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Published: December 16th 2010
Hello Everybody,
Sorry for the lack of updates but getting an Internet Connection in India has proved more difficult then we thought.
We have been typing our blog entries on Microsoft Word and attached is the post to date. Hopefully now that we have started our tour, we will be able to post regularly.
Hope everyone is doing fine. Our regards to all.
Gandesha Family
ps: We hope to post some pictures soon ( have taken in access of 1500 pictures to-date).
December 2, 2010 Frankfurt, Germany
We boarded our Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt just before 3pm. Both Shivani and Tejas have been great…..the flight was smooth….only wished the kids would have slept on the plane……just too excited I guess.
Landed in Frankfurt, Germany 7:30am. Snow on the ground with light flurries (-8).
Sam Writes: (@ 1:20am – Jet Lag is such a b#@%!h(MISSING))
Although the flight departed I hour and 15 minutes late, in the end we were only 10 minutes arriving in Frankfurt - I guess the Capitan “stepped on the gas”
Upon arrival at the Frankfurt Airport, I noticed the following:
• They take security very seriously here. All around the airport, there are German policeman waking around in pairs. Most are armed with long automatic weapons.
• There are a lot of US Military personnel in transit. They also have a special section set-up for them at the Terminal.
• Although the Airport itself is non smoking, you are allowed to smoke pretty much anywhere. Shivani and I found walking thru second hand smoke quite a challenge.
• As you exit the Airport, billboard advertisement about moving to South Africa and the fact they have no debt, currency or credit crisis. I was unable to take a picture but will try to do so today.
We had initially hoped to get a room right at the Airport that turned out to be full. We also had difficulty getting rooms at the City Hotels …. Turned out the EU is having emergency meetings in Frankfurt to discuss the Irish Economy Crisis. More food for thought.
We finally secured a family room @ a hotel 15 minutes from the airport (middle of no where). The rate was 95 Euros including 17 Euro commission paid at the Airport. The room is very small but efficient. Something that they have here in the rooms is that to operate any lights or electronics, you have to insert your hotel key card in a slot as you enter the room. Thus, when you exit, all lights and appliances turn-off in the room. I am sure we will see this being implemented more and more in our hotels. The only downside is that you cannot recharge you laptops and cameras when you are not in the room.
All in all, I thought our one night stay in Frankfurt would have cost more than it did.
You can’t go on vacation and not have any regrets. Today’s regret was that I decided not to drive in Germany. The Autobahn from the airport to the City has no speed limit posted anywhere. Both, the shuttle driver from the airport to the hotel and the taxi driver from the hotel to the city seemed to be Schumacher’s cousins. In addition to the lack of speed limits and the wonderful road conditions, I will have to say that the average German driver is head and shoulders better than the average Canadian driver. I will have to return to Germany and sample these roads.
Frankfurt City is very pretty. It has a mix of old and very modern architecture. The people are not rude at all, but they don’t look it. I wish they had more English signs just so we could understand better but then I wish I also spoke German.
Yamini writes:
I really wished we had all slept on the flight here. We are totally messed up with day and night now. Once we checked into our hotel, we all crashed….boy, that was the best sleep we have had in a while.
Once we were all up and fresh again, we headed into town for the infamous outdoor Christmas Market in. The temperature in the taxi showed -4.5 but it sure felt three times colder when we stepped out of the taxi. Sure glad we had our gloves!!!!
I have never seen a market like this in my life! There were so many stalls filled with all sorts of items from Christmas ornaments, jewelry, toys, trinkets, of course Ganesh’s *, and everything to keep you warm. The food stalls were mouth watering. There were huge fire pits with suspended barbeque grills covered with a variety of bratwursts’ (Of course, we had to try these…they were delicious…just ask Tejas.) There were also freshly roasted nuts, hot popcorn, crepes, chocolates and all sorts of other treats. The kids said they had the best ever hot chocolate, which came in cute ceramic Christmas mugs to keep. Sam and I had the hot apple wine, to warm us up of course. The market was jam packed with people. They were all huddling together, sipping their hot drinks and having a very merry time. It was so cold but you quickly forgot about it seeing all the warmth from the crowd. This was true Christmas Spirit.
We had looked up a Lebanese Restaurant (Alt Byblos) with great reviews before our trip and decided to go try it out. So glad we did….it was a great choice. We had hummus, babaganoush, tabouli, lamb skewers, chicken skewers and a flavourful rice. Yes, of course we had Arac (a licorice flavoured aperitif). Even Shivani enjoyed her meal. The owner was such a nice gentlemen who had emigrated 35 years ago from Lebanon. His original intention was to immigrate to Canada but ended up staying in Frankfurt. He spoke 5 languages (English, German, Italian, French, and Lebanese)!
