India is celebrating Diwali tonight.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Dilli Haat Home Visit TGIF
Well I have been sloughing off this past week about keeping up with this blog. I am well. Staying home in front of a computer learning how to create a blog using wordpress.com for Keary's artwork. See it at keary.kautzer.wordpress.com..Give me some feedback...encouragement?
Keary was busy installing his art exhibition of 52 paintings at The Pyle Center yesterday. I am very proud. He is a prolific painter! Wow!!!!
When I get back to Wisconsin I need to upload as many paintings as possible online for the world to see and buy/admire his wonderful paintings.
Today at 2:30 pm Eli and I headed to Dilli Haat to watch cultural performances. We stopped at Le Marche Market next door first to purchase a box of candy as a gift for a co-worker. We also plan to visit his home. India is celebrating Diwali starting today and the next three days. Day Two..tomorrow is the big day. It is like Christmas and July 4 rolled into four days. Visiting relatives, gift giving, decorating homes with lights, candles. Many apartment buildings are decorated with strings of lights. Eli's apartment complex has lights around trees and other structures for decorations. It is lovely at night to see so many lights.
Eli and I took a tuk tuk together..60 rupees ...to the Sikanderpur Metro. At the station Eli tried to communicate that he wanted buy a smartcard and fill it with 100 rupees. He ended up getting two cards for 150 rupees each. The man saw two people and did not know if I needed a card or not. There is an extra 50 rupee charge for the card itself which is refunded when you return the card for a refund.
We went through security check and ran upstairs to the platform to go to INA station.. about a 45 minute trip. I could not sit in the women's only section with Eli, so I had to board a train which was packed with mostly men and a few women. When the train arrived, I hesitated to take the first train in front of us, I walked quickly past a few trains looking for one that was not as jammed packed with people. I found one and quickly jumped on board with Eli following me. This was the second time Eli traveled via tuk tuk or Metro.
At INA station, I did not remember which exit was the right one to take for Dilli Haat. Read a previous blog about my first visit to Dilli Haat. We tried one exit, but we were on the wrong side of the street. We went back down into the Metro to go underneath the street and come back up on the correct side of the street. I asked people for directions and walked there in 5 minutes.
This week Dilli Haat is celebrating Diwali with extra booths set up to sell items that Indians want to decorate their homes and for gift giving. candy, candles, jewelry, ...etc. Somewhere I read that there was a dance competition going on, so I wanted to see the performances. An hour later, I learned that I was wrong...no dancing today. Extra booths were set up and took up the space that would have been for the audience to sit. Eli and I were both disappointed.
Eli does not like shopping. He sat and played on his cell phone while I browsed the little booths...about 70 of them. I have will power. I did not buy anything. I kept telling myself...Do I need anything? Will I use this item? I saw a necklace I liked, but it was 750 rupees...$15...too much. We did stop to eat...a plate of fried pork momos and a plate of pork chow mein for 125 rupees each. REAL pork. We both thought that the food was Wonderfulllllll. Eli said the momos were the highlight of the day. They were that good.
Next Eli called his co-worker ...don't remember his name...and arranged for him to meet us at the Jor Bagh Metro station, one Metro station away. We would call him when we arrived. We left Dilli Haat and had just arrived at Jor Bagh when he called again to say that he was waiting at the top of the stairs for us. We found the right exit and we found him without any problem.
We walked to his car and he drove us around his neighborhood to show off the outdoor light decorations and the shopping area. His small apartment is on the third floor of a concrete building with about 12 apartments in it. His apartment entrance area was decorated with plants and lights. His living room/dining room is the size of my kitchen/dining room.
There are three bedrooms, but his father lives in one and brother lives in another. So his wife and two children must share one room? Not sure. We only saw the living room. Sofa and loveseat with small dining table. Large fish tank with two sharks and puffer fish.
We met his wife, 4 year old daughter, 8 year old son, and father. His brother was gone to work. His job requires him to work six days a week. We were served water, juice or soda and an assortment of snacks.
We went up to the roof top to shoot off firecrackers. They call them crackers. His son waited anxiously for dusk so he could watch his father light some crackers. We saw five different firecrackers. One that shot up sparks for five seconds. One spun around on the ground for 10 seconds. One just made a very loud BOOM. He warned us so I covered my ears, but that loud BOOM still startled me. Another one fell off a ledge and sparkled on the ground. Then he lit four sparklers that you could hold in your hand. That was it for the evening. He still had a large bag of firecrackers for the next three days.
We went back downstairs and talked about work and his co-worker wanted to know how to get a job transfer to the new Johnson Controls office in Hong Kong. Then it was time to go. His wife gave us a large box of candy...larger than the box we gave to them.
We said our goodbyes and got a ride back to the Metro. Took the Metro back, but we missed the Sikanderpur station and got off one station too late...MG Road station. Then Eli said..Let's go to TGIF for Nacho chips. So we walked over to the mall right across the street. There are seven malls located very close together. TGIF and McDonalds were on the first floor of the MGF Metropolitan Mall.
TFIF was pretty crowded. We chose a booth and I read the placemat...free chicken wings or free fried cheese sticks if I sent a text message to a certain number....So you know me, I can't pass up getting something for free. When the waiter came to take our order I pointed to the placemat and we got free fried cheese sticks with our order of Nachos with cream cheese, salsa, and guacamole dips and milkshakes...I got chocolate and Eli got strawberry milkshakes. My milkshake was more like thick cold chocolate flavored milk...not very thick and not very cold. We got 8 yummy cheese sticks...Very hot from the fryer, but I loved eating them. Yummmmmy. Nachos were too spicey. Eli tried taking the chicken off each chip, but they were still spicey. We saved most of them to take home. I will try to do something at home to make them more edible. 1195 rupees ($18). Eli usually comes to TGIF for lunch specials 249 rupees for a two course lunch and drink.
