We went into Bilaspur yesterday to see our new apartment, pick up a SIM card, and eat some chicken. The apartment is identical to the guest house, and though there's no furniture yet, its pretty nice. We should be able to make a home out of it.
Unfortunately, with respect to the chicken, we were not able to get any, as it was a festival holiday. We knew that it was a local thing where wives fast for their husbands and single women fast inhopes of landing a husband, but we did not know that it was also Ganesh's birthday, and the first festival of festival season. Long story short... on this festival day, no chicken.
We had gone to the restaurant with two German medical students visting for a month. Both are women and very light skinned, and one is almost 6 feet tall and blonde. I thought I attracted attention, but it is nothing like the attention these girls get. Men stopped and stared, or catcalled, and there were flatbed trucks full of young men who all stared and waved. They took it pretty well though, and pointed out that it was all just staring and no one said anything to them or did anything, and they had gotten used to it.
When we got back, we heard the sounds of tablas and singing while we were eating dinner. We were going to go out to find it when our friend Surrinder told us he knew where it was comign from and took us there. The sounds were from a temple where they were singing song-stories from scriptures. I had planned on just sitting by the edge and watching, but that proved to be impossible, as my white skin made me a celebrity. They took us on a tour of the temple, and the various shrines, and there was a very cool and ancient tree growing in the center, with long vines coming down from the branches, which would themselves take root and from new trunks. It was then explained to us that Ganesh was invoked when new things were started, and this (being Ganesh's day) was a day to start new things. I will take it as an auspicious sign that this was the day we saw our new place.
We stayed for awhile until food was served... I don't think they would have let us leave if we had wanted to. Part of these festivals are apparently free food. We sat on long mats, and plates made of leaves were place in front of us. They were made of 4 or 5 leaves, held together with pieces of toothpicks, and must have been assembled by hand. The food was rice and a chickpea curry with a side of fresh salad/salsa. The freshness of the salad (onions, tomatoes, chilis, and corriander) was especially refreshing, as fresh veggies have been very much missing from our diet. After the dinner we, left along with many other people... apparently many people show up just for the food.
Unfortunately, with respect to the chicken, we were not able to get any, as it was a festival holiday. We knew that it was a local thing where wives fast for their husbands and single women fast inhopes of landing a husband, but we did not know that it was also Ganesh's birthday, and the first festival of festival season. Long story short... on this festival day, no chicken.
We had gone to the restaurant with two German medical students visting for a month. Both are women and very light skinned, and one is almost 6 feet tall and blonde. I thought I attracted attention, but it is nothing like the attention these girls get. Men stopped and stared, or catcalled, and there were flatbed trucks full of young men who all stared and waved. They took it pretty well though, and pointed out that it was all just staring and no one said anything to them or did anything, and they had gotten used to it.
When we got back, we heard the sounds of tablas and singing while we were eating dinner. We were going to go out to find it when our friend Surrinder told us he knew where it was comign from and took us there. The sounds were from a temple where they were singing song-stories from scriptures. I had planned on just sitting by the edge and watching, but that proved to be impossible, as my white skin made me a celebrity. They took us on a tour of the temple, and the various shrines, and there was a very cool and ancient tree growing in the center, with long vines coming down from the branches, which would themselves take root and from new trunks. It was then explained to us that Ganesh was invoked when new things were started, and this (being Ganesh's day) was a day to start new things. I will take it as an auspicious sign that this was the day we saw our new place.
We stayed for awhile until food was served... I don't think they would have let us leave if we had wanted to. Part of these festivals are apparently free food. We sat on long mats, and plates made of leaves were place in front of us. They were made of 4 or 5 leaves, held together with pieces of toothpicks, and must have been assembled by hand. The food was rice and a chickpea curry with a side of fresh salad/salsa. The freshness of the salad (onions, tomatoes, chilis, and corriander) was especially refreshing, as fresh veggies have been very much missing from our diet. After the dinner we, left along with many other people... apparently many people show up just for the food.
