Travels

Suitcase pile at the Ibis Hotel restaurant before we left for Calcutta

The heat going up the ramp to the plane in Delhi

Dazed and confused look on all faces at the first briefing about the house at Salt Lake

Big hole in Tania’s bedroom

Rachel noting how the globe on the INTECH building had a different orientation with India in the center

Tracy and the dogs

Trying to wake Carrie up on her first morning in Calcutta

Going to the medical shop in Salt Lake with Tania and Will and the shop that sold electrical products having no electricity

Rachel slowly coming alive as she ate her dinner at “Silver Chimney” on the first night in Calcutta

The makeshift classroom in the “girls’ house”

The incredibly smelly fish market that Dr. Mitra took us to

Srijoy generally becoming human in company of all

Checking on the ill ones

Kiki generally sleeping for nearly 17 hours

Laundry book

Cleaning out the water shelf at Big Bazaar

The endless curiosity of all and my attempts to answer all the questions

Driving in Calcutta

Srijoy driving in Calcutta

The Agra guide

Pulling a car with a rope on the highway

Timing belt repair in one hour for the cost of Rs. 700 in a road side shop

Feeling high with the lack of oxygen

Kevin’s geology lesson

The flies and the monkeys at the temple

Will’s conversation with my mother about Hinduism

The endless pictures of the girls on strangers cameras

How anxious I was at Jama Masjid waiting for Kendall and Lisa to come down from the Minaret

Tania, “You are such a worry wart!” when I told them not to hang out the door of a fairly fast moving train

Carrie and the newspapers

Kendall and the matrimonial

Tracy falling ill in Delhi and still wanting to go out

Kevin in the mornings

Will and Srijoy racing up the hill in Leh and me completely worried about them and sending the driver up to carry them back

The constant headache in Leh

The really strange person who we called “party”

The mosquitoes at Red Fort at night

Walking the girls back late in the evenings at Delhi

Epiphany’s box of books

Lisa and her camera

Will and SK exchanging pants standing on the side of one of the busiest streets in Delhi

Rickshaw ride through Old Delhi

Me hanging out the door of the train and feeling that breeze that only can be felt next to the open door of Indian trains

Rain in Jaipur

Translating Aisha for the girls

The dead lizard in Erin’s room, I never got a chance to see this, but did hear about it

Shuttling people around Salt Lake in the small Maruti Zen car

The dinner at Oh! Calcutta and Erin’s birthday cake

Chocolates

Kevin’s morning drink

Running out of tobacco

Movie night in my guest house room

Palika Bazaar and the book and video shopping

Kendall punching in 500000 when she really meant to take out only 5000 at the ATM machine

The number of loans, counter loans, money returns, and accounting

The lost car in Leh and me completely and really losing my temper

Losing my temper at the Jaipur hotel about the lunch bill

The constant anxiety that one of the kids will get lost and trying to keep in touch by text messages

Two lost phones and one lost internet card

Falling asleep at one of the loudest nightclubs I have ever been to

The locked door at Lisa/Kiki/Tania house

Constant sense of panic (that is just me)

Losing a significant amount of weight

Turning several shades darker

Packing in more than a natural number of people in the cars

Trying to convince people that 1 am is late enough and time to go home

Buddha’s toasts

How tired we almost always were

Not remembering what it means to be bored (this I am borrowing from a FB update from Kendall)

Often slipping into Bengali when talking to some

Teaching people who seemed genuinely interested in learning

Carrie the Bollywood encyclopedia

Excess baggage

Forgetting what my room number was at Ibis Gurgaon and accidentally walking into Kiki and Lisa’s room

Lisa’s ticket cancelled

Tania’s problem with the credit card at the time of check-in

My problem with credit card at the time of check-in

Buying tea with the girls at Market number 2 in CR Park

Beer with Kevin at Hakka at City Center

Baggage logistics throughout the trips

Female porters at Leh

Security at Leh airport

The yogurt at Namgyal Palace

Visit to Mr. Dorjee’s house

Meeting Mr. Dorjee’s mother and speaking to her on the lawn of Namgayal Palace

Driving tour of Delhi and visiting the India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhawan (President’s residence) and the Parliament

Aurobindo Ashram and meditation

Erin’s birthday at Oh! Calcutta at Nehru Place in Delhi

Lunch with Korak, Kingshuk and Chiku, all old IIT friends

Managing money for some of the students

Diarrhea and Metrogyl

Indigestion and Unienzyme

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 2, 2010

This is a very different kind of blog because this time the family that travelled together was not just the three of us, but along the way it grew and we created bonds and friendships that changed the entire nature of the journey.  So, to truly appreciate what we experienced you need to also look at some of the other documents I refer to in this journal.

