India in Peoria

Introduction:

I always here how little there is to do here in Peoria, Illinois, but in my opinion this simply is not true. There is a lot to do here if you look hard enough. The Peoria Riverfront has many festivals and activities to do throughout the year, including the Peoria Food Fest, Irish Fest, and Oktoberfest. Peoria also has great community theater. Just last weekend for example corn stock theater was doing a performance of "The Color Purple". One ethnic group that one can always find being represented here is Indian Culture. In the past two months there have been two events that can in some way represent India.

India Fest:

Last weekend the Peoria Riverfront had India Fest hosted by the Indo-American Society. The stage featured people singing traditional Indian songs and performing traditional Indian dances. There were also a group of kids that sang the national anthem for both the United States and India. Near the end of the festival there was a group of young Indo-American's who performed a cover of Pink's "Just Give Me A Reason". The best part of this festival was all the food tents featuring local Indian Restaurants like Rasoi and Haldi. The line for Rasoi was so long that we didn't even get to try their food. They were serving dosa's, which is a little like a crape made of rice batter that is often filled with Marsala's or spiced potatoes. My favorite food booth was not run by a restaurant at all, but by volunteers raising money for the Center of Prevention of Abuse. They were serving a scrumptious dish called  Pav Bhaji, a vegetable curry that is served with a buttered toasted bun. 

Like many Peoria Riverfront Events, there was also a beer stall. They served the usual, beers, and things like Goose Island 312, but they also had a pretty good selection of Indian Beers, like King Fisher and Taj Mahol Premium Lagor. I ended up trying Hayward's 5000, a European strong beer. Out of the beers I have tried out of India, this has got to be my favorite. There was some debate among my husband and some of our friends as to whether or not this was indeed an Indian beer or an Australian beer. After a few minutes of debate, someone finally pulled out there smart phone and looked it up. It turns out that once upon a time, it had been an Australian beer, but by the 80's had moved to India. 

The Secret Garden:

Come Spirit Come Charm.
 By: Arthi Asrani Sayeed

Another event that can be related back to India was corn stocks rendition of "The Secret Garden" from back in July. While it is true that most of the play takes place in England, it starts off in Bombay, India, and has an Indian theme throughout the play. It follows the story of a young girl who loses her parents in one of India's cholera epidemics. She is then moved to India to live with her widowed uncle, Archibald in a dreary house on the edge of an English Moore. The young girl, Mary (brilliantly played by Faustina Hoerderman), starts out as a lonely, spoiled child, but soon discovers new friends, family, and secrets at her new home. One of the main character's, Uncle Archibald Craven, played by Bart Shatto was actually played by a Broadway star who grew up here in the Peoria area. My favorite performance had to be by Mike Reams, who played Archibald's brother, Dr. Neville Craven. My husband also had a small part in the play, acting as the Fakir. 

While at Corn Stock Theater you are not supposed to take pictures or video's of the play, but I still managed to sneak in a short video from close to the back row of  the theater. 

Up-coming:
If you missed these two events, there is still at least one more event this year that you can go to to experience Indian Culture. This is the "Experience India Fundraiser" also raising money for Center of Prevention of Abuse. This year it will be held October 2, the same day as Gandhi's birthday, at the Knights of Columbus Hall. It will feature Indian food catered by Rasoi, Traditional Indian Dance, and a silent auction. This is a great excuse to get out your Indian Attire and meet with friends. I did not have the pleasure of attending last year, but I was there a couple years ago and it was a lot of fun. You can learn more about this event on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1123751770986883/1124335884261805/. It should be a lot of fun.

Biryani in the Park:

Of course, you do not have to go to an event like these to experience India in Peoria. You can experience India anywhere. Last weekend some of my friends, actually made a spiced rice dish in Robinson Park over an open fire. Biryani is a traditional Indian and Pakistani rice dish that is usually very spicy. Much of the time it contains a spiced meat, marinated in Masalas and served with either yogurt or Raita, a watered down yogurt "salad" often with cucumbers, onions, mint, and/or cilantro (coriander) to cool the spices down. My friend Bhaskra made his with chicken. Traditionally it is cooked in a tandoori (or Indian brick oven). Here in the states, it is often cooked in a pot and then in the stove. Bhaskra made his in a cast iron pot. We showed up right before they left the park, but we were still able to eat some of their delicious biryani.

Work Cited:

Banerjee, Paroma. "Experience India Fundraiser". Facebook. Retrieved: 28 August 2015. Website: https://www.facebook.com/events/1123751770986883/1124335884261805/

"Corn Stock Theater Presents: The Secret Garden." July 10-18.

