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Some dude literally just walked into my gym and offered to put me up in Hyderabad for a year to run his crossfit gym. gently caress it I'm going if the offer is legit. Even if he just buys me a plane ticket and dumps me over there, hey, I'll be in India. Tell me about this city I know nothing about but am now considering moving to.
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Nov 8, 2013 22:51
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I've heard it's nice for a big Indian city. It's still a big Indian city with the accompanying ups and downs many people experience.
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Nov 9, 2013 08:16
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It's a great city to live in. Old hyderabad is one of the most charming places, with remnants of the era when it was a princely state. The modern parts of the city are similar to Bangalore or any other big city. Traffic isn't as bad as many other places in India (Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore traffic are much worse). Food is superb...you'll get awesome biryani everywhere for cheap. The only bad thing is the weather in summers. It can be really hot.
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Nov 11, 2013 09:32
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Contract signed. Moving to India in December. Hoo boy.
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Nov 13, 2013 02:51
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This might be better placed in the GWS but thought I'd just post it here anyway. So I've been doing some more research into my trip and may have hit a snag: a few of my Indian friends have informed me that coriander/cilantro is omnipresent in Indian cooking. Trouble for me is I'm allergic to that damned weed. If I'm close enough to smell it or even worse eat it by mistake, it will cause me to have a migraine that will incapacitate me for the rest of the day. How difficult will it be to avoid coriander in Rajasthan? I've seen there are western food alternatives in most of the places I'm going but they seem to be few and far between. Will the chefs be able to keep it out of my food or is it just part of a mix that they use?
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Nov 29, 2013 14:59
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Coriander seeds are widely used as part of the "spice mix" in curries while leaves are used for garnishing. It's very very common everywhere in Indian cuisine. You might be better off sticking to cheap chinese restaurants which are everywhere.
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Nov 29, 2013 18:18
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Crushed coriander seeds are in many spice mixes but you'll probably find food without it. If you see a green chutney it'll normally be cilantro and mint. The water served with panipuri (these hollow crackers [puri] you dip in a flavored water [pani], the water will normally be flavored with cilantro. Anything with garm masala will probably have crushed coriander in it, but there are plenty of dishes not seasoned with such a mix. South Indian curries season with sambar will have coriander. A lot of North Indian dishes will be fried and seasoned with just mustard seeds and oil and so fried foods might be relatively safer. Biryiani's will sometimes be finished with fresh cilantro but not cooked with it, at which point you just have the street vendor leave it off. An allergy that only gives you migraines sounds... Unique... I'd understand if you had the allele that makes cilantro taste like soap, but I haven't heard of the migraine inducing allergies though. I don't post there much these days, but there are enough food professionals and enthusiasts in GWS that more... Unorthodox... Food allergies are generally panned.
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Nov 29, 2013 20:28
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Going to be spending 16 nights in Agonda, goa over Christmas and was wondering if anyone has visited and could recommend some stuff to do?
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Nov 29, 2013 21:00
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Yiggy posted:An allergy that only gives you migraines sounds... Unique... I'd understand if you had the allele that makes cilantro taste like soap, but I haven't heard of the migraine inducing allergies though. I don't post there much these days, but there are enough food professionals and enthusiasts in GWS that more... Unorthodox... Food allergies are generally panned. It's not really an allergy but it's the description I use since most people understand "I'm allergic to such and such and therefore cannot eat it." I suffer from migraines which can be brought on by smell or light and coriander is practically guaranteed to cause one. I just didn't want to clutter up this thread with medical issues.
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Nov 29, 2013 21:44
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MonkeyLibFront posted:Going to be spending 16 nights in Agonda, goa over Christmas and was wondering if anyone has visited and could recommend some stuff to do? It's close to Palolem beach which is the most 'happening' beach in the country. Great seafood, cheap booze, plenty of music and partying. Agonda is much quieter which might be better or worse depending on what you like.
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Nov 30, 2013 07:44
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Anarkii posted:It's close to Palolem beach which is the most 'happening' beach in the country. Great seafood, cheap booze, plenty of music and partying. Agonda is much quieter which might be better or worse depending on what you like. Yeah i chose it because it seemed quieter than the surrounding area, will probably go palolem for new years eve but was looking for any activities people had done other than lazing around on the beach eating and drinking (not that it isn't my main goal).
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Nov 30, 2013 13:04
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Sorry to double post but i was wondering how people acquired their currency as I've been told its controlled, so do i take travellers cheques or maybe a pre paid card with dollars/sterling and exchange when I'm over there?
