Holi Hai!

Holi Hai! Holi Hai! Holi Hai! (It's Holi! It's Holi! It's Holi!)

Today, India celebrated one of its major festivals that are being celebrated every year called Holi. It was my first time to actually experience it so I was really excited about it and was really looking forward to it.

Holi is famously known as the festival of colors because friends and families apply colored powder on each other's faces. Children will even go as wild as using water guns and water bombs filled with the colored solution when playing with each other.

Holi also marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring.

As much as I would like to experience Holi with a big bunch of people, we just don't have nearby friends or family to celebrate it with. Nevertheless, celebrating it with Babs was all I needed and I sure had a blast applying m̶a̶k̶e̶-̶u̶p̶ colored powder on Babs face. Ha!

How about you guys, did you celebrate Holi too?

Again, Happy Holi to everybody!

A Quick Stop at Cafe Coffee Day

I have a confession to make. I am a late bloomer coffee lover. No, not the coffee afficionado kind of person who talks crazy about coffee beans and all that. I just love drinking coffee. That's it. You see, while growing up, the elders in our house made me drink Milo, a choco-malt energy drink, every morning for breakfast. Not that I am complaining about that but they also told me that drinking coffee will hinder my growth. I also remember that when I was still young, I tried to drink coffee but the only taste that lingered in my mind was its bitterness so because of that, I decided to stay away from it for good or at least that's what I thought during that moment. Also, being the goody two shoes that I am, I obligingly drink Milo every single day even up until my college years because it IS actually a good energy booster during breakfast time. And you know what, I actually still do drink Milo (or Cadbury's Bourn Vita) every now and then when cravings are too hard to ignore. Anyway, it's not like choco-malt drinks are bad for you.
 

Our coffee at home.

Moving forward, my love for coffee actually started when my youngest sister got addicted to coffee. During that time, I wondered how can she like such kind of drink that taste nothing but bitterness. Then my mother bought this 3-in-1 coffee mix that almost all people (the exception was me) in our household like drinking. Because of that, I grew even more curious as to what makes them like coffee so much and so I made myself a cup of that hot beverage and what do you know? The moment the liquid hit my taste buds, I quickly understood why people become cranky and go crazy in the morning (or whatever time of the day it is) if they don't get to drink their coffee.

Starbucks is perhaps the most famous cafe chain in the world as of the moment but here in India, Starbucks was just recently introduced to the people and that its branches are limited and are located in the most modern cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore.

My very first Cafe Coffee Day drink!

However, that does not mean that if you are not in those locations, you will not find a decent coffee shop that can cater to all your caffeine needs. Cafe Coffee Day is the star in this country when it comes to coffee, dishes that go with coffee perfectly and other hot and cold beverages.

Maybe we came during the off peak hours.

I like the variety. It keeps things interesting.

Seeing the Cafe Coffee commercials on tv almost everyday made me want to try their offers. So after my birthday dinner, Babs and I had a quick stopover at Cafe Coffee Day on the way home so I can at least try one of their hot blends. When we reached the place, we were kind of surprise to find it empty but maybe because its not the time of the day when people flock the area or maybe its because the location of the cafe is not that promising. Anyway, so I ordered one Cafe Latte to go and in fairness, the hot beverage was good.

Goofy photo of yours truly while Babs is counting the change.

I know I will have to come back again at Cafe Coffee Day in the future because I still have to fulfill my curiosity about the rest of their menu. Hopefully, once we're there to eat breakfast or whatever, they'll never disappoint because if they are that good, we will definitely come back again and again and again and again...

Witty! I like!

PS. So I quickly checked online how many branches does this coffee shop chain has in our little town and guess what, we have SEVEN branches in total! Crazy right?

Can't wait to try Cafe Coffee Day's dishes soon!

How about you, are you a coffee lover too?

Veg or Non-Veg?

That is probably one of the most common questions that you will encounter once you find your feet on the beautiful grounds of India.

Whenever you are handed a menu, you will definitely see labels that say Vegetarian/Veg or Non-Vegetarian/Non-Veg. At times, you don't even need to see the menu to find out whether that place sells only vegetarian stuff or not. All you need to do is read the sign outside the restaurant which has its name on it and right below the name (or after the name or even within the name) will be something like "veg and non-veg restaurant" or "purely vegetarian".

A sample menu from a Chinese restaurant chain in India.

You see, where I am from, most people do not really bother if what they are about to eat has meat in it or if they are going to nibble on some leaves and whatnot that did not come from any animal.

In most parts of the world, the two main reasons why people chose to become vegetarians are: one, they believe that animals deserve to live like humans so they should be treated with respect and should not be killed for man's consumption and two, living a vegetarian life is better and healthier than being a carnivore (or an omnivore - one that eats both plants and animals).

An example of a complete Indian non-veg thali (platter).

However, here in India, while people still have the freedom to choose whatever it is that they want to eat, religion plays a very important role when it comes to their diet. Talk about full commitment.

