Advertisement
Published: September 23rd 2008
Edit Blog Post
I LOVE SRINAGAR! After I left the office on Sunday afternoon, I was whisked away to the Delhi airport. I found my airline quickly and a nice young man quickly started conversation with me. When I told him I was going to Srinagar, he told me it was his home and he was happy I was going to see it.
My friend's name is Abrar. He was such a help to me and lead me through the crazy airport security (without him I would have been completely lost!) He is a student too and will be going to the UK soon to study vet medicine.
Getting on the plane we took a shuttle and he made sure that we would sit next to each other on the plane. We talked about pashmina, family, school, friends, and Kashmir over our one hour flight and exchanged phone numbers. Flying over Kashmir was quite breathtaking! The mountains are magnificant and I felt so close to God in that trip. When we landed Abrar also helped me with my foreign visitation papers which were a bit confusing. It's always nice to have friends in a different place!
We said good bye when I met Sheffie,
holding my name sign. He is the friendliest person I've ever met. They drove me through Srinagar and took me to the family I'm staying with. Srinagar is very different from Delhi 😊 The weather is much cooler and there are a lot more trees.
When I arrived to the house, I was a little nervous but I was quickly put at ease. I met Mama and Baba, the grandparents and their grandaughter, Sana who is twelve. She and I have become quick friends. Her english is perfect and she is always making me laugh. She thought I was her age, only taller. We played for a few hours and met the rest of the family (there are so many of them, I have a hard time keeping track!). They are fasting for Ramadan but are always eager to feed me.
Dinner was an experience. We all sat on the floor and I was dished out a huge plate of rice and other things that I really don't know what they were. It was all delicious, but I can never eat it all. I feel bad, but I would be sick if I ate it all!
I went to bed
very early, which wasn't easy in itself because you can hear the mosque loudspeakers from everywhere. Also, the bed is going to take some getting used to. I slept for a long time. When I finally got the nerve to leave my room at 10 am, Baba was waiting for me with breakfast. That has quickly become my favorite meal. Bread with jam and butter and an omlette. And as always, tea. Kashmiri tea is delicious!!! I didn't really know what to do after that, so I went back to my room and read/rested more. When it was time for lunch Baba came to get me and took me into the kitchen. Mama was shelling beans. They are so precious. Baba tried to teach me how to eat with my hands, it's a lot harder than it looks!
I helped Mama shell beans for a couple hours until Sana came home from school. Then we painted and drew pictures. It got very cold suddenly. Because of the high altitude, when it gets cloudy, it can become cold very fast!
Dinner again. The sight of food is starting to make me a little sick. I eat way too much because I
don't want them to think I don't like it. So many carbs, so little time. I'm afraid I'll be gaining weight here. They constantly tell me that it's my home and that I can eat what I want, but I really want to try living like them.
Today was better. I woke up early, took a shower and had breakfast (again, my favorite). Then I sat in the kitchen with Mama and watched her completely anialate a duck. I wanted to vomit. Without hesitation, she started at it and tore it into shreads. It takes a tremendous effort to put on the meals here. All day long, food is being prepared for dinner.
I had some fried potatos for lunch and was then taken on my tour of the Dal lake! This place is truly heavenly. Sheffie knows everything there is to know about everything. I would recommend looking up pictures of this place. It's like no other. I'll continue to keep you updated 😊
Advertisement
Tot: 0.041s; Tpl: 0.01s; cc: 7; qc: 24; dbt: 0.0223s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Mommy-Teri
non-member comment
You have truly grown up!
Wow! Moriah to live and tell about Mama cleaning a chicken is a true indication that you have grown up! Your quesie stomach has certainly been tamed! I'm so proud of you. Miss you and live to hear about your adventures. I love you, Mommy