Adam Barkl's Indialog
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Arguments in India
Last Tuesday night, we negotiated a ride with a rickshaw driver by some shopping district in Hyderabad. Amidst the millions of cars of the traffic rush, our negotiating was an obstruction to the flow, and a traffic officer was rushing us along. He “rushed” our driver a bit too much though, and the driver started to yell at the officer. Then, he started to shove the officer. The officer hit the driver with a small stick, the driver hit back, another intervened, and we were on our way. /// A few minutes into my Indian in World Affairs class on last Wednesday, another professor from our own burst into the classroom and started arguing with our professor. Our professor had changed the class time, and our class now conflicted with the other (we would find out later that it actually didn’t). The two argued for a good hour about whether or not the class time switch was acceptable or not. It wasn’t even a debate about a conflicting time, rather than the two professors having it out simply to see who could be proven wrong. An hour later, class continued as usual. It was really quite funny, and really just a show of stubbornness. Oh India.
Posted at 01:03PM Feb 05, 2008 by Adam L Barkl in General | Comments[1]
Nagarjuna Sagar
This weekend, Kendell and I went with two American friends, Allison and Ivy, to Nagarjuna Sagar. I’ve been told that roughly translates to “Nagarjuna Ocean”. I don’t really know for sure. In fact, I wasn’t even able to remember, let alone pronounce, the name of the place we were going until we were probably about an hour away. But that’s why I make a great navigator. The drive was pretty good, and certainly beautiful. We left the hussle and bussle of populated areas for the first time. It was a real first glimpse at the landscape of India, and being able to breath fresh air and see nature was great. When we arrived at the town we were to stay at, the mood was a little different. First, we were told to get off at the wrong stop (as always, ALWAYS happens when asking for directions). So, we had to jump right on to a rickshaw, and throw 30 rupees to go in the direction from which we just came. Then, we got there, found out it was the wrong hotel we were directed to, and had to start walking back to our first stop. Then, realizing that walking in the dark, on a highway, and getting run over wasn’t a fun idea, we took another rickshaw. Finally, we arrived at our hotel. Our hotel was a litlte piece of paradise. By that I mean cockroaches in the bathrooms and unidentifiable stains on the walls. It was a classy place. But, we made it through the night. The next day, we went to the lake, which is a man-made resevoir from the 1960s or 70s, and took a boat to an island covered in ancient Buddhist temples and monuments. The lake was beautiful and clean, and the island was an oasis of fragrant flowers and grassy fields. We all took in the wonder of being on such a beautiful island, and found ourselves not wanting to go. But after about 2 hours, we did. Our next destination was a group of waterfalls not far away. Those too were nice. They fell over a cliff at the end of a lush, green valley. After the falls, we decided we’d head home instead of staying two nights. Our hotel experience just wasn’t inspiring enough to do twice; and the town we were in just didn’t seem welcoming as compared to our other experiences. Despite our relief at being back in Hyderabad, the trip was worth it. I guess now that I am back I should maybe work on the whole schoolwork stuff… so, adieu for now. OH, and Kendell and I have added new photos to our online albums. enjoy
Posted at 03:43AM Jan 27, 2008 by Adam L Barkl in General | Comments[0]
A Night Out on the Town
Yesterday night was probably one of the most random, most fun nights I've ever had. It all started around 8:30, when Kendell, Christian, Janne, Dan and I went to go see our Kashmiri friends at Shilparamam Market. Over a beer, we decided we were going to spend the night clubbing. So we grabbed the first rickshaw we saw, and somehow managed to fit nine people in our one little rickshaw. This is no small feat, and we were all a little amazed at the fact after we managed to twist and mangle our bodies into virtually no space. The first club we arrived at was called "Afterlife". It was a swanky little club in the wealthier part of Hyderabad, but for some reason we didn't get a cover charge when we entered! The started off the night well! After dancing for a good couple of hours, the music abruptly came to a stop. Following a moment of shock and disappointment, and a little bit of complaining on our part, the restaurant offered us a ride to another club. Of course we wouldn't refuse such an offer. A man named Baba, who we of course didn't know, picked us up and drove us deeper into the city. We arrived at a large building in some unknown part of town, and took the elevator up to the 8th...or 9th... or some floor. It doesn't really ring a bell right now, but either does the location of the building. From then until 3am we danced like crazy nonstop. I don't think I have ever danced so hard or so long for such a long time. AND the clubs and the rides were free. It was great. Around three, we all got into two comfortable cars, and took our one-hour journey home. It was a fantastic night... like nothing I've ever done before. And, we've been invited back. Oh, city life. How beautiful you can be.
