Blogs from National Capital Territory, India, Asia - page 8

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Asia » India » National Capital Territory » Delhi » Qutub Minar June 13th 2017

As a blonde California girl I must admit that living in India has not been an easy task. Whereas other Indian girls or expats in the community might have other experiences (as non-blondes) my experience is much different. I cannot leave my apartment alone at night, for example as men often try to harass me (in broad daylight) and in the evening after a few drinks let's just say Indian men can get a bit scary/creepy. When I was living in Egypt, Muslim men often tried to "marry" me (their proposals went something like this: "What's your name? MARRY ME!") however my first learned words in Arabic (do not touch) helped me to keep the men from attempting to grab my hand or wrist. In INDIA, however, men do not simply go for the innocent hand ... read more

Asia » India » National Capital Territory » Delhi » Qutub Minar June 13th 2017

Ahhh the sari dresses!!! As a blonde girl I think its safe to say aloud: One of the reasons I came to India was for the sarees. My first experience flying into the Delhi International airport, was the first time in my life I saw a woman wearing a sari. Almost every woman on the plane that day seemed to be dressed in a gorgeous array of colors, bangles, necklaces, nose rings, toe rings and various shiny things. (Shiny things=Blonde girls kyrptonite) I was in absolute heaven when I realized that living in India meant getting to dress up in the sari dress. Whether attending a festival such as Diwali, or getting invites to a wedding, any occasion to wear a sari you can count me in. Putting on the sari takes a bit of practice--and ... read more
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Asia » India » National Capital Territory » Delhi » Karol Bagh June 6th 2017

Living in New Delhi, India during the summer (whose idea was this again?!)...not the most comfortable of scenarios. Especially if your living in your flat without an air conditioner and only a ceiling fan and cracked open windows to help. So what to do...what to do what to do.... Option one) Buy an a/c (but that of course is very costly and lets face it this is a rented apartment) two) Rent an a/c (Sounds like a sweet deal, get it all summer long! But of course watch out for unbranded a/c's as this will cause the electricity bill to spike.) three) go swimming (But then again as a blonde white girl in India...that would mean searching for either a swimming pool with only a ladies section or checking the pool hours to see what time ... read more

Asia » India » National Capital Territory » Delhi » Qutub Minar June 6th 2017

Having been born and raised in the USA, let's just say my favorite foods consisted of Cheeseburgers, steak, meat, gravy with meat, salads with meat, more meat...and well...you get the point. So what's a California carnivore to do when you move to a country where it is FORBIDDEN to eat the oh so holiest of holy, sacred animal...the cow. Go vegetarian. Ok, so technically you can find chicken and even mutton (I don't recommend either) however I will say one thing: I've been eating vegetarian food in India and to tell you the truth I like it! Hinduism is a religion where people believe animals are sacred (and being an avid animal lover and professional horse trainer I can definitely relate with the logic.) Don't get me wrong, being all veg all the time is not ... read more
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Asia » India » National Capital Territory » New Delhi June 5th 2017

Its common in India to find joint families. I myself have had the pleasure of staying with several families as a guest on various occasions. A joint family is when the entire family (mom, dad, uncle, brother, cousin, sister, nephew, grandma, brothers sisters aunts cousin twice removed...) all live together in the same home. WHOA. Wait a second...how is that even possible?!?! Usually in the Joint families the family owns an entire building dedicated to their family (each couple having their own room and sharing only a common kitchen, living space and bathroom). Now this concept might seem completely suicidal for us Americans who only deal with our family once a year on Thanksgiving...but here in India, anything less than daily interaction with your family is simply unheard of. The word 'family" here has a very ... read more

Asia » India » National Capital Territory » Delhi » Qutub Minar June 1st 2017

Indian food...Indian food...Indian food... I'm sure many of us travellers coming to India relish in the thought of eating Indian food on a daily basis...and in the motherland itself!!! Here's a few tips I have for surviving the food in India: It often tastes better than it looks so don't shy away from those weird looking gravies and poorly planned place settings. Just because the dishes look clean...even the locals know better to wipe their plates and silverware with a napkin before diving in. Learn to eat with your hands (preferably only the right one which is needless to say easier said than done) Rats and Cockroaches might seem like safety concerns and health issues in the States...but here in India these sacred species are allowed to sit at the table with you while you dine. ... read more
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Asia » India » National Capital Territory » New Delhi May 26th 2017

India is a country many people say, "Love it or Hate it." And these words carry true for a reason. India is a challenging country, a land of complete extremes. From the extreme climates of desert heats or mountainous snow, to the extreme poverty and wealth from the slums to the palaces. My personal experience in India has been one of numerous ups and downs. I've encountered harshness and difficult situations to the max as well as experiences of kindness and helpfulness from utter strangers. Sometimes I myself cannot believe the circumstances and situations I am often faced with. Needless to say as a blonde, American girl the situations I'm often faced with can be sometimes downright scary but at the end of the day I am utterly thankful for what I have been blessed with. ... read more
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Asia » India » National Capital Territory » Delhi February 25th 2017

Nothing can prepare the traveller for Delhi, not Google, not Lonely Planet and not even other traveller's stories. We understood it would be noisy, chaotic and colourful but the degree to which these adjectives were appropriate was certainly understated. In just two days we visited sites from the north of Delhi to the south and thoughts of driving ourselves were very quickly dispelled after one minute on the road outside of our hotel. We were to find out later that the first rule of the Delhi Highway Code is that drivers must consider themselves immortal and that rule number twenty six is "Oh! and look out for pedestrians." We spent a couple of hours inside the National Museum to try and get an overview of Indian history and culture and even though our research beforehand gave ... read more
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Asia » India » National Capital Territory » New Delhi February 12th 2017

Geo: 28.6137, 77.1834Once again, we awake and plan to meet for breakfast early. We have to get to the Hoho bus station for Delhi City Sightseeing Tour. We were organised with a Ola cab (like Uber) and although it's only 6km away, with all the traffic, the bumps, the people, it all takes longer. The beeping of all the horns are now becoming drained into our heads, it's just a noise that happens all the time. Along the way, we see thousands and thousand of people commuting to work, to school, delivering fresh produce, furniture, steel lengths (6-8metres long), all in tuc tucs or motorbikes, cow and wagon, cars, overloaded buses, cows waddling along the side of the roads, dogs, some sleeping, some looking for food, it's so eye boggling to see the variety of transportation. ... read more
HoHo bus Sightseeing tour
Gurudwara Bangla Sahib Temple
Our new found friends showing us around

Asia » India » National Capital Territory » New Delhi February 11th 2017

Geo: 28.6137, 77.1834This morning, after not much sleep, we showered and met Hanh and Thanh for breakfast, it was a buffet with lots of choices. There was a variety of coffees and teas too. After filling up with food, we were able to go exploring the side streets which had local shops, some were still closed as we were early, but it was good just to get out and see what was around. Today is the day we get to meet Rohit, Praviin's youngest son, who has been put in charge of organising our visit to India for the Wedding. Manee also came with Rohit, she is Praviin's niece, and she has been organised to also help us with the Wedding outfits! We all travelled together to a market place called Graffar Market Beoper Mandal, a ... read more
Our 1st Indian Breakfast
Adventuring with Hanh and Thanh
Ready for shopping




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