We all helped with that.
At 20 Rupees a coconut, we bought three.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Erik's remedy
Erik went to the doctor and was diagnosed with a UTI. He was given medication and told to drink coconut water.
We all helped with that.
At 20 Rupees a coconut, we bought three.
We all helped with that.
At 20 Rupees a coconut, we bought three.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Treading water
...done enough treading, now I need to learn to swim.
Been here almost two months and I've always had an excuse not to move forward. Obviously at the beginning I was getting over the shock of moving to India, learning the area, and trying to find the essentials so I could feed my family on a daily basis. Then it was getting the kids ready for school, issues at the previous apartment, moving to Ozone, now it's unpacking and getting organized.
It's about time I start getting my ducks in a row for what I want to accomplish while I'm here.
What I can do now:
1. Start Charity work
There is an amazing place just a bike ride away. I have had the contact info for two weeks but haven't done anything about it. I'll tell you more about it once I actually make contact.
2. Yoga
Have a contact number for a Yoga Guru who teaches yoga with the spiritual aspects (I'm not looking for a "gym" class)
3. Hindi lessons
I have a contact number for Hindi lessons in addition to my Rosetta Stone kit I have yet to open.
On my list for later on:
1. Ayurvedic Assessment/Massage/Health
I plan to see an Ayurvedic doctor for an assessment. I've heard the doctor asks you 101 questions about yourself and family history, looks at your skin, fingernails, eyes, hair, etc. and then tells you what "type" of person you are and recommend nutritional advice for your specific needs. There are also Ayurvedic massages but again, you need to know your "type".
More on Ayurveda
2. Cooking classes
The Overseas Women's Club has a Cooking Club where women who like to cook get together and prepare a meal together. It's very social and at the end of the session you eat the dish together.
I do NOT enjoy cooking AT ALL (except for entertaining) so I could use the positive influence of being around people who enjoy cooking, I'll learn where to get different ingredients, and I'll meet new people.
I'd also like to take some Indian cooking. We're considering hiring a cook 3 days a week and maybe I'll look for someone who is willing to teach or at least allow me to watch over her shoulder. But I'm sure there are classes out there too.
3. Bollywood Dancing
I've seen postings for Bollywood Dancing around but they seem aimed at older white ladies (huh, is that why I'm interested?? Hahahaha) Anyway, taking Bollywood in a room with a bunch of other expats makes it seem less appealing. Not a big rush on this one.
I'm sure there are other items that just aren't coming to mind at the moment.
I'll keep you posted...
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Lookin' for a Swede...
In Bangalore there are people from all over the world. I am a member of a group called the Overseas Women's Club and while I'm at an event I always keep my ear out for a Swedish accent. I also mingle with Expats in our housing development, Ozone, and a similar one, Palm Meadows, and do the same thing.
There is a large contingency of Expats from Europe; French, British, German, some Dutch, I've even met a Dane... but in almost two months I have yet to meet a Swede.
Until yesterday...
My new NEIGHBOR is named Clause, he is from Sweden (so he's actually Swedish, hahahah, unlike me) and he was happy to hear I speak some Swedish because on October 5th his wife and two children arrive and his wife doesn't speak much English! His kids are 4 and 1. Should make for a lot of fun.
And when he came over to introduce himself, I had just finished washing my Lingonkruka! (I told him that but he was unimpressed.)
I have placed my little Dalahests on my kitchen window sill on each side of my new copper Ganesha statue.
A little more about Egypt
Hi All
Helen - how did the move go? Are you settled into your new house? Did your furniture get delivered? What about the beds for the kids?
It is Monday morning September 1st here in Dublin. We just called Jonathan to wish him a happy 8th birthday. Drew made a special trip to Cairo to a toy store to get some Legos that Jonathan really wanted for his birthday. Drew said that they have a large mall in Cairo that is 5 stories tall and one or two blocks in footprint. He found what he wanted and now knows where to go to get other things in the future.
The Schutz American school in Alexandria does not require uniforms. Jonathan and Kaisa both have 15 students in their class, so they get a lot of attention. Linda had a parent/teacher conference with Jonathan's teacher on Monday. It went well. The teacher said he was doing fine in class. She asked Linda if he had any problems adjusting to all of the changes in moving to Egypt, etc. Linda said that both kids seem to be doing OK.
Today was the start of Ramadan, the month long religious "holiday" for Muslims. They are not supposed to eat or drink during daylight. When the sun goes down then they feast and sometimes late into the night. Drew says some people actually gain weight during Ramadan. Linda was very surprised to learn that Muslim kids in Kaisa's kindergarten class follow the "rules" and don't even drink water during the day.
Alexandria is a beach resort town. During the 3 summer months the town in inundated with people from Cairo and the interior of the country looking to escape 100 to 120 F heat and hit the beaches. Alexandria's summer days average around 90F. The beaches are packed elbow to elbow. However, since today was the first day of Ramadan most of the vacationers have gone home and suddenly the traffic is manageable and the beaches look deserted.
