Any doubts?

So a lot has happened since I last updated.  I've gone through this retreat / training workshop in the middle of nowhere for 3 days and spent my first full week at my job.

Also before this "inspiration" workshop, my roommates and I threw at party our apartment that our watchman (security guard) was not happy about:

(I want to point out the "Royal Challenge" in hand because it's really a challenge to drink that beer...)

Later in the week....

Through the fellowship, there was an "inspiration" workshop at a retreat about 60 kilometers outside of Hyderabad.  It was fun because the Hyderabad fellows were able to meet the other fellows from Mumbai and Bangalore.  I met another fellow from New Orleans too (besides the other Hyderabad fellow from New Orleans) that went to my high school, but was 2 grades lower than me.  Very cool.  I tried to climb up a rockwall, but that was a fail:

Tanu made it to the top though:

This past week was my first week at the Dr. Reddy's Foundation so Eric (another fellow) and I pretty much traveled to 3 different training centers around Hyderabad to get a feel for how the operations of the non-profit work.  It was very interested and eye-opening.  Dr. Reddy's Foundation offers job training to needy aspirants for about 45 days and then places them with employers after training them.  While we were in the Dilsuknagar center, we went with the facilitators on their mobility (marketing) outreach.  It was very interesting and crazy as for party of it, we were in the slum.  Like a real one which was also next to some government housing (that reminded me of the projects in the States).  It's interested how you can spot "government house" no matter where you are...  

When were in this area, we also met with a group of women to tell them about the program and I found out that they do not speak Telegue (the local language), Hindi, or English.  These were a mainly tribal community living in the slum because they had been displaced due to a fire.  They spoke Lambadi, which I had never even heard of.

Also, a couple of nights ago, Tanu and I had dinner with the watchman and his family since it was his son's birthday.  His wife (also our maid) made this chicken curry that was so good.  I'm going to try my hand at making something of the sort today, but I don't know if I'll be successful though... Wish me luck!

Short post -- songs I've heard at Spar

So there's a K-mart/ Target / Wal-mart-esque grocery store near my apartment called Spar.  I thought I would just share a couple songs that I've heard play while shopping:

TLC - What About Your Friends

Chaka Khan - Do You Love What You Feel

The song selection is so random.  Love the Chaka Khan though.

Foods of India versus Foods of New Orleans -- Tied?

Yesterday, my roommates cooked rajma which is literally red beans and rice.  Here is a picture I found on Google of rajma:

And here's a picture of New Orleans' red beans and rice:

It's pretty hilarious how extremely similar the dishes are, just different spices (but also some of the same ones as well).

And I also had some kaju katli tonight (Indian sweet) which tastes a whole lot like a praline:

Praline:

This makes me think of tasty New Orleans food which just makes me really want this:

(Shrimp and grits from Surrey's -- coming October 2012...)

Though similar, Indian food is still my second favorite food to creole/cajun food.  Really suck that there's no sausage here by the way.

What's beef?

I didn't mention this before, but on Sunday when the other fellows and I went to Old City, I got the best question from my flatmate Tanu.  So Tanu is a vegetarian and a Hindu from North India.  And in the Old City, there is a large Muslim population.  So we are passing through the Old City and pass up a meat shop.  And Tanu asks me: "what's beef?"  Unfortunately, I had to tell her beef is the sacred animal: cow.

Mosquito bites

So many mosquito bites in so many places, including two on the bottom of my foot.  Who would have thought that my foot tasted so good?

Anyway, this morning the IDEX fellows went on a heritage walk around Charminar in the Old City.  Saw a lot of really interesting architecture.  We arrived at Charminar at 7am which was super early, but fine because I was already up due to the really elaborate call to prayer this morning.  Ramazan started this past Friday and since then the call to pray is really amazingly elaborate.  It serves as my morning wake up call.

In other news, two more of my roommates arrived this week, Tanu and Tasha, whom are both very awesome.  Tanu is from Udaipur (i.e. Lake Palace) and Tasha is from Colorado.  I’m really happy to have such great additional roommates in the house.   After the Heritage Walk, we walked around Laad Bazaar and did some shopping.  I purchased these really cool green bangles for super cheap thanks to Tanu and her bargaining skills!  We also went to another bazaar, Sultan Bazaar I think, and looked at kurtas and pants. 

Also, when Tanu arrived on Thursday, her parents had made the trip with her and they were both so amazing nice.  And Tanu’s mother can really cook- yum.  I wish she could stay here with us….

This past Thursday night, Ritika, Tanu, Esther, Sneha and I went to TDS for karaoke night.  It was really fun and a nice time.  A lot of the fellows came out as well and it was overall a good time.  I thoroughly enjoyed other people singing ridiculously.

Here are a few pictures from the events mentioned:

Also, I have a phone now so people can call me!  Hopefully Tuesday I will have internet to post all of my pictures on Facebook / Blogger!  As well, I hope the mosquitos grow tired of my blood….

Monsoon

By the way, it's monsoon season here in Hyderabad so I thought I would add a picture (taken by my roommate, Ritika):

All the roads were flooding left and right!  And even in the rickshaw, I got soaking wet..

Ritika and I went shopping for some house supplies (for Indian cooking) and had a hell of a journey getting back to our flat.  We had too much stuff so wanted to get an auto, but it was raining a lot, the streets were flooding, and there were a mass amount of people on the road so no luck!  We had to walk home from the store (with heavy bags) in the flooding streets.  It was disastrous and just not fun at all.  Glad that's over.

On another note, Ritika cooked dahl and rice are it was awesome.  I just ate way too much of it.  Yum.  And tomorrow we are suppose to be doing some yoga in the morning!

Pictures as promised

Today was fun.  I went out with Ritika and a couple of her friend’s at this place called Coco’s in Banjara Hills.   I had actually been there before and it was pretty nice.  No pictures of that yet… but here are some pictures of my apartment as promised from last entry!

My room!

Door lock of my room

Closets in my room

My bathroom

My bathroom again

Living room

Americans were here... obviously

View from the balcony

Again..

And again..

Washing machine hook up on the balcony!

Another view picture

Stove burner in the kitchen

Enclosed balconey

Sticker found in my room...  Yeah, I can't imagine someone seriously putting that up anywhere.. Too patriotic for me... Thanks.