Quarter Break-Christmas in October

The arrival of quarter break felt like waiting for presents on Christmas. It was impossible to care about anything except the passing of time on Friday. Children were asking questions, kicking soccer balls haphazardly, and I was in another dimension. I just wanted to get to KFC like everyone else.

When people leave Woodstock for breaks of any kind, this is usually what happens: get in a taxi and drive to Dehradun, stop at KFC, go to the train station, and get the heck out of here. Our plan was similar.

We took a night train to Amritsar. I slept pretty well, but I kept waking up to the strange sounds of a grinding train. I pictured my life ending in the middle of a dream on a train in the middle of nowehre, but I kept on sleeping. We arrived early morning and actually shared breakfast with some fellow WSers. Then we all went our separate ways. We only had one day in Amritsar and were leaving again that night on a train to Delhi.

We visited the Golden Temple. The picture of the half-naked man was unintentional, but you get the idea. Going to the GT is really a nightmare for someone like me who hates feet. As with most holy places in India, you have to take your shoes off. Then they want you to walk through this water pool to cleanse yourself. Hundreds of barefoot feet walked through this pool, and I did too. Then the hundreds and hundreds of feet slop around the golden temple spreading all sorts of possible foot disease and bacteria. SICK.

Lassis in Amritsar are to die for. I had three total during the day we were there. A lassi is a yoghurt, milk, and sugar shake that tastes delicious. Got Milk?

Another Amritsar cuisine is the Kulcha. Kulchas are like parathas, which are like stuffed tortillas. I forgot to take a picture before I ate it all, but here's the aftermath. I had kulchas twice during my Amritsar stay.

Anwer and I stopped by a go-Kart track on our way to the Pakistan border. Needless to say, Anwer realized how great my driving skills are.

Another must-see in Amritsar is to drive to the Pakistan-India Border: Wagah Border. Watching videos of this on youtube made me sure that I had to see this situation before I left India.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ0ue-XGl9c

I'm a serious person when it comes to attending events of community pride and spirit: Badger Games. This event was no exception. I insisted that we get there EARLY. When we arrived, I was faced with a horrifying scene of hundreds of Indians waiting in line to get inside to the border show. Women were given the privilege of  entering before the men.

This was the women's "line." Imagine: tons of women shoving each other, men trying to sneak in, and scary Indian guards hitting the sneaking men with sticks. Oh My God.

This is what I saw waiting on the inside. I was just hoping that Anwer didn't get knocked down in the crowd.

The calm before the storm...

A flood of Indian men running to the Pakistan border...

Anwer and I sitting safely in the "foreigners" only section.

The only thing I saw actually cross the border.

Pre-show festivities.

Oh there was dancing in the street.

Looking at the Pakistan fans.

The fans of India.

People that you should not mess with, or get too close to their mustaches.

Shinanigans at the border.

Sunset in Pakistan

India mob in waiting

Post-Pakistan lassi

After a great time at the border, we got on the night train and headed to Delhi. I slept like a dead animal after the long day I had. We arrived in Delhi Sunday morning and began a three day food binge. We ate everything that could be physically consumed: sushi, lamb chops, parathas, hummus, cocoa berry frozen yoghurt, coffee, cinnabon, and several fresh pineapple juices. 

Hanging out at the American Diner in Delhi

Pancakes, french toast, cinnamon rolls, flavored syrups, hashbrowns, free refills on coffee, and a vanilla malt. Get outta here!

Another life changing moment was when I officially learned how to drive the Royal Enfield. I had been dying/demanding lessons for over a year, and Anwer finally granted such wish. This photo does not do my driving justice, but it's all the evidence I need. The first lesson was not successful. I spent more time trying to start the beast and drew a crowd of about 5 Indian men watching me before I gave up. The next time, Anwer was fearing his life so much, he got off and stood on the side. I finally figured that thing out. I drove several laps around the neighborhood, never leaving first gear. I also had a brief stint on a busy road but had a near heart attack when I saw some cops hanging out and ended up driving on the right side of the road (bad-you drive on the left here). I decided I didn't have the courage to restart the beast and get moving again in a crowd of cops and innocent citizens.

So, we ate everything, drove a Royal Enfield, and had a great time. Only two months until winter break!