Helen - thanks for the update on Annika and Auggie and their school. We especially enjoyed the little story about Annika and Anika getting each others uniforms. Glad that both girls now have clothes that fit.
All for now
Love Dad
Helen - how did the move go? Are you settled into your new house? Did your furniture get delivered? What about the beds for the kids?
It is Monday morning September 1st here in Dublin. We just called Jonathan to wish him a happy 8th birthday. Drew made a special trip to Cairo to a toy store to get some Legos that Jonathan really wanted for his birthday. Drew said that they have a large mall in Cairo that is 5 stories tall and one or two blocks in footprint. He found what he wanted and now knows where to go to get other things in the future.
The Schutz American school in Alexandria does not require uniforms. Jonathan and Kaisa both have 15 students in their class, so they get a lot of attention. Linda had a parent/teacher conference with Jonathan's teacher on Monday. It went well. The teacher said he was doing fine in class. She asked Linda if he had any problems adjusting to all of the changes in moving to Egypt, etc. Linda said that both kids seem to be doing OK.
Today was the start of Ramadan, the month long religious "holiday" for Muslims. They are not supposed to eat or drink during daylight. When the sun goes down then they feast and sometimes late into the night. Drew says some people actually gain weight during Ramadan. Linda was very surprised to learn that Muslim kids in Kaisa's kindergarten class follow the "rules" and don't even drink water during the day.
Alexandria is a beach resort town. During the 3 summer months the town in inundated with people from Cairo and the interior of the country looking to escape 100 to 120 F heat and hit the beaches. Alexandria's summer days average around 90F. The beaches are packed elbow to elbow. However, since today was the first day of Ramadan most of the vacationers have gone home and suddenly the traffic is manageable and the beaches look deserted.
Helen - thanks for the update on Annika and Auggie and their school. We especially enjoyed the little story about Annika and Anika getting each others uniforms. Glad that both girls now have clothes that fit.
All for now
Love Dad
Bought beef yesterday :-(
Since we moved here I have not ordered beef at a restaurant nor purchased it in a store. I just feel like it's offensive to eat beef. I'm a visitor in this country so I want to respect their ways. Like in a restaurant, maybe the chef cooks beef but what about the waiter, server, dish washer?? I just thought I could do without it for a couple years.
Yesterday I broke down. We had a very casual housewarming party for about 12 people on short notice. I recommended we serve chili and cornbread since we're all in need of some down home American fare.
I had heard there was a store that sold fresh ground beef (I had NEVER seen beef in a market before). I went there with my fingers crossed. I asked for the beef since it was not on display. They showed me a very lean chunk of beef that weighed 3 kilos. I said "I'll take it" and they ground it for me right then and there.
The price? I was shocked... Rps. 130/ a kilo. That's like $3.50 a kilo. I thought grinding up a sacred animal would have some kind of luxury tax attached but I guess not.
They packaged the meat in three packages, I put 2 kilos in the chili and 1 in the freezer.
The evening was great. Gin and Tonics flowed freely (except we ran out of ice rather quickly and as Jenne pointed out, there was no running to the AM/PM for more ice).
AND now that I have a convection oven... I was able to bake cornbread (which I made from scratch thank you very much)! I haven't used an oven since MAY!
It was a very nice evening.
Oh... and to top it off... I rinsed the dishes but MY MAID did all the dishwashing the next morning!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Coming soon: Genesha's birthday
I'd can't wait to tell you about all the fun we had on Genesha's birthday but I can't do it without the photos, so it'll have to wait until this weekend.
Abhishek weds Pinks
I attended my first Indian wedding last week. A business associate of Erik's invited a few of the crew to his wedding. The ceremony was on a Wednesday, starting at 9:30am, so we decided I would attend the daytime celebration and Erik would attend the night time receptions.
Entryway to the banquet halls just for this wedding
Friends Jon and Cecile all dressed up for the festivities
First impression: WOW! I had never seen so many flowers in one place. Flowers everywhere - huge garlands of flowers draping everything, flowers on every surface, and the stage where the ceremony took place is completely indescribable. There are pictures but they in no way do it justice.
When we walked in we weren't quite sure what to do... is there a groom's side? bride's side? Do women and men sit together or separate? But soon a friendly gentlemen told us to sit anywhere.
They estimated 2,000 guests
We watched as the groom, Abhishek, did some rituals with a Hindu priest. The bride was not introduced yet. Soon we were asked to go have breakfast and we were escorted into a large banquet hall where we sat down in front of large banana leaves. We were shown to wash our leaves with bottled water. Then server after server put piles of food on our leaves. We enjoyed the experience of an authentic celebratory Indian breakfast.
Then we went back into the wedding hall where eventually the bride was introduced. At this time Abishek had a cloth held up in front of his eyes so he could not see his bride. She did some ritualistic circling around her new groom and finally settled in front of the cloth. The couple threw rose pedals at each other over the cloth for a few minutes and then the cloth was taken down and they could see each other.
