Red Lights Stop Begging Spot

Yesterday when I was standing on the red lights while driving my scooter, a couple of little kids came up begging. Usually I don't give anything in such situations - I am a tough nut to crack. But hey - what do I do when a kid is pulling out a plastic gun and pointing it at my head?!! Thanks God I was wearing a helmet!

Indian Traffic

Since I bought a scooter in Jaipur and ventured out to drive on public roads here, I learned the rules of Indian traffic.

1) When you have to get somewhere, just go and who cares about everyone else!

2) Stop only on big traffic lights. If you stop on the smaller junctions, this is when you get killed by 200 other motorist who of course have no time to stop on the red lights.

3) Are you in a rush? Make a short cut and drive up-stream!

4) Wanna have some fun? Drive opposite direction on the runabouts!

5) The hell with riksha-wallas, they are slow anyway.

6) Kill the pedestrians.

7) Helmet only for driver. Who cares about the passengers. If it is your wife, she doesn’t need a helmet anyway, because she is “a safe, multi task woman”: she will sit sideways, hold a baby, a bag of shopping, and will speak on the mobile phone in the same time.

8) Watch out for cows, donkeys, pigs, elephants, camels and those annoying, confused white videsi tourists with “Lonely Planet” in their hand!

Roadside Dabba

Everyone can eat! Photo is from a roadside dabba that we always stop in for a break when I am in Jaipur-Vrindavan bus.

Indian Call Centers

Ever wandered who is the mysterious person who picks up the phone on the other side when you try to reach big companies in UK? Well, don't be surprised if you get connected with Hyderabad, Bangalore or Delhi! Here is what is happening on the other side of the line. It is my friend Dhara, who works in Delhi - here is the 4am shift. She has to start work early to be able to catch up with the UK time zone - but - work in her office work is never boring!

Nahargarh

Last Saturday Zain, Louise and me decided to venture outside of Jaipur to visit Nahargarh Fort, which is just on the outskirts of the town. Here is it's history:

The Nahargarh Fort was built by Sawai Raja Jai Singh in 1734. Since Jaipur was his capital, the Nahargarh Fort was strategically important and was built as a means of bolstering the defense of Amer. It was also known as the Tiger Fort. New additions were made to the fort in the 19th century by Sawai Ram Singh II and Sawai Madho Singh II. According to a legend, the Fort was named after a prince whose spirit used to haunt the site and would cause mischief so as to delay the construction of the fort. After too many disturbances, finally after a Tantrik prayer the ghost or the spirit, agreed to leave on the condition that the fort should be named after him.

That's the inside courtyard...

And one of the rooms...

From Nahargarh is a great view of Jaipur.



I wander if Maharaja ever played cricket in that courtyard?

On the way to the fort we stopped over to have a look at the sights. Here is my friend and our auto rikshaw driver Sonie. He is doing a Sharukh Khan number from the latest Bollywood hit "Om Santi Om"!

Sonie and me in a more peaceful mode (ie. before we got idea to jump around and be Bollywood stars!).

Hindi Typing

Today in my vyaktigat sikshan class (personal tutorial) I was learning how to type in Hindi. Well, here is what I came up with! Pretty, huh?
गए।इला के अाते ही राजकुमार भी उसके पीछे भागा। सीढियों से उतरते समय उसने सैंडल को हाथ में उठा लिया। फिर वह अागे गया। वह राजमहल के बाहर गया। लेकिन वहाँ कुछ भी नहीं था। उसे न रथ दिखाई दिया न इला दिखाई दी। हाँ, एक गरीब लड़की खड़ी थी, जिसके चेहरे पर कालिख पुती थी अौर उसके कपड़े चिथड़े से थे। राजकुमार दुखी होकर वापस अा गया। उसकी समझ में नहीं अा रहा था कि इला इतनी जल्दी कहाँ चली गई। इला घर लौटी अाैर रसोईघर में बैठकर रोने लगी। फिर भी उसे खुशी थी कि राजकुमार ने चिथड़ों में उसे नहीं पहचाना।

Winter

Well, it's happening... believe it or not, winter is approaching. I had to put on socks on today. And a long sleeved top. I have been sick with flue/cold for a few days and now I have realised why! Riding on my scooter late nights, on the way back from the temple darsans, I have exposed myself to a very cold breeze. Brrrr! Time to get the winter gear ready! Hard to believe it, especially when in a day time it is 22 C.

AIIS

Here is what I do: I am studying Hindi in Jaipur at the American Institute of Indian Studies. AIIS specializes in language study programs and India-related research for students and scholars from USA. Our Hindi degree program from SOAS joins in as a 'guest' and yearly students from UK are being sent here to do the entire academic year in India.

Above picture is a newspaper article from a Jaipur newspaper that did a coverage about our school on the occasion of the National Hindi Day. Enjoy looking at the happy Hindi bolnewale videsis!

Time to get going with this blog!

Hello and Hare Krsna everyone! I have been in India since the end of August and it is finally time to get going with this blog! Stay tuned, I should be back in a few days...