On the road again.

This will be the first time the five of us will have travelled overseas together. We are so excited about this trip to Asia and all that is planned for us. We will be connecting with old and new friends, sightseeing like crazy, and working on our language learning as well. With home-schooling the older two at the same time we plan on going to lots of museums and cultural events to make learning fun. Should be a blast. We will give you an update on how the flights went when we get on the other side of the pond.

Be on time

The other night I took in my first Indian cinema experience. We were wanting to see "the Book of Eli", no not a Bollywood yet; that is next week. We went to two different theaters, right next to each other. Neither one had it, so we settled for "Armored". We ordered our tickets, where I was told my seat number and where it was located. After we went through security for the fourth time, since we parked, we saw the concession stand. I picked up a chicken dog and a coke. The nice young man grabbed my ticket and told me where my seat was again. As all five of us went through the doors, someone heard that we could sit anywhere that the theater was empty.

Sure enough it was and the movie was started as well. The movie was advertised to start at 6:30PM and it did. We got in around 6:40PM and we missed the first 10 minutes. There are no commercials for movies here, I guess. As I sat down in the seat, the guy next to me said stretch back your seat, so I tried to figure it out and sure enough I am laid almost straight out watching the movie. Brilliant, as my English friends would say. Starting to like this expression.

So half way through the movie their was an intermission, where the movie stopped for five minutes or so, where you could go to the washroom/bathroom/toilet, buy some concessions or what ever. Then five minutes later the movie just starts back up where it left. Kind of nice actually. The movie needed a break, save you money. If you do not ever see, you are not missing out an anything. The cast is deceiving.

I was told that you could even pay online and pick your seats. One of the biggest movies of the year is coming out in two days here. It is called "My name is Khan" and I am thinking about going to see it just to say that I did. I will only understand 12% of it, because there is no subtitles,, but it will be worth it. The best part is that it costs less than renting a movie at Blockbuster.

So next time you are in India, don't be late for the movies.

Bachelor Life

Not like the reality shows. This is me coming from a home with an amazing wife who cooks and thinks through meals, does the laundry (because I ruin it), all the little things. These days I wake up between 5 and 5:10AM get ready, make coffee, maybe grab a bite to eat and then off to the bakery. I am there until around 2PM and then…. At this point if I have not thought through what I am going to eat or what kind of activity I will do, I am lost. After a full day, most times I cannot even remember my name let along think about needing to get some groceries before I make it all the way home, passing by many places to pick up veggies and fruit.

The other thing is that dinner is really not served here until 7-7:30PM, unless you want to by fast food stuff, but who wants that when you are in India. Yes, it is different, but not that much. I have done this so far, but not proud of it. Oh yeah, I also go to bed around 9, so to go back out to get some dinner and then back just to go back to bed, is not my cup of tea.

It has been nice to hang out with my friends here from last time. They help out breath up the loneliness for sure. I have watched more movies this last three weeks than I have in the last six months back home. I think after this week I am feeling comfortable enough with things that I will start being more adventurous and check out some new things and trying to meet with new people.

I now that this is how it was suppose to happen, but I hope this separation never happens again. Bachelorhood is not for me.

How many skinned goats can you fit into a rickshaw?

……………………Fifteen is the answer. Did you get right? I witnessed a man pull fifteen goat carcasses out of the floorboard and little ledge on the back of a rickshaw today. 10 on the floor and 5 on the ledge. Anna took some pictures. I will try to get them from here. I have a feeling that he did not disinfect the vehicle afterwards either. Mutton kabob anyone?

Delhi Traffic

I had mentioned so some people that I was given the opportunity to drive my friends car while they were away. I was thinking that in a couple of weeks I would work up the courage to take the car out for a short spin. Well less than 24 hours on the ground and I was driving from the bakery to the house. Now I drive every day. Not to far, but still Delhi Traffic.

Five years ago we were given a standard car for me to commute in to school in Calgary. We were not super excited about the standard thing, since neither one of us drove a standard car before, but told ourselves that it would come in handy some day if we stayed in our particular line of work. So I did, Anna took me for a spin around the block first and I passed the test. Very strange to be on the other side of the car, shifting with the other hand, and trying to figure out where the turn signal was (not sure anyone saw it or not). I was also told that I did not have to be polite and look Anna in the eyes when she was talking to me or look completely over my shoulder while changing lanes. The rule in Delhi driving is that if you cannot see them off your shoulder you have the right away. My father in law would love driving here. Some day Dad.

Mexican Salsa

After work this afternoon, Anna made chicken burritos for lunch. I was surprised to see a jar of salsa. Dave mentioned it was local. I looked at the bottle and sure enough it is made right here in Delhi. The funny part was the address; Hosiery complex, Phase 2. They do not always group the same products in the same areas here. So funny.

No one ever said traveling was suppose to be fast

So after 40 some hours of travel and gallivanting in London, I made it safe to Delhi. This time of year is high fog/smog levels, so you really can’t see more than 5 feet in front of you until noonish. So all flights in and out of Delhi try to leave and land in Delhi within a 5 hour gap, because at 5 the sun starts going down and the fog/smog returns.

London was great. Great chance to catch up to an old classmate from Rocky and see London from his perspective. We went on “The Eye” (the giant Fairs Wheel you see in movies with London as the backdrop) and rode an official double-decker bus from Waterloo station back to Notting Hill and yes I did see all the famous spots for the movie. They painted the blue door, black to confuse tourist, nah, I do not know I forgot to ask.

Coming back to a city that you lived in for three months was amazingly simple. My friend Dave waited for me for 5 hours the day before I arrived. We got the dates wrong, opps! So this time I grabbed a taxi to the bakery. It was a little hard to remember where I was because of the foggy background, but managed to get the taxi driver to the bakery no problem.

Coming back to Delhi is still a little nostalgic. The town I love, so different, yet, so the same. The sights and smells were familiar, yet new. I am not sure how to explain it quite yet, but it is good to be back.

The guys at the bakery asked for Keon and Levi right away. One guy spent the day re-sighting quotes from Keon when we were here two years ago. Amazing. I told him he will love Levi now that he can talk and is so funny. He is looking forward to when we all can be here together.

I am here, tired, but here. I do not sleep well on planes and have so much to learn before David and Anna leave next week, I will catch up some time. Maybe!!!