Posted at 12:35AM Jan 25, 2008 by Adam L Barkl in General | Comments[2]
My Address
Ahhh yes. Finally, my address: Adam Barkl SIP Guest House (next line) Near Ladies Hostels (next line) University of Hyderabad (next line) Gachibowli, Hyderabad, AP 500046 (next line) India (next line). Mail takes a long time to get here, especially packages. Your best bet for packages is evidently DHL shipping. ** On that same note, I need cold meds, toilet paper, and travel toilet paper (available at Target), in case anybody is wondering. Oh yeah, and a few hundred dollars. You can just deposit that into my account. :-)
Posted at 01:31PM Jan 21, 2008 by Adam L Barkl in General | Comments[1]
Week 3
As hard as it is to believe, I have now been in India for 3 weeks. With all I've already seen and done, it's hard to imagine that I haven't been here for much longer. At the same time, the three weeks have gone by in the blink of an eye. So tends to be living abroad. Still sick, but then again, everybody at the guest house is. No more stomach problems though. I think my body has at last adjusted to the food! Now it's time to move on to the really spicy stuff. Hindi is going well. I am now able to read pretty much any word. By reading, I don't meaning understanding. That will probably take an extra month to an eternity. It's a bit hard to find words recognizable when they share no relation with your mother tongue. At the same time, it astonishes me how quickly a person can pick up on a different writing system, and be able to pronounce words. I'm not quite at 100%, but I'm also well beyond a blank stare. I would share some of my oh-so-interesting and confusing word knowledge with you all, but I haven't the slightest idea of how to import Hindi letters into my little old Mac. We went to a restaurant called Little Italy yesterday. We were all tired and sick, and some pasta sounded like a great idea. The restaurant is amazing. Being in it is like being in another country. You go inside, sit down, and forget you're in India. It's bizarre. When you leave the doors though, you're back home again. Riding in the rickshaw on the way home, it occured to me how fortunate I am for being able to be here, in India, experiencing the other side of the world. It’s definitely an eye-opening endeavor, and it’s something that will forever impact my life. (Anyone want to visit yet???) The coming weekend should definitely be an exciting one. Thursday night is party night with our Kashmiri friends. That is always an unexpected venture into Hyderabad. Friday will be taking me to some place that is somewhere, an hour or two from here. I was in charge of booking the room, which I did, but I haven't the slightest idea of where we are going or what there is to do there. Oh well... another adventure. And finally, an extremely short, super-quick recap of my first three weeks: New Years in a crazy city-rickshaw madness-parties with Kashmiris-hitching rides home-rickshaws breaking down-classes switched-classes ditched-rickshaws getting lost-weekend of overnight bus trips-century old temples in mountains-city of millions-crazy new alphabet-stomach sickness-nasty cold-time for sleep....
Posted at 01:23PM Jan 21, 2008 by Adam L Barkl in General | Comments[0]
Let the Weekend Begin... with a Cold
It’s the weekend! Hooray! My two days of class are over. My hard work is done. Now I can get down to the real business of sleeping and eating. I am actually in a brief period of recuperation. After the long weekend in traveling, I seem to have acquired a cold. On top of that, I must have eaten something a little less than top-notch, because I have had some stomach problems in recent days. Stomach problems aren’t unusual here: I went from what I now see is bland, American food, to eating a variety of foods I can’t even name or describe, foods that are really spicy, unnecessarily salty, or so sweet they put Kit-Kats and Dilly Bars to shame. So, you get stomach cramps even now and then. What I have this week is perhaps a little more… I’m stomach sick. I am not supposed to—and frankly, shouldn’t—eat food off the streets, drink water outside the guesthouse, drink fruit juices at restaurants, nor order meats if they can be avoided…Oops. The food is too good here to pass up. Unfortunately, something in Bombay must have done me in. I suppose this is punishment for indulging in that fantastic sausage pizza I ordered on my culinary tour of the West. But, the stomach pain will pass. This evening, Kendell and I went to a Telugu film with our Indian friend Satish (Telugu is one of the regional languages in our state). We all got to hop on to his motorbike and cruise to the theater. That was fun. I had never been on a motorcycle/motorbike before, and having my first time be in Hyderabad was pretty cool. There we surprisingly few moments in which I took a deep breath and almost said to myself “Oh crap”. And the fact that I didn’t have to pay exorbitant amounts of rupees to a rickshaw was even better. The movie, on the other hand, was not so good. It was easily one of the corniest romance films I have the pleasure of sitting through. It was the story of an Indian guy who falls in love with a girl, after she pulls him out of a sewage hole because he falls in while staring at her. Long story made short, they fall in love (but not before a few music videos filled with colorful outfits and dancing). But, the girl already has an arranged marriage, and the two can’t stay together. The film ends when she marries her arranged husband, and the bunny representing the lovers’ love dies for no apparent reason. This is the way it really went down. Add to the fact the movie was entirely in Telugu, with no subtitles, and you can imagine my dismay. Minus one for Bollywood, plus one for Hollywood.
