Check 23

Day 31

Remember when I issued myself a little challenge here?

Well, it has been 31 days and it's time for a little evaluation.

Has my photography gotten any better? Well, I don't really know. I've tried a couple new things, like self portraiture and night photography, however I don't think I've done enough of either of these things to really say that I've gotten skilled at them.

It has been 31 days, but I would still like to continue to learn and practice. Unfortunately, with a relatively long work day, I don't have hours to devote to taking photos and editing them. So, I would like more time to learn and practice. That said, let's extend this another month for now. We'll take it one month at a time and go from there. :)

What do you think? Have you seen any improvement? Backsliding? Suggestions for subject matter or just in general? I love a good constructive critique.

Challenged

Source

On my list of 25 Before 25, number 23 is "Participate in a photo challenge."

There are many out there, some topical (ie, landscapes, macros, etc), some time constrained (31 days), and some free form.

It's already past the first of the year, so it seems a little belated to do a 365 day challenge (though technically, the 365 days can start at any time). A month long challenge seems more manageable. I'd really like to push myself and do the 365 day challenge, though I don't want to set myself up for failure. Maybe I'll start with 30 days and then if that seems to be clipping along, I'll extend it.

I'll be uploading my photos to Flikr as well as to a separate tab at the top menu bar. Make sure to check back often!

State of Things

As in, the State Fair. And all that entails (read: fried food, games, rides and animals).

 I wrote earlier that I took a photography class one evening after work, and well, I am in the process of taking another one. I have read Ashley Ann's blog for a while, and her photos are always so beautiful and real. She just adopted a beautiful baby girl from China, and of course, that strikes a chord with me. She offers an online class, and it is currently running! She encouraged us to share links to blogs where we post our photos, so I thought I would share a couple photos with you all. Those of you coming from the SnapShop, Hi! and Welcome!

A little background. Stacy, in the first photo, is a friend from high school in China. We hadn't seen each other in about four or five years. It was SO GOOD to catch up and hang out and talk into the wee hours of the morning (ok, wee hours for me). We went up to the State Fair and had a blast.

I took lots of photos from the weekend, and tried to pick the best. Check it out:

Stacy and Barkley on the back porch

Abraham (merger or lines?)

I just love this photo of Aaron

Some interesting gourds

This makes me thankful for indoor plumbing.

A little creative cropping?

I don't remember what he was explaining, but I love his expression

I like the composition of this one, but I don't think I did it deliberately

Last food item of the night. (poor cropping of the hand)

I didn't take this one, since I'm in it, but I wanted to give you an idea of how the night finished off!

To sum up the night:

• Rides: Check (The swings, and the centrifuge-like one)
• Games/Prizes: Check (standing up a bottle; we weren't successful, but we won a prize any way- see large stuffed lion above)
• Hog Races: Check (and goats and ducks!)
• Food: Check (turkey leg, funnel cake, blooming onion, fried cinnamon roll, fried Koolaid and kielbasa)

All in all, a successful Fair. 

SnapShop friends, I played with my settings some-- I didn't take any of these in automatic, but I had it in aperture priority mode. Any critique, suggestion, question or comment is welcome!

Until next time!

click

Photography is wonderful. There are images that can make you laugh, cry or become angry.

I've always liked to take pictures. Pictures that show beauty, that tell a story. But I'm no pro, and my experience is limited to my own tinkerings. So, I put it on my list.

Then I started looking for a class.

I found one place associated with a museum. But as I looked through the instructors, I wasn't overwhelmed with them.  Some were beautiful, but so glamorous. I want to take pictures of real life. See the beauty in the everyday. So I held off. The price point also gave me pause.

So I kept looking. And I found a class that met in single 3 hour classes and was an affordable rate.

I registered to take an "Outdoor Portraiture" class.

The instructor was very kind and personable. Most of the attendants seem to have taken classes previously, but I was pretty clueless.

I got into the flow quickly and learned some things. We shot a model outside for a while and then went inside to talk about what we learned. I learned a little about flash, about camera position and about lighting.

I enjoyed it. There's a lot of skill (people and technical) that goes into it. I enjoyed being in a learning setting again, especially about something that I enjoy so much. I would really love to get more into photography. Good thing it's something I can work at in my own time.

So be prepared if I start asking for models!

Stored

I know it’s been ages since I’ve posted. Chalk it up to not very much to talk about. That and after writing for days on Singapore and India, I might have been out of words. You wouldn’t know it from reading this blog, but usually I’m a woman of fewer words. I guess they flow more easily when I write. There’s less pressure to have coherent thought.