Our trip began with the usual drive to Charlotte to catch the flight to Washington, DC.  The difference this year was that Srijoy drove.  He did a good job and we reached in good time so that we had a little time to relax at the Starbucks.  The flight to DC was eventless and unmemorable. Since we had a rental car Srijoy did not have the option to drive.  We got a little lost trying to find an IHOP where Srijoy, evidently, really needed to eat so he could get a lot of meat before going to India.  So, I dropped Mikku and Srijoy off at the IHOP, and went and checked in at the hotel (one of the suite hotels by Marriott).  That evening we did a take out from a local restaurant and called it a day since Srijoy and I had plans on going to a tour of downtown DC early next morning.

July 3, 2010

Srijoy did not wake up until about 11:30 am.  We did not go downtown, I got some work done and then watched a really interesting movie on TV.  Everybody were ready to move at about 1:00 pm.  We checked out of the hotel and packed the car and drove over to our friend’s house – Suprotik and Piali – had a little time there and then we all went off to Tyson’s Square Mall where we met up with Tito and Laurie and we all ate at the California Pizza Kitchen.  It was a pleasant and relaxed meal and eventually we all went our own ways and we headed back to the airport after a brief stop again at Suprotik’s house.  We were at the airport in good time and returned the car.  The British Airways flight was delayed and so we had some time to sit and relax and by the time we were on the plane we had finished dinner and I was ready to sleep.  I put my usual “Do Not Disturb Unless We are Crashing” sign on my blanket and basically slept it through to London.  This is a neat trick that I had learnt somewhere in my numerous travels.  If you are on a night flight and you intend to sleep then this sign stops the attendants waking you up for a meal that you do not want or bothering you with other service that they might provide.  The only time you do not need this sign is when you are travelling long distances on American carriers where the notion of service is non-existent, indeed, now that I think about it, I probably first saw this sign on a flight attendant on United Airlines.  It was meant to discourage passengers from disturbing the attendant!  You do not need the sign on American carriers because no one would dream of disturbing you to provide you with service.

July 4, 2010

We reached London at about 10:30 in the morning and Kaju Mama was there to receive us at the airport.  We went over to his place and met another couple who too were his guests.  Ask me about this offline, but I made a strategic decision to invite the couple to come out for a brief London tour with the three of us.  Those who know me well, and are faint hearted, do not usually accept these invitations.  They know a “tour” with me (and my family who support me in this) involves significant work.  Indeed, my close family (including mother and in-laws) are very astute and would politely suggest that I go by myself.  The only ones in my family who are able to keep up with me (and perhaps better me) is a cousin of mine, older than me, but he and his wife can keep up with me.  So, this unsuspecting couple in London readily agreed to the tour with the three of us.  In this tour, which lasted about 6 hours we touched –Buckingham Palace, Marble Arch, walk down Oxford Street, M&S (for a quick coffee), walk down Regent Street, Piccadilly, Soho, and for some bus-related reason, Hammersmith, before returning to Wandsworth, the trip also involved the usual shopping stops that Mikku does, and I “threatened” to take them all to Hamley's but Srijoy resisted, after all he is too old for Hamley’s now.  When I got home, I sat down with my single malt (which Kaju Mama very thoughtfully keeps on hand when I come) in the well-manicured little backyard he has and chatted with his friend Lenny.  Srijoy was offered the blue drink Kaju Mama keeps for Mikku and him.  The couple decided to lie down for a bit before dinner, which was a grand meal prepared by Kaju Mama.  Soon after we called it a day.

July 5, 2010

I was up early, and so were Srijoy and Mikku, and the couple too.  I politely invited them to a tour that day and suggested we will leave around 10 in the morning and be back about 6 in the evening.  A look of panic clouded their face.  After all we are related (which we discovered soon after we met them) and it is impossible to say no to an invitation.  However, they said they had made separate plans for the day and would not be able to join us.  We thus went our own way.  We walked to the British Rail station, took the Southwest train to Victoria and then changed to the train for Greenwich.  It was a pretty hot day in London, and we walked over the Royal Observatory in Greenwich to see the Prime Meridian.  It was a nice morning and then we went back to the station, got a few sandwiches and headed back to Victoria.  We ran into a few problems with the Oyster card, but were able to sort it out.  The trick with that card is that if you forget to check in and out of the stations then you get charged more, but we soon worked it out.  We then headed out to Camden Town and spent most of the afternoon there.  Srijoy went around the stores that sell the “scream” and studded stuff and we just kind of hung out there.  Eventually got back to Piccadilly and soon headed back to Wandsworth.  Kaju mama and a well-rested couple were at home and we all went to see Kaju Mama’s church.  It was a really old church and Kaju Mama being one of the main persons at the Church we had a good inside look at the Church and Srijoy had a chance to try out the Church organ.  It was a really nice visit and we got back home in time for another really good supper.

