Back in the USA

What a feeling it is to be back. This one is perhaps the most complex and enriching one of all. It is almost surreal. I've only been gone for 2.5 weeks but being back in NYC now feels completely different than it did before I left. The air feels fresher. The streets feel cleaner. It almost feels ... sterile. New York City feels sterile? That can't be.

The city feels smaller -- less intimidating. The noises aren't as annoying or loud. There don't seem to be as many people. I don't miss Boston as much... I'm content being 3-4 hrs away but am excited to visit again soon. I imagine that this feeling will repeat but in a new way when I go there.

That is the impact on what I feel about my external life from this trip.

Internally, I feel a shift as well. Not in the ways that I thought, however. For whatever reason, I have not found some sort of deeply urgent need to contribute to a solution to the suffering I saw in the areas I visited. Maybe the shift I do feel is from a combination of things...

• My visit allowed me to see people with far less opportunities than me, highlighting that it is a waste if I do not push myself further.
• Matt and I had a very intense conversation about my interests or, I should say, lack of passion for many things in life. I don't have any direction right now. I'm listless. I have not found anything again that I was so passionate about as I was with fitness. I am bored. I need purpose. I feel uninteresting.
• During the trip, I was reading a book (still not finished) called "The Happiness Hypothesis". In a lot of ways, I feel it is pretentious, but some of the ideas resonate with me. One idea about perception of reality, need for gossip, human interaction inclinations -- these things aren't always as pure as we claim. I've realized I need to center and recalibrate.

Therefore, I've made a few resolutions. Logically, I know I am emotional and this epiphany-like inspired feeling will be short-lived. But I am fairly good with resolutions. In High School, I did abstain from all gossip for a year. More recently, I was vegan for a year... and lots of other little resolutions in between. So here goes...

• Be faster to admit I am wrong or a good point has been made on the opposing side when appropriate in a heated debate when pride is involved.
• Work together with Matt when we are talking about something sensitive rather than letting my "inner lawyer" flare up and defend my case. I trust his perspective and if we both contribute to an idea that has to do with making improvements to either one of our personalities, that should mean that it will ultimately be a positive change or direction to follow.
• Say "yes" more and be less stubborn.
• Learn to cook -- really cook. Real recipes. Real ability to invent. I miss sharing myself with people. I miss being creative. I can incorporate health and nutrition with this.

All in all, it was a great trip. Eye opening in more ways that I expected. I am tired right now... Need to go to sleep. Not sure how coherent I am.

Thanks for following my trip. xo

Brief solo adventure

I ended up taking a little stroll around the area to buy some ties for Matt and a) tried to snap a few shots b) without getting pick-pocketed or c) look like an absolute dork... a) Mildly successful b) Wildly successful c) Abismal failure.

In any case: 1) Street sign -- reporting traffic congestion? Awesome. 2) Motorcycles are everywhere 3) Side street 4) Kill me 5) "Massage" available in Bangkok

Arrived in Bangkok, Thailand

Last night after we got to our hotel, Matt and I went on a quick adventure to find him a tie (unsucessfully) for a meeting he had this morning. It was effing hot and humid as anything (explains the lightning, thunder and downpour last night through this morning) but a GREAT way to see some of the surrounding area of our hotel in a short amount of time without feeling unsafe since my guy was with me. :)

We grabbed some dinner on the way back -- holy shit. Dessert was fresh chilled mango with a side of warm coconut-sweetened sticky rice... A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. So simple but soooooo delicious! Must try to make that at home. I am getting all sorts of new recipe inspirations.

At the risk of a rough transition here... one sobering moment was walking through the marketplace and nearly stepping on a beggar laying on his stomach with a bowl for money who had two partially amputated legs. Very sad. I know there is poverty everywhere... but there seems to be a more exaggerated expression of it over here as compared to where I am from.

In any case, I'm contemplating venturing out a little to go to a few shops but I haven't gotten my act together yet!

Leaving Koh Phi Phi

We had such an amazing time on the island.

