After a rough few days, India redeemed itself to me. Last Wednesday night we got a babysitter so Mike and I could go out and we had one of the more fun times I've had in a while.
We stopped at the Mango Mela and bought 7 kilos of mangoes for about 6 or 7 dollars.
We went to the mechanic who's working on Mike's motorcycle. It was just after sundown. We were in the Old City standing on the side of the road drinking chai. It must have been an auspicious day for marriage because we saw at least four wedding bands marching through the streets. One of them was headed to the temple around the corner from the mechanic's shop so I stood on the corner and watched. As I waited for the band to go by I looked up and saw a group of bats fly overhead. I thought of "Giant vampire bats," from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. The Old City was so busy with the hustle and bustle of evening business that, dressed in my khurta, I could stand in the middle of it all and be nearly invisible. The white guy fixing up a classic Indian motorcycle--Mike--drew more attention than I did. The brass band went by and Mike and the other men had to raise their voices to be heard over the noise, but it didn't phase any of us at all, we've become so used to it. This is the kind of India I like.
Then we went to dinner. We went to 4 Seasons, which is an old Hyderabadi institution. It's simple, with an upstairs "family dining" section. (Many restaurants have a downstairs area for men only; couples and mixed groups go upstairs.) We had delicious fresh pineapple juice with Middle Eastern and Indian food. It was the perfect end to the evening.
My last few runs have been better. I went to the gym twice to use the treadmill and since I'm the only person there every time I go it's nice and relaxing. I've also been back on the roads, being sure to wake up early enough to avoid most of the annoyances from my last post. I miscalculated my training program for the half marathon so it starts a week earlier than I expected. The 10K race I'm doing in a couple weeks is the first long run of my training schedule. I kind of like how the timing works out, since I certainly won't be tempted to skip it or cut it short. The hardest long run is that first one.
Muffin enjoyed our haul from the Mango Mela.
We stopped at the Mango Mela and bought 7 kilos of mangoes for about 6 or 7 dollars.
We went to the mechanic who's working on Mike's motorcycle. It was just after sundown. We were in the Old City standing on the side of the road drinking chai. It must have been an auspicious day for marriage because we saw at least four wedding bands marching through the streets. One of them was headed to the temple around the corner from the mechanic's shop so I stood on the corner and watched. As I waited for the band to go by I looked up and saw a group of bats fly overhead. I thought of "Giant vampire bats," from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. The Old City was so busy with the hustle and bustle of evening business that, dressed in my khurta, I could stand in the middle of it all and be nearly invisible. The white guy fixing up a classic Indian motorcycle--Mike--drew more attention than I did. The brass band went by and Mike and the other men had to raise their voices to be heard over the noise, but it didn't phase any of us at all, we've become so used to it. This is the kind of India I like.
Then we went to dinner. We went to 4 Seasons, which is an old Hyderabadi institution. It's simple, with an upstairs "family dining" section. (Many restaurants have a downstairs area for men only; couples and mixed groups go upstairs.) We had delicious fresh pineapple juice with Middle Eastern and Indian food. It was the perfect end to the evening.
My last few runs have been better. I went to the gym twice to use the treadmill and since I'm the only person there every time I go it's nice and relaxing. I've also been back on the roads, being sure to wake up early enough to avoid most of the annoyances from my last post. I miscalculated my training program for the half marathon so it starts a week earlier than I expected. The 10K race I'm doing in a couple weeks is the first long run of my training schedule. I kind of like how the timing works out, since I certainly won't be tempted to skip it or cut it short. The hardest long run is that first one.
Muffin enjoyed our haul from the Mango Mela.
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| Our housekeeper juices mangoes while Muffin sucks on the pits. |
3 comments:
Glad you and India have made up for now, ha! Love the picture of Muffin sucking on the mango pits. I have been a little hesitant to buy fruit here because I am not sure where to go get good fruit and I find the whole soaking in bleach ritual a pain but I am really crave fruit...
Washing the fruit is what the housekeeper is for. :)
If you want mangoes, buy them soon. The season is short. There's a kind known as freezing mango that you can put in the freezer whole, then peel off a little of the skin and eat the frozen pulp with a spoon. It's just like sorbet!
Where are you going for vacation? Back to RI?
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