This weekend I decided to take in the "Rambo Circus" here in Pune. It was quite an event.... Unfortunately I was not allowed to take photos at the circus, but I was allowed to eat awful popcorn, have the overhead lighting come crashing down two seats away from me and watch the audience (including myself) squirm in our seats and duck soccer balls that were being batted into the crowd at what seemed like 90 mph by an elephant with a cricket bat!
While I think most of our readers are aware that safety standards in India are a "bit" lower than in other parts of the world the circus took the cake! Having an elephant with a cricket bat is already a bad idea, but hitting soccer balls into the crowd was a new experience for me! Also, as is the case with almost everything in India, only about 50% of the stunts and acts at the circus were a success. All and all it was an interesting experience and I'm glad I got to witness this spectacle.
Leaving the circus was another story. There were dozens of street children grabbing onto me with their tiny, dirty little hands asking for money and Coke. It was sad, but extremely aggravating as well. No matter where I turned there was another set of little hands grasping onto me. While sad and hard to witness over time it only leaves you angry at the adults that organize these begging schemes. Just like in the movie Slumdog Millionaire for every poor, little child you see there is a sleazy adult that is orchestrating the whole show.
This week I also was tearing up the streets of Pune on a motorcycle! Doing wheelies in front of CIL, picking up biker babes and causing chaos for all the innocent bystanders! Well....not quite.... I actually rode on the back of a motorcycle, with my intern, scared for my life to take HIM for a chocolate milkshake. Not as hardcore as my original story, but it still took guts ;-)
(I'll probably end up looking like this Hells Angel after the "EDC Inspired Move Beard" I've promised my team. Judging from my initial meeting with Pragati, the current 3PL, I may not be shaving for a while....)
I also FINALLY received my care package from Vijay! After nearly a month I received a notice from the India Post Office that I had a package and needed to come to the PO to pay the 2000INR to claim it. So after paying $53 to expedited the packaging here I had to pay another $40 or so to get it a month later! Regardless, I was happy to have the package and even though Vijay stuck to the tradition of being 50% correct and sent black licorice he is still my favorite person from Chennai in the US ;-) I'm also getting another care package courtesy of the Vijay Express this week since one of his buddies has "smuggled" in more goodies from the US to me while here on a visit.
Finally, I've been sticking to a pretty decent workout schedule which is tough with my schedule, but I feel so much better with this on my agenda. If Craig Barnes can squeeze it into his schedule, so can I! It's also really tough to eat healthy here since almost everything is fried and oily so I've been trying to teach Lata to cook with light olive oil and make more paneer and tofu so I can get some protein in my mostly vegetarian diet.
It's hard to pass on getting some yoga in also with my amazing "yoga studio!"
While I think most of our readers are aware that safety standards in India are a "bit" lower than in other parts of the world the circus took the cake! Having an elephant with a cricket bat is already a bad idea, but hitting soccer balls into the crowd was a new experience for me! Also, as is the case with almost everything in India, only about 50% of the stunts and acts at the circus were a success. All and all it was an interesting experience and I'm glad I got to witness this spectacle.
Leaving the circus was another story. There were dozens of street children grabbing onto me with their tiny, dirty little hands asking for money and Coke. It was sad, but extremely aggravating as well. No matter where I turned there was another set of little hands grasping onto me. While sad and hard to witness over time it only leaves you angry at the adults that organize these begging schemes. Just like in the movie Slumdog Millionaire for every poor, little child you see there is a sleazy adult that is orchestrating the whole show.
This week I also was tearing up the streets of Pune on a motorcycle! Doing wheelies in front of CIL, picking up biker babes and causing chaos for all the innocent bystanders! Well....not quite.... I actually rode on the back of a motorcycle, with my intern, scared for my life to take HIM for a chocolate milkshake. Not as hardcore as my original story, but it still took guts ;-)
I also FINALLY received my care package from Vijay! After nearly a month I received a notice from the India Post Office that I had a package and needed to come to the PO to pay the 2000INR to claim it. So after paying $53 to expedited the packaging here I had to pay another $40 or so to get it a month later! Regardless, I was happy to have the package and even though Vijay stuck to the tradition of being 50% correct and sent black licorice he is still my favorite person from Chennai in the US ;-) I'm also getting another care package courtesy of the Vijay Express this week since one of his buddies has "smuggled" in more goodies from the US to me while here on a visit.
Finally, I've been sticking to a pretty decent workout schedule which is tough with my schedule, but I feel so much better with this on my agenda. If Craig Barnes can squeeze it into his schedule, so can I! It's also really tough to eat healthy here since almost everything is fried and oily so I've been trying to teach Lata to cook with light olive oil and make more paneer and tofu so I can get some protein in my mostly vegetarian diet.
It's hard to pass on getting some yoga in also with my amazing "yoga studio!"
Darrell, I LOVE your stories, you tell them so well. This one had me laughing, which I need right now as things are quite challenging. Thanks for keeping up the blog, I LOVE IT!!!!!
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