We headed back to our hotel to sleep or at least try to sleep. We did all fall asleep but were all wide-awake by 3am! Only 11 more hours to our flight to Delhi…
As we were all up so early, we decided to have an early breakfast and head to the airport. We all had a great breakfast then were going to get the free airport shuttle. Little did we know, we had to book prior seats on the shuttle and all shuttles were full until 9am. We ended up waiting for a taxi, which costs about 40-50 euros. As our taxi pulled up a gentleman from China came running behind us to ask if he could share our taxi. I said yes as long as there was room in it. There was plenty of room. As the taxi pulled up to our terminal, the gentleman, who had not spoken a word to us, turns around and says, “This taxi is on me. Have a great trip”. As they say, it sure does pay to be nice. Hope he has a wonderful life too.
As we still have plenty of time, we get to explore Frankfurt Airport. And I thought YVR was nice…this airport was huge and full of lovely shops….of course we only window-shopped! (FYI showers including towels, soap and shampoo costs 8 euros if anyone is interested). While waiting to board our flight we met a couple from Seattle who was travelling to India for the second time. There seemed to be a little organization of order before boarding this flight. The couple turns to us and says, “If you think this isn’t organized, wait until you get to India”. I guess we have a lot to look forward to…
* “Ganesh”, the destroyer of all obstacles. For those of you that don’t know, on all the trips Sam and I have been on we have always sighted the Lord Ganesh. From our travels to Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Africa, Mexico, and England we have always spotted Ganesha in many different forms. Many of the Ganeshes have also travelled back with us. Hence our blog name “Searching Ganesh”
Shivani Wrote:
This is the first time I have written in this blog, so it might sound awkward at first.
The car ride to the Abbotsford airport was awkward, because the car that we rented was tiny. And with the luggage in there it was tough sitting through that long car ride. Everything was great afterwards....
Once we got to Calgary I was like, OH MY GOD. That airport is awesome. There are candy stores, toy shops, and much more. Before we had breakfast we walked around the airport, once we went upstairs we saw a place called Spaceport. Spaceport is like Science world, except with a space theme. Mom and Dad said that we could go there later. We went to Cheer’s for breakfast. Our waitress was weird. Some of the reasons why I thought she was weird are:
• Got Tejas’s order wrong (He ordered a Panini, she brought him pancakes)
• She brought Tejas cold Hot-Chocolate
• She walked like she had all day. (Even with my hurt knee, I could walk faster)
After we had breakfast we walked around for a bit, then checked our luggage in. After we checked our luggage in we went to Spaceport. Spaceport was awesome; it was my most favorite part in Calgary. In Spaceport I got to “fly a plane.” After we finished with Spaceport we had to start arriving at the terminal. The Plane was running a little late!!!!!😞 I was beginning to become inpatient). The Plane ride was great.
Once we got to Germany’s airport, I was shocked because it was so clean. Once we finished going through all the immigration we went out side. Once we got outside, I had troubles breathing because of the pollution, and since I have asthma it was even tougher. On the drive to the hotel, we drove through the city. It was very beautiful. The scariest thing about Germany was that the taxi driver drove so fast, but then I saw the speed limit and it was 120.
Sam Wrote:
I have to say Germany is organized – and clean. I wish we had some more time … I would love to visit Germany sometime soon. Just driving on the autobahn and looking at the signs – Wiesbaden, Cologne, Berlin …. So much recent history with the two world wars, the Cold War, etc. Last night we drove by a Judean Museum, this morning was the airfield where the Marshal Plan was staged out and the Berlin air supply. Definitely would like to come back and do a road trip.
Another thing that I have noticed, if you are standing in any queue, be prepared for someone to butt in. It has happened to us multiple times in the last 36 hours. Surprising most of the culprits are well-dressed professional people. I guess they have to be somewhere in a hurry.
I repeat, German security is efficient. After a while you can even spot the undercover security walking amongst the travellers.
We are on board to Delhi as I write this. The Lufthansa staff is more pleasant than on our Calgary flight. I sympathize with them though. They have a tough job and some passengers can be very rude and demanding.
We are now approx. 30 minutes from Delhi and I am looking forward to that “experience”. I am especially curious how the kids are going to react. Namashkar for now.
