HK: What's My Fortune?

Last night my friend from college, Alvin, treated me to a really good local seafood restaurant for dinner in Jordan (left pic), somewhere I never would've found on my own. With my new glasses, we looked like twins, except his frames were Versace and mine are Ver-sase. Then we browsed through Temple Street (Meew Gai or sometimes called Men's Market) where they sell tons of knick knacks and offer fortune telling services (right pic). We even found a couple middle- aged prostitutes soliciting business. I tried to take a picture discreetly but the hookers didn't turn out very well.

Temple Street is famous for fortune telling and tarot card reading, so I had to get my fortune told at the least expensive booth: only HK$100 ($12) for face and palm reading. Amazingly, a lot of what he said about my character, lifestyle, childhood, etc. was right on the money - like how everyone thinks I'm a big airhead when in fact I'm really intelligent with lots of ideas. He also said I already had one failed significant relationship or marriage and could possibly have three marriages in my lifetime. My first marriage was not a harmonious one while my second marriage will be a very happy one. But if I marry a third time (good god - who am I, JLo?), I will have a shitload of money. Sorry Your Baldness [aka Justin my boyfriend], looks like I'll be leaving you for money! He also said I have Toe Fah which means I easily attract men. Everything else he said about my future and fortune, well that's between me and him, and of course Alvin who was there for moral support and occasional translation. Twelve bucks for half an hour of entertainment, not bad at all! Except he said I should remove the three small moles on my face. His exact words were (translated from Chinese), "You have such a pretty face but with those moles, it's like having trash all over it. And it wouldn't hurt to lose a few pounds." Thanks Mr. Fortune Teller. Just what every girl wants to hear!

Afterwards we went to some hole in the wall for dessert that was excellent. Alvin had a mango tapioca and gave me half, and I had a black sesame tofu and did not give him half. Then we went back to his luxury apartment sitting on top of Elements shopping center with a breathtaking view of the city (HK lies to build apartment complexes right above shopping centers). But you'll have to excuse the mess in the pictures - his maid doesn't come til tomorrow.

HK: Chinese Banquet

Sunday night I attended my first traditional Chinese banquet in Hong Kong. Well not exactly my first but I can barely recall my dad's company events and weddings I attended when I was small. It just so happens that my uncle was invited to an 80th birthday party of his childhood friend's mother and I was able to tag along. If you've ever been to a Chinese wedding reception before, you'd have a pretty good idea of what a Chinese banquet is.

When we first arrived at the high-end Chinese restaurant where the banquet was held, they were already passing the birthday cake out to us (cake before dinner!!!) Then we each received $50 HKD Lai Cee (red envelope with money that adults give out at special occasions like Chinese New Year). Two tables of mah jong were occupied while little kids ran around the rented private room. Then the ten-course dinner began at 7:30 with the first course of shark fin soup (left pic). Other courses included Chinese seafood and delicacies that I am unable to identify or translate into English, but they were incredibly delicious nonetheless. And I did make an exception to being a vegetarian for just one night and oh it was so worth it. The last course was custard buns (right pic) with sweet melon soup as dessert.

Picture: That's me and Yoyo after I curled her hair for the banquet (she was looking forward to having her hair done ALL week when she saw me unpacking my curling iron.) Then later that night when we were lying in bed, she said to me, "Bew Jeh*, you are really pretty like Miss Hong Kong." Flattered, I replied, "I thought I was a fat pig!" (She called me a fat pig when I got my second bowl of rice during dinner.) "Hehehehehe good night!" was all she said before passing out and snoring away.

*Bew Jeh is what little cousins call their older female cousins.

HK: Geography and Tourism for $500

Hong Kong consists primarily of four regions: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, New Territories, and Lantau Island. HK Island is the international hub of Hong Kong because it is the financial center and business district where most of the bankers and expats live and work. Walking around Lan Gwai Fong, an area notorious for its bar and restaurant scene, being Chinese makes you a minority. Check out the IFC - International Finance Center, the tallest building in HK located in Central during lunch time on a weekday, as I mistakenly did while meeting a friend for lunch, and you'll get trampled on by the herd of well dressed corporate drones. I have never seen a city so crowded before! You must also take a tram ride to the top of Victoria Peak (right pic) where you can overlook the entire island. But make sure you do it on a clear day as the pollution coming from China has drastically increased the visible smog hovering over the island.

