Everyday things you do here

Thought I'd share a few of my daily activities with you...

• Walking to the yoga shala every morning at 4:40am in the dark. It's very pleasant really...usually a dog or two fast asleep on the street, the smell of burning garbage here and there, and sounds of people waking up (clearing throats) from several houses. As you get closer to the shala, more students appear from side streets. Upon arrival, there are small groups of people talking. The occasional scooter/motorcycle pulls up. It's funny how some people feel they need to procede directly to the front regardless of what time they get there...like they "might not get their spot" or something. Heaven forbid. The gate is unlocked at about 4:55am...everyone streams in, grabs a spot on the carpeted floor, puts their things in the locker room, and begins their practice. Guruji usually come out at aboout 5:20am to do the chant.
• Breakfast - I go to a few places, sometimes eat at home. If I'm feeling social, I'll go out. I'll usually see many of the same faces, but always new arrivals to meet. It's hard to remember everybody's name...but in time you do. Breakfast can be anything from Iddli (spongy fermented rice cake, usuallyserved with coconut chutney and another spicy broth), masala dosa (large lentil flour dosa, or pancake, stuffed with a spicy potato mixture), roti's (unleavened flat bread) with a variety of chutneys, or you can find western breakfast at a couple of places (fruit salads, eggs, toast, etc)...sometimes a nice change. As breakfast is a morning activity, and right after yoga practice, it is nice to have some solitude, but that's not usually the case...usually very social and loud. Sometimes it's nice to just have muscelai and coffee at home...there are plenty of days to experience everything.
• A visit to the Bank to change money - this is an experience. I do this about once a week, and am usually the only non-Indian in the place. And is there any question why I'm at the bank? So, usually I will be promptly escorted to a clerk's desk, will be asked for my passport and the cash/travelers checks to be exchanged. The clerk will run off and find out that days' exchange rate, and will announce it to me for everyone in the bank to hear (not a big deal, just kind of surprised me at first). I will then be told how many rupee's that translates to, will be asked to sign a piece of paper in two places and will then be given my passport back along with a steel medallion with a number on it and told to go sit down and wait until the cashier calls my number. The bank is a busy place...because it's not open for long each day...9:30am to 12:30pm, then from 2 to 3 in the afternoon...true "bankers hours". As I wait, many people come and go. Patrons with numbers higher than mine are taken care of as I sit patiently. There are many stares, and usually two or three men will introduce themselves, ask my name, why I am in India, etc...and an occasional longer conversation. After a half an hour or so, my number is called....I go to the "cage" where the cashier is and my rupee's are counted off to me, usually with 3 or 4 men looking over my shoulder (this bothered me at first, but observed later that this happens to everyone...not just me). I've also learned that regardless of how crowded the bank is, I will ALWAYS be there for a half an hour. The other day I exchanged cash, and the clerk copied down the serial numbers of every bill as I sat and watched. Do I have an untrusting face? That day I was one of three customers in the bank, and still I waited half an hour.
• Scooter ride downtown - this is a trip! There are few traffic lights here...they use traffic circles to keep traffic flowing...I kind of like the idea. But the traffic is insane durring busy times. Now that I know my way and am aware of the rules of the road (at least I think I am), it usually goes quite well. A scooter, as you can imagine, is one of the lowest in the hierarchy of road worthy vehicles...perhaps only a pedal bike is lower. Use of the horn highly encouraged...usually to signal that you are approaching an intersection, preparing to pass another vehicle...but hardly ever to curse someone. So, as I "scoot" along and a car comes up behind me, they will toot the horn and I am required to "cower" to the side to let them pass. You've got to be alert, as oncoming buses/cars/auto-rickshaws/motorcycles will come into your lane to pass another car and still, you are required to pull to the side to allow it. And just being in the flow of traffic is intense...but it works. And the pollution is horrible. Fuel quality and emissions standard I imagine are quite low here...smoke all over the place. Usually after an excusion downtown, I'll have to change clothes due to the heavy smell of exhaust fumes...imagine what I'm breathing in. Here's my assesment of the hierarchy: push cart, pedal bike, scooter, motorcycle, rickshaw, car, truck, bus, cow.
• Supermarket - occasionally I'll go to pick up the essentials, and maybe a few extras, at Nilgiri's supermarket. This is a very clean, "have everything" store and is a good place to visit when you first arrive...but I didn't know about it when I first arrived. You know...things like bottled water, coffee, tea, tp, laundry soap, cleaning supplies, snacks, kitchen stuff...just about everything you need. It's a little weird shopping though. You see, there are market employees standing all over the store. Seems as thought they are watching your every move, looking over your shoulder...but really they are there to help, and to instantly re-stock anything that you take. Just to give you an idea of prices here...a one litre size bottled water...15 rupees (about 35 cents american). What do we pay in the states...$1.50?
• Ride in a Rickshaw - sometimes nice to just take a rickshaw somewhere as opposed to riding the scooter. As with taxi's, they have fare meters. When a westerner steps into a rickshaw, the driver will usually see this as an opportunity...and will claim "meter not working" and will give you a price to where you are going. As you can imagine, this price is always much more than what the meter would read. It's nice if you know ahead of time what a typical rickshaw ride will cost to your destination. If the driver quotes you too high, usually stepping out of the vehicle will bring the price back into line. If you want to further make a point, just go to another rickshaw down the street. Some drivers take really good care of their rickshaws...and the ride can be a real pleasure. They are open air, and you can see everything in front and to the sides...but again the pollution can come into play. All in all, a really nice way to get around.

There will be many more things to share...I'll post more later. Keep the comments coming, I really enjoy hearing from everyone