Here, I ordered chicken kebabs and chicken tikka and I got the vegetarian version instead because apparently, they only serve purely vegetarian dishes.

So what do you think is my answer whenever people ask me this question?

Well, I'm more of the non-veg type of person so I had a few minor challenges before when there were no non-veg stuff available on the menu and that I have no choice but to eat whatever was served on my plate because I was very hungry and that finding another place to eat will take a lot of time and oh! That it will be rude to leave a friend's engagement party just to go somewhere else to grab some chicken tandoori and beef curry. Hihihi!

This is my very first full pledged Indian vegetarian platter.

What about you, what would you order? Veg or Non-Veg?

Every Indian Woman's Accessories MUST HAVE

My hoard of accessories. Well, partial hoard actually.

In this part of the world, several of the most striking things about the local women are their accessories that they put on no matter what the occasion is even if they are just going about their daily activities. And because I want to somehow blend in with the local and get a taste of what it's like to be a local settler, I bought some of their MUST HAVE accessories and let me share it with them with you here so keep on reading.

KAJAL (kohl)

Yours truly applying kajal on my eyes for the first time.

I consider this as the most used and most common accessory that local women here (and even men and children at times) enjoy. Basically, a kajal is an eyeliner made up of kohl and even if its main purpose is to highlight the eyes, there are some locals who wear kajal for religious purposes. There are so many make-up brands that sell kajal here and the prices range (as far as I know) from as cheap as less than 20INR to as pricey as 300INR.

Lakme Kajal - affordable and made by a trusted brand

Maybelline Colossal Kajal - specifically made for Indian women's kajal needs.

BINDI

Another very famous and a definitely must have accessory for every Indian woman is the bindi. A bindi is worn on the forehead and again, while it is considered as a fashionable accessory for women, it is also worn for religious purposes by some well, religious people. In a local market, bindis come in different sizes, shapes, colors and of course, price. The cheapest bindi set will cost you around 20INR and a pricey one can cost an individual thousands of bucks or even millions if it is made from gold and expensive stones such as diamonds.

I hoarded some bindis. Price range is between 20 - 180 INR

BANGLES

A local fashion experience will never be complete if you will not wear a beautiful set of bangles. Aside from bangles being a type of fashion accessories for women, it can also serve as an indicator that a woman got married recently. A newly wed woman will wear a set of white and red bangles to symbolize her marriage that recently took place. In addition to that, people who are more on the traditional side believes that every bangles color signifies something such as wealth, power and prosperity. But if an individual, a foreigner like me for example, wants to wear a set of bangles just like that, I think that is just fine although I should be ready to receive the inquiring looks and weird stares from locals when I am passing by especially if I chose to wear a white and red set of bangles.

Can you count how many individual bangle makes up the entire set?

EARRINGS

People can actually consider India as the accessory capital of the world especially when it comes to earrings. There's just so many kinds of designs, colors and sizes of earrings in here. If you are willing to submit your pair of ears for a couple of hours of torture, you can buy those big and heavy looking pair of earrings that will definitely pull your lower ear lobes down. I only bought those cheap fancy earrings found on the sidewalks since I don't find the huge, heavy and chunky ones appealing and there's really no event where I can use them and most of all, I don't want to harass my ears. Hehehe!

Some of my cheap but beautiful Indian earrings.

Close up shot.

So there goes my take on the MUST HAVE accessories if ever you find yourself one day traveling towards this part of the planet. These accessories are pretty affordable to even dirt cheap, if you know where to buy and you are not afraid/shy to haggle, that you will not have to worry about not having enough budget for these trinkets.

What about you? What is the MUST HAVE accessories in your side of the world?

Hope you enjoyed this post!

Have You Ever Tried a 25-hour Train Journey?

So, have you ever been on a train ride that lasted for more than a day? Well, I have! Not just once but twice! You see, it was a round trip journey so I had no choice but to take the train again so that Riju and I can come back home. And boy oh boy! It was definitely an experience that I will never forget!

Hello Everybody!

It was last June when we were invited by one of Riju's childhood friends to his wedding. Since they live in a different state that is very far from where we live, we have decided to take the train so that I can fully experience what my new home has to offer and besides, what better way to blend in with the locals but to get on the train and mingle with them.

A sneak peak of our compartment. That's our Polish co-passenger busy reading on his tablet.

I have to admit that once we have finally settled in our designated berths, I felt a bit worried about how I will keep myself entertained and sane until we finally reach our destination. But once the train started chugging forward, we found ourselves joined by a couple of Polish foreigners and a local family. Everyone was quiet in the beginning but after some time, everyone has started to loosen up a bit and conversations were happening here and there. Chatting is always a great way to pass time and we were lucky to have shared our compartment with the rest of the group.

Lolo Jerzy and Lola Kristin from Poland!

