shoes, snake charmers, and the monkey temple

Time here doesn't work the same way it does at home. Of course there is the time difference, ten 1/2 hours, for those of you who don't know. There is also the concept of indian time which means that there is no concept of time.I've been here nearly two weeks - and I couldn't say whether it feels like it has been less or more.  

 Originally I was planning on jetting off my first weekend here to Pushkar. But, in the end, I decided to spend at least the first week or two getting to know Jaipur. Saturday was spent mostly shopping. The bazaars here are unbelievable. I went with two friends from the program. As we walked down the street, shop owners would pull out shimmering tapestries and saris and try their very hardest to woo us into the shop.  

 Once they have you in there, they really put on a show. It begins, "Madam, may I show you beautiful saris?  scarfs? bedspreads?.. .Would you like some chai or coffee?" I might say yes or no to all; and still, forty minutes later, the entire floor of the shop is covered in mounds of cloth that they have pulled out to show me.  

 At one shoe shop that I had no interest in buying anything at, I was asked to try on a pair of shoes that they felt "glowed like my hair." They were actually beautiful shoes, but I decided that I really didn't need another pair. I said no, and started to walk out. All of a sudden the price jumped down 100 rs. I still said no, because all I really wanted to do was leave. Again the price dropped. This repeated itself at least five or six times. In the end the price came down so much, it was easier to just pay the 200rs ($5)for the shoes just so that I could leave. So now I have many beautiful shoes. Mom...you can really have some fun here.  

On Sunday, I visited the monkey temple. My parents will be relieved to know that, while I still have a deep love for monkeys, I refrained from touching any or picking them up. They are everywhere around the temple - and very playful. The temple itself if very pretty - and I made sure to go in the late afternoon when it was a bit cooler and the sunlight was the prettiest.  

On my walk up to the temple I was met by several snake charmers who were really amused by how scared I was of the snake. I was not comforted much, even when they assured me the venom had been removed. I also encountered a cow that is believed to be holier than other cows because it has an extra flimsy leg growing from its shoulder. My own explanation has little to do with holiness and more to do with the pollution in the air and water.  

A steep walk up from the main temple, is a much smaller temple with an incredible view of Jaipur. It was the first time I was able to see how big this city really is.  

Surprises:   I have been surprised how willing EVERYONE is to take time out of their lives to talk to me. There is a genuine curiosity here which I have never encountered in America. People really make is seem that it is their joy to show me how to find something or to tell me about themselves. They want to know why I am here and are impressed with even my meekest attempts to try and speak a few lines of hindi with them.

  Pizza in India is made with ketchup. The idea of using tomato sauce sounds gross to them. Apparently ketchup is used here like salt is used in America - too much and on too many things.  

 My host sister has a secret boyfriend...still learning more about this...  

There are few things I've begun missing:  

My sense of personal time or space. I haven't been able to find a place for this here. Partly, it's that I'm unused to living in the kind of family that I'm living with. There is so much going on all the time - and very loudly. No one really is given space for privacy. In comparison I have more privacy than anyone else in the family since I am the only one with my own room. But, somehow, my room is the one in which everyone ends up in during the evening.  

My sense of independence - my family has insisted on hiring a rickshaw driver for me. This is great in the mornings on the way to school. But in the afternoons, I really like to have my freedom to go to an internet cafe, shop, wander, read or whatever without worrying about meeting a preset rickshaw driver.  

My autonomy on the street - there is NEVER a moment I can blend in. Even when my head is covered and I am wearing traditional clothing, people spot me from a mile away. I'm used to people watching; not being the one watched. At home, long walks have often been my way of organizing my thoughts and clearing my mind. I definitely can't do that here. 

  M&Ms...who could guess? it's not even a candy I get often....  

For those of you who would like to get in touch with me in other ways than the internet:

I do have a cell phone. It is very expensive for me to call, but I get calls for free! :) So...the country code is 0091 and my # is 99282-51807. This number works maybe a third of the time. I'm told that this is true of all indian cell phones. If you do call, keep in mind the time difference  (12pm for you is 10:30pm for me).