Thursday, February 28, 2008

Girl, Plane and Spirituality

My visit to my friends place in Chicago brought me new perspectives to my approach of relationships.

This is not the best time for me to write about my Chicago trip as i just flunked an interview. I should have known well before the interview started that i wasn't qualified enough for that position. I am sure one would end up in embarrassment if he tries something out like this without any real stuff. Well neither getting embarrassed nor taking such shots are new to me, So i am moving on and am going to write about this trip.

Naga and I thought of visiting my friend in chicago as it's been a while since we met. Naga dropped out because of some personal reasons. So i ended up spending three days all by myself with my friends family. We did nothing but eating and lazing in the couch chatting and watching movies. We went to the car show on saturday and as usual both of us got quickly bored looking at all the beautiful cars. Well then is that all i am going to write about?

I think i can come up with something... Here we go..

I met this girl near the pretzel shop in laguardia. I didn't speak to her but i was quietly ogling at her. She was eating the pretzel phili style with mustard on it. A normal New yorker would despise this blasphemous act of spoiling the culinary magic called 'pretzel'. Anyway i slowly moved towards her to have a friendly conversation which most of friends would call 'kadalai'.

I said hi to her and asked if she is from 'Phili'. I felt like a stupid when i asked that question to her as my only reason for asking such a lame question is because of the mustard that she added. She replied in negative. So i told her why i asked that question. She smiled and said that she is from Chicago. Honestly man all i know about chicago is the deep dish pizza and my friend lives there. Although i have read about the Mafia's in today's world in some of the books i figured out that it would be an uninteresting topic that you can bring up to a girl. So i said 'oh, the place of deep dish pizza'. She smiled and now she got the que that i am trying to indulge in a conversation. She asked if i am chef in a sarcastic way and gave a wry smile. My ego didn't let me take that so i said "well if you want to call me that i am fine with that even though my friends call me food lover". Both of us exchanged smile for that and she said the flight has been delayed because of the traffic today. I didn't waste a second to ask her if she cared for a drink. She said why not. So we walk to the Irish pub in the airport. She asked for a Guinness and i ordered a smith wick's. I kinda like the red ale i said. So she goes do they drink beer in India, she asked me as if i am the first Indian she ever met in her life. Had it been a guy i would have given a rude, snobbish answer with an attitude but i couldn't say no to her. I started explaining about different drinks that Indians like and so on trying to show her how smart ass i am. After a long answer for her short question, i asked her if she is Irish. Like all the Americans she said my mothers side is polish and east European and father's side is Irish, Scottish and so on. I cared for less but still pretended to be interested. I noticed that she had an amgen bag, so i asked if she is a doctor? For the first time my guess about her was partially correct as she told me that she is a clinical toxicologist. I had a great sigh or relief as i didn't want her to think that i am making up so many things just to keep the conversation going.

Now, i really got interested in what she did and i guess she understood my sincerity and started explaining me what she does and where she studied and one hour later somehow our topic came to number of times she has seen people dying on her. It was quite interesting when she brought up that topic because that's one of the topics that i discuss often with my brother. My brother and i are always fascinated at the impact of seeing one's death. It reminds us of the mortality of creatures and helps us to remain sane and rationalise many things that we otherwise would be very disappointed at. I asked her what she felt about it and how did her personality and outlook toward life changed. She thought to herself for a while and then she slowly continued, 'Many times, i see people almost in a dead state, we try to bring them back to life, sometime you get upset for few hours if you see small babies die, aside that, i take it more like another dead person that's all'. I asked her if she is able to apply the same logic to her near and dear too?. She was quite for a second, i quickly apologized for my stupid question and started to explain her why i asked that question. She stopped me with her answer, 'Yes, i think i do', ' I think i can take even my near and dears death in that way' she said. I was startled at her answer. I know the next question that i am going to ask her will show if she is really faking the answer or she is truly speaking her heart. If she gets furious then i thought i would conclude that she is faking or otherwise. I decided to go on anyway and asked her 'Why then marriage or any other stuff that you everyday is even necessary?'. She smiled and asked, 'why not?. I said, 'Well it doesn't add up, you are impartial even to death then why to do something to enjoy or suffer?'. She took a while to understand what i meant to ask and then she said, 'Well thinking philosophically i would agree but see it this way, its more of work that you do and everything is just an action. The outcome is unnecessary to explore'. Her answer surprised and shocked me pleasantly. The girl who is far west in her thoughts and beliefs yet speaks Vedanta. I asked her if she is familiar with eastern philosophies. She had no clue about it.

I figured that we already spoke enough heavy topics, so i thought i will get back to my kadalai. I went on to talk about her interests and she was explaining me about white sox and the cubs rivalry and how she went to watch a Bear's game on a snow day and so on. When we landed in midway. She asked me where i was going, i said to the downtown Chicago and i had no clue of where my friend lived. I spoke to my friend and got the train station where i had to get down and coincidental she was going to the downtown too. We both continued our conversation and she was showing the all the places from the train and explaining me like a tour guide. When time came to bid good bye, i said 'Have a nice life'. She smiled and wrote down her phone number for me. :).

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

TET - Holiday experience in Nam

Traveling as they say, is always an enriching experience. For the past 4 years during the Lunar new year holidays , we have been traveling only to the local beaches, or the river side resorts and spend our time eating and getting drunk. But this time when my Vietnamese friend invited me for visiting their family and friends during their most important festival " Tet", I decided to visit Vietnam . That's how it began.

