Jet Lag Tips

India has a 13.5 hour difference from the West Coast of the US (so, at noon Wednesday in CA, it's 1:30am Thursday in India).  That's like suddenly switching to the night shift at work. In other words, you can't avoid jet lag, but here are some tips to make it better so you don't end up like this ...






1. Adjust in advance by going to bed earlier and getting up later - even a little change helps.

2. Wear a watch and set your watch to India's time zone immediately upon getting on the plane (12 hours ahead.  My flight leaves LA at 3pm, so I will change my watch to 4:30AM).

3. Minimize alcohol on the plane.  It will dehydrate you (making adjusting harder) and, while it might make you feel tired, it actually interferes with normal sleep cycles.

4. Drink the equivalent of 8oz of a non-alcohol, non-caffeinated beverage every hour when you're not asleep.

5. Try to get uninterrupted sleep in virtual darkness during India night time.  Bring an eye cover and earplugs on the plane.

6. Try to be awake and take frequent walks during India day time.  This also helps prevent blood clots.  If you nap during this time, make it short (under 45 min).

7. If you arrive during the day, STAY AWAKE and try to get time in natural light (outdoors).  Even though you feel terrible, you will feel better faster if you don't go to bed.  If you must nap, keep it short (under 45 min).

8. Consider melatonin supplements (0.5 to 5mg taken 2 to 5 hours before bedtime).  There is also some evidence that eating 1-2 kiwi fruit or having a handful of goji berries about 1 hour before bed may promote sleep.

JEN'S TIP:
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR EARY RISING!  If you wake up at 4am, consider yourself LUCKY! Get up and go for a walk.  It's the only time to find peace and quiet outdoors in the city.  Jen plans to intentionally try not to adjust too quickly for this reason

Wedding Invitation God

Prabha's Mom gave him this when he moved to the US

The God of Beginnings

Ganesha is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu religion.  He is revered as the remover of obstacles, the patron of arts and sciences, and the God of intellect and wisdom. He also places obstacles in the path of those who need to be checked.  As the god of beginnings, he is honoured at the start of rituals and ceremonies. The Tamil (Prabha’s language) name for Ganesha is Pillai (பிள்ளை) or Pillaiyar (பிள்ளையார்) meaning "child" or "noble child" as he is the son of Gods.  Some have noted the roots of Ganesha worship to date back to 3,000 BCE.

The story of Ganesha was told to Jen as follows (there are many different stories):  Ganesha was born of the female Goddess Parvati unbeknownst to his father, God Shiva.  One day, as a child, Ganesha stood guard while his mother bathed in the river.  His father Shiva arrived and, not knowing Ganesha, beheaded him, only to learn and mourn that he had killed his own son.  He vowed to remedy the situation by replacing Ganesha’s severed head with the head of the next creature he came upon. For this reason, temples often feature a statue of Ganesha at the entrance standing guard.

Ganesha, therefore, has the head of an elephant. He typically has four arms, but is sometimes portrayed with as many as sixteen. In older versions, he holds his own broken tusk in his lower-right hand and holds a delicacy in his lower-left hand (he loves sweets). In modern versions, he holds his hand turned towards the viewer in a gesture of peace or protection. He typically holds an axe in one upper arm (to remove obstacles) and a noose in the other (to create obstacles).  Ganesha is often shown riding on or attended by a mouse, shrew, or rat.  Subduing the destructive rodent demonstrates his function as Lord of Obstacles.  He is mostly considered to be a bachelor, but sometimes said to be married to the personifications of “intellect”, “spiritual power”, and “prosperity.” He is sometimes said to have children - “prosperity” and “profit.”