made it into any posts yet:

1. India does not smell as bad as people warned me. Spain and parts of SF smell worse. Sometimes in the morning, India smells like a forest fire because people burn their trash. At night, it sometimes it smells like a pumpkin burning, perhaps predicting India's Cinderella story? The other times it just smells like a polluted city.
   
2. State level politicians can be corrupt. Some have people bow at their feet.
   
3. People celebrate Christmas.
4. Women try to go on diets. We have the same lunch conversations as I did at Google in Mountain View- "I shouldn't be eating this but..."
5. They drive on the left hand side of the road. I think it is more comfortable there.
6. There is no such thing as public education. You have to pay for private school, which is expensive- one school costs $25K per year. When you consider what the average salary in India $under $1,000, it makes you see how unattainable education is.
   
7. Much like America, the north and the south have different cultures.
   
8. The power randomly goes out for a few seconds at least once a day.
   
9. People nod their heads 'no' when they are agreeing with you.
   
10. They play music in the Google bathroom (elevator music, everything from Fiddler on the Roof to the Bangles)
11. They eat anise seeds covered in sugar after eating to freshen their breath and help digestion
12. The new airport in Hyderabad puts about a 70% tax on your plane tickets to and from the airport to fund it.
13. They complain that their country needs education so they will no longer have uninformed voters and people that vote for celebrities. I told them that literacy has nothing to do with it. It is reading comprehension. We have the same issue in the US.
    
14. They label foods with green dots if they are vegetarian (no eggs). Non veg items get a red dot. Red pops up in random places like on Mars bars (Mily Way) because they have egg in them.
    

Looking For the Moon

I learned about my first hundu ritual: Karwa Chauth. Each year women fast the entire day on Karwa Chauth for their husband's long life. On this day the women wear Saris and can't eat or drink until they see the moon. Once the moon does appear they look at it through a sieve and then turn and look at their husband's face through the sieve. He then gives his wife her first bit of food for the day. This year the moon was not scheduled to come out until 9:30pm and it was cloudy so women had to stay hungry and thirsty for much of the day.

The women at Google who participated in this could be picked out because on their beautiful Saris. These women must love their husbands to go without food at Google! A member of a neighboring team Shweti, looked spectacular in her maroon sari and gold bangles. She said each year her husband makes her dinner on Karwa Chauth and is always looking for the moon so she can enjoy the meal. Shweti is an independent and intelligent woman and before coming here, I could not imagine someone like her fasting for the long life of her husband. Now I see it almost as a romantic jesture. I think this is a sweet tradition. Unmarried women can also participate to ensure the long life of their future husband and to find a wonderful husband.

I learned a little bit about marriage with all the talk of this Karwa Chauth. Like instead of wedding rings, women wear bindis to show that they are married. In the south, where I am, they wear toe rings and never show their wrists. I also learned that after 7 years of marriage you can't file for a divorce for abuse. I think this is dangerous, considering the 7 year itch is probably when some abuse starts. I also learned that this rule does not just hurt women potentially, but men. I guess that men being abused in relationships is not unheard of in India.

Hole in the Wall

Our team went for lunch at a little spot not far from the office that they described as having delicious food and being quite inconspicuous from the outside. Here we would call it a hole in the wall. When our car arrived at the place I first noticed a group of goats outside and the most adorable baby goat I had ever seen (maybe only baby goat I have seen). W I pointed it out my coworker said that they are going to be part of the mutton curry. Sad, but at least the place has fresh ingredients. I got out of the car to see the place in its entirety. It was basically a room with a side patio that had an awning over it. It looked literally like a hole in the wall and smelled like a petting zoo. We walked in and things were very rustic. Simple benches and tables filled the room which was lined with a plastic barrier. I was a little scared to see the kitchen right there on the patio among the stench. but we got nearer to the cooks the savory aroma of spices served as an air freshener for the restaurant. It smelled too good to be fearful of the food.

There was no menu and there were only a few options to choose from. We each got a silver platter with some sauces on it. I have no idea of what was in the sauce but I tried them anyway. That is the best part of India- they respect vegetarians by never letting meat slip into your dish and they don't eat strange parts of animals. One was yellow and oddly sweet, spicy, and sour. Another was a gray sauce that was amazing but it caused my lips to catch on fire and it that took me three glasses of water to extinguish the sensation.

The cook then came out with a HUGE bowl full of rice. Football team pasta feed big. He scooped heaps of rice on each of our plates. The rice was cooked with the husk on so it was more like brown rice. I noticed I had no silverware as everyone began to use their hands to mold their rice like they were prepping mashed potatoes for a gravy volcano. The man then came back with a bucket of something yellow and scooped it out onto each of our plates. Everyone began mixing the rice and sauce together with their hands and digging in. I chickened out and got a spoon.