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Dec 1, 2013 22:01
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MonkeyLibFront posted:Sorry to double post but i was wondering how people acquired their currency as I've been told its controlled, so do i take travellers cheques or maybe a pre paid card with dollars/sterling and exchange when I'm over there? At least in the cities there will be several state, national and international banks with ATMs you'll be able to use. I had an ATM from a state bank in my neighborhood that I used just fine for about 5-1/2 months, banking with Bank of America back at home. I just made sure to notify them I was traveling before I left. You'll only be able to take out about 10,000 rupees at a time, which is roughly about $160ish-$180ish depending on the rate. The conversion rate this way was always better than if I went through a broker, and was a painless way to access my funds. I've been back for about 3-4 months and haven't had anyone steal money from my account or anything. It was also pretty safe, since the ATM always had a security guard on staff.
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Dec 2, 2013 01:57
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I'll be going to Tamil Nadu, staying in Thanjavur, in the middle/end of January to the beginning of February; i.e. for about three weeks. I can't remember the dates at the moment, but I think it's from the 18th to the 8th. Anyway, most of the time I'll be spending observing a local school as part of my practicum, but there will be some free leisure time. So, what's worth seeing in and around Thanjavur? Pretty much all webpages mention little but temples, but surely there's more than that? And while I don't intend to do much shopping as such, what cool souvenirs should I be on the lookout for? And last, whilst my teacher, a Tamil Nadu native, has given me some pointers, what kind of horrible European behavior should I avoid?
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Dec 2, 2013 07:10
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mr_cardholder posted:It's not really an allergy but it's the description I use since most people understand "I'm allergic to such and such and therefore cannot eat it." I suffer from migraines which can be brought on by smell or light and coriander is practically guaranteed to cause one. I just didn't want to clutter up this thread with medical issues. Semi-serious question, but what if you eat the food with a clothespin over your nose?
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Dec 2, 2013 10:23
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India is the poo poo and you should all probably hang out there. There's some good advice in this thread, I will take some time to post more later, but here's some recommendations for the OP/anyone who hangs out in Kolkata: 1) Peter Cat restaurant has high class gourmet meals, for the same prices as the lovely chicken sandwiches and whatever you get in the tourist places. Take nice friends there for classy evenings. 2) As far as the tourist street (really, there's just one, unlike Mumbai or Dehli) ask around for A-1 Hoogly Egg Roll, which is the best place to eat Egg Roll, which is not Chinese egg roll but is more like a paratha with spicy sauce and other poo poo thrown in. It's just a tiny stand adjoining an empty mud lot, but it is actually the best and locals/foreigners will all agree. 3) Bring a frisbee and get yourself kicked out of the Victoria Memorial for playing ultimate there at least once. It's a nice, clean place but who cares about staring at ol' Queen Vicky's scowling statue all day? The lawns are also solid, unlike the maidan (park) which is muddy and you will unexpectedly sink a foot into the ground in some places. 4) ITC Sangeet Research University is an art school which has free music/dance performances on Wednesday and Friday nights. They advertise them in the newspaper as costing 300 Rs. per head, but that's just to keep out the riffraff. They're really super nice there, and some excellent shows. Here is their show schedule. It's close to the Tollygunge metro station exit. 5) Street food in Kolkata is legit and you have to eat Paani Puri all the time. Also, pakora with the green chilis in. 6) If you don't know what else to do or say in a situation, "Kii khor bo" means "What am I gonna do?" in Bengali and makes the locals smile. It might be the dirtiest city in India, but it's my favorite city in India. I'm in Shimla and about to head to Amritsar, as I type. drat cold up here.
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Dec 2, 2013 12:48
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Roctavian you pretty closely bulleted off some of the better parts of my Kolkata experience, for sure. The Peter Cat was some of the best Indian food I've ever had. And oh! The air conditioning! Me and some buddies got there just before the dinner rush at the end of a hot Pre-Monsoon-Summer day and unwinding with some Kingfisher in those frosty pewter mugs.... drat... Thank you for reminding me of that. And Bengali egg rolls are the poo poo! They put Chinese egg rolls to shame, you wonder why they're even called egg rolls. For others who will check out Kolkata the name for Bengali egg rolls are called Kati Rolls, and you really only find them in this region from what research I've done. The week before I flew out I was almost one-a-daying those things. I tried a few different ones in the city, and the best one I could find was from a random dude named Saupon, running a tiny little foodstand on the side of a really busy street, next to a condemned old glass factory. One of the few Bengalis I ran into that could speak Hindi with me. I miss it so much! I'm also really impressed and heartened to have you bring up the ITC Sangeet Research Academy. Anyone interested in another cultural experience or Indian music needs to check this place out, its the only indian classical music school of its kind in India right now. They've managed to attract and house on site a large number stalwart music gurus trained in different musical gharanas. During my time in Kolkata I was so saturated with music study I only went out to the ITC/SRA a few times. Once was for one of the Wednesday baithaks and the performer was this young sitar player who was so amazing. As I was walking out I saw he was like 14 or 16 years old, I was blown away. He played the raga I had been studying my whole time in Kolkata, which was great for me because I got to see what kind of raw musical ability Indians are able to cultivate in their tradition.
