Karnataka Tabbies

Red birds

2011-12-30T07:53:00.001+05:30

Gobble, Gobble

2011-12-30T06:11:00.001+05:30

Thorne Address Change

2011-12-05T06:52:00.001+05:30

WTH??? Random alcohol free day in MN???

2011-12-01T08:41:00.001+05:30

Seriously, I thought I had seen the last of random alcohol free days when I left Bangalore!!! And I was really looking forward to a glass of red vino with my pasta! Bad Bucas...

Home

2011-09-26T04:46:00.001+05:30

After three years of traveling the world, it is rather novel to be on a vacation where people understand our accents and what we mean.

Bangalore get rich quick scheme

2011-09-25T04:16:00.001+05:30

Imagine the riches if you could take this sign from New York City and enforce it on Outer Ring Road in Bangalore! $ 350 = ~Rs 16450

Whoa... THAT'S a BIG bird!

2011-09-10T20:17:00.001+05:30

Our cat Jac was just about in shock when this winged creature landed on the shed about 20 feet from where Jac was resting peacefully on our upper deck.

We had a very difficult time locating locating turkey for Thanksgiving in Bangalore. Because they are not indigenous, frozen turkeys are imported and cost about $60 dollars. This year, apparently, back in Minnesota, we'll just need to set a trap in our back yard for the freshest turkey ever.

Almost autumn

2011-09-05T04:34:00.001+05:30

Ahhh... After 3 years, we are in weather chilly enough to need fleece and sweatshirts. Very novel and wonderful after being away from our cabin for sooo looong.

This dog can DIG!

2011-09-03T05:04:00.000+05:30

Note rocks flying through air... And they weren't little.

Clouds that prompted us to join our fellow campers in the bathroom

2011-08-07T02:28:00.001+05:30

Shiba Inu's are know for their grins

2011-07-12T07:16:00.001+05:30

Puppy Love 2

2011-07-12T07:13:00.001+05:30

Puppy Love

2011-07-12T07:12:00.001+05:30

Rex moved to our home yesterday. He will be 8 weeks old on Tuesday.
The furball is already returning a little ball to Jessi.

Home...

2011-07-02T04:07:00.000+05:30

> We've been back in the USA for 8 weeks, but today may be the first day I've felt truly home. Having my family out from Montana for a Christmas in July at our cabin is truly a privilege and a joy.

Luna moth at our cabin on Lake Superior

2011-07-01T20:48:00.000+05:30

Minor challenges of moving across the world

2011-06-19T21:44:00.001+05:30

> When you remember, at the last minute, that all the birthdays candles are on a ship somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, you make due with whatever candles are in the house.

Meet Rex

2011-06-19T06:08:00.001+05:30

ROFLOL, if only...!

2011-06-19T05:49:00.001+05:30

Yet another way to transport stuff on a motorcycle

2011-05-27T10:44:00.001+05:30

I saw all sorts of unusual ways motorcycles were being used to
transport stuff in Bangalore from live chickens being hung upside down
by their feet surrounding the rider, to plumbing pipes three times the
length of the bike held over the drivers shoulder, to huge stacks of
water vessels, and even a German Shepard riding between two men. Bali
was the first place I saw home made storage compartments built over
the back of the motorbikes though. Perhaps chickens would enjoy their
ride a little more in one of those.

Facebook Status Updates Dec 12, 2010-May 25, 2010

2011-05-27T10:11:00.001+05:30

Thu May 26, 2011, 5:11 pm: Jessi had to clarify to her class just what is an Ox versus what is an buffalo. The film her new school showed about India misidentifed a Brahma bull as a buffalo.

Thu May 26, 2011, 5:09 pm: What is that rule of thumb??? If you do something 17 time in 21 days it will stick??? Does that mean I have nearly three more weeks of crashing into people in the hallway because I'm accustomed to walking on the left side of the aisle? I guess it is a good thing I wasn't driving in India on the other side of the road because I sure haven't adjusted my walking patterns very successfully yet.

Wed May 25, 2011, 10:19 pm: Woo hoo!!! We have a bed again. After living in motels for a month between pack out in B'lore and waiting for our air freight in Mpls we FINALLY get to move into our house tomorrow night.

Wed May 25, 2011, 6:55 pm: Apparently I missed the cultural phenomena of Cup Stacking and "Minute to Win It" while I was out of the country the past few years. Fortunately, I did stumble into Silly Bandz when I was in the U.S. last fall, though, so Iâ€™m not completely out of tune with current fads.

Tue May 24, 2011, 5:39 pm: My first day back in the Minneapolis office, today, seemed a little surreal. Everything felt the same and at the same time everything felt different. How can that be?

Sun May 22, 2011, 10:41 pm: If I had known we were going to spend so much time hiding out from tornados, I would have planned to place the new entertainment system in the basement bathroom instead of the family room.

Sun May 22, 2011, 7:10 pm: Today Jessi was relaying a story about Krishna providing a little boy a self filling pot of curd for his teacher's daughter's wedding. I don't think the moral of the story was coming through to her friend, though, without some of the background context Jessi has learned over the past few years. Things such as curd=yogurt.

Sun May 22, 2011, 9:09 am: Has not missed TV commercials aimed at kids. I have heard "I WANT" from Jessi more in the last few weeks than I had in the past 3 years. Advertisers in India have not begun to exploit that market very much yet.

Sat May 21, 2011, 7:21 pm: Since Jessi can't find anyone to play cricket, she is sitting next to me playing it on my iPad instead.

Sat May 21, 2011, 4:57 pm: had a wonderful time last night, meeting up with Minneapolis friends that we met while we were all staying in Bangalore and who had moved back here many months before us.

Sat May 21, 2011, 11:20 am: Always thought it could be economically damaging to my finances to be within 6 blocks of a Target store. However, now that we are that distance from a Home Depot, I fear that may be even more detrimantal.

Fri May 20, 2011, 9:34 am: Heard from Jessi's bedroom this morning, "Daaaddd, let me keep sleeping, I need to finish my dream!"

Thu May 19, 2011, 9:02 am: Larrie was reluctant to purchase data plan for his phone, but he soon discovered the immediate gratification of googling to prove me wrong.

Wed May 18, 2011, 9:57 pm: There are some subtle things I hadn't realized that I didn't miss for the past three years until I got back here and experienced them again... Things like chapped lips and being shocked by static electricity.

