[TheOne®]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

She writes beautifully herself, with no assistance (in a language that is not even her own, I can only imagine how wonderfully she would write in German!)

What can I say? I'm lucky to have found her

Thank you my love!

Originally Posted by DerAlte

Kirsche, Pfirsich or Birne, shank you berry mush! Hic!

Originally Posted by DerAlte

So, the next time around you will understand phiphtin, tonti-phaiu, thatti-phaiu, phiphti-phaiu or schewanti-phaiu when you hear it!

Okay, fifteen, twenty-five, thirty-five, fifty-five and... seventy-five? Could that be? If not, tell me where is the next hole in the ground so I can go hiding lol.

[normally_crazy]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

What can I say? I'm lucky to have found her

Matka lag gaya Sam tera.

[TheOne®]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

Oh LOOK, Buffaloes!!! Are they dangerous?
No no, those are the African buffalo, these are domesticated and are not dangerous. Well if you pull their teats too hard, they can kick.
Teats? Why?
We drink Buffalo milk!
NOOOOO! Really? NOO! all wide eyed.
Yes yes, smiling.

Somehow she can always tell when I'm serious and when I'm kidding. And she knows I'm not kidding this time.
Well, we only drink Cow's milk.
We can choose between both. Buffalo is generally the creamier, fattier milk.

Buffaloes are one of the most dangerous animals in Africa. Never come to close to any of them lol.

Anyways, in Germany we get milk from cows or goats only, shame! Other than that we only have the organic milks such as soy and rice! And no matter who I asked in India nobody knew rice milk, what a shame.
So anyone on this forum if you know where to get rice milk in India let me know, because it is quite nice (in contrast to ordinary soy milk) and because I am a bit lactose intolerant! Thanks

[vkochar]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

I had called vkochar before leaving for Agra (he lives there, you see) but unfortunately he was travelling with his family and we missed each other.

Next: The eternally beautiful Taj Mahal and an unfortunate incident.

So Finally we get to the Agra Part.

Yes, Sam, Even I wanted so much to be here. It's not everyday that you get to be host to one of T-BHP's most popular BHPian

Next time - we will rock the city. Trust me !! I will make you see Agra true VIP style ( Jenny would love that ).

You went to the Taj !! You should have called !! I could have gotten you a 50% Discount ( If not free . )

Where & what incident Sam ?? Tell me.

[TheOne®]

Originally Posted by normally_crazy

Matka lag gaya Sam tera.

Please, I want to understand what is said. What does that mean?

[condor]

Colloquial to say one's struck Gold.

[heavy_foot]

Originally Posted by TheOne®

Please, I want to understand what is said. What does that mean?

It means "Sam you have hit a Jackpot"

[normally_crazy]

Originally Posted by heavy_foot

It means "Sam you have hit a Jackpot"

arre kam se kam gori chori ko to topi mat pehnao !! Sahi sahi bata usko !

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by TheOne®

Okay, fifteen, twenty-five, thirty-five, fifty-five and... seventy-five? Could that be? If not, tell me where is the next hole in the ground so I can go hiding lol.

Hold your head high - you are bang on target!

Originally Posted by TheOne®

...So anyone on this forum if you know where to get rice milk in India let me know, because it is quite nice (in contrast to ordinary soy milk) and because I am a bit lactose intolerant! Thanks

Rice milk - not so far; but soy milk is available in plenty - at least in the upmarket groceries in Bangalore! One substitute is non-dairy (corn-based) 'whiteners'.

[TheOne®]

Originally Posted by normally_crazy

arre kam se kam gori chori ko to topi mat pehnao !! Sahi sahi bata usko !

jhoot mat bolo, Gautam.

[iraghava]

Originally Posted by normally_crazy

arre kam se kam gori chori ko to topi mat pehnao !! Sahi sahi bata usko !

Originally Posted by TheOne®

jhoot mat bolo, Gautam.

ROFLMAO!! Gautam - Be careful about what you speak, firangi chokri bahut shaani hai!!

The One® - Good work there! (With obviously a little help from Yeti Singh!). Now have you figured out what this one means?

Originally Posted by iraghava

Very good point Sumit!! Waise bhi shikari ki beti hai!!

[normally_crazy]

Originally Posted by TheOne®

jhoot mat bolo, Gautam.

Originally Posted by iraghava

ROFLMAO!! Gautam - Be careful about what you speak, firangi chokri bahut shaani hai!!

The One® - Good work there! (With obviously a little help from Yeti Singh!). Now have you figured out what this one means?

Ishaan,

dekha - Dosti aur pyaar mein jeet hamesha pyar ki hoti hai !!

Ek dost tha mera aur woh bhi ab...

[TheOne®]

Originally Posted by iraghava

ROFLMAO!! Gautam - Be careful about what you speak, firangi chokri bahut shaani hai!!

The One® - Good work there! (With obviously a little help from Yeti Singh!). Now have you figured out what this one means?

Thanks for the compliment,
but now please lets switch back to English everyone. Thank you!

[Sam Kapasi]

We finally reach the beautiful Taj Mahal security gate.

