..travel journal : delhi..

It was almost 15 years ago when Rich told me that if I could survive a trip to the Boundary Waters, I could survive a trip to India. I was a little wary of his comment, but also thought confidently to myself, "I got this. I'll show him my 'roughing it' skills."

The trip came and went, and back-country camping chewed me up and spit me out. It was a memorable trip, for many reasons, but my 'roughing it' skills were not what I anticipated. I suppose it could have been the fact that I took it upon myself to lighten our load by finishing the box of wine we had decided to bring, resulting in the nastiest hangover of my life. Seriously? Trying to warm your freezing body on a dark rock in the sun while your head is pounding is NOT fun. Maybe it was the incessant rain that made it impossible to dry anything out. Or perhaps, perhaps, it was the moment that I fell backwards onto the muddy trail with a huge dry pack on, and found myself stuck up-ended like a turtle who's been overturned onto its shell. Yes, a memorable trip, with no shortage of laughter at my expense.

Fast forward to today. We finally took that trip to India.

We covered immense territory on this trip, and we traveled with a large group of family and friends. The whole reason we decided to take the trip was because Rich's cousin was getting married in Kerala, which is in the southernmost state of India. With Rich's school schedule giving him a generous winter break, and children at ages that are still young enough to miss school without lagging too far behind, we decided to extend the trip so that we could see more of India than just Kerala. After all, most of Rich's mother's family is still living in India. After 12 years of marriage, I suppose it's time to meet her side of the family.

We mapped out our trip such that we started in Delhi (it's cheapest to fly into Delhi or Mumbai), made our way to the wedding, and then finished up where family live in Andhra Pradesh/Telangana. Two and a half weeks we traveled a good chunk of India, with our neighbors and Rich's brother's family, and Rich's cousin's family (15 of us, total -- 8 adults and 7 kids, aged 2-16).

How did it go, you ask? Let's start in the north...

We arrived in Delhi in the middle of the night. We were pretty wide-eyed, as the time difference had our bodies feeling like it was lunchtime.  It was difficult to see anything, but we definitely felt as though we were in a well populated city, and at the time I couldn't tell if it was just really foggy, or if the pollution was that bad.

We took the first day to simply acclimate to the time and enjoy catching up with family. The kids played together wonderfully, and it had been awhile since we had all seen each other, so taking it easy was exactly what we needed. The hotel was very westernized, so meals could be Indian if you chose, but there were also 'Asian' options and 'Western' options. It was all set out buffet style, so each palate was more than satisfied. If you had a hankering for beef, however, you had to settle for water buffalo.

The second day we were there we took a driving tour of Delhi. We had compiled a list of places we wanted to see, and hired a bus to take us around the city. I am so grateful for that bus.

There is not a rat's chance in hell that I could ever drive in India...or hail an auto rickshaw for that matter. The congestion was at a  level that I have never before experienced. New York and L.A. are tame compared to India. And realistically, the rules of the road are simply that larger vehicles have the right of way. And the honking--so much honking. The honk is meant simply as a 'hey, I'm coming up on ya.' Just a 'toot-toot' get out of my way type thing, but a constant sound nonetheless. I took comfort in the fact that we only drove between 25 and 40 mph, although travel times were painstakingly slow at that speed with the congestion.

Now let's say that you do acclimate to the haphazard driving. Once you are able to open your eyes, unclench your fists and catch your breath, then you will notice the sheer amount of 'stuff' that lines the streets of Delhi. There are few open spaces, and it can very well make you feel claustrophobic. What exists in these spaces? Anything you can imagine. There are homes, food carts, litter, people, vendors, parked cars, bikes, hanging laundry...and the list goes on. Even amid traffic, young girls would perform acrobatics on the street (between cars!) with the hope of being given a few rupees.

The conditions that some of the people live in are so foreign to what we know and understand. I will say that, as a society, they are incredibly resourceful. One can instantly feel bad for what some have to endure, yet more often than not I saw smiling faces and lively conversational exchanges, especially among the children. It doesn't appear to be a country that feels sorry for itself, but rather, a country that is enterprising and making the most of what they have available to them.

As for the pollution, it was that bad. There was a constant brown haze in the sky. You didn't realize how bad it was until you came home at night and found yourself in coughing fits. And while the air pollution took a toll on our lungs, there was also your standard run-of-the-mill litter, and the unexpected human/animal waste. It's not often you see a billboard encouraging the use of toilets. We definitely watched where we were walking.

As I said, we took great care before a plane even took off to have a rough itinerary of what we wanted to see in Delhi. On the docket were Qutub Minar, the Lotus temple, Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, and the Dilli Haat bazaar. It was a long day, but gave us a nice introduction to the country.

Qutub Minar is the tallest brick minaret in the world, constructed of sandstone and marble. Built in 1200 AD, it is surrounded by other monuments, both finished and unfinished, significant in both the Islam and Hindu faiths. We did have a guide who gave us a proper tour, but I was more entranced with the details of the buildings, some of the wildlife, and making sure that there were no stragglers. It's hard to believe that some of these treasures are over 800 years old.