Posted at 01:36PM Jan 18, 2008 by Adam L Barkl in General | Comments[1]
Homesick Day
Classes started again today, after the long weekend. Well, they sort of started again. My Sociolinguistics was again cancelled (no complaints), and my India in World Affairs might see itself moved to a different time. Hindi is wonderous at this point in time. I am spending hours trying to remember the new alphabet system that comes with Hindi. I have 33 consonants, 12 vowels, many compound letters, and a bunch of matras to figure out (which are additions to letters that make them sound different). One could safely say Hindi is my life today. Between writing letters 5000 times, and typing up notes, today was my first day in which I experienced a bit of homesickness. Nothing too bad I suppose, just the usual. It was a school day, so the stories are slim pickins. Instead, here’s a list of 10 oddities of India that make this place one of a kind: 1) Eating food with my hands. Sloppy, saucy, hot food. 2) Having to call a professor’s cell phone to see if one has class. 3) It’s day 7 of class, and already I’ve had 4 cancelled and 2 moved. 4) Peacocks play in the mornings and monkeys sing at nights. 5) Bats the size of bald eagles fly about. 6) At any time, of any day, someone is trying to sell you something. 7) Being “on time” in India means arriving within hours of the planned time… or, not arriving at all. 8) Rickshaw/taxi rides that never go to the desired location. 9) Seeing 4 people ride on one motorbike. 10) Even though there are no traffic rules, no lanes, and no controlled intersections, I have yet to see one accident.
Posted at 01:21PM Jan 16, 2008 by Adam L Barkl in General | Comments[0]
Photos and Such
Here is the link for my web page of photos: http://s254.photobucket.com/albums/hh112/abarkl/ And here is Kendell's, my SD traveling sidekick, for those times she got a better photo or when my camera wasn't working (which is often... because I suck at technology... really really suck): http://picasaweb.google.com/krfossum A bientot.
Posted at 12:59AM Jan 16, 2008 by Adam L Barkl in General | Comments[0]
Finally... an entry!
SOOO.... I finally update this thing! It's only been a week or two.... We just got back from Aurangabad and Mumbai (Bombay). It was amazing! We had a four-day weekend, so we decided to extend to a five day weekend. So, the German (Christian) and the Norwegian (Janne yah-na), Erin, Emily, Kendell and I hopped on a bus for a 12-hour ride to Aurangabad. That's in the southwestern part of the country. Getting on the bus was a frickin' journey in itself. As things always are here in India, finding the bus took twice as long as expected, and cost twice as much. The rickshaw driver went in the wrong direction for a half hour before leaving us off somewhere close to where we wanted to be. Then, we couldn't find the bus for another hour or so. All said and done, our little gang was fortunate enough to have to delay a bus full of people for a good hour. BUT, we made it on our way. The next day, we checked out the caves that are north of Aurangabad. There is a collection of 20 or so, some Hindu, some Buddhist, some Zao. It was pretty amazing. The small hike was a swell experience as well. I now way less than 100 lbs. (ha) That night, we hopped on another bus and made our way to Mumbai, city of almost 13 million people. That makes little old Mumbai proper the second most populated city in the world. It’s actually on an island… or is the island rather. We spent the last three days walking around Mumbai, visiting Elephant Island, doing some street shopping, and consuming enough Western treats to satisfy us for a good month. Overall, it was amazing. Mumbai is a spectacular city. Monday night, we took the night train back to Hyderabad, and got back to campus at about 3:45 Tuesday. Classes: Ohh, what to say about classes here. They have a “shopping week” here in which you go to classes you might want to take, and check out how they are. At the week’s end, you throw together a rough idea of your schedule. My “shopping” consisted of two classes which switched times, a class that dissappeared altogether, and a class with a professor that was gone for the week. After the running around and trying to find classes that actually existed, I think I have something that will allow me to graduate, or so I hope. We’ll see…. OH! And those two days of classes this week—the one’s I thought I was missing—they too were cancelled. This is my type of education. I’ve uploaded some photos. ENJOY
Posted at 06:53AM Jan 15, 2008 by Adam L Barkl in General | Comments[2]
Ohhh.... India (Days 3 and 4)
