Lucie in India

Good news!

2006-06-01T04:31:00.000-07:00

It took me ages but I've just put my first photos on the net... see the link on the right. There'll be more soon.
Konecne uz jsem dala nejake fotky na net, zatim jen prvnich par, ale zapracuji na tom.... vpravo je link. (PHOTOS)

Sef - kriminalnik

2006-05-11T01:18:00.000-07:00

Dneska mi sef ukazoval, jak vypada stary indicky ridicak... deset malinkatych caru papiru. Vypadla z nej jeho fotka zamlada (dneska ma proridle vlasy a nosi bryle, taky neni tak hubeny), na ktere vypada trosku jako kriminalnik anebo romanticky basnik, nemuze se rozhodnout. Tak jsem ji popadla a rekla si, ze ji dam na blog. Myslim, ze mu to docela polichotilo, jeste ze nevi, o cem pisu...

Blow Your Horn

2006-05-04T00:50:00.000-07:00

I think I have discovered the reason for Indian endless admiration of their horns... They simply want to express that they are happy and satisfied. That explains a lot.

Mumbai

2006-05-03T23:35:00.000-07:00

Goa

2006-05-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

Kerala

2006-05-03T09:06:00.000-07:00

New Look

2006-05-02T03:28:00.000-07:00

After a few days of struggle (and a few bottles of Sandpiper, Kingfisher, Godfather and others alike...) we managed to give Frederick's (Dr Shaw's) fridge a new look. Don't you like it?

Seven Months - Overview

2006-04-13T02:36:00.000-07:00

I've had those reflexive moments recently and tried to finalise my attitude to this incredible country. It's been seven months now and seven has always been considered a lucky number... Anyway, I'd be staying for two more so I'm still ready to modify my views.

Things that keep me sane in India:

music (though I'd love to have ALL my CDs here)
books, books, books...
travelling
chocolate
ICQ
my grandma's letters
other trainees
PIGS (Punjab International Gourmet Society) brunches
concerts at Alliance Francaise
my students
alcohol (despite those terrible allergic reactions...)
my bicycle

Things that keep me insane in India:

harassers
stares
the way women are treated
traffic (you do not pass your driving test here, you BUY it, that tells a lot)
bargaining (we both know how much it costs so why do we have to waste so much time??)
our landlady
ants, mosquitos, cockroaches, flies
Bollywood (sorry, I really don't like it but I tried, Chhavi)
touts
heat (though it's still bearable...) and pollution

It's been hard at times but often amazing, fabulous and great. In conclusion, I love it and hate it at the same time. Incredible India.

Hmyz utoci!!!!

2006-04-03T23:46:00.000-07:00

Je to velmi smutne, ale bohuzel uz mame po obdobi klidu... Jinymi slovy, svabi, vcely, vosy, komari, mravenci a jim podobna havet se vyrojila buhvi odkud a je ji vic nez dost. Posledni jmenovani mi v soucasne dobe piji krev (doslova) nejvic.

Jsou NEZNICITELNI! Nemaji vic nez 2mm, ale kousou, jako kdyby byli dvoumetrovi. Uz jsem vyzkousela snad vsechno (mechanicke vrazdeni me totalne vycerpalo, cim vic jich zabijete, tim vic se jich objevi) , ale oni se proste rozhodli, ze u nas budou bydlet...

V predchozim byte jsme je taky meli, ale byli to ti velci, cerni, plasi a MILI mravenecci, co tak maximalne jedli cukr v kuchyni, a kdyz jste na ne bafli, okamzite utekli. Ne jak ty male agresivni bestie. Uz jsem dokonce byla i vyhlizet gekony, aby nas spasili. Jenze gekoni jsou uz asi prejedeni...

Ma nekdo nejakou radu ci doporuceni?

Haridwar 2

2006-03-28T23:36:00.000-08:00

On the way back from Chilla, Rajaji National Park, we stopped in Haridwar. There are ghats by the River Ganges where people bathe and perform puja. Colourful place.

Rajaji National Park

2006-03-28T23:10:00.000-08:00

Vydali jsme se do narodniho parku v Uttaranchalu, abychom se svezli na slonech... Safari slona nakonec meli jenom jednoho a jeste k tomu byl nemocny, chudacek. Prece jen jsme slony nakonec videli nazivo, ale vyfotit je se nepodarilo, stydeli se hosi.

Holi

2006-03-27T22:52:00.000-08:00

Holi, festival barev je docela zazitek... Je to docela vyznamna udalost a vsem se libi. Spociva v tom, ze po sobe hazite barvami.

Nekteri se zmeni k nepoznani...

Camel Rider - Guess Who!

