Keeping my American Roots

I am learning that it is important for me to find places in my city where I can feel 100% American and escape from Indian culture. This past weekend I had a very American day...and it was much NEEDED. I went to a soccer game at the American Embassy School. It felt good to feel like a soccer mom and cheer on Micah and Sean (two of the kids on my team). I also got to run around the soccer track. It felt great to RUN...I haven't gotten a chance to do that since I moved here.



This Pic is kind of funny because its look like America but there is a cute Sikh kid on the left with a white turbin on his head...isn't that fun?!

After the soccer game, Kim and I went to one of my favorite restaraunts in GK-1 N block Market called Cafe Turtle. This place is so cute and American. I feel like I have stepped into the movie "You've Got Mail." I love to come here with a girlfriend to just talk and enjoy a delicious dessert!!!







After that I was able to come home and rest a little. Then a group of us went to eat at this Mediteranean restaurant where I got Fettichini Alfredo (my favorite) then we went to a coffee shop and just laughed.

It was really nice to hang out with people my age and just enjoy each other. WE even all busted out our American garb. I love America!! Tell her I said hello!!!

My claim to fame

This is a picture of me in the Shimla News! I mentioned in a previous post, but I finally got the scanned article. I thought I would share it with you.

Sometimes in India I feel famous. Because I am white I get LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of stares. I think when I go back to the states I am going to get wierded out when no one stares at me. This "staring" thing has been happening for quite some time now. Even when I visited the Taj Mahal I had several people ask if they could take there picture with me. Even people in Shimla asked to take pics with us...its crazy fun.

So today, I had an interesting experience at the local market. I went to a fruit wallah on the side of the market. I usally go to a different wallah but I thought I would buy from this one stand for the first time. I need to tell you I have never met this young man before in my life. So I gave him 100 RS for my grapes, oranges, and bananas and he owed me 10 rupees back. So he asked me if I lived in MayurDwhaj apts. I answered yes and then thought...how the heck did he know that?! Then he asked me what flat number. So I acted dumb. See he was pretending not to have change so he could deliver it. I am learning recently...that everyone seems to know where we live and interested in what we are doing here.

White people in the part of my city where I live is soo uncommon that people don't know how to handle it properly. They really just stare. Sometimes its really annoying but sometimes it just makes me laugh cause its so obvious.


Lindsey and Kim said that when they left the mall...that all the rickshaw drivers reconginzed them and yelled to them their home location. Usually you have to tell them where you want to go, but NO they already knew. Its getting kind of weird.

All this to say...I think that the four white girls that live in Patparganj are getting a name for themselves. Its kind of amusing. It shows me that people are always watching.

I encourage your COMMENTS!!!

There is a new addition to this blog. You can now comment on my blog for the first time. At the bottom of each post or article there is a place to click that says comments. It would be really really fun to have your imput and to have some comments!! Thanks for taking in interest in my work here.

Phil 1:3

Alicia in the Himalayas!!!

My roomies (Lindsey, Kim, and Lindsey (coop) and I ) along with Jay (the boy CBU student) decided to take a road trip to Shimla, INDIA to vistit our friends. Shimla is a city in HIMALAYA MOUNTAINS!!!! The city is beautiful and the mountains were breathtaking. I wish all of you could experience the beauty of this place.

This trip was filled with many FIRSTS!!
- My first ROAD TRIP in India
- My first time to ride a TRAIN in India
- My first time to ride a BUS in India
- My fist time in the HIMALAYAS!!!
- My first time to make it in the INDIAN NEWSPAPER!! (we were in the Shimla news on Sunday morning... there was a picture of us at the Ridge. They were saying how many white people come to tour shimla these days...isn't that fun?)

Mehendi Alicia

I finally got to do something I have been dying to do India since I first go there. I got mehendi (AKA henna) on my hands!

Mona my neighbor decided to throw us (the roomies) a Mehendi party! We came over for some delicious Indian food and then we waited for the Mehendi wallah to come. Once you get the Mehendi on your hands you have to let it sit on your hands for at least two hours. So in our innoncent stage of not being able use our hands we watched a bollywood movie Kuch Na Kaho. It was an evening filled with culture, food, and female bonding!!!

Each hand has a particular design/theme. Can you find the fish on one hand and the peacock on the other?

The mehendi wallah put the mehendi on your hands. Then you have to sit for like 3 hours without washing it off (its kind of like mud that hardens). You can put some lemon and honey on it which helps bring out the color. We watched a movie while we waited for our hands to dry and for the color to settle in. Then when I went home I put gloves on my hands and fell asleep. When I woke up I washed all the sticky honey stuff and mehendi off BUT it left the design.

Here is the finished product!! It's really fun. I felt very Indian today!!!

A tribute to the side pony-tail

Roomates always share a special bond. I guess its because you are always up in each others bidnez. The other night we were in a particular silly mood and had an urge to bring back the side pony-tail. I mean...I know that all of you miss it. Hopefully after seeing the pics on this blog you will share in our joy and wear your hair this way also tonight and take part in the sillness.



A yearbook shot.



Girls of B-603 chillin'



This is how we are every day. Every day with us is a party!!!



Aren't we cute?



A Tribute to Deb on Napolean Dynamite. Doesn't California Lindsey look just like DEB?! The resemeblence is scarry!!!