Kowloon is more "Chinese" and has a more authentic feel of Hong Kong, but not without its fair share of tourist traps. Tsim Sha Tsui (left pic is Nathan Rd) has a ton of shopping and restaurants and bars. I also like Mong Kok where you can get really cheap and fun knick knacks at Ladies Market. Check out what they sell there in the picture on the right. (Yes that is what you think it is.) I've visited the Museum of History (free admission on Wednesdays) and the spectacular Peninsula Hotel. The night view looking across the harbor at HK Island is breathtaking, making my bus ride extra enjoyable!

New Territories is a little more suburban and you can do activities like biking around the less polluted and more scenic area. I spent last weekend there as my aunt, uncle, and cousin live in Sha Tin, but we didn't do much other than shop and eat which seems to be the common thread amongst all four regions. We also checked out Snoopy Town (left pic). I've never been to Lantau Island so can't tell you anything about it.

It is very easy to get from one region to another as you can go by boat, metro, train, or bus. Yesterday I met up with four new friends (introduced by Thomas) and we shopped and ate all day in Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok. Today I'm going to Sha Tin to pick up my glasses - turns out I've been using my left eye this whole time instead of both eyes, so my right eye has deteriorated dramatically and now I need glasses to train myself to see out of both eyes. I now look like Chinese Millhouse.

HK: Real Monet

Remember that 90's chick flick Clueless starring Alicia Silverstone in which she plays Cher who tries to make over the new girl in town. One of her memorable quotes describing her arch-nemesis, Amber, is "She's a full-on Monet. It's like a painting, see? From far away, it's OK, but up close, it's a big old mess." Well, that quote kind of sums up Hong Kong for me. Upon arrival, I was overwhelmed by the glamour and excitment. But you learn fast that people are not so polite, the streets are not as clean (well still a hell lot cleaner than NYC), the air is polluted, and there's not much to do here other than shopping and eating. It's definitely a convenient city suitable for those who enjoy city life. But for me, there's only so much sightseeing, shopping and eating I can do before I get bored. And HK's biggest crime is its utter lack of eye candy. I have yet to see a single native who is a hair above average (expats and tourists not included). Don't they know a little makeup goes a long way?

Furthermore, I discovered that trying to learn Mandarin in HK where the locals speak Cantonese is like going to a French exchange program in Canada. It's much more effective studying in Beijing or Shanghai and costs less too. I did go on a couple interviews for part-time jobs here. One of which is at Kaplan teaching an SAT prep course. It sounded pretty promising at first since I've had a lot of experience with corporate training. I even passed my first interview where I had to do a 5-minute demo on something fun (I chose origami since there was nothing else I could think of...pole dancing perhaps?) They wanted me to come back next week for a demo teaching session with the prep materials they gave me. But after perusing through the 100 pages of studying that I'd have to do per lesson for only $300 HKD ($40) an hour, I'm not sure if I'd want to spend my time in HK studying for the SATs, something I've long forgotten along with prom, zits, and graduation. Nonetheless, I have had a busy week meeting up with friends, sightseeing, shopping, and job hunting, and of course babysitting! That's why I haven't had a chance to blog.

Pictures: 1) Thomas organized a dinner for me to meet 14 of his expat friends living in HK at Frites in Central. 2) Karen, her friend Jenny, and me at Mountain Peak. 3) Me inside a giant pumpkin in Tsim Sha Tsui.

HK: Nanny Diaries

Philipino nannies/maids are as commonplace in Hong Kong as rodents in NYC subway. Just about every household has one. Gung Yuns, as they are called, not only take care of the children, but also go grocery shopping, cook and clean and do just about everything you'd expect an indentured servant to do. Some even service the male head of the household, if you know what I mean. Uncle Raymond recently fired their gung yun because she has gambled away all her savings and reluctantly turned to unscrupulous loan sharks for "help." It wasn't until said loan sharks called my uncle's house that they realized she had a gambling problem and let her go immediately. Lucky for me, she left just in time before I arrived or else I would have been homeless.