The preparations were over before well over a week after obtaining the necessary travel documents etc.
Our journey began on Tuesday morning by bus from Phnom Penh at 7'o clock to Ho Chi Minh city erstwhile called Saigon. The journey was uneventful apart from the brief delay at the ferry crossing across the Mekong river called Neuk Loung and the immigration formalities at Bavet-Moc Bai border crossing.
We noticed a curious thing as the driver suddenly had dropped to 20 km/ph speed after he crossed the border from 110 km/hr average speed. Then we noticed on a roadside coffee shop a group of traffic policemen sitting with their speed checkers and the camera on.


We laughed and the driver too laughed. Soon after he resumed his usual speed again after he received periodic hand wave signals!! from the drivers coming in the opposite direction.

We reached Ho chi Minh city, at 2 in the afternoon and I proceeded alone almost immediately after getting a phone card to my friend's place called Can Tho city which is 220 km south east of Ho chi Minh .

In spite of the holiday season the taxi driver charging me only the normal fare made me wonder. On the road side and atop houses and buildings we could see the yellow star in red, Vietnamese flags flying with yellow " Konrai" pookal in front of the houses, with " Chuc Mung Nam Moi" meaning wishing you a happy new year in gold letters welcoming the visitors.

The well carved roads snaked along busy cities and towns full of lush green coconut, mango, and atthi trees broken by vast paddy fields made the 3 hour taxi ride pleasant. Wherever one can see it was only green.

I arrived at the Can Tho city ferry terminal at half past five in the evening and while waiting for the taxi to board the ferry, were greeted by the smiling faces of street vendors selling pork sausages called Xuc xic and a slightly less sweeter form of Kozhukattai wrapped in bamboo leaves wearing their Nuoc la , the conical bamboo hats.
Arrived at the hotel where my friend awaited me in the lounge and after a steaming bath and a changeover to fresh clothes, felt fully refreshed.

After that, we went down and sat in the restaurant which had comfortable rattan chairs facing the river. The entire place was lit with bright serial lights and red lanterns marking the arrival of New Year and the place was abuzz with young men and women with their families and friends.

We started our dinner with the local Saigon beer, and it is quite shocking for people other than South East Asia to see them fill their beer glasses with ice and then pouring beer on top of that. It was a nice experience anyway.
We ordered tom yum soup cooked in Vietnamese style and the hot and sour soup was a heavenly start. Our main course consisted of a fish, Ca in Vietnamese steam cooked and sautéed in oyster sauce and spiced with shallots, ginger and lemon grass and white rice.

We had our fill as I had not had my lunch and after a few bottles of beer, and the cool gentle breeze made us sleepy and we retired to our rooms.

The next day started with a motor bike ride to my friend's house which was 20 minutes from the city. On our way my friend bought 2 cases of beer and sweets from the grocer nearby. It gave me a clear indication that I will not be returning to my room in the evening in a sober note.

Anyway, we proceeded to their house through labyrinthine motorway along a canal and we finally arrived at their house, where people were waiting in their doorsteps to greet us. My friend later told me that this was the first time a foreigner has come to their house.

All along the way, people were curiously looking at me because of my complexion and a stocky frame which differ from their lean and short frames. As soon as I entered their house they gave me a glass of ice cold water, which made me think of the similarities in our cultures. Then my friend took me to her mother's tomb which was nearby and we burnt incense over her tomb and laid down the sampangi flowers which we had bought.
Then we sat down in the main hall where people were arranging plates full of meat, rice, fish, sweets and nuts and glasses.

As soon as I entered there they shouted" Xin Chao" a friendly greeting means hello and gave a glass of beer called Bia in Vietnamese. I was overwhelmed by their show of friendliness and responded happily.
Each glass will be started with a Mot, Hai, Ba, Yoooo, cheer and well before noon got drunk.
Then, as I had been informed earlier all the children in the family lined up for the ceremonial greeting and to receive their good luck money for the New Year called "Li Se". The money is given in a red and gold cover to the children and younger people and will be kept as a good luck charm for the entire year.

Strict vegan travelers will find it extremely difficult as almost all the cuisine contains some form of meat or egg. Even the salad at times when not asked specifically will be served with minced meat in it.
I wanted to try and enjoy the local flavor as I thought it is only just and hence did not search for any of our Indian restaurants.

The next day being the actual New Year day, my friend took me to the famed red pagoda which is situated on the river side just opposite the imposing Ho Chi Minh statue and park. The entire street was filled with incense smoke and konrai flowers and sampangi flowers and we went and prayed there before the Buddha and the other Bodhisattvas.

Then we started on a boat cruise along the Mekong delta and boats are for hire for a three our ride. The speed boat which had only my friend and me as passengers took us to the famed Can Tho water market where the people from the villages along the innumerable canals of the Mekong come to display their produce.
The boats sell goods ranging from vegetables, flowers, fruits, meat, and all types of wares. Bigger boats had along side their flags, display their wares attached to a long pole so that even from the distance customers can come to their boats to buy their goods. After that the boat took us to an island in the river where the Cantho city authorities have developed a park which has various features like canoeing, wind surfing, water skis, and a number of restaurants and food courts . After spending some time there we retired to our rooms and returned back in the evening to the riverside for a stroll and spent our time in one of the numerous coffee houses in the area.

The next day gave me some anxious moment as the bus which had planned to depart on Saturday has been cancelled and there were no means of transport available as all were booked earlier because of the holiday season. Relieved finally when my friend could arrange a ticket in a speed boat which shuttles between a city called Chu doc which is on the upper reach of Mekong where the river enters Vietnam from Cambodia.
The boat from Cantho was cancelled due to the holidays and it was available only from Chu doc.

It was a thrilling experience to travel by speed boat along Mekong which one should experience it personally. I must have felt overjoyed if my brother would have accompanied us during this holiday.
The four hour journey to Phnom Penh brought an end to the pleasant lunar New Year holidays and the beginning of the year of the Rat, and as the locals believe brings a year full of pleasant memories and good fortune.

- Ashok