Back to this post. Remember when I posted a list of things that I’d like to do before I turn 25? Well I haven’t gotten very far on it. Meaning I’ve crossed a grand total of none of them off the list.

Well, here is the first step in my attempt to cross one of them off the list.

I opened an Etsy store! Eep! 

Photo is courtesy of Grace; Abraham and Lucky, the duck.

What is Etsy, you may ask? Well it’s like an online mall of storefronts that sell handmade, vintage and supply items. (You can read all about it on their website-- this is a description in my own words) It is a global site, and you can post your own creations on the site and sell them.

What am I selling? Well, I would love for you to stop by and check it out for yourself. Basically I am going to sell stuff that I like to make. That’s pretty much it.

I’ve had great support from family and friends. Abraham is always brimming with ideas of what I can make and sell; he was the original reason I made my first bow tie, and my friend Grace from Quote Life Photography (check out her awesome work here) blew me away with the first round of photos that you’ll see on the Etsy site (seriously, some beautiful photos).


So, without further ado, here is my shop! Hybridized Bamboo on Etsy.

praise

your love is amazing, steady and unchanging, your love is a mountain, firm beneath my feet. when i am surrounded,

your love carries me.

hallelujah hosanna

in this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation [syn. reconciliation; redemption] for our sins.  

hallelujah hosanna

he is good,

he is good,

when there's nothing good in me.

he is light,

he is light,

when the darkness closes in.

he is peace,

he is peace,

when my fear is crippling.

you are true,

you are true,

even in my wandering.

the riches of your love will always be enough

hallelujah hosanna

give thanks to the LORD, our God and King,

his love endures forever.

for He is Good, he is above all things,

his love endures forever.

with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm,

his love endures forever.

from the rising to the setting sun,

his love endures forever.

hallelujah hosanna

he brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and

burst their bonds apart.

hallelujah hosanna

For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand

 

hallelujah hosanna

But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and

with his stripes we are healed.

hallelujah hosanna

and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but

for him who for their sake died and was raised.

hallelujah hosanna

these words are true, not just on Easter, but 24/7, 365 (+1 for leap year).



sources:

songs: forever reign- Hillsong; forever- Chris Tomlin; hallelujah (your love is amazing); in Christ alone

scripture: 1 John 4:10; Psalm 107:14; Isaiah 53:5; 2 Corinthians 5:15 (emphasis and inserts added)

list it

As I mentioned here, I like lists. Lists are good. Sometimes I'll make a to-do list even though I've already started doing, just so I can cross some things off the list. Crossing things off a list is supremely satisfactory.

In the spirit of lists, I have made a list of 25 things to do before I turn 25. It's like a mini bucket list, but it sets a time limit on it, which means my tooshie needs to get in gear before my 25th birthday. Since my 25th birthday is a little over a year and a half away (quick, do the math, how old am I?), it seems a reasonable amount of time to squeeze all of these things in. Some are fun, some are serious and some you might roll your eyes at. It's ok, you can make your own list!

Without Further Ado, ze List:

1. Go skiing
2. Stop on the highway, just to take pictures of flowers
3. Climb a mountain to see a sunrise
4. Go hang gliding
5. Scuba dive
6. Sell something I've made to a stranger
7. Grow tomatoes and eat said tomatoes
8. Make a photo book of countries I've visited
9. Organize my photos
10. Read the whole Bible
11. Take a photography class
12. Make a dress
13. Swim with dolphins
14. Learn to drive a manual
15. Go whale watching
16. Purge my closet/apt
17. Learn spanish
18. Tone up
19. Join a small group
20. Go for a midnight picnic (with people, not on my own, silly!)
21. Visit Harry Potter World
22. Submit an article or essay to a magazine
23. Participate in a photo challenge
24. Fold 1,000 cranes
25. Find a job I enjoy

I'm also posting this list on a tab above, and as I complete things, I'll cross them off (did you really think I was going to leave out the supremely satisfying part?) and maybe even write about it. :)

Publishing this list makes me a little nervous, because now, you all know. And I need to actually do said things. Eep. *Breathe in, hold, and release.
What about you?! What goes on your list? I challenge you to make your own, be it a over-your-whole-life bucket list, 25 before 25, 100 in a 100 months/days (I dunno, I made it up), but make yourself a list! And hop to it!

