But who's counting??
(((SO EXCITED!!!)))
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Recycling
This is the garbage truck that comes through the neighborhood every day to collect the trash. We don't sort the garbage, just dump it in the bins. The men on the trucks open the garbage bags and sort 1) green waste 2) plastics 3) glass, etc.
They literally sit in the garbage and sort the stuff they're sitting in into large containers at the front of the truck.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Mole no more
I had a strange mole on my right shoulder. It wasn't the typical "cancer" mole but it was odd to me so I decided to have it checked. After all, we've lived entirely in sunshine for the last year and a half - my skin isn't used to that.
The kids said my stitches looked like a spider.
Got the pathology report back. The skin cells were thickened, due to sun damage, but no abnormal cells. My biopsy will be passed to a 2nd lab for a 2nd opinion, then the slide will be passed back to my dermatologist for her to take a look. She said the first report is most likely good enough to say the mole is nothing more than a mole and she'll let me know if the second report comes back any different.
Stitches were removed today too. I was given some ointment to lessen the scarring. I have to apply it twice a day, rub for 2 minutes, for 3 months... WOW!! But Bree Googled it and says it actually works. The dermatologist said it will work for my scooter accident scars too!
Oh, want to know what mole removal + pathology + stitches + stitch removal costs in India?
Consultation = Rps. 250 ($5.43)
Excision & Biopsy = Rps. 1,350 ($29.35)
That's not the co-pay... that's paid in full.
The kids said my stitches looked like a spider.
Got the pathology report back. The skin cells were thickened, due to sun damage, but no abnormal cells. My biopsy will be passed to a 2nd lab for a 2nd opinion, then the slide will be passed back to my dermatologist for her to take a look. She said the first report is most likely good enough to say the mole is nothing more than a mole and she'll let me know if the second report comes back any different.
Stitches were removed today too. I was given some ointment to lessen the scarring. I have to apply it twice a day, rub for 2 minutes, for 3 months... WOW!! But Bree Googled it and says it actually works. The dermatologist said it will work for my scooter accident scars too!
Oh, want to know what mole removal + pathology + stitches + stitch removal costs in India?
Consultation = Rps. 250 ($5.43)
Excision & Biopsy = Rps. 1,350 ($29.35)
That's not the co-pay... that's paid in full.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
T-shirts at Toscanos
A local restaurant called Toscanos used their noggin and held a t-shirt painting art class during their down time (4:00-6:00pm) this past weekend. The class included instruction, a t-shirt, paints and PIZZA!!!
An artist explained how the children were going to combine two nouns that usually are not paired together, then a volunteer went around with a hat containing many slips of paper. A person at each table took out two slips of paper. Our table received "chair" and "elephant". First the kids had to sketch an idea on paper then they were given paints to apply to their t-shirts.
Confusion and empty papers at first but then the imaginations kicked in.
So fun!
Great idea!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Our new awning
We have the best landlord. So many homes in my community are owned by owners who only see them as an investment and don't have a personal connection with their tenants.
Our owner is different, she always makes sure our stay is how we like it. Plus her father lives in Ozone so he can see to issues personally (and he is ON IT, he personally supervises so everything is to HIS standard - and we appreciate that).
I asked for an awning so we can enjoy our large upstairs patio through all the seasons - block the sun from entering though the windows during the summer and allow us to keep the doors open during Monsoon - and everything in between.
This is how the drill was plugged into our outlet.
Adjusting the height
Voilà!
Very happy.
Our owner is different, she always makes sure our stay is how we like it. Plus her father lives in Ozone so he can see to issues personally (and he is ON IT, he personally supervises so everything is to HIS standard - and we appreciate that).
I asked for an awning so we can enjoy our large upstairs patio through all the seasons - block the sun from entering though the windows during the summer and allow us to keep the doors open during Monsoon - and everything in between.
This is how the drill was plugged into our outlet.
Adjusting the height
Voilà!
Very happy.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Bannerghatta National Park/Zoo
I took the kids to Bannerghatta National Park during their Winter Break. I can't believe we've lived here for 1.5 years and have never gone.
We LOVED it!!!
First we did the bus safari. We boarded a bus like this one...
We were the last ones in line for our bus and all the window seats were taken so I insisted we wait for the next bus. They kept saying no, they'd find seats. I said no, we wanted a window, so eventually they had us sit in the bus assistant's seat in the very front, next to the driver. Annika sat on my lap and August sat on the hump between me and the driver. They were the best seats in the house!! Full windshield view and our side windows had pieces of the protective screen cut out so we could take photos without the grate in the foreground.
We saw deer...
Bears...
Lion/Lioness...
(it was the middle of the afternoon so they were all taking cat naps)
Tigers...
Then we walked around the Zoo. Lots of typical Zoo animals, monkeys (both inside and outside exhibits), leopards, hippos, birds, fish, giant Indian squirrels, etc.
Snakes (Cobras)...
Caiman Crocodiles...
Elephants...
AND MONKEYS!!!...
After we left the Zoo we walked about half a block down the street to a lot where a couple carnival rides were set up. I said if they weren't rusty or dangerous the kids could ride them.
We took a train ride around a circle where the centrifugal force was so crazy you had to hold on to keep from falling out the door.
Annika rode a Pirate Ship that went back and forth...
...and this is the motor that powered it.
