Our Own Apartment

Monday, Feb. 15, 2010

Time to catch up on other things besides food and sightseeing. After being well trained in what to eat and how to prepare it, cultural dos and don’ts, and how to get around safely on the streets, last Monday, Rowan and I left the comfortable confines of The Mother Ship (Shrikant & Charanyas place) to step out to our own apartment. Our place is just a mile from S&C and only a mile from the Eye Institute, so we will be able to easily go on foot just about anywhere we need to go. Walking is always an adventure, so that is how we prefer to get from one place to the other when we can.

Our apartment is on Road No. 10 in Banjara Hills. The building has a sari shop on the bottom floor called Srishti, owned by Ravindra Rao, who also lives in and owns the building. He lives with his family on the top two floors of the building and we have the entire 3^rd floor. The place is very clean, well kept and most importantly has a kitchen so we can cook. There is also air conditioning :O) There are 3 bedrooms. We are also provided with three houseboys who clean the entire apartment every day. They do the floors (by hand!), change the linens, do the dishes, and will bring us whatever we need, plus shop for us if asked. They are just charming and extremely polite and shy. They call us 'madam' and always knock before they enter the apartment (I could get used to this!) We are having a fun time trying to communicate with them. Ramesh is the only one who knows just a little english, so finding a common way of understanding each other is comical at times. Somehow we always seem to get through it.

Here are some photos:

The stairway leading to the apartment

Our front porch

Entering the apartment. Notice the string of mango leaves above the door. You will find these above most doorways and entrances to buildings. They are hung there for good luck. The yellow painting on the threshold of the door is a turmeric based paint used as an insecticide to keep bugs out of the house.

Livingroom

Dining area

The master bedroom

Master bath vanity

Master bath includes tub and shower

on the way to the kitchen

Let the cooking begin!

Jenni with the houseboys. From left, Manju, Das and Ramesh

We have been in the apartment almost a week now and are really enjoying the place - especially the house staff and neighborhood.

Political Unrest

Real time report: Sunday Feb. 21, 2010

We don’t know if our US friends are getting any of the reports of the political unrest here in Hyderabad (don't worry mom, we are AOK!). Yesterday, there was a HUGE protest on the Osmania University campus in the heart of the city. Over 30,000 police were deployed for security in view of the students' threat to storm the Assembly (the state government headquarters). The police virtually took control of central Hyderabad. Luckily, we are staying a safe distance from this area. The protests have been happening for some months now with great regularity (especially when the Assembly meets) and can shut down movement in the city center completely. The protests are based on the future splitting-in-two of the state of Andra Pradesh. The Telangana region (the northwestern region of Andra Pradesh where Hydrerabad is) would be one state and the remainder another. Hyderabad being the financial and technical center and largest city in Andra Pradesh is being fought over. This latest round of protesting all started on Dec. 9, 2009 when the government of India announced the process for the formation of the Telangana state would be initiated upon introduction and passage of a separation statement by the state assembly of Andra Pradesh.

It is being reported here that yesterday, incensed students engaged the police in pitched battles including stone pelting. The police responded with tear gas and club swinging. A 19 year-old male student doused himself with kerosene and set fire to himself in protest. He died later last night. It is so sad he felt he had to go that far. It appears the reason the students are protesting so passionately, is that many many of them are from the side of Andra Pradesh that will be separated from Hyderabad, leaving their towns and communities without support from the money generated through Hyderabad for jobs, budget allocations, educational facilities.....and there are water issues too. The Telangana region also contributes about 76% of the state's revenue. It appears the fight for this separation has been going on since about 1969. Of course the pro-side and the con-side are both protesting. (Note to our Indian friends-please email me and let me know if I need to change any posted information that is not quite right. I am writing this from newspaper reports, conversations and my own understanding of the situation).

I am getting so engaged watching this entire thing going on. Being born and raised in Northern California and working for so many years at UC Berkeley, I certainly love to witness the passions and debates that drive a meaningful protest. I have taken some pictures from this morning's newspaper headlines in The Hindu to share with you.

You can see the big white Assembly building on the right in the left hand picture. We went to see a dance concert at a theatre just across the street from there (on the road that goes left) last Wednesday, Feb. 17. Notice how the police have completely cleared the road of traffic and people. Something you just can't imagine seeing when you witness the daily chaos of these roads! The photo on the right shows the very angry people who got caught on the other side of the road blocks.

Charred remains of a private bus that was set on fire during the protest.

Golkonda Fort

Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010

Shrikant took us out last Sunday to visit the Golkonda Fort located about 11 km west of the city of Hyderabad. It was a blistering hot day, about 92 degrees (and this is winter!), so we drenched ourselves in sunscreen, packed water, and drove west to the fort.