July 6, 2010

We were somewhat tired and we took it easy in the morning (the couple had gone out on their own).  After a leisurely shower we eventually went down to our staple pub – “The Old Sergeant” for a pub lunch and glass of Guinness.  We then took the bus to Covent Garden market.  We kind of hung out there for a little bit, had some coffee, watched the street shows, visited Jubilee market and then headed out of there to go on to Tower of London.  Here we joined the “Jack the Ripper Tour” with a very knowledgeable guide who walked us around the streets of east London taking us to the places where the Ripper killed his victims.  He was asking us to imagine how the place was when the Ripper operated in the light of gas lamps and the mist and the only sound you heard was the laughter from the pubs and tinkling of the policeman’s keys.  The only sound we heard was a fair amount of traffic and a lot of Bengali since the area has now been mostly colonized by people from Bangladesh!  But, Srijoy had his fill of gory stories and since the Dracula tour was not available we had settled for this.  We eventually got back to Kaju Mama’s house and called it a day.

July 7, 2010

Our taxi from Kwik Kab came on time and we headed out to Heathrow.  We actually reached earlier than when we could drop our bags and so had a coffee and muffin.  Check in and other stuff was smooth.  We were supposed to meet with some of the students going to India at the airport.  We waited for a little and realized that no one was there yet and so we went on to the gate and the flight to Delhi was long but uneventful.  Reasonably good food, and a few drinks before landing and we were in good shape.  We arrived mostly on time and as we were waiting for the bags, I started to get a sense of what was in store for the next month.  As series of text messages began to come in from Tracy who had landed in Calcutta and none of her bags had arrived.  Thankfully Abhijit was there and I was soon texting like a maniac with Abhijit trying to coordinate things in Calcutta while waiting for our bags in Delhi.  Such matters would soon become habit (see the document containing the memorable text messages).  Anyhow, the bags did arrive and we made our way out of the customs area.  Thankfully, the three we were supposed to meet with – Kendall, Epiphany and Will – were actually there, safe and tired.  The hotel – Ibis Gurgaon – had sent the vehicles and we loaded up and headed out to the hotel.  I think there were about three cars and soon this team travel would be routine.  At the hotel we were informed that there was a problem with the rooms and that Will and I would have to share a room with one bed in it.  I said I needed a room to myself (Srijoy and Mikku were in one tiny room, as were Epiphany and Kendall).  At any rate, in spite of words exchanged, I did not get a room till about 3 am and slept for about 2 hours.

