Jodhpur Airport

Why take an ochs to pull the suitcases to the plane if a tractor can do it.

  

Desert Safari in Jaiselmer

  

Jaipur / Amberfort

  

Jodhpur, the blue city

  

Jaipur/Jaiselmer

"Ahh!" In a state of shock I draw back from the falling hand that slapped my face. The person in the bunk bed above me who belongs to the hand, doesnt seem to be very impressed that he scared the crap out of me, turns around, farts loudly for one more time and goes back to sleep. Nicolas has not listened to my persuading words and is still afraid that someone might steal our luggage. That is why he has chained his backpack to his belt and lies on it.
The body odor of the man above me makes my salvation gather under my tongue only one step away from vomitting, so I soak my Pashmina with perfurme to be distracted from the smell.
The men (only men, of course) dont scar me much. They just snor, fart, stink and talk in their sleep. However they dont seem to be potential bandits to me. Nicolas is still on guard, though. What worries me more is the fact that we are in the wrong coach of the train. The conductor explained us in HIndi that we have to change in Jodphur at around 6 am. I just want to sleep and escape the smell and the cold. It is SOO cold. I am wearing 3 T shirts, my PJs, Kurta, jacket, Pashmina, 2 pants. Still freezing. When Nicolas generously offers me to help me out with his body heat (even though very controversial) I happilz agree. I change my mind when he tries to shift the luggage and drops his backpack on my face. We get in a silentfight and go on freezing alone. But we end up squeezing on the 60 cm bunk, brave Nicolas watching over us.
We manage to change the train, I manage to sleep. Nicolas manages to find a friend to chat with. When I wake up, I get briefed that we earn 1000 Euro only, that we will marry next year and that we never had sex. Kind of stunned about my regained virginity I ask him why he has not told that guy that we were married in stead of coming up with this complicated story. I guess he was tired...

We were 13 hours in the train ride and meanwhile it is nice and warm. Our banks, the floor, my body are covered with a sand and dust layer. I enjoy the view, the camels, the bushes and the men that sit behind them to do their morning crap while they watch the train go by.

Go here to see some pics

Lazy Saturday

Beach Bunny in India

I was invited to a team offsite. According to the website it was this awesome waterslides paradise. I was looking forward to that a lot. Liz said that she did not bring a bathing suit to India, so I offered to lend her one of mine. Warren said, she should not worry, since bathing suits are always one fits all. (really??)

Well, Inidan beach fashion does do prob one size fits all. Check out Liz:



P.S. Waterslides were not operating when we got there, after a 3 hours ride. I was not surprised, neither was the team.

Drivers

I have met the nicest people among my divers here. It is not always easy to communicate but as I mentioned before, it does not really matter.

The funniest and jumpiest driver so far is Vinpi. I had the pleasure to meet him cause I was late for my train; so I had to rent a driver from Delhi to Agra. The good soul was about my age, and almost exclusively used the words "Ma´am" and "Yes Ma´am" and "Ok Ma´am?".

I took him to the Taj Mahal, as he had never seen it and we both were impressed. I asked him to take my picture in front of the Taj, and we both were not that content with the result, because either the top of the building was missing, or the focus of the picture was the marble floor and me and the building in the far background. Anyway, he made me pose in front of everything in order to practise his digital photography skills. At the end of "our" trip, he was so happy and jolly to have made a none Indian friend and almost bursted from excitement when I promised to send him the pictures. When I eventually did, he called me up and sounded like Christmas, Holi, Diwali, birthday and end of Ramadan all in one.

There is Isma, the coordinator of all the Cosy Cab drivers in Hyderabad. He does an amazing job with getting all us expats where we want to go, sends us to tailors, hairdresses, pailors, pearl shops and to doctors as well. Erare humanum est. So when I had my encounter with viral fever or food poisoning, I asked for his advise and sure enough he sent me to the best private hospital in town. He reassured me that this doctor has healed so many people before and that I dont have to worry at all. Ansari, my favorite driver, took me there and when we confirmed the appointment at the reception, he asked me if I needed to see a gynaecologist, because that is the doc I had an appointment with. The new appointment was quickly scheduled.
The next time I wanted to go for a gyaencologist checkup, so I figured Isma is the expert with that and asked him to arrange an appointment. Gopa drove me there and it turned out that the appointment was made with the clinical psyochatrist. Although I am sure a check up with this doc would not have hurt, I insisted that I would prefer to see the gynaecologist. It was a tough one. The receptionist and Gopa were discussing my treatment in high volume, having Isma on the phone. However, my repeated sentence "I dont care what the doctors name is, I would like to see a gynaecologist" finally convinced the three men.

And of course, Good Karma in the shape of a man: Gopa. He takes big pride of being among the first employees of the company. His English is rudimentory, but we bond somehow. We start "talking" in Hindi, as he is the only one patient enough to listen to me. He laughs all the time and advised me the other day "moordrr not good" when I tried to smash a mosquito in the car. I was a little embarraed to be so insensitive to Hindu believes of reincarnation, but when he slaped the next mosquito in his hands a few min later, I realized that he was more concerned about the clean windows than about a life of the insect. I love that he has the OM sign and the swastika tatooed on his underarm.

