"Monumental"

This post should be about the Agra - Taj Finale which is actually a lot to write about - not just coz the Taj is breathtakingly beautiful but a lot of issues that we faced there. One of the biggest deals is that the entry for foreign nationals is Rs.750 whereas Indian passport holders get in for a mere Rs.20. This majorly upset my other 2 Indian companions but not me so much. I pay that much to get into the Louvre or any museum for that matter. There are student discounts I agree but on the whole that is the price. The fact that my government chooses to subsidise me should not affect the foreign nationals like that [not that the foreign national was uspet but still...]. In India, the disparity between the rich and the poor is ridiculous and in this country, there is no concept of state welfare which exists in the more developed countries, those people possibly have the money to enter the Louvre - There are some Indian families I am sure that are surviving on Rs.750 a month. The debate can go on forever but the way I look at it, I pay french money/English pounds in the Tower of London to go see stuff that has been stolen from this country - some of it from the Taj as well I'm sure - at least this monument belongs to us - no questions about it! Considering what else the Indian government steals from the people, the middle class espescially, I think using it to subsidise the Taj while attempting to maintain it is ok enough for me.

The Agra hotel was easily one of the nicest - The Taj plaza inspiring me to write a review on it at tripadvisor.com - just 10 mins walk from the hotel. The procedure to get in is kinda vague where ur bags are checked and chargers etc need to be put away in lockers provided but once you get in it seems worth it. The issue for us is that we had to get there at 8 in the morning where the fog had not yet lifted and so it seemed grey throughout. However I went through a friend's photos who had been a couple of days prior and it looks like it's later in the day with bright yellow sunshine, blue skies and a white white Taj!! In comparison, mine looks like a English day! It really is beautiful though, I think the Mughals/Rajputs cracked it in terms of symmetry. It amazes me that without so many of the gadgets we take for granted, with just drawing boards and elementary machinery, they managed to create such wonderful architechture. The pyramids in Egypt as well are a wonder.

That pretty much sums up the holiday. It lasted 5 days and costed me approx Rs. 15000 [including the return airfare]. Luckily I had gone with non shopping enthusiasts so that spending was cut down as well - thank God for small mercies! So the holiday along with the tax saving initiatives that needed to be done this month have left with practically zero in the bank account.

This is now upsetting me since I have been working since June 2005 and apart from the tax saving tht one needs to do per year which I did not even do completely for the first 2 years, I have no saving - no savings at all!! and I don't think I have an extremely extravagant lifestyle - I may be shopping every week but I is not buying brands - I go out 4 times a week but not necessarily to a lifestyle association place and still I'm broke! When I changed jobs early last year I increased my in hand per month by 30% and still I have no money. Really the more money you have, the more you spend. I swear I was as happy in P, and there I used to live on Rs.10,000 a month!

So how do I rectify this situation? By paying Rs.3000 a month to a 'Artistic yoga' class!! Hee hee! strange I know but it does help - It keeps me busy 4 times a week - money that is automatically saved from drinking which could come to Rs.1000 easily. Also, it reminds me that since I am paying for it. I should not over eat [I ordered puri bhaji for lunch today - indulging is ok but over is not!], all other vices are also reduced. The pain in my body from stretching makes me want to sit at home more and since I need to go home to bathe post my class, I end up eating at home as well which is always healthier. So...I am looking at it as an investment which improves my lifestyle. The weight which I have gained though is staggering - it seems that in 2 months I have become double my size which is exactly what happened to me in Mirchi where with the stress, I became half!

In other news, R has discovered a super cheap 10 day tour to Vietnam so crossing our fingers to get that - if that is the case, then France is pretty much out of the window since was planning it at the same time in July but C'est la Vie!