Bride and groom sitting, family and friends are throwing turmeric covered rice at them
The inlaws had their own small ceremony
We were given turmeric rice on several occasions to throw at the couple, my hand was stained yellow at the end of the day
About two hours after our HUGE breakfast, we were escorted into the banquet hall again for a HUGE lunch.
Again, served on banana leaves and eaten with your right hand.
On exiting we were given a coconut, a rose, a puja, and some sugar crystals.
So fun.
All the best to Abhishek and Pinks!
Thanks for having us!
Entryway to the banquet halls just for this wedding
Friends Jon and Cecile all dressed up for the festivities
First impression: WOW! I had never seen so many flowers in one place. Flowers everywhere - huge garlands of flowers draping everything, flowers on every surface, and the stage where the ceremony took place is completely indescribable. There are pictures but they in no way do it justice.
When we walked in we weren't quite sure what to do... is there a groom's side? bride's side? Do women and men sit together or separate? But soon a friendly gentlemen told us to sit anywhere.
They estimated 2,000 guests
We watched as the groom, Abhishek, did some rituals with a Hindu priest. The bride was not introduced yet. Soon we were asked to go have breakfast and we were escorted into a large banquet hall where we sat down in front of large banana leaves. We were shown to wash our leaves with bottled water. Then server after server put piles of food on our leaves. We enjoyed the experience of an authentic celebratory Indian breakfast.
Then we went back into the wedding hall where eventually the bride was introduced. At this time Abishek had a cloth held up in front of his eyes so he could not see his bride. She did some ritualistic circling around her new groom and finally settled in front of the cloth. The couple threw rose pedals at each other over the cloth for a few minutes and then the cloth was taken down and they could see each other.
Bride and groom sitting, family and friends are throwing turmeric covered rice at them
The inlaws had their own small ceremony
We were given turmeric rice on several occasions to throw at the couple, my hand was stained yellow at the end of the day
About two hours after our HUGE breakfast, we were escorted into the banquet hall again for a HUGE lunch.
Again, served on banana leaves and eaten with your right hand.
On exiting we were given a coconut, a rose, a puja, and some sugar crystals.
So fun.
All the best to Abhishek and Pinks!
Thanks for having us!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Asking for money
A man just came to the door asking for money. Luckily Jennifer, our housekeeper, speaks Kannada (the local language) and her English is good. She translated for me and said the man at the door helped bring a few boxes into the house on Monday and would like to be paid.
Every delivery we had came with their own delivery people so I really can't recall this man carrying anything. He is familiar to me because he has been working on a leak in the roof, but what would he have carried??
I told him I didn't have any money (small bills that is) but he stayed around until I came back with a few coins. Coins were not what he was after.
Every delivery we had came with their own delivery people so I really can't recall this man carrying anything. He is familiar to me because he has been working on a leak in the roof, but what would he have carried??
I told him I didn't have any money (small bills that is) but he stayed around until I came back with a few coins. Coins were not what he was after.
Being a woman in India
Being white skinned in India has HUGE advantages... security rarely stops us, if we insist on something we usually get it, some times it is seen as an honor for white people to be present (like at the Genesha festival last night - entry + photos to come),etc. Some times it's hard to see the discrepancy because I'm usually shopping or doing my business by myself or with other white people, but Tuesday I ran errands with Jennifer and it was very apparent that her experience is much different than mine.
BUT being a woman is obviously of low status. Now that we have moved into the house, many workmen and service providers have been to the house during the day. They always ask for "Sir". I tell them Sir is not at home and they need to speak with me... they'd almost rather leave and come back at a later time than conduct business with a "Madame."
Also, paperwork is filled out with "Sir's" name - even if I'm doing the purchasing.
It all takes a little getting used to...
BUT being a woman is obviously of low status. Now that we have moved into the house, many workmen and service providers have been to the house during the day. They always ask for "Sir". I tell them Sir is not at home and they need to speak with me... they'd almost rather leave and come back at a later time than conduct business with a "Madame."
Also, paperwork is filled out with "Sir's" name - even if I'm doing the purchasing.
It all takes a little getting used to...
Shifting
Are you shifting?
Makes me feel like a superhero shape shifter...
"Shifting" is the word for moving. When you tell people you're moving they just give you a blank look.
We shifted into our new house on Monday and, as always, it has been a lot of work. We have lots of boxes but no shelving to put things on (especially in the kids' room and playroom). Our maid Jennifer also started on Monday and she is sooo sweet. She's 18 and has worked as a housekeeper for the last couple of years. She came highly recommended by a British woman I spent some time with that was leaving India.
Oh, and we are FINALLY in control of our own laundry. Whoooo hooooooo!!! Of course, Jennifer will help with the laundry/ironing but our house has a washer and a dryer!!! If we need something we can wash it ourselves AND since we have a dryer our clothes will no longer be damp and/or crunchy (sometimes even moldy) from air drying in monsoon season.