Jujare, Arvind. Personal Conversation. 22 August 2015

Nagesh, Somya. Personal Conversation. 26 August 2015

Sayeed, Arthi. "Come Spirit Come Charm". Facebook. Published: 18 July 2015. Retrieved: 28 August 2015. https://www.facebook.com/arthi.asranisayeed?fref=ts

Alaska: Anchorage and More

Alaska, General:

One of the best ways to see Alaska is in the air. Whether you just get to do this on your flight into Alaska, or you get a chartered ride somewhere, the views just cannot be beat. It was still light outside when we got into Anchorage, just after midnight. Including the three hour driver into the O'Hare airport (it normally takes less time, but there was some flooding so we had to take a longer way in) it had taken us close to 16 hours to get here, but it was worth it. 
Alaska is huge. Area wise, it about three times larger then Texas. My husband even got my mom and I T-Shirts that had a to scale picture of Texas over Alaska and read: "Isn't Texas Cute". Being that I am from Texas, and my mom lives in Texas, we were mildly offended. Anyway, my point is this: what we saw of Alaska barely scratched the surface. 

Not only is Alaska big, it is also remote.  Most of the time we couldn't get a strong enough phone signal to send e-mail, or look up where to go. There were also multiple times that we heard our GPS say: "Lost Satellite Signal". The only other time this has happened to me was in Chicago when among buildings so tall that it blocked the signal, and while going through tunnels.

Anchorage/ Turnagain Arm:
We stopped and slept at the Lake Shore Inn. This was not a bad hotel, but it seemed pretty average. Please note, there was no lake view from this hotel, but the staff was friendly and helpful, and showed us which restaurants within walking distance were open 24 hours a day, so that we could get dinner right off the plain. Incidentally, we went right to bed. 
Sight seeing took us just South of Anchorage on Turnagain Arm. This stretch of road had some amazing views, where Mountains met a great arm of the Cook Inlet. The inlet looked very much like a river delta with its huge mud flats. Early explorers would go up the inlet thinking there was a river that would take them inland. There really wasn't one, and the explorers would have to turn around and go back out towards Cook Inlet; hence, the name "Turnagain".
Our first stop, was at Potter Marsh. This was right across the road from a gun range. So we kept hearing shots ring out. Still, there was a lovely board walk. In the Marsh, there were blue winged teals, Canada Geese, turns, and even a moose! The board walk was just high enough to keep us safe from this enormous creature, who did not seem bothered that there were at least four of us chasing it (from the safety of the board walk) to get good shots of it. We stopped at a few other places including Windy Point and Beluga Point. The sand and mud that spread out along this shallow arm of the inlet created a scene that just seemed so alien and serene. It was hard to tell where the land turned into water.

We didn't see any wales while on the Arm, but according to some tourist literature, we were at the right spot to potentially see something. Beluga Point for example is famous for the tide quickly going out, leaving beluga wales stranded  on the revealed sand bars. Fortunately for belugas, most of them are able to survive being stranded long enough for high tide to come rushing back in (according to one of the park's displays).

High tide and low tide at Beluga Point can make waves of water that can be up to 6 feet tall, in the right conditions. We were lucky enough to see the tide going out, but I did not witness the wall of water as high as some pictures we were able to find, but the flow of water was still fairly impressive. 

We turned around on the Turnagain Arm when we hit Girdwood: a small ski town, with a giant ski lodge.  In town, we stopped at a place called the"Great Alaskan Tourist Trap". I just loved the name. They had so many books on Alaska in there, from story books for kids, to nature books for everyone else.

Circling around on Our Last day:

We headed back into Anchorage on our last day, in order to head back home. Before heading to the airport, we all visited the Elderberry Park, where we entered the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. Here you get great views of the Cook Inlet and its mud flats. While we walked part of the trail it is also possible to rent bikes here to bike this trail. 

Finally we made it back to the airport. Here we heard stories other people had of there trips and tails of living in Alaska. One woman talked about life on the local military base. Because of the bears they are not allowed to put there trash out until the morning of pickup. There is a $300 fine for anyone who puts there garbage out the night before. 

Other people told us fishing stories about there trip to the Kodiak's. While they did talk a little about the fish they caught, most of the stories featured how many giant grizzly bears they saw: bears fishing alone, mother bears with there cubs. Many people while fishing here get a good look at the bears. For the most part, if you do not bother them, they won't bother you. This is not to say that these grizzle bears aren't dangerous. Do not go up to a bear or its cubs no matter how cute it appears. They told us, when fishing in bear country, be smart and use common sense.


Food:

Some of the best chefs in the United States summer in Anchorage, so it is no wonder we were able to find a great place to eat. Our favorite restaurant of the trip was one of the last places we ate at: Simon and Seafort's Saloon and Grill. This restaurant is hidden away, but finding it is worth it. If had not been for Yelp, we would have never found this place. It is within walking distance of Elderberry Park, and has a great view of the Cook Inlet. Here you can watch plains come in and out of Anchorage. My husband and I shared a fish curry, and my mom got a salmon dish. All were excellently prepared and plated. We also had Crispy Crab wantons as an appetizer and a salmon chowder soup. For desert we had Chocolate Indulgent Cake. My husband is an expert when it comes to chocolate deserts. This is by far the best cake we came across on our trip. It seemed so fresh, covered with a hot chocolate syrup. Chocolate lovers should not pass this up. They also have a wide variety of drinks. I had a Jamaican Mule: Ginger Beer, Vodka, and Pineapple Juice. 

