India!

A few weeks ago, I (Riley) had the opportunity to travel to Bombay, India as part of a group from ISB travelling to The American School of Bombay to check out their utilization of technology. Being only a month from our due date, I was a bit apprehensive about going when first asked. However, Laurie was fully supportive of me being part of this and urged me to go for it. So I did. I kept thinking to myself, "China and India all in a year! Amazing!"
We left from Beijing early on Wednesday the 15th of April and flew to Dubai UAE. If you are well versed in geography, you've realized that Dubai is overshooting Bombay. You're correct. We flew 2.5 hours past our final destination and then had to fly back to get there. But personally, it was nice to go back to Dubai, a place that I have pulled into so many times while in the Navy. Even if we didn't leave the airport, it was nice to look down at the place as we flew in and out. It's grown so rediculously much since I was last there in 1996.
We arrived in Bombay later that day. Upon our arrival, the sensory overload began. The blast of heat that we felt was actually very nice after leaving the brisk Beijing morning. Included in this heat however was a mixture of smells that I have never before smelled. This is something that I notice at nearly any new place I've visited though.
Another piece of sensory overload was the noise immediately noticable. Rarely would I not hear a horn honking or a person talking to us. Whether it was to exchange money, buy something to drink, or rent a taxi, we were targets. Luckily, we had a driver waiting for us to take us to the hotel. Little did I realize that the overload was just beginning. We had an hour and a half ride to our hotel. And the traffic situation that we were about to enter for the next 4 days makes Beijing traffic seem calm. I'm serious about that too! NEVER again will I complain about the bottleneck on I-94 in Eden Prairie....
On our drive to the hotel, we all basically stared out the windows the whole way. The abject poverty is truly in a person's face. Those conditions that a person sees on TV of scenes in India are 100% true. And, there are people everywhere! Everywhere!
Please don't get me wrong though, India was and is an amazingly intriguing place. There is an amazingly diverse mix of culture and class there. And, in the midst of all the chaos, things seem to go... It's hard to explain.
We settled into our hotel and set out to eat some authentic Indian food. Walking around, we quickly attracted young children who begged us for food. We walked around a corner and I was shocked to see a baby laying on the sidewalk who couldn't have been more than a few months old. My heart immediately melted when I saw this. I quickly saw a few other kids who were older who must be this newborn's siblings. They must have been keeping an eye on the baby while they were begging. And, I'm sure that the infant helped their cause. Regardless, my heart melts each time I witness something such as this.
We found a small place to dine and went in. The food ended up being great! A perfect meal for our first night there. Chicken tika masala, indian fried bread, some sort of beef whose name I cannot remember, and Kingfisher beer was what we partook of. However, to top all of this off, another member of our group and I showed our lack of culture in the closing minutes.
After dinner, the waiter brought us each a dish of water that had a slice of lemon in it. I thought that since India is a tea mecca, this must be some sort of after dinner tea. So, along with Jason, one of ISB's fellow travellers, I took a sip. We quickly were heckled by Greg, our principal, and informed that these dishes are to rinse off and freshen up our fingers... Needless to say, we were targets of jabs for the remainder of the trip...
The next morning, we left bright and early for ASB. The driver took us through the city and dropped is off at a building that was heavily guarded. We got out and headed for the gate, only to be abrubtly stopped by the guards. When we told them we were going to the American School of Bombay (ASB), we were told that we were at the American Consulate, not ASD! Now, we're lost in Bombay with no idea where to go! After a few phone calls, we figured out that we were dropped off on the wrong side of the city. Mind you, we were being closely watched by Indian guards who wielded raggedy old AK-47's and other semi automatic guns that looked as if they had seen a few wars. A bit unsettling...
We hopped into one of those famous looking Indian cabs and headed to ASB. We took this extra time in traffic to take in more of this crazily interesting place. Horns, people, traffic, and the colonial archecture kept the eyes, ears, nose, and brain busy. Some of the old buildings looked amazing. On the other hand, they were run down and in great disrepair.
Two hours after we were supposed to arrive, we made it to ASB. We were warmly greeted and told that we had arrived just in time for a school wide intruder drill. If we'd have arrived 5 minutes later, we may have been those intruders. That would have added to the madness we were immersed in!