We are accosted from all sides by cycle rickshaws, hand rickshaws, camel carts, horse carts, mini taj sellers, whip sellers... I am going crazy. You can't walk, you can't walk, it is too long. Arrey bhai, chale jaange chod do hamey. (Leave us, we will walk)
Constantly, when I speak in Hindi, people run away laughing, surprised and laughing. "Yahin ka hai" (He's from here)

Finish all the security procedures. In return for the extra (extra extra) money taken from us on Jenny's behalf, she gets a 500ml bottle of water, a pair of shoe covers and (Hurrah hurrah) free access to the toilet.





Sarcasm apart, as expected, her breath is taken away when she sees the Taj. I can imagine. It's the 4th time i've been here and i am speechless every time.

She stares at the monument and we take some pictures.
I always thought it was plain white! she exclaims. This has so many details on it!!

I take some nice photos and some silly ones of her pretending to hold the tip of the Taj, just for kicks. Of course there are many photographers that stand around, offering to take pictures of you at the Taj. Immediate delivery.
Once such photographer approaches us and says "Give me your camera, I will take some photos of you"
I say "Nahi Bhaisaabb" in hindi. He continues. "Paise thodi maang rahe hai, laaiye" (I am not asking for money)
I give him my camera and takes some lovely pictures of us. We are grateful.


















On the way we are stopped "Take photo with you?" and we oblige. Again. And again. I see these young boys from the smaller towns and villages harassing the firangs, especially the women for this. It's a little embarassing and often annoying.
In Goa, I have seen some very embarrassing situations of boys taking pictures of sunbathers. Going up to girls in bikinis and often forcing them(verbally) to take a picture with them. Often foreigners will oblige, not wanting to get into any controversy or argument.

By the 3rd person, I just glare and tell them "Chalo yahaan se, koi photo voto nahin" (Get out from here, no pictures)
We walk on further as the taj gets larger and larger with every step we take.
Inside, it is still beautifully breathtaking. I take my shoes off and Jenny wears her silly show covers. Just as well, because the marble is a little hot and she's not used to being barefoot like that.

The Taj is beautiful. We walk around twice, inside twice and eventually just lie down on the marble surface, staring at the grandeur of it all.
4 boys are posing with the camera at a strategic location and Jenny is waiting because we want to take a picture of her there. The 4 boys don't see me. They approach Jenny asking for a picture with them. Jenny smiles and says "No, but my boyfriend is waiting there, to take a picture of me"
They look at me glaring and scoot off quickly.


For this picture, while I am looking through my camera, a young upstart stands between me and Jenny, with his mobile camera taking a picture of her standing like that. "Chal hutt yahaan se" I shout from behind him. I am losing my patience. This is annoying.
I don't get it. What's the big deal? Why behave like there's a new kind of tiger in the jungle.

Where is our Indian hospitality now? Yes, I am able to understand a little bit, but believe me, being in this situation is not easy.

Picture this. You are walking with your woman at the Taj Mahal and while you talk to her, a young man comes up and takes a picture of HER with a mobile. How would you take it? Not sneakily, but upfront, 3 feet away from her face.


My blood is beginning to boil slowly and surely.
But I look around me, see the beauty, see the place, see Jenny smiling and excitedly walking around exploring and I smile It isn't worth it.

[TheOne®]

We go back downstairs and sit on one of the benches - Sam to put on his shoes again and I to take off the covers from the shoes. Suddenly Sam jumps up, running behind some guy, yelling and shouting. I watch with big eyes, I have no clue what is going on, everything is said in Hindi. There are three more guys joining in, all four of them about 18-20 years old I estimate. They are a few metres away and I see them gesturing and hear them talking, all very agitated. I can see that Sam is really upset. I wait for him to come back, no point in going there - I don't understand what is happening anyways. Then I see Sam grabbing the one guy's arm and dragging him to a policeman close by. What the heck is going on? The talks continue, finally the group comes back. Sam, the four guys and the policeman!

- Jenny, we need to go with them to the police station, please get up.
- What? Why?
- Those guys took some pictures of you and I am really upset.
- Of me? What? When?
- While you were bending down to take off the covers from your shoes
- Really? Okay, but come on, even I took pictures of the Buddhist monks before, so why would you need to go wild about someone taking a picture?
- Jenny, while you bent down you showed a bit more of your cleavage and the one guy almost stood in front of you taking a picture of this, not realising that you and I belong together and that I would see and care.
- OH!

Thoughts are going wild in my mind, I am thinking and thinking, this whole affair seems a bit disproportionate for me But Sam, I mean, okay this was not right, but involving the police in this? Look how old they are - my brother is 19, that is an age where they do silly stuff like that with and about women. Come on! They said they were sorry, have them delete the picture and that's that.
- No, the policeman said they had trouble with some of those guys before, they are local, and he asked me if I would accompany him and make a statement, so that actually something can be done about this harrassment of tourists. So the right thing to do is to go! They will not be arrested or anything, it is just about making an official statement, so don’t worry.
- Okay, sigh.
As we are walking back to the entrance where the police office is close by, the guys repeatedly ask Sam for forgiveness, at least that is what I think they do, still there is no word of English. Sam is not arguing much with them, so one of them addresses me "something something" in Hindi. Before I can say that I do not understand him, the policeman spins around, yelling and WHAM - I am in shock. Did he just slap that guy in the face or did he just pretend he was about to do it if he doesn't shut up? From the looks of it he really slapped him. OMG! The rest of the way is completed in silence. I am not comfortable with all of this.

