As of last Thursday, April 26, my nephew Luca is ONE year old! He went from this...
To this...!
So, not a lot of change in that crying department lololol.
Anyways, Heather and Justin threw a nice Seuss-themed bday party for the little Thing 1, even though he was pretty cranky the whole time and wouldn't be consoled with anyone else!
After that party, AJ and I went to meet our friends bowling and then to their house for dinner. On Sunday we both slept in more than usual, and then we went to sushi and to see a special showing of Labyrinth in the movie theatres! I don't even know what the occasion was but they were showing it yesterday, today and tomorrow I think. Anyways, it was fun to see it on the big screen! Then we went to Target (we're wild) and AJ had to do some work, so I took Anana out on a walk. The field I like to take her to was already locked up, so I took her a rose garden and let her off leash for a little bit.
She's so cute when left to her own devices! When I got home the weather was nice and I just wanted to read and make headway on my book, so I got a beer and went to backyard to sit in the sun, and Khaleesi was actually being really needy and wanting lots of attention, which is rare for her!
After that, AJ and I made dinner and worked on some wedding stuff, which I always enjoy. And getting up today for work sucked! It's a pretty busy week for me too, so I'm looking forward to a concert this week and another 1 year old's bday party on Saturday. This is my life now!
I got a taste of the LA livin' this week when my coworker and I had a Monday morning meeting with our graphic designer at their studio in Culver City, so I did a LA day with her in and around her place on Sunday night in the Silverlake/Los Feliz neighborhood and crashed there overnight. It was so much fun! It helps that her place is so freaking cute with the hardwood floors, arched doorways, so much space, back garden, balcony patio and Pinterest-vibed decorations.
We went to Moon Juice, which she found because Drew Barrymore recently posted about doing a cleanse from some of their juices and drinks and went to town on some of their overpriced products and dusts, and hit up a Goodwill for me to hunt for wedding supplies (hello $2 brand-new IKEA picture frames!) and then modeled my Moon Juice in front of a cool wall. Lulz. We went by the Elliott Smith wall (which has rudely been cut into), got dinner and drinks at Birds, a Jon Hamm favorite, and then went to a show at the Upright Citizens Brigade.
We went back to Jessica's place for tea and a Scientology documentary (our interest had been piqued since we were dining right across the street from it), and then went to bed, but I got woken up a few minutes later from Jessica needing to debrief and analyze a guy text situation... I've missed girl sleepovers!
In the morning we had coffee, got ready, and headed out to the studio in Culver City, which was adorable and we got to meet over breakfast with their dog in the office! We drove the streets to the office and I don't know what this sign means/meant...
After the meeting Jessica was working from home and I had to drive back down to Orange County. I still even worked out after that and then we went out to dinner with AJ's mom and the dogs. I was exhausted like 1/3 of the way through my day but it was funnnn!
Soooo... I went to India! And holy shit, I don't even know where to start. That was by far the most foreign experience of my life. And I think I was about exactly halfway around the world. It took 24 hours time to travel there. And considering I flew there over the Pacific, and home over the Atlantic, I quite literally traversed the world. Here are some overall notes...
It was a work trip for about 2 weeks representing the school at education fairs in Chennai, Bengaluru, New Delhi and Mumbai. On my flight from Hong Kong to Chennai I had such a knot in my stomach because the thought of landing in India was starting to freak me out! I knew it was going to be so foreign and overwhelming. And I knew I was in India as soon as I landed too. The airport was a little rundown, and there were shrines all over the place with Ganesh and other deities, with fruit and candles and incense and garland on them. The men staff had uniforms, and the women staff wore whatever saree they wanted it seemed.
When I exited the airport, that alone was a shock. It was about 1am so it was nighttime, but the Chennai heat hit me immediately, and even though all the lush scenery and palms was new, all I could see was the sea of Indian faces staring back at me, and there really wasn't much rhyme or reason. My hotel driver just moved a barrack aside and went around all the laid out infrastructure for our own route to the car.
The streets were insane enough driving them. Even to get to our hotel, we had to drive directly into oncoming traffic to get to the driveway to turn in. Endless little tuk tuk-type autos, scooters, etc. Sometimes there are lanes but they don't matter. People just drive wherever, and just honk constantly. Walking on the street takes all of your effort and attention, seriously. I almost got hit by a bus. No one slows down for a pedestrian, no matter where they are or if they've seen you coming for awhile. Scooters and tuk tuks clipped me all the time. If there are sidewalks, they aren't in great condition. Huge lush forestry and banyan trees grow everywhere, and cables and wires hang everywhere, some cut, some... who knows what.
Being a Westerner, and especially a white Westerner, was exhausting. I was constantly singled out and badgered and solicited to buy stuff or accept a ride or come in to a store or given cards to call later when I need a ride, etc etc. The haggling culture makes me too uncomfortable and the rupee is too inflated for me to do the conversions easily. The sight of the sickly, starving dogs made me want to cry, but the cows seemed to be doing just fine. The random religious shrines along the streets were cool, seeing all the street food and fruits and juices made me sad I couldn't really try them (didn't want to risk the potential sickness) but I still got a good sampling from my hotels (the only places I could really reliably eat!). The hotels were insanely nice and accommodating, like Vegas hotels. I got really sick (fever, chills, aches, runny nose, sore throat, sneezing etc) and the staff went out to the pharmacy and got medicine for me. I came down with it in Bengaluru on like my 4th day in India and battled it for the rest of my time there. I survived though.
