Saturday 30 April 2011

Fitness first platinum card holders....!

Right so today me and Stephen went to check out different gyms, prices, facillities etc. We walked into Fitness First and came out with their most expensive card available in India, the platinum one!
That is the first time Stephen has been in a gym, I wonder if that is the one and only time we will go there?
The guy showed us everything talked alot and asked us questions like, what is your fitness regime like now from a scale where 1 is bad and 10 great, Stephen said 5 ( don't think so!!) I ( who does not lie) said 3. He was shocked, he asked Stephen, so what sports do you do to keep that fit, erm.. none he answers. Ok, so do you walk alot in your work? erm.. no I sit in front of a computer all day for about 10 hours a day, then I go home, lay down infront of the T.V and watch cricket until bed time.
Hahaha the poor guy didn't know where to start! He said that we needed to change that and asked when we wanted to come in tomorrow, erm.. we can't come in tomorrow, our cleaners are at home so we need to look after them. Ok how about Monday? erm... no then we are out watching cricket with friends. Ok...Tuesday?? Yes deffentlly Tuesday! .... but then we are on holiday for two weeks from the Friday:)
We were very happy with our decition so we celebrated with a big buffet in the restaurant next to the gym, followed by ice cream and wine at home...!

Me and Stephen in Agra, in front of the Taj Mahal.

Friday 29 April 2011

Internet has arrived!

Today it "only" took two guys 4 hours to install our internet and house phone!
so annoying, but it is now done! woho!

So catching up with what we have been up to this week.
Dad left on Monday, so I been busy catching up with our apartment. putting things in their right places and cleaning the kitchen.  We are getting someone in on Sunday to do the proper cleaning but it just needed a good scrub before then.
It took me about 3 hours to empty all our suit cases, we had a bit more clothes, towels and toiletries than I remembered.

Stephen has also been starting to learn Swedish, his accent is so funny, but he is better than I want to admit, as he remembers all the words straight away!

I've been meeting up with Julia 2 quite a lot, she is a really funny girl and we have been out for lunches, pedicures, shopping trips and cocktails! She might be leaving soon tho to get her working visa to stay here longer. I hope she gets it quick!

I also think that we have the best landlords in the world! The other day they invited us down for ice cream, the day after that he comes up and talk to me about coming to see his factory where he makes T-shirt prints etc.  He later popped up and invited me to go swimming with him at one of the biggest hotels in Delhi, The Shangri-La. It was pretty good :) Today I wanted to say thank you for being so nice so I went down with a cake and I came back up with a pizza, she would not have me giving her stuff and not giving me anything in return. We also got a bigger TV today and I got a top from one of his shops.

A funny thing happened to me when I waited for my dad at the airport last week. This woman came up to me and started to chat, as they do here. She asked where I was from and what I was doing here etc. She then started to talk about herself and telling me she worked in Design, she is buying and exporting fabrics, clothes textiles for furniture's etc. She said that she is working all over the world, in the UK she is working with John Lewis and BHS and in America she is working with Wallmart and Levis amongst others.
So after all that she said that it would be nice for me as a young designer to work with her and she would look around and see who could use me. I was very happy, but didn't really believe in all she was saying, so didn't expect anything to happen.  Dad then came out and off we went.
After two days my phone rang and it was this lady, she said she hadn't forgot about me but she had been busy with her friend who she picked up at the airport. She said she would send her email so I could send my CV to her.
After dad left and I still haven't heard a peep, so I called her to ask if she was serious and she said that she had been busy but would send me her e-mail straight away. So I sent off my CV and portfoilo and didn't think she would call me.
3 min went by and my phone rang. It was her and she said that she loved what I had done and she would definitely want us to work together and maybe start something together, so we are having a meeting after I come back from our 2 week holiday which is starting next Friday!
I'm very excited but I do also know it could all change after the meeting. We will see! But I think it is pretty good going getting an offer when you are not even looking!