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Dec 2, 2013 18:59
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inscrutable horse posted:I'll be going to Tamil Nadu, staying in Thanjavur, in the middle/end of January to the beginning of February; i.e. for about three weeks. I can't remember the dates at the moment, but I think it's from the 18th to the 8th. Anyway, most of the time I'll be spending observing a local school as part of my practicum, but there will be some free leisure time. So, what's worth seeing in and around Thanjavur? Pretty much all webpages mention little but temples, but surely there's more than that? And while I don't intend to do much shopping as such, what cool souvenirs should I be on the lookout for? And last, whilst my teacher, a Tamil Nadu native, has given me some pointers, what kind of horrible European behavior should I avoid? South India is generally more developed than North India. But, historically, the Mughal Empire didn't make it that far South, so a lot of the culture retained a heavy Hindu character. Most of the architecture that'll be cool and interesting to check out will be some variant of temple architecture. There was a strong French Colonial influence in Puducherry, may be something interesting worth looking for there. I went to double check just now and I don't even think you can find any old Buddhist sites or Ashokan pillars to check out either, they're a little further North. You're right there next to Sri Lanka though, a ferry would be cheap. The sites worth seeing there are mostly temples too, but Buddhist rather than Hindu. Adam's Peak is supposed to be amazing, whether you care about seeing giant buddha footprints or not. If you're willing to travel a little bit (the train ticket would be very cheap), to the West in Kerala are the Cardamom Hills, which are supposed to be gorgeous. You can go check out the Periyar Wildlife and Tiger Reserve if you wanna try and take in some nature and hopefully some wildlife viewing. They have elephants!
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Dec 2, 2013 19:14
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The Cardamom Hills definitely sound fascinating, and I'll be sure to add it to my itinerary if there's time. A quick jaunt to Sri Lanka also sounds intriguing, but wouldn't that require a separate visa? I only have a tourist visa for India, and that's difficult enough to acquire. Getting a Sri Lankan visa for what is at most a weekend trip sounds both expensive and time consuming.
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Dec 4, 2013 14:38
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Anyone have tips for getting a prepaid mobile phone in India? I'll be there for 3 months, starting in Mumbai but traveling throughout the country during that time. I've read that getting the SIM can be a bit of a hassle involving paperwork and waiting for a few days, which I'm fine with. But I have also heard that a phone bought in Mumbai may not work in, say, Goa or Chennai. Any tips from those with experience?
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Dec 4, 2013 17:05
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inscrutable horse posted:A quick jaunt to Sri Lanka also sounds intriguing, but wouldn't that require a separate visa? I only have a tourist visa for India, and that's difficult enough to acquire. Getting a Sri Lankan visa for what is at most a weekend trip sounds both expensive and time consuming. http://www.eta.gov.lk/slvisa/visainfo/fees.jsp 30 dollars for a 30 day visa that lets you enter twice. Heck, you'll pay $15ish just to enter and park in San Francisco for a day! Thats a good deal less than I remember the India Visa being. India is also kind of paranoid about foreigners right now, so the barriers, hoops and costs of obtaining visas for Indian entry are more of a pain in the rear end. Temple of the Tooth in Kandi, all sorts of neat things in Columbo I'm sure, Adam's Peak. You'll be so close! Check it out! Yiggy fucked around with this message at 22:42 on Dec 4, 2013 |
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Dec 4, 2013 22:37
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Roctavian posted:5) Street food in Kolkata is legit and you have to eat Paani Puri all the time. Also, pakora with the green chilis in. I've travelled fairly widely across Europe and Southeast Asia now and I rate Kolkata street food in the top tier with Hong Kong and a few more places. The rolls and pani puri (also called golguppa sometimes) are pretty fantastic. p.s. I lived in Kolkata for 3 years as a kid and have visited many times so I'm kinda biased. Sub Par posted:Anyone have tips for getting a prepaid mobile phone in India? I'll be there for 3 months, starting in Mumbai but traveling throughout the country during that time. I've read that getting the SIM can be a bit of a hassle involving paperwork and waiting for a few days, which I'm fine with. But I have also heard that a phone bought in Mumbai may not work in, say, Goa or Chennai. Any tips from those with experience? It used to be pretty easy, but after the Mumbai attacks the paperwork stuff became enforced more strictly. Get an Airtel or Vodafone prepaid sim and you can use it anywhere in the country. Rather than random small outlets who sell sim cards (you'll find dozens of these in every block) its better to go Airtel relationship centers or Vodafone offices directly. Anarkii fucked around with this message at 07:25 on Dec 5, 2013 |
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Dec 5, 2013 07:16
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Anarkii posted:It used to be pretty easy, but after the Mumbai attacks the paperwork stuff became enforced more strictly. Get an Airtel or Vodafone prepaid sim and you can use it anywhere in the country. Rather than random small outlets who sell sim cards (you'll find dozens of these in every block) its better to go Airtel relationship centers or Vodafone offices directly. Awesome, thank you!