The food really was delicious. The man would come back around and scoop more rice and sauce on our plate- it was like an all you can eat buffet. It was a trip to see my team use their hands to eat. They said that I got out of it this time but next time, I was going to have to use my hands. They said the food tastes so much better when you do. So far, I have been completely won over by Indian food from India so I believe them. Once I find a place I can get a manicure, I will be back scooping food up with my fingers.

This dining experience made me realize that not only do I enjoy trying new foods but different dining experiences. It is rare that you get to experience a new ways of eating and serving food. I look forward to more experiences like this one.

Bollynewz.com

Work has not been the same without my fresh updates from Perezhilton.com. I used to check on his blog when things were slow or I needed a break. Here, I go through the entire postings from the night before, leaving myself bored. To make up for this, I have decided to learn more about Bollywood and have started going to Bollynewz.com.

Thanks to my fabulous co-workers that put up with all of my questions I have learned a little bit about the Bollywood scene. Many families are involved in acting. One family has two brothers who are actors, and their wives are acresses and I think their dad was an actor. I guess we have that in America too. This is the Kahn family. I began getting confused because it seemed like all of the actors were brothers in the Kahn family. I learned that Kahn is the most common Muslim name. It turns out most of the actors in Bollywood are Muslims. When I asked why this is so, I learned that Muslims are better looking and better actors. I find this pretty interesting considering the stigmas associated with being Muslim in America. Check it out sometime.

On a side note, I learned that many of the actresses actually have temples that people worship them. It is like these actors are living gods. I can't wait to watch my first movie!!!

Images of India: 1

अ कमों साईट ओं थे स्ट्रीट: ट्रैफिक एंड चिल्ड्रेन रीडिंग
A common site on the street: traffic and children riding

वूमन स्वीपिंग

Woman Sweeping

First Night Out: Page 3 is the New Page 6

I went out with some co-workers for the first time Wednesday night. Our driver took us about 30 minutes out to an area that had sidewalks and familiar American stores like Levi, Reebok, and Sony (yay Carla!). To get to the club, we had to go inside what looked like a mall and then up to the top floor to the club. As we waited to go in, I found one new addition to the party scene I have never experienced before: the paparazi. Apparently, in Hyderabad, the paparazzi take pictures of people going out and post them on page 3 of the local newspaper (similar to our page 6). It is taboo to be pictured there because everyone in the office will see and apparently judge you. I thought my nerdy side ponytail, cheap H&M jeans, my sister's throwaway top, and an old Gap sweater would prevent any interest but I was mistaken. Being an expert celebrity stalker thanks to PerezHilton.com, I think I avoided the paps quite well. They got tricky by holding the camera down and looking to the side but still trying to snap a shot, but I did not fall for their little game. It is was a strange experience that I could do without in the future. How does Brittany do it?

Once we got inside the club we found it to be pretty empty. It was decorated like any average lounge in SF , so it was very nice and modern. It was 95% men and 5% women (nothing in between haha). Apparently the only way a guy can dance is if he has a girl partner on the floor. Because there were not many girls, the dance floor was empty. Techno was blasting but it was Bollywood style so each song had a choreographed dance that people mimiced from the movie s. Neelima told me that in India, they dance with their shoulders and their hips. This made me realize that at home, we focus so much more on the lower body. I practiced moving both elements at once and failed. I ended up pulling out old Jane Fonda aerobic moves and survived just fine.

One highlight of the night was taking a break from the dance floor to use the restroom. I was greeted by a woman who led me to the appropriate stall, pumped soap for me, got me paper towels, and made sure my top was not tucked into the back of my jeans. She was sweet. I gave her my first tip in India: 50 Rupees (about $1).

Luckily the club closed at midnight cause I was about to fall asleep! Our driver promply swung by to pick us up. What a trooper! Although the club was pretty nice, I would take KT's any day. I feel after the page 3 nonsense that I must end the blog with a xoxo!

First Day of Work

I work up for work at 7 (the time I usually leave my house in SF) and got ready for the two minute walk to the office. Neelima showed me my desk which is much larger than the one I am used to at work (similar to the old one in 1945, tear tear). The office is busy and pretty alive. There are only three people on my team, Neelima, Pearl, and Ritu. This is much different from the 8 or so people I am used to working with in Mountain View (MTV).

The girls on my team are really sweet and we had some fun talking about what it means to be a real vegetarian along with Rajiv, a member of a nearby team. We agreed that real vegetarians don't eat eggs. Rajiv was in MTV last quarter and he thought the vegetarian options in the the bay area were laughable. For example, it does not make sense to even have vegetarian omlets. Americ is no different from countries where chicken is vegetarian! He agreed with me that mushrooms should not be part of a vegetarian's diet, but that is only because we both dislike them. On the topic of vegetarian food, I learned that restaurants here have two kitchens: one for meat and one for vegetarian food prep. This is for religious purposes. I wish all of my preferences were given the same weight as religious preferences here! Supposedly a restaurant can't be competitive unless it has two kitchens.