We reach the office, there is another guy in there. We are offered some seats and then Sam and the other policeman obviously explain to him what has happened. He gets up, WHAM WHAM WHAM WHAM, all of the guys receive another hard slap in their face. I cannot believe it, how horrible is this?! Sam goes on talking, the policemen start yelling at those youngsters. I don't understand a word but it sounds harsh, rude and loud. Every sentence finishing with a loud "hey?" obviously some rhetorical questions being asked as they don't even give them a chance to answer. The boys are forced into some funny position - arms through their legs from behind, holding their ears with their hands and butt high up.

I stare at this scene incredulously. It is a position that cannot be maintained for long, it needs a lot of strength but every time one of those fellows even dares to relax a bit or lowers his butt for a couple of centimetres, one of the policemen comes and beats his back with a baton WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK. I can hear it cutting through the air, I literallywince with every beat. Oh good Lord, I want to leave - tell me this isn't happening. I look at Sam, he is still arguing with the policeman, I turn my head away and close my eyes - I cannot take this.

I feel Sam pressing my hand, I open my eyes, he looks at me Sorry baby! All I can do is shake my head and look the other way again. Then the boys are allowed to get up but need to stretch their arm away from their bodies, not allowed to lower them.

Discussions continue! Those methods taken by the policemen plus the tone of their voices and way of speaking let me feel like I am in some old Hitler movie. When I think it is all over finally, another policeman enters, obviously the highest boss. It starts all over again, oh no. Finally those guys come up to us, touch our feet and knees (thanks to the Bollywood movies I know what that means), asking something. Sam looks at me and asks: do you forgive them? Obviously expecting some generous YES from me. But all I can do is burst out into some relieved OF COURSE! Forgive? Wow, that is a strong word in German to use for something like that. It all feels unreal. We need to sign a paper that states the incident but declares we do not want any further actions, the picture gets deleted (along with a few others of some other women) then we can leave.

As much as Sam is sorry about this – he himself did not know they were going to beat them up - he still thinks it was the right thing to do. I am not so sure – I have a different understanding for those kind of matters! He tells me that if I had not forgiven them they would have gone to jail for 6 weeks.
6 weeks? NOOOO, come on.
Yes Jenny, 6 weeks.
For something like that? How horrid.
What do you mean? What would the police in Germany have done?

Now for everybody's general understanding let me explain what I told Sam and why all of this shocked me in such a way:

In Germany nobody, and I mean absolutely NOBODY of the police can slap you or do anything like this to you. It is against all human rights and very undignifying. The last time things like that happened in my country was during Hitler times. We don't treat each other like this. Yes, we have differences in society but not the ones you have here, people of different classes here obviously also have different rights – that is not easy to understand nor to accept for me. For me, every human being is equal and is to be treated equally. That's why I couldn't take this.

If something like that would have happened in Germany, those boys would maybe have gone to the police station as well where they would have been officially warned - maybe they would even have had to pay a little fee, I don't know. As long as no harm is done (meaning putting those pictures on the internet maybe etc. etc.) an excuse would have been enough and all of this treated as a harmless affair. But I even doubt that police would get involved in this at all, so it would have been more a personal affair.

Well, that was that! It happened, period. But it made me understand a few more things about Indian culture. Anyways, as it was close to sunset already I strolled back to the Taj, one last look at it to see how the marble begins to shine in twilight and to calm down a bit. After that, we walk back to the car. On our way we have a funny experience again lol.

We are walking behing a group of young girls (maybe 14-15 years old). Two of them constantly turn around to us, whispering. Sam is laughing!
- What are they saying?
- Something like: you think they are a couple? They hold hands. Hm, HE is quite handsome blablabla

I laugh. One of the girls turns back and I smile at her. She first looks confused, then smiles back and asks for my name.
- My name is Jenny and yours?

Oooops, obviously that was all the English she knew haha. Sam interrupts saying something to them. Oh wow: they start shrieking and laughing, gabbling wildly amongst each other. Hahahaha!
You understand us and speak our language?
Sam: yes, I do!
They ask him all the questions they were to eager to ask, if we were a couple, where I was from etc. etc. and I can see them being flattered by Sam talking to them. So funny! I tell Sam I will ask them if I can do a picture with him and them. Please no Jenny. How embarrassing! No way, that is so funny - I am shaking with laughter.



I hold up the camera pointing at them and at Sam, and OF COURSE all of them come running. Cheeeese and click! Here we go.

After some more laughs and talks we say goodbye and go our way.

Finally, back in the car after a long eventful day! While driving back we finish our movie and reach Delhi by about 10.30 pm again. Sam's colleagues have waited for us, how sweet, and we order some Chinese food and finish the day with some pleasant conversations and a glass of wine.
Off to bed, totally exhausted.