My grandmother lives in Bokaro. She and her sister are the last of their generation on my mother's and father's side, and all of Deepti's grandparents have passed away, so it was important to both of us that generation 1 meet generation 4 (i.e. Naina).
To get to Bokaro was spectacular. The road is dangerous, unsealed for a 100 metre stretch and panoramic. Ranchi is at 1500 feet whereas Bokaro is at sea level (or thereabouts) so to get down the hills means long and winding roads. To get there we took NH 33 northeast out of Ranchi and then turned right at Ramgarh and took NH 23 to Bokaro through Phusro.
View Larger Map
The panoramic part was just before Ramgarh, if you enlarge the map, you can see the curving roads and winding roads as we descended from Ranchi.
This was also the stage that N showed her predeliction for motion sickness. She would be jumping about in the back seat of the car, thoroughly enjoying her trip and then would go quiet, refusing food and water. It took us a while to read the signs. Coming back, I started to work out when she would be sick, but she still "surprised" us and the car floor from time to time.
Parts of Jharkhand (including areas surrounding Ranchi) are known for Maoist sympathisers and Naxalites (a type of regional freedom fighter or disorganised guerilla fighters). These sympathisers are in a violent struggle against the government and the commonly held view is that these sympathisers are funded by China, in order for it to increase its sphere of influence.
There is a scene in Yes Minister where Humphrey is describing the urgent need for an upgrade of nuclear deterrents because of the enemy. Hacker replies, what the Russians? Humphrey replies, no the French. Likewise, India is surrounded by two enemies, one well known, Pakistan and, the other not so well known, China. Tensions wax and wane regularly.
Arriving in Bokaro was like arriving in Paris compared to Ranchi. Bokaro is full of grand boulevards, tree lined roads and organised chaos. If Bokaro were not so remote, it should have been the capital of Jharkhand. Unfortunately, a mistake was made and Ranchi was chosen.
On meeting my uncle, aunt and grandmother, Naina was unsettled after vomiting and did not want to be close to anyone except Deepti. But slowly she opened up, her curiousity to explore a new surrounds got the better of her and she started being N like. She was muted though, a sign of still feeling unwell.
She got the intergenerational massage with mustard oil (with unhappy sounds like most Indian babies make) and was particularly amused by the mosquito net that we put up around the bed to sleep at night.
My grandmother regaled us with tales of my sisters when they were young. Usually they involved them being naughty and running around too much. The story of my oldest sister running at 6 months came up, as it does at every family gathering. I wish we could have spent more time there. Getting to see her is so hard when we visit India as we have to fly to Delhi then Ranchi, then drive to Bokaro. It felt unfair to be leaving so quickly.
15 March 2009
10 March 2009
One for the geography nuts out there
Totally off topic, but this is a great blog I enjoy regularly. Ignore the most recent post about war.
Strangemaps
Strangemaps
06 March 2009
O Ranchi!
Our stay in Ranchi was eventful.
Shopkeepers in Ranchi are generally rude - poor service, misleading deliberately, poor service again. We were stopped for carrying a baby bag into a shop and not allowed to enter. We were told that if we wanted to look at cheaper saris we had to stand and could not sit, even with N. Foreign credit cards are not accepted. Just the beginning. We got ripped off by the taxi service.
People are extremely aggressive for money in Ranchi, very much like the old India, but not much like the new India that lives in Delhi or Mumbai. These things were shocks to me; I 'd noticed it in Delhi, people will try to rip you (e.g. taxi drivers taking you to their shops) but the level of customer service is so much better in Delhi that you can forgive them and then go to the shop next door.
People bemoan Bihar, but at least in Patna, there's great service and people are friendly in the shops. My uncle in Patna says that the villagers and thugs in Ranchi have become millionaires overnight when Ranchi became a state capital. I understand him now.
Blah blah blah grumble. I didn't enjoy Ranchi.
Shopkeepers in Ranchi are generally rude - poor service, misleading deliberately, poor service again. We were stopped for carrying a baby bag into a shop and not allowed to enter. We were told that if we wanted to look at cheaper saris we had to stand and could not sit, even with N. Foreign credit cards are not accepted. Just the beginning. We got ripped off by the taxi service.
People are extremely aggressive for money in Ranchi, very much like the old India, but not much like the new India that lives in Delhi or Mumbai. These things were shocks to me; I 'd noticed it in Delhi, people will try to rip you (e.g. taxi drivers taking you to their shops) but the level of customer service is so much better in Delhi that you can forgive them and then go to the shop next door.
People bemoan Bihar, but at least in Patna, there's great service and people are friendly in the shops. My uncle in Patna says that the villagers and thugs in Ranchi have become millionaires overnight when Ranchi became a state capital. I understand him now.
