Cultural Education Day

Yesterday, Friday, was a cultural education day for me. A jam packed day from start to finish.

First, my friend Kim and I had lunch with 2 Japanese women, 2 Italian women, and 1 Indian women at "the best" Japanese restaurant in Gurgaon called Sakura. Rie and Kotomi taught us about the menu, the traditional meals, how to order, and gave suggestions on what would be best for us to try. We all ordered something different and sampled. They gave us a lesson on how to hold chopsticks and what to do with the different sauces. Rie said they start using chopsticks around 3 years of age. One of the neatest features of a Japanese restaurant is that there is a call button on the table. The waitress only comes once you press the button. It is wonderful because then they are not always distracting conversation. We hit the button when we were ready to order and then she came, took our order, and then brought the food. When we were finished we hit the button and she came and cleared the plates and gave us the bill. Kim and I both ordered salmon, one person ordered sushi (I didn't try any raw fish), one ordered prawns (shrimp), and one ordered chicken. This was the first fish I have eaten since arriving in India almost 3 months ago. MMM! Ben and I will definitely be going back to Sakura.

Second, I went to the post office yesterday where you buy stamps and then have to glue them yourself. I bought a sheet of stamps and was working on separating them as I sat in the corner of the post office with my backpack between my legs. As I was sitting there I had my head down, but when I looked up there was a nomadic looking man in front of me. I was in the corner so I knew he wasn't just walking past. He bent over like he was reaching for my backpack. I didn't make any fast movements as before I knew it he had bent down, touched both of my feet, bowed to me, and then walked away. WEIRD! It was a similar motion to what I see all the Hindu believers do at the temples when they first enter. They always touch the steps and bow their head. The touching of the feet was a first for me, but I have to admit I felt honoured.

Third, we had an evening out last night with visiting suppliers of Ben's company. One American from Nashville, one Indian/American from Columbus, OH, and one Polander. A very nice group of men to visit with who I believe were thrilled to have someone take them around downtown Delhi. We stopped at the India Gate for a few snapshots and then headed to a place called @Live. It was the most wonderful getaway as anytime you can find a place in India that doesn't feel like India is exciting. Most places don't have a very good ambience, but this place had an awesome band playing with a very clean and upbeat feel to it. The food was American/Indian mix and the drinks were amazing. Good mixed drinks is another thing that is difficult to locate here. It was a late night for us, but well worth it. Two of the three men were experiencing their first taste of India so that was fun to watch. At the end of the night I was visiting with the man from Poland and he asked how I liked growing up in South Korea. I said, no I grew up in South Dakota, not South Korea. He said, "Oh, I have been trying to figure out all night why you would have been in South Korea for so many years." He had misunderstood us at the beginning of the night when I was talking with the other men about where I grew up in the states. Just a little bit of difference between South Korea and SD!

A full day from start to finish, but a very educational one.

Qutab Minar, oldest landmark in Delhi

Saturday we had a packed day of sight seeing around Delhi. Ben had a co-worker in town for the weekend from Germany so we played tour guides for the day. First stop, Qutab Minar, which is a tower that stands 238 feet (73 m) and was built as a sundial during the time the Afghan armies were invading Delhi. This minaret was built before the Taj Mahal (1631). It is a World Heritage Site of India and a truly impressive area with 60,000 visitors per day. Our tour guide informed us that most of the visitors are school children. Second stop, German Christmas Market at the German School across the street from the U.S. Embassy. Crafts, Christmas Wine, pretzels, imported Bavarian Beer, German sausage, and a band playing Christmas music. It was a wonderful afternoon! Third stop, India Gate at night. We had visited during the day, but must admit that the view in the evening is more impressive. Fourth stop, Connaught Place to see the heart of Delhi and enjoy dinner at a revolving restaurant that gives an impressive view of Connaught Place. They also have the best Wonton Soup in town! I don't care for the Indian, but the Chinese food here is excellent!