The first place we stopped to eat was actually along the Turn Again Arm. It was called Indian House. Apparently a few years ago, it had actually been an Indian Restaurant (Asian Indian, not Native American). So much of the reviews were about it were from that time. The bar tender told us that it had a major remodeling a couple years ago to make it more for Alaskan tourists. The decor featured things that made one think "Alaska we are here!", with many Alaskan Antiques. The food was pretty good. We all shared. There is a good Caribou chili that had a very smokey flavor to it. The fish in the fish and chips was very fresh, and the Salmon dip was excellent; no salmon from a can here. 
At most bars that cater to tourists you can find beers from the Alaskan Brewing Company out of Juneau, Alaska. Indian House had a flight of these bears. On this flight we had (from right to left): 

1.  Hopothermia: I love the clever name; a double IPA where its double alcohol content covers up some of the hoppyness.
2.  White: A light refreshing beer with subtle citric notes.
3.  Summer Ale: A smooth crisp beer, my favorite out of the four.
4. Amber: The bartender's favorite beer. It is a sweeter caramel colored beer. 

Next to the Great Alaskan Tourist Trap in Girdwood, was an Ice Cream Shop. Most of the Ice cream they served were not churned in Alaska. They did have one Alaskan brand of Ice cream, Alaskan Supreme Ice Cream Inc. We sampled

Fireweed. Taken by:
Arvind Jujare

some of these: One that I really liked was the Alaskan Wildberry ice cream. It contains wild raspberries, moss berries, and Crowberries. I asked the clerk what the most popular summer flavor was: she told me it was Fireweed and Honey. She told me that hot summer days locals come in and this flavor often sells out. It is sweet, and taste of honey and a peppery nectar taste that was foreign to me. "An Ice cream made out of a weed?" one might ask. This is actually a beautiful pink flower that grows just about everywhere we went in Alaska. It dots the roads and trails across Southern Alaska. The sales clerk showed me where some was growing just outside the store; apparently many Alaskans use the pink flower to make jellies. 

Arkansas

Introduction:

Several members of my family have lived in Arkansas longer then I have been alive. My Grandmother, Betty Munro had moved there in 1982, two years before I was born. My family and I used to go there every year, usually for Thanksgiving. We went less and less as I entered into adulthood. I had much enjoyed my visits to Arkansas both as a child and an adult.

My Grandfather:

I was brought back here recently by the death of my Grandfather Jim, who was not my

Jim Munro. Taken August 2010.
By: Jeffrey Harrison

biological grandfather. He had been married to my grandmother for 20 years, so he had been part of my life much longer then my Grandpa Ed had been. Grandpa Jim died last month, but his memorial was last Saturday. He had donated his body to science and so there was no body or ashes to observe. Just pictures, and old news clippings.

My grandfather was an interesting man. His most obvious feature was not one that he was born with, but one he obtained. You see, as a boy he had lost both arms while climbing an electrical pole. He had some arm left on one side where he had a hook. According to my grandmother, most people assumed that Grandpa Jim had lost his arm in a war, which was completely not true. Despite his handicap, he still never seemed to feel sorry for himself. No one could recall him complaining about his hardships.

From old articles and family stories I had learned that he had trouble getting into school, not being accepted into the private school or public school. His parents had finally had to take him to court to get him accepted. From there he was able to graduate both high school and college. His first wife, who was not my Grandmother had been a paraplegic; they had had one son together.

Grandpa Jim's memorial service was held at a Methodist Church in Hot Springs Village, AR, even though my grandparents been going to a Lutheran Church. Grandma and Grandpa had been personal friends with on of  the Methodist's Church's pastures, and that was the person Grandma had chosen to lead the service. It was nice because he was able to give a personal touch to the service. He was able to recall how much Grandpa Jim enjoyed Trivia and card games. Everyone who spoke talked about those two things, and they were right he had loved both of those things.

My cousin Megan gave the most touching speech regarding him. She had been the granddaughter who was closest to him: the one that he often called his favorite grandchild. She often spent the night at there house, sometimes for long periods of time. He really was a big part of her life, and he helped shape the amazing woman she is today. I have talked about her before in a previous post on Barbados, St. Vinccent and the Grenadines. 

The Trip:

I travelled to Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, a retirement several miles outside of Hot Springs, Arkansas. People who fly to Arkansas are likely to fly through Bill and Hillary Clinton Airport in Little Rock Arkansas. The airport is obviously named after the former president, and his first lady, whom started out in Arkansas. Bill Clinton was the president that proved you could balance the budget and still have a good time.



Overhead view of Arkansas taken

during take off from Clinton

Airport.