2006-03-14T22:51:00.000-08:00

Rajasthan

2006-03-13T22:39:00.000-08:00

Jaipur - Pink City

Karni Mata - Rat Temple

Jodhpur - Blue City

Pushkar

Auntie!!!!

2006-03-12T23:33:00.000-08:00

I'm proud to announce that my nephew was born on Saturday, March 11th.

Mehndi

2006-02-26T23:27:00.000-08:00

Tohle "tetovani" henou na ruce se mi zacalo docela libit. Vydrzi necela dva tydny. Libi se i detem ve slumu. Obdivovaly moje dlane a druhy den prisly vsechny s pomalovanyma rukama a ukazovaly mi : Didi, mehndi!!! Podivej!

Read This! ... And Give Me a Kiss.

2006-02-17T03:18:00.000-08:00

My Riding Skills

2006-02-17T00:23:00.000-08:00

HORSE riding I mean. Or pony riding. That's me scared before. (Eventhough it was me who came with that idea!) A horse?!?

Well I know it nearly looks like I'm falling but I am not! Not once did I fall off that minihorse! And I kept sitting straight. I'm proud of myself.

Kullu Valley

2006-02-13T05:36:00.000-08:00

Udoli Kullu spolu s mestem Kullu, ktere je hlavnim centrem cele oblasti, maji mnohe atrakce, vcetne sirnych vridel, chovu angorskych kraliku, chramu a rucne vyrabenych Kullu sal. Nemene lakave je vyzkouset si cestu autobusem na naprosto mrnavych uzouckych cestach. Vzdavam hold indickym ridicum autobusu, umi se vyhnout druhemu autobusu na ceste, kde je misto sotva pro jedno auto, a nespadnout pritom ze srazu.

Manali

2006-02-13T05:08:00.000-08:00

A zase ty Himalaje... Neco malo fotek z Manali, Himachal Pradesh. Pestuji se tam jablka (v celem Himachalu), lide vypadaji vic "horalsky", jsou take ovlivneni tibetskou kulturou a jsou milejsi, vic se usmivaji. Projeli jsme se na konikach, nebo spis ponikach, nahrali si nohy v sirnych vridlech, zkoulovali se a uzivali prekrasnych rozhledu.

Are There Any Lonely Hearts?

2006-02-13T01:16:00.000-08:00

I've recently been ‘researching’ in this arranged marriages business. It's for my own mental satisfaction as we, foreigners, usually find it quite incomprehensible. No doubt it is a huge thing in India - having your child 'successfully' married. Consequently, one can feel a bit frustrated comparing the levels of importance of being married here and back home. I have read through ‘matrimonials’ in the newspapers and visited some match-making websites. Here are the results:

It seems to me that the time when a girl (or boy) was married to someone recommended by a relative is over. With the development of modern technologies, it has obviously become a necessity to adapt to the new ways and search for your child's life partner on the Net (or less progressively in the papers). Moreover, why not give the children the opportunity to find someone by themselves? And that's what young people do. I've seen young girls browsing the matrimonials in regular time periods to check if there was a new 'piece'.
For us it can be quite hard to understand how, as a parent, you're able to advertise your son or daughter. However, we must realise that the perception here is that it is all for the best.
To find a ‘suitable’ partner does not seem to be difficult at all nowadays with all the Internet possibilities. Basically you have to fill in a questionnaire and wait for the replies. Or go through the adverts to find what you’re looking for. We have the same type of advertising (lonely hearts) but I believe it is taken more seriously here. Who would write to ‘Lonely Hearts’ at home? Unattractive, perverted, fat or smelly people? Well, and those whose excuse is the ‘lack of opportunities due to lack of time’. (Sure, we believe that, don’t we?) And do they actually advertise in order to get married? If not completely right, I sense I’m at least approaching the lonely heart population sample in Europe. (Believe me, I’ll be happy to learn I’m not right!)
Nonetheless, it is nearly everyone in India. No wonder there are so many lonely hearts – there are too many people. Having said that, they are not really lonely hearts, they are ‘I’m looking for a spouse’ types. Moreover, their hearts are rarely lonely. They’d often be dating somebody knowing they cannot marry her/him for obvious ‘family’ reasons. So while enjoying themselves before the burdensome marriage waiting ahead, they start to look for a ‘more suitable’ person.
The questionnaire itself is rather revealing. There is no need to question the boxes on age, height, weight (well, maybe yes) or number of children. Nonetheless, complexion and body type are a bit unpleasant. The standard answer for complexion is ‘fair’. This really matters, no one wants to marry you if you are ‘dark’ (thus all the bleaches in facial creams). For body types, most males answer ‘athletic’. I try hard to remember but I haven’t seen many athletic male bodies in Chandigarh. I suppose no one would put ‘fat’, which is quite understandable but the answer ‘I’ll tell you later’ is rather suspicious. Though still one of the most popular for all the rubrics!
Another thing that struck me is the mandatory section on annual income. Talks about salary are very common here. You will often be asked how much you earn, which would probably be considered impolite if not rude at home. But this is what we call cultural difference so one should learn how to cope with that. I have been explained that parents ought to know about their future son’s-in-law income (daughters do not work as much and even if they do, they do not earn as much in most cases) to make sure he’ll provide a sustainable living for their daughter (and themselves if needed).
In the section on lifestyle you have to state whether you’re veg or non-veg and whether you drink and smoke. In the religious and social background section, you’re asked about your religion, cast or sect and sub-cast. I do not quite understand what is meant by ‘Family values: moderate’. But it definitely sounds very positive.
So once you’ve filled in the questionnaire, you just attach your photo and a personalized message (very funny to read) and… wait.

