Cancer and the graveyard shift

A woman in my office told me a few days ago about research done at the Harvard School of Public Health that showed working the night shift means increased cancer risk. I did some diligent googling and found all the news coverage on it.

The World Health Organization commissioned the study, which included research from 44 scientists in 10 countries. The research is pretty convincing, including everything from panel studies of night shift workers to research with mice. As a result, the WHO classified night shift work as a "probable carcinogen", right up there with things like UV rays and diesel exhaust. Wow!

Scientists can't precisely pinpoint the mechanisms at work in the body, but they think it has to do with disrupting the body's circadian rhythm, which somehow can stimulate cancerous cell growth by suppressing production of melatonin.

In any case, this is interesting to me for many reasons. Unfortunately and ironically, it happens to be that many in the health care industry are the ones working night shifts! It's interesting to me that behavioral and lifestyle things such as what shift you work can impact something I view as very biological, cancer. It probably should be no surprise, since of course much of how we treat our bodies affects our health. But still, I found this intriguing.

Guess I will have to be sure not to take the night shift in the sociology lab coding regression models in Stata......

References:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22026660/

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-11-29-night-shift-cancer_N.htm

http://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20071130/night_shift-work-may-cause-cancer

http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S147020450770373X

Fabulous video

What kills you, cross-nationally

The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or the Americans.

On the other hand, the French eat a lot of fat and also suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or the Americans.

The Japanese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or the Americans.

On the other hand, Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine and also suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or the Americans.

Conclusion: Eat and drink what you like. It’s speaking English that kills you.

My companions

I work from home quite extensively this year. If not for our wonderful neighborhood and our fabulous apartment, it would be tough. But I have the added bonus of two furry friends who constantly keep me company.

Holy cow this is racist!

The New York Post shockingly printed this cartoon...

The page before it is a picture of Obama signing the stimulus bill. I'm not kidding.

The Post claims that this is based on the incident of some monkey shooting in Connecticut, and they are (as of now) standing by the cartoon. 

Now, even if this is not meant to be racist and was an honest mistake, how could you stand by this? The racist undertones are certainly there, with all the centuries of insinuations of blacks being like savage monkeys. And it's the page after the picture of Obama signing the stimulus! How could readers who are going through the paper NOT jump to thinking of Obama?

I am not going to get into the original intent. However, now that it's there, the Post needs to issue an apology. Seriously. 

If you are interested in signing a petition about this sponsored by Color of Change, an organization that works for Black Americans political incorporation, amongst other things, it is here.

Gender and the Ballet

For Valentine's Day, Samir and I went to a special V-day show put on by the Pennsylvania Ballet called "Love and Longing". I was worried I would get bored like I do at classical music concerts. I don't think one's love of the action of dancing predicts one's love for watching dancing, so even though I love ballet, I wasn't sure how it would go. I need not have worried. I absolutely adored it!

But aside from my gushing love of the show, there were some lovely moments of traditional gender ideas being stripped away. The first was an interaction between my own husband and I, that if someone else were watching I think would find amusing in a feminist kind of way. I looked at the program and noticed there was not one, but two intermissions. I got a bit worried. How long was this going to be? Would Samir get bored and detest any future outings to the ballet?? I non-chalantly told Samir, "I think there may be two intermissions. . . " He looked at me. "Of course, there's three acts." I say, "How do you know that?" He says, "The ballet is always three acts." I say, "How do you know that?" He says, "Haven't you ever been to the ballet before?" He had, three times. 

The next was a part of the ballet. The second act of the ballet was a pieces were twelve dancers were supposed to be twelve roses. They all wore these red satin billowy shin length skirts that moved so beautifully when they turned and spun and jumped. The catch is that 6 of the 12 dancers were men. The women were wearing these skin colored leotards on top. For the first few minutes, I could hardly tell the men and women apart. (Please remember that ballerinas are not known for their curvy figures). It was pretty cool, sometimes there were traditional pas de deuxs (partner dancing, more or less) with a man and a  woman, and sometimes there were single gender pas de deux. Overall, it was so interesting to watch and mull over the whole time, how my eyes kept trying to pick out the men from the women but couldn't. 

Lastly, it was interesting combination of people in the audience. There were the wealthy, heterosexual couples. They were mostly older, in beautiful expensive suits and dresses, sitting in the best seats. I imagined them having come to the ballet for years, or even generations. Then there was heavy representation of gay men, recognizable not by any stereotype, but because they too were clearly on Valentine's Day dates. I was marvelling at the odd coupling of old wealth (which I assume to be Republican and conservative on the whole), and gay men (which I assume to be quite progressive on the whole). 

Overall, it was a lovely evening. What better than to enjoy the ballet, and also get to enjoy an interesting evening of gender norms breaking as well? 

Indulgences are back!

Remember indulgences? I hadn't heard of them since my tenth grade European History class, when we learned how priests would sell people a "get out of punishment" free card for their sins. Until today, when I read a very interesting New York Times article on the return of indulgences, which of course spurred me to check them out for myself. The Roman Catholic Church brought indulgences back in the year 2000 officially without much fanfare. They've been on the rise under the new pope, however, and are making some ground in the United States.

Priests aren't allowed to sell indulgences anymore. However, people's "charitable contributions" can be taken into account when priests are deciding who should receive an indulgence. Apparently there is a thick book, the "Manual of Indulgences", that discusses all the intricacies of indulgences. On the one hand, I would love to read that: all the intricacies of what can get someone an indulgence and how it works. On the other hand, I feel like centuries old church law has to make for some dry reading.

Apparently most US Catholics aren't interested in indulgences. Could this be the result of a generation European History teachers speaking caustically about indulgences?  I certainly hope not. More likely, it's the result of US Catholics falling more on the liberal end of the Catholic spectrum, as indulgences have been most popular in dioceses with traditionalist bishops. Still, in some places they are apparently being met with enthusiasm. For instance, a diocese in Brooklyn is advertising indulgences on their website. I find it all quite interesting, really: the interaction of traditional religious rites and beliefs, religious leaders, contemporary American Catholics and contemporary American society.

Down for the count

My poor husband has the flu. He was on the couch all day with a fever. For those of you who don't know his immune system as well as I do, it is the immune system of steel. While I fall ill rather often with colds, sinus infections, flus, nasty Indian intestinal bacteria, and weirdo American gastrointestinal illnesses, he is pretty much never sick. Sometimes we both go to bed with a stuffy nose, or headaches, something. He wakes up in the morning fine, and I wake up in the morning with a full blown head cold, sore throat, trouble swallowing... you get the picture. It's infuriating for me, the immune weakling of the couple.

However, I can say that one more time, Pton's communist health care has done me well. You may remember a few months back I was on the Pton health services watch list, having apparently been tagged "unhealthy" and at a high risk (along with young kids, pregnant moms, and people with immune diseases). My free flu shot seems to have actually worked, as I have yet to fall ill. Samir was anti-flu shot, and did not get one. We figured out this him-sick-me-healthy is pretty much an epidemiological impossibility without the flu shot scenario. There is no possible way I could be fine and he could be down for the count for several days otherwise.

Let me tell you, we will never miss our flu shots in this house!

A sad fact about the gym?

Samir and I have the amazing fortune of living a block and a half away from our gym. Literally, we can walk there in under five minutes. I'm guessing most of you know what I mean when I say I would probably never go (particularly in the winter) if it were more than a 10 minute walk, but the close location means we go all the time. It's a new gym, and wonderfully clean and usually empty, save the first week of January when it suddenly was packed. After a week, however, everyone must have already forgotten their New Year's resolutions, and it was back to a manageable level of crowding.

