Dalama Adventures Tale of two corporate types ditching their jobs and traveling the world for 14 months... check out all photos, blogs & interesting tid bits at http://www.dalama.net

No better way to beat the heat, but to chill out in a movie theater for a matinee. We wanted to indulge in the experience of seeing a newly released Bollywood flick in a local cinema. Indians love their locally produced movies, and hold their actors and actresses in higher regard than even politicians. I think they rank right up there with Hindu deities. We couldn't have picked a better film to see: Namesake. One of the most impactful lines from the film that hits home for us, "Go and see the world, you'll never regret it." I find Indian movies incredibly moving. They have elements of passion, love, sadness and tragedy, drama, comedy, and song & dance all in one. This film, if you can find it in the foreign film section at Blockbuster, is worthy of your time. The movie is about taboos and highlights all the inappropriate actions that a "western" girl stumbles upon with her Indian boyfriend, who was born to parents who emigrated to the US to educate, live and raise a family. You view this first hand - the ritual of arranged marriage, and the struggles the newlywed parents face as they embark on their life journey together moving from Calcutta to NY City. It was even more powerful when their first generational American children go back to Calcutta for a family visit - their reactions to the world around them; sights, smells, sounds, cultural and religious practices & rituals... We could relate to the reactions and experiences, and what was even more fun than the movie itself was observing the reactions of the all Indian audience around us. When and how loudly they'd laugh and gasp at the idiosyncrasies and taboos the characters faced and fell into during each scene. Not only would Darrin and I be in tears from laughing at the actual movie scene, but the reactions from the audience would send us into hysterics. The theater in India sells out quickly. For good balcony seats you need to go and purchase tickets early. You're given a "boarding pass" like with the airlines, with an actual seat number. As with American theater experience, there's a refreshment scene... Here you can gobble up masala popcorn, pepper cashews and fresh fruit juices. And then, mid movie, all the lights come on, the show stops, and it's intermission, folks! On the screen flashes in big words "Beware of Mobile Lifters" and everyone whips out their mobile phones and heads out of the theater for a phone chat and a smoke, or to load up on more food. The movie continues 15 minutes later, only to be interrupted by the frequent power failures, where the seemingly 500 seat hosts get out their pen lights and mobile phone light screens, to direct and keep order in the theater. Our movie experience was fantastic, and after shedding a few tears with the crowd, we all emerge en mass, back into the hot sticky streets of Brigate Road. THere are a few more westerners around this part of town, and you can tell the local beggars know this; they and the relentless touts approach anyone with white skin and nearly tackle you on the street. I had one 9 year old gypsy girl grab my arm, water-bottle and purse, and had to forcefully push her away. There are more beggars here than we've seen so far on our trip. At first you feel a huge sense of guilt and need to give. That eventually gives way to a constant clutch of your purse/money-belt or wallet and not looking at anyone - just straight ahead. Its exacerbated by the extreme heat, humidity and need to constantly dodge waste on the footpath. It requires focus and concentration, and it's exhausting. We have found solace and comfort in the local Barista on the main strip and mid day naps at our hotel to get a break from the overwhelming street experience.