The big step of moving into our own home in India arrived last week. After seven weeks living out of a suitcase but in the most amazingly warm and comfortable hotel in Vadodara, India, 'Hampton by Hilton'. We had our final breakfast with our wonderfully attentive wait staff in the restaurant. I had become very familiar with a few of the young men working there and can safely say some will remain friends and people we can rely on if need be. Breakfast started fine as usual until my very favourite waiter, a very handsome young man by the name of Vivek came waltzing over to see me and to greet me good morning. Now...Vivek never works the breakfast shift as most of the others live close by in staff accommodation whilst he lives at home with his parents. I asked him why he was working.... He replied " well....the thing is....I asked my manager to swap my shift so that I could be here for you on your last day today". Well....this did not go well with the tearing up situation. I had composed myself the night before and had said my goodbyes and thank-you's to Vivek knowing my stay wasn't yet over at the evening meal and things were as normal. We did the customary paparazzi photo shoot for memory lane with all of the boys producing their mobile phones so as to record my stay with them. I'm sure I'm all over the Indian Facebook realm by now by association with a Western woman. Anyone would have thought I was some big name celebrity the way they carried on....
After multiple trips to the nearby ladies room to compose myself through breakfast, we finally left the breakfast room and returned to our so familiar hotel room to do our final packing of the bags as our driver was waiting to take us to our new abode. We made our final departure through the Hilton doors waving back at the gathering of staff we had become most fond of.
I had spent the previous two days getting our new home ready for move in so the bed was made, the new kitchen utensils were washed and stored away in their appropriate places, the bathrooms were stocked. We moved in, sat and had a cup of tea and relaxed in our new surrounds. Our driver met us at a designated time to do our very first Indian shop later that day.
In India, you don't just go to the equivalent 'Woolworth's Supermarket' and get everything you need. Here you go to about five different locations and feel somewhat perplexed as to what you're going to use the groceries for which you've acquired so as to make one complete meal..... I must admit though, it's a learning curve and after almost two weeks of being hunter and gatherer, I'm getting the hang of it a little better than at first. For example...here in India you don't go and buy fresh milk or cream....it's boxed long life product and the choice is limited. Pasta sauce is in a bottle which says pizza and pasta sauce and that's it.....no more choice, the meat variety on offer is either chicken or fish all of which is frozen. You can buy sausages, which I did, but won't be again....
The fruit and vegetable markets are fabulous.....one spot I love to go is called Ellora Park fruit & veg markets. Stall vendors line their wheelie trolleys up along a side street, fruit on one side and veg on the other. The fruit and veg variety and quality is unbelievable and enough to tantalise and stimulate even the most uninterested vegie eater I'm sure. The smell of the pungent herbs of almost every variety swamp the stall area and cows wander trying their luck at stealing what's on offer. Stall holders have plastic pipe at the ready to hit the pesky cows on the heads when they try to casually shop lift the goods with their slobbery mouths. They slowly saunter off as though to say 'oh darn....that didn't work....I'll come back later...'. The cost of the produce in these markets is insane.....our whole weekly fruit and veg shop didn't exceed AU$3.
I feel very comfortable in our new home....it's spacious, clean, new and very convenient to everything. Our home is extremely luxurious and I am grateful for this to escape the sometimes very intimidating environment outside of its walls. About four or five street vendors come right up to my apartment block each day selling fruit and veg. I leave my garbage outside my door by 11am each day and it is collected by the security guard, Babboo. Babboo, his wife and their teenage son live in the car park downstairs on a stretcher and cook on an open fire. They are a happy and loving family.... Seems wrong I'm living up here in a luxurious apartment far too big for two people when they struggle.....but they have food, water, shelter and love and seem content. The caste system is not at all fair.....I cannot fight it but I can resist encouraging it. Today I bought a block of Cadbury chocolate and will give it to the family on my next trip down stairs.....I doubt if they would have appreciated such delicacy before and want them to have the privilege most of us take for granted. Babboo's wife is shy and tries not to look at me.....I always acknowledge her with a smile....one day hoping to receive that reciprocal gesture that only time will tell.
On Sunday just gone, I was amazed to see a huge monkey effortlessly balance on a stainless steel rail directly outside my fourth floor apartment window and stop and peer in at me. The size of him was equal to an average eight year old child. I would have no hope of eradicating him if he happened to come inside.....that said, we now ensure all windows and doors are locked at all times. It did give me quite a startled moment to say the least.
Enjoy my photos and reading about my new abode.
Welcoming feature window to our apartment.
My gorgeous Hampton men (Vivek next to me with glasses) doing our paparazzi shoot!