YoYo, my precocious six-year-old cousin, has really taken a liking to yours truly. From the moment I arrived, she has attached herself to me and turned into a Mini-Me, imitating everything from the way I do my hair to the black hairband I wear on my wrist to the way I hold my rice bowl. She reminds me a lot of myself when I was that age - a real smart ass who likes to boss people around and show off! She likes to prance around and talk your ear off, hates doing homework, lifts up her shirt to scratch her chest, sings to you when you're trying to watch TV, and dances around in her underwear. When she's being a brat and talks back to her elders, you want to reprimand and even strangle her. But then you take one look at those big brown eyes and that cute cheesy smile with a front tooth missing, you can't help but melt. Yes I'm a sucker for cute little girls.

I help her with her homework (well English and Math) while she teaches me how to read first grade level Chinese. I wash her hair, play cards with her, and keep her company while her parents attempt to relax after a long day at work. I do her hair and help her pick out clothes. I drop her off at dance lessons and watch her at swimming practice. I spoil her with presents and promise to take her to Disneyland if she gets an A on her next test. I have become her new nanny, her role model she looks up to and bosses around at the same time. And you know what the kicker is? A few days ago she introduced me to her neighbors as her new gung yun! And then giggled and said, "Just kidding! She's my cousin from America." That little @#$$%@#$^!!

Pictures: My new home and my little YoYo.

Foon Ying...Welcome to Hong Kong!

Foon Ying means "welcome" in Cantonese. I have survived my first weekend here in Hong Kong after my last-minute change of plans and unexpected arrival in this fast-paced hi-tech metropolis. I have settled nicely at Uncle Raymond's tiny but tidy condo in Kowloon with Aunt Rita and little cousin YoYo. (She used to be called Apple until she changed her nickname to a finger toy. But then again, she is six and believes in Santa Claus. ) So how have I been doing my first few days here? Well, I have learned how to ride the metro and bus to the city (Hong Kong Island), nevermind I missed my stop on my way home and had to find my way back. I have gotten myself a cell phone and now have a local number where I can be reached. I have improved my Cantonese speaking skills and babysitting skills. I have met up with my friend Thomas who now works in HK at Lehman Brothers and showed me around Lan Gwai Fong where all the Gwai Lohs (foreigners) hang out - it was like being at home. I also met up with two of my friends who happen to be stopping by while on vacation: Marcus from Tokyo and Karen from NYC. I have checked out several schools where they teach Mandarin to non-Chinese speakers. All in all, I had an eventful weekend as I try to adjust to my new life in Hong Kong.
The most convenient part about living in HK is the public transportation. Not only is the metro system (called MTR) super clean and easy to decipher, the double-decker AC buses are very comfortable and even have flat-screen TVs on each level. But the coolest thing I found so far is the Octopus card. It is a debit card that you use to ride the metro and the bus. There is no card swiping or signing your name - all you have to do is press it against their pad until it beeps, then the pad will show you how much has been deducted and what is left on your card. And get this - not only can you use it for public transportation, but all convenient stores like 7-eleven and pharmacies and most fast-food places like McDonalds accept this Octopus card. It is so freakin' convenient and ingenius! Don't you wish we have something remotely similar back home?
I will post pictures as soon as Blogger will allow (experiencing technical difficulties at the moment).

Tearful Goodbye

We left India Tuesday night after long goodbyes with Justin's family and flew to our absolute favorite city for our overnight layover. We were back in Singapore once again and headed straight to my friend's place for a morning nap. We caught some rays at the pool then off to happy hour having $20 Singapore Slings at the ritzy Raffles Hotel (the hotel that created the famous drink). We couldn't sleep at all that night as it was our last night together before we headed our separate ways in the morning. Justin flew back to the U.S. while I headed to Hong Kong. He will fly to Pittsburgh to be with his family, and I have decided to spend the next two months in Hong Kong studying Mandarin. I am staying with my uncle in the meantime where I will share a room with my 6-year-old cousin. Although Justin and I will not be together for the rest of the year, we thought this was the best decision for the both of us since I wasn't ready to go back yet (and what, like get a job?) Besides, I've always wanted to live in Hong Kong again and reacquaint myself with my birthplace after leaving over twenty years ago. Although this new path is a drastic change of events for us, we both feel really good about our decision. The hardest part about all this will be being apart from each other for two and a half months, but I look forward to exploring Hong Kong and taking you all with me.

What will happen next?