The best of Gopa next to his cheerfullness is his helpfulness. He is deeply caring and also a little clumsy. So he puts the A/C to 3 when I am sneazing and coughing, maybe he thinks fresh air does a cold good... I ask him for a kleenex, and while driving on the city highway, he searches the car, only to find out he doesnt have any. He generiously offers me the wrinkled bight orange 40x40cm handkerchief, stained with oil and what not which he found in the driver door. He explode in laughter. He first does not understand and looks at me bewildered for a second. But as it does not really matter, he starts laughing hysterically, as if he had intended to make a joke. "I make comedy!" lol

Team Dinner

Thanks to the wide wisdom of team Sholay and my rapid and fiercefull whistle blowing (sorry, could not contribute more in the hindi songs and movies and Bollywood star charade) we won the first price at our team dinner.




Thanks to the hospitality and politeness of the Pop Team and my accent-free "I am Basanti- pagh tanno pagh!!" I won the first price in female star imitation.



Bahut bahut shukria!!

It does not matter

Indias contrasts between everything is so unbelieveably overwhelming. The modern palaces are being built by the poorest of the poor who work with their bare hands from dawn to dusk and camp under plastic-bag-like shelter on the construction site. Children in rags attack cars waiting on red lights (if that happens) and try to either beg or sell Q-Tipps or Spiderman masks. Where other societies would break apart or simple become hell on earth, India deals enviously well with this. I believe they do so, because they know that at the end of the day, it is not worth worrying about anything.

One of the most beautiful things about India is the fact that nothing really matters. People come up with some rules, probably a silent cry out for getting organized. But they dont mean anything.

A everyday scene in my sheltered life; at the gym reception:

"No, Maam, you cannot use the gym, it is for members only"

"What are you talking about, I always pay as I go. You even have a price list for 'pay as you go'right here."

"Maam, what is your membership number, Maam?"

"I just told you I dont have a membership. I usually pay as I go."

"Maam, that would be 100 RS now"

"Your pricelist says 50 Rs. That was the price that I have paid up until yesterday. I just have 50 Rs with me. Could you give me a discount?"

Head wobbling on the other side of the reception desk. "ok, Maam, no problem."

"Thank you very much"

"Maam, that would be 56 Rs now incl. tax"

"Sorry, I told you I just have 50 Rs on me."

More intense head wobbling. Time stands still. Office hours are coming closer.

"You know what, I just give you the 50 Rs, and I dont need a receipt anyway. I ll just use the pool."

"Ok, ok, Maam"

The minute I want to go into the pool, the cleaner shouts at me:

"Sorry, Maam, you need to wear a swimming cap." This rule really surprises me, as I am the only reason they clean the pool. I havent seen anyone else using it for the last 1.5 month. The only purpose this pool serves is to being cleaned by 5 or 7 of the 10.000 servants.
I get in the water, put my goggles on and say politely, but without a smile: "I dont have a swimming cap."

Head wobbling from there: "Ok, no problem"

Ethical Principles of Reiki

Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words - Rei which means "God's Wisdom or the Higher Power" and Ki which is "life force energy". So Reiki is actually "spiritually guided life force energy."

Chakras are used in reiki to allow focus and direct universal energy to the healer. The purpose is to absorb cosmic energy and distribute it evenly.


Just for today, I will live the attitude of gratitude

Just for today, I will not worry

Just for today, I will not be angry

Just for today, I will do my work honestly

Just for today, I will show love and respect for every living thing


If you need to see if your energy flows well, or if your chakras are blocked, try out the chakra test

Chakra Test

It takes 10 min and is free of charge.

Taj Mahal- Der Weg ist das Ziel

After my plane arrived in Delhi that late that I could not make it to my train in time, I hired a driver to take me to Agra, for 4000 Rs not the worst deal I could make. I ended up with the sweetest young man you can imagine. He reminded me of some comic character, but I cannot put my finger on it. It took us 4 hours to get there, I slept for 5 1/2 hours, we went to the Taj for 2 hours and went back to Delhi.

Seeing the Taj Mahal was for my unsentimental me, extremly bewitching. A must go for sun raise!!

Varanasi

The India that I have got to known so far is a big getting out of the way. Watch out Bus, Auto Rikshaw, Bike Rikshaw, two wheelers, cows, mad cows, cars, beggars... Arriving in Varanasi we found a new sensation to get out of the way. Watch out, Corps!
People literally drop dead when they reach the holy city. What happens next, they get burnt (it takes 3 hours to burn a prepared body) and their ashes and some hip or chest bones are thrown into the Ganga, the holiest of all ivers. Thre are some exceptions. The following do not get burnt>:
Children, pregnant women, lepers, Snake bitten deads, and animals. These dont need or are not allowed to get purified by burning. They get dumped in the river just like they are.
Strangely enough, people from Varanasi go to the Ghats of the Ganga and bath and swim in there and even brush their teeth there.
The body burning is very surreal. You see a face in the flames but it is more like there s a person in the fire, but not actually on fire. It is also surprising that this doesnt smell extremly disgusting. The cow shit and man piss is much worse.




Auto Rickshaw and Rickshaw are the most widely available public transport within Varanasi. In outer regions of the city, mini-buses are common. Small boats and small steamers are used to cross the river Ganga. Varanasi is well connected by air, rail and buses with all the important places of India. Its distance from Delhi is about 700 Kms. The airport is about 25 km from the city center.





I can recommend Hotel HAIFA, especially for the AWESOME restaurant. It located at Assi Ghat, Varanasi in a peaceful environment within the heartthrob of the city but far madding crowed. It is just 5kms from railway station and bus stand and 28 kms from airport. It'll be love at first sight the moment you enter your luxurious guest room. Where colorful island décor, sophisticated amenities, and beds as soft as a lover's touch create an ambiance that's comfortable and seductively inviting.