Firsts

**Long blog post, but filled with a lot of fun stuff including Cricket and mutton!

It has been a day of “firsts”. It all started when I rolled out of bed at 8:00 for breakfast. Due to my desire to sleep and lack of getting ready for breakfast I stumbled to the dining hall in my tall chevron socks hoping to run into no one. On the way back from breakfast we walk by a lovely Indian family leaving our hostel where I received my first shameful Indian glare. I do believe she now thinks Americans dress quite strange. Not long after that another first occurred. As I was lying in bed taking my post breakfast nap I heard a peculiar noise out the window. Danielle and I could only conclude that it was a cow. So now I have heard my first Indian cow moo.

On the subject of cows, another first occurred. As we were casually walking through the fresh produce market a cow decided it was his turn to walk through. We learned since cows can’t beep at us like cars, they just push their way through. So today not only did I hear my first Indian cow moo, I got hit by a cow. Have no fear, he moves about the speed of a turtle so it didn’t hurt. I got a nice picture of him below before the incident.

We had an amusing endeavor today as four American girls learned how to play Cricket. For those of you who have never played, and I’m assuming most of you haven’t, it is very much like baseball but in a smaller space. It doesn’t involve the same hand-eye coordination as baseball though. We know I wouldn’t have been able to play if that was the case. I’m pretty sure the people teaching us found us very pitiful, but I don’t think I was that bad. I definitely scored the majority of the points for my team! When I get home I’ll teach anyone how to play as long as they bring the Cricket set.

So the produce market. You know how in magazines and on TV you see pictures of produce markets with people and food everywhere. Well that’s real. The most amusing part to me while walking through the market, was that everyone wanted us to take their picture. They would look at us, hold up their hands like they were holding a camera, and smile. Dr. Relton translated what one man was saying and he told us to take pictures of everyone. Apparently they love their picture taken just like we do!

Here’s some lovely pictures of the produce market. The pictures do not do the size, massive amounts of food, and smell justice.

 

As you can see in these pictures they spend a lot of time lining their fruit up perfectly.

 

Below is an abundance of coconut! Piles this large were eveywhere.

Conveniently beside the produce market is the fish market and mutton (goat) market. They were both as “pleasant” as they sound. Apparently the fish is brought in every morning fresh. Not much to say about the fish market since it’s a fish market. I’ll let the pictures do the talking, be thankful they cannot capture the smell.

 

They have employees of all ages.

 

 

 

***WARNING FISH GUTS BELOW!***

 

 

The mutton market was a little too much for us to handle since we are still on the road to recovery. I tried to take a picture from the outside of the skinned goat hanging down, this was the best I could do.

 

After we let our stomachs take a break from the wonderful fish and mutton market’s we ventured out to an ice cream parlor named Ibaco right down the street that Dr. Relton informed us was safe to eat.  This ice cream parlor very much looked like an American ice cream parlor, if not nicer. It was refreshing to have something so Westernized since we have now been immersed in the Indian culture for a week. Oh, and my cup of ice cream was only a $1! We decided that's going to be trouble this month.