The flight from Chicago was largely uneventful (Though the flight from Peoria to Chicago had been severely delayed). Looking over Little Rock from the plain I was able to see so many small lakes. I commented to the man sitting next to me how beautiful it was. He told me that the U-shaped lakes I was seeing were called ox-bows, due to there unique shape. They were created, he continued, from bends in the river. The flow of water erodes away the bank at the top of the U, eventually causing an island in the middle, making the U now look like a D. Eventually the island erodes away too. (Craig Bilello).

A few days after the memorial, I went to Hot Springs, Arkansas with my cousin, Stephanie. At one time she had been a tour guide here, so she knows so much of the city's history. She was like my own personal tour guide for this trip.

From left to right: Arlington Resort Hotel and Spa where Al Capone had a personal room, top floor center. A fountain of hot spring water in downtown Hot Springs, AR. Stephanie Merritt with plastic statue of Al Capone just outside of the Ohio Club Bar and Grill. Buckstaff Bathhouse. The Superior Bathhouse and Brewery, an old bathhouse that was converted to a bar and restaurant that serves craft beers.

Hot Springs is known for just that, Hot Springs. Bath houses, and spas popped up in the area followed by speak easies and the Italian mob. Al Capone had a huge presence here. He believed that the natural hot springs would would prevent his siphollis from getting worse (Merritt). Al Capone even had his own personal room at a hotel here, the Arlington Resort Hotel and Spa. It was in the middle of the top floor, which overlooked the streets so that he could see if the cops were coming for him outside. Of course Al Capone was just a frequent visitor. Someone else ran the town under him: Owney Madden. If Anyone else tried to move in on the speak easies and illegal gimbaling, Owney Madden would get rid of them.  

The natural hot springs are caused by ancient volcanic action. While the area no longer has active volcanoes, the refinance in the form of hot spots still exist. Rain water seeps down under the earth's surface, heats up, and rises up again.

The volcanic action not only caused the hot springs, it caused many exciting things to occur. Roads wind through tall hills and small mountains, were all sorts of near rocks can be found. As a child I often went hunting for quarts crystals, often bringing home some that were quite big. There is even a diamond mine in the region. While this mine does not produce commercial diamonds tourist often go in to try their luck at finding a few.

Food:

Most days when we were in Hot Springs Village we ate at a place called Home Plate, a baseball themed café. Here you can find food typically eaten by Arkansans. One day when I went out with most of the family at least four people ordered the chicken fried steak: a beef steak that is breaded the same way chicken is, fried and and then smothered in a white peppered gravy. Of course, I do not eat beef, so I went for the chicken fried chicken: boneless chicken breast also fried and covered with gravy. My dad had Catfish which also seems to be an Arkansas favorite. Each dish came with typical Southern style sides, like green beans, fried okra, and mashed potatoes. I had mac and cheese with steamed broccoli. The Mac and cheese was pretty good, but I thought it needed a tad bit more salt.





Breakfast at Home Plate of Southern style
chicken and biscuits.

They also had breakfast. They had a variety omelets, breakfast burritos, pancakes, grits, biscuits and gravy and scrambles. One day I tried the Santa Fe Omelet. They described it as having chicken, Feta cheese, and a variety of vegetables. When I got it, it had bacon in it (which had not been mentioned in the description); "I guess they think bacon is a vegetable here", I had joked.

The most Southern thing I had eaten for breakfast while here was their southern style chicken biscuit with gravy. It looks so bad for you, but it was so delicious.

While in Hot Springs, I had also gotten a chance to catch a bite with my cousin Stephanie, at Rolando's. This had some amazing Latin American food. The owners are from Ecuador and Arkansas, and so the menu has a flair that does not limit itself to the traditional Mexican cuisine we are used to seeing. They still have quesadillas, tacos, and burritos, but the flavors they use are authentically Central American. I had Josefina’s chicken Tamales. It had been a long time since I have had a good tamale, so I was so excited when I found that Rolando's served this. A tamale is a cornmeal mix with a filling (usually shredded meat). It is rapped in a corn husk and steamed. The sides of black beans and lime rice were also excellent. I encourage anyone visiting Hot Springs to Check them out: http://www.rolandosrestaurante.com/index.php. 

                           Rolando's in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Drink:

One night I had a glass of wine with Grandma. It was a sweet, crisp white zinfandel from Post Winery- a winery actually in Altus, Arkansas, about two hours from Little Rock. This is not the only wine made in Arkansas, but it is one of Grandma's favorites.

Work Cited:

Bilello, Craig. Personal Conversation. 16 April 2015.

Harrison, Jeffrey. Jim Munro. Connie Harrison facebook page. 10 August 2010. Website: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200102323706530&set=a.10200102304746056.2200915.1403273936&type=3&theater
Retrieved: 22 August 2015.

Merritt, Stephanie. Personal Conversations. 20 April 2015.

Munro, Betty. Personal Conversation. 17 April 2015.

Post Familie Vineyards website: http://www.postfamilie.com/. Retrieved: 20 April 2015.

Rolando's website. http://www.rolandosrestaurante.com/index.php. Retrieved: 20 April 2015.

Israel/ Palestine Follow up.

