Silk is on my mind.

When you walk into Mysore Silk, you become overwhelmed with color. Magenta, turquoise, pumpkin, wine, and gold decorated with and jewels, fluer de lis, embroidery, and sequins. The first floor is devoted to high-end silk sari fabric. Women bustle around, debating between rich fabrics for their wedding dresses and special events. The workers are happy to help wrap fabric around your body so that you can get an idea of the finished product. They are knowledgeable in the various types of silk which India has the unique distinction of making: Mulberry, Tasar, Muga and Eri.

Upstairs, you are able to select silk to buy by the meter, as well as observe the craftsmanship first hand. Men sit on the floor with needle and thread and work on the delicate fabrics, every minute detail by hand.

I fell in love with a particularly “silky silk” and had the immediate idea of having a robe tailored (and perhaps a dress as well). I had trouble narrowing down my choice to two patterns. Full disclosure, I could have bought seven. The silk worker helping me threw at least 50 fabrics on the table for me to choose. I settled on one turquoise and coffee print, and one plum and emerald print. I can’t wait to step out of the shower and into this fabric. It feels like luxury.

Peace, Love, Silk.

an eye opener.

i think my feet grew two sizes yesterday. when i crinkle my toes, it feels like all the blood in my feet is going to burst out of my the enormous blisters have formed on my heels. that being said, my first day exploring bangalore was a success.

after a late night reading, it felt good to sleep in and wake without an alarm. after breakfast and a quick shower, i rushed to safina plaza to meet Annabell for the first time. from safina plaza, we roamed commercial street and admired textiles and trinkets.

and i made my first purchase in India:

after commercial street we went to malleshwaram, the oldest part of bangalore. i was on sensory overload with the noise of the city streets buzzing in my head, the taste of fresh, creamy coconut on my tounge, the smell of jasmine and sandalwood hitting my nose, and the picturesque scenes that were transpiring before my eyes. i was enchanted.

the city has such a vibrant culture. At about 5:30, Feline had us over for a little dinner party. I was able to meet some new friends, Olaia, As'il, and Shruti. it was almost surreal. here i was, in a new country, laughing with my new girlfriends, listening to unfamiliar music and fanning myself from the mosquitos and heat. it felt so European...although, perhaps that was because i was the only American.

after dinner, we went to get a drink. mind you, i hadn't been home since 10:30 in the morning. i was a little wary, as all the girls were dressed up, but though...ah, what the hell...i could use another drink, and i liked their high-energy company. what i didn't realize, that "going to get a drink" meant going to a vegas-style club.

now, let me just take a moment to remind you...all day, i'd been shopping for little goodies, walking in "old town" bangalore and sweating my ass off. as we pulled up to the five star hotel and waited in line behind a girl with the tightest mini-skirt i've seen since college days, i realized how underdressed and out-of-place i was. (and how diverse india can be!!)

the club was...well...vegas. bodyguards stamping your hand for admission, flashing lights, cabanas, a lit-up pool, and straight up tits and ass. the only reasons i knew that i was in india were: 1.) the music was hindi-rap, 2.) the men's dance moves were a mix between michael jackson on crack and bollywood, and 3.) the party ended at 11:30. i couldn't help but laugh the entire time. people watching was priceless. in fact, one man (the skinniest Indian i've ever seen-which is really saying something) not only had his friends throw him up in the air, but shook his non-existent hips and karate kicked his way onto the dance floor!

the whole night was so entertaining and it was so nice to be with such incredible ladies, but i was exhausted by the end, and so happy to lay my head on my pillow at 12:00 sharp.

and that was my first day exploring bangalore!

peace, love, throbbing feet.

to being brave.

last night i ventured out on my own a bit. here is what i saw!

peace. love. exploration.

making this trip mine.