Our drive to the fort took us through more parts of town that we haven’t seen yet. We drove through our first shantytown on the way. It is just heart-wrenching to see how these people live. As we drove by one doorway, a young boy, not more than 7 years old, was standing there wearing a full three-piece suit. We were shocked! Where did he ever get that suit, we thought! One thing we did notice is that most of the people had clean clothes and the women had beautiful sari’s on. How they achieve this is a mystery, there is no sign of fresh running water, toilets, let alone plumbing. They barely have a roof over their heads. It is truly amazing how they survive. Thank goodness we weren’t walking through this place, as I would have had a REALLY hard time not trying to help these people in some way (given my assumptions that they feel that they need help!!). I didn’t think it was appropriate to take pictures, but I did get one photo on the road as we approached the area.

As our drive took us further west, we entered the primarily Muslim neighborhood where the fort sits. Here are a few photos of the neighborhood.

Muslim women wear the most elegant black outer clothing called Abaya with the head covering called Hejab (sometimes know together as Burqa). It seems they are almost floating when they walk by you. Notice that there is a family of five on the motorcycle in the photo! And, mom is riding sidesaddle!!!

Note on the Abaya, Hijab & Burqa: These are worn by muslim women for the purpose of cloaking the entire body when going outside the sanctuary of the household. They are worn over the usual daily clothing. The Hijab covers the entire head and the veil covers the entire face except for the eyes. Sometimes this is referred to as a Burqa when the eyes are completely covered by a mesh fabric so that nothing on the face is revealed.

We arrived at the fort and looked for a place to park the car. This absolutely adorable little boy in the most fabulous leopard-print shirt, who couldn’t have been more than 8 years old, came to the car and showed us where to park. He then proceeded to give us a ticket for the parking and asked us for 10 rupees. Shrikant gave him the 10 rupees (he said he had seen this boy before and he was legit) and then the boy asked me, in perfect English, if I wanted to have my picture taken with him. It was hilarious! He was quite the ‘mover and shaker’ and little businessman. Rowan said she bets he’s a fully-fledged entrepreneur by the time he’s 20 years old.

We got to the gate of the fort and again there were two separate lines, one for women, and one for men. Shrikant purchased our special-priced tickets (foreigners cost 150 rupees, $3 US, instead of 10, 20 cents US) and we entered.

A very short history of the fort:

In the 16^th century, Golkonda was the capital and fortress city of the Qutb Shahi kingdom, near Hyderabad. The city was home to one of the most powerful Muslim sultanates in the region and was the center of a flourishing diamond trade. The fort is built on a granite hill 120 meters high…. we felt every step in the heat!

Here are some photos from our walk around the fort:

couldn't resist taking a photo of these school boys

temple at the top of the fort

good thing you can't tell we are sweating like PIGS!

For some reason Jenni has become a boy magnet. She seems to attract all sorts of boys who want to have their pictures taken with her. This group of 15 year olds were so excited to have their photo snapped with the old lady. Don't you think she looks like Catherine Hepburn in that hat?

Salar Jung Art Museum

We have been looking forward to exercising something besides our digestive systems for some time now, so Rowan and I decided to venture out on our own for a trip to the Salar Jung Museum (http://www.salarjungmuseum.in/home.asp), to exercise the right side of our brains. We had our driver take us across town through neighborhoods we haven’t seen yet including the ‘old town’, which is primarily a Muslim neighborhood and where the museum is located.

A short video of the street in old town leading to the museum.

When we arrived at the museum we got in line to purchase our tickets and then headed to the bag check to deposit our camera in a locker (there is no photography allowed inside the museum and the security scanner will find our camera in our bag). We then proceeded to the security checkpoint before entering the museum (again a reminder of the security threat in public places like this. The army was doing the checking, guns and everything). Women are led to one line and men to another. It was funny how Rowan and I were towering above every other woman in the line, sticking out like the big European white women that we are. When the guard saw us, he motioned for us to come forward to the front of the line, showing the cast system is still alive and well for certain things. It made us feel kind of awkward, as we have no problem standing in line and waiting our turn. We enjoy taking these opportunities to strike up conversation with the local people. Once inside we viewed displays of outstanding fabrics, ivory (scrimshaw), and paintings from India and other countries throughout this region. As we were viewing the art, we had many school age children come up to us and ask us where we were from. All of them spoke perfect English and seemed anxious for us to speak to them and hear about our world. I think we were as much on display as the art was. :o)

Here are some photos from outside of the museum:

Rowan with the elephant topiary

a portion of the gardens with a statue of Salar Jung

Lali

As we get ready to move to our own apartment, I can't forget to mention the resident dog here at Shrikant and Charanya's apartment complex. Lali is his name. It has taken him about a week to warm up to us but he is now wagging his tail and coming to greet us when we are outside. Do you think that might have anything to do with Charanya and I giving him a couple of beef patties the other night? Maybe :o) We think he belongs to the parking attendant who lives in the parking garage on the first level of the apartment complex (yes, that is where he lives with his family). There are many, many dogs on the streets that seem to just run about and have no homes. We have seen them at night in packs around garbage bins looking for food. It is nice to know that Lali is looked after and loved. We will miss him when we move out of here.