Wednesday 27 April 2011

Dad has gone back to Sweden and we are in the Apartment

This week my dad has been here, he is like a child, he needs entertaining the whole time J  No but it was lots of fun to see him.  Whilst Stephen was at work I took him to all the touristy things we had already had done, but I didn’t mind doing them again. So we went to Humayums tomb, Qutub Minar, Ghandi’s Memorial, Connaught Place and best of all took a rickshaw around Old Delhi. 
This was the most amazing thing we have done so far here in Dehli, we went around on these two bikes in the old parts, the streets where so narrow and there where people everywhere.  At one point the drivers of the bikes took us for a walk through the spice market, which made us sneeze constantly.  We then went up some little steps that lead to the wholesale chili market and then further up onto the roofs.  From here we had a great view of the old town from above and saw where they made popadoms. They took us to the part where they sell Saris in all colours you could think of and they also took us to a Jain Temple hidden away down a narrow backstreet, the whole experience was so nice.
We then finished Dad’s week here by going to Agra for the weekend.  Agra was interesting; as a city it is very bad, the only thing they have going for them is the Red Fort, Baby Taj and the Taj Mahal. We all went down there with the driver on Saturday morning very early, Stephen and I slept in the back and dad was at the front chatting to the driver and hoping not to be in a crash.  He said he won’t miss the traffic and the beeping, but we know he will!
So we got to the hotel about 13:00, had some lunch and met up with the guide who took us to the Red Fort. It was very impressive and way better than the Red Fort in Dehli.  After that we went to the Baby Taj, it is really pretty and there were no tourists. I really liked this one. On the Sunday we met our guide at 5.50 am to go for the sunrise tour of Taj Mahal.  Not too impressed I have to say, well not me, Stephen and Dad were! Everyone was telling us how it is the most beautiful building in the world and that you have to see it when the sun comes up. Yes it was beautiful, but the sun comes up from the wrong side for good pictures, the whole place was nice, but I have seen better! Only thing that was good when doing it so early was that there are fewer tourists. Obviously there are still a lot, but not as many as there would be midday. We were back at our hotel at 8, had breakfast and then lay by the pool for a few hours. We went home around midday and got back to Dehli for 5.
By home I mean our apartment! J yes we are in!!! It is not done yet, some of the furniture’s we have at the moment looks like they have come from the car boot sale, but that is the Indian way! So we are having others put in, but it will take a while. We are so happy about being in though, so nice to have your own space, fridge and food! Not to have to call down to reception every time you want some water! Also every time we go out in the evening, the guard goes up and put the lights and fans on for us, so we wont have to come home to a dark apartment, we don’t understand each other but we smile and nod a lot! Will put pictures up from our when it is done more to our taste.
So last night was dads last night in Delhi, so what better place to eat then The Spice Route in the Imperial Hotel. We had a lovely time, great meal and even laughed at some Norwegians! There was a Norwegian family seated next to us who were trying to pretend they were really posh.  The mother ordered some wine; the waiter comes over and poured her a taster. She said: could I have a full glass please? Ha-ha
Anyhow, I took dad to the airport this morning with a little lump in my throat, it is always hard to see family leave, but I went home to my man who was “working from home” that day J
We don’t have any Internet at the moment so might be a while until I can update again.


Dad in front of the Humayums tomb

Me in Ghandis last footsteps… 
Ghandis last footsteps before he got shot

Me and Dad in front of the Red Fort, Dehli 
Dad on Rickshaw

The Spice Market

The Spice Market, chili section

Mother and child monkey in Agra
Baby Taj 

 Dad at the Hotel in Agra

Taj Mahal 

 Stephen in front of the Taj Mahal

Me in front of the Taj Mahal, on Princess Di bench

Sunday 17 April 2011

Apartment time!

We were told on Friday that our apartment would be ready to move in to yesterday. We got there at 10 to talk to the owners and to get the keys. When we got there the guard wouldn't let us in because he didn't know us, so we had to call the owners ( who weren't at home) and have them talk to the guard and tell him to let us in!
So after about 15 min we could actually get in to the building.