Speaking of hopping, how was your Jesus is Alive/Easter Day?

P.S. Sorry there are no pictures. They will come when things get crossed off lists.
P.P.S. Gold star for the first person who gives me an accurate count of how many times I used the word "list" in this post. My profuse apologies.

incredibly, India: in other words

City Palace, Jaipur

Because I haven't used enough words to talk about my three and a half day trip to Incredible India, I'm going to use even more (get comfy!).

Now that I've gotten the details and chronological order of things down on your computer screen, I think I'm going to break it down a little. I like lists, so prepare yourself! I didn't get to share all of my favorite pictures either because they didn't fit with what I was sharing or because I felt like there were already too many pictures and I just couldn't add more, so a few of those will show up as well.

Let me start with some general thoughts and observations. I sprinkled a couple of them throughout the retelling, but here is where I may get a little deeper than the sights I saw. I took a little notebook with me and whenever we were driving somewhere or still for a moment, I would try to jot some things downs so I wouldn't forget the moment or the thought that I had. Let me share a couple of those with you.

Outside Delhi, from the metro.

>>The air was visibly hazy when we landed. Immediately, I thought of China and the smog that lingers over the cities. This was even more blatant than that, for some reason. Despite the haze that would cause a place like Shanghai to seem overcast and gloomy, India was BRIGHT. The sun shone without impediment and this surprised me. You can see evidence of this especially in some of my pictures from the Taj Mahal, and the fact that we wore sunglasses everywhere.

>>Poverty and wealth appeared to coexist on a regular basis. A lot of places I have been strive to hide or push out poverty. Yet, I could see no such evidence of an effort to do this in India. Perhaps it is evidence of how deep the Hindu belief of caste systems has been embedded in society.

>>Arranged marriage is different than my understanding. Mama G had an arranged marriage. However, my conception of it was a lot narrower than how it actually happened. I'm sure this is not how it happens/happened in all societies that practiced a form of arranged marriages, but I had never really thought much about the practice. In India, there are arranged marriages, however, they are not set in stone and made without the input of the individuals. Yes, parents will choose a partner, but then, there is a trial courtship period where the couple can decide if this is what they both want. If they are not happy, they can break it off and the parents will find a new candidate. I'm sure even within these parameters there are extremes at either end, but this sounded a lot more reasonable to me. Mama G had an arranged marriage, but it wasn't something where she met her husband the day they got married and was forced into it. Their parents arranged the match, but they dated for a while before deciding that they wanted to marry each other. This scenario sounded much more like teamwork, and a lot less a form of power usage or control. (PS. I'm not saying that everyone should go and ask their parents to find them someone, or for all parents to suddenly give out applications. This was merely an observation and learning experience into a cultural tradition and practice that was unknown to me.)

Jaipur

>>Honking horns seems like a form of greeting. I know this happens a lot in big cities, but even if there wasn't traffic, people seemed to be honking.

>>I saw a lot of arches grouped in threes. This may or may not have led to a slight obsession with taking photos in said groups of threes, but hey, there were three of us...there were three archways... c'mon who WOULDN'T make that connection? No, but seriously, I noticed them everywhere. Is there a cultural significance to the number three that I missed? Three symbols of India (camel, elephant, horse)?  

>>Driving along, I noticed lots of walls that had brand names painted on them. Whole stretches of brick wall with "Coca Cola" painted in its iconic red and white. There weren't any shops or even hawkers near them. I thought this was curious. Did Coke just have lots of extra paint? Low budget advertising? I'll have to ponder that for a while.

Amber Palace, Jaipur

>>Traffic rules are more like suggestions. Suggestions might even be too strong a word. I thought traffic in China was poor, well I hadn't seen anything yet. I guess when you throw in herds of cows, camels pulling carts and the odd elephant bus, things tend to get a little...improvisational.

>>Men and women were separated everywhere. From the entrance to the Taj Mahal to security check lanes at the airport, there was always a separate line for women and men. This is where the gender population gap was very evident. There was always a long line of men waiting to get in wherever we were standing in line, but the women's line was always short or empty. I did appreciate a women's line for security checks of my person, though.

>>Across India, violence against women is frequent and often goes overlooked. It is almost a norm--however this puzzles me. There is a population gap between the genders, yet violence against and trafficking of women occurs often. Wouldn't something that is scarce be valued more? I didn't have time to really try and get into this, but it makes me wonder what elements are missing within family and even societal structures that could prevent this. Women should be valued inherently, but also because they are in shortage, yet they seem not to be. At least, not to the standards that I am accustomed to. This is a pretty big topic, and perhaps when I know more I'll delve into it more deeply.  