There is much to tell and lots of pictures to upload, but this is just a quick note to let you know that we're very excited to plant some roots and be surrounded by the items we shipped from home.
Makes me feel like a superhero shape shifter...
"Shifting" is the word for moving. When you tell people you're moving they just give you a blank look.
We shifted into our new house on Monday and, as always, it has been a lot of work. We have lots of boxes but no shelving to put things on (especially in the kids' room and playroom). Our maid Jennifer also started on Monday and she is sooo sweet. She's 18 and has worked as a housekeeper for the last couple of years. She came highly recommended by a British woman I spent some time with that was leaving India.
Oh, and we are FINALLY in control of our own laundry. Whoooo hooooooo!!! Of course, Jennifer will help with the laundry/ironing but our house has a washer and a dryer!!! If we need something we can wash it ourselves AND since we have a dryer our clothes will no longer be damp and/or crunchy (sometimes even moldy) from air drying in monsoon season.
There is much to tell and lots of pictures to upload, but this is just a quick note to let you know that we're very excited to plant some roots and be surrounded by the items we shipped from home.
First Snow Cone in India
Wednesday was a holiday, Genesha's Birthday, so a neighbor girl came over in the morning and A&A opened the Snoopy Snow Cone maker and they made snow cones on the back patio. (The ice melted rather quickly but it was good clean fun for about an hour.) I didn't have any sugar syrups for them to put on their shaved ice, so they used honey and were very happy with the result.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Happy 8th Birthday JP!!!
Wow, you're turning 8 years old in Egypt! The stuff memories are made of!!
Here are some photos of the birthday boy from our trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in March.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Sobha Rose
Great description of where we've been living for the last three weeks by one of Erik's coworkers. Only difference is we have been living on the 12th floor, he is on the 13th.
Click here
Click here
Friday, August 29, 2008
Welcome to a New America!!!
It is not about Obama vs. George, John or Hillary. It is about Obama fixing America and reuniting the world! Welcome to the next President of the United States of America!
We're moving 1st September!
Hey - we're finally going to be in our house!
So there won't be any activity from me for a few days, this weekend we're packing and getting ready for the move (gas, electricity, phone, internet, cable, etc.) and then Monday after the kids go to school, Erik and I will kick it into high gear and move us into our new home!
We've been living out of our suitcases since June 27th!!! 3 pairs of pants, over and over and over?!? We're looking forward to receiving our crates from home with our personal belongings. They're supposed to arrive on Monday.
I'll spend most of next week unpacking and getting organized.
I'll let you know how it's going as soon as I can catch my breath and get an internet connection!
So there won't be any activity from me for a few days, this weekend we're packing and getting ready for the move (gas, electricity, phone, internet, cable, etc.) and then Monday after the kids go to school, Erik and I will kick it into high gear and move us into our new home!
We've been living out of our suitcases since June 27th!!! 3 pairs of pants, over and over and over?!? We're looking forward to receiving our crates from home with our personal belongings. They're supposed to arrive on Monday.
I'll spend most of next week unpacking and getting organized.
I'll let you know how it's going as soon as I can catch my breath and get an internet connection!
My new nose ring
What do you think?
It's a little bigger than I thought (I didn't hold it up to my face when I bought it) but I like it. Erik hasn't even complained...
Monday, August 25, 2008
Ganesh Chaturthi
(Photo stolen from Bangalore Daily Photo)
It is a very colorful time right now. Sunday was Krishna's birthday and soon it will be Ganesh Chaturthi - a festival to celebrate Lord Ganesha's birthday. Large clay statues of Ganesha are for sale all around the city, painted in bright, festive colors, some as high as 12'.
People, neighborhoods and schools buy these statues for the festival, hold on to them for three days, then they are put into a lake. In Bangalore, they are put into Ulsoor Lake. The statues are just baked clay and pigment so they are degraded by the lake "easily."
(Photo stolen from Google Images)
For more info about Ganesh Chaturthi
Sunday, August 24, 2008
More about Linda
Hi Helen
We called Linda again. This time Sunday morning here which was Sunday evening Egypt time.
The Drews seem to be getting settled in their new city/apartment/live style. Drew works Sunday to Thursday. Friday is the main day off for everybody. He works two days a week at one job site and three days at the other. The big boss at one of his sights is leaving soon. He has completed his two year assignment. They will have a temp boss until October when the permanent replacement arrives.
There are a couple of Bechtel people living in the same housing complex. One is from Canada.
School starts Tuesday for JP and Kaisa. Sunday there was an orientation for all students and parents to meet the faculty and tour the campus. There are 3 main buildings. JP and Kaisa's are in the newest one which is 5 stories. All of the K thru 6 grades are in that building. The second building is for middle school students and the last for high school. Linda says land is scarce, so everyone builds up, not out. They have hired a car and driver that will take the kids to and from school. Classes start at 8:15am and end at 3:05pm. They have to bring their own lunch (or at least Kaisa has to bring her own snack). I forgot to ask if they wear uniforms.
