This is the end...

Yes, my India adventure has come to an end. It finished right where it started, back in Mumbai. I spent a few days with Aparna, walking around the streets of Bombay, taking a boat out to Elephant Caves, eating delicious pani puri (Shardul, you were missed at many occasions during this trip...I still haven't found a better Indian food guide...next time we need to coordinate better!), trying out sizzler's in Santa Cruz, and being used as a "landmark".

Now, i am back home, or at least I think, because honestly, The Shalimar apartment, Komal's singing and laughing, our cute guard, the daily animated auto rides, the climbs on top of the fridge to reset the fuses, the parading monkeys in front of the our living room window on the sixth floor, the arguments with the Fedex people about whether or not a wax pouch can be sent by post ("no, no, it's not a VACCINE, it is food-grade wax, i could eat it if i wanted to...no, it's not food either...argh, never mind") and the insults of the couch manufacturer for being "the most difficult customer he ever had"...they really started to make me feel at home in Bangalore! I miss it, i really do. Belgium is quiet, pale and cold in comparison (hmmm i wonder if this applies to me too)...so India, be aware, I will soon be back!

Dancing the night away...

I am in Baroda, Gujarat, celebrating Navaratri. The word Navaratri actually means "nine nights" in Sanskrit and is celebrated differently in different parts of India. In Gujarat it means that for nine consecutive nights, people dress up in colourful outfits (yes COLOURFUL, Charlene...even me...and I have proves!) and dance Garba to celebrate the goddess Shakti (the supreme goddess ?). So, we did just that. We bought a colourful outfit consisting of a loooooong dress that makes these beautiful waves when you dance in it, a short top (argh, what is it with you indian people always wanting to show your belly...really?) and a Dupata (transparentish scarf you tie in front of you, kind of to hide the above mentioned belly ;-)) and danced all night...Rajan (who dances Garba for the Stanford team) showed us some groovy moves and we just followed. A big success! It was sooooo much fun that we will do it again tonight!

Cultural differences...

You know how in the US they say that diamonds are a woman's best friend? Well, here in India, things are slightly different. Look at the pic below ;-). Oh, and just for the sake of comparison, I also added a pic of Belgian women's best friend ;-)

Quote of the day...

I was trying to recharge my prepaid airtel phone at this little stand around the corner where i am a regular customer. While doing so, i was standing under a bright, white tube light when one of the guys behind the counter tells the other guy behind the counter (who is busy with me) something in a language i do not understand. So, i look up, and the first guy says: "Oh, madam, i did not say anything bad about you. I just said you were very pretty, so white. You whiter than the light! If i were your colour, all women would like me." Ouch, whiter than the light, that hurts...but i guess that was a compliment.

How a saree vendor asked me out...

