http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2011/01/31/arts/design/20110131-summit.html
I thought this art summit in New Delhi was an interesting news-making affair. The event was geared not only for contemporary Indian art presentation but also as a massive sales event (amounting in more than $2 million of transactions). I thought this was indicative of a growing middle and upper class with dispensable income as well as education to appreciate the arts. The New York Times caries stories about India frequently, but is is more uncommon to see ones about art instead of travel and politics. - EH
Monday, January 31, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Informal Blog on Food and Drinks
I thought I’d blog about food this time.
A lot of the food here is saucy, full of curry and spicy. At every meal at the Tagore International House they serve:
naan bread which I like to eat with
red/black/yellow dahl (dal). It’s made with lentil beans and the color depends on the type of curry you use. I love using the naan to swipe up the dahl and eat it together.
They also serve white rice or maybe fried rice.(The best rice I had here was a tomato rice in Jaiper). They also offer us tea/coffee/water/fanta or an Indian version of Coke called Thumbs Up! with every meal. We were warned NOT to drink any water unless it’s bottled and sealed, otherwise we would get really sick. We aren’t even supposed to brush our teeth with sink water (which I didn’t know until a week after we got here. I was using sink water to rinse my mouth but stopped when I found out this advice. I never felt sick though). We can’t even have ice in our pops!
I’m usually a VERY picky eater when it comes to ingredients in my food, but here I’m forcing myself to try new things, not ask too many questions about the ingredients, and (if it’s good) to JUST EAT IT. The Int’l Students have special cooked meals served in our dorm where we can actually eat raw veggies/fruit without worrying about contaminated water! Otherwise, there are a few student hang outs where all the Indian students eat which are very small, roadside canteen-type “kitchens” where you pay 3 rupee for a chai and 5 rupee for a samosa (which I tried for the first time. DELICIOUS, see below). The canteen-type businesses are really just a stove/oven/frier under a tarp or in a wooden enclosure with plastic chairs to sit so we have to make sure everything we eat OUTSIDE the Tagore House is fully-cooked.
To get an idea of how cheap the food can be, 45 rupee = roughly $1 US! However, India serves their tea in tiny thimble-sized cups you commonly use to put ketchup in. They are tiny servings because Indians drink lots of tea throughout the day so they don’t want to overdose on tea. I also really love Frooti’s Mango Juice Boxes! Mmmm
(baby chai)
Another interesting thing I’ve noticed about India is the different flavors of chips they serve! The Lay’s chips aren’t flat and thin like in the States, but they’re all wavy. So far I’ve tried Lay’s “Spanish Tomato Tango” which reminded me of ketchup and I didn’t like them very much but they are very popular here. I also tried Lay’s “American-Style Cream & Onion” which tasted just like home, nomnom. Today I bought Lay’s “Caribbean Hot & Sweet Chilli” and Cheeto’s Whoosh “Fundoo Cheez” so I hope they taste good. I like that the food comes in different flavors unique to India’s taste/people.
The other night I had a traditional dessert which is a specialty to Hyderabad called Khubani Ka Meetha (see below). It had apricots in a VERY sweet, sugary sauce with ice cream. It was good but not my fave. All Indian desserts are way more sugary than American desserts and are usually covered in a sugar sauce. The cakes are also more dry and crumbly, not as moist as Western desserts.
I absolutely LOVE spicy food (at home I put hot sauce on everything) so the hotness hasn’t gotten old for me, but I am getting a little tired of curry! Yesterday we went to the InOrbit Mall which is very Westernized where I ordered a personal size PizzaHut pizza. A couple days before that, I ordered popcorn chicken from KFC (for about 50 rupee or $1 US) which was yummy and way more spicy than at home. It was very refreshing to have American food that didn’t involve curry! Tonight the Tagore Int’l House served us tomato soup (which was spicy unlike in the States and more water-y) with grilled cheese. My friend was in heaven having a more Westernized meal. For dessert after every dinner, the Tagore Int’l House kitchen serves us ice cream. Until recent years it was rare to find ice cream in India because there was a problem of transporting the ice cream before it melted. However, with modernization ice cream is more readily available (thank goodness)!
I could go on and on about the food differences between USA and India but this is long enough!
--SMG '12
A lot of the food here is saucy, full of curry and spicy. At every meal at the Tagore International House they serve:
naan bread which I like to eat with
red/black/yellow dahl (dal). It’s made with lentil beans and the color depends on the type of curry you use. I love using the naan to swipe up the dahl and eat it together.
They also serve white rice or maybe fried rice.(The best rice I had here was a tomato rice in Jaiper). They also offer us tea/coffee/water/fanta or an Indian version of Coke called Thumbs Up! with every meal. We were warned NOT to drink any water unless it’s bottled and sealed, otherwise we would get really sick. We aren’t even supposed to brush our teeth with sink water (which I didn’t know until a week after we got here. I was using sink water to rinse my mouth but stopped when I found out this advice. I never felt sick though). We can’t even have ice in our pops!