Saturday March 19 we took a longtail boat to the main town in Koh Phi Phi, Tonsai Bay, where lots of little restaurants and shops (and potentially brothels) were located. From there, we found our way to the little hiking path called View Point... There were 3 stops along the way where we were able to enjoy a new and amazing view of the island. The day was extremely hot and sunny but we loved every minute!

Sunday March 20 we planned a scuba diving adventure. This 6 hour excursion was probably the highlight of our vacation. How beautiful -- the water was clear, the colors were extraordinary and the experience was so completely new and different for both of us. We were able to take an underwater camera with us -- I hope to scan some of the pics in to share!

Monday March 21 we took a longtail boat tour to a few of the surrounding islands (mainly Phi Phi Lay). We got out at a beach where the mountains seemed to close in behind us and seclude the shore from the sprawling ocean beyond it so that we could go snorkeling.

The trip was just what we needed.

Koh Phi Phi is breathtaking

After and overnight slightly less than 5 hr from Mumbai to Bangkok, a 1.5 hr flight from Bangkok to Phuket, a 1.5 hr ferry to Koh Phi Phi and a 5 minute longtail boat transfer from ferry to shore... we were ready to be done with traveling and enjoy vacation. And holy shit. Koh Phi Phi is absolutely beautiful. The water is light blue, the greenery is GREEN and plush, the sands are soft, the trees are abundant in species and in quantity and they twist and turn amongst each other revealing the inspiration for the background of all fantasy-based Disney movies. We kept commenting on how it looked like Neverland or something from Pirates of the Caribbean. It is beyond me as to how SO many trees grew out of the tops of mountains that randomly jutted out the blue waters. Coral beds with sea urchins and clown fish were not even 200 yards from shore and in low tide, they became completely exposed to the fresh air. The island is extremely small. There are no taxis because there are hardly any roads. Taxis are in the form of longtail boats that transfer people around the island to whichever point they want to be.

Leaving for Thailand

In a few hours, I'm checking out of our hotel and waiting for Matt down in the lobby so that we can make our way to the airport, fly to Bangkok (4.25 hr flight) and then immediately fly to Phuket (1.5 hr flight). We are scheduled to arrive there on March 18 @ 9 AM local time (Thailand = NY time + 11 hrs). From the Phuket airport, we will need to catch a ferry and then a smaller boat (you can tell this is where my understanding of the process falls apart) which will take us most of the way to shore where we will then hike up our pants, take off our shoes and trek the rest of the way through the water and eventually to our hotel. The harder it is to get there, the better I imagine it will be -- so bring it on. That is all I will say about that until I get there and have something concrete to report.

As far as Mumbai goes... Holy shit. Glad I came, GLAD I'm LEAVING. Not that I want to go down this road right now but briefly -- the thought of Matt possibly taking a job here (not going to happen... Jesus effing Christ....) (Sidenote: I officially decided not to share this blog with my family hah) makes me want to drink the water directly from the bay and let bacteria feast on my innards until I'm in my final resting place. A tad dramatic? I'm still me!

So, Mumbai. Here are a few other facts (a top 10 list, perhaps?!) that I don't think made their way into the last couple of entries that are noteworthy:

1. Doctors are required by law not to share the sex of a baby during an ultrasound because it is far too frequent that couples inquire only to terminate the pregnancy if it is a girl.
2. 1 tuk tuk pollutes the air equivalent to 50 cars EACH DAY... And there are a TON of tuk tuks
3. On Tuesday, there was a gas shortage and about 95% of tuk tuks were off the road. Normally in Mumbai there is a haze / smokiness / cloudiness in the air making it hard to look into the distance and see buildings clearly, etc. On Wednesday, the atmosphere was clearer here than I'd seen it during my entire stay. I'm convinced it is related to the respite in tuk tuk use for just that one day alone.
4. Many of the people who live in the slums around here wouldn't ever dream of wanting to move out of them. There are "industries" within the slum compounds... Like different little specialized markets and trades.
5. The slums can sometimes reach 3 or 4 stories of "brick and mortar" structures. I have NO idea how they are built sturdy enough to hold as many people as they do and look weaker than something made out of Baked Lays.
6. They don't sell tampons here. Only diaper-like pads.
7. The Indian currency is the Rupee (Rs). The way to quickly calculate the exchange rate here these days is Rs 50 = US $1. So something Rs 1500 would equal about $30.
8. Mowing the lawn here means hiring labor to cut the grass with scissors. Labor is so cheap here that it costs less than buying the actual machine to do the job… Plus, it is viewed as a way to preserve jobs in India.
9. Cars not made in India but bought here are marked up 200% to promote purchase of cars domestically made.
10. Hmm last one…. Indian food is delicious – especially when it’s from India. Channa Masala and garlic naan is my absolute favorite! YUM!