When you go through the Looking for a Bride section, you’ll find quite a few ads asking for a ‘homely’ girl. I’m not sure they know the full meaning of the word. Why would anyone want an unattractive and boring wife?
Anyway, if you are keen on newspaper ads rather than Internet, the Hindustan Times offers a matrimonial section (five pages of ads, ads, ads) as a regular Sunday supplement.

In conclusion, I think there are far too many ads and as they seem quite repetitive (fair, smart, clever, good-looking, athletic, well-educated… whatever), I gave up soon. Maybe I shouldn’t have. Maybe I’ve missed my life chance. Who cares?

If you’re looking for your perfect (Indian) match, try one of the following:
http://www.shaadi.com/, http://www.jeevansathi.com/, http://www.a1im.com/, http://www.godblessmatrimonials.com/ , http://www.matrimonials.com/ , http://www.matrimonialsindia.com/

Good luck!

PS: I've just realized it's Valentine's tomorrow. That's a great coincidence! But maybe I have just helped somebody!

Varanasi

2006-01-31T23:15:00.000-08:00

Chai or Tea?

2006-01-30T02:32:00.000-08:00

ACT 1
Scene: On a train

Characters:
A person selling tea (chai-wallah)
A group of white foreigners
Other passengers in the background

Chai-wallah is passing by, shouting in an unpleasant voice : Chai! Chai! Garam chai! Chaaaaaaai!!

He notices the foreigners in the corner of his eye at the very last moment as he passes them. He freezes, turns on his heels, puts on his loveliest smile ever and says in a very sweet voice: Would you like some tea? Some tea? Tea?

Foreigners shaking their heads: No, thanks.

Chai-wallah shrugs his shoulders and returns to his: Chai! Chai! Garam chai! Chaaaaaaai!

(CURTAIN)

Meena Got Her First Socks

2006-01-24T22:50:00.000-08:00

YTTS Chandigarh (www.ytts.org) opened a new centre in the slum in sector 25 and with the money donated by the governor's wife they bought some presents for the kids.
That's how Meena got her first socks ever.
It took some time and effort to put them on. Her feet were very cold and also full of sores but after some time we both succeeded. Other kids were curious to see what was going on and made a circle around. So when she finally got the socks on, she had an audience to proudly show her precious possession to.

All You Wanted to Know about Homosexuality...

2006-01-16T00:06:00.000-08:00

Reading the Indian most serious newspaper, Hindustan Times, can be informative, educational, amusing, but sometimes also very sad. Last Monday they published an article on homosexuality. Two university students were asked to express their views (one representing the ‘for’ and the other ‘against’). Well, to say I was shocked would not be an exaggeration. The guy who says homosexuality is okay has rather weak arguments, whereas the girl (“a final year student from the Department of Psychology, Punjab University”) seems very firm and confident about her opinion:
I have learnt from her that homosexuality is just a recent trend, that it can be stopped if people of the same sex don’t live in the same room, that it should not be discussed as debates actually stir this “concept”, and that you are most likely to become a lesbian when your boyfriend cheats on you.
Hearing this from an Indian is not too surprising considering cultural values in India. Stereotypes here are stronger than you can imagine. However, discovering that a young university student (of psychology!) can be so ignorant is rather breathtaking. Finding out that homosexuality will actually lead to human extinction in a country where overpopulation is the biggest issue… that is really ironic.
As most of the arguments below:

Hindustan Times, Monday 9 January 2006

Two ways about it / Is homosexuality natural or an aberration?
When (s)he loves (s)he
…
IT’S A CHOICE
…
If a person derives satisfaction from the same gender than why should it pinch the society?
…
Homosexuality is natural. It’s the conscious decision of the people engaged in the same.
It is acceptable.
Today homosexuality is gaining acceptability. If laws are made abroad then India is also increasing its acceptability quotient.
It should be legalised
It should be legalised so that the homosexuals should not fear the society, police or law. They should be confident and should make it public. For this legalisation is important.
Hypocrisy rules
Indians are hypocrites as compared to people in the west. They want to do everything behind closed doors. Many people indulge in homosexuality but they never speak on the issue.