Blah blah blah grumble. I didn't enjoy Ranchi.
Observations of India 1
So a few observations over the first few days in Delhi and Ranchi.
Indian houses seem to have an obsession with marble. Being cold, N had to wear cotton fleecy pants and a jumper. Thus without feet or knees to get proper traction whenever she moved too fast there was slipping movements and occasional (scared) tears. Marble is not baby friendly. Not that we like to let N fall over in Aus, but at least here if she falls while trying to stand, she hits her head on the carpet and she cries a bit and we move on. Marble doesn't quite give like carpet does.
Indians do love babies and small kids, but I felt how people view babies and mum's is very different between Aus and India. I can't really put my finger on what it is, how it is different, but certainly, the attitudes are very different. One twerp, and I use that term as insult to modern twerps, decided to lecture us on "You are not allowed to give the baby milk during take off". To say I was unamused was an understatement. This was from a guy who refused to give Deepti an aisle seat so she could get up and walk with N up and down during the flight. Cuttingly, I told him to mind his own business. He insisted on carrying on with his lecture. My next words were still quite "choice" but a little more cutting. He was quiet after that.
Getting back to marble. Arriving at the hotel in Delhi, N took a look around the room. She also started to ... um... lick the marble. We'd never noticed this before. Obviously Melbourne houses don't feature a lot of marble. We think she could see a slight reflection in the marble of herself and wanted to be more involved. This continued in Ranchi and Patna. She cleaned the floors better than the housekeeper did. Stamping of feet never really stopped her. I will have to ask Deepti if N is still up to this one.
Final observation, getting Naina in to a bath tub for a bath and wash is difficult enough. Using bottled water to wash her hair and face out of fear of her getting sick is plain ludicrous. N would try to drink the water from the shower so we were left with only the difficult choice in this matter. Thanks to the hair handicapping, at least Deepti doesn't have to wash any hair for a few more weeks.
Indian houses seem to have an obsession with marble. Being cold, N had to wear cotton fleecy pants and a jumper. Thus without feet or knees to get proper traction whenever she moved too fast there was slipping movements and occasional (scared) tears. Marble is not baby friendly. Not that we like to let N fall over in Aus, but at least here if she falls while trying to stand, she hits her head on the carpet and she cries a bit and we move on. Marble doesn't quite give like carpet does.
Indians do love babies and small kids, but I felt how people view babies and mum's is very different between Aus and India. I can't really put my finger on what it is, how it is different, but certainly, the attitudes are very different. One twerp, and I use that term as insult to modern twerps, decided to lecture us on "You are not allowed to give the baby milk during take off". To say I was unamused was an understatement. This was from a guy who refused to give Deepti an aisle seat so she could get up and walk with N up and down during the flight. Cuttingly, I told him to mind his own business. He insisted on carrying on with his lecture. My next words were still quite "choice" but a little more cutting. He was quiet after that.
Getting back to marble. Arriving at the hotel in Delhi, N took a look around the room. She also started to ... um... lick the marble. We'd never noticed this before. Obviously Melbourne houses don't feature a lot of marble. We think she could see a slight reflection in the marble of herself and wanted to be more involved. This continued in Ranchi and Patna. She cleaned the floors better than the housekeeper did. Stamping of feet never really stopped her. I will have to ask Deepti if N is still up to this one.
Final observation, getting Naina in to a bath tub for a bath and wash is difficult enough. Using bottled water to wash her hair and face out of fear of her getting sick is plain ludicrous. N would try to drink the water from the shower so we were left with only the difficult choice in this matter. Thanks to the hair handicapping, at least Deepti doesn't have to wash any hair for a few more weeks.
Getting to Ranchi
I think somethings, small things, were organised well about our trip. Our first flight, for example, was an afternoon flight with a bassinet. Naina travelled fairly well. Those small packets of cheese they give on the planes went down well.
Things then became a little tougher. The first night in Malaysia we got to bed at 945pm (so about 12:45 Melbourne time) but it took Naina a while to settle down, the bed was small, we were hungry and we knew we had a connecting flight at 8am the next morning. Getting N up at 6 am after only 7 hours or so felt mean and it was a sign of things to come. We had organised too much in too short a period of time.
After reaching the amazingly "buildifying" and "construct-tor" city of Delhi (in preparation for the Commonwealth games, they are extending the Metro to the airport, building massive freeways and roads and building two new terminals at the airport), Deepti's brother showed up at the hotel, ostensibly to meet us, but really to meet N. Once he left, we fell asleep at 4:30 pm (10 o'clock Melbourne time), with our body clocks totally whacked. We slept 12 hours.