December 4, 2010 – DELHI, INDIA
Yamini wrote:
We are in India! As per schedule we landed with no problems in Delhi. We landed at the newly built airport in Delhi, very clean and pleasant. The staff that we encountered was also friendly. As we come out of the airport, our Sita Tour representative greeted us. We could feel the pollution in the air but it wasn’t as bad as I had been expecting. Our car and driver showed up a few minutes later. All four of us were garlanded with very fragrant marigolds. The driver quickly loaded our bags, handed us bottled water and let us into the car. Not a bad car….I’ll let Sam give more details. As we drove off to our hotel, The Grand New Delhi, we got to take in the first sights of India in the dark. It’s 3am and yes we still are messed up with our time…I know we will pay for this later. The kids are doing very well. They are so excited! As the driver pulls into the hotel, I can hear the kids saying “Wow!” It really is Grand and it is beautiful. All our bags were scanned before we entered the hotel, which I did not mind at all. Our Sita representative checked us in…I feel so spoiled already. We get into our room and it is very modern and comfortable. The kids are too wired to get to sleep. It is now almost 4:30am…..I better try and get at least a couple of hours of sleep…
I did manage to get a bit of sleep (sleep really doesn’t seem important at this moment…just can’t wait to explore). We all were ready and out of the room quickly as we were all so hungry. I had a fabulous breakfast of fruit, nuts, sprouted moong & chana, idli, sambhar, upma, and a danish….yes, I really did eat that much, but I wasn’t the only one.
We were to meet our driver at 10am and he was right on schedule. We headed out with him and the first thing he asked us is if we would like to see the Baha’i Temple. I was so glad he asked us, as this was one place Tejas had asked to see when he was researching Delhi but we didn’t think we would be able to fit it into our schedule. The Baha’i Temple is shaped like a lotus flower (sort of looks like the Sidney Opera house). It was so beautiful and peaceful. The perfect first stop for our trip.
I will let Sam explain his luck with Golf, but I will say it was enjoyable for us too, especially the food and the beautiful structures on the course.
During the drive there was so much to take in. The traffic was incredible but moving in organized chaos even without traffic lights or signage. I don’t know how they do it as the roads are shared with cars, rickshaws, bicycles, cows, dogs, and humans! We passed many slums. What is amazing is that these families looked so content. Seeing all this really makes you think how much we take things for granted.
I’ll let Sam tell about our interesting shopping stops, but I will tell you that the shopping malls here are amazing. Now, if only Sam would have let me shopped.
Our flight to Ahmedabad wasn’t until 9:30pm so we had time to go back to the hotel for a nice dinner and then head to the airport.
We landed around 11:20 and the kids are really excited to go see Dadi (Grandma) as is she to see them. We still have another 1.5 hour drive to go back to Mom’s place in Vidyanagar. Looking forward to another day.
Sam wrote: {Our First Day – Conversation with God & Golf too…..]
The arrival process in India went a lot smoother than I anticipated. We sailed thru Passport Control, baggage collection and customs without any hassles. The new Indira Gandhi Airport is massive but efficient. We weren’t hassled at all.
Unable to sleep due to the time difference and heightened sense of excitement, we were down for breakfast @ 7:00am. Wow, were we famished and the breakfast was wonderful. It had all the standard western options but also the traditional Indian options. We all, including Shivani, pigged out. The restaurant staff must have thought we had arrived from a third world country the way we ate.
At 10:00am we met with the car & driver we had arranged for. My intention in booking the car & driver was just to explore the neighboring areas and buy a few local necessities need for our trip. When the driver found out that a guide would not accompany us, he saw an opportunity to “earn some extra cash” by only taking us to shops that would pay him a commission. I hate being managed.
The first stop the driver, Baldev, suggested was the Lotus Temple. Ironically, Tejas had insisted we visit this temple when we were researching our trip to India. At that time, I had discouraged it because it did not fit into our itinerary.
As fate would have it, our first stop was the special. The Lotus Temple was serene. The volunteer guide at the temple explained the Baha’i faith and it was a moving experience. Something she said ..”prayer is a conversation with God”. That was especially moving for us. We, as a family, recited the Hanuman Chalisa in the main hall and then proceeded back to the car park. I think this was the most ideal start of our journey to India.
As we left the Lotus Temple, Baldev took us to “a special” shop that sold all sorts of artifacts and traditional clothing. The place was a rip off and Baldev was disappointed that we had not made any purchases.
I asked him to take us to the Connaught Market followed by the Khan Market. He proceeded to tell us that the vendors at those markets would rip us off and that he can take me elsewhere. After an engaging conversation, he realized that we were set in our ways and that we wanted to do, as we wanted.. he finally relented.
On route to Khan Market we drove by the Delhi Golf Club and I noticed the Indian Open Golf Tournament was on. I asked Baldev to turn around but he seemed apprehensive. Apparently security would not allow cars without the proper credentials from entering the parking lot. He suggested we exit the vehicle at the gate and walk in.
We did just that. The person in charge did not know how to “handle” us and he just let us walk-in. I don’t think he knew how to handle someone who just walks in without passes but obviously knew what was going on.
We entered the Club and after a brief look around, I quickly realized that this was special. We have never seen a live professional golf tournament. A few golfers I recognized on the leader board : Arjun Atwal, Jeev Milka Singh, Daniel Chopra, Jyoti Randhawa.
Yamini and the kids seemed concerned that someone would realize we were trespassing and kick us out. I told them to act like we belong and just relax. We went to the Food Tent and had a great meal. Something about this country, we are always so hungry and the food tastes divine.