IT’S AN ABERRATION
…
It is not natural
If homosexuality was natural then why has the trend just caught up? I have never heard of any such a thing in the past. It is a very contemporary concept.
It is situational
Homosexuality is situational. Many factors lead people turn to homosexuality. The situations are responsible for homosexuality and not hormones. In psychology, we have cases, which prove that situations force homosexuality.
Not prevalent in India
India is still far from accepting homosexuality. India has its own culture and values. About 90 percent of the people would vote against homosexuality.
Should not be legalised
If it’s legal then more and more people will be encouraged to try homosexuality. Legalising the concept would mean fanning the simmering fire.
Blown out of proportion
Why are we discussing homosexuality? Discussions, debates and films on the subject are actually informing people and popularizing the concept.
Against natural law
If homosexuality is encouraged and the concept catches on then what happens to the procreation process and the future generations. The human race will eventually extinct!
Factors encouraging it
The growing sexual frustrations, break-neck competitions and hectic lifestyles are encouraging homosexuality. Even the hostel culture is adding to the same. I know of many homosexuals in colleges and universities. Living together and sharing the room leads to possibility of homosexuality.
Homosexuals don’t admit
Homosexuals never admit their sexuality openly and that itself mirrors the reality and they feel uncomfortable with their sexuality.
Gender betrayal
Bad experiences with the member of the opposite sex also encourage the same. If a boy betrays a girl then the girl turns to the members of the same sex. Instilled fear about the opposite sex plays a major part.

(http://www.hindustantimes.com/)

"Linguistic Corner" - Indian English

2006-01-11T22:23:00.000-08:00

I have decided to lightly touch upon ‘Hinglish’ or, more appropriately for Chandigarh, ‘Punglish’ (Punjabi English). Does it differ from other Englishes? It does and it does not. What do I find so fascinating about it? Nothing and everything. This is at least how I see it.
First of all, you have to bear in mind that Indians are obsessed with accents. They would ask me if they sound American or British enough. Well, not at all. But can you tell them if you see them so disappointed afterwards? I am sure anyone can easily distinguish an Indian English speaker from other nationalities. Same as you would probably, equally easily, pick up on a French person. Widz pleasure. We all speak with our accents. Even the British and Americans do. And so what? Does that really matter? In my opinion, that’s the fun of English. So many different forms and still some kind of unity. Unfortunately, this view is not commonly accepted in India. English, I mean ‘proper’ (whatever that actually means) English, is a status symbol here. Strange, considering it is the language of their colonizers. Anyway. You have to sound ‘other-than-Indian’. That is a must. Young Indians even have to go through special ‘we’ll-train-your-accent’ courses before joining their dream jobs in numerous call centres. With the following explanation: when customers call from the UK, you have to be able to speak ‘their English’ (same for the US). They would then feel more comfortable and satisfied with your service. Uh-huh. So they are even trained to switch from one accent to another. How exciting. Do you think it’s worth trying to explain that everyone knows ALL call centres are based in India? And that you should not be ashamed of the way you speak? Moreover, do you really think you can dramatically change your accent within a two-week course? All efforts in vain.
The saddest thing of all, however hard they try to improve and polish their accents (thus pronunciation), you can hardly buy flour in India if you do not pronounce it as ‘floor’. It is quite funny buying a kilo of floor every month. If you want to buy glue, you better ask for a glow, and the distinction between tree and three is absolutely none.
Another quite annoying specificity is the passion for abbreviations. Honestly, during my first week here I did not believe we were speaking the same language: I was asked what my TP was, whether I lived in a PG and worked for an NGO. The only sensible reply that came to my mind was that of ‘Yes, I work for FBI and CIA’ thinking that I have to answer in abbreviations too, and could not think of other than these silly two. Later on I learnt that TP stands for ‘timepass’ (by which they mean pastime, so they basically wanted to know what I do in my free time), PG is a paying-guest type of accommodation and NGO is short for non-governmental organization. I’ve got nothing against shortening words but how the hell am I supposed to know all this?
A final point to be made is that of ONLY. Only. If this word is not a regular insertion in your vocabulary, you’d better do something about it. Especially talking about numbers. On any kinds of receipts or tickets this is a standard. You rewrite numbers in words with ‘only’ as a closing part. So if you pay 400 rupees, in words you pay ‘rupees four hundred only’. If only.