Wed May 18, 2011, 7:26 am: Ugh... The old argument has begun again. Larrie, "Jessi, time for bed." Response from Jessi, "DAAAADDD, it's NOT dark yet!" This was a discussion we avoided for 3 years in India. Since Bangalore is relatively close to the equator, on even the longest day it was dark by around 7.

Tue May 17, 2011, 1:08 am: is wondering why my new phone seemingly randomly says "Droidddd" in a creepy voice periodically. It is especially alarming at 1:13 am.

Mon May 16, 2011, 11:40 pm: Jessi is now officially a Minnesotan. She has passed initiation rites by catching a large mouth bass during fishing opener.

Mon May 16, 2011, 7:39 am: when I started getting exceedingly warm the other day, I worried that I might be developing a fever or hot flashes... then I discovered, to my surprise, that the seats in my new car are heated and the on switch had been bumped. Phew!

Sun May 15, 2011, 6:01 pm: Had a 5 shopping cart trip at Target today, making up for missing many individual $100 visits. Uh huh, the Ridgedale Target should show a good day of sales.

Sat May 14, 2011, 8:41 am: Ugh... Our household stuff being shipped by sea from India won't be here until July. There will be some gaping holes in the house until then.

Sat May 14, 2011, 7:57 am: Jessi has nicely balanced out our family. There is finally someone in the household who at least glances at the sports section of the paper.

Thu May 12, 2011, 4:50 pm: Was given a GPS when we took out a new mortgage. It has been doing a fine job taking us to some of our old haunts, just to discover they've gone out of business. It is sad to see the toll.of the economic downturn of the past few years.

Thu May 12, 2011, 3:57 pm: Has found a penny every single day since I've been home. Pennies from Heaven?

Thu May 12, 2011, 3:53 pm: Has a U.S. cell phone again. Yay! I've been feeling disconnected without one.

Wed May 11, 2011, 10:24 pm: Jessi to Larrie, "Dad, how come all the people with cool cars are old?"

Wed May 11, 2011, 7:19 pm: Besides the damage done to the hood of my 4 day old car, the golfball size hail dinged our older red truck too. Henceforth, they will be known by the names Dimple and Pimple.

Wed May 11, 2011, 6:46 am: Jessi starts her first day of school today. She finished 4th grade in Bangalore already because that school year was June through March. We thought it would be a plus for her to meet neighborhood kids, though, so she is going to attend the final month of that grade again here. It will help us figure out where she is ahead or behind too.

Tue May 10, 2011, 8:44 pm: New car + 3 inch hail. Shoulda' taken the extended protection option Friday. Crap.

Tue May 10, 2011, 3:52 pm: Amazing! The previous owner of our new house left a rather worn dryer for us to dispose of. Jessi was delighted to find 60! coins stuck inside it adding up to $4.82. Then she didn't what us to have it hauled away. I guess she felt she had found her own golden house.

Tue May 10, 2011, 5:29 am: being able to go anywhere, anytime I want is very liberating, not to mention having access to the radio and temperature controls in the car. I wasn't allowed to drive in India and being able to transport myself is right near the top of my list of things I missed most.

Mon May 9, 2011, 6:52 pm: Ok, I'm not going to spend much time calling out negative comparisons between countries, because every country has their own positives. I am going to say this, though: I am really glad to have access to Tidy Cat again. Few people keep cats as house pets in India so the cat litter available leaves a lot to be desired. When you don't have it, you begin to appreciate the clumping kind with deodorizers very much.

Sun May 8, 2011, 11:06 pm: somehow I need to convince Google that I'm not in India anymore. Results showing where I can by day bed covers in India, really aren't helping me.

Sun May 8, 2011, 10:28 pm: Dang... had to buy Jessi new shoes today. At less than 10 years old, she is wearing the same shoe size as I did before she was born. She has shot up about another 4 inches in the last 6 months too. I suspect that one of these days, I'll be looking up at her.

Sun May 8, 2011, 8:53 pm: For three years nary a cough, but 72 hours in the U.S. a nd I'm coughing up a storm. Huh...

Sat May 7, 2011, 11:09 pm: I realized today that I didn't know the name of the U.S. vice president. When in a foreign country, you read and hear plenty about the U.S. president but not much about the 2nd in command.

Sat May 7, 2011, 9:34 pm: I wonder how long it will be before I stop wondering if there is a monkey in the tree each time I catch the movement of a gray squirrel out of the corner of my eye. Probably not gonna' see a monkey in Minneapolis but it hasn't really sunk in that I don't live in Bangalore any more.

Sat May 7, 2011, 3:53 am: The toll roads in Illinois turned out to be a good re-education experience for Jessi. She had forgotten the values for various coins, so we put her in charge of digging out correct change for upcoming toll booths. When you think about it, the words panny, nickel, dime, and quarter aren't that intuitive.

Fri May 6, 2011, 7:24 pm: Weird, it is the same temperature right now in both Minneapolis and Bangalore!!! Some sort of cosmic equilibrium occurring?

Fri May 6, 2011, 7:03 pm: Thanks to jet lag, today is probably the only day in our lives that we'll all have woken naturally and been cheerful, up and ready to roll at 3am. Not that surprising I guess, since we all crashed before 6pm though. Our only goal was to avoid Chicago rush hour and we certainly exceeded that goal. We made Minneapolis by 10am. Home...

Fri May 6, 2011, 1:46 am: If you were given something made of avocado, olive oil, and basil, wouldn't you expect it to be a salad? Strangely, those are the ingredients in the shampoo at our hotel.

Thu May 5, 2011, 5:10 pm: Felt like I was truly back home when I found a penny on the ground at the airport, but was strangely disoriented when I discovered the graphics on the back had, unbeknownst to us, changed in the time we have been away. I suspect there is some sort of metaphor for what we are about to experience... Many things are the same on the surface but have subtlety changed beneath the surface while we've been gone.
Thu May 5, 2011, 5:02 pm: After 27 hours of trains, planes, and automobiles, our kitty boys are again officially residents of the United States, as are the rest of us after 32 months abroad. We had smooth sailing from Bangalore to Chicago. To give the boys a break from their crates we are driving the rest of the way to Minneapolis tomorrow.

Wed May 4, 2011, 8:19 am: The Beginning: Wheels up, heading back to the U.S.A. in a few hours, soon seeking other roads less traveled. (I'm not going to say "The End", because then I would feel even more sad to leave India.) THANK YOU TO ALL THE WARM AND GRACIOUS PEOPLE WHO HAVE MADE ME FEEL SO WELCOME THE LAST 2.5+ YEARS in Bangalore. I hope to see you in Minneapolis some time.