The day was great at ASB. They have a 1 laptop per student ration there and do some amazing things with educating kids. What kept resonating in my mind was the fact that we're educating kids for jobs that do not currently exhist. So, teaching kids has truly evolved from memorizing rote facts and tidbits of information, to teaching kids to be designers and thinkers outside of the box... Quite a humbling thought, but seemingly more possible when observing classrooms such as those at ASB.
We spent the next two days in the school, meeting with various teachers, students, and administrators who make ASB go. We also hung out with a teaching couple who will be joining us as ISB next year. It was fun to be able to be ones answering questions rather than doing all the asking. After relying on so many people this past year, it feels good to turn the tables and help others out a bit...
On Saturday the 18th, we had the day to be tourists for the day before flying out at 10 pm that night. So, we took the notoriously famous train down to the southermost part of Bombay to see a few of the sites. We paid a few extra rupee in order to ride "first class." This section turned out to be a train car in which we stood squished up next to fellow passengers. I did notice an open seat close to us, but soon realized why it was empty. Someone had puked about a gallon of vomit on the seat. Made me wonder what the cars where people didn't ride first class were like...
By the time we made it to our stop, the train was nearly empty. I was able to ride hanging out the door of the train like they do when they are filled to the gills with people. We rode by some of the slums that India is notorious for. It truly is still unbelievable to me that people live in such conditions. Unless you see it with your own eyes, it really is not fully fathomable. And, seeing people in the river and ocean water there is appalling... As I write and think about it, my stomach rolls.
We left the train and went down to the area where last fall's tragedy of terror occurred. When those men targeted Westerners last November, it became the equivalent to our 9-11. In fact, one staff member at ASB referred to the day as 26-11 (my birthday). We visited the Arch of India which is next to the Taj Mahal hotel. This is the hotel that was all over the news when the seige was on. We could still see the areas that were on fire. The area is really neat. It's too bad that these landmarks will now be known as a place of a horrible event.
Close to the hotel and the arch is a restaurant called Leopolds. This famous western eatery was also targeted. When we sat down to eat there, we saw remnants of the carnage. Bullet holes in the walls and ceiling, as well as a few windows that were bullet riddled sat untouched. Apparently, they tried to reopen as soon as possible as a symbol that events such as this are not going to wreck them. I admire that...
We closed out our trousity day visiting a few of the markets adn purchasing a few things for our family members. I bought a few pairs of sandals for Laurie that ended up being too small. I also found a cotton robe for Laurie taht India is famous for. Someting about the soft cotton... Lastly, I found some leather wallets for the boys, that Kieran really loves.
We made it to the airport with time to go through the 5 layers of security. Adding to the plot was the aroma of vomit that permeated throughout the whole airport. We also went and bought a few things at the duty free shops, where the cashier tried to rip each one of us off at. Luckily, we all escaped with the correct funds... We also each partook of some of the airport food. I chose KFC.
Our flight out of Bombay left on time and we arrived in Dubai without incident. It was during our 3 hour layover (from midnight to 3 am), when my stomach began to roll. I thought that it was just becuase I was really tired and didn't sleep at all during the first flight. My hopes were that I would sleep a bunch on the 9 hour flight from Dubai to Beijing.
My rolling stomach, plus the fact that I was stuck in a middle seat, helped contribute to the lack of comfort that I had on the final flight. The bright spot was that we arrived an hour early. But, I arrived home absolutely exhausted and getting sick.
Over the course of the next few days, Montezuma's Revenge had a hold upon me. I took a sick day even and slept a ton. I must say that it's been nearly a month and I am just getting back to normal. It is my belief that the food I ate at KFC must have been bad and wreaked havoc on my insides. About anything else that I ate, another member of our group ate as well. And, other than being tired, no one else became ill. So, I blame it on KFC. I'm currently not a fan of that place.
Overall, the trip was a truly AMAZING experience. India is a place of extremes. Extreme overload on every sense 24-7. I still am trying to come to grips with the intensity of the place.
Pictures are coming soon. Hopefully they will do some justice...
Love and hugs to all. We're anxiously awaiting the arrival of baby 3... Stay tuned...

Riley and family