Bali Part III

On one of our day trips to central Bali, we went to one of the most beautiful places I have ever been: Lake Bratan. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, the gardens were pristine, and the mountains were magnificent. The sun made all the flowers glow like this: The tall pines created a dramatic shadow effect on the lawns and gave a feeling of great size in this lovely garden.

The bathrooms at the garden were even polite enough to omit the end of the sentence describing the cost to use the facilities.
The highlight of Lake Bratan, however, was the spectacular water temple which appears to float just off the edge of the gardens.
After enjoying the beautiful lakeside gardens and temple, we went for a short hike to an incredible and dramatic waterfall.
To finish off the day, we played in the natural hot sulfur springs nearby.

Bali Part II

On our third evening in Bali, we went to Uluwatu temple, which is on an incredible majestic cliff with spectacular views: There, we saw a Kecak dance performance of the Ramayana. I'll definitely remember the story more clearly now that I've seen it live!
While the views and dance were amazing, perhaps the highlight of the evening was the sky. The sunset was dramatic and almost every imaginable sky condition was visible within the horizon. Unfortunately, this picture does not do it justice:

Java

While we were happily in paradise in Bali, 4 of us decided that a day trip to Java was in order so we could see a bit more of Indonesia. Upon arrival, we were amused by the incredibly phonetic spelling of taxi at the airport:
First order of the day was to see Borobudor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borobudur), the very impressive Buddhist temple.

We also made sure to think like anthropologists and observe the visitors. Our favorite fellow tourist was Madam Sparklehat with the tight jeans. (I never said I was a nice person). We also visited the Sultan's water palace, a.k.a. massive swimming pool complex:
We learned how batiks are made and got to roam through the racks of beautiful silk cloths:

We even meditated and did yoga at Prambanan Temple (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prambanan): On the way home, we embarassed Dyl and attacked her with puppets:
Finally, back in anthropologist zone, we observed this fantastic billboard, which is apparently a tobacco ad. The translation: "Man has desire"!:

Control

I realized the other day why I was so emotionally unstable and frequently upset in India. I know now what is so hard about living there (for me, anyway). It’s the lack of control. This probably won’t surprise any of you who know me as quite the control freak and I’m sure you’re all quite thrilled to hear that I am (slowly and reluctantly) learning how to cede control. Here are a few examples of the ways I’ve been frustrated with my lack of control:

-Transportation: I don’t have my own car, bike, or scooter here, so anywhere beyond walking distance, I am dependent upon finicky rickshaw drivers. Trying to negotiate a fair price, the correct route, and safe driving is not always easy considering they see me as a giant dollar sign and there is often a significant language barrier. Giving up the freedom and control of going where I want, when I want, has been a struggle.

-Language: In addition to trying to negotiate with rickshaw drivers, I need to go shopping, make negotiations, work, and generally communicate with the world around me. This becomes very difficult with I don’t speak Hindi or Telegu, and many people don’t speak English. I no longer have the power of conversation, which leads to a significant loss of control in communication.

-Appearance: I get a lot of attention in Hyderabad based on the way I look. Stares, cat-calls, and lewd comments are part of my daily life every time I leave the house. At first, I thought that this was perhaps based on the way I was dressed. I dress conservatively by American standards, but my propensity to show my ankles and upper arms is quite scandalous in India. So, I started covering up and dressing in traditional Indian attire. Unfortunately, this hasn’t changed anything. It doesn’t matter what I wear, I get the same lewd comments and inappropriate stares all the time. Unlike in America, where I blend in, I can’t control the way people see me in India. I am a white girl. Therefore I am rich and slutty in the eyes of many Indians. No matter how much I try to blend in, I can’t control the stereotype.

-Daily Hassles: I recently bought a new water filter which needed to be delivered and installed to my home. When I asked when it would be delivered and installed, I was told “tomorrow.” So, I took the day off and waited at home all day. When I called to enquire about a delivery time I was told “in about an hour” or “first thing tomorrow”. This went on for five days. My attempts at yelling at people on the phone or going to the store where I bought it were completely fruitless. It didn’t matter. They would get to it, when they got to it. In my utter frustration I complained to a friend “what is wrong with these people, do they think I have nothing better to do than sit around all day and wait for a delivery?” Their response: “Well, in India, people who have the money for appliances also have large extended families living with them. There is always someone home who could deal with the installation, so, a weeklong wait isn’t a big deal.” I can’t control the fact that I have to take a week off of work to accomplish something by myself that a large Indian family would jointly share responsibility for. Moreover, most installation technicians are not educated enough to speak English. So trying to understand how something works or what they need to install it properly is quite difficult. Again, the control of communication is lost.

So, as you can see, I’m struggling a bit with my loss of control in India. However, it’s definitely good for my control-freak self to learn how to handle losing control. I’m also on vacation in Bali at the moment, so I don’t really have much room for complaint :)

Bali Part I

Monkey baby in the monkey forest! The monkeys pretty scary and aggressive and definitely felt up one of my friends! Being Jane in the Monkey forest:
The most amazing red curry I've ever eaten. Total cost: $1.50

Sunset at Kuta beach, where I went surfing!
Falung Dafa protest parade on the beach:
Bintang in the pool:
Rice Paddies:

Health Care

This morning I went to the dermatologist. The entire process went something like this:
9:15: walk into hospital and tell reception I want to see the dermatologist (no, I did not have an appointment, and yes, she was trained in the U.S.).
9:20: give them my name and and pay 300 rupees (~$7.50) for my appointment and 2 follow up visits as necessary.
9:30: see doctor.
9:45: leave doctor's office with good advice and a prescription.

That's right, the entire process took 30 minutes and cost me $7.50. At home in the U.S. I imagine it would've gone something like this:
Day 1: Call PCP and make an appointment.
Day 8: Pay $15 copay (insurance pays the other $200), spend 2 hours waiting, see PCP and get a referrral to a dermatologist. Call and make an appointment with the dermatologist.
Day 16: Pay $25 copay (insurance pays the other $300), spend 3 hours waiting, and finally see the dermatologist.

Total Cost in India: $7.50 and 30 minutes
Total Cost in America: $40 (plus insurance), 16 days indirect waiting, 5 hours direct waiting

Its no wonder our health care is the most expensive in the world!

Weekend in Bangalore

Last weekend, Uma and I went to Bangalore to meet with some of my friends from Boston. They are spending a few months in India with an MIT program and so we had some fun times at historic sights and just being silly around the city.