And the next day (Tuesday 03 Feb) we flew to Ranchi and were met by mum and dad's housekeeper. For two days N had been cramped up in bassinets and pouches and hotel rooms and airplanes and taxis, at least in Ranchi, she could play unimpeded. Except everyone wanted to pick her up.
Things then became a little tougher. The first night in Malaysia we got to bed at 945pm (so about 12:45 Melbourne time) but it took Naina a while to settle down, the bed was small, we were hungry and we knew we had a connecting flight at 8am the next morning. Getting N up at 6 am after only 7 hours or so felt mean and it was a sign of things to come. We had organised too much in too short a period of time.
After reaching the amazingly "buildifying" and "construct-tor" city of Delhi (in preparation for the Commonwealth games, they are extending the Metro to the airport, building massive freeways and roads and building two new terminals at the airport), Deepti's brother showed up at the hotel, ostensibly to meet us, but really to meet N. Once he left, we fell asleep at 4:30 pm (10 o'clock Melbourne time), with our body clocks totally whacked. We slept 12 hours.
And the next day (Tuesday 03 Feb) we flew to Ranchi and were met by mum and dad's housekeeper. For two days N had been cramped up in bassinets and pouches and hotel rooms and airplanes and taxis, at least in Ranchi, she could play unimpeded. Except everyone wanted to pick her up.
20 February 2009
And we're back
Actually only I'm back.
We're all well. Naina's had her haircut, she a shiny new "1" and apparently didn't cry at all during the trimming. It became abundantly clear after a few days in India that washing and shampooing Naina's hair with filtered and then boiled water was a complicated task that achieved very little. So the haircut will make Deepti's life a whole lot easier for the rest of her trip.
A full set of updates to follow. However, no photographic evidence as we only took a digital video camera and that's in India.
We're all well. Naina's had her haircut, she a shiny new "1" and apparently didn't cry at all during the trimming. It became abundantly clear after a few days in India that washing and shampooing Naina's hair with filtered and then boiled water was a complicated task that achieved very little. So the haircut will make Deepti's life a whole lot easier for the rest of her trip.
A full set of updates to follow. However, no photographic evidence as we only took a digital video camera and that's in India.
01 February 2009
And we're off, but not before...
So we're off to the airport in an hour or so. A few minor things, make some formula, pack spare toothbrushes, one suitcase left to go in the car. Deepti and I feel nervous anxiousness about the whole thing. I'm going to relax when we get on the plane Deepti when we get to India.
Anyway, it has been unbearably hot in Melbourne the last one week. Our house has fairly rudimentary airconditioning, so we have a fan and a cooler, but being a 70's brick house, it heats up like an oven.
I reprint the maximums here:
Monday: 25.5
Tuesday: 36.4
Wednesday: 43.4
Thursday: 44.3
Friday: 45.1
Saturday: 30.5
At one stage the thermometer in the car was registering 52 degrees celsius on Friday. 500 trains were cancelled, houses were without power for 3 days and Melbourne melted down.
We actually thought we could avoid the brutal summer heat this year, as it had not been warm in December and with Deepti and Naina leaving on 01 Feb until end of March, if they escaped before the heat in Feb, they'd miss summer altogether. Not to be. The last week of Jan was the hottest in Melbourne, ever.
So we mapped a plan, which involved making a bed in the kitchen on the lino, with quilts to keep us off the floor. We'd run a fan, a cooler and airconditioning in the hope we would be fine.
Naina approved.
The airconditioning worked so well, we ended up not using the fan or the cooler and slept comfortably and with electricity for three days.
Anyway, it has been unbearably hot in Melbourne the last one week. Our house has fairly rudimentary airconditioning, so we have a fan and a cooler, but being a 70's brick house, it heats up like an oven.
I reprint the maximums here:
Monday: 25.5
Tuesday: 36.4
Wednesday: 43.4
Thursday: 44.3
Friday: 45.1
Saturday: 30.5
At one stage the thermometer in the car was registering 52 degrees celsius on Friday. 500 trains were cancelled, houses were without power for 3 days and Melbourne melted down.
We actually thought we could avoid the brutal summer heat this year, as it had not been warm in December and with Deepti and Naina leaving on 01 Feb until end of March, if they escaped before the heat in Feb, they'd miss summer altogether. Not to be. The last week of Jan was the hottest in Melbourne, ever.
So we mapped a plan, which involved making a bed in the kitchen on the lino, with quilts to keep us off the floor. We'd run a fan, a cooler and airconditioning in the hope we would be fine.
Naina approved.
The airconditioning worked so well, we ended up not using the fan or the cooler and slept comfortably and with electricity for three days.
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