Tue May 3, 2011, 10:52 pm: gave an excited little girl a bicycle. It has already been appropriated by her older brother and she hasn't ridden it since. Makes me kind of sad.

Tue May 3, 2011, 12:43 am: Jessi to me, "First thing I want when we get home is that peppermint drink." Me, "Huh, you mean that syrup you put in coffee?" Jessi, "No, that stuff like Coke that tastes better." Me, "Ohhhh.... Dr. Pepper."

Tue May 3, 2011, 12:14 am: is sitting here in the hotel room while Jessi is engrossed in a cricket match on T.V. Not sure we'll be able to pick up the IPL from Minneapolis for her.

Mon May 2, 2011, 10:21 am: okkaaayyyy... that commercial takes the cake! I just heard an ad for a cream that gives you fairer underarms. WT? Why would someone need to lighten the color of their underarms???

Mon May 2, 2011, 3:34 am: fate is telling us it is time to go... Larrie's glasses broke last week, his flip flops failed today, i have a painful tooth, and we only have 4 roles left of cushy toilet paper from the U.S. (which by the way is too wide to fit on the spindles in India which has metric based TP.)

Mon May 2, 2011, 3:32 am: item 567 ticked off the move list... vet has cleared kitties for travel.

Mon May 2, 2011, 12:49 am: Got a bored kid and a digital camera in a car? Take a picture of said kid saying a word beginning with each letter of the alphabet then do same with kid taking similar pictures of you. Shooting and review of pictures is good for at least 15 minutes of ultimate hilarity. **Warning: You will want to delete most of the pictures immediately after viewing so they aren't posted on the internet by spouse.

Sun May 1, 2011, 6:09 am: is not going to miss totally random "Dry Days" ie. no alcohol available. It was a major bummer to find out an hour before our brunch reservation at the Leela, that no drinks are available today. Isn't that the whole point of a final Sunday brunch before leaving the country???

Sat April 30, 2011, 2:53 am: is questioning the sanity of choosing to clean up and pack out of Bangalore during the peak of its summer when it reaches 90+ degrees and 90%+ humidity daily. I may have been just a little too focused on avoiding snow in Minneapolis and forgot to consider the other side of the equation. :-)

Fri April 29, 2011, 5:53 am: our whole life in India has just been compressed into 114 boxes and driven away to be shipped to the USA... the most important stuff will be my life time of memories, though, of a fantastic adventure and wonderful new friends. 5 days to wheels up.

Wed April 27, 2011, 6:28 pm: We just found another Egg the Easter bunny hid in the piles ready to be packed today. I wonder how many more the movers will find in the chaos. Thank goodness for plastic eggs. That could have been unpleasant had it come from a chicken.

Wed April 27, 2011, 8:46 am: Pack out tomorrow. Last day of work today and last night in house tonight. I keep consoling myself by saying "See you in Minneapolis to my friends and colleagues." I'm glad a steady stream of my co-workers will be coming through later in the year. If I say goodbye, I'll probaby cry.

Tue April 26, 2011, 10:01 am: good news... the little bugs crawling out of my computer and onto my arms aren't spiders! Bad news, they are flippin' mini ants. I'm freaking out everytime my arms start to tickle.

Mon April 25, 2011, 10:03 am: I suppose planning for every move begins with plans for a highly organized event. We are past that stage and have achieved the "I don't know! Just throw it in a box and we'll figure it out when we get back to Minneapolis." On the good news front, we found a long lost lid in a box that had never been fully unpacked when we moved here.

Sun April 24, 2011, 9:07 am: is feeling regret. I just realized I am only 2600 miles away from the farthest country away from Minneapolis (which is Mauritius at more than 10000 miles) and I didn't go there. :-( I'm moving home too soon. I need time for one more trip!

Fri April 22, 2011, 6:53 am: When you move to another country on assignment, you know the day will come when it will be time to pack up and move home. Even so, that day is disorienting and sad, when in many ways this has become a second home. India, I will miss you.

Wed April 20, 2011, 9:18 am: Jessi is inordinately impressed that I can burp on demand. Bad parenting judgement, what the heck was I thinking demonstrating that to her? She hadn't given up trying since.

Wed April 20, 2011, 8:35 am: There is some irony that Good Friday is a holiday in India but not the U.S. My perception is that India is very accepting and respectful of all religions.

Sat April 16, 2011, 9:07 pm: http://karnatakatabbies.blogspot.com/

Sat April 16, 2011, 6:25 am: Looked ridiculous jumping off a 10 foot platform into the ocean, but it was a rush. I'm ready for skydiving now. I wonder if Jessi will come with me.

Fri April 15, 2011, 5:33 am: Of any bird that could be the one that Jessi can mimic perfectly, why, oh why, does it have to be one whose sound I abhor? She coos at mourning doves and they respond by bowing and fluttering at her; which of course, just encourages her further.

Tue April 12, 2011, 8:51 am: Funny... we are called "Thorny" in Bali, as we often are in India. I can't complain though, because I know there are many, many names in Asia that I don't pronounce correctly either.

Wed April 6, 2011, 12:59 pm: Tonight's discussion with Jessi after seeing the empty box: "Jessi, Why did you eat your chocolate Easter bunny already?" Jessi, "Oh, I didn't know it was for Easter." I've been watching that new TV show "Lie To Me" and I'm pretty sure she did... Is my scepticism showing through yet? Was I that transparent at 9 years old and did I think my parents were that gullible?

Wed April 6, 2011, 12:38 pm: Next January, when I'm belly achin' about the cold; someone smack me upside the head and remind me of how tired I was of 90+ degree weather by the beginning of April in B 'lore and how much I missed central air conditioning.

Tue April 5, 2011, 12:48 am: Ummmmmm! Just had my first mango of the season and it was luscious. I am sorely going to miss being here during the peak season in May. You've never truly tasted a mango until you've tasted an Alphonso fresh off the tree in India. And who knew there were soooo many different kinds??? There are hundreds.

Mon April 4, 2011, 9:55 am: To the person I unfriended today from Facebook. I just could not take reading even one more, right wing, conspiracy theory. The world is bigger than your own backyard.

Mon April 4, 2011, 9:32 am: Thank goodness for Facebook! How else would I find out I get to be a gramma again from half a world a way. CONGRATS Trish and Gabe!!!