Solo adventure

Since Matt has been working long hours Mon - Sat (they have a 6 day work week here) it sometimes it gets a little lonely trying to navigate through the day. Today I got bold and decided to explore on my own, leaving the hotel on foot to walk around the surrounding neighborhood. The day was extremely hot. My fear during the adventure came from it being a foreign territory to me, I don't know the people and the myriad of dogs everywhere are sick and I cannot predict their actions.

I only walked around the area. My camera battery was dead. I did not go into any shops (I am not a haggler) and there are not many museums or actual sites tied to history here or conserved for any reason. As I mentioned in my first post, the fascination with the city is its people... 55% live in slums here in Mumba. There is filth, pollution, etc... but nonetheless, they look somewhat happy, there is a camaraderie and a resiliency to them. It's fascinating... I was reading something about the city saying that one of the main attractions is that it is a city that found itself growing in population exponentially, wasn't prepared in terms of its infrastructure / drainage / sewage / etc, yet still, after all of this time it defies logic and hasn't imploded on itself. People just keep on living. The city itself actually could have potential of finding its way out of some of this mess, but leadership of the city is consumed with arguing about culture and dialect rather than proper fixes to inadequate infrastructure, etc. As a tribute to how peaceful the people are but also to the city's downfall and why it is in such a bad position, all the people do is complain but it doesn't amount to much more than that... so no real improvements or advances are made... life goes on.

Though I don't feel completely unsafe around the people, I am bothered by the relentless unfaltering stares that I get I'm told because I am white. I can't tell if they hate me or are just not used to seeing people like me because the area is so homogeneous. But literally, people will stop and turn to stare... turn 180 degrees around in their seats and look. Our hotel is full of business travelers from all over the world of various backgrounds, but when you step outside of these walls it is a different story.

In any case, it wasn't much but it was something new for me.

Tonight I am going to Caryl's for dinner / girls' night while the boys are out in Surat on business until about 10 PM.

Weekend Adventure

On Sunday, Matt and I went on an adventure to South Mumbai. It involved riding a tuk tuk (like a cab) to the train station. All traffic is insane here. Every vehicle weaves in and out of one another in total chaos but it seems to work. There are no doors or windows on the tuk tuk and it does not go that fast. I loved riding in the tuk tuk!

At the train station, we were found ourselves being enveloped by a swarm of people. They were not ashamed to stare... relentlessly. Dressed in a white tank top and brown shorts, I received disdainful looks from most of the women that walked by me. Yet, I didn't feel threatened by anyone. I felt like maybe I was disrespecting them by wearing something that did not fit their fashion.

Across the tracks there was a large slum. People were disappearing and reappearing from its units. Garbage carpeted more garbage which carpeted the ground. Then my eyes found a little girl swinging on a makeshift swing. A pole, a large ladder leaning on the pole and a short ladder laid horizontally above her head held the scarf or blanket that supported her little body. Amid the filth and chaos, she rocked back and forth not seeing what I was seeing. Just swinging. Appreciative of her lesson to me and the moment, I took out my camera to take a picture of her. After snapping the shot, I realized the intended subject of my picture was no longer the focus -- a little boy had run in front of her, squatted down and publicly emptied his bowels. No one noticed or cared. He stayed there for as long as he needed to balancing on trash. She kept swinging.