Produce sellers, Jaipur

I couldn't resist

>>The food is AMAZING. There is so much flavor and variety! I didn't have much experience with Indian food prior to this trip, but I loved it! Almost everything I ate was vegetarian (except I might have had meat at our continental breakfast, but I'm not sure), since Anu is vegetarian, but I didn't miss the meat at all. The spices and the flavors made the food anything but boring and I am excited to try and incorporate these types of foods into what I eat on a regular basis. Also, I know I mentioned this before, but I am in love with saffron lassi. Amazing. It cuts the heat and is so scrumptiously yummy. This also made me appreciate the lack of diversity in American vegetarian food options-- it would be tough to go from all of that flavor to having salad be the only veg option in a restaurant.

Well, I believe this is the last of my India saga. I wanted to wrap it up and add in anything I didn't talk about in the other posts, and I think I've done that.

I know you must be tired of reading about India by now, but I hope you saw how much I loved it and should you have the chance, take the opportunity to visit it yourself. I'm so thankful for my friends and for the chance I had to spend this time with them in India-- it was priceless!

Anything you noticed from my retelling or pictures that stuck out to you? Which photo was your favorite? Anyone know where I can get me some good lassi?





P.S. If you want to catch up, or re-read (bless your heart) any of my stories, I've made a page on the top bar that has links to all the days. Enjoy!
P.P.S. There's also one for Singapore, in case you're extra interested :)

incredibly, India: Day 4

A sari shopper

My last and final day in India. Did you get tired just from reading about all the things we packed into four short days? I got a little tired just writing it all out. But, I didn't want to forget about anything and I wanted to give you a pretty complete picture.

A couple days on the road, filled with walking, seeing, shopping and taking many pictures eventually caught up with us a little, and we slept in on the morning of the fourth day. Originally, Anu wanted to take us to the Lotus Temple and to Chandni Chowk, but we ended up cutting out the Temple and Nikka and Anu took a little more time to do that on Nikka's extra day.

We took our time in the morning, then the three of us and Anusree's mom headed to the subway station to go into the city. The subway car filled up quickly and we had a great time, talking about arranged marriages and her mom's experiences in the world of design and fashion.

Eventually we got to our stop in Old Delhi, and walked around for a bit. Anu's mama was looking for a particular sari designer that she had either known before or bought from before.

Exclusive designs! No plagiarism, got it?

Sari storage

Much like in China how there are people waiting for you when you get out of the subway stop advertising their wares and products, there were people waiting for us when we got off too. But, we had to follow them to their shops (also like in China). I guess carrying designer saris around just isn't done. So, we followed a young man who seemed to know the shop we were looking for through a couple allies and stepped into this little two story store front. To view the saris, we took off our shoes as we went up to the second floor. The floor was padded and covered with a white cotton-like fabric. I suppose this helped to keep things clean as well as provide a place to display the sari designs.

The colors were so rich and vibrant. I felt like my eyes were being dazzled and overwhelmed by the intensity of the colors. I pulled out my camera and snapped a picture of a piece they pulled to show us. The beading and designs are unique to each designer, so after I took that picture, they asked me not to take pictures of an actual piece, though I was welcome to take pictures of the pieces that were folded and stored on the open shelves.

A woman trying on saris

The beading of the sari is done on a sheer piece of fabric and then when the piece is purchased, they cut out the design and sew it onto a backing to fit the client.

One of the alleys

Anu and her mom didn't buy anything right then, so after we were done, we went looking for some jewelry makers. Chandni Chowk has a main street with alleys branching off of it. Each alley generally has a specialty-- saris, jewelry, paper, etc. I was looking for a particular gift. I had seen silver plated versions but wanted a full silver version. It took a while to find what I was looking for because the piece I had seen was actually Rajasthani in design and they didn't have the same thing in Delhi.