Mon April 4, 2011, 9:22 am: Jessi said, today, that now we are so close to moving back to Minneapolis, she wants to stay in India. I explained the concept of mixed feelings. I understand how she feels. It has been a fabulous experience the last 2.5+ years.

Sat April 2, 2011, 10:33 am: is watching cricket... I think I finally, mostly, understand the game. Unfortunately it's not looking that good for India at the moment, but you never know. GO INDIA!

Sat April 2, 2011, 10:31 am: Jessi graduated from fourth "standard", as grades are called in India, yesterday. Next up, we are enrolling her for the final month of 4th grade in Minneapolis when we move home in May. And, thankfully, she's still young enough to be excited and happy about that!

Wed March 30, 2011, 12:16 pm: And the fireworks are raining... Next up India vs Sri Lanka in the finals!

Wed March 30, 2011, 7:10 am: in Minneapolis sometimes the kids get unexpected snow days, in Bangalore if India is playing Pakistan in the World Quarter Finals, kids get an unexpected Cricket day. Maybe it is more for the teachers? Whichever... GO INDIA!!!

Mon March 28, 2011, 1:15 pm: I can see we need to add another country to our visit list to remove some misconceptions. Tonight Jessi said, "I'm glad I don't live in Scotland. Everyone there has to wear skirts that look like picnic tableclothes."

Sun March 27, 2011, 12:33 pm: Found out our car is going to be ready for us when we move back to the U.S. in May after all. At first it looked like we were going to be several weeks without a car due to the disasters in Japan delaying shipments. That would have been a very minor inconvenience considering the horribly, tragic situation in that country.

Sat March 26, 2011, 1:55 pm: Conundrum... Am I glad to be where it is predicted to be 97F tomorrow or do I actually wish I could be the place with a high of 30F... This string of high 90's reminds me of the summer Jessi was born... Waiting for a big event in non stop heat with no escape.

Thu March 24, 2011, 9:14 am: favors India's cricket team moving onto the semi finals because their participation in the quarter finals dramatically improved my commute today (a bunch of people must have been off the roads and instead watching the match). GO INDIA!!!!

Wed March 23, 2011, 11:26 am: April & May are considered summer in Bangalore. This year it showed up early and we are going to have a second week of temperatures threatening to top 100F. I have to say, at times like this, I miss air conditioning to go to sleep. Hopefully we get mango showers soon this year because the river that provides the city with water is desperately low and there is not enough to consistently supply the need.

Tue March 22, 2011, 10:03 am: Jessi is starting to be more concerned about leaving India. This weekend she told me she wants to get full pads for playing cricket before she leaves. I asked why and she said she wants to play with a real cricket ball, not a tennis ball anymore. I have to wonder, just who in the United States, she thinkg might be willing to play hard ball cricket with her. Those things HURT!

Thu March 17, 2011, 10:32 pm: No water in neighborhood again yesterday afternoon and prediction is possibly losing it again today. This time I'll be prepared, and fill up our drinking pitchers. Amazing how thirsty you get for water when you don't have any, though I suppose I could break into Larrie's stash of beer.

Thu March 17, 2011, 7:48 am: Jessi wanted to try sushi the other night and asked if we could share a plate. I said sure, envisioning eating the whole serving myself, minus about a half bite after she tasted it. Who am I to quell culinary adventerousness though. She surprised me by loving it and ordering two more plates. And yes, it was the kind with raw fish and sea weed. Huh...

Wed March 16, 2011, 12:23 am: As of yesterday we are officially house owners again in the Twin Cities. YAY!!! We have a HOME to move back to from Bangalore on May 5. If anyone is wondering how the great "internet house buying" experiment turned out... Pictures and video don't give you a very realistic understanding of the state of carpets. Carpet Factory, here we come! :-)

Mon March 14, 2011, 10:29 am: Larrie is in the U.S. so I am helping Jessi with her homework. It is rather deflating to realize I am no longer smarter than a 4th grader. Of course, that might be a compliment to India's excellent school system. In the U.S. I could probably go head to head with a 5th grader.

Mon March 14, 2011, 7:06 am: You're right... As a parent there are just some things I don't understand. When Jessi got home from school today, I asked her how her day went. She cheerfully said, "Awesome, the chicken got there on time!" and looked at me like I should have a clue about what that meant.

Sun March 13, 2011, 11:05 am: Thinks I've figured out why my hair behaves way better in Bangalore than Minneapolis. I ride to work each day with the window open. I think I have so much red dust in my hair by the time I get anywhere, that it has a lot more body and doesn't fall nearly as flat and straight.

Sat March 12, 2011, 9:37 am: As I've traveled the world, I've begun to wonder... When you come upon a dual flush toilet, how do you know which button to push for the little flush? They all look different. Is there some sort of secret standard I need to learn?

Thu March 10, 2011, 10:28 am: Is pretty sure if anyone would have stuck those annoying squeaky shoes on my feet when I was ten months old, I would have sat down and refused to walk for another year.

Tue March 8, 2011, 8:59 am: Traveling around the world I've discovered there is a universal grimace and shudder. You don't have to know a thing about the other person's language to translate, "DANG! This flippin' swimming pool is cold!"

Mon March 7, 2011, 7:29 am: 1:24 PM, Palm Meadows Adda wrote: This is to inform all the Residents that due to power interupption in whole of whitefield area,the water supply has affected.BESCOM has informed us that due to tree cutting on the road power has been cut off and upto 5'o clock we are not going to get supply.This has seriously affected our water supply.Even we are not in position to purchase the tanker water.

Mon March 7, 2011, 6:15 am: I'm going to miss breakfast in India. I've become quite fond of idli, dosa, vada, chutney, and sambar. I know some reasonable Indian restaurants in Minneapolis but I don't think any of them are open in the morning.

Fri March 4, 2011, 11:22 am: Had another new culinary experience that I liked: dragon fruit or pitaya. The taste was subtly sweet and the texture was slightly crunchy like an apple. Thumbs up. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitaya

Tue March 1, 2011, 8:13 am: word to the not so wise: Don't whop your arm with a powered up electric bug swatter like I did, even if there is a mosquito looking ready to die on it. Damn! That was shocking. (And stupid)

Mon February 28, 2011, 9:29 pm: It is very difficult to explain a jackfruit to someone who has never seen a jackfruit.

Sat February 26, 2011, 5:41 am: Anyone have advice regarding a trip to Bali? Things to do? Places to go? I'd like to go there before I move back to the other side of the world.

