Blogs from Maharashtra, India, Asia - page 132

March 16th, 2006, Day 70 of our cruise of 105 Second wonderful day in Mumbay (formely Bombay), in West India Busy day We left at 9am with the ships tour Marvels of Mumbay (granny-page 33 in the excursion book) and were blessed with an articulate and knowledgeable guide. We saw everything and were instructed the whole way by Shilpa. She brought us into the Ghandi and the Prince of Wales museums. We also visited the laudry cement cubicles that men rent for 500 ruppees a month(12$) for space and 1(yes only one tub-and lots of bleach and pink powder) tub of water a day; for a small fee they wash by beating, dry, iron and fold clothes in there and return them the next day. At the almost end of our trip, we left the tour ... read more

March 18th, 2006, Day 72 of our cruise of 105 Sea day on the Arabian Sea Slow sleepy day We had lost a total of 10 ½ hours, we are starting to regain. We have a few sea days till Salalah, Oman Added this entry just to show our purchases from the Colaba street market (and the laundry hanging from the window) Hello my children, hello granny. - please send us news Ttys, love to all ... read more

So no one hears from me in months, and then two entries right close to each other, and this one with PHOTOS! *note, there are many names listed. Allow me to give you a cast list: Ashifa-roommate Beth-roommate and volunteer in my class Marianne-friend from France Gila-former roommate Shirin-never roommate, friend throught Gila Chris-with Shirin Sukhesh, Caleb, Dave-Bandra Guys (they live in Bandra) Lalita-Dave's girlfriend Rebecca-friend from Germany Wednesday was Holi, which is a Hindu holiday based on this story that young Lord Krishna (who had skin so dark it's colored blue in pictures) was complaining to his mother that Radha (the girl he loved) was too fair, so she wouldn't love him. His mother told him to smear colored powder on his love's face and see how fair she was then. So now the tradition ... read more

12-29 7:30 am Just something interesting I found out about India. Drugs are really treated harshly here with marijuana getting you 10 years in jail. Ever see, Midnight Express??? I find this strange since most of the really good pot that I have ever tried seemed to come from India (i never inhaled). I mean where did the hukka pipe originate from? India, that's where. This is a country of hypocrisies but it's such an amazing place. Don't worry, I'm not going to stay here, but I see why people have. I've been trying to get to sleep, but for some reason I can't get Eminem's "Guess Who's Back" out of my head. 12-29 9:17pm I feel a lot more comfortable now. I was a bit homesick due to lack of sleep, crappy bed, and utter ... read more

12-30 I can't get over the fact that there are more people in India than I've ever seen and most of them seem to be walking. Indian people just walk. It's kind of like when you're on the freeway in a traffic jam and you wonder just where the hell are all of these people going. It's kind of like that. It's strange because with all of these people of all different types of faiths and beliefs, you'd expect there to be more feelings of racial tension, but I don't feel it. In L.A. I feel it, here I don't. But then again, I know that there are tensions between the Muslims and the Hindis as told to me by Vikram. He told me that there were riots in Bombay because there is a temple that ... read more