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Dec 5, 2013 19:02
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I mentioned a trip to Sri Lanka to my contact in India, and they were quite persistent in advising against it for political reasons, so that's a real bummer; considering that I will be completely dependent on them for the duration  Apparently there still some residual bad blood because of the civil war, and it would reflect poorly on the school I'll be observing, or so I was told.
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Dec 6, 2013 16:40
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Well, thats probably a fairly typical Tamil response. Politics in India is rather petty and, frankly, a little immature in parts. The Tamil's are really on the wrong side of history on this, and Ceylonese/Sri Lankan and Hindu antipathy is nothing new. The "Civil War"/Separatist movement only cooled down recently, so naturally in an area where Hindutva politics are still going to hold a lot of sway, there will be some resentment that their Hindu cultural values were unable to usurp and hold dominance in a Buddhist country. India is an incredibly conservative county, and you really have to leave it up to yourself how much you want to let yourself be hemmed in by a lot of their (often times) regressive and outmoded cultural values. Naturally, of course, you ought to respect your host & the political entanglements that working in a school is going to snare you in. But, if you want to see Sri Lanka though, maybe fit it in towards the end of your trip, and don't feel obligated to share your plans with your Tamil hosts. Say you're checking out Puducherry, Kerala, maybe even taking a ferry to the Andaman Islands.
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Dec 6, 2013 19:34
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Well they forced the Prime Minister to cancel his visit to Sri Lanka recently  But except the most hardline Tamils the rest of India doesn't give a poo poo. We look at Sri Lanka as one of 1) That place mentioned in Ramayana (mythological epic) 2) The country India plays cricket against the most for some reason 3) That cheap, holiday place people go for beaches, seafood, monasteries etc.
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Dec 7, 2013 05:13
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Anarkii posted:2) The country India plays cricket against the most for some reason Well India does at least generally like them more than Pakistan. And all the other big cricket countries are on other continents.
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Dec 7, 2013 16:58
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So, rough estimate, if someone wanted a mid range month long trip to India, with a car and driver half of the time, what would you guys be expecting for cost? I've been looking around and the cost estimates seem to vary greatly from 1 - 4K. I am hoping you guys might be able to pin down a more accurate number. I know I'll be paying the gaijin tax but still I would like to get something of a better idea what to expect.
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Dec 11, 2013 19:00
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There's no way to answer that without at least some information about what you plan on doing. That said the only way to spend $4k in a month is if you start buying luxury versions of literally everything. $25/day plus travel costs (trains, your driver) is a pretty reliable baseline, although it's easy to spend closer to $10.
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Dec 11, 2013 21:56
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duralict posted:There's no way to answer that without at least some information about what you plan on doing. That said the only way to spend $4k in a month is if you start buying luxury versions of literally everything. $25/day plus travel costs (trains, your driver) is a pretty reliable baseline, although it's easy to spend closer to $10. That's enough information to answer my question. I was working with some tour agents and none seem to be able to quote me a price lower than 7k so it looks like I'm back to planning this myself.
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Dec 13, 2013 04:13
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I'm sure this is the case but can someone confirm that it's easy enough to find some DEET-based insect repellent in big cities in India? We're going to be there 3 months and want to travel light, so we don't want to haul a bunch of crap over with us. Our first stop is Mumbai, I assume we'll be able to find something there? Any brand names to look for?