A family emergency has precipitated Justin to cancel the rest of our trip and immediately return home to Pittsburgh to be with his family. As this came very suddently and unexpectedly, we are scrambling to change our travel plans. Another dilemma is whether I should continue on our trip without him or go back to the States. My heart is torn. On the one hand, how can I possibly explore Southeast Asia and face possible perils all alone as a single girl? It just wouldn't be the same without him (or any travel companion for that matter). Furthermore, I can go to Pittsburgh with him to provide whatever support I can for him and his family. On the other hand, this is the most critical time for him to be with his family and my presence there might be an imposition. Maybe it's best I leave him be and continue on, but I will miss him dearly for the next two and a half months. Either way, I have to finish packing and manage our travel arrangements while deciding on what to do next. Hopefully whatever my decision is will be the right one. Stay tuned as I will not be able to blog during the next few days of emotional turmoil and logistical chaos. I might even be home by next week. Wish us luck!

Farewell My India

It is time for us to leave India and journey onto our next destination, Thailand, where we will spend over a month and will be meeting Justin's uncle who is also visiting at the same time with his Thai wife. We even tracked down the date of the next infamous Full Moon party in Ko Phangan (October 26) where thousands gather on the white sand beach and party for five nights under a bright full moon.

This past month and a half here in India has drastically evolved our thoughts on traveling. Originally we had plans to be in the glory of the Taj Mahal, trek in the Himalayas, visit Mumbai (Bombay) and other "must see" tourist traps. Instead we took a spiritual journey to Pune and a yoga course, while allotting ample time to spend with Justin's extended family, dine at local restaurants, hone my blog writing skills, play badminton in the backyard, go grocery shopping, and participate in Navratri, one of India's biggest festivals. We also got to see first-hand how India with all the ingredients of modernism has one foot dipped in a high-tech society and another firmly planted in the old world where you still see women carrying big pots on their heads - a country that is simultaneously straddling several centuries. We were able to truly live in India not as site-hopping tourists but as honorary members of their society. Furthermore, being foreigners sometimes gave us special benefits even though rickshaw drivers and street vendors always charge more for non-Indians. For instance, when we attended Malu's dance performance, we walked past rows and rows of seats and were escorted to sit front row in the VIP section where our pictures were taken just because we were foreigners. We also went to a popular restaurant for lunch where the wait was two hours long, but Justin's aunt walked right up to the host and said we visited all the way from America. We were seated within seconds.

Although we didn't get to check off any of those items on our now-defunct itinerary, the enriching experience and cultural lessons we are taking back with us are infinitely more meaningful and memorable. It is like the difference between studying abroad while staying with a host family versus backpacking for the summer. I'd much prefer the former option because you get to be totally immersed in their culture rather than stand in front of some revered monument with your picture taken. You also eat where the locals do and not what Rough Guide recommends, adapt to their lifestyle rather than impose your stubborn ways on others wherever you go. This to us is what traveling is all about...

Here's our photo album, a final look at our journey to India:



L: Gandhi Ashram where we got to relive this nation's father's lifelong struggle to bring independence and peace to India.
R: Monkey in our backyard - I've seen a menagerie of animals wandering the streets here without even stepping foot in a zoo.





L: Our painfully long 15-hour train ride to Pune - the train seats become beds and the impoverished take dumps on the railroad tracks where they live nearby.
R: Statues of Ganesh being sold on the street - they are not only used for prayers but also a popular way to transport drugs.





L: Fruit market selling fruits I've never even heard of (like custard apples and sweet limes) which we enjoyed every day - even mangoes come in hundreds of varieties.
R: Enjoying a home cooked Indian meal where we use steel plates and eat with our hands.



L: Justin playing a game of carrom with Baba and Shimul. Carrom is a tabletop game and also a popular pastime in India.
R: Neighborhood kids I've befriended showing me the temple they built in the parking lot. They were later told to build it somewhere else because it occupied a parking spot.



L: Three cute little girls dressed for Navratri
R: Our final night in India where we danced for hours

India: Losing My Religion

Athiests deny the existence of God while agnostics neither believe nor deny any divine beings. Siding with the latter has provided many benefits in my life. For example, I don't have to go to church every Sunday, or confess my sins to a sanctimonious pedophile, I mean, priest, or pray five times a day, or fast for a month, or not work after sun down, or give something up for 40 days, or be prohibited to consume certain foods, etc., etc., etc. The list of personal conveniences goes on and on. I know most of you must be appalled by my iconoclastic views, and I respect that. But you also have to respect that you have your religious beliefs and rituals, and well, I don't have mine.