There is something special about this trip. I can’t help but think that it will be considerable time before I can spend a significant period in another foreign country. When I get home from this trip, I’ll start my new job in Salt Lake City (which I’m very enthusiastic about), start school shortly thereafter, and before I know it…I’ll be a graduate from law school- seeking a life that I don’t know if I’m cut out for. A life that involves things that are both scary and exciting for me: professionalism, responsibility, pressure….I suppose that, in and of itself will be like traveling in unfamiliar terrain. Although, I fear that the life that awaits me will lack the things that make me who I am: adventure, creativity, spending time with friends! (It’s interesting, I don’t think I truly understood myself until I was knee-deep in law school…)

Anyway, it is with these thoughts that I realized that I need to craft this trip into something that I actually want. I don’t know if that makes sense, but it’s something like this:

A guy goes to Australia for a job. All of his friends tell him that he has to go diving in the Great Barrier Reef. The dude is terrified of water and actually breaks out into hives when he imagines the ocean. He has no interest in seeing fish in their natural habitat-he’s happy visiting his local aquarium instead. Despite his phobia he dives in, just to say he did it. He knows he’ll hate it, and in fact, does. Not only does he get sea sick on the boat to the Great Barrier Reef, but his arm gets bitten off by a shark.

Why did he feel the obligation to go? He would have been perfectly content sitting on the beach, visiting the Sydney Opera House, and camping in the Outback. Not to mention, he would have gotten the most out of the trip, and made it his own.

I know some people will disagree with me, but that’s just my opinion. I don’t see why people feel the need to do things on trips “just to say they did it.” I understand checking things off of your bucket list-but make it YOUR bucket list.

Okay, that was a tangent…but, the point is: There is a magic about this city. For me, it is the perfect balance between chaotic India and the order that can only come from a business-savvy epicenter. You look around and see dilapidated buildings, eroding with time, and barefooted Indian boys (not more than 10 years old) selling food on the side of the road. It reminds you that you are in fact, in India. Then, you turn a corner and what you see could be mistaken for a neighborhood in the United States.

It is simultaneously filled to the brim with modernity and tradition. The senior partner in my firm confers with international corporations on a daily basis, and wears a bindi and has an alter to his Hindu gods on the wall. The restaurant/bar I went to last night, (Toit Brew Pub), was immaculate and trendy by American standards, yet they push you into rickshaws by 11:30 (it's too scandalous to be out later). It is the perfect city for a traveler (like me) who likes to experience a new culture...and even be challenged by it, and still have access to charms like proper toilets, air conditioning and running water.

(photos of Toit)


So, in this "perfect, magical city" I think I'd like to do things my way. I'm not sure what that means exactly, but I can be sure that it will involve relaxation, yoga, shopping, and good food. I don't want to get tied up in the throbbing nightlife and after-parties (which actually exist quite rampantly) because that's just not who I am. (Is it bad to say that I just feel too old for it??)I am much more content getting a drink with friends after work, eating a meal with my host family, practicing yoga or finding a quaint cafe to read.

Perhaps later I'll fill you in on this group of foreign travelers that I met last night, their enthusiasm for life, and the wild stories they told. But for now, let this suffice.

peace, love, magic.

day one at JSA

Yesterday the jet lag hit me like a ton of bricks. I woke up at 4:30 in the morning, wide awake and laid in bed staring at the ceiling, willing myself to go back to sleep. Eventually, I rolled out and stepped out onto my balcony. Cars were already zooming by, the chaos of Indian traffic just beginning. I devoured the book “Cutting for Stone” for a few hours by the light of sunrise until it was a decent hour to go downstairs and eat breakfast-Cornflakes with creamy, sweet milk. Not like the kind that you get at home.

Jessie, from the office came to pick me up in an auto rickshaw about an hour later. She is a plump Indian woman with a large bindi and reminds me of a mother hen. Someone in the office called her “my adopted guardian.” I suppose that is right.

The neighborhood around my office is nothing less than swanky. Around the corner is a three story marble shopping mall filled with stores like Louis Vuitton and Jimmy Choo. Upstairs there are quaint cafes, of which I’m sure I’ll end up spending most of my time in. There is a salon nearby that looks NYC-worthy, and Range Rovers cruise around amongst the rickshaws. It’s nothing that I would have imagined.

My firm is located on the second floor of a large, glass building. A Tyson Food corporation is on the first floor. I can tell that this agency is immaculate for Indian standards, although it pales in comparison to the glamorous downtown firms in US cities. You walk in and two receptionists greet you (one is Jessie). My cubicle is right outside of the Senior Partner’s corner office which looks out onto the hustle and bustle below. I realize I didn’t even need to bring my laptop because there is a computer here provided for me. The legal library on our floor is run-down and filled with texts that look extremely outdated. I wonder if the law is still relevant.

