I could really use a date...

A departure date that is. Our big move is very much up in the air right now, and the stress of not knowing is weighing on me. A rep from a shipping/moving company came by the house on Monday to survey what we would be shipping via air vs sea to India. The exercise seemed very silly since: 1. We don't know when we're leaving, 2. we don't know where we're going to live, 3. if our housing will be furnished (let's pray) or unfurnished. So the importance of deciding which cookbooks to ship over certainly pales by comparison.

We've also decided that our cat Jasmine will be making the trip to India with us. We figured that 24 hours of travel hell for her would still be better than 2 years of sadness. We think she has finally forgiven us for not taking her to Paris with us back in 2005-2006, even though she was well taken care of and loved by Great Aunt Amy. Bringing Jazzy creates another element of concern since she will need to have health certificates signed within 10 days of our departure. It's hard to schedule a vet appointment less than 10 days before 'Date TBD'. So I'll state again: I need a date.

We can do this

Our week in Hyderabad was an interesting one. Our first day left our heads spinning and our eyebrows raised. Starting on Day 2 we saw a very different Hyderabad. We visited a championship golf course (Bill's eyes got really big when seeing that one), two international schools, very nice housing options, cosmopolitan areas and shops, and have eaten lots of incredible (not to mention cheap) food. Having a driver at our disposal was certainly easy to get used to, and having a cook and maid will be no problem at all. Yes, we can do this.

Impressed by the Dressed

For me, one of the most interesting things on our trip was the tremendously colorful clothing worn by Indian women. Sarees, Salwar Kameez, Churidar Kamees, Kurtas, everywhere I looked there were elegant women beautifully dressed. Regardless of their status or wealth, whether it be a woman in a saree doing manual labor building roads, or a woman riding on the back of a motorcycle, or leaving office buildings, there were always riots of color and style that I couldn't help but admire. I felt very sloppy by comparison in long pants (black or beige) and a short sleeve shirt. Mix and match doesn't seem to exist here where tops, pants, and scarves are literally made to coordinate and be worn as a complete outfit.

As you may guess, my admiration of Indian clothing led me to the mall. The girls now have "Indian Princess" dresses which were purchased on Day 1. Looking back, they're a little bold, but I don't think that will make my 2 little blue-eyed blondes stick out any more than they already would. My Indian wardrobe has also received its inaugural outfits; more are sure to come.

Day 1: A Tourist Attraction

Our first day in Hyderabad, Bill & I decided to see the city like any ordinary tourist would. We were going to have a car and driver all week, so after getting the obligatory brochure from the front desk, we set out to see Golkonda Fort, Chowmahalla Palace, and Charminar.

Golkonda Fort was supposed to be a tourist attraction, but instead Bill & I were. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, stared at us as we passed. As he and I stood looking at the view, we heard calls of “Hello! Hello! Hello!” Turning around and looking up we saw about ten smiling faces peeking over a wall above us trying to get our attention. “Photo? Photo? Just one photo?“ they asked. We smiled. We waved. They clicked away. That was the first of several photo shoots we were subjects of. My personal favorite was at Charminar where a twenty-something boy gestured to Bill to take his photo. Bill being the nice guy asked "would you like me to take your picture?" He offered up his camera and then stood right next to me and smiled at the camera. I saw that one coming a mile away. ;)

Surrounding Charminar are roads full of shops and bazaars selling all assortments of clothing, jewelry, burquas, sarees, and all sorts of other wares. We went looking for “Indian Princess Dresses’ for Cory and Sammy. I made the initial faux pas of not taking my shoes off before stepping into the first shop, but recovered quickly.

By the time we returned to the hotel, I was definitely suffering from sensory overload. During our car ride we saw: 3 camel riders trotting down the road, countless goats & cows, horses tethered at the front doors of shops, upscale stores, run down hovels, shanties, families of 4 riding on motorcycles, brightly colored sarees, women in burquas , schoolchildren in matching uniforms and many many other new and different sights.

On a scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high), I was at about a 7 on the 'fear of living in India' scale at the end of day #1.

The Arrival

Around 3:30am local time on Saturday February 6th, I stepped foot on Indian soil for the first time. Disembarking from my plane, I arrived at the very modern and nary 1year old Hyderabad Airport. I emerged from Customs, which was an even bigger joke than at most other airports, and exited the airport to find myself walking toward the curb in between throngs of Indians held back by shiny new railings. I felt as though I was walking out on a red carpet and everyone in sight was there to greet me. I held back on the urge to smile and wave one of those beauty pageant waves. Chuckling to myself, I looked around and found my driver, holding up a sign with my name. At least one face in the crowd was there for me. ;)

Let the Adventure Begin!

Things I can do when traveling alone

I embarked on an unusual journey this evening. It's not just my destination that was unusual, but my travel partners, or more specifically, my lack of travel partners. For the first time I can remember since 2001, I am traveling internationally...alone. No husband, no kids, just me. My ride to the airport was quiet, the airport is eerily quiet, or at least my area of B terminal here at Dulles. As I was sitting here quietly, my brain began to think about all of those things I can do today that are normally difficult or impossible with my 2 tiny travel mates.

I can:
1. use a non-handicapped toilet
2. sit in a chair and close my eyes and rest
3. type this blog
4. go an extended period of time without speaking (which is nice on my sore throat)
5. hear the music they're playing over the airport speakers
6. consider getting a massage at the "Massage Bar"
7. call friends just to chat
8. read
9. peruse the magazine stands (why do magazines seem so much more interesting at the airport??)
10. buy candy and eat it all myself
11. not have my hands full
12. sit in an exit row

Now, this isn't to say that I don't miss my girls. In fact seeing Sammy's little tear rolling down her cheek as she said "Bye Mommy" nearly broke my heart. But traveling with them, especially when I'm the only adult, isn't that much fun.

Well, I'm off to peruse the magazine stands and find something for dinner.

Things I never knew existed

Researching for our trip to India has been an education in itself. I have found a good India travel forum online and it consists of posts and articles from expats, natives, casual travelers and backpackers.

My most fervent research has been about what I, as a foreign white woman, should wear while in India. Shorts? Nope. Sleeveless tops? No way. Snug fitting tops? Nope. A Bikini at the beach? No, unless in Goa. Since others have encountered the same limits, they have kindly posted alternatives such as the (no joke) Burquini. Which is basically a burqua that one can swim in. I think I'll pass on this one...

http://www.ahiida.com/index.php?a=subcats&cat=20

It has been highly recommended that western women try wearing a salwar kameez while in India. It is a long, loose, tunic type shirt (the kameez), worn with pants (salwar) and a scarf called a dupatta. They are said to be extremely comfortable and very cool in hot weather. This seems like something I'd be willing to wear:
http://www.cbazaar.com/salwar-kameez/casual-style/c-sb.html#prdtype_fq!salwar kameez|prdtype_fq!Salwar Kameez|&pno:1&sb:-1dintid=22649
Prices in India range from inexpensive to reasonable and it's also not expensive to have a salwar kameez custom made. Tempting, tempting...

From the backpackers, one item someone mentioned not wanting to go to India without was the shewee. http://www.shewee.com/ I don't think I'll be shelling out the money for that one...yet.

There are only a few weeks until I step foot on Indian soil for the first time. I imagine that's when my panic will really begin.