Onto the point of this post. I noticed in our pilates class one week that out of 20+ people in the class (all women except for Samir), only myself and one other woman had wedding/engagement rings. I was astounded. The class spanned many ages. Where were all the married people? I was hoping there was a selection effect in place for pilates, and it simply was attracting the single folk. I started keeping an eye out the rest of the time. Yoga: same. Spinning class: same. Free weight: same. On the machines: SAME! This is heading me toward a sad truth: women care about their fitness far more before they are married than after. I don't believe all these single ladies are searching for guys at the gym, but I would not be surprised if the premium on fitness (and the accompanying premium on a hot body) is much more pre-marriage than post-marriage.

Ladies (and gents), let us remember the many benefits of fitness beyond trying to have a "hot body", perhaps seen as an advantage in getting a guy (or girl). Building heart health, which prevents heart disease. Having more energy. Building bone density, preventing osteoporosis. Building lean muscle, which helps prevent injuries, improves your metabolism, and so on. Stretching, which prevents aging. Also preventing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, strokes, cancer... And the MANY other benefits that have been shown: better memory, increased concentration, better sleep, less anxiety, less stress, lower risk of depression, better digestion, higher self-esteem, improved coordination and balance, better immune system, fewer menstrual cramps, improved blood flow in your whole body...

They say men tend to lose weight when they get married, whereas women tend to gain weight. In essence, partners' eating habits tend to converge to the mean, which is healthier for men and less healthy for women. Seriously. I have a fabulous hubby who actually gets me to the gym every day, so perhaps I lucked out. Still, I never feel better than when I'm exercising regularly. Women of the world, let the gym not be the reign of the (smelly) muscle bulking men of the world! And let pilates class not be the reign of single ladies! 

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is never boring in the extended Mellon family. This year there were several highlights. First was saying Thanksgiving grace in the style of a stadium wave, where we each said what we were thankful for as part of the prayer as we did the wave. Then we had the discussion about which cabinet position you would like to have in Barack Obama's administration (I would like Housing and Urban Development). This was followed by a discussion of whether or not the MIT admissions dean who lied on her original resume for a job at MIT (a secretary job over 20 years ago) should have been fired, and whether or not its possible to go through life without lying (I am a firm believer that it is not possible).

I am thankful for some relatively basic stuff this year. I'm thankful for my husband and my family. I'm thankful for relatively good health (despite an annoying sinus infection I am currently fighting off). I'm thankful for the wonderful friends we have in Princeton and beyond, and the new jobs and babies and moves and marriages in their lives. I am thankful to be living in a house that I love (at least for the time being, pending any further developments in our landlord's foreclosure issue), in a neighborhood I love, in a city I love. I am thankful for silly things too: having cable again, the game of Puerto Rico, being able to walk or bike most places I go, nearing the end of my dissertation with a very supportive committee, sunny days, warm weather (which is sorely lacking currently), our super sweet kittens, good food, the wonderfully dry and sarcastic sense of humor shared by many of our friends, the new season of top chef, a properly insulated house, good medical insurance, that Americans have elected our first black president(!!!!!!!!!!!).... the list goes on. Some things large, other things small, all very good.

Nerd-tastic!

Stark Trek XI, due to come out in six months. Woot woot! Even Samir, the non-trekkie, thought the trailer looked good. And hey, it's directed by J. J. Abrams (of Felicity, Alias, and Lost tv shows), so that should also give it some creds.

My election day

On election day I was phone banking from the Obama campaign office in my neighborhood. It was (is?) on South Street in Philadelphia, which is a very artsy, young, high energy neighborhood. The office was FULL of volunteers! They had so many volunteers we were able to knock on every sing door in our two wards (about 70 voting precincts) not once, but TWICE on election day, to make sure everyone got out to vote. There were boxes and boxes of Philadelphia soft pretzels (the good kind), cakes, brownies, pulled pork, apples, you name it! The place was just amazing!

I was at a table for awhile with three women in their fifties and sixties. They had all volunteered for Democratic campaigns for (literally) decades. I asked them if volunteering every election day was like this. They emphatically told me "NO!" They said there were so many more volunteers, so much more energy, so much more going on this election day, and how clear it was Obama was a community organizer. While there were lots of young people in the office, there were plenty of older people, people who drove in from Jersey to help out, blacks and whites... It was a great atmosphere.

I ran into a friend from college (who I haven't seen since college, but happened to come in to volunteer when I was also there). We decided to go out canvassing, and they sent us to a campaign office south and west, where they needed more volunteers. It was in a heavily black area. The office was much sparser, and had fewer volunteers, much less food, and fewer resources, but it had the same energy.

It was a truly inspiring afternoon/evening. We were told there wouldn't be a McCain supporter for miles, so knock on every door and make sure you get everyone to vote! Virtually everyone we talked to had already voted. People were so excited to see us and talk to us. Two women stopped us in the street and hugged us and were almost crying, telling us how wonderful this election was, and having us young people out, and a black man being elected. People who were hesitant to open their doors changed instantly when they found out we were from the Obama campaign. They chatted with us, were excited with us, cheered... you name it!

We went over to the polling place that was at the end of the block we were canvassing. They had music set up, drums and two guitar players, playing improv songs about Obama. People holding up Obama signs outside the polls got honks, yells, and cheers from cars going by. A big party truck came for a bit... It was a flatbed decked out in Obama signs, with a huge sound system, and a big Obama dance party on the back of the truck! It was seriously like one big party in the streets for the election.

How inspiring! I have no delusions that simply because we have a black president that race is no longer an issue in America. What I found so awesome (in the true sense of awe-some) was the excitement found among blacks-- blacks who have been disenfranchised, ignored, or uninspired to vote for so long. And here was an election that was so inspiring blacks turned out in droves to the polls, got their neighbors to vote, were watching closely for the results.

It wasn't just about race: as we might expect in a country with our racial issues, the black candidate had to run a campaign that was twice as good to win. But he did it, and that twice-as-good campaign inspired so many. Young people, also not big voters, out in droves not just to vote but to volunteer, make calls, knock on doors, have parties for Obama. New voters. Long-time republican women who quietly voted for Obama while their husbands probably voted for McCain. Entire swaths of voters in typically red states, that have now gone blue. This is Inspiration with a capital "I".

Strategists and republicans claim the tanked economy and an unpopular Bush tilted the election. I'm sure that might be true. But a tanked economy does not inspire, it scares. Obama's supporters are not an electorate that was scared: they are an electorate that is inspired.

I cried on election night. I cried because I couldn't believe we have finally elected a black man president. I was giddy because the past eight years are really coming to an end. I was in awe of the massive organization of volunteers and supporters. I was excited to see Philadelphia so ALIVE with the election, and then to see that reflected on the news in streets, parties, and cities around the country, right down to the hundreds of thousands of people in Grant Park. I was in shock that the never-ending election had finally ended. I was amazed at the varied people who had come together and supported Obama. There aren't enough adjectives or words to describe my overwhelming feelings for the outcome and historic election.

The Mortgage Crisis hits close to home!

We got a letter in the mail on Friday informing us that our landlord was in default on our mortgage, and all our rent should now be sent to the bank that has the mortgage. After much freaking out, frantic phone calls (our rent was due Saturday, and we didn't want to give it to our landlord if he was just going to run away with it!), and investigation, we discovered this was true. Our landlord is indeed in default, and the bank has exercised its Agreement of Rents and Leases, which means it can recoup mortgage default losses by collecting our rent instead of letting our landlord collect it.