July 8, 2010

I got up and was kind of just high on adrenalin.  Rounded up the three cars and headed out to the airport with Will who had an early morning flight to Calcutta.  After dropping him at the domestic airport the cars and I headed over to the International arrivals.  I was quickly learning Hindi and understanding how to coordinate multiple cars and drivers.  The BA flight from London had arrived and soon five of the girls were out – Tania, Rachel, Erin, Lisa and Kiki.  We loaded up and headed to the hotel (see the accounts of the travel elsewhere regarding what we all did).  The kids were obviously tired and disoriented.  India can hit you pretty hard, and I had a sense of what they were going through.  But they were really curious and I realized that I have a long month ahead of me, answering the million questions that constantly came up.  What I did not realize at that moment, is how much I would love this experience and the bonds that would be made between these human beings many of whom did not even know each other very well.  We got to the hotel and we got the additional rooms so the folks could rest a bit and freshen up.  We set 11:00 am as the meeting time for all to come down to eat and then head back to the airport.  In the meantime I had met up with Kevin and had to take a very expensive car and go to Mahipalpur to check out the hotel where we would be staying when we returned to Delhi.  It turned out to be a pretty busy morning and before we knew it the kids were down for lunch.  I had to make sure all ate well and then we packed into 3 vehicles with all our bags and headed out to the airport.  There was an interesting event here because unknown to us, Lisa’s ticket had been cancelled.  I had to buy a ticket at the airport and get her going.  There some issues with Tania’s credit card, but eventually we were all checked in and we completed security and headed to the gate.  The adventure had begun.  We were only missing Carrie who would arrive the next day.  The flight to Calcutta was interesting because all the girls and Kevin slept through it.  Mikku and I were really excited to be travelling with all of them and even though Mikku was returning for the first time since Tinku’s passing, the fact that the kids were with us changed things.  We reached Calcutta eventlessly and after collecting bags, Mikku and Srijoy went off with her parents.  Abhijit was there at the airport and we ran out of cars and had to get a taxi.  We first stopped at the boy’s house in BL block and dropped off their bags and then went off to the BE block house where all the girls had already arrived.  Abhijit crew had nicely assigned the rooms and I let them settle in.  They were dazed and confused and tired.  I felt a little sorry for them, and left them to their new dwelling place which Tania described best, “I am not used to this.”  I then went home and saw Ma for a bit.  Thankfully, Abhijit had already arranged a car for me since the Avis car deal fell through but I was mobile.  I went over to the BL block house and picked up the boys and we went over to BE block and met up with the girls who seemed a little bit more relaxed and awake (except poor Rachel who was really off).  We all went to Silver Chimney and had dinner there and Abhijit joined us as well.  Left them at their respective homes and I went off to AC and called it a day.

July 9, 2010

This day started with going to the girls’ house and getting them up and ready to go out to get some of the essentials taken care of.  We all went to the City Center and started with orienting them to City Center and giving the opportunity to get to know the place.  This was followed by exchanging money and getting to an ATM to take out some money.  Some wanted to do a little shopping so I gave them some time while Kevin and I had a beer at Hakka.  We all then ate at Hakka and we went on to our next destination which was the Reliance Mobile Shop to meet with Partha and start of the process of setting all up with their phones and Internet connections.  This was a long and complex process and it took a while to do that.  In the meantime, it got to be time to go to the airport to pick up Carrie who was arriving from Delhi.  Kevin and I drove over to the airport, picked her up and we were back right about the time when the rest returned from the phone center with their phones and Internet cards.  I did not stay for dinner with all and had them eat on their own.

July 10 to July 21, 2010

This was an interesting period for Mikku, Srijoy and me.  We all realized that this trip to India was completely different from any other trip we had ever taken.  We have always come to India for a holiday, with some research activities that I would do.  This time we were there as teachers of a team of people whose entire lifeline in India depended on the three of us.  This realization had sunk into us even before we left, but the enormity of the task we had taken was becoming manifest as the ground reality started to alter from day to day.  The three of us did not know the people we had brought over with us, and not many of the students knew each other.  All of a sudden we were thrown together where only the three of us had the cultural knowledge to assist our students to navigate the new culture they were in and become, at least temporarily, a part of the culture.  The first days in Calcutta demonstrated how adaptive we can all be.  Everyone fell into the roles they had to, the students made friends quickly, teams began to take shape around common interests, and a camaraderie developed where I was so drawn in with the group, that at times I too forgot that I was a mere teacher, because in this immersive system one is never a teacher only.  Mikku, Srijoy and myself in our own ways played, teacher, friend, guide, accountant, translator, driver, doctor, counselor and most importantly the role of the persons they knew would always be available for them.  These 10 days were the ones when the bonds developed, and the connections were made.  The three of us were also busy with family.  There was Tinku’s annual puja, there were a few family gatherings, there were things that had to be done for the parents, but in all of this I always felt a level of satisfaction and happiness that I have not felt for a long time.  The students changed my experience of Calcutta completely as Calcutta began to change each individual in the group and the group itself. I really enjoyed going to the girls’ house sometimes after dinner, or early for breakfast and spend the time with them getting to know them much more and better than I have ever known my “students” in my teaching career.  At some point, by the end of these 10 days, I was occasionally calling the students “beta” (an affectionate term for a person in the position of a son or daughter or nephew or niece), and it was happening naturally and automatically.  This was the formative period of what would later be labeled as the “India Family.”  The details of the days are recorded elsewhere in the other document, but what was going on in this period was pure learning at every moment of our lives during those days.  We learnt to know ourselves, each other, the community we had created, the community we were immersed in, and the land we were living in.  I learn to look at Calcutta differently, and the company of 11 individuals charmed by Calcutta and Salt Lake reminded me why I have always loved this city (which really became palpable to all after the experience of Delhi which proved to be a different and much less pleasant experience).  At the end of the 10 days, all wanted to spend the rest of time in Calcutta and not go anywhere else.  The departure from the houses was not teary but pretty close, and that demonstrated to me that the course was a success.  Study abroad is not just going to a country, and studying about the country.  Study abroad is really becoming a part of the country, its culture and its people.  In this we were successful in Calcutta.  And in Calcutta, Srijoy transformed from being a detached teenager to someone who was really making connections with the team of students.  That transformation was absolutely fascinating to watch and it came to a point where he stuck with the 11 any time we did things together.