Although I have a rudimentary understanding of some of the world's major religions, such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, the one religion I never got to familiarize myself with is Hinduism. Since it's the dominant religion in India, I thought I'd do some homework and tell you a little about what I've learned. One caveat: my blog entry cannot possibly explain everything from its origin to the beliefs and practices. I am only providing a few facts that I found most interesting.

• Hinduism is the world's third largest faiths, after Christianity and Islam, as it is practiced by 13% of the population. It is also considered to be the world's oldest organized religion.
• The caste system stemmed from Hinduism with the brahmins (priests) at the top ruling over ancient India, followed by the kshatriyas (warriors), the vaishyas (merchants and farmers), and the shudras (lowly peasants). Outside of the four main social castes are the "untouchables" or outcastes who took on jobs deemed too polluted and lived outside the village boundaries so they could not come into contact with the other social classes. High-caste Hindus tend to have Caucasian features and lighter skin, while the poorest parts of India are generally darker. The rigidity of this caste system was much adhered to during earlier times, but some elements of this still persist to this day.
• Your caste also determines what color and form of the mark you wear on your forehead called tilak or pottu. Brahmins: white, kshatriyas: red, vaishyas: yellow tumeric, and shudras: black charcoal. The mark cools the forehead, protects you, and prevents negative energy. (So that's why they're called dotheads.)
• As there are thousands of gods within Hinduism, most families have a shrine at their home with pictures and statues of gods and goddesses they pray to and provide offerings of fruits and sweets. Each god comes with fascinating stories of how they came about. Two of the most popular gods are Krishna (picture on left) and Ganesh (picture on right).
• Hindus believe in karma which means if you behave unethically, undesirable consequences will come back to haunt you. Human beings are born again and again to gradually reduce their karma until it is eliminated and the individual will no longer be reborn and will achieve salvation.
• Meditation and yoga are important practices in Hinduism to achieve the state of sanadhi or union of the human soul with the universal soul.
• If you build a temple or shrine (even a makeshift one of no structural value) in the middle of the road, no one can remove or destroy it. Some buildings even have pictures of gods posted in every corner to prevent people from spitting (yes Indians like to spit everywhere, especially corners of stairs).

Left: Temple in the middle of a busy intersection.

Right: Shrine at Justin's family's home.

India: Navratri Dance Celebration

Friday night marked the first of nine nights of Navratri, a Hindu festival celebrating Goddess Durga the divine mother (left picture). Navratri literally means nine nights and is the world's longest held dance celebration. It is held every year to worship the nine forms of the goddess around the beginning of October but the exact start date is determined according to the Hindu lunar calendar.

During the festival, streets are filled with live music where men and women dressed in elaborate and colorful costumes dance the night away. While participating in the Garba dance, there is a series of choreographed steps you have to follow and repeat to join the circle of dancers (kinda like a much cooler "Electric Slide"). Throughout the night, more and more people joined the circle as the music got faster. It took us a while to get the hang of it, but once we did it was hard to stop dancing. This goes on every night all over India for the entirety of the festival from 9 pm until the sun comes up! It was truly a memorable and exciting experience to participate in such a fun event. We plan to dance every night until we leave India on Tuesday.

Pictures: 1) Justin's cousin Malu performing Kathak, a classical Indian dance during Navratri. 2) His Baldness (Justin), Malu, and I all dressed up and ready to go for our Garba dance. 3) Blurry picture of the festival.

India: Isha Yoga

Last year when Justin and I spent a month in India, we practiced yoga every morning at 6am that brought about a new and unexplained energy in our bodies and minds. Unfortunately, our adherence to the daily regime gradually diminished soon after we returned to Colorado. Now that we are back in India a year later, we found ourselves with a renascent interest in yoga. We recently completed a 7-day Isha Yoga initiation course. Isha Yoga isn't about the practice of yoga as a physical exercise; it centers around yoga to promote your overall wellbeing and awareness by separating and fusing your body and mind. Although we are not allowed to reveal details of the course or teach it to others, I feel obliged to share with you a few keypoints I found invaluable.

First of all, you know that "Om" sound that is used during meditation? Well, it's not actually one syllable "Om" as commonly mistaken, it is "Aum" and has three syllables: "A" then "U" and then "M." So when you go through the three distinct syllables gradually, you can feel the vibration in your body from the pit of your stomach to the tip of your tongue.