I was glad Matt was with me. I would not have wanted to that wait alone.

Then we took about a 40 min train ride down to Churchgate (the last stop). They do not use the doors on the train so people often hang out of trains for air. Often trains are completely packed -- capacity is 1700 people but during rush hours you may find one with 4700 people (17 people crammed within 1 square meter). 8 people on average die each day as a result of the trains. We were lucky to have a fairly empty train in both directions.



On our way to the Gateway of India, we got lost a little bit which is always a great way to see things you normally wouldn't. After making our way through a few back streets containing goats, food markets, highly decorated horses and carriages, entire families on one motorcycle, different types of housing and shops, we found our way to our destination.

After our adventure, we returned to the hotel and jumped in the pool. It was a great day. :)

Mumbai, India: More than I expected

I arrived in Mumbai on March 10 after a 15 hr flight. I only really knew three things for sure coming to India:

1. It was going to smell different
2. There were going to be a LOT of people
3. I was going to be humbled

It didn't take long for all three to be validated. #1 was validated immediately after stepping outside of the airport.

I think when people hear that, they assume it is probably much like B.O. It isn't. It's not entirely describable but the more time I spend here observing and learning, I am aware that the smell is likely from the result of the lack of "proper" sewage systems. And different spices contributing to the output. ...Diplomacy -- I'm trying.

In any case, Matt's coworker and his wife, Matt and Caryl Hall live in Mumbai. He is from the US, she is British.

Caryl and Matt live a life here they probably would not be able to live elsewhere. While in Mumbai, the company pays for living expenses, M. Hall's full salary and other things. Therefore, they have a driver and a housekeeper (who cooks and helps care for their 9 month old baby of dual citizenship to England and the US). Their driver, Sanjay, works 7 days a week for about $300-400/month.

Since both Matts work Mon-Sat (6 day working week in India), Caryl very generously invited me on a little tour around Bandra, Mumbai. Sanjay weaved in and out of traffic in a way that anyone in the US would normally consider erratic. But that is how it is... Lanes (if there are even any markings for them) are really only 'suggestions'. Large cars, tuk tuks, motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians -- all navigating through the streets agreed upon accepted chaos.

The tour Caryl took me on consisted of a few spots: we stopped for lunch, visited the local market where she sends help out to pick up her groceries, saw the outskirts of the Dharavi slum (the largest slum in the world -- 1 mile square holding 1 M inhabitants), drove past the Matts' office building, walked on the shore of Juhu Beach (one of the most famous beaches in Mumbai) and stopped for coffee at the Marriott where she and her husband have a year round membership.

In order from left to right (click to enlarge):

• Juhu Beach
• Dharavi Slum
• Kids playing
• Bamboo scaffolding
  

I am aware that everything I have written has been fact-based. Hardly any emotional connection. It is hard to express. There is such polarity between where I am sitting and what I am seeing. It can't be fully processed. Fortunately.

I imagine people would assume, the way I did, that Mumbai is not a place you'd want to visit. It is characterized by filth, odor, poverty, pollution, congestion. Admittedly, these are undeniable. There are moments that are heart wrenching and surreal. I could have bet that a desperate looking woman begging in the streets holding a slumped over infant had let it die of dehydration and heat but toted it around for begging leverage. If it was not dead, she seemingly did not notice or see purpose in wiping what I believe was bubbling blood from the side of its face. It would be safe to say that was among the top 3 worst scenes for me here yet.

However, though hard to believe after hearing of that, I have also gained the perspective that there are SO many people here struggling together. It is their way of life. They are families in close quarters. There are a lot of people with an arm around the shoulder of another, families playing with one another, camaraderie.

Last year, we visited Athens. It was not impeccably clean, but it was not carpeted in garbage the way that Mumbai is. It endures a struggling economy, but living conditions are not slums -- and vast slums at that. Yet, the people in Athens seemed more suspicious, sly, greedy and threatening. Here, while you need to remain aware of your surroundings as with anywhere, there is more peace. I am not scared here. I like it here. I venture to say that I prefer Mumbai to Athens.