trivia from triv

Trivandrum, INDIA -- i'm back from new delhi! spent three days in a tizzy looking for a kaftan (which i found out refers to a man's cloak & not the breezy blouse i had in mind), getting to agra to see the taj mahal, & trying to avoid touts around the city.
some insights:

1) the taj mahal, that hulking slab of marble, is translucent and massive. a pity the shah had to use public money to build such a beautiful tomb for his beloved. he spent so much on it his son had him on house arrest to protect the treasury!


2) the national museum in delhi is pretty neat. it also has an unhappy & unfriendly staff (according to my mother it's because "they work for the government." "but i work for the government," i countered. "give it a year & you'll be unhappy too," the wise woman retorted). my favorites were: the miniature period indian paintings of such scenes as krishna wooing radha, akbar hunting, and a lovesick heroine (apparently you just have to lie in bed with your head hanging limply to look the part); the coin collection ("from cowrie to credit card"), and the indian arms and armory exhibit (very cool elephant headgear, jewel-encrusted swords, gold-plated shields.. i could go on ad infinitum).

3) i've grown so accustomed to the hot!hot!hot! food that even breakfast doesn't seem complete without my tongue burning. i'll have some masala & roti with my coffee, thank you very much.

4) visiting in july is both good and bad: the crowds are minimal at the touristy places but it's also the hottest time of the year. lemme go slather more of that spf 60 on myself..