We got a tuk tuk outside after negotiating...They wanted 200 rupees. No. Then 150 rupees. No. Then 100 rupees. OK.
When we got home Eli took and nap and is still sleeping. I am up at 4:51 am typing this blog.
I called Keary at least four times today, but he was busy doing something else.
Good night. Look at the blog I set up. Kearykautzer.wordpress.com
Keary was busy installing his art exhibition of 52 paintings at The Pyle Center yesterday. I am very proud. He is a prolific painter! Wow!!!!
When I get back to Wisconsin I need to upload as many paintings as possible online for the world to see and buy/admire his wonderful paintings.
Today at 2:30 pm Eli and I headed to Dilli Haat to watch cultural performances. We stopped at Le Marche Market next door first to purchase a box of candy as a gift for a co-worker. We also plan to visit his home. India is celebrating Diwali starting today and the next three days. Day Two..tomorrow is the big day. It is like Christmas and July 4 rolled into four days. Visiting relatives, gift giving, decorating homes with lights, candles. Many apartment buildings are decorated with strings of lights. Eli's apartment complex has lights around trees and other structures for decorations. It is lovely at night to see so many lights.
Eli and I took a tuk tuk together..60 rupees ...to the Sikanderpur Metro. At the station Eli tried to communicate that he wanted buy a smartcard and fill it with 100 rupees. He ended up getting two cards for 150 rupees each. The man saw two people and did not know if I needed a card or not. There is an extra 50 rupee charge for the card itself which is refunded when you return the card for a refund.
We went through security check and ran upstairs to the platform to go to INA station.. about a 45 minute trip. I could not sit in the women's only section with Eli, so I had to board a train which was packed with mostly men and a few women. When the train arrived, I hesitated to take the first train in front of us, I walked quickly past a few trains looking for one that was not as jammed packed with people. I found one and quickly jumped on board with Eli following me. This was the second time Eli traveled via tuk tuk or Metro.
At INA station, I did not remember which exit was the right one to take for Dilli Haat. Read a previous blog about my first visit to Dilli Haat. We tried one exit, but we were on the wrong side of the street. We went back down into the Metro to go underneath the street and come back up on the correct side of the street. I asked people for directions and walked there in 5 minutes.
This week Dilli Haat is celebrating Diwali with extra booths set up to sell items that Indians want to decorate their homes and for gift giving. candy, candles, jewelry, ...etc. Somewhere I read that there was a dance competition going on, so I wanted to see the performances. An hour later, I learned that I was wrong...no dancing today. Extra booths were set up and took up the space that would have been for the audience to sit. Eli and I were both disappointed. |
| Diwali sprinkles to form images used to decorate floors |
Next Eli called his co-worker ...don't remember his name...and arranged for him to meet us at the Jor Bagh Metro station, one Metro station away. We would call him when we arrived. We left Dilli Haat and had just arrived at Jor Bagh when he called again to say that he was waiting at the top of the stairs for us. We found the right exit and we found him without any problem.
We walked to his car and he drove us around his neighborhood to show off the outdoor light decorations and the shopping area. His small apartment is on the third floor of a concrete building with about 12 apartments in it. His apartment entrance area was decorated with plants and lights. His living room/dining room is the size of my kitchen/dining room.
There are three bedrooms, but his father lives in one and brother lives in another. So his wife and two children must share one room? Not sure. We only saw the living room. Sofa and loveseat with small dining table. Large fish tank with two sharks and puffer fish.
We met his wife, 4 year old daughter, 8 year old son, and father. His brother was gone to work. His job requires him to work six days a week. We were served water, juice or soda and an assortment of snacks.
We went back downstairs and talked about work and his co-worker wanted to know how to get a job transfer to the new Johnson Controls office in Hong Kong. Then it was time to go. His wife gave us a large box of candy...larger than the box we gave to them.
We said our goodbyes and got a ride back to the Metro. Took the Metro back, but we missed the Sikanderpur station and got off one station too late...MG Road station. Then Eli said..Let's go to TGIF for Nacho chips. So we walked over to the mall right across the street. There are seven malls located very close together. TGIF and McDonalds were on the first floor of the MGF Metropolitan Mall.
TFIF was pretty crowded. We chose a booth and I read the placemat...free chicken wings or free fried cheese sticks if I sent a text message to a certain number....So you know me, I can't pass up getting something for free. When the waiter came to take our order I pointed to the placemat and we got free fried cheese sticks with our order of Nachos with cream cheese, salsa, and guacamole dips and milkshakes...I got chocolate and Eli got strawberry milkshakes. My milkshake was more like thick cold chocolate flavored milk...not very thick and not very cold. We got 8 yummy cheese sticks...Very hot from the fryer, but I loved eating them. Yummmmmy. Nachos were too spicey. Eli tried taking the chicken off each chip, but they were still spicey. We saved most of them to take home. I will try to do something at home to make them more edible. 1195 rupees ($18). Eli usually comes to TGIF for lunch specials 249 rupees for a two course lunch and drink.We got a tuk tuk outside after negotiating...They wanted 200 rupees. No. Then 150 rupees. No. Then 100 rupees. OK.
When we got home Eli took and nap and is still sleeping. I am up at 4:51 am typing this blog.
I called Keary at least four times today, but he was busy doing something else.
Good night. Look at the blog I set up. Kearykautzer.wordpress.com
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