Barista Cafe Day Thought

2006-01-11T21:26:00.000-08:00

"I think men who have pierced ears are better prepared for marriage. They have experienced pain and have bought jewellery."

Kids

2006-01-09T03:40:00.000-08:00

Mussoorie - Misery?

2006-01-07T02:56:00.000-08:00

We spent our New Year's Eve in Rishikesh. The hotel manager organized a nice party with cake, drinks and snacks. However, the most surprising event was the snowfall in the middle of the night just in the room where we were all sitting. Do you know you can make wonderful snow flakes by spraying shaving foam all over the place?
For New Year's Day we moved to Mussoorie. And soon renamed it Misery. The Himalayas are not always pleasant. We had some fog, hail storm and even a bit of a real snowfall. Very cold. And with no electricity almost romantic.
Happy New Year.

Novy rok v Rishikeshi byl paradni i s umelym snehem (zkuste to nekdy s penou na holeni, fakt to funguje). Mussoorie je horska vesnicka, z niz jsme toho moc nevideli, protoze tam byla desna mlha. To jen, abyste si nemysleli, ze Himalaje jsou vzdycky jen krasne. Nejsou. Nekdy se vazne tesite zpatky do teplejsiho Chandigarhu.
Stastny novy rok.

Small Talk

2006-01-07T02:46:00.000-08:00

An Indian guy trying to attract my attention hoping to start a conversation:

"Excuse me, ma'am. Excuse me."

Me - losing my patience with all those I-just-wanna-talk-to-ya-ma'am types:

"No! YOU excuse me!" (and f*** off)

This is an example of how India may affect you. Sometimes you simply can't stand being the centre of attention anymore.

Christmas in Chandigarh

2006-01-02T03:29:00.000-08:00

Limerick

2005-12-29T22:00:00.000-08:00

There was a young lady called Lucy
Who made up things spicy and juicy
That drove people mad
They said she was bad
She laughed: I'd be able to use this!

New Year's Reading - Not Compulsory

2005-12-28T21:05:00.000-08:00

A bit of reading for you if you're bored. Feel free to be put off.

The third night I made love on the roof. Scratched and bruised all over my body (back and knees got the worst, of course), I was exhausted and puzzled. Did it really happen? I floated in the air feeling as light as I would have ever imagined. My fingertips were imprinted on your body and the fact that it was here, here in India where these things simply do not happen, made it even better. Black and white, day and night. Just like you and me. I love the poetry of our different skin colours. White chocolate. Coffee with cream - bitter and sweet at the same time.
Your body is in harmony with the night but mine just shines into the dark. Sometimes it even screams. You say it reflects the stars and the moon like a mirror but I just think you are trying to flatter me.
Still it was not you who made me realize.
The following night I could not resist the temptation to climb up that shaky ladder once again. Maybe in a hope that you would come again, maybe just because I wanted to see what else could happen.
I had to wait for some time. Nearly lost my patience. Of course I know you would never come again. Stupid me. What am I expecting?
And there you stood. I could not really focus on your figure first. I was not sure if it was not just your shadow. It was not. It was somebody else. I know him. You?! Up here?
I love your inner sexuality, you said. What do you know about my inner sexuality? I can feel it, you replied. And that is why I spent that night with you. And never regretted.
Then another night came and another man with it. He would not even untie his turban, which is maybe worse than keeping the socks on. And your hairy chest that felt like touching a teddy bear. Oh my god, I was making love to a teddy bear. But still enjoyed.
From that time on I climbed up that ladder every night. All the time it was one of you coming to me. Sometimes I would just chat with you for hours or silently smoke Golden Flake cigarettes. In curiosity and expectation I would be squatting behind the small wall on that flat Indian roof pretending not to be there but obviously you would always find me and say I had not changed at all.
It was you who would beat me the more I had wanted you to stop, my nails in your flesh and traces of blood on the sheet. Who cares you can dance samba and turn three pirouettes? You whose morning coffee I loved the most.
You came too. I had to laugh remembering you started to giggle each time I’d clutch your tiny butt.
And you whom I have never even touched despite adoring endlessly your forearms and the soft hairs on them.
I invited even you who made me feel like a prostitute. Kitne? Ten thousand rupees. Only.
But the next night I stayed alone. I simply had to. Needed to. I wished to chase you all away and never see you again. You all tried to knock but I pretended not to be in, not to hear. I did not want to see anything masculine at all. In this bloody country.
The following morning looked brighter. I woke up knowing I’d come up there again. Determined to let the nicer of you in. We smoked a lot. We chatted a bit. Embraced and said goodbye. I loved you all at that moment. At the moment when it was happening and days after. Even now, sometimes, I still love you because I know you all made me feel special. For a few minutes maybe. Some of you for seconds, just one look, or long long years.
I was so glad for that third night.
This meant I’d be coming to the roof from this time on. Being sure I’d find at least one of you there. And I did. I still do.
I met you who smell of herbs. You whose ring I lost. You who never asked. You who knew.
These nights I’ve learnt something about you and … myself.
I am not afraid of that ladder anymore.
I am so glad for that third night.
And regret I wasted the two nights before.