Linda says that her landlady has been very helpful. One of the burners on the stove wouldn't shut off once it was turned on. So she replaced the stove for safety reasons. Then Linda complained about the noisy refrigerator with a freezer that was so covered with frost that she had trouble opening and closing the door. The landlady took her to the store and Linda got to pick out a new one. It was manufactured in Germany and has a no defrost feature. She really likes it.
I mentioned to Linda that you had joined a Women's Club that does charity work for something to do while the kids are at school. She said they had a presentation at school from the head of the PTA and mentioned that they were looking for volunteers. She might do something with them.
Not much on our schedule this week. Just a lot of little errands and Kate has few meeting connected with City Hall. Saturday we are going to a baby shower in Sacramento. Ramona's brother live-in girl friend is having a baby. Their first. They have been going together for as long as I have known Kate.
All for now. It is time for us to go for our daily walk and stop by the grocery for some things I need for supper.
Love
Dad
We called Linda again. This time Sunday morning here which was Sunday evening Egypt time.
The Drews seem to be getting settled in their new city/apartment/live style. Drew works Sunday to Thursday. Friday is the main day off for everybody. He works two days a week at one job site and three days at the other. The big boss at one of his sights is leaving soon. He has completed his two year assignment. They will have a temp boss until October when the permanent replacement arrives.
There are a couple of Bechtel people living in the same housing complex. One is from Canada.
School starts Tuesday for JP and Kaisa. Sunday there was an orientation for all students and parents to meet the faculty and tour the campus. There are 3 main buildings. JP and Kaisa's are in the newest one which is 5 stories. All of the K thru 6 grades are in that building. The second building is for middle school students and the last for high school. Linda says land is scarce, so everyone builds up, not out. They have hired a car and driver that will take the kids to and from school. Classes start at 8:15am and end at 3:05pm. They have to bring their own lunch (or at least Kaisa has to bring her own snack). I forgot to ask if they wear uniforms.
Linda says that her landlady has been very helpful. One of the burners on the stove wouldn't shut off once it was turned on. So she replaced the stove for safety reasons. Then Linda complained about the noisy refrigerator with a freezer that was so covered with frost that she had trouble opening and closing the door. The landlady took her to the store and Linda got to pick out a new one. It was manufactured in Germany and has a no defrost feature. She really likes it.
I mentioned to Linda that you had joined a Women's Club that does charity work for something to do while the kids are at school. She said they had a presentation at school from the head of the PTA and mentioned that they were looking for volunteers. She might do something with them.
Not much on our schedule this week. Just a lot of little errands and Kate has few meeting connected with City Hall. Saturday we are going to a baby shower in Sacramento. Ramona's brother live-in girl friend is having a baby. Their first. They have been going together for as long as I have known Kate.
All for now. It is time for us to go for our daily walk and stop by the grocery for some things I need for supper.
Love
Dad
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Inner Circle Park
(Millipede - Not our photo)
We had fun taking the kids to the park today. We found a local park that is walking distance. The play equipment is old and VERY worn but well loved by the local children. The park also has a beautiful garden and a large cricket field where cows often graze or rest in the shade.
We brought our badmitten sets with us today to play in an open area. While trying to play badmitten we saw our first millipede. We took a break to watch it move over grass and old leaves. I used my raquet to gently push it over so the kids could see its hundreds of tiny orange hairlike legs. It was an amazing site. After we gazed at the legs it quickly curled up into a ball to protect itself, then we let it go on it's merry way.
After 10 minutes or so of badmitton Annika got bored, so she and I handed our raquets and shuttlecocks to some nearby 12 year olds who were watching our pathetic game. We headed over to the playground as they enjoyed playing with the badmitten set and probably played for an hour straight in the warm sunshine.
While at the playground we also observed a group of small children. A four year old girl, probably the oldest of the children, was caring for a baby I'd estimate at five or six months. There were no adults around. She was obviously accustomed to taking care of this baby because she carried it on her hip like a pro and when she sat on the swing she sat cross-legged so the baby could lay in her lap. The baby was used to her and she was used to the baby. After about 2 hours at the park, the troop of youngsters took off into the neighborhood. Heavy duty. The little girl was taking great care of this little baby I was just shocked at the responsibility the four year old has at such a young age.
During our time at the playground the local schools let out (the public schools are six days a week). Once the school kids invaded the park there was tons of activity. The badmitten sets got handed around constantly and even the extra shuttlecocks were used by clever children who used their schoolbooks as raquets.
Locals seem to have a lot of curiosity about these white people playing amongst them in the local park. Kids love to run up to A&A and ask in english "What's your name". A couple times now Erik and I have been called "Uncle" or "Auntie" when the local kids need our attention, like when a shuttlecock gets stuck in a tree. It's very endearing.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Govt regulations aren't so bad...