July 21, 2010

We left from Calcutta on the morning flight of Indigo and reached Delhi with no issues other than some baggage problems related to real excess baggage.  Once that was solved we boarded the flight to Delhi, and had the minor hiccup of Kevin leaving his computer at security, which, however, was retrieved.  We reached Delhi and a flotilla of cars were sent by Hotel Saptagiri to get us and our bags to the hotel.  After check in we decided to go to Ambience Mall in Gurgaon.  I had to run an errand with British Airways so I took a separate car and went there and then joined them a the mall.  However, in this process I met our driver, Surjit (the students called him SK) who proved to be a reliable and trustworthy person and played a special role during our stay in Delhi.  We all had dinner at the Nirula’s Restaurant at the mall and eventually called it a day since we had an early flight the next day.

July 22, 2010

We had a very early start, and many in the group had left their bags at the hotel for the Leh trip.  We all piled into cars and got to the airport in time for the 6 am flight to Leh.  The flight was fantastic and view out of the windows was breathtaking as we crossed the Himalayas and left in the south to get to the desert plateau that is Ladakh with Leh being its main city.  When we landed in Leh, and the doors of the plane were opened most of us choked because of the lack of oxygen at 11,000 feet.  There was some paper work at the airport since we were foreigners and eventually we met up with Mr. Dorjee the owner of Namgayal Palace and we took another multitude of vehicles and got to the hotel/resort.  The place looked really nice and the rooms were quite good too.  We had breakfast and we all decided that it was important to rest and get accustomed to the altitude before trying to do anything else.  Most people slept, and I got some work done.  My problem was that I was out of breath all the time, but I did not yet experience the headache that others were feeling.  Srijoy claimed he was “high” and just listened to his music.  That afternoon, we started our exploration of Leh and details of that are elsewhere.

July 22 to July 25, 2010

The bonds that were built in Calcutta between the students and the three of us matured and took real shape in Leh.  Here now we were actually under the same roof.  There was no separation between the three of us and the group.  We ate together, we travelled together, we shopped together, and we were out of breath together at 18,000 feet at Khandri-La.  Srijoy became one of the students and actually participated in the lectures that I had.  Swati was there as part of the India Family that had now gelled.  Not only were all of us assimilated into the culture, the students were beginning to adopt the culture.  This is beyond appreciating the culture, but this is where the cultural comfort is sufficiently high that the inhibitions were disappearing.  Carrie and Rachel would spend an hour chatting with a shop keeper, Kendall and Kevin would go have tea with a Tibetan refugee woman, Tania and Will would visit the home and temple of Mr. Dorjee.  And I felt completely connected with this group.  The connection really manifest itself at the party thrown by Mr. Dorjee where we were all a part of one team – the India Family – exploring new things and experiences.  Americans all of us, we were all in a new place (including Mikku, Srijoy and me, because Leh is so different from the rest of India), and we were marveling at how beautiful and unique the place was.

July 26, 2010

Finally, it was time to leave Leh.  We had a morning flight back to Delhi and after rather a stringent security we were on the plane and arrived in Delhi without any hassles.  There was again a flotilla of cars to receive us and after several hours, we were all settled into our guest houses in Chittaranjan Park (near Market number 2) of Delhi.  I was really tired by the time the process was completed.  We then all went to Greater Kailash II (GK II) M-block market and had lunch at Swagath after which we took the cars and did a driving tour of Delhi to show all the major political points of interest.  We were still tired from the Leh trip and eventually we all gathered at the house where five of the girls were (this too was called the ‘girls’ house’)and we ordered pizza for dinner.  Called it a day after that.

July 27, 2010

We got the cars from SK and we did a day trip of Delhi, starting with Humayun’s Tomb in the morning, Ansal Plaza (Mirchi restaurant) for lunch, and then Qutab Minar in the afternoon.  Mikku and Srijoy did not go to the Minar but spent the afternoon at Ansal Plaza and we eventually met up at the girls’ house for dinner that they had ordered to say goodbye to Mikku and Srijoy. 