After lunch, we briefly toured the Club House – old school, stiff upper lip, posh. We then proceed to walk a few holes. I wanted to watch Arjun Atwal and figured out he would be on the 14th hole. That was where we found him and we watched him play a couple of holes. The kids were getting tired and the humidity was getting to us so we headed back to the clubhouse. On the way we took some great pictures around the golf course – Delhi Golf Course is built amongst some Mughal Period ruins. Incredible!!
A couple hours later we hooked up with Baldev and his attitude had definitely changed. He than started with the sympathy card – trying to add to his income.
Having spent couple hours at the Golf Course, it was obvious that we did not have time to go to Khan Market. We asked Baldev to take us to the DLF Shopping Mall which is next door to our hotel. Wow! This mall can put all the malls we have visited before to shame. It had all the designer shops – Versace, Hugo Boss, etc. but also shops selling traditional wear. Yamini and Shivani were wild eyed – mesmerized.
We then headed back to the hotel – had another great meal, collected our luggage and headed back to the Airport for our 9:30 pm flight to Ahmedabad.
We arrived in Ahmedabad @ 11:30pm where my mum was waiting with us. We then proceeded to drive to her apartment in Vidyanagar 90 minutes away. We can hardly stay awake on-route.
Tejas Dictated:
I really wanted to go to the Baha’i Lotus Temple but my parents said no – but luckily our taxi driver suggested it and my parents agreed. It was special because we had to pray in silence.
We went to a golf course and there was a tournament going on. It was a PGA type tournament and we got in for free. I got to eat Indian French fries and chicken tikka – it was delicious. I also got to see the famous golfer – Arjun Atwal.
December 5, 2010: A visit to Child Haven
Sam Wrote:
The plan for the day was to travel from my mum’s apartment, which is in Vidyanagar, and go visit the Child Haven home in Gandhinagar.
Vidyaagar means place of learning thus there are a number of colleges in town. Gandhinagar means place of Gandhi – birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhinagar is also the capitol of the state of Gujarat. Statistically, Gujarat is the most prosperous state in India. It is also being touted as being the “greenest” city in India. That claim I am not buying.
The distance from Vidyanagar to Child Haven home is approximately 50 km but it took us 2 hours to travel there. The driver claims it normally takes longer but, today being a Sunday; traffic should be “lighter”. I am skeptical.
The chaos of travelling on the local roads is very tiresome. There are no rules other than you should honk every 15 - 20 seconds. Trucks, automobiles, scooters & motorcycles, camel carts and cows plus the people and everything else you can imagine share the road. I have always driven on our previous trips abroad, (Africa, Thailand, Hong Kong, Mexico, etc.) but I have to admit, I am not driving in India. This is sheer chaos – no madness. There is a system to driving here but I can’t figure out what it is.
I though have these 2 observations: Despite spending over 5 hours on the road today, we only came across one accident – that too a minor one. The people do not exhibit road rage. Rush hour traffic back home does not even appear on the “chaos scale” but we exhibit more frustration and road rage then they do here. I think we have more vehicle accidents then they do here. My observation only. The other thing I noticed is the people are not verbally abusive to each other. I have not heard any profanity even though we have been in some awkward situations. I think the lesson for the day is to be calm – relax. Don’t get excited if things do not go the way you planned. Think ZEN!!!!
The other observation is even though we have driven thru a number of slums and prosperous neighborhoods, I came across only 1 panhandler. She was an older woman begging on the street. There is however abject poverty all around us. Their living conditions are atrocious. Their hygiene is suspect. But their spirit does not show despair. I do not see envy in their eyes when they see people who have what they never will. I think they seem content or maybe resigned to their fate. That is maybe a good thing or a bad thing. I don’t know.
I will let Shivani, Tejas & Yamini elaborate about Child Haven and our visit there. All I will say, that it was special.
Shivani wrote:
Today is are second day in India, we flew to Ahmedabad last night. Dadi’s apartment is nice. I slept well, but it was very hot.
Today we drove to Ghandinagar to visit Child Haven. The children at the home were so happy to see us; I also was very excited to see them. Once Tejas and I handed out the balloons they were as happy as I was when I got an I-pod. Then the food came, they sure love Pao Bhaji. When we were eating they all started asking me what my standard was. I didn’t understand what standard was, so they asked Dad. Daddy said 5; I then realized that standard was grade. When I was eating two little girls started asking me questions in Gujrati. I just kept saying yes. Because I kept saying yes, I ended up with water, and onions to go along with my Pao Bhaji. Once us girls finished eating they brought in the boys. The boys spoke more English than the girls, so it was easier for Tejas to communicate. When the boys were eating, a whole bunch of girls came up to me, and asked me to help them blow their balloons up. Once I did we started playing pass. Once the boys finished eating their lunch, they came out to play with us girls. Dad started to take picture. The boys and girls were so happy to see pictures of themselves. I asked Dad for my Camera. Once they saw that I had my camera, they all started coming to me. Once some kids saw the other kids getting their pictures taken, they all started getting in the pictures. Some children wanted just of themselves, but some wanted with other people. Other kids started getting in the pictures that the groups didn’t want, so they started fighting verbally. At one point Dad was taking a picture, an a little boy got in that another group didn’t want so one of the boys in the group slapped the little boy.