...they actually make living in the US really easy.
Here, people with disabilities have it rough. I have yet to see a wheelchair because a wheelchair would be worthless. There are no ramps, no set height for curbs (if there's even a sidewalk), getting in and out of buildings would be impossible because even with ground floor access the threshold is usually 2" - 3" high (enough to trip over if you don't know any better).
One US regulation that I really appreciate is keeping noise pollution in check. The horns on the cars here are horrible. But honking is actually a necessity because it's how the traffic flows. But because the horns themselves are not regulated, some of them are ear piercingly loud. I've been standing at the bus stop and a truck comes by with some crazy decibel horn and then I can't hear out of my left ear for the next hour. Not to mention the HORRIBLE black exhaust that spews out of most vehicles.
It also makes people/the government responsible for upkeep. Here there are pot holes, open trenches, sidewalks with big gaping holes, and misc. chunks of debris that make walking treturous if you don't watch every step. In the US a big gaping hole in the sidewalk would lead to a huge lawsuit if someone was injured. In addition people are CONSTANTLY mopping marble/tile floors (homes, hotels, malls, grocery stores, etc)... dude, marble is slippery when wet!
I'm not saying Indian residents should start suing people, I'm just saying I'm really starting to appreciate the regulations & accountability in the US. That's all.
Here, people with disabilities have it rough. I have yet to see a wheelchair because a wheelchair would be worthless. There are no ramps, no set height for curbs (if there's even a sidewalk), getting in and out of buildings would be impossible because even with ground floor access the threshold is usually 2" - 3" high (enough to trip over if you don't know any better).
One US regulation that I really appreciate is keeping noise pollution in check. The horns on the cars here are horrible. But honking is actually a necessity because it's how the traffic flows. But because the horns themselves are not regulated, some of them are ear piercingly loud. I've been standing at the bus stop and a truck comes by with some crazy decibel horn and then I can't hear out of my left ear for the next hour. Not to mention the HORRIBLE black exhaust that spews out of most vehicles.
It also makes people/the government responsible for upkeep. Here there are pot holes, open trenches, sidewalks with big gaping holes, and misc. chunks of debris that make walking treturous if you don't watch every step. In the US a big gaping hole in the sidewalk would lead to a huge lawsuit if someone was injured. In addition people are CONSTANTLY mopping marble/tile floors (homes, hotels, malls, grocery stores, etc)... dude, marble is slippery when wet!
I'm not saying Indian residents should start suing people, I'm just saying I'm really starting to appreciate the regulations & accountability in the US. That's all.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
If I could meet Joe...
...I'd kiss his feet and beg him to do trading with Bangalore.
As Joni said, "You don't know what you've got 'till it's gone..."
Although, I did buy some raw almonds today... that was a find! :-)
But you know what, the frustration and lack of "easiness" is part of the experience. I have been complaining lately but I wouldn't change it for the world. My frustration comes because I have to feed my family. But I rather enjoy the challenge. It's kind of like a daily scavenger hunt...
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Priceless... (or worthless??)
We spent this weekend looking for furniture so we needed a tape measure.
Here's the one we bought.
The photos speak for themselves...
Photos from Erik's birthday
It took me four hours of driving around Bangalore to find a place that would make a birthday cake. Gopi finally took me downtown to a place called Sweet Chariot where he knew they made cakes. I looked through their photo album of cakes and found one I felt Erik would like. Next to the photographs are stickers that say "2k" or "3k" but I didn't know what that meant and I chose this cake. It happened to have a "3k" next to it.
I paid for the majority of the cake at the time of purchase so Gopi could pick it up on his way to get us on Erik's birthday. I say I paid for a majority of the cake, because the man behind the counter said it might be a few rupees more or less once the cake is finished. I thought that was odd, but I'm learning...
So Gopi shows up with this ENORMOUS cake. It turns out you order cakes by the WEIGHT and I ordered a 3 kilogram cake!! Gopi had to pay an additional Rps. 230/ that I reimbursed him for.
But it was a good cake and we were able to share it with LOTS of people. And that's what birthdays are all about, right??
A sketch on Erik's birthday card from work.
"I'm sorry Ganesha but you're doing shit!"
"But I'm TRYING!"
(As Ganesha destroys keyboards w/ his elephant hooves)
Traffic fines
I wish I could have photographed the whole list, but here's part of it. I particularly like #30
Rps. 100/ = $2.44
Rps. 300/ = $7.32
I asked my driver what would happen if he hit a cow, you HAVE TO call the police and it's a Rps. 1,500 fee = $36.60 That's HUGE!
I asked him what happens if you hit a dog, basically you just keep going.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Been kind of tired lately...
I'm kind of out of sorts. I don't know if I've caught a bug, or eaten a bug, or just this experience is starting to catch up with me.