Colours II

2005-12-26T03:30:00.000-08:00

This one is rather sad.

Co mi letos Jezisek nenadelil...

2005-12-26T02:14:00.000-08:00

Vite, jak probihaji Vanoce v Chandigarhu? Velmi nevanocne:
Muj mily denicku,
22/12
Ritim se na kole z prace, musim balit. Nahazet moje veci do kufru nezabralo moc casu, zato vyhazet vsechny ty veci po predchozich najemnicich... Ale co s tim? Nakonec jsme se usnesli, ze ctyri tasky a jeden kufr "kramu" dame na charitu a obleceni detem ze slumu. Do toho jeste louceni s Voskresiji, odjizdi po sesti mesicich z Indie. Naporad. Tvrdila, ze uz se sem nikdy nevrati, tahle zeme je prilis narocna na preziti. Trochu ji zavidim. Bude na Vanoce doma. Vanoce? Uz za dva dny... Nepripada mi to. Tak jo, jsme prestehovani, nemam silu vybalit ten dalsi kufr. Snad zitra.
23/12
Zabity den v praci, nefunguje elektrina. Vsichni sedi v tmavych kancelarich a vykladaji. Domu se jit nemuze, sef to nepovolil. Jeden student mi prinesl vanocni dort, ktery sam upekl. Ma'am, chtel jsem vam donest lahev cerveneho, ale pak jsem si to rozmyslel. Jaka skoda! To vino by mi bylo milejsi. Jsem nevdecna? No co z dortu, kdyz ho musite stejne rozdat. A vino jsem nemela... ani nepamatuju. Od te doby, co jsem prijela. Presne. Nakupuju veci na zitra, jeste dva darky, dovybaluju kufr, koukame na video, ctu knizku. Po dlouhe dobe jsem se k tomu konecne dostala. Samozrejme usinam po prvnich peti strankach, bryle porad na nose.
24/12
Vstavam, je Stedry den. Doma je desny neporadek, to je tak, kdyz bydlite s dalsimi lidmi. Jean a Ryan zvoni u dveri, jedeme do meho byvaleho domova vyzvednout nadobi. Vracim se domu. Takze dneska jsou Vanoce? OK. Jen ze venku je osmnact stupnu a naprosto nic vanocne nepusobi. Rozvesujeme vanocni vyzdobu aspon u nas doma. Udelam bramborovy salat, chcete? Dame si ho k veceri. Takovy, co mame kazdy rok doma s kaprem. Zasnim se. Jak vypocitave, takhle jim podstrkovat ceske Vanoce. Nastesti nejsem jedina, pro koho je dnesek dulezitejsi nez zitrek. Jeste s Ninou do sektoru 17, nakoupit posledni darky. Zajdes se mnou k holici? Je to prijemne. Jeste nikdy jsem nebyla na Stedry den u holice. Davame si kafe. Je ji spatne. Vypada, ze ma horecku a taky prujem. Tohle je Indie. Zaleze do postele. Vidim, ze je ji smutno. Kdyz je vam na Vanoce spatne a chybi vam rodina, je to spatne. Snazim se ji rozveselit. Prichazeji ostatni. S Kathryn chystame veceri. Vejce, rajcata, chipsy, bramborovy salat, timos, jakasi paliva omacka, olivy a horky rum. Vsem chutnalo. Tancime. Jeste islandsky film, jsme na sebe namackani a cpeme se Kurkure (mistni chipsy, jsou desne palive). Prichazi Germain a Marine, takze je nas v dome celkem... deset? Matraci je pet. Kde se tu vsichni najednou vzali? Nasi mi volaji, mluvim s babickou, tata hraje do telefonu koledy. Jeje, tak daleko. Darky az zitra.
25/12
Peru, snad to do vecera uschne. Presouvame se do Panchkuly, maji tam stromecek a darky, kazdy prispivame svou troskou. Kupi se to. Hrajeme stolni hry a poslouchame vanocni pisnicky. George Michael vitezi na plne care. Darky. Vrhame se na ne jako male deti. Kurta od Julie se mi moc libi. Marine mi dala francouzsky bulvarni casopis. Tesim se, jak si s nim zalezu do spacaku. Vseobecne nadseni a otazky: to mam od tebe? Prinaseji vanocni veceri: brambory (studene), dusena zelenina, kure (ruzove, neumi ho tu udelat), chapati, ryze, paneer, nadivka, brusinky, kvetak. Nevim, co to do me vjelo, mam tendenci ohrnovat nos. Muj salat byl stokrat lepsi. Jsem nevdecnice. Nejlepsi je dezert, dva cokoladove dorty a jeden anglicky vanocni, presne takovy jsem jedla v Yorkshire. A zmrzlina, jupii. Mam pocit, ze prasknu. Tohle je pravy vanocni pocit. No konecne. Jeste telefonat babicce, doma je vsechno pri starem. Shanime autoriksu zpatky, chce nas natahnout, musime smlouvat. Hermankovy caj a spacak. Diky, Jezisku.
26/12
Rozhodla jsem se, ze se konecne vyrovnam s realitou. Nejdriv jsem si chtela namlouvat, ze jsem letos Vanoce vubec nemela, ale to je nesmysl. Mela, jen byly hodne jine. Napisu dopis Jeziskovi, coze mi to vsechno letos neprinesl. Zacnu urcite snehem, vune vanocniho cukrovi, stromecek, kapr, cervene vino, vajecny konak, knedlik a zeli... Omlouva ho, ze to ma tak daleko. A komu by se sem chtelo.

