Incredible India #1: Adventures and Misadventures
We arrived safely and soundly at 11.30pm local time at Bengaluru Airport, and headed straight to Presidency Hotel. The hotel itself is not bad, and the most interesting thing is the wooden sliding lock and brass knockers. We had buffet breakfast there. I had poori and hard-boiled eggs. Nobody can tell us why the egg shells are white in colour and why they place the eggs on salt.
I was one of the latest one to board on the bus to airport for our flight to Pune as I was waiting for ne of my roommate. The whole bus was waiting for us and we were rushing like crazy. And then, I did the most embarrassing thing in the world. My laptop bag flip the whole plant pot over and clang, the next thing I know, all eyes were on me and the poor plant on the floor^^. Presidency Hotel shall remember me forever. Thank God the pot is metal, if not have to compensate the management. To quote someone, I am not being silly, I am just being me. *sigh*
We were in time for the flight, my third one in two days time, and I begin to dislike flying. The seats were all cramped together and the whole journey is worse than traveling on a bus. Next time I want to be rich and travel by Business Class. *determined*
On arrival in Pune, we stopped for lunch. The driver took 40 minutes to find the restaurant and we were U-turning for so many times . The traffic in Pune is crazy. Cars, two-wheelers and pedestrian pop out from anywhere at anytime. While we were stopping at the red light, there were sales people coming up to cars selling their products and some beggars asking for money. One lady was carrying a small child, walking here and there in the middle of the road. What I can only read in travel guides and review becomes real right in front of me. I feel very bad for these people. While some of their own countrymen are living luxuriously, these people are trapped for ther whole life, in this kind of living condition and that is all they expect from life. I do not know how, but I pray I will be able to do something about it.
Back to our lunch. I had briyani for the first time in my life, and it is sooooooo good but very spicy. I was gulping glass after glass of water^^. The journey to Karad took almost 2 and a half hours and we passed by tolls that looks like a tool shed in Malaysia. *serious* It was quite windy, but sometimes the wind will bring a familiar smell -- smell of cow dung. We passed by very beautiful hills, went across a tunnel, and along the way to Karad, there are millions, no tens of millions of sugar cane plants by the highway. Even though it is a high way, we passed by people walking, and quite a number of small villages.
There were a lot of lorries and trucks on the highway, and the back of each truck was written “Horn OK Please”. Indeed, the honking is so common and natural that I got used to it after half an hour. People honk at everything. Only not at cows. The cows here have their horn painted red or blue and are really treated as Gods. Sometimes we can see people wearing saree sitting on a two wheeler in the most dangerous and acrobatic way, lol.
We arrived at KIMS safely and soundly and were all very impressed with the University and our hostel (photos soon^^). We have everything that we can asked for. I tried the Masala tea and thank God they don’t serve that every meal. The first meal I didn’t take much, as my wisdom tooth is hurting again. But the breakfast on Friday was awesome, as in awesome=Malaysian^^. I was so scared I will have to eat maggi everyday, but lunch was good too. They cook corn in stew, and it tastes very Chinesy, and I love to have it with plain white rice.
Our seniors have not come back from their holidays(self-declared^^) but they definitely set the standards high and left big shoes for us to fill in. Three of them passed their first year with distinction (a very big thing here) and I was hoping to just being able to pass, as the passing mark is 60. However, I refused to give myself unnecessary pressure. I will try my best, but I can’t guarantee~
Classes will start next Monday, and we are already one week behind, oops.
That’s about it. Check-out. (juniors~) 5th August 2010