This weekend was Erik's birthday. I didn't do anything for it besides order the cake. I'm sure it was disappointing. I will hopefully post the photos tonight.
Saturday we interviewed our first potential housekeeper. Her name is Jennifer, she's 18, super sweet, speaks some English, doesn't cook, and she'll do babysitting on the side. If she works out, she might spend the night one night a week (Friday or Saturday) so Erik and I can have date night. The advice I've heard from other Expats is that you need to try staff out - an interview won't tell you much. So you start the arrangement on a temporary basis and make it permanent after you feel good about the decision.
We spent Saturday and Sunday furniture shopping. We'll need something to sleep on when we move into our villa 1st Sept. We ordered some kick-ass furniture made in India and we'll receive it in 6 weeks. We still need beds for the kids. All the bedrooms have built-in closets so we won't need dressers or anything like that.
Annika had tummy trouble all night Sunday night. She went to bed fine but then started throwing up around 11:00p. I stripped her bed and moved her to the livingroom couch with a bucket next to her. I tried to sleep next to her to comfort her during the sharp pain attacks in her belly but there wasn't much sleeping for either of us. By morning she was fine (that has been our experience - once the offending organism has been expelled you feel fine again rather quickly) but since she was exhausted, we kept her home from school. We kept Auggie home too since we weren't comfortable with him taking the school bus by himself the 2nd week of school.
Yesterday we were out of power ALL DAY. Am I exaggerating? No, from 9:00am until 4:00pm. I didn't make any phone calls about it 'cause I thought it was just an India thing. But when Erik called about 3:00p and I told him about the power, he said a coworker, who has an apartment one floor up, has power. So Erik made some calls and it turned out that someone with an apartment number "close to 1122" didn't pay their bill so their power was shut off. Only, they got it wrong, and turned ours off. Ahhhh, fun fun fun.
I finally bought eggs yesterday. To some this might seem like a mundane comment, but I've been trying to buy eggs for a week. I don't feel comfortable buying the ones that are out on a store shelf in the heat, or with past expiration dates, and then I found some fresh refrigerated eggs and I opened the carton to check their condition and they were covered in chicken sh!t. Dude... it's exasperating. So finally, yesterday, success... But it's not like the store will have them again tomorrow.
Today I'm heading downtown with a British Expat named Sue. Yippee!! She's going to show me Commercial Street and MG Road (Mahatma Gandhi Road - every city in India has one) two places too crowded to go with the kids on my own. I'm very excited. It's where the bargaining happens and lots of small shops and local crafts. Sue knows how to bargain so I'm going to learn. I'm sure Erik will have some pointers too. :-)
This weekend was Erik's birthday. I didn't do anything for it besides order the cake. I'm sure it was disappointing. I will hopefully post the photos tonight.
Saturday we interviewed our first potential housekeeper. Her name is Jennifer, she's 18, super sweet, speaks some English, doesn't cook, and she'll do babysitting on the side. If she works out, she might spend the night one night a week (Friday or Saturday) so Erik and I can have date night. The advice I've heard from other Expats is that you need to try staff out - an interview won't tell you much. So you start the arrangement on a temporary basis and make it permanent after you feel good about the decision.
We spent Saturday and Sunday furniture shopping. We'll need something to sleep on when we move into our villa 1st Sept. We ordered some kick-ass furniture made in India and we'll receive it in 6 weeks. We still need beds for the kids. All the bedrooms have built-in closets so we won't need dressers or anything like that.
Annika had tummy trouble all night Sunday night. She went to bed fine but then started throwing up around 11:00p. I stripped her bed and moved her to the livingroom couch with a bucket next to her. I tried to sleep next to her to comfort her during the sharp pain attacks in her belly but there wasn't much sleeping for either of us. By morning she was fine (that has been our experience - once the offending organism has been expelled you feel fine again rather quickly) but since she was exhausted, we kept her home from school. We kept Auggie home too since we weren't comfortable with him taking the school bus by himself the 2nd week of school.
Yesterday we were out of power ALL DAY. Am I exaggerating? No, from 9:00am until 4:00pm. I didn't make any phone calls about it 'cause I thought it was just an India thing. But when Erik called about 3:00p and I told him about the power, he said a coworker, who has an apartment one floor up, has power. So Erik made some calls and it turned out that someone with an apartment number "close to 1122" didn't pay their bill so their power was shut off. Only, they got it wrong, and turned ours off. Ahhhh, fun fun fun.
I finally bought eggs yesterday. To some this might seem like a mundane comment, but I've been trying to buy eggs for a week. I don't feel comfortable buying the ones that are out on a store shelf in the heat, or with past expiration dates, and then I found some fresh refrigerated eggs and I opened the carton to check their condition and they were covered in chicken sh!t. Dude... it's exasperating. So finally, yesterday, success... But it's not like the store will have them again tomorrow.