Zas tak hrozne to nebylo, nove zazitky k ulozeni do hlavy a do srdicka. Ctrl+S. Hotovo.

Stastny novy rok 2006 vsem!

Bhangra and Punjabi Dances

2005-12-22T02:12:00.000-08:00

Tak o tomhle presne pisu v zurnalu. Pandzabska tradicni hudba, natraset rameny a jedeeeeem. Tohle jsou profesionalove, civiliste u toho mnohdy vypadaji podstatne... zajimaveji? Snad je to to spravne slovo, ktere nikoho neurazi.

Taj Mahal

2005-12-21T08:13:00.000-08:00

Fatehpur Sikri

2005-12-21T07:43:00.000-08:00

Just 40km away from Agra, this quiet place offers a nice escape from the tourist buzz you experience in the Taj Mahal. I probably even enjoyed this a bit more.
The only thing I really disliked was the spits all over the mosque. Very disgusting especially as you have to walk barefoot.

Delhi

2005-12-21T07:20:00.000-08:00

Sydney? No! Lotus Temple in Delhi.
Autorickshaws in Delhi are yellow and green while blue in Chandigarh.

Arc de Triomphe in Paris? No way! India Gate in Delhi...

Connaught Place.

Haridwar and Rishikesh

2005-12-19T07:22:00.000-08:00

Peaceful I said...

View from the chair lift in Haridwar.

Street in Haridwar.
My feet in the Ganges.

Green Ganges in Rishikesh.

Rishikesh

2005-12-13T08:12:00.000-08:00

Rishikesh is just by the Ganges, very peaceful. A lot of tourists and yogis. Relaxing place.

The cow has come to the bank for its savings.

Wedding

2005-12-08T01:30:00.000-08:00

A byla svatba. Nevesta je v tradicni cervene a myslim, ze ji to slusi. Jidla bylo spousta, kopce zmrzliny a dokonce i kafe (indicke, preslazene). Libilo se mi to.
Muzika byla velmi hlucna a vytrvala... A taky docela na jedno brdo, ale "holky" tancily a chrastily naramky neunavne, bez prestavky.

Pes bezzuby

2005-12-08T00:41:00.000-08:00

Tati, ty nemas zuby? Nebo kdo to vlastne nema zuby? Cau pse! No to je dost. V Hindi se pes rekne KUTA, ale taky je to nadavka, neco ve smyslu YOU DIRTY MIND!

Komentare

2005-12-05T08:24:00.000-08:00

Jupii, on to snad nekdo i cte. Nebo aspon prohlizi. Velice dekuji za cenne prispevky, jen prosim mile prispivatele o podpis. Marne si hlavu lamu, kdo napriklad Zeleny Raul jest. Nekde uz jsem to slysela... Nebo snad cetla. Rikali mi, ze moc ctu. Ale dobre, mate pravo zustat anonymni. (Jenze indicka kontrarozvedka vas stejne vypatra.)

Indiani

2005-12-04T06:51:00.000-08:00

Tak se podivejte, jak vypadaji pravi Indiani, zadni rudosi. V anglictine je uzasne, ze Indian je to same jako Indian... Some more pics...