Here is a picture of Lali at night flashing his powers within at us through his eyes. This was right after we gave him the burgers. Must have been saying thank you.... or did Rowan say photorefraction???....

Food Coma

Our Food Adventures From The Last Few Days

More cooking with Shrikant & Shubha.

Cooking with Shrikant generally becomes a community event, as we all like to observe and pitch in. Charayna says it’s good everyone is in the kitchen, as he needs to be supervised. :o) Shrikants dish this evening is Vegetable Paneer. One of the very simple dishes consisting of just about any medley of veggies, he used carrots, bell pepper (capsicum) tomato, onion and Paneer (Indian cheese) all in a tasty spicy curry sauce. Shubha also joined us this evening and made the Chappathi. Apparently she is known throughout Andra Pradesh as the master of the Chappathi :o) Rowan is learning to make the Chappathi dough so she can do it for us when we move to our own apartment.

Rowan working the dough

Chappathi master Shubha rolling and cooking the dough

Indian snack food

Here is another Indian treat called Sago Vadam. They are made from these clear, hard sheets of dried tapioca. The tapioca pieces are thrown into a pot of hot vegetable oil and turn instantly into a light, fluffy tapioca chip. Charanya showed me how to fry some up. You can eat them with any kind of chutney, curry, sauce…...anything.

Valentines Day Mousse

Yes, the Indians do observe Valentines Day. It’s wacky how these western observances that are purely created for capitalist reasons have spread worldwide. The marketing created by these ‘special events’ is hopefully helping the economies of countries like India, however, St. Valentine was NOT a Hindu by any means………..so, there goes the true meaning of the holiday. Shrikant & Charanya secretly brought home a tasty little triple chocolate mousse cake for us to have to celebrate the day. YUM! A very nice treat!

The Great Kabob Factory

We should actually be titling this part of the post as ‘The Great Meat Orgy’! Shrikant and Sumit (Shubha’s husband) decided it was time to eat some serious meat (most of what we eat on a daily basis is vegetarian). I was jumping up and down with excitement at the thought of gorging on chicken, lamb and seafood. Thank you Shiva! This restaurant is very similar to the Brazilian meat & kabob restaurants Fogo de Chao found in big cities throughout the US.

The kabob master chefs are lined up in the kitchen sticking various forms of carnivorous delights onto big sword-like skewers and then throwing them into the fire pit. The various meats and seafood are spiced with different Indian spices. The waiters bring plate after plate after plate of kabob meat and fresh fruit to the table (they also have the vegetarian options as well). You can have as much as you would like. Repeatedly! They encourage you to take more. And THAT IS JUST THE FIRST COURSE! Then they bring various kinds of daal and paneer with different Indian breads. Then comes dessert, A YUMMY Indian ice cream on a stick called Kulfi. It was loaded with cashews and pistachios. When I got up from the table, I felt like I was about to give birth to a small lamb! Ugh! To top it off, we were headed to the Paan table to eat our organic toiletry digestive. :o) We have to thank our friends for treating us to such a fabulous evening.

chicken, lamb, lamb pate patty, chapathi. The first of many servings!

assorted chilie, mint and yogurt sauces

fruit and the daal and paneer being served

two kinds of daal with garlic naan bread

Shubha and Sumit

the whole gang

Jenni ready to give birth to a small hoofed animal

but, maybe after the Kulfi ice cream! :o)

Here is a picture of Rowan in her food coma after we got home.

Indian Dumplings

Shrikant is the breakfast master on Sundays. This morning he made Idli (rice flower dumplings or pancakes) with various seed spices. He also made a yummy, yummy, yummy peanut-based chutney to go along with it (roasted onions, chilies, peanuts and spices). I have to tell you that the peanut chutney is a gift from heaven and I will be making this at home. YUM! The meal is topped off with fresh coconut water, a natural electrolyte drink right from the coconut.

Idli in steamer trays

pressure cooker is used for steaming dumplings

Idli ready to eat. Delicious!

roasting ingredients for the peanut chutney

before the puree

Yummy peanut chutney

the source for our delicious coconut water

Now, time to fast for 3 days! :o)