Day 3 was one of the most interesting, and most unexpected days I've ever had. Christian, Kendell, and I went to play in the city for the first time. It all began with our 45 minute bus ride from campus to the city. The bus doesn't stop to pick people up... you run up to the bus as it slows and try to squeeze yourself into the hoard of Indians already on board. There are people hanging off, people jumping on, and people hopping off. Getting off the bus was probably the most shocking moment of my life. No longer were we on the quiet campus. For a good hour we wandered about, me being completely out of it. It was nothing like I had ever seen before. But, it was amazing. Everything is so colorful. There is so much going on everywhere you look. The constant sound of horns honking becomes just background noise in the sea of people and places. We went into a Hindu temple, and the people inside were very ready to have us participate. We all received our spots on our faces for good luck. Later that same day, we ended up in a market. After jokingly bartering with a couple Kashmiri guys who owned a fabric stand, they invited us to drink tea. We took our tea and ended up spending the rest of the afternoon with our Kashmiri friends. They told us about their home, "Heaven" as they call it. Kashmir is evidently an amazingly beautiful and safe place, and not the dangerous area you hear about in the US. We were even invited to a Kashmiri wedding in May. Late that night, we went to the bar and drank our jet lags away. The busses may or may not have been running when we left the bar at 2:00, so we hitchhiked back to campus. The next day, Thursday, we learned about classes. I have my course scheduled figured out, although I don't know where the classes will be held. No one does. You just sort of show up to a building and hope that an Indian student can guide you on your way. It will be interesting to go to the first classes. I don't really know what to expect. But, oh well... I'm not here for studies. (ha) Finally, last night, looking at the giant Buddha statue in the center of a lake, it occured to me that one phrase can be used to describe any experience in India. So many times, I'm at a loss of words and can only say one thing, "Ohh.... India." That says it all. Ohh.. India.
Posted at 12:40AM Jan 04, 2008 by Adam L Barkl in General | Comments[2]
Day 2
It's day 2. I actually was able to sleep last night, a lot, so my jet lagged took a big hit. Going to go into the city today with Kendell, and Christian, my German room mate from Dresden. We got to go along with a tour of the city yesterday, but we didn't get to venture on our own. Hyderabad is like nothing I have ever seen. The city is immense. There are people absolutely everywhere, and every square foot of space is occupied by someone or something. Atop rock formations, next to the side of the road, beneath construction sites- there is everywhere something. There is so much happening all around you, that you can't even grasp what you're seeing. It's really hard to describe, like the city isn't one city, but layer upon layer of cities, each with thousands of people and an infinite number of things. You could be in Hyderabad for an eternity, and still only get a glimpse of everything it it. Things on campus are good on campus. It's like a small jungle with buildings every few yards. No monkeys yet, though. However, I hear there have been water buffalo spotted on campus. I await my first sighting. The food is excellent. Free curry everyday! I wonder if I'll remember fast food when the time comes to head back to the US...
Posted at 09:08PM Jan 01, 2008 by Adam L Barkl in General | Comments[3]
First Night in India!!
I am here! We arrived at about midnight on New Years day! From the plane, we could see fireworks going off all over the city. No fine wine or champagne though... Leaving the plane, you could instantly tell you were in another world. The smells were different and the air had a heavy, damp feeling to it. When we got picked up by the guy from the university, we then had our first experience on the roads of India. There are no words to describe the amount of cars, bikes, and people that packed the streets of Hyderabad. New Years only quadrupled the number of people out honking their horns in excited celebration. There doesn't seem to be any sense of traffic laws in India. Cars just sort of decide to cross intersections and lanes of traffic whenever the opportunity arises. A few times on the way here, Kendell and I were pretty sure we were goners. But, our driver managed to maneuver his way through the chaos, with a sense of certainty that would baffle anyone whose never been outside the US, or has heard of things like 4-way stops and proper lane changes. The place where were staying is ok. Its reminds me of the good old days of trekking around Europe and frequenting hostels. Nothing too spectacular, but good enough. Kendell found a lizard in her room. A nice house warming gift. But we found (much to our pleasure) that the only poisonous lizards are evidently in North America. haha Americans.
Posted at 04:15PM Dec 31, 2007 by Adam L Barkl in General | Comments[2]
Leaving the halls
It's my last night in Olson Hall. I am having to say goodbye to my residents I've had for over a year, the people I work with, and friends I've had for years. I won't see many more of them again, and it's really quite depressing. Aside from staring blankly about my room, being overwhelmed by moving and check outs, and breaking into tears from time to time, I keep thinking how sad it is that I'm saying goodbye for good. I'll be in India in a little over 10 days. After that, I graduate; won't be coming back to Vermillion again. Sadness...
Posted at 10:14PM Dec 20, 2007 by Adam L Barkl in General | Comments[3]