We also learned that certain foods are considered negative pranic (energy) while others are positive pranic. Negative pranic foods will drain your body of energy leaving you lethargic. Therefore, it is best to avoid such foods as garlic, onion, eggplant, chili peppers, spices, coffee, tea, and intoxicants. Positive pranic foods will provide your body with energy and include fruits, vegetables, nuts, dried fruits, ash gourd, sprouted gram, and honey. Potatoes and tomatoes are zero pranic foods.

Finally, for those of you who are practicing yoga by following a book or DVD, please discontinue to do so. Since there is no trained instructor to observe you, you cannot possibly know what you are doing wrong whether it's your position or breathing. And doing yoga incorrectly will do more harm than good as the damage to your body builds up over time causing back pain or other inexplicable ailments. Take a class instead where you will be observed attentively by a master so your technique is applied accurately allowing you to reap the maximum benefits of yoga.

We now do an hour of yoga every day - 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes at night. It's become a part of our daily routine as habitual as brushing our teeth. So if you ever hear Isha Yoga is in town to teach a course, I strongly recommend it! Or you can always go to India and visit the ashram for a total yoga retreat.

India: Mouse in the House

There has been a mice infestation at Bungalow and I'm beyond petrified. Last night when we returned home from dinner at the grand opening of the new revolving restaurant (very exciting for the citizens of Ahmedabad), Justin's grandmother opened a bag of rice and out came a little mouse. While running for his life, Mickey immediately hid under one of the cupboards. But there has been a few sightings of this most wanted fugitive darting from one corner to another. My head is filled with visions of dark furry rodents crawling all over my body and gnawing on my skin. I don't care how cute they in Ratatouille or Little Stuart, I want that thing out of here!!!

Moving onto my next topic: I would like to make a correction to my Language and Culture 101 post. Thanks to my NRI friend, Shesha, who has kindly pointed out to me that most of the Hindi words I was teaching you are actually Gujarati words. Oops! As I mentioned before, Hindi is India's primary language, and Gujarati is one of its many regional languages (Gujarat is the state where Justin's family and Shesha are from). I'd also like to add a couple more random bullet points on Indian culture:

• When you pinch both your ears and give it a little tug, it's another way to say you're sorry.
• Indians don't use toilet paper to wipe their asses. You'll often find a bucket next to the toilet so you can fill it with water and create your own bidet.
• The education system in India teaches their children three languages from kindergarten on. All their subjects are taught in English while Hindi and their regional language are two additional subjects. They also learn Sanskrit, India's ancient language that is the root of all their languages (like Latin for us). No wonder everyone (especially the kids) speaks English with ease! That is the only method to teach a foreign language - not like Americans who don't require it until high school. It's way too late by then and we're stuck speaking French or Spanish like a retarded 4 year old who can't even get the accent half right.

Pictures: Justin pretending to play the guitar with his 9-year-old cousin Neva. Dinner with Justin's cousins at their beautiful modern home that sits on acres of farmland complete with cows, peacocks, palm trees, a river, and of course, a tennis court. Who doesn't have a tennis court in their backyard?

India: Food for Thought

Americans are definitely a meat loving people - can't have a single meal without some form of meat. Since India is mostly vegetarian (but some eat chicken and mutton), I have learned that human bodies are actually designed as herbivores. Carnivores have canine teeth to tear meat apart and their intestines are relatively short so meat can be digested and pass through their systems quickly. Herbivores, on the other hand, lack such canine teeth but their teeth can cut and grind and their saliva contains digestive enzymes lacked by carnivores. Herbivores' intestines are also six times as long as their bodies. The following indicates the approximate time it takes for each type of food to pass through your system from that first bite in your mouth to the last morsel of shit out of your ass:

• Raw meat: 72 hours
• Cooked meat: 48 hours
• Cooked vegetables: 24 hours
• Raw vegetables: 12 hours
• Fruits: 3 hours

Think about it this way. Since it takes 48 hours for cooked meat (and 72 hours for raw meat) to pass through your system, guess what is happening to the undigested meat stuck along your intestines? The same thing that would happen if you leave meat sitting outside where it is hot and humid. It's putrefying as we speak! Haven't you noticed after that heavy Thanksgiving turkey dinner or a 10-lb steak at Morton's you feel comatose and lethargic? That's because your body is working overtime to digest all that meat, leaving little energy for the rest of your body. Since our arrival, we have not taken a single bite of meat for almost two months. As a result, we feel lighter and more energetic and don't really miss it all that much. We will try our best to continue with our newfound vegetarianism, but cutting out meat completely from our diet will be a challenging task ahead as we travel through the rest of Asia where dogs and snakes are considered gourmet dishes.

