Hyderabad, India

I'm missing something this year. No travelling that involve any flights and walking miles and miles. I didn't go anywhere this year. Only twice going up to Cameron Highland. No walking around with maps in hand. No trying to speak the native language. No feet hurting like its coming off. Owh... I miss travelling...

Last year I went to Hyderabad, India for 2 conferences. I don't think I have mention this in this blog, so I feel like doing it, just to remind me of travelling.

I didn't know what to expect from India. Never been there, never knew anyone whose been there. Our flight was at midnght, but since our time was ahead from India, we arrive in Hyderabad airport also at midnight after four hours of flight. The very first thing that I notice about India was..... the air smell. It is a bit colder but there's something in the air, there's a smell that I don't know how to describe. My first thought, it smell like the bottom of muddy river. You know, a bit fishy, but muddy too. It stink. The airport is small and look like a rundown. Then we were put in a school bus that to me was a bit funny. It was decorated with shiny papers. See below... hehehe...


Any views from outside of the bus? NO. It was really really dark. No street lights, so I don't know what is even next to the airport. Then we travel like 40 minute from the airport to Hyderabad city I suppose. The roads use was actually the real road. Why I said this? I actually thought the driver were taking us through a short cut. The road was freaking awful. God.

Then we arrived at this road between buildings. It was a dark alley. Really really dark. No bobody would know if we were walking into a big hole in front. It was pitch black. We were ask to bring our luggage and of course we were dead clueless. What the hell are we doing in front of a balck alley. Then he said, "Your hotel is at the end of the road". Say what!!

This is the black alley.
Imagine it at night with no lights at all. Scary eh...


And to be welcome by this....
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Uh... now that I get to look at this again I don't now how did I get thru THAT! The bed, I don't mind that much. But look at the toilet. Uhhhh... Please take note that I never use the toilet bowl. Just ewwww.... And don't ask where I did my business. Hahahaha... There's no hot water, not that I take my bath using hot water, to me the colder the better, but poor my lecturer, she is never use to this kind of place. The hard bed, awful roads, dirty toilet, cold water. huhu... Anyways, I sleep like a baby that night, too tired from the bumpy road I guess.

Woke up really early the next morning for conference. Even that the hotel looks like a rundown like most building in India, they provide breakfast. Not the kind you find in 5 star hotel, but enough to feel your stomach. I remember poori, and dhal ( I think), fruits and no idea what it's called. And this was my first time ever drinking balck tea with fresh cow milk. The taste? Like cow milk. My mistake that I made milk tea, I should've just drink that tea as it is. Uh...

Then we were pcked up by bus to the conference, was it at some Technology Institute (IICT, I think), I can't remember but it the second conference was in Osmania university. IICT is gorgeous, not Buckingham Palace gorgeous, but it's better than the city it self. This place looks a bit like UM, old, but the different is, IICT is really up-to-date, equipment wise compared to UM.

IICT. It's green, cozy and cold.

Then the usual stuff we do in conference. Blah blah blah....But always one thing that I waited in a conference is lunch. hehehe.. and in between tea breaks too. But we are in India, who knows what we are going to eat right. Have you ever been in function in Malaysia where tea breaks and and lunch are serve? mesti penah kan. Usually tea breaks in Malaysia are almost like lunch right? With mee goreng, sandwiches, curry puff and pastry, with two different kinds of drink, right? But not in India. Can you guess what we get for tea breaks? Are you ready???? ................. A piece of biscuit. I'm not kidding. Seriously. They meticulously put one biscuit in each plate. Hahahaha... (Agaknya kalau diorang datang Malaysia, mesti terkejut beruk tengok tea break kita macam kenduri)

Then lunch. Since Islam is not really big in Hyderabad, I'm pretty damn sure the food is not really halal. They don't even have place for us to pray. So, I took vegetarian food. Yeh, they are people who only eat veges (We are in India derrr..). They have been eating vegetarian food since centuries ago, that have perfected the art of cooking veges, into something so delicious and marvellous. It's not those soya flavoured like meat or something. It's real veges, cooked and seasoned so well, it taste better than real meat. I'm loving eat. Superb. Two thums up from me.

Then, I was left only with my lecturer while the others went on a trip to see Taj Mahal. wuuuuuu... So we continue to the second conference. Hotel were a bit nicer. It was really new, that the smell of new paint is still there. But everything was okay. Then the next morning came. We were taken by bus to conference place, in Osmania University, it is the oldest Uni in India. Well, old it is. It is so old, that it almost look like a ..... errrr..... it's falling apart. Seriously. That place is huge. Conference place were kilometeres apart. I was late for my poster presentation because that place was really far away. I remember one time that I really need to pee. but the toilet there was on renovation or it was never completed?? Uhhhh.... To find another useable toilet? took me more than 20 minutes, that I almost pee in my pants.



This is one part of Osmania Uni. That is a window converted into a counter for students. Where else can you find that?? I took many pictures of the runwndown uni, but I don't feel like putting in up. Okay moving on with what at least I think Indian culture was after 10 days.

I saw this a lot a long the way in the bus going to the conference. People standing around holding a plate of food. They are having breakfast. Yup standing. You know, that we actually eat lunch standing holding a plate of rice. First it seems really weird for us, but is seems that it's just their culture, to eat standing. Weird.

You can also find lots of people selling stuff like this. On cart like this. This person were selling, obviously apple. Hehehe... And there's also people selling freshly squeze orange juice.

I'm pretty damn sure that I took a picture of a guy peeing on the road. But I don't know where it is, it's gone. Ter'delete' kot. We have to pass this place, an open space just beside the road to go to lecture hall. At first I thought I saw it wrong. Was that guy really peeing in public? Or my eyes have gone crazy? But having to pass that place so many times, I'm now really sure that place is like a public toilet. Then I took a picture. And coming back home showing people the picture to people. Hahahaha...

Most of the street in India are like this. It's dusty and smelly. Shops are small. Buildings are not finish. Well, it's never going to finish because Indians believe that it's good omen to not finish a building. Don't ask me why, ask them. We did went shopping on our last day in India. After spending 9 days of conferencing, this shopping day is what I look forward. I bought mostly fabric. It's damn cheap. Cheap. Super cheap. Owhhh... I really miss that.


This is one loooong entry. Dah macam karangan dah. 'When I went to India'. I miss India. I feel reluctant to come back home after spending 10 days in India. Even that it is smelly, dusty, being a total vegan, seeing people peeing publicly, and a lot more, I actually like that place. I miss the nice people. I miss the ride that feel like Formula One car. I miss everything. Uhhhh...


Next year? Planning to go to Japan and UK. Hehehehe...