We could potentially be evicted if our landlord has this place foreclosed on. Now wouldn't that be just wonderful??

Don't be fooled that this stuff doesn't hit close to home... it has literally HIT our home!!

The bibliophiles in our home...

It's not just me and Samir.

Messalina, enjoying our books.

Where I'd rather be than in my office, writing a dissertation....

Yummy food

We love to cook and eat fresh food. We almost never go out to eat, because we'd rather make something for ourselves, avoid the excess oil in most restaurant food, and use as many veggies as we can. Since we live just two blocks from all the fresh produce we could ever want, it's not a very tough job.

Samir is a full vegetarian, or as they say in India, "pure veg". I am almost a vegetarian. I haven't come up with a term that fits me well yet. Convenience vegetarian, ambivalent vegetarian, almost vegetarian... basically, I never cook meat, and usually don't order meat. But maybe once every few months I give in and eat some meat. (I also don't actively check everything for potential meat, so I probably eat a bunch of fish sauce and gelatin unknowingly). I definitely think there are so many great reasons to be a vegetarian; I just can't seem to kick the habit all the way.

Anyways, this means we cook wonderful vegetarian food most of the time. I have been meaning to put together a set of recipes for people who want to try eating vegetarian.

Here's one of our favorite tofu recipes, from Martha Stewart. (I'm just posting the link because I can't get the formatting to work in here). We usually also make some pasta and peanut sauce to go with it. So yummy...

Sauteed Tofu with Bitter Greens

Septuple your money!

This summer my parents had their annual week at the Jersey shore. We went down for two nights at the end of the week, and our friends J&J joined us the last night. We had grand plans for mini-golf, ice cream, and the beach, but all was foiled with the approach of some hurricane whose name I can't remember. 

Instead, we headed to Atlantic City! I had never been, and was super excited. We hit up the Borgata, home of Jeff's gambling addictions. After visitng the vast poker room, we unanimously agreed that there is a great ethnographic dissertation waiting to be written on casinos. Unfortunately, since I suck at poker, I believe the only role I could fill is being a "Borgata babe", the slang for "models who serve." (They are officially "models who serve" so that the Borgata can enforce strict weight and looks-based hiring and firing policies.) To the right, see their official uniform. We did watch for a few minutes and figure out that the "models who serve" were probably making a good $60 an hour, but even that couldn't entice me to sign up for the position. 

We played some slots, and the $10 Samir and I invested became $78! Yes, we Septupled our money! We were on a big high after that. I really wanted to purchase the purple Borgata leisure suit, as it was priced EXACTLY the amount of our winnings, and I thought that just had to be an omen. Samir vetoed the idea (probably only because the leisure suit wouldn't fit him, only me). 

J&J, Samir, and our winnings

Apples, apples, apples

We went apple picking last weekend with Samir's cousin Vipul. The orchard was a crowded mess of families taking every possible posed picture of their children in the apple trees. We picked 20 pounds, which have thus far been made into apple crisp. Today I may try apple butter for the first time. 

My next post will have to be something about this urban world we actually live in, since the last few posts could confuse someone into thinking we live out in the trees. I think we have literally one tree on our block, and it's a short one, more shrub-like than tree-like. 

Fall in NJ

We headed out to a state forest in New Jersey to do some camping with our Princeton Pack a few weekends ago. We had a lovely time, although New Jersey showed its true colors in all the litter we found in the state forest. 

Above, a to-remain-nameless man (protecting his identity from his wife who wants a baby soon) carries a discerning Z on our hike. Z's lovely mommy smiles, having pawned off her child on the happy-to-help friends. 

Hiking...
And deciding to reject our original hiking plan once we learned it was ADA accessible. As those in our 20s and 30s, we decided we needed to be just a little bit more hardcore. Instead, we went on the never ending death march, 3.5 hours of walking to... well, nowhere.

Charles checks out the cranberry bog. I didn't see any real cranberries, but that's okay.

Our campsite.

Sadly, there aren't any pictures of the main, most fun event... the campfire! Nothing beats camping with friends, hanging out around a campfire.

Also not pictured: Samir, nameless man, and I packed into that small dome tent you see in the background. We thought it was cold enough to warrant packing in together. We mistakenly put Samir, the shortest, in the middle, so nameless man and I were on the edges curling up to fit in.

Sunday biking

Today Samir and I went for a long Sunday bike ride. We started by going to Whole Foods to get some good picnic food, namely Seeduction bread. We then headed to the Schuylkill River path that starts at Market, a few miles from our apartment. We rode along the Schuylkill past the art museum, boathouse row, and into Fairmount Park. It was a beautiful day! We stopped along the way to have our picnic, and we played some frisbee. We continued until we found a bridge where we could cross over the river, and we did to find (to our delight) a rode closed off to cars, open only to bikers, pedestrians, and roller bladers. It was a marvelous ride for a few hours! The leaves are just barely starting to change colors, so we will have to head back out next weekend when things will be in full fall splendor. 

On the way back, we stopped at Naval Square, a big new condominium complex that was made from a gutted and redone Naval Academy. We've been curious what the places are like, because they look a bit out of place to the rest of Philadelphia. It turns out the place is a Toll House development in the middle of Philadelphia, and all the condos are like condo McMansions, complete with jacuzzi tubs, walk in bathrooms, and the most miniature kitchens (Samir says people that afford to live there probably aren't cooking much). It was interesting... Let's just say we're not moving in any day soon.

Google maps tells us it was 16 miles we biked total. What a lovely Sunday afternoon! 

The election

I can't really give any real thoughts on this election, because I get too worked up about everything. I love Obama. I think he is charismatic, different, and smart. Even if he's not experienced, he's smart enough to surround himself with great advisors, so I think he'll do a fabulous job. This election excites me because I finally have a candidate I really WANT, as opposed to a choice of the better of two mediocres.

I actually don't have much against McCain. He's just not interesting, the same old same old, is also chronologically REALLY old... He reminds me of pretty much every presidential candidate I've seen in my lifetime. Not really exciting. That same old mediocre.

Sarah Palin is a different story. I find her a supremely abysmal candidate for VP. Unlike Obama, she doesn't have an education, background, or disposition that proves to me she is qualified or knowledgeable to be (vice) president, or even appoint good advisors to help her through the job. It has disaster written all over it from miles away! 

As a small factoid, my mom ran for supervisor of our small suburban town outside Philadelphia. She lost the election, and got more votes than Sarah Palin did in the mayoral election of Wasilla. 

So, here's my last word on the election... The Disney movie that could be made about Sarah Palin. I have watched this a dozen times and it never ceases to amuse me. 

I've been marked!

Email I received today that has been confirmed to have NOT gone out to the entire student body.

Dear Student:

Health Services has reviewed your medical record and we feel that it would be most beneficial for you to receive the influenza vaccine.

Please call to make a flu shot appointment or you may also get a free Flu Shot at Flu Fest in Frist – November 5, 6 and 10 .

Sincerely yours,
Helen Ackley RN,APN,C

So, most students get a mass email from the university inviting them to get a Flu Shot at the student center. They have three days where they set up a massive clinic and give out hundreds of shots for free.

Basically, someone reviewed my medical chart and decided that I'm sickly, and therefore should get an extra email to be SURE I get a shot, even coming in to get one instead of going to the free flu fest. Awesome.

Our wonderful neighborhood

We happened upon our neighborhood when seeing apartments in Philly. We had planned on living in center city, and mostly looked at places there. One landlord had a great apartment in a crappy neighborhood, and he happened to have this place also. He brought us to the apartment, and I immediately fell in love with the neighborhood!