My first assignment was to edit down a presentation on cross-cultural negotiation tactics into a 3,000-3,500 word article, suitable for a US audience. I was immediately struck by how many politically incorrect references there are and the lack of citations. Different standards I suppose. I started on it at about 10:00 and by 1:00 I was starving and starting to get tired and had just cracked the surface.

I went to lunch with a few other interns. One is a girl from the Netherlands named Feline. She’s tall, lanky and absolutely stunning. The way she converses with the locals reminds me that she’s been here for 4 months already. She has a relaxed demeanor and makes me feel like a deer in the headlights. I suppose by the time I leave, I’ll feel more comfortable, but for now, everything is new and different.

We ate at a small café called Mocha. I demolished a Thai Satay Panini and bottled water. Nothing has ever tasted so good. By then, I truly felt like I was ready for bed. But by the time I got back to the office it was only 2:00 and I still had to finish my assignment. Apparently, in this office you have to finish all of your work before you leave. There is nothing that can be left unfinished for the next day. So often, interns stay late into the night in order to finish up. I am not looking forward to those nights.

I left the office at about 7:00 and spent about 40 minutes in a rainstorm trying to find an auto rickshaw to take me home. Apparently they are hard to come by in this part of town. By the time I walked through the front door of my home, I was drenched, had a sore throat from the pollution and was ready to collapse. So this is what being a grown-up is all about?!

Dinner consisted of idli, a rice cake smothered in a spicy Indian curry sauce. It was delicious. And my host-mama made me a salad…sensing that I was in need of something fresh and not-so-spicy.

I went upstairs after dinner and collapsed on my bed. Day one. Check.


peace. love. sleep.

in the land of bangalore.

well, it's my first day in bangalore. getting here felt like a lifetime.

i left my house in salt lake city at about 4:00 in the morning and arrived at the airport about 15 minutes later. i felt prepared. sad to leave, but prepared. i had all my ducks in a row: packed days before, had $100 in foreign currency, remembered to pack all of my chargers and a converter/adapter.

when i got to the airport, much to my dismay to realize that my new debit cards don't work. that's right...i realized i have no access to my bank. no way to get any money out of my account. so, i left the airport (after already having gone through security), colin picked me up, and we hurried around downtown trying desperately to find an atm so that he could loan me money for the trip. unfortunately, all he could take out is $500 at a time. so, let's just put it this way....money is going to be really tight this summer. hopefully, i am able to get it figured out and if worse comes to worse, i have to option of a western union transfer...but this was not a great way to start the trip. (in fact, it included lots of tears and cursing).

i proceeded to take a 2 1/2 hour flight to chicago, had a 3 1/2 hour layover, then went from chicago to delhi which was a 14 hour flight with a 3 hour layover, and then from delhi to bangalore which was a 2 1/2 hour flight. my driver picked me up and drove for about 40 minutes to my final destination, only to realize that neither of us knew which flat i was to stay in. so, after frantically calling a million numbers in the middle of the night, i finally was able to walk through the door that i will call home for the next 6 weeks. all in all, it took me about 33 hours to get here.

but...what a nice surprise it was to walk into this charming little flat. it is probably one of the nicest places i've ever stayed overseas.

office in my room

my bed

door to my private balcony

the view from my balcony (i actually look out onto a cemetary to the right)

shower/bathroom

outside of the building

so...after a nice long sleep, i woke up this morning, had some cornflakes, and just relaxed. i took a stroll around my neighborhood and had a pretty gross meal at a cafe across the street. i'll probably frequent the cafe quite a bit because it is conveniently close-by and ultra cheap, but i'm going to have to find a different meal.

one of my favorite things about being in another country is that it inspires me to take more photos. i hope you find these inspirational too!

that's all for now. keep checking in for more photos of this little adventure. since i have a computer in my room with constant internet, i will probably be updating often!

peace, love, and a pretty balcony.
xxoo.

again, with the anticipation....

i'll be in india again on sunday. i'm worried. scared. about what? working at a firm, the loneliness, being without colin. i feel like i'm on the verge of tears every three hours. it's stupid, i know. i'm an adult. i can handle this. and i have done this all before. each time, i have an incredible, life-changing experience. but i can't help but feel like this time, i want a companion (namely, colin) to come along with me and experience things for the first time with me. what can i say, i'm a social traveler. and yes, i know i'll meet new people. but it's hard to think about that at the moment.