Fri February 25, 2011, 9:37 am: I just asked Jessi for a second piece of her pizza and she responded by quoting "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie". Just who is it that thinks reading kids bedtime stories is a good idea???

Tue February 22, 2011, 10:01 am: Jessi, in a wimpy voice, watching a super hero movie tonight past her bedtime: "I'm tired can I go to bed?" Me: "No, Jess, you HAVE TO stay up." Jessi, now smirking and giggling: "Thanks, mom, I KNEW you'd say that! I guess that means I HAVE to watch the rest of my movie." Great... psychological warfare and manipulation apparently begins at age 9.

Mon February 21, 2011, 7:32 am: huh... It's raining in Bangalore. That is very unusual for February. I predict lots of happy plants tomorrow. It has been very dry for two months.

Sun February 20, 2011, 10:28 am: gotta love it... we had our recurring Sat. afternoon water outage again this week and now the electricity has been out for an unusually long time...

Mon February 14, 2011, 7:34 am: Larrie was quite amused when I got to work & saw I had grabbed his black silk shirt instead of my black, light jacket to wear over my blouse. I might have the last laugh though, I kind of like his shirt & it fits ok, so I just might assimilate it into my wardrobe. (It won't be the first time and he hasn't let me forget the last.)

Sat February 12, 2011, 7:27 am: Jessi wanted to taste my blue cheese & walnut crepe. I told her I didn't think she'd like the strong taste. She tried anyway & with a look of absolute disgust, said "Ewwww, it tastes like mold." Well, YEAH! I didn't confirm though because she already looked ready to toss her cookies.

Sat February 12, 2011, 2:17 am: Last Saturday, our neighborhood, Palm Meadows, was electricity free. Today our house is without water. I am reminding myself, for millions of people, that is a reality every day.

Mon February 7, 2011, 8:13 am: Thanks to my knight in shining armor, Larrie, the rat has left the house. Neighbors beware, we don't know which way it went. It is brown, about a foot long tip to tail and eats cat food. Free to any home but ours.

Sun February 6, 2011, 9:40 pm: Rat update: The cats are useless. They seem to have simply decided on a demilitarized zone. They get the upstairs and the rat gets the ground floor and the stairs are neutral territory. Hunter Larrie to the rescue today (I HOPE!).

Sun February 6, 2011, 9:39 pm: decided it must be the Pondicherry Tourism Board that optimistically promotes the road between Bangalore & Pondicherry as a â€œreally goodâ€� road. If that is good, the bar has been lowered significantly. The lorries are taking a heavy toll on the pavement. The hundreds of monkeys on the roads slowed us down too, but at least they were cute. Is there a better way I don't know about we took the Krishnagiri, Gingi road.

Sat February 5, 2011, 8:49 pm: Is wondering what we'll find when we get home from this long weekend away. Will the rat and the cats be fast friends? Will Jac have murdered the rat? Will the rat have killed the cats? Will Ti be in love with the rat? Should I even go home?

Sat February 5, 2011, 8:33 pm: saw a Californian massage on the spa menu and envisioning something involving either avocado oil or Beach Boys music, was told it's very similar to an American massage. Huh??? Well being from the U.S., I decided I should check out my home country treatment. The Californian seems to involve a lot of time devoted to the head. Hmmm...

Fri February 4, 2011, 10:29 pm: Is at the Dunes in Pondicherry and decided when you're staying in an open air bamboo and palm frond bungalow you don't want to contemplate too deeply about how the extra candy disappeared.

Thu February 3, 2011, 6:27 pm: learned last night that one of our cats is a valiant hunter, while the other is as repelled by rats as I am. How did I conclude this, you might ask... You don't want to know and I don't want to think about it. I working on repressing the memory.

Thu February 3, 2011, 9:15 am: last night I got so engrossed in Jessi's Goosebumps book, that she had to tell me to stop reading her bedtime story, and be quiet, so she could go to sleep.

Tue February 1, 2011, 9:30 am: is trying to decide if I am hypocritical or need to return to diversity training. Is it fair to abhor having a rat in my house but not be that freaked out that a striped squirrel is coming inside? I mean, they are both rodents. One just happens to have a cute fuzzy tail.

Mon January 31, 2011, 2:02 am: is sitting up straight. My mom always told me to, but it took a pinched sciatic nerve to really appreciate the value.

Sun January 30, 2011, 9:23 am: went to the club which advertised an Italian brunch. We got there late, so I asked if they sitll had Italian on the buffet. The waiter said "No, it's French food today but it tastes almost the same as Italian." ??? I'm not sure which countries culinary expertise had just been most impuned. I guess French food &Italian food prepared in an Indian kitchen does taste pretty much the same though.

Sat January 29, 2011, 11:26 pm: Is sitting up, pain free, this morning. Physical therapy and learning back exercises: like!

Sat January 29, 2011, 7:12 am: Saw a t-shirt that I thought would be ironic to wear in Minnesota right now. It showed a cartoon penguin standing in a growing puddle and it said "Save the last ice cube." Anyone worried about lack of ice in Minneapolis?

Sat January 29, 2011, 7:10 am: The newest chapter of our adventure... We've gone from invasions of geckos, to ants, to cockroaches, to rats, to mosquitos, to the newest: a screen destroying, cat food eating squirrel. Oh winter... I miss you.

Thu January 27, 2011, 8:18 am: Next time I'm acting all sanctimonius about Bangalore's always beautiful weather, feel free to respond: "Neener, neener, neener... WE don't have coackroaches in " Ugh, they are back. Disgusting.

Thu January 27, 2011, 5:02 am: had my first MRI today. THAT was interesting. I can cross that off my bucket list now. Oh, yeah, that WASN'T EVER on my bucket list.

Tue January 25, 2011, 7:10 am: has begun the process

Sun January 23, 2011, 7:46 am: Jessi is now answering the phone in Hindi. She can competently tell the front gate to let the pizza delivery guy through.

Wed January 19, 2011, 8:44 am: bought a house while we were in Australia (in Plymouth, MN, that is). Amazing with how "flat the world is" that you can conduct a thorough property investigation through Realtor.Com, Google Earth, YouTube, Picassa, and Zillow. Never thought I'd buy a house via the internet.

Tue January 18, 2011, 9:45 am: Dear person talking on the cell phone while riding a bicycle in Bangalore traffic. You were SOOO close to being a victim of natural selection when you fell off your bike in front of our car. Good thing our driver has lightening fast reflexes. Duh! Stay off the phone when you are pedaling a bike. You would think that would be self evident.