Our neighborhood is the Italian market area. You can tell it once was fully Italian: the area is full of small Italian restaurants, Catholic churches named after Italian saints, Italian flags, and the metal window awnings characteristic of Italian neighborhoods. The past few years, it's changed quite a bit. Now, it's majority Hispanic (and that is overwhelmingly Mexican) and Vietnamese. To our right is a Mexican family which operates a fabulous bodega two doors down from us-- it's open until almost 11, and has all our usual needs. Plus, it brings great life to our block, with Mexican families always heading in, catching up outside, and their kids playing. On our left is a Vietnamese family, and across the street are also Vietnamese families. The diversity is felt throughout the area, with lots of Mexican shops, Italian bakeries and restaurants, and Vietnamese grocery stores and cafeterias. A block from us is a little Vietnamese place that sells Vietnamese sandwiches and pearl milk tea!! It's wonderful! It is the neighborhood I have always wanted to live in. 

But oh, it gets so much better! Two blocks north on our street and you hit the true Italian market: a curbside market where colorful awnings cover the sidewalk vendors selling all sorts of fresh produce, fish, meat, and cheese at unbelievable prices. We easily go once or twice a week and get such wonderful fresh fruit and veggies! The area around is also peppered with cute cafes, pastry shops, and restaurants-- it's a brunch lover's paradise. Lest I forget to mention, across the street from us is a Rita's Water Ice (ice cream shop), and on the corner is a CVS and ACME supermarket. Can I tell you how great it is to realize you need veggie burgers, and to take all of 8 minutes to go out, get them, and be back? Heavenly!

If you take our street south instead of north, you enter the heart of the East Passyunk Business Improvement District. Two blocks that way is our gym, which is surrounded by smoothie places, coffee shops, and a pub on all sides. There's a little plaza with a weekly farmer's market, as well as tons of good Italian restaurants, two dance studios, a hardware store... loverly. 

We couldn't ask for a better location! We adore it. I haven't even mentioned the library and post office just two short blocks away, or the plethora of festivals always going on. Truly, it was love at first sight that has not disappointed!

Our little babes!

No, I am definitely NOT talking about PEOPLE babies!!

These are Messalina (grey) and Julius (orange) Cesar! We thought we were getting two sisters, but it turns out Julius was a boy (thus requiring a name change). They are incredibly sweet kittens, as evidenced by this picture. They always want to snuggle, cuddle, and play.

















Unfortunately, one of their favorite amusements is our bike. They like chasing the spokes, which makes bringing the bike in and out quite difficult.

I am currently attempting to train the kittens to use the toilet instead of litter. I've read about it on the internet, and there are lots of people claiming they have done it. Some friends of ours think that these stories are mere urban legend. Hey, if I succeed, I don't mind being a legend!!

City biking

I am a city cycler now! After a lovely evening that turned into a night that turned into a slumber party with brunch in Princeton with our friends J&J, we headed to the local bike shop. I considered a foldable bike, which are very cool new bikes that fold up very small so you can carry it in a bag, on the train, on vacation, wherever! They are nice in cities because you can fold it up and take it on the subway. In the end, I got a usual hybrid bike.

Sunday, less than 24 hours after purchasing said bike, Samir and I rode the Bike Philly event. It was a non-competitive ride through the city, with all the streets shut down. We rode by city hall, Independence Hall, Penn's landing, the art museum, Fairmount park, and the zoo. Besides enjoying the great weather, we found some wonderful new picnic spots and running trails in Fairmount park. We did 20 miles, which only was hard when it got hilly at the end. (Who wants to end going UP a hill?!?) Including our commute to and from the start, we did 27 miles. That is more than I have ever biked!

Today I cycled to the doctor, then to Penn. And I only wiped out once, due to attempting a sharp turn to avoid a UPS truck. (If I had just stopped, all would have been fine). Goal tomorrow: no wipe outs!

A new obsession

Check this out:
Budget Hero

It's a game by American Public Radio where you can make your own federal budget. You get to choose goals (like economic stimulus, energy independence, health and well-being) and see if you can meet your goals with your budget! You get to do stuff with taxes, social security, defense, etc. We have tons of fun with it.

A speech we love!

Obama gave this speech at the Constitution Center in Philadelphia after a few days of people taunting him over his relationship with his former pastor who had made some inflammatory remarks.

I love this speech. I think it is a bold and brave move for Obama to not only rebuke Wright's comments, but to take head on questions of race in America. Racial issues have been the elephant in the American room for much of this election, and Obama did not look at just race in this election cycle or this campaign. Instead, he took a broad look at racism throughout American history and pervading US society. His refresher course on discrimination against black Americans was spot on. (As someone who researchs racial inequality, I can tell you citations for many of the facts he states about blacks being denied loans, mortgages, housing, jobs, etc. His facts are right on). His take on black anger was fair and level headed, and he followed it by a take on white bitterness. He was balanced but not politician "smooth". Instead, the speech was decidedly honest and bold.

I applaud Obama for making this speech. I believe it shows he really is concerned about true issues. He could have just distanced himself from his former pastor and rebuffed his comments; instead, he tackled the issues at the heart of the matter: the racial divide. I believe he is a candidate that believes change is possible for our country. I am incredibly pessimistic about race, studying lasting inequalities. I do think Barack gives us a chance to start moving forward, by admitting there is a race problem and illuminating the many parts of it.

More than ever, I now wholeheartedly want this man to be president of our country. He is eloquent, thoughtful, concerned, inspiring, and deep into the issues, not into politicking. This is the kind of integrity we want: a man who does not disown his former pastor who is like family to him, but instead rebukes the bad and loves the good in him. This is what we want in our leaders: discerning women and men who do not throw out the baby with the bathwater, but face the world with courage, balance, and bravery.

Oral surgery fun!

A chronicle of my oral surgery experiences for you to enjoy:

1. Age 5, removal of an extra permanent tooth. (Like, shouldn't exist extra). Took place in the hospital, and overall I hardly remember it. I do remember the nurses lying to me that the sleeping gas had different "flavors" and the bubble gum flavor was coming... Please, honey.

2. Age 14, surgery to expose a tooth that is horizontal in the top of my mouth due to extra tooth (the one removed at age 5). Said tooth is in the roof of my mouth. I opt for local anesthesia because my surgery is the same day as student council elections that I'm running in. It was a painful day! More painful when we went to the orthodontist, and the tooth wasn't exposed enough to put a bracket on for braces. So, I had to have the surgery re-done. Yikes!

3. Summer after junior year in college, wisdom teeth removal. Excruciating pain on bottom lower tooth. Return visit shows I have exposed bone. Ouch! Clears up without a problem.

4. Last week, surgery to remove a bottom left molar. What a saga of a tooth, starting with an emergency root canal the week of our engagement party, followed by a retreatment, followed by dental insurance troubles... and more pain. Finally got the sucker out of there when doc #3 tells me the tooth is cracked, probably in the process of retreating the root canal. Nice.

Why end with India??

Sadly, we are both back in the states now. Not sad that we're back together after a three-week across the globe absence. Sad that India is gone! Alas.

Still, the end of this India trip seems no reason to end the blog. We'll keep it up! Stay tuned.

Dance contest win

In case you were skeptical, here is the photo of Samir and I winning second place in the dance competition. We are being presented a silk sari by the owner of the hotel that hosted the huge party. Definitely one of the top ten moments in India!