Every now and then, the train will halt at a station to unload some passengers and then load new ones. Inside the train, I felt like I was in a different world altogether. Vendors selling tea, coffee, meals, sandwiches, chips, chocolates, etc. kept on passing by our compartment and offering everyone their stuff. Lively conversations are happening everywhere. The train's just so alive!

Photo opportunity while the train is at a halt.

at one of the many train entrances

I'm not sure if all train stations have this but I think it's a wise idea to have it since it can get really scorching hot during summer here.

After dinner time, the mood inside the train started to shift from lively to relax mode. People have also started taking out the middle bunk bed that is usually folded up during the day because it is almost time to sleep. I was supposed to sleep on the lowest bunk but Lolo Jerzy, a co-passenger, asked me if Lola Kristin and I can exchange bunk beds for obvious reasons so in the end, I became the hotdog in a hotdog sandwich. You know, I'm in the middle bunk bed and the hotdog is in between the sliced bun... Yeah, yeah, corny I know.

Sleepy Yepuda trying to strike a pose! Goodnight!

The next morning, I no longer worried about what have to do for the rest of the journey to keep boredom at bay. After having breakfast, I cleaned up a bit. Changed my attire, brushed my teeth, you know, the whole works. Well, not really the whole works since I did not take a bath during the journey because the washroom is not really apt for such thing if you ask me. And speaking of washroom, I tried to limit my trips there as minimum as possible because the washrooms were not really regularly maintained so you know, the sight and the smell can be quite uhm, yeah, I'll leave that to your imagination.

Moving forward, so once I'm done tidying up, I decided to just sit near the window and enjoy the beautiful scenery outside. Whenever the train stopped by at a station, I read a book or I played charades with the kids in our berths. I took some power naps too until finally, it was already four in the afternoon and we finally reached our destination.

Look at that mountain! The peak looked like a Thumbs Up sign. Cool right?

Our view while passing by a bridge.

This picture may not bring justice to the beauty of this view but it really is a gorgeous sight to look at!

These days, people are always in a hurry to reach their destinations that is why they always take the fastest option, air travel. However, it would not hurt if every once in a while, you will stop hurrying up and take the longest route possible to wherever it is that you need to reach and enjoy the journey. Who knows, you may have the most unforgettable experience or memory in that longest journey of your life!

Are we there yet?

Hope you enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed my first ever long train ride!

First Stop: The Bahá'í Temple aka The Lotus Temple

 

The moment I reached my destination (I'll let you guys figure that out thru my posts), the first place where Riju brought me is the Bahá'í Temple. It is a huge place of worship that is shaped like a blooming lotus flower hence it as also called as The Lotus Temple. People from all walks of life can come and visit this magnificent creation free of charge.

The Bahá'í Faith is a religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in Persia during the 19th century. It promotes unity and harmony among everyone no matter what race, status and religion you are from. Anybody can come over in a Bahá'í worship temple, worship and pray in the way he knows and nobody will question him. It is based on the three major principles of the Bahá'í Faith which are unity of God, unity of religion and unity of mankind.

From the entrance, you will have to walk for some time to reach the temple. I think it will take you about 10 to 15 minutes average to reach the temple. That is without the picture taking and pauses to enjoy the scenario.  A little long walk won't hurt. Just think about it as a mini workout. Riju and I went there during the summer season and it can get really uncomfortable so it is advisable that you just come and visit during the winter season or if it has to be during the summers, go there when the sun is close to setting so that you can avoid the strongest sun rays.

Before you can climb the stairs to the temple, temple officials will ask you to remove your footwear and dump them in a designated area in order to avoid dirtying the holy temple. It makes sense if you ask me because there are so many people visiting this place both local and foreigners and it is so huge that cleaning it everyday will definitely be a big pain in the butt. Since I really do not want to walk barefoot, after removing my footwear, I put on my socks. Yes, socks are allowed. Both Riju and I brought our own pair of socks for this trip and it was worth it. The socks did not only protect our feet from the dust and dirt outside the temple but it also functioned as some sort of heat protection since the stairs and the floors are quite hot. That is why if you will look at the picture above, there are carpets installed on the floor so that people can walk on them and not feel the heat from the ground. We did not take pictures inside the temple out of respect. But if I am to describe how it looked like, it is simply beautiful. It does not have any kind of altar inside it to make sure that it does not show preference to a certain form of God. There are plenty of seats inside that it can house up to 25,000 people in one prayer session. There are four prayer sessions a day for those who want to get a glimpse of the full Bahá'í Faith. Faithful to its principles, the prayers are recited in all kinds of religion.

It does not really show in the picture how my socks became so dirty after all the walking that we've done with just my socks on my feet but boy was I so thankful I had them on me.

Look! Someone came to welcome me! It was my first time to see such animal that's why I got so excited when I saw it!

What an entertainer! While we were taking some rest after all that walking that we've done, this squirrel and his buddy were playing around. If only I can take them home!

Well, that's about it.

Hope you enjoyed my post!