The apartment was open so we could walk straight in without keys. But as we thought,it was not finished to be moved into! The owners wife came to meet us after a while and she invited us down to their place for a cup of tea and chocolate cake to wait for the owner, he was flying in from somewhere and was on his way. After an hour he was still not there so we decided to go and get bits and pieces for the apartment and meet up with the owners later. The wife told us that it was our place now and we could come and go as we pleased, and we could borrow her maid if we needed to make a cup of tea or so.

We went to Kahn market and bought towels, bed spreads, pillows and glasses, we also tried to buy some sheets but the Indians were trying to trick us into paying triple the prices, not nice! we walked away, so no sheets, that will have to be bought on Monday!
We came back to the apartment to leave everything and to talk to the owner, he was still not back. They said that all the furniture was coming in the afternoon so we could move in on Sunday, so we went back "home" to our hotel. It is lovely but I am getting bored of it now.
In the evening we dressed up and went back to the apartment to have a little moving in/get together party with Julia 2 and her boyfriend Tom, they live in the same area. When we got back there were still no sign of the promised furniture, more than a table and chairs and the stuff we bought earlier, so all we could do was to stand around and drink the wine with them and then walk into the local market for some food.
It was really nice and hopefully we'll do it again - with furniture!

Today is Sunday and we have been for a walk, we are going to go over to our place soon to see if anything has changed!

Tomorrow my dad is coming to visit for a week so we shall be very busy and it shall be interesting if not fun...
Also if we do move into the apartment this week we wont have Internet for a while so can't post anything on the blog, but as soon as it it up and running we shall put pictures up what it looks like.

Here is one of a man fixing the traffic lights..

Wednesday 13 April 2011

Mixing it up with the local fashion designers

Today was a very exciting day, while Stephen was working hard me and my friend Julia 2 (I only know two people and they are both called Julia!) went for high tea at the Imperial Hotel.
It turned out that it was a fashion launch for one of the new designers in Dehli so we ended up drinking champagne and mingling with the rich and famous of the Indian design world. Everywhere we looked there was a camera, so there we were smiling, sipping champagne and talking fashion, holding our stomach's in and trying to look natural! Grazia magazine was there and we weren't even dressed up!

I talked to a few people that said that I should definitely launch my designs over there, and I replied with yes but you need to know people to do that, they said but you know us now!
Thats how things happen, you talk to people, they talk to their people and poof things are happening.
I just need to have my sewing machine and buy some more fabric,then I'll make a collection and see if my new "friends" are ready to suport me.

Otherwise nothing has really happened this week. I went to the gym in the hotel the other night and yes I can feel it today! Now I need to get Stephen to join me on our way to getting fit!
On Friday I'm joining a yoga class for beginners, so we'll see how that will go. Don't think I'll get Stephen to join me in that...

Sunday 10 April 2011

Naked men, elephants, rubies - Stephens birthday in Jaipur

This past weekend we went to Jaipur which is about 5 hours by car south west of Delhi. It was Stephens 30th birthday so we wanted to do something special! And boy it was certainly different and special!

On the way there in the car we saw about 15 elephants, camels, monkeys, pigs and yes a few naked men!!
Don't know who was more excited / shocked:)
Jaipur is the most beautiful place I have ever been to, it is called the pink city and the whole old town is pink, all the houses where painted pink to please the king! It was very busy, a big mixture of people, animals and cars.
We went down on the Friday and arrived about 5 o'clock to our " super luxurious " hotel suite..... it wasn't any of thoes words except suite. It was big, but it was dirty, they didn't know what we had asked for and people kept knocking on the door saying they had the same room... we will not recommend it! But it was ok to sleep in.
I had arranged a nice meal on the Saturday night for Stephens birthday with a table in front of the open kitchen so you could see when they are cooking, also arrange for some champagne and a cake. Nothing like that happened... the restaurant was small and there where nothing nice on the menu, we were also put at a table far away from the kitchen and no champagne or cake!! so we went for chinese food instead, which was lovely!