Chamundi Hill

These are pictures from Chamundi Hill in Mysore. that has a famous temple at the top. You're never allowed to take photos inside the temples, so the outside would have to do. We went up by bus. There is a staircase of 1000 stairs up the hill. Pilgrims climb up the steps to the temple, but we decided to trek down them. By the time we got 1/3 of the way down, it was dark already. There was a lone autorickshaw that we asked to take us down. He already had two passengers, but agreed to take us too. Samir sat with him in the front, and I sat with the unsuspecting by friendly couple who let us ride with them.

Selections of Agra

Crazy for kurtas

Kurtas are a type of Indian shirt. There are both both men's and women's kurtas in a variety of styles. Traditionally they would be long, as in down to your knees or so. Now there are also short kurtas (mid-thigh) and super short kurtas (western shirt length).

I adore kurtas. I think they are in many ways the ideal women's wear. I have purchased several kurtas here, and they have quickly become my favorite clothing. I wear them probably two-thirds of the time, in both long and short sleeves.

Let me extol the virtues of the kurta. First, everyday cotton kurtas are the perfect temperature. They are thin, breathable cotton and lots of air can circulate, so they don't get hot. On the other hand, they are easily layered and so they aren't too cold either.

Second, I specifically think kurtas are FANTASTIC women's wear! They cover your butt! They are flattering on pretty much all body types. I no longer am constantly worried about my underwear showing when I sit thanks to low riding pants (I still find low riding pants most comfortable, but the kurta covers the gap, so no problem). I don't worry about my shirt riding up when I have a backpack or large purse and am walking a lot. Kurtas actually make me feel pretty feminine, too, because a kurta reminds me of a little dress. I love it! There are formal kurtas and less formal kurtas. I have even seen women working out in kurtas. Finally, working out without worrying what your butt looks like in exercise shorts!

Samir loves super short kurtas because of how comfortable they are.

I am totally wearing kurtas back in America. Maybe the trend will catch on....

Here are Samir and I in kurtas in Jaipur (mine is a long one, his is in the shortest length one. The medium length is my favorite, but I have no good pictures of any).

Jasvilas... can I move in??

I figured it deserved a whole post. Our favorite hotel of the trip was in Jaipur, where we dashed off for just over 48 hours right before Samir left. It was a fabulous two days, and I'll post more about it later.

Jas Vilas is the name of the place, and it's owned by the kindest older gentleman who spent several years working in the US, and is always happy to discuss current events, America, India, and everything in between. The place was built by his father in the 1950s.

In India, there is a concept of a guest house. A guest house is usually small, and more or less like a cheap version of a bed and breakfast (usually cheaper than a hotel). Jas Vilas is in between a hotel and guest house, and we adored it. Just nine rooms, fabulous service, delicious breakfast, gorgeous facilities.

Picture of the balconies from the courtyard


Picture from below the balcony


Samir working on the balcony which overlooks a crystal clear pool, beautifully painted wall, and lovely garden. All the guests would sit out and drink tea or work or read on the balconies.

The joy of shopping in India

Shopping in India is completely different than shopping in the United States. When you walk in a store, a clerk comes and asks what you are looking for. They then whisk you off to the correct part of the shop, if it's a big shop, or sit you down, if it's a small shop. They bring everything to you. You want a red sari? They will bring you sari after sari. At the best places to shop, the salesman ask what you don't like about each one, and adjust what they are showing you. (This doesn't have to do with the quality of the shop, just the quality of the salesman). It's amazing. This one is too heavy of material? They show you lighter ones. This one has too many other colors? They show you plainer ones.

This is not just in sari shops. Even in many western clothing shops, clerks do the same thing. They pull off the racks exactly what they think you will like. They ask if you want things to match, like jewelry or shoes. Yesterday, a clerk at one store offered to take Samir to a shoe store where they could make shoes to match an outfit he was buying. This kind of shopping can only be done with a hired personal shopper in the US.

In addition to all this, usually you get to sit while they show you everything. They inevitably offer you coffee, tea, water, or soda, and often also offer cookies. It's all much more relaxing than American shopping. Samir and I both love it.

This is not only at clothing stores. I went to an intellectual book store with a list of books I can't get in the US. I just wanted them to order the books. The kindly owner did not just order the books. He searched his store (quite literally, because organization isn't really a characteristic of Indian book shops) for any book that may be of interest to me, bringing me stacks and stacks of books on slums, cities, policy, health, environment, caste... It was amazing. Then, he also promised to keep an eye out for any other titles I might be interested in. Wow.

Here are some shopping photos of ours....

Samir getting a corduroy blazer in Jaipur. He picked out the fabric, they cut it and took his measurements, and the next day we came back to find a beautiful, perfectly fitting blazer! All for less than $40. That's what shopping in the bazaars will get you!

Discard pile of lenghas from a very rich family....

Sales people showing a lengha.

Samir sipping coffee at a clothing shop.

Bangalore

We spent some time in Bangalore a bit back where I was meeting people. Bangalore is a city of around 6 million people. It's a big IT hub, and it's really hustling and bustling with shopping, restaurants, cafes, bars, and clubs. It's what we expected South Delhi to be like. Very happening, hip, and alive at night.

Bangalore is in South India, which has the reputation of being more egalitarian gender wise as well as more safe for foreigners. We believe it! We saw many more women than we ever see in Delhi, where the sex ratio on the streets can sometimes be as bad as one or two women for every fifty men we see. In Bangalore, the women were out in droves, and many more were in western clothing.

When we got to the Bangalore airport, we paid for a pre-paid taxi to our hotel. As we walked to the taxis, a young man asked if we were looking for the pre-paid taxis and offered to take us there. As Delhi skeptics, we harshly refused and kept walking. (In Delhi, people like this are everywhere, always trying to scam you). We found out once we reached the stand that the young man actually worked there and was actually trying to help us. When we got in the car he said, "Here, Bangalore, no cheat!" Oops!

Bangalore is INCREDIBLY polluted. In Delhi, all the autorickshaws and buses run on compressed natural gas. Not so in Bangalore. Bad traffic, a million cars, and SO MUCH pollution. Really gross when walking or sitting in stopped traffic in an autorickshaw.

Here are some photos from our time there.

Samir in front of our favorite hotel with the BEST restaurant in all of India... this assessment was confirmed by the long lines of Bangalore middle and upper class families waiting to eat there every night, as well as a couple of friends we made who were from Chennai/New York. The thalis are to die for...

Samir in Cubbon Park (a huge municipal park complete with nearly an entire bamboo forest). I have convinced him to reanct a Bollywood movie dance scene. He has gotten much more confident about his dancing since our big dance contest win in Mysore.


No city is complete without some shopping! We got some great bargains in Bangalore, like you can't imagine! We bought tons of clothing for our non-Indian family and friends for our wedding in Bangalore. Here I am trying on a lengha. It was overpriced, and did not make the cut, despite Samir's love for orange.


And no city is complete without a trip to the bazaars. Bangalore's bazaars were unfortunately disappointing, save the incredibly cheap duffel bags we bought to transport all our purchases back to Delhi.

Monday, lazy Monday

This morning we had a hardcore work morning. Phone calls, writing proposals, statistical work... I am trying to apply for a grant with a Feb 15 deadline, so there's much to be done both here and stateside!

We set out around noon to do some errands for me: buying some academic books not available in the US, visiting the Indian census bureau to get ahold of some materials also not available in the US. All of our errands were thwarted! Why? Because most of India is closed on Mondays! We're not sure why, but it's true. The academic bookstore recommended by my advisor here is in a huge fancy shopping complex, and everything there was closed for Monday.