"Bomby night". By: Arvind Jujare

Last Summer, there was a lot of talk about Israel and its relationship with Palestine. It was in the news and then it wasn't. Since then, Palestinians have started trying to join the International Criminal Court. They have made it clear that what they want is for the international community to investigate War Crimes that Israel committed against them last summer (Kelemen, Michele).



The Full Story: http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=376092020&m=376515777

I had to look for this news. It was not a story that I would have known about unless I looked for this. The last news story I heard about Israel was not one on how they treat the Palestinians. The last one I heard was about snow in Israel had nothing to do with the Palestinian Israeli conflict, it actually had to do with Snow. In Israel and Palestine, most of the Christians are Orthodox Christians. For this reason they celebrated Christmas on January 7, 2015 instead of our traditional December 25th date. According to Wikipedia, about 2% of the population in Israel is Christian, so a small minority of people do celebrate Christmas. This year for Christmas Israel got to experience a white Christmas.  This is the 3rd year in a row that it snowed in Israel. Unlike the U.S. snow is a big deal in Israel, this means roads completely shut down. There is not infrastructure to deal with snow (radio show unknown).

Conversation:

I have a friend who has second cousins in Palestine. I asked him what they thought of the snow. "They Love it", he told me. As Ahmed tells me, snow really was not the big deal that the news story I had heard made it out to be. He even showed me a video of some of his family playing in the snow.

After I posted my last Israel themed blog, Ahmed sat down and briefly talked with me about their side of the story. He noted that it is a travesty what the Israelis did to the Palestinians; now people are finally seeing how bad Israel has been to the Palestinian people. 

A little about Ahmed:
I work with Ahmed, but webru don't know Ahmed by his first name, and we certainly don't call him by his last name, Abuhalawah. We here at work just call him "Willie". Willie grew up here in States, just outside of Detroit in Dearborn, Michigan. He is the son of Palestinian immigrants, that moved here well before he was born.

Both his parents had moved out of Palestine to escape the conflict when they were quite young (Abuhalawah). They hadn't known each other in Palistine, but they both moved to and grew up in nearby Jordan, where they eventually met. Eventually, they both moved to the U.S. together.

Ahmed told me that back then it was a lot easier for people to escape to the U.S. It was a lot easier to get Visa's. Now, he tells me, many people have to get married in order get over here. He thinks that this might be driving up arranged marriages between those already living here and those that are there. Many of these people who are already here would more then likely not go into an arranged marriage otherwise. He also feels that at times this arrangement is one sided, where the only person befitting is the person who is coming here.

He gives me an example of a female friend he had who was married off to someone she didn't know, and had only talked on the phone with a couple times. While the guy was educated, his degrees were not recognized here in the U.S. For this reason she ended up basically supporting this person that she really did not know. 


Work Cited:

Abuhalawah, Ahmed (Willie). Personal Conversation. 1 October 2014, 9 January 2015, 20 January 2015.

Abuhalawah, Ahmed (Willie). Personal Conversation. 

D. Fadi. "Snowing in the Middle East". January 2015.

Harrioson, Leah. "Isreal". Daily Dost of Culture. 12 August 2014. Retrieved: January 19, 2015. Website: http://leahsdailydose.blogspot.com/2014/08/israel.html

"Israel". Wikipedia. Retrieved: January 19, 2015. Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israe
Jujare, Arvind. "Bomby Night". August 2014

Kalemen, Michele. "Mideast Conflict Could Bog Down International Criminal Court". NPR. Published: 11 January 2015. Retrieved: January 19, 2015. Website: http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2015/01/09/376092020/mideast-conflict-could-bog-down-international-criminal-court

Unknown. Unknown News Story about Snow in Israel. Heard: 6 January 2015.

Alternate Source: "Jerusalem in Panic Mode Ahead if Expected Snow Storm". 7 January 2015. Retrieved: January 19, 2015. Website: http://www.whyisrael.org/2015/01/07/jerusalem-in-panic-mode-ahead-of-expected-snow-storm/

Dubai

About:

Dubai is located on the Arabian Peninsula off the Persian Golf, and lies within the Arabian Dessert. It is part of the United Arab Emirates. It is a modern city. While it does have oil reserves, this is fairly moderate by Arabian standards. Still, the country is more prosperous then what its oil production would suggest. 

According to the "About Dubai Screen" which was a publication about Dubai on-board my Flight on Emirates Airlines, Dubai's wealth stems from something bigger then just oil wealth. Their wealth stems from their openness to the west and the ease at which foreigners to do business within this Country. According to my husband Arvind Jujare, when those in the Middle East want to do business with the West they go to Dubai, and when those in the West want to do business with the Middle East, they go to Dubai.

My Expediences:

To be clear: I have never actually visited Dubai. I have, however, been through their airports numerous times going between the U.S. and India. 