Hanuman and the Monkeys

2005-12-04T06:39:00.000-08:00

In Shimla they have this Jakhu Temple devoted to Hanuman (the monkey-face Hindu god). The monkeys really behave as if they owned the place and are extremely aggressive stealing everything they can see. People with specs are most endangered. We just took a few pictures and left because they were really annoying.

Shimla

2005-12-02T07:42:00.000-08:00

Shimla is a hill station in Himachal Pradesh, "discovered" by the British. The Government used to move there every summer to escape the heat.
We enjoyed the fresh air and walk through the Mall... and a wonderful huge chocolate cake at Barista cafe.

Diwali 'n' Dharamshala Dear Deaders

2005-11-21T21:07:00.000-08:00

O Diwali uz neco vite, tohle je nas Diwali outfit.
Diwali party - all dressed up. This is Nina, my Icelandic baby. We get along pretty well I should say.

Monks from the monastery in McLeod Ganj (Dharamshala) and their temple below. They actually sent us on shortcut through a forest and we got lost that is why I think they are a bit malicious.

This house has a big big heart and I suppose the owners too.

Details from the temple in the monastery.

Still life in Dharamcot village.

Monastery.

Colours of India

2005-11-21T20:39:00.000-08:00

Ano, ti z Vas, kteri vidi v nazvu souvislosti s Ostravou, se nemyli. Neco malo z Dharamsaly (to je tam, kde bydli dalajlama). Myslim, ze nemusim psat moc komentaru, snad jen ze zasadni problem s barvami tady je: nejsou trvale. Naprosto vsechno tu pousti, takze se casem stane, ze zariva vymizi. Jak je ten svet pomijivy:)
Pani z Dharamsaly vyrabi vsechny ty tibetske vlajecky a mile se u toho usmiva.

Tady ten pan zase pase kozy v Dharamsale, pekne na ne mluvi a dokonce jim i zpiva. Moc barevny teda neni, ale libil se mi.

Sami vidite, ze tomu proste nelze odolat. Zejmena doufam, ze me podpori zeny. Kdyz vidite vsechny ty churiyany (bangles, naramky) a nausnice a jine sperky...
Ty valce jsou tibetske modlitby, musite je obejit a zatocit s kazdym zvlast.

Belly Dance

2005-11-16T01:09:00.000-08:00

Ano, i me uz to postihlo, brisni tanec v plne parade. Nastesti to netrva dele nez den a pul, pokud uzijete antibiotika a cely den lezite v posteli. Tusim duvod: spinavy filtr, no uz jsem vse vycidila a vydesinfikovala, takze doufam, ze takovych zkusenosti uz tu mnoho nebude.

Delhi belly... now I know what it is. Luckily enough, it passed as quickly as it arrived. God bless Indian antibiotics, they are very powerful.

First Trip: Amritsar

2005-11-11T08:01:00.000-08:00

Uz jste vsechno cetli v journalech, prvni vylet byl do Amritsaru, takze jen nekolik vzpominkovych fotek a komentaru pro me anglicky mluvici pratele:

Golden Temple in Amritsar, a religious place, the most important temple for Sikhs. Very peaceful, quiet and busy; and crowded at the same time. Yes, India is full of contrasts. Really worth visiting, this was my first trip out of Chandigarh and I really enjoyed. You could feel the spirit of the place breathing on you with every step. Sooo spiritual. And a good place to buy Punjabi shoes too (got three pairs after one-hour(!) bargaining - including chai (tea) and a good laugh with the shopkeepers) .

India is also full of colours, as you can see, and full of people (see the bus below). Most of them are very good looking, especially kids are very cute. However, they are somehow persuaded that white beauty is more attractive. (Nonsense!)And they tend to let you know it.
Women are extremely shy and feel puzzled and very honoured at the same time when you ask if you can take a picture.

Kids usually ask you "which country?" (by which they mean "where are you from?") and then they just laugh or ask you to take a picture of them. They would follow you all around the town being very proud of being seen with a white person. They are quite shy but also very curious. You can see them fighting inside themselves whether they should talk to you or not. Well the curiosity is often stronger than anything else. Especially with the prospect of a picture taken. They really love posing for photographs.

Money, money, money...

2005-11-09T02:30:00.000-08:00

Our pay day is on 7th... What day is it today? "Sir, you're late with the salaries", I said. "Hmmm", said he. And left. Damn rupees.

Let's get cracking...

2005-11-08T00:30:00.000-08:00

This is my first trial so hopefully there'll be more to read and see in the nearest future. I'll try my best to keep it up to date.

Dneska se poprve pokousim zalozit tenhle blog, tak doufam, ze to vsechno pujde dobre a brzy bude co cist a prohlizet.