It was like a stampede once I brought the candy out. Then Ice Cream came!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After Ice Cream we had to leave. The children looked sad, and asked if we would be coming back, I said yes.
After Child Haven we visited an Akshardam. We went through the gates, but we didn’t actually go in the mandir. We just walked around for a bit and grabbed some water. After we left we headed back to Dadi’s apartment.
Tejas Wrote:
Yesterday was a good day. It was fun because, we went to a golf tournament and the cool thing was that we got in for free. Today we went to the Child Haven. It was fun, because I made new friends, and they were all very nice. I liked how they were always smiling. We gave them balloons, and they were very happy, I was also very happy to see them playing with balloons. They were also very happy when we gave them chocolates. We gave them Kit-Kats!
When we started taking pictures of them, they started to get excited. Every time we took a picture of one person, another person came in.
Yamini Wrote:
This was the first day we actually got some real sleep. I think we are finally now on track with day and night. Today is our day to visit the Child Haven Home in Ghandinagar. Dadi and Dineshmama (Sam’s uncle) joined us too. The drive to the home seemed to take forever. The driver seemed to be quite confident that we would be there well before noon. We wanted to be there by noon as the children, staff and visitors were going to be served lunch of Pav Bhaji at 12:30 but we didn’t get there until just after that.
The girls and the boys used to share the same home until recently when the government asked that they be in separate homes. The home we were to visit was where the girls were staying. The boy’s home is about 7 km away. When we finally arrived, the girls were sitting outside waiting for us very excitedly. We notice Bonniema right away with a group of volunteers from Canada. Everyone seemed quite anxious to see us especially the kids. Kalaben, the home manager, kindly greeted and welcomed us all and explained that the boys were on their way. Kalaben along with her husband, Mukeshbhai, run this home very efficiently. She is a wonderful caring woman who the children really love and respect. She told me that Bonniema had told her how Shivani had collected donations from children of Meadowridge School and that they were also so humbled and proud of her caring gesture. We were then introduced to everyone there.
The boys soon arrived. There seemed to be a lot more boys then girls. They too were all so cheerful. I noticed that even the staff are all dressed in their best to greet us. I went over with the kids and said hello to the children who were so happy to introduce themselves and tell us what standard they were in. The shy children always had someone eager to speak for them. Most of the kids seemed quite excited to practice their English skills with us. They probably laughed when we spoke in Gujarati to them. Shivani and Tejas handed balloons to all the children. I have never seen children so happy to be receiving the small gift. The joy in their faces was priceless. Both Shivani and Tejas helped the children blow the balloons up. It was wonderful seeing them both interact with the children there. They looked like they were really enjoying themselves too.
The girls were then asked to wash up and head in for lunch. Shivani also joined them. We walked into the very clean empty room where the girls sat quietly, cross-legged in a nice circle with their lunch plates in front of them. Once all the girls were served their lunch, they all said a prayer and began to eat. Shivani seemed to be really enjoying her Pav Bhaji too. As the girls ate, Tejas continued to have a great time playing with the boys outside. As soon as the girls were done eating, the boys washed up and headed to the dining room. Yes, of course Tejas joined them. He loved the Pav Bhaji too. We along with the rest of the volunteers were served lunch. It really was delicious.
Shivani presented the Meadowridge donation of over $2200 to Bonniema and Kalaben. They were really appreciative of this and asked her to thank the children of her school. Shivani really made us proud for taking this on all on her own!
Shivani and Tejas then handed out the candy they had brought for the children. The children were so grateful. I could see that Shivani and Tejas were really feeling good about making these children so happy.
The children of the home had a great time having their photos taken. It was so cute, the kids would come up to me and say “Yaminiben, maro parn photo levso, please” (Yamini sister, will you please take my picture, too). They were so excited to see their pictures on the digital camera.
Soon the ice cream arrived. All the children, staff and visitors enjoyed their ice cream. Yes, we did too. They all really appreciated the lunch and ice cream from our family. It was so gratifying for us too.
It was really hard to leave the home and the children. It was so wonderful to see where the donations to Child Haven are going and how happy all these children truly are. There really are no words that can describe what Bonniema has done for these children by setting up these homes for them. She truly is an inspiration for me.