Today I'm heading downtown with a British Expat named Sue. Yippee!! She's going to show me Commercial Street and MG Road (Mahatma Gandhi Road - every city in India has one) two places too crowded to go with the kids on my own. I'm very excited. It's where the bargaining happens and lots of small shops and local crafts. Sue knows how to bargain so I'm going to learn. I'm sure Erik will have some pointers too. :-)
News about Linda
Hi Helen
We called Linda this evening (Monday morning for her) and had a nice long conversation. Great connection. She sounded like she was next door.
They have had as many trials and tribulations as you have had and then some. Friday they moved into their apartment where they will be living for the long run. It is on the 7th floor and the elevator works sometimes. They can walk to a hotel several blocks away where they signed up for a membership which gives them access to their pool and a beach.
XXXX blew it with regard to the school. Linda sent XXXX Jonathan's school records, pictures of both kids, and lots of other information but it never got passed on to the school. So when they went there on Friday, the school folks had never heard of them and didn't know they were coming. It turns out that the 3rd grade has plenty of room and Jonathan is in. Kaisa is on a wait list for kindergarden. They are going back to the school today and hope to get her into the class.
The closest grocery store is 30 minutes by car. The school is also 30 minutes by car. Drew is working 2 job sites both of which are about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours from the apartment. No bus service to the school and the Bechtel driver would not be able to drop Drew at work and get back in time to take the kids to school. So it looks like they will have to hire a second car and driver for Linda and the kids and Drew will keep the Bechtel car and driver.
Linda says the traffic is impossible. There is no way she would want to drive besides the fact she can't read any of the street signs, etc. She said one day her driver went down a narrow street with cars parked on both sides and had only inches to spare on each side. She said she would never have even considered going down the street but the driver thought it normal.
There is a good grocery about 30 minutes away. They have a very nice selection of fruits and vegetables. Other stuff is harder to find.
Their experiences in the hotel in Cairo and Alexandria were a nightmare. So they moved to a "Villa" on a temporary basis which Linda described as upscale camping. They are glad to be out of those situations. Linda likes her new landlady. She has been helpful.
They hope to have their email up and working soon. The apartment is wired, but a code is required to access the service provider and the landlady can't find the number. Maybe today, maybe tomorrow. Who knows.
All for now.
Love
Dad
We called Linda this evening (Monday morning for her) and had a nice long conversation. Great connection. She sounded like she was next door.
They have had as many trials and tribulations as you have had and then some. Friday they moved into their apartment where they will be living for the long run. It is on the 7th floor and the elevator works sometimes. They can walk to a hotel several blocks away where they signed up for a membership which gives them access to their pool and a beach.
XXXX blew it with regard to the school. Linda sent XXXX Jonathan's school records, pictures of both kids, and lots of other information but it never got passed on to the school. So when they went there on Friday, the school folks had never heard of them and didn't know they were coming. It turns out that the 3rd grade has plenty of room and Jonathan is in. Kaisa is on a wait list for kindergarden. They are going back to the school today and hope to get her into the class.
The closest grocery store is 30 minutes by car. The school is also 30 minutes by car. Drew is working 2 job sites both of which are about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours from the apartment. No bus service to the school and the Bechtel driver would not be able to drop Drew at work and get back in time to take the kids to school. So it looks like they will have to hire a second car and driver for Linda and the kids and Drew will keep the Bechtel car and driver.
Linda says the traffic is impossible. There is no way she would want to drive besides the fact she can't read any of the street signs, etc. She said one day her driver went down a narrow street with cars parked on both sides and had only inches to spare on each side. She said she would never have even considered going down the street but the driver thought it normal.
There is a good grocery about 30 minutes away. They have a very nice selection of fruits and vegetables. Other stuff is harder to find.
Their experiences in the hotel in Cairo and Alexandria were a nightmare. So they moved to a "Villa" on a temporary basis which Linda described as upscale camping. They are glad to be out of those situations. Linda likes her new landlady. She has been helpful.
They hope to have their email up and working soon. The apartment is wired, but a code is required to access the service provider and the landlady can't find the number. Maybe today, maybe tomorrow. Who knows.
All for now.
Love
Dad
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Happy Birthday ERIK!!!
Our first birthday celebration in India.
Our driver just showed up, delivering the LARGEST birthday cake you've ever seen (photos to follow). Apparently, I don't know how to order cake in India. :-)
When Gopi showed up with the cake, a plumber (to fix the hot water in the shower - see earlier post) and the apartment cleaner were here, so we shared cake with everyone.
We're about to go out for the day to celebrate.
More to come...
Our driver just showed up, delivering the LARGEST birthday cake you've ever seen (photos to follow). Apparently, I don't know how to order cake in India. :-)
When Gopi showed up with the cake, a plumber (to fix the hot water in the shower - see earlier post) and the apartment cleaner were here, so we shared cake with everyone.
We're about to go out for the day to celebrate.
More to come...
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