I have found my purpose in life
It is to kill every last mosquito that inhabits this country.
That aside, I walked around downtown Mysore for the first time on my own today. I visited the fruit/vegetable/meat/whatever market, which is quite an experience. If you need proof that more than one billion people live in India, visit this market. I'm quite positive that at least a third of them were buying produce today.
Right by the entrance, I saw something not normally seen at ShopRite: a rock band giving a performance next to the banana stalls. Ladies and gentlemen, if this is the future of Indian rock and roll, we may have to worry about them stealing our IT jobs, but we will always be the kings of being cool. For anyone considering forming a band of their own, please bear this in mind: three keyboards, a singer who can't sing, and a drummer does not a band make.
As soon as I wormed my way through that crowd, I was immediately assaulted by every incense/scented oil vendor in Karnataka. Because I'm such a nice guy, I visited some of their stalls. If I remember correclty, my arms and shirt sleeves now smell of some combination of cocoa, sandalwood, citronella, and something called "nine flowers." Hello ladies!
I also had my first trip via autorickshaw. These are three-wheeled contraptions powered by 2-stroke motorcycle engines that act as taxis and as the biggest polluters in the city. Their drivers are absolutely fearless. On my trip back to campus from the market, we missed a head-on collision with a van by about two feet. Once my heart restarted, I appreciated the unique Indian experience I was having.
One thing that I keep forgetting to mention is the wildlife. It's absolutely everywhere. As you might expect, cows have the right of way in all situations, and there are plenty of them, both work animals and wild ones. There is also a pig population of about 18,000, and lots of wild dogs. Because there's so many wild ones that generally scavenge, having a dog for a pet is pretty rare in this country.
We're going to the Park Lane Hotel tonight for dinner, which is apparently popular with fellow travelers. Should be a blast.
That aside, I walked around downtown Mysore for the first time on my own today. I visited the fruit/vegetable/meat/whatever market, which is quite an experience. If you need proof that more than one billion people live in India, visit this market. I'm quite positive that at least a third of them were buying produce today.
Right by the entrance, I saw something not normally seen at ShopRite: a rock band giving a performance next to the banana stalls. Ladies and gentlemen, if this is the future of Indian rock and roll, we may have to worry about them stealing our IT jobs, but we will always be the kings of being cool. For anyone considering forming a band of their own, please bear this in mind: three keyboards, a singer who can't sing, and a drummer does not a band make.
As soon as I wormed my way through that crowd, I was immediately assaulted by every incense/scented oil vendor in Karnataka. Because I'm such a nice guy, I visited some of their stalls. If I remember correclty, my arms and shirt sleeves now smell of some combination of cocoa, sandalwood, citronella, and something called "nine flowers." Hello ladies!
I also had my first trip via autorickshaw. These are three-wheeled contraptions powered by 2-stroke motorcycle engines that act as taxis and as the biggest polluters in the city. Their drivers are absolutely fearless. On my trip back to campus from the market, we missed a head-on collision with a van by about two feet. Once my heart restarted, I appreciated the unique Indian experience I was having.
One thing that I keep forgetting to mention is the wildlife. It's absolutely everywhere. As you might expect, cows have the right of way in all situations, and there are plenty of them, both work animals and wild ones. There is also a pig population of about 18,000, and lots of wild dogs. Because there's so many wild ones that generally scavenge, having a dog for a pet is pretty rare in this country.
We're going to the Park Lane Hotel tonight for dinner, which is apparently popular with fellow travelers. Should be a blast.
posted by Jake | 3:17 AM
2 Comments:
Hi Jake,
It's A ME (Aunt Mary Estelle) again. I get a chuckle from your "looking forward to" items, like pancakes on the weekend and dinner tonight at a hotel. When I consider how far away you are, and compare my items, like going to the NE football game Sat and to Milwaukee in October they seem a little pale. It is really neat that you are keeping this journal. You can probably sell it for big bucks a few years down the road.
Take care of yourself, and keep swatting those mosquitos! You must smell like exotic meat to them. Ryan always got the most bites in our family and that is what we told him.
Love,
A ME
Hey Jacob,
It sounds like the mosquitos also have the right of way. By the way, don't ever use the expression "near head on collision." Remember, you have Jewish grandparents who might read what you write. Seriously, it's great hearing your perspective on a different culture. Burt
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