I’m usually a VERY picky eater when it comes to ingredients in my food, but here I’m forcing myself to try new things, not ask too many questions about the ingredients, and (if it’s good) to JUST EAT IT. The Int’l Students have special cooked meals served in our dorm where we can actually eat raw veggies/fruit without worrying about contaminated water! Otherwise, there are a few student hang outs where all the Indian students eat which are very small, roadside canteen-type “kitchens” where you pay 3 rupee for a chai and 5 rupee for a samosa (which I tried for the first time. DELICIOUS, see below). The canteen-type businesses are really just a stove/oven/frier under a tarp or in a wooden enclosure with plastic chairs to sit so we have to make sure everything we eat OUTSIDE the Tagore House is fully-cooked.
To get an idea of how cheap the food can be, 45 rupee = roughly $1 US! However, India serves their tea in tiny thimble-sized cups you commonly use to put ketchup in. They are tiny servings because Indians drink lots of tea throughout the day so they don’t want to overdose on tea. I also really love Frooti’s Mango Juice Boxes! Mmmm
(baby chai)Another interesting thing I’ve noticed about India is the different flavors of chips they serve! The Lay’s chips aren’t flat and thin like in the States, but they’re all wavy. So far I’ve tried Lay’s “Spanish Tomato Tango” which reminded me of ketchup and I didn’t like them very much but they are very popular here. I also tried Lay’s “American-Style Cream & Onion” which tasted just like home, nomnom. Today I bought Lay’s “Caribbean Hot & Sweet Chilli” and Cheeto’s Whoosh “Fundoo Cheez” so I hope they taste good. I like that the food comes in different flavors unique to India’s taste/people.
The other night I had a traditional dessert which is a specialty to Hyderabad called Khubani Ka Meetha (see below). It had apricots in a VERY sweet, sugary sauce with ice cream. It was good but not my fave. All Indian desserts are way more sugary than American desserts and are usually covered in a sugar sauce. The cakes are also more dry and crumbly, not as moist as Western desserts.
I absolutely LOVE spicy food (at home I put hot sauce on everything) so the hotness hasn’t gotten old for me, but I am getting a little tired of curry! Yesterday we went to the InOrbit Mall which is very Westernized where I ordered a personal size PizzaHut pizza. A couple days before that, I ordered popcorn chicken from KFC (for about 50 rupee or $1 US) which was yummy and way more spicy than at home. It was very refreshing to have American food that didn’t involve curry! Tonight the Tagore Int’l House served us tomato soup (which was spicy unlike in the States and more water-y) with grilled cheese. My friend was in heaven having a more Westernized meal. For dessert after every dinner, the Tagore Int’l House kitchen serves us ice cream. Until recent years it was rare to find ice cream in India because there was a problem of transporting the ice cream before it melted. However, with modernization ice cream is more readily available (thank goodness)!
I could go on and on about the food differences between USA and India but this is long enough!
--SMG '12
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Golconda Fort in Hyderabad
India is known for its incredible monuments like the Taj Mahal, but Hyderabad also has some beautiful architectural masterpieces. Like Golconda Fort, which was only about 20-30 minutes away from the University of Hyderbad! Before coming here, I never really thought of Hyderabad's historic past, but you can't miss it once you get here. Golconda Fort has been one of my favorite places that we have visited so far!
This is one of the exterior protective walls of the fort.
A picture of the golf course they're building inside the fort. I asked our tour guide what he thought of the golf course and he said that it was a good thing because more money was being funneled into preserving the green wetlands within the fort walls and providing better roads to access the site. I'm not a huge fan of golf and definitely did not like the idea of golfers putting around this beautiful landscape.
After viewing the exterior walls of the fort, we went to the inner citadel of the fort, known as the Bala Hisar Complex, where we saw palaces, elephant corrals, and beautiful temples.
This was a painting of the goddess Kali on one of the large rocks by the temples near the top of the Bala Hisar Complex.
There are two functioning temples at the top of the Bala Hisar complex, which requires climbing what seemed like thousands of steps to reach. We saw one devoted older man with a crutch who made the climb to worship Durga. It was incredible to see the faith in practice.
A painting of the goddess Kali.
Thanks to our tour guide's great timing, we made it to the top of the Bala Hisar complex for the beautiful sunset over Hyderabad.
I snapped this picture of a woman wearing a white sari looking out at the city. In India, widows generally wear white, so I wonder if she was a widow.
A view of the Bala Hisar complex from above.
-Amy '12
Friday, January 21, 2011
Information on Travel Around Hyderabad
Let's fill this up as we learn about public transportation in the city.
Things we've learned so far:
To get to most places in the city (charminar, etc):
Cross the street from Main Gate to get to the bus stop. Catch bus 216 to Koti.