Slightly frustrated, we had a nice late lunch at a place called Moti Mahal, relatively famous. Samir tried his first Paneer Tikka, which he enjoyed thoroughly. We later went to central Delhi, drank tea, poked in some shops, and ate a wonderful home cooked meal at our guest house. Mmm....

New Years Wonder!

Samir and I spent New Year's Eve at a huge party thrown by our hotel. They transformed their parking lot into a big outdoor party for 400+ people. Buffet dinner, DJ, dance performances, contests... you name it!

Samir and I entered the couples dance competition. We danced for six minutes to a medley of Bollywood favorites. We actually weren't sure it was a competition until halfway through, so we held back a bit at the beginning. In the end, they announced the judges needed more time, so there was a two minute long dance off.

The results came in.... Samir and I won SECOND PLACE!!! It definitely was all Samir-- He pulled out all the stops and really went for it! We also had some great couple moves that I think were duely appreciated by the judges. The emcee introduced us, took our pictures, and gave us a silk sari prize. Exciting! We were the only foreigners in the contest, and I swear there was some glares from some diva Indian women who had been clearly angling for the prize since the beginning of the evening.

Marigolds, marigolds, more marigolds

In honor of the title of our blog, some shots from around India of marigolds and other flowers.


Wedding garlands strung with flowers in Mumbai
A man with marigold strings in Mysore



We got suckered in to buying a garland to put in my hair. But for a quarter, we didn't really mind!All sorts of flowers in Mysore...


Marigold garlands hung above a door in Delhi

Mumbai Trains

Mumbai is a megacity of over 17 million residents and the city itself is spread out over several islands that are now connected by landfill. There are three main rail lines-- Central Railway, Western Railway, and Harbor Railway. Daily, 9 million riders use the trains. The number doesn't even begin to explain just how crowded these trains are. Sardines have much more space than local train riders.




After we visited the International Institute of Population Science, our friend Kailash Das took us on the train to go to his home in Navi Mumbai (New Mumbai). The trains have nine compartments: two first class, one ladies' only, and 6 general second class. We rode across a large bridge that connects Mumbai to the mainland of India over the Arabian Sea. The trains don't have doors, and people hung outside for the wonderful sea breeze.



On the way back from dinner, Das asked a cab driver how long it would take to get to my aunt and uncle's house from Navi Mumbai. He said three hours minimum-- and this was at 9:30 pm! We decided the train was a better option. We took three trains and rode second class. First class is much more crowded for several reasons. There are only two compartments versus seven for second class. Das also mentioned that the first class train riders often feel very entittled to their seat and are less willing to make just a little extra room. So we figured if we're going to ride the trains, we might as well get the full experience.


The trains are a frugalitarian's dream. There are only random checks for tickets. Often a conductor would have no way of making his way through an extremely crowded compartment. As a student some years ago, Das often rode the trains without a ticket and was caught only once. He bribed the conductor with 50 rupees (about $1.25) and was on his way. Unfortunately, we didn't get the same chance.


The train stops at each station for only about twenty seconds. There is a mad rush to get out and you face an equally mad rush to get in. Rush hour in Manhattan is NOTHING compared to this. To get a head start, daring young men start jumping off the train while it is still moving. Other daring young men run across the tracks and climb on the wrong side of the train rather than push through the crazy crowd getting on from the platform.

Family fun!

Sorry for our lack of updates! For awhile we had little to update. Outside of my hospital stay, I spent six whole days without leaving our guest house. I finally was all better just in time for us to leave for Mumbai. We have many blog entries to write about Mumbai, so we'll keep them coming.

A lovely part about going to Mumbai is that it is full of Samir's family. His masa-masi (mother's sister and her husband), mama-mami (mother's brother and his wife), and kaka-kaki (father's brother and his wife) all live in Mumbai.

We stayed with Sisu Masi and Kiran Masa in Mumbai. They have lived in their apartment since they got married over thirty years ago. They were wonderful hosts, and despite the fact that I (Valerie) was meeting them for only the second time, I felt right at home with them.

Here is Samir and Sisu Masi.

Kiran Masa and I at Juhu beach, the beach where his mom and her siblings hung out as kids. It was beautiful and clean and full of people and families walking, running, and playing sports at 8 am.


On Christmas Day I bought my wedding sari! Sisu Masi and Kiran Masa took us to a store called Paaneri, that is five floors of Indian clothing glory! Four floors are women's clothing (there are separate floors for salwar kameez, saris, wedding saris, jewelry), and a full floor of men's clothing (this is rare!). They were extremely patient with us. After shopping, we visited with Mickey Mama and Shobha Mami, Samir's mom's brother and sister-in-law. Mickey Mama is a doctor, and we had been calling him many times while I was sick. They were so kind and worried about me! They gifted me a lovely jewelry set upon meeting them for the first time.
Here is Samir and Shobha Mami.

Two days we spent with Samir's dad's family. Bagu Kaka and Kaki, Samir's dad's brother and sister-in-law, live in Khar, in the house they all grew up in. The house is called Soneji House. How cool is that? Here is Samir posing by his namesake house.

We got so lucky! It also happened that Samir's three aunts were all visiting, from Texas, Bangalore, and Gujurat. We had a lovely time with them. We ate, sang, talked, watched TV, laughed, cooked. One evening we visited Jogger's Park, a beautiful private park on the beach. We happened to be there right at sunset, which was so beautiful.

This is Samir and I with Kaki, Vasudha Fui, and Ashwini Fui at Jogger's Park.
Here is Samir eating with his aunts and uncle. We had such wonderful food the entire time in Mumbai. We never ate out, because Mickey Mama (the doctor) said I should only eat home cooked food, so we knew it was safe. The aunts are all amazing cooks! They are also amazing at rolling rotli, which are the thin tortilla like bread you eat with. Samir's and my rotli come out looking more like the map of India than a perfect circle. We'll keep practicing.

This is Kaki and I. Kaki claims to not speak very good English, but she understands far more than she lets on. We have our own language, and she was very patient as I spoke broken Hindi to her. Everyone had such a great sense of humor! They are all super sarcastic and funny.

Here are all of us our last evening in Mumbai. If you click on the picture to see the large size, you will see that Vasuda Fui is playing drums on Samir's head to the beat of the camera timer beeping. From left to right, there is Vrindra Kaki, Bagu Kaka, myself, Samir, Vasudha Fui, Bhagwati Fui, and Ashwini Fui. It really was wonderful to spend this time with them, because many of them are getting older and are unable to travel much, so it was very special to all be together!

We still have some more family to see, Samir's two cousins who live in and around Bangalore. They are people Samir hasn't seen for many years, so it should be lots of fun!

Dharavi: Asia's Largest Slum

Valerie's research has given us an incredible opportunity to see parts of India I would otherwise not take the time to explore and begin to understand. On Friday, I tagged along with Valerie and our friend Kailash Das on a tour of Dharavi. Dharavi is a sprawling area in Mumbai and is the largest slum in Asia. Aroun 60% of Mumbai's population lives in slum areas. A slum is defined by the type of housing, infrastructure, and density. Slum housing either lacks a concrete floor, concrete wall, or a concrete roof. These houses below use corrugated steel for their walls and roof.

We learned a lot about the slums in Dharavi. Only some of the dwellings are illegal. With a legal dwelling, a family can receive a ration card to receive subsidized food. Dharavi has a very vibrant and active feeling. A main industry is the manufacturing of leather goods, which are sent for export around the world.



Das explained the majority of adults work in the informal service sector. As Das explained and we saw, the slums have all of the modern conveniences as other parts of Mumbai. We saw internet cafes and mobile phone stores. There is also a large government school up the the 10th grade that is taught in five language mediums.