Sun January 16, 2011, 7:03 am: finally made a New Year's resolution I'm finding easy to keep: visiting a spa every single last weekend I have left in Bangalore. They are about 1/3 cost the of those in Minneapolis.

Fri January 14, 2011, 10:31 am: My daughter must be a long term, strategic planner. Tonight she wanted to know if she still got to take advantage of my Target employee discount even after I was dead.

Fri January 7, 2011, 11:00 pm: Jessi is subtlety trying to demonstrate her readiness for a puppy by diligently taking care of her three "Ninten Dogs" on her DS. I'm not sure her campaign is that compelling though, since she asked me to take her virtual dog for a walk this morning and instructed me how to double click to clean up if he pooped.

Tue January 4, 2011, 12:12 pm: My daughter, the diplomat: a few nights ago Jessi told Larrie she wanted him to read her bedtime story instead of me. Having done so the night before, I asked if Larrie did it better. She said, "No, you read it perfectly. Dad makes mistakes and it is more fun to correct him." (Of course this was said out of his earshot). Smooth recovery on her part!

Mon January 3, 2011, 6:45 am: Gotta love the first few days back from a time zone 4+ hours to the east. It was no problem getting Jessi out of bed for school this morning. Her body thought it was already 11:30 am instead of 7 am. She's already talking about going to bed and it is only 6:15 pm. That is a rarity!

Sat January 1, 2011, 5:03 pm: HAPPY NEW YEAR! We made it 45 minutes south before running into the next blockade, due to another flooding river. Luckily, this time, an alternate route was available which only required a little back tracking. We saw a very nice fireworks display New Years Eve near Brisbane and are now sitting in the Kuala Lumpur airport on the way back to Bangalore.

Tue December 28, 2010, 3:42 pm: It's low tide, and for the first time in ten days it stopped raining for a few hours, so we are going to make another run for the south and try to get in the neighborhood of the international airport.

Tue December 28, 2010, 4:13 am: Strange, I rode a horse for a couple of hours and woke up the next morning with my sciatic nerve feeling the best it had in weeks. That is not what I expected. Huh???

Mon December 27, 2010, 11:50 pm: We've been evacuated by boat, stuck behind a bogged 4x4, delayed by a fallen tree, and roads are closed again. Now executing Plan H. We are still north of Brisbane and not able to go south. It's still raining. 5 inches came down yesterday. We are fine, just soggy.

Sat December 25, 2010, 10:38 pm: Merry Christmas or Happy Boxing Day to all our friends (depending on which time zone you currently occupy).

Thu December 23, 2010, 6:29 pm: Oh, no! I had forgotten a very clear and present danger in Australia. The Wiggles are on TV here. Must avoid fruit salad at all costs and try to hold tight to sanity.

Thu December 23, 2010, 8:52 am: I've grumbled a few times about the reliability of mail delivery in Bangalore... It turns out it is a global problem and not specific to India. In fact, the mail delivery problem might just be with the U.S. postal service and I inaccurately placed blame. We've had two items go missing in the last few weeks. A $100 gift card (sent U.S. address to U.S. address) and a $1000 check same conditions. What's up USPS?

Wed December 22, 2010, 3:00 am: has a developed a fear of Round-A-Bouts. Every time we approach one, I suspect death or serious injury might be near.

Tue December 21, 2010, 6:58 pm: Crikey! We couldn't find a place to buy wine and gin in Torquay, Australia. Who knew, we should have been looking for a DRIVE THROUGH. Sheesh! We can't even buy wine at a grocery store in Minnesota or on a Sunday. I love progressive countries.

Tue December 21, 2010, 4:39 am: Jessi wouldn't ride on a Jet Ski with me today. I don't think she has trusted me since we flew off the track of a concrete track Alpine Slide and I used her face as a soft landing when she was 5 years old. She always chooses riding with Larrie...

Tue December 21, 2010, 4:31 am: is very glad we decided to go to north east Australia and not the southern part. It actually SNOWED 4 inches in south Australia yesterday in a place which has a usual temperature of 86 degrees this time of year. Damn... global warming...

Sun December 19, 2010, 6:51 am: hopes Larrie and I will still be married come 2011 (and alive). We are having our first experience personally driving on the "wrong" side of the road. Day 1, we both started to get in the opposite side of the rental car from where we belonged. If you are in Australia... beware!

Fri December 17, 2010, 6:41 pm: is looking for a house to buy again... our offer on a house in Shoreview fell through :-(

Fri December 17, 2010, 6:38 am: It was a fine afternoon for Cricket and I even hit a boundary! (don't be too impressed though... My style left a lot to be desired and I forgot to take the bat with me again this year. 16 years of softball gave me some hard to habits to break!

Fri December 17, 2010, 6:35 am: Cool, I heard a Christmas song and ad on a Hindi radio station in B'lore today. Retail rules the flattening world!

Wed December 15, 2010, 9:16 am: I'm sorry, but pumpkin pie flavored chocolate is wrong. I've had some things I thought tasted different in India, but pumpkin pie chocolate truffles, straight from the USA, are just plain yucky!

Mon December 13, 2010, 9:30 am: Wow, today was the first time I needed to decline a meeting because I wouldn't still be in Bangalore (next May). That was a really bittersweet feeling. I'm really going to miss my co-workers and friends here. At the same time, I'm excited to return to the U.S. I wonder though, will there ever be another time that life feels so vivid and I feel so alive as the last two years.

Our Bangalore house key had divots instead of grooves

2011-05-27T09:59:00.001+05:30

I had never seen that sort of key before.

Chex Mariannick: My favorite local restaurant in Bangalore

2011-05-27T09:57:00.001+05:30

Jessi's last day of 4th Grade at Inventure Academy, Bangalore

2011-05-27T09:48:00.001+05:30

The same, but not the same

2011-05-06T03:43:00.000+05:30

Felt like I was truly back home when I found a penny on the ground at the airport, but was strangely disoriented when I discovered the graphics on the back had, unbeknownst to us, changed in the time we have been away. I suspect there is some sort of metaphor for what we are about to experience... Many things are the same on the surface but have subtlety changed in some ways while we've been gone.

What I will miss...