If you have a specific destination in mind, look up the spot on google maps and pan out or in until you see a bus station on the map. Each bus stop should have a name listed. Look up the name Here and find the bus from Koti to where you are going.
People on the street and at the bus stops very willing to help direct you. It's also nice that no matter where you are you can grab a rickshaw if you need.
Each bus ride costs between 10 and 15 Rs. when you get on the bus, the man with a messenger bag/satchel and tickets will come by your seat and collect your money. Women sit in the front, men tend to sit in the back, although the middle part is kind of up for anyone and it seems like women can sit in the back if they like. Men will sit in the front if they are traveling with women or small children.
It is also very normal at a busy bus stop to walk up to a bus and yell up to the passengers to ask where the bus is going.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Travel Resources
Trip Planning Sites:
Makemytrip.com : Like orbitz.com for Indian airlines, trains, busses and even hotels (though it seems to list only very high-end acommodations).
https://www.irctc.co.in/: The official website for online train reservations. You can make a personal account in order to search for up-to-date information (which is sometimes slightly different than what you may find on other sites) but then I believe you have to ask Mr. Das for help making the actual reservation.
Mr. Das. - He seems grumpy when we ask for help, but he's the one who gets stuff done.
Travel agent at Shop Com
Makemytrip.com : Like orbitz.com for Indian airlines, trains, busses and even hotels (though it seems to list only very high-end acommodations).
https://www.irctc.co.in/: The official website for online train reservations. You can make a personal account in order to search for up-to-date information (which is sometimes slightly different than what you may find on other sites) but then I believe you have to ask Mr. Das for help making the actual reservation.
Mr. Das. - He seems grumpy when we ask for help, but he's the one who gets stuff done.
Travel agent at Shop Com
Sites in and around Charimar
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Anveshi
We visited Anveshi, a research center for Women's Studies as a group on January 19, 2011. We received an orientation meeting from senior fellow, Dr. R Srivastsan, Professor D. Vasanta, of the executive committee and a Professor of Linguistics at Osmania University, and MA Moid, a research fellow working on project entitled, The Political History of the Old City of Hyderabad. This center will be a valuable asset to the India FSP this year and in the future. Particularly student use of the Anveshi library and opportunities to meet with committee members and fellows for research projects related to the FSP courses.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Restaurant Guide
Hyderabad offers a cacophony of tastes and a number of restaurants from Hyderabadi foods to fusion food and multi-cuisine. Here are some of our favorites:
Arts Cafe (located in the new Inorbit mall): This restaurant identifies itself as the world's first South Indian Bistro. The menu selections are under four main categories: Dosa, Idly, Appam, and Risotto. Each South Indian taste (i.e. dosa, idly, and appam) is then fused with other savory delights from various geographic regions. For example, Pizza Dosa, a Salsa Appam with swiss-fondue, and Risotto with creamy spinach and the robust spiciness associated with much of Hyderabadi cuisine. We also recommend the virgin Mojito (a fresh lime and soda with mint), or the refreshing Jiggery Mojito. This cafe also includes a smart board and encourages interactive digitally produced art-making form its guests. Costs per dish range from 195-220 Rs.
Our Place (Banjara Hills): The setting of this restaurant includes an expansive outdoor seating area that is filled with tropical plants, and beach-bungalow structures covering several of the seating areas. The large menu offers both north Indian and Chinese dishes. The Indian dishes are a bit tastier, however the fried vegetable wontons are also quite good. Great service and an excellent place for both large and small groups. The prices range from 185-325 Rs per meal.
Shadab Hotel Restaurant (Chariminar): This is the place for some of the best Biryani in the city. Biryani is a Hyderabadi specialty of rice cooked with a number of spices including saffron, cumin, corriander, ginger, turmeric, red chilli, garlic, onion, and tomato (and a large piece of meat if you choose that variety) all simmered together in a pressure cooker, until a mountain of rice and several layers and bursts of flavor dance on your taste buds. In addition to the Biryani the Chicken Tikka Kebabs were and excellent complement along with the garlic naan. The family seating (upstairs) is recommended for groups of both men and women. Men only seating is downstairs. Prices range from 125-200 Rs per meal. Excellent and friendly service.
Shadab Hotel Restaurant (Chariminar): This is the place for some of the best Biryani in the city. Biryani is a Hyderabadi specialty of rice cooked with a number of spices including saffron, cumin, corriander, ginger, turmeric, red chilli, garlic, onion, and tomato (and a large piece of meat if you choose that variety) all simmered together in a pressure cooker, until a mountain of rice and several layers and bursts of flavor dance on your taste buds. In addition to the Biryani the Chicken Tikka Kebabs were and excellent complement along with the garlic naan. The family seating (upstairs) is recommended for groups of both men and women. Men only seating is downstairs. Prices range from 125-200 Rs per meal. Excellent and friendly service.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Sunday, January 2, 2011
The Golden Triangle Tour in Pictures
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