Tiny monkeys and Crazy Riches

Monkeys, dogs, birds and Coca Cola!
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So last night I washed my clothes in a bucket.  You should all be very proud of me, it was my first time and they actually smell good now, which means I did an alright job, right?  Thank goodness for Tide! (What an ad right there)  After I washed my clothes, the water in the bucket was black...so nasty.  And its only been a week!  I dont know how many of these clothes will make it home with me.  Luckily, I can get more here =)  Tailored and all.  Sweet.

On the ferry to the island. Im in the middle, if you couldnt spot me with all that dirt!
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Yesterday we went to Elephanta Island.  We actually double tasked as we had to take a boat from the Gateway of India.  There were sooo many monkeys on the island!  (There really arent any on the main land).  At first they were really cute, especially the ones with the babies, but then they were hissing at us, and fighting with the dogs for trash.  I think they are actually mean, but I would like to stay naive, and say they were really cute.  Elephanta is cool because there are stone stairs for like four stories or so which are lined with street vendors selling things, and you can usually barter down the prices pretty low.  Cant complain about a bargain, especially when you made it!  I got some art work...of course I did.  They are cool pictures made with bamboo carvings shapped in tropical scenes on black paper.  Its pretty cool.  And they were only like $2.50 each.  Definitely worth that for native art work!

Monkeys are not nice.

Babas and monkeys! Told you they were cute
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At the top of the stairs were the elephanta caves, and some old temples that were almost destroyed fully by the Portugues.  Long story short, two Gods fell in love, made a baby who was Ganesha and then someone cut off his head, and others were sent to find an animal to replace his head, and the first animal they found was the elephant.  Hense, Ganesha has an elephants head!  It was really nice to go on a Sunday, because not that many people are out.  There are six work days here, monday thru saturday, so this was a nice break from the continuous crowds.

Wheres Waldo in the caves. Can you find Kate and I?
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After getting all sticky and dirty, we went and got drinks...at the Hilton.  Haha.  They cost an arm and a leg (here at least) so I only had one, then I got some American style pizza!  Pepperoni baby.  Good times.  After the Hilton (really...just dont ask) we stopped at a friend of a friend's flat.  I kid you not, this was like walking into a beautiful flat in Paris.  It just makes no sense.  Beautifully woven carpets, gorgeous view of Mumbai's skyline, right on the water, absolutely stunning artwork, servants!!, and running water in all bathrooms!  The gap between the rich and the poor in this country is insane.  I dont think I have quite made sense of it yet.  Im trying.  I actually felt wrong being inside this place while I knew soooo many others were living in absolutely uncomparable conditioned.  Not only that, but to think of how many more poor people there are then rich, its crazy.  50% of Mumbai's population lives in slums...meaning without a real roof!  Thats half the city!  We were walking to get on the train last night at about 11:30, and the number of people legitimately sleeping in the train station, mostly children, is absurd.  There are tarps set up under every bridge, and they make their own little community, and this is totally normal!  Riding on the train and seeing people taking their bucket showers in the front yard is all too common.  And thats not even lower class.  So to see this crazy spacious pad was just another world.  I felt....guilty.

Pretty shoes! These are five dollas!
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Today we had a short clinic a few train stops away, but we took a cab.  Stupid.  No more cabs for me, I like the train and the rickshaws!  I might be nuts, but I like to do as the natives do.  It's always a better experience to stop being American for just a minute.  We are crazy sometimes you know.  I mean what other country uses Purell like its water (not that I am complaining).  In the clinic we learned alot about cultural behaviors (mostly in terms of infectious diseases) and alot of cool statistics.  For example, there are 4 women for every five dudes.  Poor guys, no wonder they are always whistleing, its like a mating call.  Survival of the fittest and brightest =) Just kidding.  It slightly humorous because they actually have alot of couples only bars to reduce the dudes.  I havent done that yet tho, good luck to me, our program is 16 ladies and 3 guys.  Hmmm.  Might have to make some friends.

Elephant in the steet!
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The clinic today was interesting.  The diagnosis here is like web MD in person.  You tell them your symptoms and they diagnose you based on longevity and severity of things like dehydration, fever, diarrhea, etc.  They treat it based on what they think, and if the treatment doesnt work, they move on to the next.  Labs are just too expensive.  Its usually quite effective tho, which is crasy...that is until drug resistance kicks in.  A typical case might be fever and chills lasting a few days, diagnosis malaria, treatment chlorofin.  Just crazy.  But dont fret, if we have to see a doc, we go to the private hospital in which they will do real tests (if need be) and give real treatments.

Gateway of India
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As for the medicines, its totally crazy how they hand them out here.  There is a little man who sits behind a window in the tiny clinic (the size of the smallest dorm room you have ever seen with a waiting room outside the size of a porch) and he pulls pills from huge bottles that look like they should be storing chemicals, crushing when they need to be crushed, divying them up in doses, tossing each dose in a tiny piece of newspaper (they are extremely resourceful with the newspaper here, they use it even as bags when you buy small things) and then handing them out.  When the medicine is luquid, he takes either strawberry milk or red coolaid looking stuff and puts it in tiny bottles.  I kind of want a tiny bottle!  I dont think I want to get sick for it tho.

Today I saw the first Indian in socks...in Monsoon season!  It was the doctor in the clinic, but he totally counts!  I haven't even worn socks here other than to bed!

After the clinic we went shopping some more on Linking Road.  Just another good spot for good deals.  This place was inundated with shirts and shoes.  A girls haven...if you are ok with exhaust in your face and people stalking you with prices as you shop.  You definitely have to be in the mood.  Then we got gelato!  Absolutely the highlight of the day (other than my sparkley shoes).  I was due for some sweets. =)