Komal and I were on a mission today: find a black saree for me. Yes, black! Why? Well...is that even a question...First of all, I love black. Secondly, considering that i am not one of those people blessed with a dark complexion, there aren't too many bright and flashy colours that suit me, so forget orange, yellow or pink...black is what i need. That, and, well, while browsing the internet for some saree blouse designs I stumbled upon some pictures of really, really gorgious black saree's... I want one too! So, destination: commercial street. We have barely entered the first saree store, that, suddenly, out of nowhere, we are surrounded by three men. One pulls out two chairs, one (what looks like the shop owner) tells us to sit down while asking us what we are looking for and the third one starts draping out the most amazing series of sarees...bright red, dark green, deep purple, flashy pink...every single one prettier than the previous one....with beads or embroidery...and then suddenly, there he is, right in front of me, reflecting the light on its 1000 tiny little mirrors...the perfect black saree...with a hint of red...I am mesmerized. Of course, this does not go unnoticed to the shop owner. "I see you like this one madam". "Please come, you should try...here! In front of mirror". The man proceeds by skillfully wrapping me in the saree...one look in the mirror...I am sold. But what about the blouse? I am leaving tomorrow, there is no time to tailor the blouse. "No worries, madam, i will make it for you." Hmmm, ok, let me see, i know someone else who would probably think those look awesome and would not mind wearing one of those: my mom! "So, what other colours do you have?"...and there we go again, one, two, three, four, five sarees fly from above, and fall open on front of me...it rains sarees...so pretty! "Oh look at that green one". I think we have a winner for mama Denuit. (Just to make sure, i tried that one out as well, I might have to steel this one from my mom, just in case one of my friends decide to get married (hint, hint, guys!), since i can't really be wearing a black saree for a wedding, right...hmmm when WILL i wear my black one, then?).
Now, let's move on to the fun part: negotiations..."Special price for both of them?" A few moments later, we settle on a price, the shop owner calls the tailor, he takes the necessary measurements (the tailor does, not the shop owner, although I am sure the shop owner wouldn't have mind doing that himself ;) and promises that it will be ready by tonight, 9pm. Oh and guess what, the owner himself will drop of the saree at our place...
This is how, at 9:30pm at night, I get a call from the shop owner, he is downstairs, waiting with my saree. As soon as i come down, he hands me over a package and askd: "So are you done packing? When will you be back in Bangalore, and can i take you out for a drink?" Euh, well, yeah, almost done with my packing...and no, i am not coming back any time soon, and well, drink is not possible, my roommate is waiting upstairs to have dinner. "Oh, so where in the US are you from?" Euh, I am Belgian, but I work in the US. "Oh really, where about?" Hmmm, California. "Really? Where?" LA "LA? Fantastic! I'll be in LA next month, we have a saree store over there...maybe i can take you out for a drink there. Let me give you my email address...can I have yours? Do you have a cellphone in the US"...well, euh, i have your cellphone, what about i send you my email later..."Good, good, don't forget!"

Happy, happy...

...30th birthday to someone special...yes, yes, you know who you are...yes, you! Girl, I hope you had a perfect party last night, and a perfect day today!

So, to celebrate this special day, Komal (my new roommate who happens to be this amazing person) and I splurged...we had brunch at the Leela. Ooooh-my-god...I mean, seriously, I wish I had brought my camera, because i have never, ever seen such an extended desert buffet that looks, taste, smells that good. I would have started with deserts (and come back to it afterwards) if it hadn't been for the smell of kebab that distracted me from it...and then the other entries, and the setting...one big feast. But to get back to the deserts...I didn't know there were at least 20 different ways to make chocolate mousse (and let me tell you this, if anything at all, I know something about chocolate mousse!), with raspberry, with banana, with caramel, with ce-petit-je-ne-sais-quoi...and have you heard of such things as steamed chocolate pudding? Wow, this is the perfect way to end an almost perfect stay in India. Of course, this was all in honour of you, my friend, because it is your 30st birthday ;-)

What doesn't kill you...

...makes you stronger. This quote applies wonderfully to my trip to India...although, i am not sure, yet, whether it is not going to kill me. No, seriously, India is changing me...it teaches me to say "no" and to not let people take advantage of me, it pushes me out of my comfort zone and enjoy things for what they are. It has also taught me, once again, that there is a positive side to every situation, that there are small, wonderful surprises waiting for me when i least expect them. The past few days have been a series of delightful experiences. I had the chance to eat all kinds of oh-so-unhealthy-but-oh-so delicious street food in bangalore, got to drive in Delhi (man, i miss driving around), discovered the city's varied eating scene (from belgian waffles to cauliflower stuffed paratha's), was introduced to beautiful Sufi music, got my own top-five-must-see-hindi-movies-collection, asked for directions at least a 127 times (and still managed not to find Vatika City) in Gurgaon, relaxed at a wonderfully QUIET farmhouse (and got attacked by soooo many mosquitos), took my first indian railway overnight train (and had lots of chai...mmmm chai), rode on a camel, watched a sunset in the desert with a kingfisher beer in hand (!), enjoyed a quiet, breezy night, on the roof terrace of a colourful rajasthani hotel...and most importantly: met a few amazing and interesting people with whom i could share all this. Oh, and i almost forgot...I found the answer to life and the Universe! I think few things are better than traveling alone in a country like this!