Moment:
Sunday, September 15th at 3:47 PM IST
“We toured a submarine”
“Oh cool, was it underwater?”
“Nope”
“Was it at least IN the water?”
“Nope”
“So it wasn’t sub or marine!”
On our weekend trip, I got to spend Sunday with my cousin Blessy, who is currently in medical school in Vizag. She picked me up for church, then we went to go tour an old submarine on the beach that had been converted into a museum. We had so much fun posing like the mannequins that were staged in the different rooms and pretending to open the hatch that we lost our Telugu tour guide and we had to join a Hindi group (and just as a reminder, I literally don't speak Hindi). She and I are both super short, but even we had to duck in the doorways, so I’d imagine there were a lot of bumped heads when people actually lived on this submarine.
Afterwards, we sat on the beach for a little while just catching up, then got some milkshakes to cool off before heading to the I Love Vizag sign. There and throughout the whole day, we had to awkwardly ask various security guards, honeymooners, and kids to take pictures of us, but all of the people we asked were really nice about it so now I have some great photos to document the short but sweet time I spent with her :)
Blessy Akka dropped me back off at the apartment on her bike, then I headed out with my international crew to celebrate Syamala’s 20th birthday. We always create a spectacle everywhere we go, and this meal at Barbecue Nation was no different. We showed up with ALL of our luggage, which we parked outside in the waiting area, and paraded in about 15 minutes before they cut off entry to the restaurant for lunch.
We enjoyed a great meal then informed our waiter that we were celebrating a birthday, so four waiters came over with a cake topped with a single candle, and a rolling speaker. One of them asked Omar, Gavin, and Caleb to get up and dance with them, so they stood up and the waiter pushed play, immediately filling the restaurant with the sound of a Happy Birthday song to the tune of the Chicken Dance. You can tell from the photo that they were seriously busting a move.
It was a really great performance, but the cake was quite possibly the worst thing we have EVER had. We guessed that it was supposed to be lime-flavored based on the neon green icing, but it tasted more like tres leches...if tres leches were made with soap instead of milk. Indian traditions dictate that the birthday girl not only has to feed cake to everyone, but also has to be fed by everyone, so while each of us had one bite and got it over with, Syamala had to go through the torture of this cake four. separate. times. Fortunately, like the Gen Z-er I am, we had our phone out to capture the hilarity that ensued. Syamala clearly enjoyed every moment of it.
We were there for almost two and a half hours, after which we decided to walk down to the beach to wrap up our trip in Vizag. The sun was setting by this point, so we stood on the shore talking about how vast the ocean is that we have explored more of the moon than the deep blue sea. I've always loved the ocean, but I don’t think I’ve ever really gotten to experience it to the fullest, because I pretty much just swim in pools and only get about knee-deep in the ocean. On this trip though, I overcame my fear and went more than waist deep into the water (which got me completely DECKED by a wave by the way). Vizag was a place where I could rest and recharge with some amazing friends, and truly admire the wonders of creation. Just look at that painted sky!