July 28, 2010 to August 10, 2010

I dropped Mikku and Srijoy at the airport in the morning and got back to the guest house to teach class at 9:00 am in the girls’ house and the last part of our sojourn in India began.  I was missing my family and I realized that the team was missing them too.  This was a transformative moment because their departure reminded us all that we too would be leaving soon.  I do not think we were considering that possibility until the two of them left.  What happened in Delhi, I am able to explain on two premises, first the reality of leaving was brought home by their leaving, and secondly, the extended discussions about how Indians leave India and come back (NRI) prompted an interesting process in some members of the family – we (of course, I always did), started to consider ourselves as NRI.  Carrie would be the walking encyclopaedia on Bollywood, Kendall would look at matrimonial in the newspapers, others would spend extended time with young Indian boys that they met, some would venture out on their own and bargain with the auto drivers as if they were local, and one could pass for A Rai and is probably be on numerous home videos and pictures in Agra, Delhi and Jaipur.  I realized that this family has gelled to the point where there are conflicts in the family and I was expected to be the mediator.  As in all familial groups, conflict is a necessary and important part of building relationships, and if someone asked me, I can identify in this group all the elements that defines what it means to be a family.  Even though the culture in Delhi is despicable and as Calcuttans we were very critical and wary of the offensive manner of the young men of Delhi we realized (and I did too) that over the past month we had all become Indians, and as Kendall put it, when we go back not only will I be a NRI but many in the group would feel like NRIs (Non Resident Indian).  As we travelled on rickshaws, autos, taxis and as we sat and laughed together in the movie theater, or walked together in Jama Masjid, and ate together in Moti Mahal, or danced to Rajasthani music in Jaipur or sweated together in Agra Fort and had discussions in class while eating Budhha’s Alu Gobi, we were all becoming Indian and India was leaving an indelible trace on each of us, even on me who used to be Indian, and re-discovered the country through the eyes of my Indian Family.  That is when I recognized that my goal of complete immersion for the students has been met.  Each learnt different things, but if education is about broadening the horizons for the students – then all have been educated in their own ways.  The ancient “pathshala” and “ashram” system still works.  By the time we were done in Delhi, there was a true sense of parting as we got ready to go back to the United States.  Our sense of home (even my sense of home, about which I thought I was so sure) was transformed.  I knew that none of these 11 individuals with whom our lives were permanently intertwined will ever be the same again. 

Details of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur in other files.  Also, Will left for ‘merica on August 9 night.

August 10, 2010

It was now time to leave.  I told them that they should do what they want to on this day as long as all their bags were ready to be transported by 12:30 pm.  Using four taxis from the taxi stand at CR Park Market 2, Kevin I transferred about 30 bags from the guest houses to Hotel International Inn in Mahipalpur.  The rest were off on their own exploring Delhi in the midst of the first truly torrential downpour of the monsoon in Delhi.  Kevin and I ate lunch at a dive near the hotel.  All were back in the hotel by about 6:30 pm (except one) and we all went to dinner to the same dive where Kevin and I had had lunch.  After dinner, we came back to the hotel and started to prepare for the 4 who would leave from India that night.  We got the cars ready, baggage packed and I finally saw off Epiphany, Tracy and Kendall at the new international terminal of Delhi airport.  Rachel went independently to the airport a little later to catch a later flight.  Got back and called it a day.

August 11, 2010

The day started early.  I had to round up Tania, Carrie, Lisa, Kiki and Erin and get them to the airport.  We left at about 6:00 am and after dropping them off I went on to the domestic airport for my flight to Calcutta.  Got there in time, and spent most of the day doing bank and other work with my mother.  Had lunch with family at Hakka in the City Center.  In the evening Dada Bhai came over and it was  nice evening with us three cousins.

August 12 and 13, 2010

Hung out in Calcutta.  Went to the usual shopping places – City Center, CA Market etc. – and also met with friends and family.  The evening out at the Lake Club was fabulous as was the home cooked meals and sharing that with Raja who dropped me at the airport on the afternoon of 8/13.

August 14, 2010

Early morning flight from Delhi to London.  Afternoon with Kaju Mama and then evening with family in London.  Assisted Kaju mama with some of his computer needs and was really tired by the time I went to bed.

August 15, 2010

Right now, on the flight from London to Washington.