2011-05-04T16:47:00.002+05:30

As we leave India, I have been asked many times what I will miss. That is a hard question to comprehensively answer and I'm sure this won't be complete. Here are some of the top items, though, in no specific order after the beginning:

First and foremost, I will miss my new friends and colleagues. Really, this is the same thing I missed most from the United States too, along with my family. Lucky for me, I began this adventure in the era of Skype, Facebook, Blogs, and ubiquitous email, so relationships were more easily maintained than even five years ago.
Fresh fruits and vegetables every single day. You've never tasted fruits or vegetables until you've had them right off the plant. Special mention: Mangoes.
Discovering and trying fruits I've never seen or heard of previously. Special mention: Jack Fruit.
The music.
The birds.
The monkeys.
The flowers.
The weather.
The geckos.
The diversity.
Fantastic and inexpensive spas.
Wearing open toed sandals, every day.
Higly quality, reasonably priced domestic airlines.
The beautiful fabrics. Seeing the elaborate designed clothing on people along side the road is like watching art in motion.
Ready and inexpensive access to the beach.
Traveling easily to culturally different places.
Seeing the origin of things. For example, I never knew what a tea plant looked like or that a cocoa bean comes from a soft ball size pod.
Seeing something new and unusual all the time.
And much more...

Some people have asked me what I won't miss. Since I won't miss it, I decided it's not worth writing about. :-) Ok, ok, I admit... the traffic.

Our very last day and another culinary experience: Ice Apple or Nungu

2011-05-04T16:24:00.002+05:30

It is our last day in India and I've yet again discovered another natural delicacy called the Ice Apple or Nungu. There is always something new and exciting to experience in Bangalore!

http://www.hindu.com/mp/2008/04/26/stories/2008042651790200.htm
http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/03/29/stories/2004032901310300.htm

An American expat in Bangalore hungry for familiar food?

2011-05-04T15:54:00.000+05:30

So you've been in Bangalore for a few months and now you are craving something from home. Never fear, there are plenty of junk food offerings to be found in your new residence. McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Subway, KFC, and Dominoes abound. You can also find Au Bon Pain, Papa Johns, Hard Rock, TGI Fridays, Chili's, Taco Bell, and more. With the accelerated growth Bangalore is experiencing, it is likely there will be additional offerings within months. In addition to the fast food joints, there are a number of international restaurants of all varieties. Don't worry, you won't have to eat curry everyday! :-)

I'm wondering, where should I go next?

2011-05-04T15:44:00.000+05:30

View my profile
Create your own travel map or travel blog
TripAdvisor has cheap flights search

Our bags are packed and we are ready to go...

2011-05-03T12:40:00.001+05:30

We're leaving on a jet plane... don't know when we'll be back again...

Just waiting on our humans to come pick us up.

My Advice to India

2011-05-03T10:27:00.000+05:30

As I leave India, I feel compelled to render an opinion. My advice to India is to totally ignore or perhaps, even better yet, ban the pervasive T.V. adds for skin whitening products. Many of those companies who are so diligently trying to convince you that lighter is better, are the exact same companies that sell tanning or darkening products in other countries such as the U.S. They are seeing India as a place to imbue a poor body image on another billion plus people simply to generate a profit on a product that nobody needs. Not to mention, I cannot imagine beaching agents are all that beneficial to the skin. Just saying... -Allison

Worthy ideals

2011-05-02T11:11:00.001+05:30

This sign must have fallen into disregard when the city reverted its
name to Bengaluru. It says:

We Bangaloreans pledge we
- Won't drink and drive
- Won't over speed
- Won't jump signals
- Won't use mobile phones while driving
- Will follow lane discipline
- Will follow traffic rules

I haven't noticed high levels of observance of these ideals in recent
time but they seems like good ideas anywhere in the world.

Jenga Jac

2011-04-30T19:18:00.001+05:30

Self Packing Tabbies

2011-04-30T17:49:00.001+05:30

Larrie's final Sunday bicycle journey in Bangalore: Ride report and Socrates hour recap

2011-04-30T17:42:00.001+05:30

As recapped by: Rajesh (posted by Allison)
Date: Sun, Apr 3, 2011 at 11:00 PM

Today's ride and discussion was so good that it is worth two reports. I assume you read Larrie's report sent earlier today.

So here are more details and clarifications and photos on both the ride the first Socrates hour (which finds its way into the entire narrative)

11 of us -- Arun, Larrie, Madan, Rajesh, Rubi, Samik, Sanjay, Siva, Srini, Sunil, Vallari -- went for the ride this morning. The sole woman called it 10 boys who like wet muddy conditions and one girl who does not. We left at 6.15 am and returned at 10.10 am completing 31km for those who are numerically inclined.

As was commented we started out a bit late, though it had nothing to do with cricket. It is important to note that this is the 'slow movement' group. So we accept delays and wait for folks to catch up or wash off mud off their bikes. The folks in this group want to get exercise and fresh air but while enjoying the journey. The goal and speed and improvement are unimportant compared to the process and connections and observation. Not to say we don't have serious bikers and speeders.

The first part had many muddy areas and one long moment through a field of mist like watered milk (thank you Norah Burke).

Anyway, the photos show the interesting innovations in fixing and riding that accompany a bolt breaking.

Important observations when a 'calamity' happens. All got together and literally shoestrung the seat to the post. And before Sunil could figure out how to balance his rear on a moving seat mounted loosely on a steel post, Samik jumped onto his bike and rode for a bit. Siva tried to see how long he could bike standing up and be next in line. Sunil chose the option of inviting a couple of relatives to visit "The Katiyar Temple" (till this morning called the "River Temple") and get a ride home.

The big change was to include a 'Socrates Hour' where we sat around eating chevda and chikki (which is why the Shah's were late). The topic was broad "the importance of breakfast biking in Bharat - why were we doing it?" and the discussion ranged from the flippant ("to be aware of the connection between our lifestyle and the environment in which we bike" "how long can we bike before it is all 'developed'?") to the calculative ("how much exercise is need to detox?" "it was easier to keep up in this group than the fast group") to the profound ("the real India is in the villages" "we are harking for the beauty of Bangalore from years ago").

Of course, Larrie's farewell was a topic and he has already mentioned his riding for the past 2.5 years as one of the highlights of his stay in India. We need someone to take over his ride-leadership spot (Sunil's voice is ringing in my ears "don't say pole position"). Arun is expressing an interest in getting a GPS.

Speaking of Arun, a signficant amount of time was spent on honouring the Katiyar legacy (which some of us learned about today). "By accident" Arun founded this biking group. "By accident" Arun started TFN. "By accident" he finds himself at some UN agency researching footpaths and the future (and present) without them. The temple around which we sat had a bit of history. In addition to many memories, it was the gestation site for the Sunil's great endeavour. And now it will be known in this 'slow biker' community as "The Katiyar Temple".

