Further on down the road babe, you will accompany me…

The lyrics for this week’s blog may seem a bit obscure (sure, why should this week be any different?). Well, two things A, it refers to Rae and me, traveling through life and India together; and, 2, these lyrics are from a song by the musician Taj Mahal and this week we went to (drum roll) the actual Taj Mahal. So there’s that.

Rae is going to write this week, as I wrote last, so without further ado I’ll turn the blog over to her. Rae?

The majority of this week for me was rather a bust.  I’ve been sick for most of the week and Phil was away on business in Nepal for 3 days.  Probably a lucky move on his part.  Our goal was to go to the Taj on Saturday so that was forefront on my mind as I lay in bed trying to appreciate the ab workout I was getting from my continual coughing.  I fully expect my 6 pack to pop through any time now.

So, the highlight of this week for me was definitely the Taj and the Agra Red Fort.  I say the Agra Red Fort because there are several Red Forts in India.  There’s one here in Delhi which we have yet to visit. 

Now, back to the Taj.  Like I have said many times in the past and will certainly say many more times in the future, India is full of contrasts, and the Taj strikes me that same way.  The Taj is grand, truly amazing, beautiful, spectacular, impressive, and a true work of art.  The contrast begins once you exit the walls and enter back into the world of small spaces, uneven surfaces, crowded roads that are shared with any number of animals, poor construction, garbage, people wanting you to buy their wares and let’s not forget the beggars.  CONTRASTS!  As I talk about these contrasts, hopefully I don’t sound too negative, because in reality I find so many of these things both fascinating and delightful.

The Taj really is an amazing work of art.  We are including some pictures that will hopefully give you a small idea.  The inlay work of semi-precious stones that are set into the marble.  The symmetry and accuracy that are achieved with no modern technology.  There are pictures of the Taj at a distance and some close-ups of the detailed carving and inlay work.  The number 22 is significant in that it took 22 years and 22,000 workman to complete.  On the picture of the main gate you will also see 22 small domes, these are representative of that.

The Red Fort is also amazing. It has 94 acres of land and 75% of it is still utilized by the current day military. It is obviously not made of marble, but rather red sandstone.  There is one section of it that is made of marble and that is the area where the Shah Jahan lived until his death.  Most of you probably already know this story, but I will give a bit of background.  The Shah Jahan had two other wives, but he had one wife that was a “love” marriage and it is for her that the Taj was built.  She died after giving birth to their 14^th child. The Shah had the Taj Mahal built as a declaration of his love for her.  It was his plan to build a black marble tomb on the opposite bank of the river, behind the Taj. That tomb was started but never completed.  The Shah’s son decided that his father had spent enough money on such things, overthrew his father, and placed him under house arrest at the Red Fort until his death eight years later.  The Shah is now resting in a tomb next to his” love”, Mumtaz Mahal, in the Taj.   One of the pictures is of the view that the Shah had of the Taj for those years he was under house arrest. 

Phil here. I will add just a couple of items. First, Rae really has been sick. I was quite worried about her but it appears the antibiotics and rest are helping. She probably should have called off yesterday’s trip but she soldiered on. She is my Mumtaz Mahal. I will never be able to build her a monument like the Taj Mahal, but she is my one true love.

Second, as Rae noted I spent three days in Nepal. This is my second trip there and I really want to go back and spend a few days with Rae just enjoying the country. Here is a picture of a replica a Temple Pagoda that is famous in Nepal.

From a business standpoint the Nepal trip was good. However, it wasn’t without its forehead slapping moments. There is one institute that is trying to establish an articulation agreement with us. They offer, through its three component organizations   preschool, K-12, and college programs. I was asked on our second day in Nepal to come and speak to 1200 or so of the parents and tell about MAII/Stratford. I arrived to find out there were 1200 or so parents as advertised but I was the honored guest at Parents’ Day – a five hour program in which each class from preschool to high school made presentations. I cut my presentation to about a two minute comment about the importance of education and parental involvement. I didn’t stay for the whole program but I did actually enjoy the hour of so I stayed to watch. Little kids dancing around and singing is cute in any language.

So, not one to learn my lesson, I went the next day to make a presentation to 900 or so Juniors and Seniors. Well, what really was going on was the annual talent show. The school leadership couldn’t understand why I thought it would be inappropriate to give a thirty minute presentation (with PowerPoint and videos). I am not sure what possibly could make them think that delaying the start of the talent show for some college presentation was a good idea. 

I wanted to just take our leave and let the kids enjoy their talent show. They wanted me to do the whole presentation. We finally agreed I would give a five to ten minute talk with just a few slides and one video. Not to put too fine a point on it, but it was a disaster. I have been the last speaker between an audience and dinner. That was nothing compared to being the only speaker between nearly a thousand teenagers and talent show of their peers. Let’s just say, it went about as poorly as I was afraid it might. The students were about as attentive and polite as I would have been in the circumstances. Which is to say not so much.  Oh well, no rotten vegetables or fruit were thrown, so I have that going for me.

 Until next week…

Namaste.