Despite Dharavi's economic vibrancy, it suffers from a lack of basic infrastructure. In fact, this along with substandard housing materials makes the area a slum. The drains are shallow and clogged, often by plastic bags.


Across Dharavi, there are many multistory redevelopment buildings. Many Dharavi residents do not want to live in these buildings. Their livelihood and community is connected to the street and often relies on other residents passing by.



This is my favorite picture from Dharavi. Business life, social life, and family life all happen in Dharavi, despite all of their difficulty. Many of the residents are recent migrants from rural areas throughout India. Despite all of Dharavi's difficulties, there are opportunities here. Valerie and I both want to see rural India, perhaps on her next research trip!

And more on Indian healthcare...

Last night I had a new first: my first night spent in a hospital! We thought I was fully recovered from my stomach sickness on Thursday morning. We went out for a few hours, but I felt like I had a bad head cold, so we came home. I slept all afternoon, and then started vomiting. Yuck! We called the kindly Dr. Rao from the day before, who told us we needed to go to the hospital. Yikes! We waited a little while, but decided he was probably right. I was already dehydrated and couldn't keep anything down.

Our friend Gyan met us at the hospital. I had an IV for the night, a few shots, some medicines. I don't remember too much, because they gave me a sedative that knocked me out pretty hard. They let me go around noon today, and I've just been resting, drinking lots of fluids, and eating basic food. Gyan and Nina have been wonderful. They came to the hospital again this morning, and came to our hotel tonight bearing fresh food for whenever we need it.

Samir will write more later on this, I'm sure. I'm fine now. Just a little weak, and with a sore hand from the IV. I am resting up to get back to full strength, so I don't have to waste any more time in health care establishments in India!!

Just... sick!

We have nothing to report from yesterday or today. Why? Well, I have been sick since the night before last. Ironically, we ate at a five star hotel that night called Ashok. Everyone told us to avoid street food and eat at this specific hotel. And what do you know? That's where I got sick. Samir has continued to show up my poor excuse for an immune system by remaining completely healthy.

We went to a very nice doctor this morning. Dr. Rao's "residence-cum-clinic" was about 200 yards from our house on our same block (and in between here and there we passed the offices of a surgeon/pathologist and pediatrician as well. Talk about convenience). It was simple and clean, and he was very nice. Also funny. "Ah, yes. You have a tsunami in your stomach, do you?" Indeed, I do. When we told him it was the five star hotel that did me in: "Ashok hotel, Ashok road, it's the same thing. You'll get sick."

Dr. Rao asked if Samir had gotten sick. We said no. "Yes, because you are Indian! God made us strong!" It's not fair, I tell you. Samir and I eat the exact same food, and I get mega sick to my stomach and Samir remains fine, and even has ventured into eating street food and lettuce here without a problem. Samir and I breathe the same Delhi pollution, and I get a nasty head cold, while Samir is just fine. For that matter, Samir and I were in the same car accident the day we left, and he walked away unscathed while I had a sprained neck. Where is the justice?

Luckily Samir has been the best nurse I could ask for. He forces me to drink fluids, goes and buys me Limca (carbonated water with lime recommended by the doctor), took me to the doctor, doesn't mention getting cabin fever, and just generally cares for me all the time.

Because pictures of me lying in bed at our hotel are nothing noteworthy, I leave you a fun pictures of Samir for the day. There is Samir with a cow and a car. This is a juxtaposition I am used to seeing but still amazed by. Yesterday we were in an autorickshaw on a four lane road, and a cow just walks up beside me on the road median. Pretty amazing and surreal to me.

Day 7: Visit to Delhi University

Today, our friends Gyanendra and Nina took us to the Delhi School of Economics, where they were both students and Gyan taught. Valerie spent the afternoon in meetings while I wandered around, took pictures, and drank chai.

Delhi University has over 80 colleges, some undergraduate and others strictly graduate. Delhi School of Economics (where Valerie is working) is a graduate school in the university. This week is winter fest--several days of student organized dances, performances, and shows.

This is a picture of the main garden on campus. That handsome shadow is me.

Gyan, now a highly placed Indian Administrative Service officer was also apparently a disgruntled student, is responsible for this 30-year old bit of graffiti on the sidewalk. ("D-School [Delhi School of Economics] is a quagmire.")


Here are Valerie, Nina, and Gyan in front of the Delhi School of Econ. Coincidentally, Eric Maskin (2007 Nobel Laureate in Economics) was visiting and giving a series of lectures. We thought of attending but saw entirely too many equations on the chalkboard and opted to enjoy the beautiful weather.



For lunch, we took a rickshaw to a famous chole batura stand. Yummy! Here is a picture of Nina and Valerie. Gyan and I are in another, faster, rikshaw. The cycle rikshaw has been in Asia for almost 100 years. We learned that engineers at the Indian Institute of Technology redesigned the rickshaw to make it more efficient and less demanding for the driver/cyclist.




Incidentally, I had my first bout of sickness--the sniffles for about three hours. I attribute my quick recovery to Limca--carbonated lime soda and our new favorite drink.

Day 6: Akshardham Mandir

Today, we went to a suburb of Delhi named Noida to see our friend Rolee's parents.

We hired a driver for the day. Noida is actually across the Yamuna River in Uttar Pradesh. When we crossed the border, our driver told us the toll was 2 lakh rupees (just over $5000). The toll is actually 20 rupees (just over 50 cents). How green did he think we were?

After lunch, we went to the Akshardham Mandir. The temple opened in 2005 and is just outside of Delhi. It is made from sandstone and marble. We walked through the gardens, watched the artisans carve the stone (my favorite part), and waked through the mandir.

Photographs aren't allowed within the mandir, so here are two pictures from the website so you can see its beauty.

Salaam Baalak Trust and the Street Children of Delhi

Click on the picture to see a larger version.

Today we visited Salaam Baalak Trust and took a city walk of the Delhi Railway Station and surrounding area from a former street child. Every day there are approximately 1500 street children, mostly boys, who live in and around the Delhi Railway station. They are runaways and children of families that live on the street. Our guide was Shekar who ran away when he was 12 and now is 19 years old. He is the oldest boy of eight children and ran away from his family who lives in Bihar. Bihar is an especially poor state in northern India.

Many of the street children arrive in Delhi as stowaways on trains; Delhi Railway station is a common point of entry. The children do all sorts of jobs--delivery, garbage sorting, and recycling. About 15 to 20% of the street children are girls who are often taken by local gangs and put into prostitution. Street children face incredible challenges. Twelve street gangs (one for each railway platform) control the illicit activities. There is also an endless confrontation with the police.



Salaam Baalak Trust started in 1989 and is an NGO that provides shelter, education, clothing, and counseling for street children. Here is a pictures from their shelter. The boy in a grey sweatsuit is the class leader. These children are between 5 and 8 years old and their families are homeless.



A main source of work of the street children is sorting garbage into recyclables and nonrecyclables. For example, they are paid 17 rupees per kilogram of crushed plastic water bottles. They rate is less for noncrushed cans since these clever kids will often fill them with some water to increase the weight. A large pile of garbage will be sorted into degradable refuse and recyclables in just an hour or two.



The street children are not poor, per say. They can make between 50 and 80 rupees in trash sorting and other odd jobs per day. As a reference, one dollar (39 rupees) per day is the international standard for absolute poverty. Only 20% of the Indian population earns more than two dollars (78 rupees) per day. They deposit their money with the owner of the bookstand on the railway platform who charges a 20% fee. When they need money to pay off the police, they withdraw their money.

Day 6: Chandni Chowk!

