TOP 10 THINGS I LOVE TO DO IN V CITY !

1. Sitting out on the steps of Assi Ghat listening to Ganga Arti (the daily ceremony that pays tribute to the Ganga river) and sipping on some chai from a cullard (clay) cup.

2. Taking a 20 rupee cycle rickshaw ride to Godwolia market to go shopping for saris, suits, fabric, jewelry, and more. Break time from the shopping madness usually consists of us grabbing a fried snack from a local trustworthy vender. “Aloo tikki anybody?”

3. Taking a 20 rupee cycle riksha ride back from Godwolia to Assi Ghat, and stopping along the way at Cheersagar (sweet shop) to pick up a large box of sweets for all of us to eat at home. Here’s my regular order: “Ek jalebi, do laddu’s, char coconut burfi’s, teen gulab jamun, paanch malpua’s, achaaa ehhh ek hor gulab jamun dado !”

4. Playing Scrabble competitively with the other interns. It is becoming a nightly ritual for Kelly Anne, Andrea and I to play Scrabble before going to bed. Each of us play solely for the purpose of winning, so we can brag about it after ( “ I am the Scrabble Queen….”)


5. Going to I.P. mall every Sunday. This eventful outing usually starts at 3pm, when we auto rickshaw it to I.P mall, grab a late lunch at McDonalds or Dominos and buy tickets for a 4:30 show of a recently released Bollywood movie, usually of my pick of course.

7. Eating cakes and pies. My god! Lalu is the cake master who is making the online game “Cake Mania” into a reality. So far we have tried the vanilla cake, banana cake, carrot cake and my favorite: apple pie cake. Lalu has made us all into little “gol gappas” with his home made yummy treats.

8. Walking, sitting and napping on the roof. Usually after having a large dinner made by Lalu, which of course always includes dessert. I end up walking around the roof 20 times to digest all that deliciousness. Also there are times when it is so hot and my room feels like a sauna, I end up lying down on the cool cement and star gazing. This is when I feel most at peace.


9. Watching goatman yell “chaal hut” to herd his goats up the stairs of Assi Ghat. I know this seems like a boring thing to do on my list, but honestly it’s remarkable to watch how the goats follow this tiny patient man who has such a controlling voice.

10. Calling out Lalu’s name when I come home from work, and asking for the same fried snacks that I know he will not make. A typical conversation sounds like this……
Herleen: “Laluuuuuu! mujko bhooke lagi hai”
Lalu: “ Kha khanna hai ?”
Herleen: “Aloo tikki, GOL GAPPA !, chaat, samosa, jalebi”
Lalu: “Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!” ….Smile……. “No possible ! ”