The last time that I went through the airport was on December 30, 2014 on my way back from India. We left India on time, but due to fog in Dubai we were not able to land on time and ended circling the city for a good hour and a half. During that time I got to see the landscape of the Arabian Desert that surrounds the city. As we came in, I was able to get a pretty good view of the city, including the Burj Khalifa, which is the tallest building in the world. If you look very closely in the first picture I posted you can see it rising out of the fog that had earlier prevented us from landing.

Normally when I go through the Dubai airport it is at night, and so not only to I not get a good view of the city and the area that surrounds it, I also do not get a feel for what the airport is really like during the main portion of the day. 

The first time second time I had come through here I was really surprised at how many men tried to enter the women's restroom. While I was taking a bathroom break, a man tried to escort several women he was with. He had a brief argument with a security guard before being chased out. I sat across from this restroom while waiting for my flight and saw at least three other men try to enter, some of them had clearly just been confused as to which restroom they were entering, but at least one other also tried to escort their harem of women in.

This last time was much busier. I had not had time to check out what was going on with the restrooms, but I did not notice any men trying to enter.

Food:
I did not eat anything while I was at the airport, but there are a variety of places to eat that fit a Westerners pallet. There are cafes that sell coffee and sandwiches, and bars that serve pizza and beer. It would not be Dubai without some air of decedents: there are upscale restaurants here, including a caviar bar. 

New Year's Eve 2014:
On new Year's eve most of us go out to a party, or stay at home and watch the ball drop on on t.v. that takes place at New York's time square. This year, my friends and I watched the New Year's eve event taking place in Dubai. 

We started watching the ball drop in New York time square before changing the channel; when we changed the channel we were amazed. The show started with a dazzling water fountain display that dwarfed anything you might  see  in Las Vegas. When watching it I turned to my friend and said: "You know, they are in the middle of the desert and look what they are using their water for". 

After the water show was over attention turned to Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the word. It was lit up with what must have been hundreds of thousands of LED lights. These were synchronized to music and 500,000 fireworks that exploded from the side of the sky scraper (Johanson). I kept hearing my Indian friends say, "I know someone who is there". 

One of my friends turned to me and said, "I half expect the building to launch from the ground" (Pai).

"It probably would have been less expensive if it had." I replied.

The first time the show  was put on, in December of 2013, it cost $6,000,000 U.S.D. While it is a fraction of the cost India used to send a craft into Mars ($74 million). They really could have sent the building into space with the $6 million price tag. 

Work Cited:
Emirates Airlines. "About Dubai". Retrieved: December 30, 2014.

DowntownDubai. "Downtown Dubai New Year's Eve 2015" Streamed: 31 December 2014. Retrieved: January 17, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aJPgGXRaFE

"Dubai". Wikipedia. Retrieved: January 17, 2015. Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubai

Johanson, Mark. "Dubai Fireworks 2014: The Record-Breaking Display By The Numbers". Published: 01 January 2015. Website: http://www.ibtimes.com/dubai-fireworks-2014-record-breaking-display-numbers-1524204 Retrieved: 17 January 2015.

Jujare, Arvind. Personal Conversation. January 2015.

Pai, Siddharth. Personal Conversation. 01 January 2015.

Park, Madison. "India's spacecraft reaches Mars orbit... and history", CNN. 24 September 2014. Retrieved: 17 December 2015. Website: http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/23/world/asia/mars-india-orbiter/

Bangalore, India

Bangalore:

Motorcyclist with a small baby
strapped to his chest.
By: Leah Harrison

This past Christmas holiday, I visited my in-laws in Bangalore, India. In general, I usually feel pretty safe here. In the past, I have always been hesitant to go out on my own. When I walk or take an auto (or cab) someone in the past has always come with me. This time was slightly different. 

This time I had a little shopping to do early in the morning before many people got up. On my own I was able to walk down the street to buy things like milk and soft drinks. I also took a walk around the block and took walks in the park. Of course, this was early in the morning before too many people were out. If it had been later in the day I probably would have been more hesitant; by mid-day traffic gets so bad that I fear crossing the street by myself.

Coffee:

By: Anand Jujare

By: Anand Jujare

There are many great places to get a good cup of coffee in Bangalore. Many restaurants and cafes serve it. There is a place called Cafe Coffee Day. This would be equivalent of our Starbucks. They are on every corner, they serve pastries along with a wide variety of tasty coffees. They are at airports and malls; we even came across a coffee day in the middle of nowhere when on a road trip the first time I came to India.

On this last trip, my husband, brother-in-law and I had decided to go out and get coffee at a nice hotel, but we instead ended up in the first Starbucks in Bangalore right before closing time. It was the biggest one I had ever seen. It was two stories tall, and the dining area upstairs was spacious, and empty. 

Tables on the 2nd floor of the
 Starbucks in Bangalore.
By: Anand Jujare

My brother-in-law, Anand Jujare, told me that in order to open this, Starbucks had to team up with an Indian company. This company is Tata, you know the company that makes cars and has taken over Jaguar. 