India: Flavor of the Month

If you've been bit by the travel and foody bug as I have, you must have noticed that each country proffers a myriad of new and different flavors when it comes to satisfying your sense of taste. It can be overwhelming when presented with abounding choices you've most likely never heard of. International food companies and local restaurants cater to each country according to the types of foods available, religious beliefs, and regional tastes. For example, Dole makes pineapple soft serve ice cream only in Hawaii, whereas McDonald's in Malaysia sells durian milkshakes. Sugar cane and jack fruit juices are ubiquitous in Singapore, while Japan offers green tea as a flavor for everything imaginable from desserts to bread to noodles.

India is no exception. When it comes to restaurants we are all familiar with: McDonald's and Subway only sell veggie or chicken burgers and subs, as cows are considered sacred to Hindus. Pizza Hut offers a creative assortment of vegetarian pizzas (8 combinations!) with copious amounts of capsicum and green chillies. As for snacks, Lay's potato chips come in chili pepper, coriander, or masala crunch. Ramen noodles are not oriental beef but vegetarian masala. Popular sodas sold alongside Coke and 7up include Mazza (mango soda) and Thumbs Up (a less sweet cola than Coke). Restaurants almost always sell lime soda which you can easily make at home*. Recommended once a day, fresh lime soda is very refreshing and good for you, too, as it cleans out your intestines. Tropicana juices include lychee, mango, and guava along with your typical orange, apple, and grape. Apart from chocolate and strawberry milk, there is also pistachio milk, saffron milk, mango milk, and masala milk - all of which are so sweet and yummy. Last but not least, popular ice cream flavors are mango, custard apple, kesar (saffron - my favorite), kesar pista (saffron with pistachio), cashew nut, almond, and coffee orange (my second favorite). Forget 31 flavors at Baskin-Robbins: I've tried them all and Indian ice cream is undeniably the one thing I'm going to miss most!

Pictures: 1) Dinner with Justin's family. 2) Saffron ice cream. 3) McDonald's menu.

*Lime soda recipe: Squeeze a whole lime into a glass, then add sugar or salt or both to taste and mix with water or club soda.

India: Ron Burgundy Reporting Live

What better way to learn about the social and political issues affecting a country than by reading its newspapers and magazines. India also has their fair share of tabloids on Bollywood and Hollywood stars as well as their editions of Reader's Digest, Vogue, Maxim, and a host of other magazines we subscribe to. We read Times of India on a daily basis, the country's premier English newspaper where each city prints its own local edition. While they share plenty of the same headlines as we get back home (i.e. disapproval of Bush's war on terror, Matel recalls more toys made in China, bloodshed in Myanmmar, Britney Spears blunders at the VMAs and loses custody), I've collected various news items over the past few weeks that you surely won't see anywhere else. The following headlines have been copied verbatim:

• Cash reward for information on lion poaching
• Delhi government sacks teacher facing sex trade charges
• Man murdered for refusing to serve liquor
• Cameraman eggs family to attempt suicide for ratings
• Gujarat government rewards cricket players with cash prizes
• Girls gone mild - India's covering up cause skin is out!
• Meet Delhi's only female auto-rickshaw driver
• Athlete attempts suicide after failing gender test
• Young teen forced by family to marry 75-year-old in W. Bengal

The Classified section is even more entertaining. Here is a typical ad placed by a family for their son (copied directly from the newspaper):

• Wanted: Upper caste Gujarati girl, well educated, good looking, height above 5'3", preferably working. For our son Gujarati Shah Jain boy, settled in Bangalore, non smoker, 33 yrs, height 5'10", own house, 7 figure salary.

Quite different from the ads we're used to: SWM ISO SBF. Me: Gemini, artistic and adventurous, work on Wall $treet and enjoy moonlight rafting. You: Big, black, and beautiful.

Pictures: Our feeble attempt to paint some artwork at Justin's uncle Baba's factory where they weave ornate tapestries and sell to individual customers as well as big name corporations. As evinced by my one of a kind creation pictured here, I'm no Picasso but we had a lot of fun!