Bangalore Galore

Oh Bangalore - why do I feel so at home here? Well, it may have something to do with the relative 'western' features of this bustling city. We arrived on December 1st (this is blowing my mind - its already December?) and met up with Meike - the sweet german from Hampi. She and I had one of those fantastic instant bonds so I was really happy to spend some girl time with her. Bless Darius, but I just can't convince him to come dress shopping or go for pedicures with me. So December 2 off we went to get Adrian's brithday present - and I discovered that shopping in this town is incredibly easy. Instead of having to shy yourself away from stalls or worry that you'll purchase something ill fitting or having to spend 20 minutes haggling, this town offers an amazing array of, well, everything!
Meike and I started our day at the spa with a well needed pedicure. Now, I know this doesn't exactly sound like something for us 'backpackers' but honestly, walking the dusty streets in flip flops warrants a foot scrub. The water we soaked in was practically black. I am sure the women who painted our dainty toes were totally disgusted. We followed up the spa with a 20 layer chocolate cake. Thats right, 20 layers. We couldn't actually finish but we did wrap it up for Darius (oh - also, the spoons served with the cake were also made of chocolate!. Going to the spa and eating at a fancy cafe among the affluent and influencial Indian population was a side of this country I have yet to experience, and let me tell you, this place is classy. To experience the extremes of life here is quite exceptional. I think Mumbai had a greater example of extreme wealth and poverty, but even still the disparity between classes here is pretty mind blowing and an issue I am constantly grappling with.
We decided to wander the commercial street area. Here we bustled through winding streets that mostly sold Saris and Salwar Kamis. For about 350INR (thats about $7) you can have a made to measure Indian style pant/dress/scarf outfit made. We chose from an entire wall patterns. I picked out something relatively subdued, but even still, its busy. We carred our materials and followed a young man down the street, turned down a corridor full of stall selling equally bright and colorful materials and went of a set of stars. On the second floor there was a sea of tailors, singers whizzing and whirring, material scraps strewn about. A young man in a fez stood up, promptly took our measurements and we were told that tomorrow morning they would be ready.
The evening proved to be pretty exceptional - in many ways. We made it to Adrian's house, met his lovely parents and went up to a really magnificent rooftop. Potted plants lined the expansive roof, lights hummed around us and the full moon lit up the party. It was really amazing. Adrian had decided on a Barbeque. I realized that BBQing is not a pastime of many Indians as I watched about 6 young men struggle to light the coals. But within a few hours, corn with garlic butter, veggie kabobs and meat skewers were being passed around. This is where I made the fatal error of my night. Curious about the dark aroma of some grilled meat, I decided to try a small morsel. It was good... Until about 5am. I awoke in our delightful hotel room, which resembles a seafoam green colored prison cell, feeling that old familiar feeling. My neck was hot, and my stomach was churning. I spent a while over the prison style hole on the ground of a toilet heaving and wretching. I realize this is a disgustingly graphic description but I am not going to apologize. The point is this: eating is a delightful and deadly activity here. It seems you can eat as much veg stuff as you want, but I say steer clear of street meat, or meat cooked by inexperienced barbequers, no matter how enticing the smell. I'll leave it at that.
Today, feeling exhausted and literally drained, Meike and I picked up our made to measure Indian outfits. It feels a little funny to wear the entire get up, like I am a bit of an imposter but I will be really curious to find out how it is received by locals. The difference I feel when I throw my scarf across my shoulders, rather than around my neck is palpable based on the reaction of people who see me. I think there is a real appreciation to adopt the cultural dress. It seems that I stand out enough as it is, and so wearing something in 'Indian style', whether it is toe rings, bangles, a scarf or a the full dress, softens the relentless staring.

So, our time in Bangalore is wrapping up. Actually all the 'our' and 'we' of my experiences here is also wrapping up. Darius and I will soon part ways. After our time in Mysore we both head to Kerala but to different destinations in the province. I will start a three week volunteer stint with a Field Services and Inter-cultural learning NGO and Darius is headed to Taiwan and then Canada for Christmas. So the proverbial WE will become, just ME. I think I'll be sort of bummed to see Darius off as we've had a really good time together considering the total randomness of our travels together. At the same time, having had 6 or so weeks on the road I have built up some skills and confidence and I look forward to see how I fare on my own. Only time will tell.
Until next time...