Benches on the 2nd floor
of the Starbucks in Bangalore.
By: Anand Jujare

When this first opened, my Brother-in-law told me, the line for Starbucks ran around the building. That's a lot of waiting just for a cup of coffee. Starbucks here is not just coffee though, coming here instead of going to Cafe Coffee Day is also a status symbol.

The Bombing:
Why did we decide to go to a Starbucks as opposed to checking out the hotel, an experience that would have been more unique for me, and reminiscent for my husband, Arvind. The answer, we were somewhat afraid to venture too far from home that night.

Earlier, My in-laws and I went to a Mall to have some amazing Chinese food. We did a small amount of shopping afterwords and then drove home. I took my daily (while there) afternoon nap. When I awoke around 8:30 pm there was breaking news. A bomb had just exploded in Coconut Grove. If we had been a few hours later going home we would have passed right by it on our way home.

One person was killed and another had been injured in the low intensity blast. It was on crowded stretch of road, and no one took responsibility for it. 

It was suspected that the culprit was an ISIS sympathizer, since their had been threats before after an arrest was made linked to ISIS.

Police barricades on the road the night of the bombing.

One of my husband's friends, who owns a bar in Bangalore texted my husband, basically telling him that they had kicked someone out of the bar earlier that week for suspicious behavior. Basically, a man was in the bar, not buying anything and looking under tables. They escorted the man out and alerted other bars in the area to look out for this suspicious person. Another bar in the area responded that they too had seen the same person doing the same thing. They too had escorted this person out. None of the bars informed the police.


Police Vehicles outside of
 Starbucks in Bangalore,
 letting people know to get off
the street

The roads to Starbucks were blocked by police barricades. Police were telling people to get off the streets. We stood outside of Starbucks and saw four police vehicles go by. Each one letting people know that it was unsafe to be on the streets. 

This was not the first bombing Bangalore has seen, and by contrast the damage was quite unsubstantial. The first time I visited Bangalore I visited a mall within walking distance of my in-law's. A month later I heard that a bomb blasted through that building. The target: a political figure who was shopping there. The political figure was fine.

These bombings however are a stark reminder that the world is unstable. So much for feeling safe in Bangalore.

Work Cited:
Jujare, Anand. "Picture of Starbucks", "Polices Vehicles", and "Road Blocks". 28 December 2014.

Jujare, Anand. Personal Conversation. 28 December 2014

Jujare, Arvind. Personal Conversation. 28 December 2014

Wake Up. "Bangalore Bomb Blast on 28 dec 2014". Posted on: 28 December 2014. Retrieved: January 19, 2015.Website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHWfl9L2sKU

Tibet

Introduction:

I have always found Tibetan culture interesting. I first found out about there culture as a child while in a museum. The exhibits lead into a gift shop, where tourists could buy things that were related. There was incense, and prayer wheels and chimes. I asked my mom if I could buy something, but she told me it was all over priced. She however, purchased a book for herself: The World of Tibetan Buddhism, by the 14th Dalai Lama. 

Tibetan Prayer Wheel.

Later, I found myself in a small town's antique shop just North of San Antonio. The place was quaint, and surrounded by a small garden that seemed like one from a British Novel which was filled with crape myrtle trees with lilac colored flowers. In one corner of this small shop were small crafts from different countries. Again there was a small gong, and a prayer wheel and incense. The shop keeper came over and showed me the gong, which was bowl shaped and came with a wooden mallet. She showed me that it was actually a singing bowl. As one rolled the mallet around it would actually make a high pitch ringing sound. 

I begged my mom for this. She looked at the price, and shook her head. I continued playing with the singing bowl, before moving on to the prayer wheel. After I was done playing with the prayer wheel my mom moved in and picked it up and looked at the price. She then looked at the price of the incense that I had been sniffing earlier. She picked both of these up and brought them to the cash register. She told me she would give me these much appreciated gifts after I finished that weekend's chores. I still have the prayer wheel, which has a prayer inside that spins. When you spin it, it is supposed to be like saying the prayer that it is written on it. 

About Tibet: 

Most of Tibet is technically part of China, though it used to be its own autonomous country which had bordered China and India in the Himalayas. A majority of its people practice a unique form of Buddhism which is specific to the region, and is lead by the Dhalai Lama, who is thought to be a sort of devine king. Each Dhali Lama is thought to be the reincarnation of the previous Dhali Lama (Anantharaman).

Art:

Amitayus Buddha Thangka.
San Antonio Museum of Art.

The region has a rich culture of art. Ranging from flags, to sand mandalas, to statues, to ink on cloth.

Last November I was lucky enough to go to the San Antonio Museum of Art. This museum has art from around the world, including Tibet.

One of the pieces was the Amitayus Buddha Thangka.This one was pigments on cotton from the late 18th century. 

The Tibetans are also famous for there sand Mandalas. These are "cosmic diagrams" that are made up of "concentric circles and squares representing the symbolic home of a deity. Mandala[s] are used as a tool for meditation and aid in spiritual development" (San Antonio Museum of Art). 

