Patience a virtue?

Yesterday, the guys and I went to play basketball at Nehru Stadium. It is a large sports complex with basketball courts and cricket fields. Though it is winter here, I was hot, for the weather is about 60 degrees and humid. We then went to India's largest mosque, Jami masjid. Let me tell you, it was amazing, but VERY hectic. I can't count the times in which we have been husseled for our money. It is entirely free to enter the mosque, however, one must take of one's shoes before entering the mosque. They make you think that you have to leave your shoes there at the enterance, however, we learned later that we could bring our shoes with us as long as we carried them. Of course the man that was the shoe attendant at the enterance expects to be paid. Also, the man that offered to give us a tour, after we told him at least twenty times we did not want a tour stayed with us anyway and then hasseled us for money once we tried to leave.......Ugh! Patience and the ability to say "no" are needed when being an American in India. Though, the mosque and the sites around were extremely facisnating to see, the countless times we were hasseled and price gouged put a damper on the day for me. I returned to our apartment extremely disenchanted and with a pulsing heachache... I have decided, that in the future, I will be asking Sonal or Winnie to accompany me.

As for the reset of our day, we spent walking around the old streets of Delhi. We saw parts of the old Mughal empire still in tact and still being used for everyday use. We then ate at this smart restraunt on our way back from Jami Masjid. I ate veggie fried rice and nan (Indian Bread) with a fresh lime soda. We walked about a mile before getting a rickshaw back to Som Vihar.

So this evening, I will be signing off, lesson learned~K