Our next stop was the Lotus temple. The Lotus temple is a house of worship for members of the Bahai religion, but welcome any denomination to worship there as well. It was built in the 1980's, and is relatively new compared to the Qutub complex. In order to enter the temple, you must take off your shoes and leave them outside. We opted to skip the indoor tour and stayed outside where we could rest assured that our shoes would remain our own. That, and kids were starting to show signs of needing to eat.

Have I ever mentioned that our last name is the result of an immigration misunderstanding? 'Tis true. My father-in-law was quite the field hockey player when he was a young man living in India, and was given the nickname Dhyan Chand. When he was filling out his immigration paperwork to enter the US, he mistook "Last Name" to mean "Nickname," and our family name of Dhyanchand was born. Naturally, the Dhyanchands in our group wanted to do a quick drive by of Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium. Nothing more was needed or required.

The last stop on our Delhi tour (after lunch, of course) was the Dilli Haat bazaar. It is a state run bazaar that requires a modest entrance fee so you can peruse the booths without being bothered by any number of distractions that exist on the regular city street. Most kids opted to stay on the bus for this, which allowed those who needed to take a nap the space to do so.

The bazaar was a tremendous treat for the crafter in me. There were textiles, wood, and paper crafts galore, with such beautiful colors and techniques displayed. While I was taken with how many different handicrafts were available, I hesitated to buy anything because that would have required me to haggle. I don't mind an occasional flea market haggle (of which I am sure I do not drive a hard bargain), but to be thrown into negotiating on the second day of being in a country that pushed my senses in every way conceivable was not something that I was remotely interested in.

A purchase was made, however, and it still puts a smile on my face. For a mere 200 rupees (about $3), Craig bought 'Isaac Newton's Delhi Christmas Extravaganza' CD. It was the most appropriate souvenir, I think, because it was Isaac Newton's. In an odd way, it represents the perfect duality that exists in India -- that of a culture rich in artistic endeavors, and more recently, a culture placing increased importance on the fields of science and mathematics. A Delhi Christmas Extravaganza, indeed. I have yet to hear that CD, but I'm certain when I finally do, I will be transported back to this day -- the day I first ventured out onto the streets of India.

..be mine..

Too much illness here the last couple of weeks...ugh. Whatever virus has plagued our family has been a bit of a bear to get rid of. Thankfully, I have not succumbed yet to this bug (knock-on-wood), although I am feeling a tad snuffly. We shall see.

There's been a bit of making, nonetheless, and that includes the yearly valentines.

This year I had the kids choose and make their own valentines. I may have gotten the supplies ready, I may have printed said valentines, and I may have used the hot glue gun and the exacto knife to prevent any nasty injuries. But the rest was all them.

Isaac chose a 'Yoda Best' valentine, that was simple and not overly mushy. These are very important qualities to a boy teetering on the edge of middle-school-dom. Stay cool...and do no more than you have to.

Evy chose another simple valentine, utilizing only a chocolate heart and the alphabet. This was not her first choice, however. She would have preferred to make tic-tac-toe games for everyone and attach a package of tic-tacs to each. Perhaps if she was in a class of 4 students it would have been more cost-effective.

Margot chose the most elaborate of valentines. These little gnomes were too cute to say no to. And I had everything on hand but the kisses. She created little heart "feet" so that she could put students' names on them, and it worked out marvelously. She is my little artist, and fully enjoyed every step in making these beauties.

Rich and I had a nice valentine's dinner with friends (on Valentine's eve), which also involved some gambling. There were high hopes of winning 300 billion dollars, but alas, it was not meant to be. Maybe next time, eh?

We will be spending our valentine's day as a family, enjoying tennis, and laying low. Maybe we shall be rid of the viral beast by weekend's end? One can dream, yes?

Happy Valentine's Day!

..city fun..

I do love the quiet rural life that we have embraced, but it is fun to venture out and travel to more populated cities, too.

A week or so ago, Rich and I took a weekend trip to Chicago with our neighbors. We were without kids for the first time in a long time, and it was a wonderful break from our otherwise busy life.

We left Friday afternoon, with a minivan full of 4 adults, 3 kids, and a yellow lab. We were packed in. Our pit stop in Rockford relieved us of the children and dog, we said our goodbyes and good lucks, and promptly got back on the road to head to the big city. My sister is a saint for taking responsibility of our kids and the beast, although much fun was had by all during our 44 hour mini-break.

I cannot speak for my children and the dog, but I can say that from Friday to Sunday, I enjoyed:

~ Chicago-style deep dish pizza

~ French greyhounds, mochas, lattes, and red wine

~ a couple of simple, yet relaxing, spa treatments (hello, scalp massage..)

~ Millennium park

~ Chinatown

~ Ubering, for the first time

~ the Chicago Art Institute

~ seeing an old friend, and making some new ones

~ safely returning to the ground floor from the 96th floor  (geez, I seriously hate heights)

~ an unseasonably warm January day, which made walking almost 6 miles around the city delightful, albeit tiring.

