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January 26, 2008
Hi From Hyderabad on this fine Republic Day...
...and one true American's quest for Coke in India.
So, I've moved on from Delhi (India's capital) to a smaller city called Hyderabad. I went exploring in what's referred to as "Old Hyderabad" today. If you are as unfamiliar with India as I was 2 weeks ago then I'll fill you in on the "New" vs. "Old" concept. India is in a time of extreme growth both economically and politically, yet even this massive growth can't provide the infrastructure for the evolution of a country the size of India. So there exists two distinct classes within the country. There are those who lead a very westernized lifestyle. They work in large IT or telecom offices or software companies, they are less likely to live with their families as is Indian tradition and so on.
Then, there are those who lead the traditional indian lifestyle in a village-esque area and practice the traits we would normally associate with the region like living with parents and supporting their families as a merchant in a local market or farming or what have you.
Thus, each major city will have sections dedicated to the lifestyle, for instance in Delhi you will see Old Dehli, and New Delhi. In New Dehli you will see the towering glass skyscrapers and traffic that you would find in any major city of the world. Whereas, in Old Delhi, you will find the culture that is clearly indian complete with the markets and buildings designed around cultural traits.
My hotel is in New Hyderabad but I prefer to explore the "Old" areas of the city because I'm somewhat of a history fanatic and obviously the historical interests are in the "old" parts.
Today was spectacular and moreso than most because not only was I on a historic site quest, but it just so happens to be Republic day which is similar to the American Fourth of July, but they also have a separate independace day. Republic Day is a national holiday and Indians go all out for it. They paint the tricolour (their flag) on their cheeks and do parades. It was quite the spectacle. I'm so happy I was here to see it because I've witnessed a lot of westernization stealing their culture while I've been here but today their culture come out in full force and they were so proud to be of Indian heritige and I was proud for them!
After the Republic Day fun, I went to the Charminar (the name translates roughly to four pillars). I will share some of the photos as soon as I can find a USB cable to upload them LOL.
The Charminar is not as grand as the Taj Mahal obviously but it's a great example of the historical design and structures of India. I actually climbed the central structure which is suprisingly fortified considering they let people just climb right in it and you don't have to wear any special foot gear to preserve the structure like you do at the Taj. Inside it's very breath taking and the acoustics are brilliant. You can actually hear the footsteps of the people climbing the stairs from the top which is part of the design that helped guards anticipate intruders.
The structure has great Islamic influences in both design and purpose. In fact Hyderabad in general seems to have a more significant Islamic community than any of the areas I've visited up until now.
I also went to a fort called the Golconda Fortress. It has a rich history that actually predates Hyderabad itself. There I actually caught a sound and light show and presentation of the history of the fort, but sadly it took so long to get there it was too dark to snap any good photos. That's a shame because this place is what the average American would think of as a castle, complete with watchtowers and dungeon and all. It's very spectacular from a historical standpoint because you can actually chart the history of India up until the modern era by the fort's past... oh, and did I mention that Britian stole the diamond that adorned the plaza of Golconda and it currently resides in the British crown jewels? Yeah Golconda was also a diamond mine. In fact, Hyderabad is known for it's perls and you would certainly know it based on the Old Hyderabad's market.
I also went to the market. It's pretty famous throughout India for the jewelry you'll find there, I didn't buy anything because I'm not good at the whole bartering system but I saw quite a few shops before my poor health got the best of me. Fat kids like me really shouldn't walk too much it endangers our pudge and all LOL.
On that note, you would not believe how tough it is to find Coca Cola in India! And god knows I refuse to deny my rightful American entitlement to a frosty cold Coke on a hot day! Oh yeah, it was like 80 some degrees today which is hot considering that back home it's like 40 at most. So, I made my poor driver stop at like every grocery store on the trip home to dash out and try and procure coca cola. Finally I hit a store that had some and cold ones at that so I bought them out. Pepsi certainly has the Indian market.
Later
Posted by Decemberice at 09:02 AM | Comments (2)
January 23, 2008
Ice visits a big ass tomb...
... and takes an inordinate amount of pictures.
So, I'm on a bit of a world tour at the moment, but in India right now. Things are a little crazy here, I believe the tourism pamphlet said "Anything is Possible in India!" Now I believe them.
It has been quite the experience, I got pick pocketed in London, my medicine was stolen in Gourgon, I saw one of the seven wonders of the world, I sat through 2 bollywood films, played with a monkey, watched a snake charmer work his magic on a cobra, drank coffee direct from the source, got lost wandering the streets of India, and went to an MVP dance party at one of the hottest clubs in Dehli where I brough "Sexyback." So yea... Anything is possible!
I thought that I would check in and post a few pictures of my journey here:
The gates of the Taj Mahal
How could I resist? Yes it's an optical illusion but unfortunately I am that fat.
Here's a better shot of the Taj, or at least everything I could fit into the camera lens, this thing is unbelievably mamoth!
MONKEYS!!!!!
Oh, before I go, a little info about the Taj, for those of you who may not be familiar with it. The Taj is actually a big ass mausoleum. The side that most people consider the front is actually the back of the structure because it was intended to be approached by the river behind it.
The Taj is an epic display of affection, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan began building it after the death of his 3rd and favorite wife. The Taj Mahal's gates utilize one of the best uses of optical illusion to make the scriptures embedded into them visible even at their highest points while appearing to be all the same size.
The four pillars that surround the main central structure of the Taj Mahal are a feat of engineering for their time. They are designed to crumble outward in case of an earthquake so that the central structure will remain undamaged.
The Taj Mahal has been covered in a dark cloak on several war time ocassions in order to hide it from bomber planes.
There are dancing monkeys at the Taj... no joke, I dun saw dem with my OWN EYES!
That's about it for now kids, Later.
Posted by Decemberice at 03:17 PM | Comments (2)
January 04, 2008
J's quotes...
...winter edition.
"Everybody mentions that Santa and Satan have the same letters in them, but nobody seems to notice that Santa is only one letter away from "nasty""
"He doesn't take care of himself, perhaps he'd like to know that when he's gone the only male role model you'll have in your life is DONKEY KONG!"
"Apple's are hard, and Microsoft proclaim's it's "soft", and I think everybody can agree that the ladies a hard one more than a soft one. You think about that the next time you're shopping for a computer Romeo."
"Philly Cheesesteak has an unfair advantage over the competition, it practically says "filling" right in the name."
"I'm not going to cry about this, I'm going to go home, take a vicodan, and google your make and model of car for where the brakes connect to the pedal. I've always been the type who cuts in line."
"If only I knew more supporting actors from horror movies, I could be rich off of life insurance."
"I think it's perfectly reasonable to expect my gas attendant to fake a british accent and where white gloves."
"Buying American cars doesn't make sense... here's some logic for you to ponder, Joe down the street who works at the car plant... he may turn serial killer and make you a victim one day. The guy in Japan who made this car, infinite times less likely to go psycho, fly half way across the world, stumble upon you in the streets and add you to his tally. So if you think about it, buying an American car, you are more likely to fund your killer... What's worse is that right now... you are actually considering that, I had you at Joe, that bastard still hasn't returned your shovel has he?"
"Not the bridge, that's where I go dancing at nightfall!"
"It's interesting that people spend their entire lives searching for the truth, but I've never seen anybody in the biographies section of Barnes and Noble."
Posted by Decemberice at 10:53 PM | Comments (1)