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Dec 18, 2013 21:06
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Sub Par posted:I'm sure this is the case but can someone confirm that it's easy enough to find some DEET-based insect repellent in big cities in India? We're going to be there 3 months and want to travel light, so we don't want to haul a bunch of crap over with us. Our first stop is Mumbai, I assume we'll be able to find something there? Any brand names to look for? I don't remember the brand, but there are topical creams available and you can also get cans of DEET spray for the home. My neighborhood dry grocer would keep it stocked, but failing that a dedicated pharmacy/OTC medical goods stand (of which there are many) will keep it in stock. They also use these thingys with a fluid tank you plug into the electric outlet which puts DEET in the air kind of like a glade plug in. Also use your mosquito net. Always.
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Dec 18, 2013 21:49
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Yiggy posted:I don't remember the brand, but there are topical creams available and you can also get cans of DEET spray for the home. My neighborhood dry grocer would keep it stocked, but failing that a dedicated pharmacy/OTC medical goods stand (of which there are many) will keep it in stock. They also use these thingys with a fluid tank you plug into the electric outlet which puts DEET in the air kind of like a glade plug in. I have one in every room of our house and we haven't seen a mosquito since. No one I've spoken to uses a mosquito net. They're incredibly blasé about them to be honest. I live in Nectar gardens, and everyone just tells us to keep our doors shut between 6-8. anyway if any goons need a place to crash we have two extra bedrooms so whatever.
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Dec 26, 2013 10:08
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Well, different strokes I guess. Winter helps too. Also probably building quality. In Kolkata it was the locals most adamant I use them, and mosquitos were ubiquitous. That was Kolkata though so your mileage may vary. V V
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Dec 26, 2013 17:57
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Are mosquitoes and malaria something I'd have to worry about in Tamil Nadu?
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Dec 26, 2013 21:16
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Yes, more so in spring through fall. Also dengue fever and yellow fever. From the CDC quote:All areas throughout country including cities of Bombay (Mumbai) and Delhi, except none in areas above 2,000 m (6,562 ft) in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Sikkim.
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Dec 27, 2013 04:30
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I was told specifically by the locals (and especially the european expats for some reason) not to get the malaria vaccine. Now typhoid? that was the first stop. Also I need to get my hep and tetanus boosters but 
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Dec 27, 2013 08:57
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As far as I know from my trip to the travel clinic, there is no malaria vaccine. You can take a prophylactic med, and use nets, mosquito spray etc. But no vaccine. Did the typhoid as well. They have an oral vaccine now. The dosing schedule is persnickety, but the vaccine lasts longer.
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Dec 27, 2013 10:24
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The argument against the malaria meds is that even in areas with malaria presence, you're unlikely to get it unless you're spending significant amounts of time in swampy outdoor areas, and all antimalarials are some combination of high cost, difficult to manage (at least one of them needs to be refrigerated), inconvenient (multiple times a day) and/or with significant side effects (they're not kidding about "vivid dreams"). Basically unless you're out there doing Habitat for Humanity or something you're taking expensive, annoying crazy pills to avoid something you're unlikely to come into contact with either way. That said, malaria is unbelievably awful, and it might be worth it to you anyway just to have that protection. Especially since I think the region you're looking at it mostly swampy outdoor areas. Very few long-term travelers (or expats for that matter) bother with them. It's generally a lot better to just avoid getting bit in the first place (use DEET, burn mosquito coils near your feet when you're eating meals, put on socks and long pants around dusk, that kind of thing).
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Dec 27, 2013 11:04
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I was in a river-delta-jungle-swamp city for five months during monsoon, so it seemed worth it to me seeing as I did not need to risk a month of down time. "Unless you're spending significant amounts of time in swampy outdoor areas" is kind of a funny statement to me, as many Indian cities are planted right in the middle of a swamp, and the building construction is so sub-par that you're never sealed from the outside, let alone the mosquitoes that get sucked in through door drafts every time you go in and out. Also as soon as they mentioned the side effects I stayed away from the Vivid Dreams pills and stuck with doxycycline, which was relatively cheaper. ~400 bucks for 6 months or so, twice a day well before food or drink (the most inconvenient part), slight stomach discomfort upon taking. All and all, not that bad. In my opinion, if you're only going to be there a few weeks, the cost of something like doxycycline for that trip will be $75-100. If you're going to be traveling there for long periods of time and can afford to miss a month while you recover, take the risk. Myself, I found it impossible to avoid getting bit at all for the duration of my stay, and I did take plenty of precautions day to day. I don't know that I'm willing to trust the wisdom of the crowd when it comes to the long-term travelers I've met.
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Dec 27, 2013 20:00
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