Valerie

Well, I had a busy couple of days. I went to get two sets of Indian clothing and went to a art fair and yesterday on a city tour. All very exciting and exhausting. I still am pooped from yesterday. But I have pictures! Here are just a few and I will post more later.

The craft fair, dunno how to spell the name.

My first Indian outfit.

These are actually tombs. Crazy huh?

Some of the original tile work. Most of them were supposedly turquoise originally.

Our guide Kavitha and her daughter Happy on the stairs.

Our snack included Appy. Dad, I think you were meant to live here.

Famous monument which I forget the name of.

Bangles at the bangle market. Must go back and buy.

Man on Street.

Blurry, but look at the colors!

Matching with the auto rickshaw.

Man on old school rickshaw.

Spice vendors.

Some palace.

I know the name of this one! Golconda Fort.

A bunch of us in our pretty clothes.

Painting at the temple at the top of the fort.

The guy in the center is one of us. He got swarmed and then chanted for. It was probably the highlight of the day.

See, cheering!

~The Finn

Make New Friends (But Keep the Old)

2nd day! I don't know how long I will be able to keep this one a day blogging, but I really need to stay awake for a little bit before I head to sleep. Therefore blog. But also I have pictures! Not very many, but at least a few. I had day one of orientation, which was more tiring than expected, but did find out about a craft fair going on in town that I am hoping to hit up tomorrow. Also tomorrow, I get to pick out two Indian outfits that will be paid for by my program. Isn't that, well, just grand? Today I went to Lingampally during our bus tour and was able to pick up a tiffin carrier for my mom. And do you want to know the price? Just about 4 USD. That's just swell by me. I am loving this conversion rate. Anyways, pictures.

My first attempt at night photography. I thought it came out pretty cool.

Auto-rickshaws, known in other parts of Asia as tuk-tuks.

Living the thug life. Not to be confused with the Thuggee life a la Indiana Jones.

~The Finn

Feeling Good

Well, it's been a while since I last posted. Here's the deal, I finished up London with flying colors and headed home on Dec 10. In my time away I mainly focused on my end of the year papers and projects, hence no time lah. I flew out to India on Dec 25, yes Christmas, and it is officially my first day in India. I have since had both breakfast and lunch at my hostel stay here in India, yes I know, absolutely riveting, and took a shower and a quick nap. This afternoon I went to a minimarket inside the university confines and a little street right outside the gate. I found where to get some supposedly excellent noodles that I have yet to try, and now I am biding my time before dinner and possibly a movie/sleep time. So far so good, expectations are met.

Peace for now and hopefully some pictures too.

~The Finn

Majulah Singapura

Well, hello! Today is Thanksgiving, an American holiday, and I am in London where they do not really celebrate it. Now, for some of you, that might seem like a horrible thing, but for me, that is quite alright. I never have really been a fan of Thanksgiving food, I think turkey is bland and dry and outside of my mom's amazing spicy stuffing (modified with some of her Singapore style), I would prefer some home cooked Asian food, which she would usually make after we returned from some festivity. Now, since I am with an American university and it is Thanksgiving, we are all going out as a group for some sort of Thanksgiving food. I am going to be cordial about all this, because, well, it's Thanksgiving. But to uphold some of my own traditions, I also decided to go to Chinatown for a bit. I had a bao and went to a couple of grocery stores to pick up some things to remind me of home. I have to say, I really hit to jackpot.

RWU football. That's right, American style.

Chinatown.

It wouldn't be Thanksgiving if there weren't Christmas decorations already up.

Packet mee goreng.

These were my favorite growing up. They are called U Too, I know that is not the correct spelling.

Now all you Singapore people, are you jealous? These will be gone by tonight.

Now the best part is, tomorrow, there will be no hiding indoors because of crazy Black Friday people!


~The Finn

Just Friends

Warwick (Disneyland) Castle.

Alright, you caught me, this isn't part of the castle. But it is one of two postboxes with the initials V R on it.

~The Finn

Me & Mr Jones

Kenilworth Castle.

~The Finn

You Know I'm No Good

Onto Stratford upon Avon.

Shakespeare's wife, Anne Hathaway's cottage. Not the current actress.

Shakespeare's birthplace.

The New Place, where Shakespeare lived for his final years.

Hall's Croft, where Shakespeare's daughter Susanna lived with her husband, Dr. John Hall.

Shakespeare's grave at Holy Trinity Church.

The oldest facade at the Royal Shakespeare Company's theater.

Shakespeare's monument, desecrated with birds and bird poop.

These next three are of Falstaff, one of my favorite characters.

~The Finn