After we left Child Haven we headed back to through Ghandinagar and stopped at the Akshardam temple (Swaminarayan Temple). Apparently this is a small version of the infamous Akshardam we will be visiting in Delhi. We decided just to go in to get some water. There was strict security here as well (no purses, phones, and cameras). Last year a few people were killed at this temple during a raid so they had stepped up security drastically. We were in there for just a few minutes and then headed back to Mom’s. I think we all fell asleep on the drive back.
December 6, 2010 – A rest day!!
Sam’s Observation:
The kids are taking well to India. Although they are uncomfortable driving thru the slum areas and obviously moved they are not scarred by it. We are taking the appropriate health precautions – bottled water, watching where you step etc.
I on the other hand found yesterday a bit difficult. The mass of people around everywhere is getting to me. The fact people let garbage and filth accumulate around them is unsettling. The constant sound of horns beeping and congested traffic is something else.
I also cannot understand why my mum would choose to spend 2 months a year living here. I need to find out why!
Having made the earlier comment, after breakfast, my mum took us for a walk thru her neighborhood and introduced us to a number of people. There is a strong sense of community here and the people are genuinely nice. We then visited the local Mandir (temple) where my mum goes to worship. It is truly a wonderful place.
Yamini wrote:
It’s Monday and I can’t wait to go to the Mandir here to do pooja. After breakfast we all walk over to the mandir. The mandir is only a few blocks away. (Every morning at exactly 6:15am we hear the temple bells after the morning aarti from Dadi’s home). The walk to the mandir was really interesting. We had to watch every step to make sure we didn’t step on anything unpleasant. We stopped to chat with everyone mom knew (I’m starting to understand why mom loves it so much here). We walked along side cows, dodged rickshaws, bicycles and cars, and watched some monkeys swinging on branches. When we reached the mandir, it felt really peaceful. We purchased our milk and billi patra (religious leaves) from just outside the temple. This place is so tranquil, such a different feeling from back home. We had a chance as a family to recite the Hanuman Chalisa right in front of the beautiful Hanuman shrine. An incredible feeling! Another reason mom loves this place.
We then headed to the local supermarket by mom’s home. It has everything she needs and much cleaner than our local Indian stores. Mom and the kids then headed back home. Sam and I decided to take a stroll and check out the life around here. Everyone seems so content. We watched some construction. What a difference from back home, but it works. The men carry gravel in baskets on top of their heads from one end of the site to the other, even stopped to pose for Sam taking pictures. We also stood at one intersection for about 10 minutes and tried to figure out the rules in traffic with no luck.
After lunch we headed out to try to get some shopping done. There are so many beautiful items making it so hard to shop. Punjabi suits, which normally would cost over $200 back home were, about 1800 rupees here, approximately $40. Shivani seemed to be enjoying the experience of shopping (I can’s say the same for Tejas, though). We headed to the Market in Anand. It was full of different types of shops from utensils to clothing. The Mukhwas store was a hit. So many different types of mukhwas! I stood outside with the kids, while Sam, Dadi and Dineshmama looked like they were in a candy store. It was hilarious! They called me in to try it too! I completely forgot I was fasting and had feast of mukhwas. I felt terrible afterwards but felt better when the Shivani and Tejas looked and me and said “Mom, God will forgive you”. I did feel a bit better. After purchasing 5 large shopping bags of Mukhwas and other spices we called it a day.
Shivani:
Today I got to meet a lot of Dadi’s friends, and I got to go to a mandir. I also got to go to supermarket called, D-Mart.
The people that I got to meet were very nice. They all asked me my name and my standard (which I remember from Child Haven.) I answered with Shivani, and Fifth standard☺!
The Mandir was very nice (in case some of you are wondering a Mandir is a temple) This Mandir wasn’t like the Mandir’s I have been to, these Mandirs have different sections for each God.
The Market was just like any Supermarket we have here, except it was way cleaner, and has mostly Indian items. There security in India is way better here. My Dad had to keep the Camera in a cupboard to go in! And you have to keep your purse in a special D-Mart bag when walking around. ☺
December 7, 2010: A trip to Baroda
Shivani:
Today we are going to visit Baroda. Dad used to go to school in Baroda.
We are going to visit his school in Baroda, and we will also be going shopping!!!!!!!!!!!
We just came back from Baroda. Baroda was fun, because WE GOT TO GO SHOPPING, and I got lots of stuff. We also got to visit Dad’s school. Sure glad I don’t have to go there! They have lots of discipline. But they have a swimming pool!!
Sam Wrote:
Today we visited Baroda or Varodra as it is now known. I spent two years of my life here . At that time I was enrolled @ Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan School which was a boarding school. My uncle & aunt lived in Pratapnagar.
The purpose of visiting Baroda was threefold:
1. My mum wanted me to open a joint bank account with her at the State Bank of India – Alkapuri Branch. I have to admit. The bank staff, especially Hemaben, was very professional and ultra efficient. I did not expect this kind of service in India.