On the topic of food, the micro kitchens at Google do not disappoint. They are filled with different Euro looking snacks and beverages. The lunch is also great. There is tons of Indian food (with unlimited naan!) and then a pasta, sandwich, and salad bar. So much for losing weight in India. I looked over at a table of guys eating and one literally had a plate of rice that he proceeded to devour! They all had at least half their plates towered with rice- I am guessing Google goes through a scandalous amount each day.It reminded me of quantity of foods I would eat in elementary school. I tried some Indian desserts which include fried dough balls in syrup and a mini turnover. They were pretty good but have nothing on rice krispy treats and cupcakes.

As the day wore on at work, I began to notice some major differences between the MTV office and the one here in Hyderabad. I found that the toilet seats are not heated here. This is a bummer (pun intended). I also noticed something that at first threw me off: burping. Burping here is socially acceptable. I might let one or two out after my diet cokes each day. In my jet lagged delirium I felt like I was on a lilypad in a pond of frogs. This only happens several hours after lunch. I asked Neelima later about this and she said that people in India will not talk about the topic of kissing but they have no issues discussing (and demonstrating) all bodily functions. My opinion: more power to 'em!

Great first day of work!

The Arrival: Great Success

I flew into Hyderabad from Delhi on Kingfisher airlines (yes it is an Indian beer, and yes it is the only Indian airline with 5 stars!). It was GREAT! Amazing amazing Indian food and they gave us pens and as much bottled water as we wanted. I recommend them to anyone who flies in here. Apparently it is owned by the Richard Branson of India, so it is like Virgin. There were gorgeous cumulus clouds all over the sky just like blobs of whipped cream. When we finally got over Hyderabad I was shocked by several things. First off, it is huge! It is just hard core city for miles and miles. Imagine the entire bay area with no bay packed like Civic Center! Also, instead of dark roads underneath the city, it was all red dirt. This might not sound strange but next time you fly you will notice the dark roads.

Finally I landed in Hyderabad after nearly 28 hours of travel. After having overcome the ghetto Delhi airport I knew I could handle Hyderabad's, which looks quite modern from the outside. It was clean and bright on the inside with huge pictures of beautiful things to see in India. When we got downstairs people working for the airline bombarded me to help me get my bags. I really didn't need help but they are very sneaky and forced themselves on me. I know I was supposed to tip them but I was not sure how much so I just avoided tipping them in the end (update: 100 rupee is normal for tips). This made me realize that I do not like to be waited on.

As I left the airport and the heat sunk in. I am sweating SO much. So much more than I usually ever do and I think I am even slightly dehydrated! Who knows what will happen when I am drinking my regular amount of water. The airport landscaping is lush and tropical. There were women on the front lawn in amazing bright outfits irrigating the lawn. They were the first thing that shook me into realizing that I made it to India. As we drove out, there were more colorfully clad people watering by hose and trimming the landscape. It was to notice magenta and electric orange beings scattered through the green bushes and trees.

The drive to my place was about an hour. I saw so many amazing things! Stray dogs, buffalo blocking traffic, and crumbling buildings. What stood out the most was for me was the color! Women are all dressed so bright and the buses and trucks are adorned with flair and colorful paint- similar to something you would see in Puerto Rico. Men are dressed in oxfords despite the heat. Nobody really looks dirty- but everything around them does. It is strange balance. Wires in pillars stick out of the top of almost all buildings as if they are planning on adding on a second level. The weirdest thing I noticed is that there is no pavement in front of stores, just red earth. Nothing looks like a store I would want to go into but never say never!

I finally arrived at my place which is in a gated apartment building with 4 armed guards. It looks like a building nestled by the ball park in SOMA, which made me happy. My flat is very modern. It is two stories and has three bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. I have my own queen sized bed, bathroom, and wooden cabinets to hold the 120 pounds of things I carried with me. I am sharing the flat with a member of my team Neelima, who came over for a quarter a year ago and never came back. I am glad to be living with someone that I know and who can show me around and introduce me to people. My biggest fear is not making friends while I am here. There are about 40 people traveling from Europe and America from Google now so there will be plenty of people to meet.

Someone from Google met at my room and gave me everything I needed from a toothbrush to Pringles and took me over to our office which is a two minute walk away. Google looks just like Google at home so I felt comforted checking it out. I ate some lunch which was delicious. I have so much trust in Google that I ate some raw vegetables my first day- some people visiting NEVER eat them. I guess getting sick from the water in Spain and Arizona have prepped me because it has been almost 24 hours since ingesting them and I have yet to get ill. I could have gotten lucky so I am going to avoid them as best I can. Who can say no to fresh tomatoes though?

Overall I am excited for what is to come. I hope to master the art of wearing clothing that covers most of my body despite walking in humid heat. I also hope that I avoid getting deathly ill from the food/water here. My first day was a great so hopefully things keep getting better.