The kids came home and raved to their father about the Zoo. We'll definitely take my Dad when he comes next month (YES, NEXT MONTH!!!).
We LOVED it!!!
First we did the bus safari. We boarded a bus like this one...
We were the last ones in line for our bus and all the window seats were taken so I insisted we wait for the next bus. They kept saying no, they'd find seats. I said no, we wanted a window, so eventually they had us sit in the bus assistant's seat in the very front, next to the driver. Annika sat on my lap and August sat on the hump between me and the driver. They were the best seats in the house!! Full windshield view and our side windows had pieces of the protective screen cut out so we could take photos without the grate in the foreground.
We saw deer...
Bears...
Lion/Lioness...
(it was the middle of the afternoon so they were all taking cat naps)
Tigers...
Then we walked around the Zoo. Lots of typical Zoo animals, monkeys (both inside and outside exhibits), leopards, hippos, birds, fish, giant Indian squirrels, etc.
Snakes (Cobras)...
Caiman Crocodiles...
Elephants...
AND MONKEYS!!!...
After we left the Zoo we walked about half a block down the street to a lot where a couple carnival rides were set up. I said if they weren't rusty or dangerous the kids could ride them.
We took a train ride around a circle where the centrifugal force was so crazy you had to hold on to keep from falling out the door.
Annika rode a Pirate Ship that went back and forth...
...and this is the motor that powered it.
The kids came home and raved to their father about the Zoo. We'll definitely take my Dad when he comes next month (YES, NEXT MONTH!!!).
Friday, January 1, 2010
Xmas in Goa! Part III - Baga
On the 29th December we traveled from South Goa (Palolem) to North Goa (Baga). The taxi ride was about 2.5 hours. I always enjoy new car rides in India because there is always something new to see.
We arrived in Baga about 1:00p. Erik had called ahead to have scooters ready for us so as soon as the family was settled he took off on his scooter to the Sunburn Festival - a 3-day Trance Music Festival that I have no interest in. So he took off for the last day of the festival and the kids and I set off to explore Baga Beach.
Baga was HUGELY different from Palolem. Palolem was sooo mellow, just my style. The people were easy going hippies, the vendors were mellow too - not in your face, and the beaches were relatively empty although there were people around. As soon as we hit Baga the difference was drastic - the beaches were crowded, 3 rows deep of beach chairs and umbrellas and the water was thick with people. You could tell these people were here to party and that's Baga's reputation. We walked along the beach searching for a shack that would serve before 7:00pm. We had missed lunch and the kids were hungry. We finally found one, took a seat at a table on the beach, and tried to enjoy our meal while we were constantly questioned if we wanted Mahendi tattoos, fresh fruit, hair braiding, sarongs, this, that and the other.
The next day our fortunes changed when Aayush and Uma joined us. They drove 15+ hours to Goa from Bangalore to spend New Years in Goa with the Vignau family. Wow.
For the rest of our vacation we took our scooters to other beaches and stayed away from Baga.
Out on the town with Aayush and Uma
Aayush and Uma kickin' it at a beach shack.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!
We arrived in Baga about 1:00p. Erik had called ahead to have scooters ready for us so as soon as the family was settled he took off on his scooter to the Sunburn Festival - a 3-day Trance Music Festival that I have no interest in. So he took off for the last day of the festival and the kids and I set off to explore Baga Beach.
Baga was HUGELY different from Palolem. Palolem was sooo mellow, just my style. The people were easy going hippies, the vendors were mellow too - not in your face, and the beaches were relatively empty although there were people around. As soon as we hit Baga the difference was drastic - the beaches were crowded, 3 rows deep of beach chairs and umbrellas and the water was thick with people. You could tell these people were here to party and that's Baga's reputation. We walked along the beach searching for a shack that would serve before 7:00pm. We had missed lunch and the kids were hungry. We finally found one, took a seat at a table on the beach, and tried to enjoy our meal while we were constantly questioned if we wanted Mahendi tattoos, fresh fruit, hair braiding, sarongs, this, that and the other.
The next day our fortunes changed when Aayush and Uma joined us. They drove 15+ hours to Goa from Bangalore to spend New Years in Goa with the Vignau family. Wow.
For the rest of our vacation we took our scooters to other beaches and stayed away from Baga.
Out on the town with Aayush and Uma
Aayush and Uma kickin' it at a beach shack.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Xmas in GOA!! Part II - Play dates with Satya
When we arrived in Goa we rented some scooters and used them to go around to the beaches and see the countryside. One day while riding, a woman on a scooter in front of us had her right signal blinking. This made me nervous (due to my recent crash) because I kept expecting her to turn right at any moment. Erik drove up ahead and told the woman that her signal was on - during this exchange they looked at each other, felt they looked familiar, but then the lady took off.
Around the next bend she pulled over to the side of the road, she had a small boy on the front of her scooter and Erik had August at the front of his. The boys looked at each other... "August?" "Satya?" Hahahaha.
Turns out August's good friend from Prep I now lives in Goa with his mother. The boys had two playdates at the beach while we were there. So much fun.
Daddy loves the Beach Shacks
Annika asked for a geode for Xmas. I didn't know where to begin looking for one in Bangalore so she didn't get one. Luckily, there seems to be a big market in Goa for geodes, crystals and semi-precious stones and we found lots of shops. And Annika got her quartz geode.
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