2. We also visited my old school. I wish I hadn’t. I was not expecting it to be as run down as it is now. It is not the same school as when I was a student. Back then there was discipline
3. The last reason for visiting Baroda was shopping. Yamini and my mum had a grand old time.
Tejas is a little tired today and it looks like all the travelling is getting to him. I am hoping it is nothing major as tomorrow is a travel day.
December 8, 2010: Puttaparthi (Sai Baba Darshan)
Sam Wrote:
We left Vidyanagar @ 5am for our 9am flight to Bangalore via Indigo Airlines. Two hour later we arrived @ Bangalore International Airport. First impression : WOW! Bangalore is a major IT Centre in India and companies such as Microsoft, HP, Dell, etc. have invested in this city. I am impressed.
We hired a private taxi for Rupees 3000 to drive us to Puttaparthi – which is where Sai Baba’s Ashram is located. A journey that the driver said would take 2.5 hrs took less than two.
The most incredible thing about the day was Tejas. Since last night he has a fever and is visibly weak. All the traveling, irregular meals and lack of sleep is catching up. Despite that, neither Tejas nor Shivani have complained. They have been great about everything.
We got to the ashram at 3:45pm and expected the evening service to start @ 4:00pm. Tejas and I got as close to where we thought Sai Baba would sit and squatted on the marble floor as the local worshippers were doing. Most of the foreign worshippers had cushions or mats that they brought with them. We did not. We squatted on the marble floor and other worshippers sat around us. I fully expected the service to start @ 4pm. Yamini and Shivani sat in the ladies section under similar conditions.
All the bhajan and devotional songs started at 4pm, Sai Baba did not enter the hall until after 7:15pm. Thru-out Tejas lay on my lap even though he had a slight fever. He was a true trooper.
Yamini Wrote:
The children are doing amazingly well here. They really seem to be taking everything in so well. Tejas was having a down day but has been a great sport about it all.
Once we arrived in Puttaparti and settled into our hotel (Sai Ram Hotel), which was clean and comfortable, we headed to Pratam Nilyam to hopefully get to see Baba. We were told that darshan would be at 4pm. We got there just before then and Shivani, Mom and I headed over to the ladies section. As mom needed a chair, Shivani and I proceeded on to see if we could sit up front on the floor. The hall was huge and beautiful (Shivani counted 200 chandeliers hanging from the ceiling!) There were so many Sai Devotee volunteers from all over the world, many looked like they were from Nepal. We were very fortunate to make it right up front. We noticed that many devotees had brought along cushions to sit on (wish we had too). Shivani and I enjoyed the melodious Sai bhajans (many of which we were familiar with). It really felt special being there. A feeling that is really difficult to explain, perhaps a sense of peace that I have never felt before. Three hours passed by without us realizing it and there was still no sign of Baba. We were sitting next to some young school girls, who were also there for the first time to see Baba. They decided to leave. Shivani turned to me and asked me when we would be seeing Baba. I had no idea if we would be as I had heard that not everyone was fortunate enough to get Baba’s darshan. I had a real positive feeling and said to Shivani, “Baba is just testing our patience, willpower, and faith. If we have faith in him, we are surely going to get his blessings”. I was truly amazed with Shivani’s patience and maturity at this time. She looks at me and says, “ I hope bhai (Tejas) is doing okay”. I was just thinking the same as we could not see them at all and knowing that he was feverish we were concerned. It was almost 7:30 and we saw a bit of commotion and knew that Baba was near. Soon after we saw Baba being wheeled in a customized wheelchair. He looked quite frail but had such an incredible feeling of presence. We were only 10 rows back from were he passed by us. Shivani made eye contact with Baba and he nodded his head. What an incredible feeling! I was so happy she had this experience. She told me it was so worth the wait. She had patiently sat on the hard marble tile for over 5 hours without a fuss! This is a day we will never forget for the rest of our lives. We have truly been blessed.
Shivani Wrote:
Today we fly to Bangalore. I am very excited, because we might get to see Sai Baba. (For some of you who don’t know Sai Baba is a reincarnation of god. First there was Shirdi Sai Baba, and now there is Satya Sai Baba. After Satya Sai Baba dies, there will be Prema Sai Baba)
We have just arrived at Bangalore, and now we are driving to Puttaparti.
We just got to Puttaparti, and have found a hotel. There are so many pictures of Sai Baba, and items too.
We are now going to walk to the ashram, where we will hopefully get to do darshan to Sai Baba.
Wow! What an experience. WE GOT TO SEE Sai Baba!!!!!! We waited so long to see Baba, but it was worth the wait. We waited for 6 hrs. to see Baba. Mom said that he was just testing our patience. It was great Sai Baba stayed for a hr. or 2.
Once it was time for him to leave, a car pulled inside the Ashram! The car was so special.
