Holidays and absences [3]

{{ Im not sure Id like to be among Indians slums, not just for health concerns, but I think the sheer weight of those folks circumstances would be soul crushing. }}

Actually Dharavi has an entire thriving economy. Many businesses choose to operate there to escape regulation, it's a fascinating place. There's also several dance schools that feed into Bollywood.



Lance, I think you should visit San Antonio River Walk. I have no idea what Cypress Hill is.

Halfy - meant Cypress Valley.

https://www.cypressvalley.com/

Great location! You will love the hill country.

{{ The Hills Have Eyes! }}

These hills have armadillos!

halfwise wrote:Great location!  You will love the hill country.

We did try to take some of your recommendations.

Only thing we now need to sort out is car hire from Toronto all the way to Austin. That is going to be both hard to arrange and expensive!!

Seems ot is best to book about 3-4 months in advance so too early now.

Maybe you can save some headache by taking a train from Chicago to Nashville. That will keep each of the two cars in the same section of the continent.

Yeah, rental cars are cheaper if you return them to point of origin. Otherwise you often end up renting at airports and they figure they've got captive customers so are free to jack up the price. You are stuck with large companies, but maybe if you take a cab from the airport to a different lot it will be cheaper? I've done this before to save money, but it was a round trip; not sure if open ended trips will grant the same savings.

Brief report from India.

Arrived last friday morning, could see the pollution that brought us here from the air. The typical ramshackle shops lining the streets, the chaotic traffic with 3 wheeled taxis (Rickshaws in India, Tuk-tuks in south america), the warm climate and bucket baths all make me feel comfortably back in the third world where I spent a couple years of my life. Most students have taken it in stride (many from Latin America themselves) though we have had a couple get sick and want to leave.

The equipment has been hectic: we requested a special package made of low cost sensors, and our vendor only had 6 months to prepare. The end result is the CEO drove critical components to my house the day we left, and even took me to the airport to ensure fulfilling his agreement of getting them to us in India. Then two of his India based employees flew in and spend all night assembling them. So we had to start work with equipment I had never touched before.

I had tried writing analysis software intended to make everyone's lives easier, but found that not only were modifications needed, but everyone's computer compatibility and technical knowledge were all over the map, and had to keep rewriting especially to accommodate the splintered PC environment. Macs were relatively easy, and not just because I own one. So I've been so busy for the last week recoding and preparing training materials that I had no time to notify anyone back home that I was still alive.

The food at the hotel is great, and it's painful to avoid street food to fend off mr Montezuma. And it's so cheap, as is transportation in the little rickshaws, and you get a wild ride to boot. I've come to the conclusion that it makes absolutely no sense to retire in the USA; everywhere else is cheaper with better food. I already had mexico and spain on my list; adding India.

Mumbai is so safe that young women wander the streets alone at nigh without concern. The only real risk is having your phone die so you can't show a map to the taxi drivers to get home, as they will not understand you 80% of the time even though english is an official language. Actually they often can't read a map, so you need the phone to guide them in this huge city of 15 million.

The two professors I'm travelling with are well connected, and we've been welcomed by the Maharashtra governor (an absolutely charming old man), and have great relations with a technical university for women. We held a training session for our students there, and their students hung out to watch, and could follow along easily through all the twists and turns of python and command line manipulations. I wanted to steal them; it's hard to find students with such skills in the US.

So India's good. Except for the technical hangups I've been quite happy.

That's great Halfy glad its going well. I remember photos of Mumbai during lockdown and seeing the difference in air pollution, actual blue skies instead of smog haze. I would love to rummage in the markets, I would fill a suitcase with colourful fabric and sparkly shoes.

Sounds like you are keeping busy and having a good time!

Feel bad for the couple of students that are already sick. I hope they battled through and are coping or even enjoying things now.

Can't seem to convince my other half on India so not sure if/when I'll be out there again.

The sickest student recovered and changed her tune, decided to stay. The less sick student was dealing with food allergies which only continued to get worse, so tearfully decided she had to leave.

I've only found practical markets so far; it seems most of the neat clothes we see are bespoke and tailored, not just sitting around to be picked up. Plenty of cloth shops, but the clothes racks are western only. I hope to find a rummage worthy market soon.

Nothing on any topic from you folks in days?  Really?  Here's a dog.



We were sitting in a tuk-tuk waiting for the driver to return when we saw this dog climb up on the seat of a motorcycle to lay down.  Seems like he does this all the time.  Soft sea and warmed by the sun.

I guess there just isn't much to talk about. January blues and all that comes with it I suppose.

yep, January is pants.

Had an interesting night on Friday, just watching telly minding my own beeswax when there issued an unholy row from next door. Don't know if you remember there is a Cuban 'woman' living next door. I say 'woman' because she is more like a mountain troll on the rampage. Next thing there is smashed furniture and glass being thrown out of the house and words to her kids and husband I don't want to repeat. Two cop cars and 3, yes 3, ambulances arrive. The girl was injured and the troll was injured with shards of glass. by all accounts she wanted to set light to the gas cannister and blow us all to kingdom come. The kids have already been taken away to a community because of her drunken violence and they were only home because it was the girls birthday. Obviously all the neighbours were out looking as was I. I was waiting for her to be arrested and taken off to a cell, but no such luck. The 4 policemen were useless and just stood around getting insulted and manhandled by a furious troll.  She then threatened another woman and went back inside her cave which was covered in blood and smashed to pieces. Her husband wont divorce her and get rid mores the pity. Today its all quiet on the western front.  there is nothing we can do apart from buy a ticket for Cuba and get her on the flight. This is a quiet village and it deserves better than this poisonous creature disturbing the peace and making everyone anxious for the next rubbish.

That's a shame. Usually it's the husband who's a drunken troll; the police probably can't wrap their heads around it.

Oh, and as long as I'm on here, here's a picture I'd call "Only in India".



The young woman is one of our student interns. Bit of a flower child, will have problems clawing her free of India. A sweet thing but getting work out of her is like pulling teeth.

She will probably end up in Goa on the hippy trail.

I should probably mention that I'm back from India. Quite an experience. Will have to pull pictures off my phone. But yes, I did this:



Every bit as ethereal as you'd hope. Literally a crowd of people who'd come through the gate and then just stand there slackjawed.

I'll download more later with narrative.

thats wonderful Halfy, looking forward to seeing the rest.

{{ Did you get the Dheli-Belly! }}

Oh, constantly. And we had to do hours long walks in the field with sensors. My way of dealing with it was simple: no breakfast, and make sure we leave after I've emptied myself out. No more than a gulp of water to fix a dry mouth during the trek. Straightforward solution that worked like a charm.

I didn't get a chance to visit the Taj as both my trips have been nowhere near Agra. Will get there one day.

Happy to be home or were you up for a bit longer?

A month is plenty long enough. I now have the solid food going in one end coming out still solid on the other, which is a nice change of pace.

The main thing I regret is that I was so busy the first few weeks that I couldn't even find time to buy one of the luscious cakes in the little bakeries in the neighborhood. The neighborhood where I reside in NYC is latin-american, who haven't the slightest clue how to make a decadent bakery item save for tres leches. They know how to make them look decadent, but skimp on the fat and sugar so you end up disappointed. The Indians have no such scruples, and chocolate cake will properly smack you with indulgence.

Have a taste of a night in Mumbai.