Eventually I found something similar, and made my purchase. They were going to oxidize it for me, so we had to come back to get it. While waiting, we went to this shop that was well known for it's food (EEP! Street Food! Huzzah!). I was pretty excited. Both Anu and her mom said that they would have never have come to this place if we had not been there, and that they were surprised that we were willing to eat street food. This is where I shrugged in response. I didn't really know any better. Street food has always been the best in my experience, and so I was excited to try this food. We ordered bread that was fried and they came with different curries (I don't know that they're actually called curries, but that's as close a definition as I can come up with in my limited Indian vocabulary). Anu wouldn't let us eat anything that hadn't been cooked, so that narrowed our options a little, but it was still delicious. What was interesting to me, was that it seemed as though were were buying the bread and the curries came as a side. And we could have more of the curries if we just asked, but had to purchase more bread if we finished it.

Anu and Mama G. Cue "awww"

Our food. We were allowed to eat the top middle section and the two curries in the same section as the bread.

Yay! We're honorary locals!

After we ate and were declared honorary locals, we split off from Mama G (Anu's mom. I'm leaving off the rest of their surname for privacy's sake) and went to find the Red Fort. We had trouble getting transportation because apparently we weren't worth the short distance...even though they were already going in that direction (insert confused expression here). Oh well. We eventually found a ride and got to the Fort.

We saw another tourist with a fancy camera taking video and pictures and offered to take a photo for him. Then he kindly offered to do the same. We thanked him after he took the picture. Then I looked at the photos he had taken. They were blurry. And he had cut out the Fort! I was so stunned. I thought since he had a dslr he would have known how to use mine, but apparently I shouldn't have made that assumption. I was bummed we didn't get a good picture in front of the fort, but that's ok, we got the gist of it.

This is the picture. I don't think anything is in focus. I'm actually a little confused about how he was able to get everything blurry.

We went in and walked around, and again I was struck by the intricate details, not just in the structures themselves, but in the detailing and latticework. A lot of it had fallen into disrepair and I wondered if there wasn't some university or museum that knew about this-- I feel like there would be a lot of historical art experts who would love to be a part of restoring these places.

Red Fort, Old Delhi

Red Fort, Old Delhi

We didn't have too long here, so Nikka and I made a few more purchases, then we went on our way. We got back on the subway and headed back to Anu's house. On the way, we picked up a henna artist since Nikka and I were getting henna'ed up. Nikka went first so I could pack up my luggage before my hands became incapacitated.

Henna and masala chai. What more could a girl ask for?

I swapped some photos with Nikka since Anu didn't carry a camera and then we sat around drinking masala chai and eating biscuits until we couldn't because our hands had to dry. Then we got straws and Anu fed us. Quality bonding time. You should try it.

Pretty. And temporary. Nice.

Before we knew it, it was time go. We loaded up my luggage and headed out. We stopped for some dinner and then finally drove to the airport. I dislike goodbyes. They're awkward and don't give me fuzzy feelings. I also feel awkward walking away from hugging someone goodbye and having tears running down my face. It feels like everyone is looking at you and wondering why you're crying. Throw in the whole "white girl in India" bit and I was a textbook spectacle.

I was able to contain myself until I was past security, but I definitely felt bereft. These are two of my best friends. We have the shared experience of having gone to school together internationally and have the history of having gone through rough stuff together. In short, we know each other pretty well and we've known each other for a long time (for TCK standards- to read about what TCK means, go here). I don't know when we will next see each other, but I hope it is sooner rather than later.

Awesome.

My flight was at about midnight, so I slept some on the plane. I don't sleep my best in a sitting up position, so I woke up a couple of times. At one point, I lifted my window and saw the most amazing colors shining back at me. It was reassuring to see this beautiful creation and know that its Creator had and has everything under control, even when  I'm sad.

And that, my friends, was my trip to India. I spent one day in Singapore before flying back Stateside, trying to meet up with a couple friends and then spending time with family (doing what else, eating, of course), and it was delightful.

I might post one more entry on India, just summarizing my thoughts and including my favorites. Maybe that'll be the abbreviated version of this very long retelling of my adventure.

Until next time, let me know what you think! What was your favorite part of this trip? What would you have added or taken away from your itinerary? Anyone else love henna?

incredibly, India: Day 3, part 2

Welcome back! If you remember, we were just finishing things up at Jaigar Fort, climbing trees and all that fun stuff.

On the way to the Amber Palace--it's behind us.