• It was a TATA
• It was designed so his wheel chair could wheel in without him getting out.
• We could see inside.
December 9, 2010 – Puttaparthi
Sam Wrote :
Today we decided not to go for the morning pooja but to sleep in.
After a relaxed to the morning, I connected with a rickshaw (auto) driver and negotiated that for Rupees 300 he will show us the various sites around Puttaparthi. It was well worth the money and after I gave him an additional tip, he kindly refused. Among the sites we visited were the Sai Museum, the Sai Hospital and a drive to the neighboring village. Tejas sat up front with Jeet (the auto driver) and he had a million watt smile the entire time. I am so glad he is back to his normal cheerful self.
We had lunch at the Hanuman Café where we all ordered a pizza and soup. Again the meal was delicious.
Later on that day we attended the evening pooja but unlike yesterday, we did not go early. We got there @ 7pm and Sai Baba was already there. After darshan, we called it a night since the private taxi we had hired was picking us at 5am tomorrow morning.
Overall, it was a good day. Puttaparthi is a religious town and as such it gets a lot of visitors. Unfortunately this also attracts the beggars and panhandlers. Despite knowing that most of these people are not truly needy, it gets to you. When I was approached by three young children asking for money, I offered to buy them food instead. They promptly agreed and said I could buy them apples from the nearby vendor. As soon as I did so, a thought crossed my mind that they would re-trade the apples to the vendor for partial sum of the money. When I asked them to eat the apples, they did so happily and then proceeded to pose for pictures. I don’t know what to make out. They seem needy and happy at the same time. Panhandlers back home need the money for their drug addiction. Panhandlers here ????
December 10, 2010 – Return to Ahmedabad.
Sam Wrote :
Another early wake-up call and on the road by 5am. Today, the ride was scary because not only was the driver sleep deprived, but the highway was very busy with transport trucks. Most of these trucks were overloaded and did not have any rear lights. You had to be constantly vigil. I was glad when we got to the airport on time and in one piece. Our flight to Ahmedabad was not scheduled to leave until 10am.
Once in Ahmedabad, we went to my mum’s friends place for lunch. After that, my mum and I went to the Ahmedabad Mercantile Bank where she has a safety deposit box. Her intention was to sign me as a signatory. What a joke this was. We started with one bank employee and then he passed us on to the assistant bank manager who then introduced us to the senior bank manager. They all confirmed that because I was not an Indian citizen, it was impossible. The fact that I could not be signed as a signatory was understandable but the entire process was hilarious.
After that we visited an astrologer, Mr. Modi, who had originally prepared all our “janmotris” (horoscopes). This too was very interesting.
We did not arrive back in Vidyanagar until after 9pm. It has been a long day.
December 11, 2010: Relaxing Day in Vidyanagar
Yamini Wrote:
Today we had relaxing day with Mom. We visited the Health Farm that mom stayed at in Vidyanager and met the owner/doctor. This was a very nice and peaceful place and now we understood why mom liked it here. We visited Savitamasi, who was mom’s bridesmaid at her wedding.
We went back to Anand to pick up the suits we had altered. I found my silver Laxmiji murti (statue) too.
December 12, 2010 : Vidyanagar
Sam Wrote :
Today was a rest day in anticipation to the start of out tour tomorrow. My mum made a sumptuous meal of sweet roti and kadhi. Eating here is becoming a problem. The food tastes delicious and I have a tendency of overeating.
In the afternoon we visited the Shirdi Sai BabaMandir and the Ganesh Mandir. We also got to meet my mums friends. I think I am getting to know why mum is drawn to this place. The people are really nice. They truly care about each other. Neighbors will walk into your house un-announced and help. There is a community feeling that I have yet to feel back home.
Visiting the temples in the neighborhood is actually a peaceful serene experience. Back home it is something that you have to do
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Miss Metz
non-member comment
What a wonderful journey...
Yamini, Sam, Shivani and Tejas, Thank you for each sharing your experiences. I am enjoyed reading each update and experiencing India through your eyes. Your writing has made me chuckle, smile, cry and made my mouth water - the food sounds delicious. I can't wait to read more. I can't wait to see your pictures as well. Shivani: I am so proud of you and I am glad you were able to see first hand how your initiative will help the children of Child Haven. You have shown remarkable dedication to this project. Thank you for explaining about Sai Baba. I am glad you were able to see him. Tejas: It sounds like you had a wonderful time at Child Haven and that you helped to make a memory that children will never forget. I am so glad you were able to see the Bahai'i Lotus Temple. I am also glad to hear that you are feeling better. Yamini and Sam: While I am enjoying reading about your experiences and insights; I am, moreso, enjoying reading what you are seeing while you watch your children grow throughout this journey. Your writing conveys beautifully your awe and pride of Shivani and Tejas. Thank you again for sharing your experiences. Stay safe and enjoy the rest of your trip!