Today was the Lohri Festival, a day that full of adventure in India as well.
http://www.indiaparenting.com/indianculture/festivals/fest109.shtmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lohri
In rained before dawn, making the weather colder in the morning than the days before. Manager did not have class this morning, which mean I have to go to the gym to teach classes by myself. I was given 2 options, drive to gym or take the rickshaw. Seeing the way how Indians drive here, I think I will leave driving to later time; and there goes my rickshaw adventure in India.
Walking out from apartment at bout 8am local time. The cold weather froze my hands immediately. Few rickshaws were waiting at the opposite of road. Chose one of them, and told the person the gym address, a known landmark in the town.
I’m not sure whether I’m too heavy or the guy is too skinny, but he had to stand up all the time to pedal to rickshaw till we reached the gym. Poor guy. The rickshaw was moving slow, I supposed even the cows were walking faster than us. The road condition in India is bad, unless it’s the highway, holes here and there, he had to avoid the holes, therefore the rickshaw was moving all over the road, from side to center, from left to right. Cars were horning from behind before passing us, from the right, and from the left when we were in the middle of the road. I was holding to the side of the rickshaw so tight along the way, afraid of the rickshaw being knocked down by any of the cars. The scariest part, he went into the opposite lane to take the shortcut to the gym. Imagine all the cars were moving towards you, with the big lorries and buses. You really need a strong heart to handle the situation.
It took about 20 minutes for me to reach the gym. Paid him Rs. 40, which was bout RM1.50, and went into the gym to teach classes. End of my adventure? The best yet to come.
Finished my 2 classes, shower and got everything done, time to head home. Walked out from the building and spotted a rickshaw. Stopped him, and told him the name of my apartment, Belvedere Tower. No sure if he understood what I said, he just signed me to go up, and I did.
He started to pedal in the usual direction as I remember as the way home, thinking of him might that the U-turn at the front, not far from the mall, but he just went straight on. I thought he knew another route to go back to my apartment, so I just let him lead the way. As he pedaled further and further, it started to lead into the highway, and I started to get panic. Stopped him nearby the traffic light, and so happen that there was another rickshaw next to us, I asked the passenger about my apartment, and he directed the rickshaw guy to another way, and the rickshaw guy followed. So, I thought, good, we were back on the right direction.
The guy continued to pedal for about 5 minutes, and stop in front of a building, a local telco tower. I almost fainted on the spot. Apparently he only knew the word TOWER. With no choice, I told him to go back to the gym, which take him another 15 minutes or so, and direction him from there back to my apartment. Thank The whole journey took me almost an hour, when my apartment was just 5 minutes of driving distance.
He started to pedal in the usual direction as I remember as the way home, thinking of him might that the U-turn at the front, not far from the mall, but he just went straight on. I thought he knew another route to go back to my apartment, so I just let him lead the way. As he pedaled further and further, it started to lead into the highway, and I started to get panic. Stopped him nearby the traffic light, and so happen that there was another rickshaw next to us, I asked the passenger about my apartment, and he directed the rickshaw guy to another way, and the rickshaw guy followed. So, I thought, good, we were back on the right direction.
The guy continued to pedal for about 5 minutes, and stop in front of a building, a local telco tower. I almost fainted on the spot. Apparently he only knew the word TOWER. With no choice, I told him to go back to the gym, which take him another 15 minutes or so, and direction him from there back to my apartment. Thank The whole journey took me almost an hour, when my apartment was just 5 minutes of driving distance.
Back in apartment, manager was waiting there. Asked me how the first rickshaw ride was. Told him what happened, and have a good laugh. A totally new experience.
Rest at home the whole afternoon, the cold weather always made me sleepy. Take a short nap before going to gym again for another two classes in the evening. I was told that tonight we will go to Shery’s house to celebrate the Lohri Day with his family at the bon fire.
Finished our classes in the evening, done with shower, we drive and followed Shery to his place on the other side of Gurgaon. It’s bout 10pm, and the highway was started to be covered by fog. Reached Shery’s place about 20 minutes later. Was told that the double stories bungalow that he owned worth USD500,000 in India. What a rich man.
We sat around the fire, ate the sweeties prepared by his wife. They were all waiting for us to have their late dinner. After about half an hour, dinner was ready, and we were served with Roti, Butter Chicken and Spanish, typical Indian food, it tastes much better than the meal we had in one of the restaurant in the MGF Mall. After main course was the dessert, his wife prepared homemade fruit yogurt salad using cereal. It tastes really good.
We spent some time at Shery’s place before going home. The fog was getting thicker since we arrived, according the Shery, it will be thicker as time passed, and the next morning the fog will be so thick, that the visibility would not be more than 5 meters.
I don’t know how the weather would be tomorrow, but we were having problem driving home in the thick fog. It’s worst than driving in any heavy rain in KL. Shery guided us out until the exit of highway which was near to the gym.
Along our way driving from Shery’s house and on the highway, the speed meter barely reach 50 kmh. We couldn’t really drive fast as the fog was so thick that it reflected the head light, and all we saw were white, in a distance of few meters only. We really have to stick our face close to the windshield to get our way, and we almost come to hit the road divider along our way home. It’s almost 12 midnight when we finally reached our apartment. It took us almost 20 minutes to drive home from the gym building.
Along our way driving from Shery’s house and on the highway, the speed meter barely reach 50 kmh. We couldn’t really drive fast as the fog was so thick that it reflected the head light, and all we saw were white, in a distance of few meters only. We really have to stick our face close to the windshield to get our way, and we almost come to hit the road divider along our way home. It’s almost 12 midnight when we finally reached our apartment. It took us almost 20 minutes to drive home from the gym building.
Getting myself ready for bed, have 2 morning classes the next day. I wonder how would it be the next morning, would the fog gets really thick as Shery said it would be?
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