We have a new favorite place in Delhi--Chandni Chowk! A "chowk" is a crossing and there are several in Delhi. Chandni Chowk is known for its famous winding bazar. Our goal was to get lost in the maze of streets and see what we found. Below is a picture of a woman stringing marigolds (an auspicious flower).




And we found an amazing sari shop where we spent some time selecting casual and formal saris. Here is a picture of Valerie trying a sari on with our sariwala to her right. We found some great deals! I felt like a seasoned bargainer. We'll go back tomorrow or Monday for tailoring. I also want to see their most expensive lengha, which they said is 100,000 rupees (~$2600). If it's as fancy as the price, I just might try it on.



Just next to Chandni Chowk is the Red Fort. The difference is amazing. One side of the street, you can buy the newest electronics and on the other side is a fortress just under 400 years old. Before we went into the Fort, Valerie had another attack of the Delhi Belly and was not happy.

Her tummy settled, we saw the fortress.








Afterwards, we came back to our guest house and had a fabulous dinner. I need a man shawl (mawl for short). It's really cold riding a rikshaw at night.

The Autorickshaw: When will this baby come to America??

Let me tell you about the new love of my life: the autorickshaw. It's an oversized moped, essentially. The driver sits in front, and there is a bench in the back. It's hard to describe, so here's a picture.



Autorickshaws are cheaper than taxis and way more fun. (Samir says they are like an amusement park ride to me). They can't reach the same speeds as cars, but in heavy traffic they can weave in and out much more and make better time. As another positive note, now all the autorickshaws run on natural gas instead of petrol.

How great would this be to have elsewhere??

Day 3: Let the shopping begin

Today will be our last night in our beloved Karol Bhag. We'll come back often for shopping, I'm sure. These are pictures from the market.



Today we saw a guest house in South Delhi and loved it. A guest house is essentially a bed and breakfast. We learned that all auto rickshaws have to run the meter by law. Usually we negotiate a price beforehand to a particular destination. We never know if we're being taken taken for a ride while we're taking a ride.

After we came back from South Delhi, we went to the bazaar in Karol Bhag. We started in the auto area where you can buy anything from floor mats to helmets. Next to this area is a block of jewelry, diamond, and clothing shops. We found a three story shop and several thousand ruppees later (divide by 40 to get dollars), we left.

Shopping is truly a pleasure--you sit down and the clerks bring dozens of salwar kameez in all sorts of styles and colors. After a few minutes, they know you're serious and offer free coffee and tea. A few minutes after that, biscuits and snacks. Henceforth, when we're hungry for an afternoon snack, we'll just find a shop and eat while we pretend to shop. This was the real deal this time. Valerie picked about a dozen outfits in the second round.

This two step process (show-keep) continues until the final four. At that point, we [Valerie] found the choices too difficult and opted for all of them.


The salwar kameez are tailored to fit.



Then it was my turn to bargain. I was within three dollars of price we were told to spend, tailoring included. I looked at other shoppers and learned the key is to show no interest. One lady was clearly a varsity shopper and got out of her chair. Rest assured, I took notes.

For dinner, we went to our friend's house and enjoyed a wonderful home-cooked meal.

Day 2: Valerie's First Day of School!

This morning, we went to Delhi University and decided to take the Delhi Metro. The system is only one year old and absolutely fabulous. Clean, convenient, cheap, and timely. Afterwards, we met our realtor, Abishek, and his father and they showed us around South Delhi, a large and affluent area. We saw two apartments, one that rents for $1200 and another for $1500. That's nearly twice what we pay in Princeton.

Right now, we're staying at a hotel in Karol Bhag, an area in West Delhi. Asides from the hotel staff who try to swindle us for almost everything, we love it here! It's busy and vibrant. This is a pictures from our Metro stop.



On the way to Defence Colony (in South Delhi) we came upon an elephant. Abishek (our realtor and impromptu tour guide) slowed down so I could take a picture.

In the afternoon, we went to Khan Market--a lively area with every shop imaginable. Unfortunately, it operates in the fixed price paradigm. The feeling in Khan Market is very different than other markets we've seen so far--more upscale.

The temperature cools down quickly in the evening. Here's Valerie in action putting on her shawl. I'm buying one, too.




Tomorrow, we're off to Chadni Chok, the quintessential Delhi bazaar!

Complications

One of my first impressions of India is that everything turns out to be more complicated than I expect. Our hotel, getting places, getting a mobile number, getting our internet to work... I don't know why I expect things to be straight forward, but they certainly are not.

Here is an example of something more complicated than usual.... This is the plug for my hair dryer, with a converter and adapter attached. Samir has to hold it in while I use the hair dryer, because it's too heavy otherwise.


And to those who are about to ask why I need a hair dryer, I will preempt you. I have too much hair to let it air dry (I washed it at night and slept on it hte whole night, and still it was wet), and it's slightly too cold to go out with wet hair. I plan to purchase and Indian hairdryer. What was I thinking?

Our first day!

On our first full day in Delhi, we went to Connaught Place, a very large commercial area with an inner, middle, and outer circle. We didn't know the time and went much earlier than the stores opened. And we were very hungry, so we splurged and had breakfast at the Imperial Hotel, one of several five-star, budget busting hotels in Delhi. Since we went for the buffet, we decided to ear breakfast and lunch together. Sort of a buy-one-get-one-free combo.












Every sense is overwhelmed in Connaught Place, except for sound. If everyone honks their horn all the time, honking is no longer effective. There are many contrasts, too. I saw these two buildings in the same line of sight.












My favorite part of the day was shopping at Janpath Market, a frugalitarian's paradise. Bargaining is a delicate process and you don't want to show your interest too quickly. I think we had some luck since we were "the first customers of the day".













All of the food looks and smells delicious. How I wish I had a stronger belly.











Our goal is to have dosa at least once a day. The variety of vegetables is also amazing.
I took this picture from our rickshaw last night. We were stuck in traffic for over an hour to travel three kilometers. We thought of walking but decided against it since we didn't know the streets. Today, we'll try the Metro instead.

Day 0

Our travel started off with a bang! No literally, we were rear-ended and Valerie ended up strapped to a backboard and spent a few hours at the Ocean County Medical Center. Although Valerie has a neck sprain and back pain, she is also living large thanks to Vicadin and prescription Motrin. Our flights were without note. We met again at the Delhi Airport customs area. I was wearing a bright red t-shirt and was an easy find. We met our driver and had a 35 minute drive to the hotel. Delhi is foggy at night and a bit cold. Tomorrow, we’ll buy mobile phones and maybe see some flats to rent.

Here we go!

We are headed to Hindustan, as it is called in Hindi, for two months. The trip has many purposes. First and foremost, it is a research trip for me (Valerie), where I will be exploring the possibility of writing a dissertation on how Indian urban growth is affecting the health and education of its poorest residents.

Beyond my work, there are so many reasons we are excited to go to India. To experience some daily Indian life on our own. To practice our Hindi. For me, Valerie, to see the country everyone raves about. To have new adventures. To do some great yoga. For Samir, to do a photograph project. To do some shopping. To practice our haggling skills. To see the Taj Mahal in the light of the full moon.... The list goes on and on!

We thought a blog would be the easiest way to keep people updated, particularly since we can post pictures along the way, and won't clog anyone's email.

As for the title of the blog, marigolds are considered a very auspicious (lucky) flower in India, and particularly for marriages. Weddings in India are covered in marigolds. Mitai (pronounced mih-thai, accent on the thai) are Indian sweets. The picture at the top is a picture from our Indian engagement last summer.