Tibetan Medicine Buddha Mandala,
 by: Drepung Loseling Monks  of South India,
San Antonio Museum of Art, 2001

The one here was actually made at the San Antonio Museum of Art in 2001 by Tibetan monks. It is made of pigmented marble sand.  The sand mandala is not supposed to be permanent. The colored sands are not glued down. In fact "its ultimate function is to represent impermanence". "Permission to preserve this mandala was granted by His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama" (San Antonio Museum of Art). 

This particular piece is one of only four to be preserved in the U.S. and is only one that is a Tibetan Medicine Buddha Mandala.

Food:

Late last month, I found myself sitting in a small cafe/ shop in India, called Ants. I had a British breakfast, complete with scrambled eggs, chicken sausage toast, baked beans, and a coffee. This might not seem like a typical start to a post. This breakfast in no way is similar to a traditional breakfast you might eat in Tibet.

The food I had was great food that made the meal about Tibet, it was the conversation I had while eating it. 

The Person:

Aravinda Anantharaman is an Indian Writer and Editor. When we were on our way to Ants I asked her what she had been up to recently. She told me that she had been helping to work on a project to help bring books to Tibetan Children. When I had not been talking with the intention of posting about her in my blog, but what she was talking about fascinated me. To be clear, I did not take notes on the conversation, but I can convey the general jest of what we spoke about.

Basically, the group that Aravinda had been working with had been trying to write, publish, and distribute books for Tibetan children. There were many challenges with this, she tells me. For one thing, there are two languages that the Tibetans speak, with multiple dialects. There are two written Tibetan languages, one of which is more complex then the other. The one that school children learn is the less complex, but it is harder to convey information through, since it was not meant for the type of stories they are trying to create. So the first challenge was picking a language to write in. If the language they had picked had been English, Aravinda tells me, she would actually be able to write and edit some of these books, but since they had not chosen this language to publish in, it limits her to only helping this project in other ways.

Aravinda Anantharaman,
 Preatam Koilpillai and their son Gawa.

Another challenge this project faces is funding. The target audience is fairly small. Most of the readership is limited to Tibetans, and for the most part, the distributors will only be able to get the books to Tibetan refugees now living in India. This means that there is little if any money in this for people like Aravinda who are working on this project. Still she rather be doing this then some of the more lucrative things she could be doing with her time. 

Aravinda Anantharaman is really dedicated to the distribution of children's literature throughout India, not just for the Tibetans exiled to India, but for all children in India. You can tell just by talking with her that there is a special place in her heart for the Tibetan people, and that is a big part of her life. 

Book:

I downloaded the Audio Book, The 14th Dhalai Lama: Buddha of Compassion, by Aravinda Anantharaman, the writer I had eaten Brunch with. The book is a Non-fiction work that talks about this current Dhalai Lama,  the 14th Dhalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. The book tells the story of this Ddhalia Lama's discovery, childhood, empowerment, the Chinese takeover of Tibet, and his exile of the Dhalai Lama.

According to this book: the Dhalai Lama had been born to Tibetan peasants. He was discovered by Tibetan monks who believed he was the reincarnation of the 13th Dhalia Lama after he identified a rosary of that Dhalai Lama. After more tests were given, he was taken to a monastery, and then later to the palace where he grew up. At age 15 he became the leader of his people. As Communist China prepared to take over Tibet, the Dhalia Lama went to China to try to resolve the issue peacefully. However, His Holiness became disillusioned with Communism. China's take over of Tibet was thus not peaceful and many, including the Dhalai Lama left in exile to India. 

This is a great book to get the basics about the Dhalai Lama. It is short and concise and contains a lot of great information on not just the current Dhalai Lama but modern Tibetan Buddhism as a whole.

Short Film:
Aravinda Anantharaman's Husband (and my cousin in-law),  Preatam Koilpillai, has also been very involved with the Tibetan exiles in India. In 2010 he produced a short film called Passport Photos. This is a documentary that features young Tibetan exiles who are living in India. Through this 15 minute presentation we get to see the struggles that these young Tibetans go through as a people whose home has been stolen from them.

Work Cited:

Anantharaman, Aravinda. Personal Conversation. December 27, 2014.

Anantharaman, Aravinda. The 14th Dhalai Lama: Buddha of Compassion. Published:  04 January 2013.

Drepung Loseling Monks  of South India. "Tibetan Medicine Buddha Mandala". Created: 2001.

Jujare. Arvind: Photo of Preatam Koilpillai and Aravinda Anantharaman. Taken 25 December 2014.

Jinpa, Thupten (14th Dalai Lama). The World of Tibetan Buddism. Published: 1995.

Koilpillai, Preatam, in collaboration with with Lingpa, Jangchup, Thardoe Lobsang. "Passport Photos". 2010. Website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFHRQfhUfOY. 

San Antonio Museum of Art. Art descriptions of "Amitayus Buddha Thangka", and "Tibetan Medicine Buddha Mandala".  Read in: November 2014.

Unknown: "Amitayus Buddha Thangka".Created: Late 18th Century.