After this we headed to Amber Palace. To orient you, Amber Palace is built in a valley, whereas the fort is built on an adjacent hill. Standing from a wall of Jaigarh Fort and looking down at Amber Palace, this confused me. To me, it would have been logical to have the fort built around the palace or have the fort be located below the palace. Because an attacking force would start at the bottom and go up the hill--meaning they would reach the palace first. Which would be a problem if there were rulers/people of leadership in the palace. Also, the fort looked like it was made to accomodate royalty, so you can understand my befuddlement. Then the guard who voluntarily started acting as our tour guide explained to Anu that there was a tunnel that led from the palace to the fort. Oh so clever and tricky. I suppose the palace would then act as a decoy in the event of an attack? What a beautiful and elaborate decoy. I'm assuming it was never necessary since it's still in one piece and not demolished.

This is the boy we bought kulfi from-- it was frozen in little cups and he
pulled them out on sticks for us.

We also had to walk a little ways to get to the palace, but not quite as far. At this point, it was getting just a little toasty outside, so we stopped for some kulfi--one of the few street foods that Anu actually allowed us to eat. The best way I can describe kulfi is frozen condensed milk with spices and pieces of nuts mixed in.


The Amber Palace was, like previous sites, beautiful. The walls were a combination of red and yellow as opposed to the predominant red that I had noticed on many of the other buildings. They showed their age and their wear, but there was a wonderful charm about it. Amber Palace also has what looks like a receiving court with a garden and fountain in front of it.

The garden had walkways, but they were off limits to tourists. The receiving court was open air but was covered. The interior walls of this area were inlaid with glass and mirror pieces from top to bottom. We were only allowed to walk in one part as there was some restoration happening while we were there. The designs were intricate and beautiful and the mirrors in the shade made the receiving court seem spacious and cool.

The garden-- the receiving area was at the top left of this photo

The receiving area with a garden view.

A close up of some of the inlaid mirrors

Restoration in progress

This gives you idea of what it all looked like, put together.

We wandered around Amber palace for a while, seeing some places where they cooked and had separate chambers for men and women. Here, as in other places, there were many complex latticework windows and walls. Thinking back, it still amazes me and makes me wonder how long it took and how skilled the workers must have been.

You can see part of the protective wall.

Standing in one of the towers

A detail of one of the latticework walls that sort of doubled as a window.

We wandered all around and bumped into this group of kids. I'd say they ranged in age from 4-15, give or take. They were so full of laughter and I couldn't resist taking a few photos. This made them giggle more and then as I was leaving, I turned around to wave, and one posed for me! They were so fun and so beautiful. I wonder if there was a holiday or if they were skipping school or if they just didn't go to school.

So beautiful!

Strike a pose! They have such beautiful smiles.

Before we left Jaipur, we did a little shopping, and I bought things like silk pillowcases and a pair of handmade shoes and a bag. Jaipur is known for their block printing. I was tempted to buy a blanket or a coverlet set, but they were kind of pricey. I went, instead, for a simple piece of art printed on silk. It was the trio of a camel, elephant and horse. The merchant told me they are the symbols of India because they represent the three landmarks and because the animals are symbolic. The horse represents power, the elephant; good luck, and the camel; love.

A lot of places were closed, because Tuesday was their rest day. This was probably a good thing, because we may never have left if we had had more shopping options.

Finally we headed off in the dust to go back to Delhi since it was a good 5-6 hour drive back.

We got back to Delhi pretty late, but Anu and her parents took us to a cafeteria style restaurant near their home and we feasted on all these different types of bread and curries. Oh, and of course, we had our mandatory lassi to go with the meal.

Lassi cuts the spicy food intensity. And tastes just so yummy.

Part of our feast. (this is where I ask Anusree for names of all these delectable dishes)
Update: the bread is called Bhatura and the chickpea dish is called Chola.

More feast-y goodness. There was so much foooood!
Update: the bread on the left is Naan, Dal Makhani is in the top middle bowl and on the right we have Paneer Tikka with kebabs

She's such a good hostess. And you can just see Nikka's salivary glands on overtime. Sorry for the blurriness. I was hungry.
Update: Anu is serving Dosa, which is a South Indian style of bread, and the curry in the bottom right corner is Saambar, which is also South Indian. According to Anu, "you have chutney and saambar with the dosa and sometimes it has a potato filling inside the dosa. For all the vegetable dishes we call them subji, and the desserts were jalebi (the squiggly orange things)and gulab jamun (the dark brown balls)" Now you know. Go get you some. (I might have to print out this post so I know what to order next time. No shame.)

With that, my friends, we come to the end of Day 3. One more day to go! Hang in there, I hope you're not getting tired of hearing about India!






P.S. You can read about the earlier days of my Indian adventure here, here, here and here (in chronological order, of course)