We went on a tour with a guide on Saturday and it was pretty cool. We went to the Amber fort, Jal Mahal (octopussy castle in the James Bond film), the 300 year old observatory and he aslo took us to a super nice shop that had beautiful jewellery :) So for Stephen's birthday he bought me a sapphire necklace and bracelet for a very good price. (or got totally screwed over?).   Also bought a star ruby to take home and do something with later, very niiice!

Also got pulled in one of the typical tourist traps , the carpet shop!! And yes we did end up with a flying carpet to take home... very beautiful tho. Same thing there got a very good price or not..!  Either way had to be done.

We just got home at about 5 o'clock Sunday night and on our way home we were driving on the main motor-way going from Delhi to Bombay, but don't think it would be allowed to drive on it in UK.  It had holes, speed bumps and then there were everything from bikes, camels, cows (oh yes cows are really everywhere!!) and even a completely naked man walking down the middle of the supposedly motorway!!! nearly choked on my sweeties!

Here are some pictures from this weekend.
Camel on the motorway.

Ladies working in the field.

Overloaded tractor.

How do you make a cow travel 60km/h?
Put it on the back of a truck!

Elephant walking down the road.

Pink City.

Amber Fort

Inside the Amber Fort.

Us two being tourists!

In a 300 year old marble Jacuzzi.


The ladies winter apartment, made of mirrors.


Jal Mahal.
(JAmes Bond, Octopussy castle)



Worlds largest sundial.

We had a lovely time!

Wednesday 6 April 2011

Daily life in Delhi

This week has gone really fast. I've had so much to do,it seems like we have seen so much already but that is only a small porportion of what you can do.
I've enrolled in the Delhi network group which is about 40 ladies whose husbands work over here, so it's nice to talk to someone that has a similar story to yourself.
Today I went with my friend to the biggest fabric shop i have seen!! It was 4 floors with silk, cotton, lace and everything in between! I wasn't gonna buy anything I was only there for support, but I ended up with 8 meters of blue silk, it cost 200 rupees per meter so 1600 in total. If you bought anything like that in UK or in fact Europe you would pay ten times that amount!
We are going back soon, it will cost Stephen alot....

Then I met a new friend, we went to the defence colony for some drinks and it was lovely! She was my age and she will basically be my neighbour, so that is great!

Life continues.....

Saturday 2 April 2011

India won the world cup! It is crazy!

Weekend

There is so much to see in Delhi!  So me and Stephen took the camera and the driver and played tourists for a day.
First we went to Humayun's Tomb, it was so pretty and there where puppies running around so that made my trip:)





 Then we went to the Qutub Minar which was a really nice place to walk around, it was a little bit busier than the first place but with more Indian tourist rather than western people.




Today it is the world cup final in cricket between India and Sri Lanka and the whole of India is watching it, hopefully India wins and it will be a great party !

Friday 1 April 2011

Disposable drivers

We have been here for one week now, during that time we have had two drivers, three if you count the one we had when we visited. As a rule we are not aloud to drive in India because it is too dangerous, and I'm happy for that because it looks crazy!!
So we have a car and it comes with a driver. When we visited we had a driver that didn't speak any English but knew his way around Delhi, beginning of this week we had one that was really chatty but didn't have a clue where things were. This morning when I called and ask if he was down stairs he said: I'm not your driver anymore, I got sacked! Erm who is our driver then? I had an appointment with the coffee ladies so I had to go, so I jumped in a taxi and called Stephen, so he found out for me. It turns out that we now we are back to having a driver who doesn't speak English at all and that is very hard if you try to tell him on the phone where to pick you up! We'll see how long he'll last...

Last night we meet up with some friends of Stephens’s parents that happened to pass by.
We started off with drinks in the bar in their hotel and we talked about restaurants we have visited and where we should go and eat later, all together.
We jumped in two cars, 5 in with the driver who didn't know his way and the rest in a taxi. It took us awhile to get our can to the restaurant because our driver had to stop and ask 3 times. When we got there the others wasn't there. It took us half an hour to find out that they had gone to a place called Veda and we were at a place called Vega!  After a while we did end up in the same place and the food was lovely, but it took us some time.

Stephen and me are meeting some friends for an other hopefully nice meal tonight, and then it is the weekend!