It was a fun trip. It's nice to get away, expose yourself to people and places that are different and unfamiliar. Chicago holds many memories for me, and I was glad to add to them.

Thank you for your hospitality, Chicago...see you again soon!

..busy as bees..

On any given day, there is tremendous activity in our house. I'm not so different from most people with kids similar in age to mine, I'm certain.

We have acclimated to our new small town quite well. I have enjoyed becoming a part of the community, as have our children.

Since moving here, we have enjoyed all manner of activities, and I thought I'd share with you what we have busied ourselves with in the last couple of months.

:: Little Arrows -  Isaac participated in an introduction to basketball program through the elementary school. It was a Saturday activity, where he learned the basics of basketball. The highlight of the program was a half-time show at a varsity girls' basketball game, where all the participants displayed the skills they had learned. It was even set to music, which made it all the better.

:: Pinocchio -  Evy auditioned and was cast in a production of 'Pinocchio.' The Missoula Children's Theater came to our little town in late January. In the course of one week, they cast and produced 'Pinocchio,' with costumes, sets, and everything. Evy was a ballerina toy, and enjoyed being onstage with her friends. They did two performances at the end of the 6 days, and it was quite an impressive accomplishment. Evy did not, however, care for sitting backstage for the entire one-hour production.

:: Family Skate Night -  Family skate night amounted to rollerskating in the gym. It was tremendous fun, although I had some difficulty avoiding the kids who frequently fell. I also learned that I have a real difficult time skating clockwise. Who knew? The physical education classes at their school had all been doing rollerskating, and this served as their culmination event. I felt badly for Rich, whose monstrous feet barely fit into the largest size skate they had. Somewhat fortuitously, Margot didn't care for the skating, so instead he kept her company and chatted with some neighbors, while the rest of us enjoyed whizzing around the gym on 4 wheels.

:: Sock Hop - The build-up to this event was pretty exciting. Girls talking about what their poodle skirt looked like, pleas for help from the parents, and numerous save the date flyers and invitations coming home in folders. Initially, Isaac was disinterested in attending. Dancing is not his thing. Evy and Margot didn't feel strongly one way or another, and I was willing to skip it only because it would've been our 4th night out that week. I thought better of it, however, and we went. It ended up being great fun for the kids, and tolerable for the adults. I'm not one to jump in and start cutting a rug with a bunch of elementary kids. I'm the wallflower that likes to watch from the sidelines. Unless it's rollerskating, of course - but even then I refuse to limbo. There was hula-hooping, poodle skirts galore, a picture booth, dinner, and much fun had by all. I'm so glad that we made the decision to go.

:: Dinners with New Friends - Evy has made the astute observation that we have been having "a lot of customers" lately. By customers, she means dinner guests. One thing the distance kept us from for the last 3 years (as a family), was having people over for meals on a regular basis. We enjoy sharing meals with others. We both enjoy cooking, and my kids enjoy having playmates. Since we've moved, we have dinner with friends at least twice a week, and lately, more often. We've made a point to invite over some people that we've wanted to break bread with, in an effort to get to know our community and the community that Rich is a part of at the university. It has been hard being away from family back in Illinois, and even friends. What makes our move all the sweeter, however, is the friends that we've made (and continue to make) since we've been here. It's reassurance to me that we picked the right place to settle. One could not ask for better customers.

:: Valentine's Tea/Classroom helper - I have the privilege of working in Margot's class for a short period of time once a week. I have been going in regularly for the last few months now, helping with centers in her classroom. We have done all sorts of neat activities, and the kids in her classroom are all familiar with who I am, which is a nice feeling for this former teacher. On Valentine's day, Margot's class had a special tea party where we made cards, friendship bracelets, read stories, ate a snack, and listened to and sang along with some songs. I will always feel fortunate to be able to share these kinds of moments with my kids, and hang onto the memory of them when my presence in school will be viewed as a threat instead of a treat.

:: Snow days - Ugh-this winter. We have spent far too many days home from school. It has been a brutally cold winter with piles of snow. In our move, things climate-wise have changed insignificantly. But this winter has chewed us up and spit us out. Right when you have a mild and sunny day -- BAM! -- Old Man Winter brings you a snowstorm the next. There is a little bit of rain falling and -- KA-POW! -- Old Man Winter drops the temperatures to negative 500 degrees and now the roads are sheets of ice. Not fun. At last count, we have had 7 snow/cold days. I have tried to make the best of them -- but even the novelty of them has worn off for the kids and all I'm left with is a bunch of whining about how they miss their friends or their teachers or their science experiment they were going to do in school that day. I've done the best I can to make up for what they are missing, and sometimes we're fine and enjoy our day together, and other times we all go to our separate corners.

Soon, spring will come and we'll be enjoying a whole host of new activities. I might actually get to start biking all over town instead of putting the car in to a lower gear just to get up the damn driveway. *Sigh*