Swimming adventures

So, in an effort to get some exercise (and within the standards that are allowed by my knees) I decided to start swimming. I wanted to this last year, but then I was informed that all of the swimming "clubs" had stopped taking applications. This year I made extra sure to get my application in on time. The club I chose was Anderson, or ILSS, since some of our goods friends are members there.

I got the application on the 10th (cost 60 rupees / $1) and had to hand it in on the 18th. I had to give 2 passport photos and have a doctor "sign" my medical release. This meant I went to the club's doctor and paid him 25 rupees (50 cents) and he just signed the paper. I handed it in and paid my Rs 2000 ($33.39) and was given a receipt and told to come back on the 18th for my ID card.

At this point, I also had to purchase a suit from them since they require that all suits have the 'ILSS' logo or else they won't be allowed in the pool. Plus a retarded looking shower cap with ties...yeah, I'm sure we all look pretty sexy.

The pool is divided into 2 sections (length wise) and separated by some sprinklers that shoot up, so that the kids that are learning to swim don't get run over. Otherwise the other half of the pool is up for grabs and most people swim laps.

So, I've learned (after 2 days of swimming) that is going to be easier on me if I start to just wear my suit to the pool and change after, since there is always a rush for the bathroom for showers and changing. I also learned the 1st day that I should get out a few minutes early in order to have the bathroom free so I don't have to wait in line to change into dry clothes.

Anyways, back to today. I'm sitting on the bench waiting patiently for my turn to change. Next to me is this older lady who all of a sudden takes off her salwar bottoms. I'm thinking okay, she's just getting ready to go to the bathroom to change. Then I realize you can see her panties and I'm like grossed out. So...next thing I know she's draping her upper body with her dupatta and then all of a sudden the suit is going up the legs and the kurta is coming off. Thankfully she's still covered with her dupatta, and bam! She's changed. Mind you the room is full of small girls...no boys, but still? Come on lady!

Then across the room I see this other lady pulling off her pants. Fine, her kurta covers her butt and all so no wardrobe malfunctions. Then I saw her holding up her pants and carefully pulling her panties out of the pants. Yuck!

trains, sardines, fish

 Well...it's that time of the year again. WEDDING SEASON!!!!


We have been invited to...about 4 since February. We don't go to many weddings, DH is very uncomfortable at weddings for some reason. Well, we went to one Thursday, because the young man who was a good friend and ex-work colleague of DH's. We had been going back and forth about going because it was quite some distance from our house. Then DH was swamped with work, and all that.

Well, I had promised the young man that we would come, and I don't take lightly to breaking promises. So we ended up going.

I had previously told the boy that I would wear a sari. Well, stupid me, I didn't practice before, I thought, oh! how hard could it be. Well, even with this Youtube video showing how to wrap it, it didn't happen. I tried really hard to get it right, but the fabric was just fighting against me. *sigh* Instead I wore my salwar suit that I wore for our wedding.

So...we get ready to go and we catch a bus to Ultadanga, where DH tells me we are going to take a local train. No big deal, right?

Well...I was *WRONG*!!! It was insane! One train came, that wasn't ours, and people just pushed on, and packed that train so full, that people were freaking hanging out the doors. Oh, and someone freaking jumped off the train onto the platform and ran straight into me! So...I put my purse over my shoulders, and prepared to get on a train like that. Hmm! Then the next train comes, and we are trying to get on it, and people are pushing! We didn't manage to get on that one. We took the next one though, with DH pushing me so I would get on. Right before the train was about to leave DH was still outside, so I see him pushing himself onto the train. We push in and in. This train is packed to the brim like sardines.

A man sees me, and tells me to come inside. So I push myself past all the people and go into one of the aisles between 2 benches. The guy then told a younger man who was sitting down to "give their guest a seat" and then tells me to sit down. He asked me where I wanted to get off, I didn't know the station name, so I asked Indra. The guy seemed pleased to see that I wasn't alone, and then proceeded to fall asleep while standing up. LOL

Then, about 1 stop before we needed to get off, we got up. It was an adventure, now I'm kinda not wanting to visit Mumbai, as DH says I will face this all day, every day. Yeah!

So, really, we didn't go to the wedding, we went to the bou-bhaat, which is the reception for the groom's side of the family. We went, met the bride, who was gorgeous (although a bit too decked up for me...but traditional Bengali style)! Then...it was time to eat...well, it was a traditional Bengali meal, which meant fish! Fish fry, fish curry...lots of fish. Needless to say, I only ate a bit of rice, and some gravy. :-)

We had fun! :-) And the train on the way home was MUCH emptier, thank goodness!

Blog name

I'm betting a lot of people are probably wondering about the name of this blog and how it came to be.

So I'll explain how it came to be. I had told DH that I wanted to write an anonymous blog (I love the freedom it gives me to express what I want to say without worrying about anybody knowing who I am...) but I couldn't figure out a good name for it. He suggested chanacoffee, and at first I decided I didn't like that name as it sounded like a website for hot drinks.

After talking with The Bad Bhabi and going over numerous name ideas, some of which I liked, but the DH didn't and so on. I decided to just stick to chanacoffee.

The explanation DH gave me about the name was because Indians are equated with cha (tea)...or at least my husband is...and Americans coffee (strangely enough, I can only stand the cold coffee...)!!

So then chanacoffee was born!! :)