Chennai was insanely hot and humid (and it was only the start of the hot season!), Bengaluru was beautiful... a farming area known as the "Garden City of India" and sadly the city I didn't get the most opportunity to go out in... New Delhi as the capital had a lot of stuff going on and obviously lots of history and sites and also had the most rampant population of cows and monkeys just hanging out on the streets, although I'm told they've cleaned it up a bit and made it less congested with them, and Mumbai was the densest, most intense cosmopolitan area...
My snapchat bitmoji traveled the world... that's my personal bitmoji with my work bitmoji. Wherever I go... ...there I am
I flew Cathay Pacific and in waiting for takeoff, I saw that Riverside was listed on the map
So if you wondered what Riverside was in Chinese... there you go!
Me in Hong Kong, Kathleen in Japan, and everyone in the US sound asleep...
The view from my hotel window in Chennai
The view from the hotel gym in Chennai
A statue series in the dining room like lol wut?
The streets of Chennai near the temple... hence all the garlands
It was a Lutheran church, I thought that was interesting!
The guy on the steps was blessing (?) the store front with a coconut and oils and fire
Indian room service... chicken vindaloo, garlic naan, masala chai!
Insanely beautiful Hindu temple
Inside the temple ground
Another temple
A Catholic church. I loved seeing Jesus in the Indian culture!
A relic of the Apostle Thomas! He was killed in Chennai and this was resting place!
Tomb of the Apostle Thomas
The Bay of Bengal
And, can't forget about work
Next up was Bengaluru (Bangalore). For the record, all the hotels were amazing, but this one was my favorite. They also greeted us with trays of oils and fire and flower to wish us good health and fortune and gave us the bindi dots.
Yes, I went out in the day and came back to a handwritten note and rose lololol
I also came back to everything on the bathroom counter organized and laid out neatly on this dainty linen
House astrologer!
Yes, one more I drank tea and read the Bhagavad Gita, which was in the hotel drawers
View from the hotel room... can you see the lake?
Panoramic view from the room
A view from the hotel hallway
Hotel grounds and dining
Just seeing/hearing new birds is a treat
Filtered coffee, a specialty of south India that I loved!
I sent this to AJ because it reminded me of the joke in a Will Ferrell movie (Talladega Nights) because he always prays to "little 7lbs 4oz baby Jesus, learning about shapes and colors" I said that must be who they worship at that church
Love the banyan trees!
Love the color infrastructure!
Love the greenery!
Love their orthography!
A group of us out to dinner at a a brewery
And then on to New Delhi...
Art in the airport
We drove through the embassy street
...and past the presidential palace
View from my hotel room
This place. Was. INSANE. It was the most beautiful, stunning thing I saw in India and it was HUGE and sprawling and majestic and peaceful and clean and they played Indian music... it's called Akshardham and you weren't allowed to bring a camera or cell phone so this was the only photo I got. Check it out at akshardham.com !!
This was one of the main shrines inside Akshardham. So, full disclose, this isn't my picture, I had to Google it, but it's what I saw in there and it was jaw-droppingly beautiful and awe-inspiring. Gold statues, colorful walls and every inch dripping in jewels and gems
Camels spotted!
Elephants too!
We drove past so many beautiful buildings, and there wasn't enough time to see them all!
This was a glimpse of the Purana Qila (see below)
The grounds of Humayun's tomb
India Gate
Night market
I also went by Raj Ghat, which is a beautifully manicured location where they had Gandhi's funeral and where I believe some of his ashes were scattered? Either way it was closed when I went by so I couldn't go in :(
And lastly... Mumbai!
Landing in Mumbai. Yes, that is smog
This photo kiosk was actually in our hotel hahaha y tho
Driving the bridge down to the bottom of Bombay
View of the Queens Necklace
Gateway to India
Chowpatty Beach - so many people out- families, kids, etc, and it was a Sunday night, almost midnight!
Chowpatty Beach on the Arabian Sea
Good ol' Kingfisher, India's beer
Me and my friends from the tour!
Got so many mosquito bites my foot swelled up like double. It was obvious where my pant leg ended, haha
Good ol work at the fair
My friend Rafael and I would take pictures of each other at our booths and send them when we weren't expecting them
I was right across from a school from Bordeaux!
My agent Binoy who helped me at the fair
What I texted my mom when it was all done
Relaxation station at the Mumbai hote
This mint iced tea was the most delicious, refreshing, amazing drink I've ever had in my life
This picture is from the plane on the runway. ON THE RUNWAY! Could you imagine living in those slums so close to it? India is a different place indeed
My bitmoji in Istanbul for my layover
Taking off from Istanbul, it was cool to see the city and some of the architecture, a lot of mosques and stuff, it was cool!
I kept forgetting to check out the window (I love looking out over what we're flying over) and I just caught it in time to see the Norwegian Coast... that's supposed to be Bergen!
And landing over Big Bear Lake coming in to LAX
Aaaaand that was probably enough adventure for the year. That was an intense, exhausting, tiring trip! So happy to have done it though!
Oh and I came home with a new favorite drink... dirty martinis!
