Haircut

I finally went and got my haircut today. Closing on our home and moving afforded me no time to get one in Seattle before coming to India. We went to a hair saloon (yes, they're called "saloons" here) just a mile from home. "L" was able to translate for me to make sure I didn't get butched or something. But we needn't have worried. The young barber had an impressive way with scissors. Totally "unplugged"....no electric razors. "L" and I were quite pleased when it was all cut and done. And even with a high-percent tip, the total still came out to less than $1 US....a fifth of what I'd pay the cheapest barber in the US. I learned later that because of the fast-growing economy here, haircuts had doubled in price over the past year....from 10 rupees to 20 rupees (that's about 23 cents going to 47 cents, USD). Still a bargain, no matter how you cut it, if you're coming from the West.

Charminar

We visited Charminar yesterday. Charminar (which means "four spires" in Urdu/Hindi) can be considered Hyderabad's equivalent of Seattle's Space Needle or NYC's Statue of Liberty. "L's" uncle, aunt, and cousin drove us there in their mini-van. The women split off to shop in the endless bazaars, while Uncle and I toured the nearby Mecca Masjid (mosque) and Charminar itself.

There's nothing I could write about these places that could be said better than the links provided above. They're both large, impressive, albeit detriorating structures. Uncle and I went to Mecca Masjid just as noon prayers were ending. We walked around the massive courtyard. Off to the side were tombs of revered Muslim rulers. A sign near the mosque entrance read "OUT SIDER NOT ALLOWED". Assuming this meant us, we stayed outside, taking pics of the inside from the entrance.

Admission into Charminar --- 5 rupees for locals, 100 rupees for foreigners. India's not the first country I've encountered such an opportunistic entrance-fee structure.

Speaking of foreigners, there aren't that many around Hyderabad. Uncle said Hyderabad is more homogenous and less multi-cultural compared to Mumbai, Kolkata, and Delhi. That may change in years to come, as Hyderabad attracts more foreign tech companies.

A old, narrow, steep, stone spiral staircase led us to the first level of Charminar. That was as high as we were allowed to go. At the first level, the wall along the edge stood only a couple feet high, creating a nervously precarious feeling as we walked around. The best view was seeing the busy marketplace below with the Mecca Masjid in the background.

"Can you hear me now?"

One of "B's" aunties (pinni) gave her a toy cell phone.




It wasn't long before she was ready for the real thing, seen here yakking away on Thathayya's (grandpa's) unit.

Breakfast of champions

Early morning menu: chapati, potato curry, and musk melon....

Digging in!

No buckets for baths?

Use a pot!

Cricket is chirping!

World Cup fever has gripped India! Not in soccer, mind you....but in cricket. Since our arrival, the local paper's sports section has been chock full of previews, tributes, opinions, stats, and articles to this sport beloved by many here. Really...it's the only game I've seen played recreationally around here, be it in a schoolyard, park, beach, empty lot, or just down the street (interest stoked in no small part to India making it to the previous World Cup final). "L" and Mom have been scouring for TV broadcast times. Seems I'd better bone up on my knowledge of cricket quick, if I want to be a part of the excitement...

Connected!

Hooray! My remote access to work just got re-connected! Was getting a little worried there. Evidently, my former officemate's furniture and computer were moved out prior to the weekend. But the movers were too efficient, unplugging and removing a network hub connecting ALL the computers in our room to the network, including mine. Our trusty I.T. folks replaced the hub a few hours ago, so now I'm back in biz.

Bath in a bucket

I mentioned 2 years ago how we take baths here. With "B", however, we don't scoop water out of a bucket and pour it on her....we put her right IN the bucket!

Looks refreshing, doesn't it? I envy our little oompah. With temps hitting the high 90's daily, what I'd give for a bucket big enough for ME to soak in!

Seen during a stroll around our neighborhood...

...buffaloes grazing...


...pigs crossing...


...smoke rising...

Thanks, Technology!

Without it, we wouldn't have been able to stay in India as long as we are. My job provides remote access to my computers back in Seattle via the Internet (i.e. no 3rd-party software like PCAnywhere to install), which allows me to work from here, or anywhere with Internet access, for that matter. Who would've thunk this ten years ago? So far this past week, it's worked out quite well...much better than I expected, despite locally-scheduled brownouts from 8am-10am. My in-laws set up a broadband-connected computer just 6 feet from our bed, so my "commute" is shorter than it's ever been.

Right now, however, something's amiss. Not on the India side, but rather on the Seattle side....both my computers are "offline", meaning they've likely been powered down for some reason. I'm guessing it may have something to do with major remodeling my employer is doing near my office. I've emailed them to look into it....hoping they'll come back online soon....