Blogs from Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, Asia - page 71

Hey guys, just some quick logistical stuff. After comments from a couple of people, I realized that I've been resizing my images way to small, so I went back to about half my photos (just the good ones) and changed them to a bigger size. Now you can click on them to enlarge them. The second thing is, my phone isn't working. At first I thought it was because I hadn't given my complete residence information when I first bought the phone (to buy a phone in India, you need a copy of your passport, a passport photo, proof of residence, and about a hundred other things), but I called the store and fixed that. The only explanation now is that I've already used up the Rs 900 of talk time I'd put on it when ... read more

From Agra we caught the bus to Jaipur in Rajasthan. As we drew closer the landscaped changed, becoming more desert like with dust and sand everywhere, scabby trees and basically just dust on the horizon. And of course there was a steaming hot desert wind to match. There were camels though, and that made it all worth it. Have to have a special mention for our guesthouse, Hotel Pearl Palace - it is an awesome building all done up with local art, handicrafts, and plants. The rooftop restaurant has awesome wrought iron chairs in the shape of animals and a giant peacock on the roof. The view over the city is pretty awesome, especially at sunset, when it finally cools a little. We also got a room with a TV here which meant we got some ... read more

So here I am, on my lunch break, snacking on lovely, thick, fluffy, fresh-baked pita bread, and some kind of mayonnaise-based spread with cheese and mushroom flavoring at my desk, and I thought, "Hey, maybe I should put up a blog about my wonderful, pinch-me-am-I-still-in-Jaipur weekend." Saturday night was Brian's first event for his company, and it was a blast. Brian's boss is friends with a factory owner, so the owner let them use an abandoned factory building to set up a dance floor and a serious DJ system. The theme of the party was "Rain Factory" and in honor of the impending monsoon, rain makers were set up over the dance floor so that it was like dancing in a storm. The music was decent, and the best part was there were free snacks, which ... read more

Well, folks, yesterday marked two weeks in Jaipur. Brian and I moved on Tuesday into the house of my co-worker and immediately realized we'd made a mistake. Her parents are just creepy. Not in a homicidal way, but in a "I'm not sure I want to be living under the authority of these people for the next two months" way. They don't smile. And if Brian or I get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom or get water (no filter....so we're a little iffy on the water), they get out of bed and stand at the doorway of their room and watch us until we go back to bed. So another move is in order. Luckily, at the all-Jaipur trainee dinner last night (there are approximately 40 or 50 trainees ... read more

A few quick updates: last night Brian and I went to go check out the potential new apartment, which was nice, but the price kept changing. We're a little wary. Right now though, we've agreed to room, dinner four nights a week, and access to the washing machine for Rs 4500 a month (about $100). It's cheaper than where we are now, includes at least some food, and is much closer to our workplaces, so we won't be spending so much taking rickshaws to work in the morning. Also, (joy of joys), it is supposed to rain tomorrow, which means the temperature will drop considerably. In the week that I've been here, the average temperature has been 107 degrees F, and Sunday and Monday it was 111 degrees. Today it was already much cooler in the ... read more