Is it important to note that Arun and Larrie were the 2 who stood thru the entire discussion while the rest of us sat at their feet on the stones? That we observed a spider colony that loved breaking up with every burst of wind only to rebuild till the next gust? That what appears as an idyllic spot had a background noise of a loud diesel generator and not of birdsongs?

So 10 of us continued after the discussion, food, and awesome ("too homemade, not enough calories") tea that Sunil brought. We promptly had a flat and despite a goal of trying to fix it in 2 minutes, this group spent more time looking at comics on patches that Arun carries around and stopped keeping time after 15 minutes.

The rest of the ride was not as eventful but still very memorable as we had a few bursts of speed and waited till everyone gathered together again.

The 'aha' moment for me was at the Varthur dig, where the road had a 10 meter wide and 10 meter deep trench and we along with motorcyclists and pedestrians (in both directions) made a detour along a slippery narrow path. Larrie said, "This is not in Google Earth." And it hit me that we need to expand that statement to the entire ride: "This is reality, nothing virtual".

And most of us ended the ride at top speed around the lake section in temperatures warning of future discomfort, but today being completely in line with a full experience of reality. Coconut water for most of us provided another moment to chat and socialize before heading home.

Goodbye Larrie - we will deeply miss you!

2011 Thorne Awards - Bangalore Favorite Restaurant Chez Mariannick

2011-04-30T17:12:00.003+05:30

As we prepare to leave Bangalore, I'm recognizing a few of my personal favorites:

Best Restaurant in Bangalore - Casual

Chez Mariannick
This is our favorite haunt on a Friday or Saturday night whenever we are in town for the weekend. It is a charming, small, personable French Restaurant. The French Crepes and Pizza are wonderful for dinner and are served with fresh baked bread and salad. Quiche is on the menu at lunch time.

1A, Anjanappa Building, Varthur Main Road, behind Sorbet, Siddhapura, Whitefield.

Reservations recommended. Call Mariannick Halai on 97394-06536. As of May 1, 2011 Open Fri-Sat for dinner. Open Mon-Thu for lunch with plans for expanding hours.

Fresh French bakery delivery such as baguettes, croissant, and more.

http://www.timeoutbengaluru.net/client_coverstory/client_coverstory_details.asp?code=519
https://microsite.accenture.com/vaahini/slice-of-life/Pages/serving-success.aspx
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/story/ga-ga-over-galettes/1/105286.html

A sign worded so the lives of the literal don't come to an abrupt halt???

2011-04-30T13:42:00.002+05:30

Just in case you thought you could never move again.

As others see us

2011-04-27T16:17:00.000+05:30

We should not be taken advantage of during our sleep. Jessie follows in the footsteps of her Grandmother Bev. While on vacation in Bali, we were crossing to an island in a catamaran, and Allison dozed off doing the head bob, and Jessie took the camera, and with the twinkle of Puck in her eye, she took several pictures of Alli, which Alli has sworn will never see the light of day. My turn came later. Today, as I was moving stuff about in preparation of our pack out tomorrow, I noticed the drawing, and I thought is this what I look like while resting. Given Picasso and Dali, I suppose it is in the skill of the artist to interpret the scene, and in the eye of the beholder to interpret the art, which makes a copy of a copy, and no wonder we all look bad when resting.

Jessi starring in "My life as a tree"

2011-04-17T07:43:00.000+05:30

Bali Bird Park, April 2011

Mom, do you STILL think I'm a slowpoke?

2011-04-17T07:34:00.000+05:30

Never tease your kid about being slow then get on a motorized vehicle with her driving. I saw my life flash before my eyes just prior to Jessi asking me, "Mom, do you STILL think I'm a slowpoke?"

Snake fruit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salak

2011-04-16T17:50:00.000+05:30

Time to get out the Gillette!

2011-04-16T17:31:00.001+05:30

Larrie had been commenting for several days that I was getting a little fuzzy. I was forced to admit he was right when a Balinese monkey ran over, tried to give me a gift of a rock, and started petting my shin. Yep, I'll be shaving my legs tonight.

(BTW: Monkeys have very gentle hands.)

Fire coral -vs- Jessi

2011-04-15T16:02:00.001+05:30

What should you do if you are windsurfing and fall into fire coral? If you are Jessi, you get back up on the board, fall in the coral a few more times, finish up your hour rental, then show your parents the flaming red welts and say "Ow, this stings, a lot!

Why ruin enjoyment of perfect sailing conditions when you can go to the clinic for antihistamines, numbing cream, and broken coral extraction later. I asked why she kept sailing after getting stung and she said "I thought the pain would just go away." My little trooper.

She is awesome on a wind surfing board. She says she hopes she retains a scar so she can always remember sail boarding in Bali.

My favorite monkey... You guess which one.

2011-04-15T06:40:00.000+05:30

Jessi at Monkey Forrest in Bali.

Priorities in the new house

2011-03-18T11:36:00.000+05:30

Larrie has begun to populate the new house we purchased Tuesday with high priority items: A cat scratch post and buckets of cat litter.

From House1

Wild elephant could keep me away...

2011-03-18T10:59:00.002+05:30

This is a new one! Apparently wild elephants can keep some things away. Message from our Organic Produce supplier today:

"After the recent wild elephant intrusion again in mid February we have managed to limp back to partial normalcy. Now it is the heat, dryness and lack of water that we are trying to tackle.

The local administration has now commenced work on excavating a trench intended to contain the elephants within the reserve forests.

All these impediments have temporarily affected the quantity of produce and we are unable to make the usual round this week."

Show me the water!

2011-03-14T12:46:00.002+05:30

With temperatures reaching the 90's again in Bangalore, the city water buffalo are acting a little sluggish. I guess asphalt is no substitute for a nice cool pond.

Yep, Incredible :-(

2011-03-07T18:44:00.001+05:30

6:39 pm and still no water. I'm getting thirsty just thinking about it. I'm sitting here wondering whether I should be trying to book a hotel room somewhere so I can take a shower before work in the morning. Also, thinking it would be nice to be able to flush toilets and wash hands before then.

I have to say, I really don't understand the causality described below.

On Mon, Mar 7, 2011 at 1:24 PM, Palm Meadows Adda <support@apartmentadda.com> wrote:

This is to inform all the Residents that due to power interupption in whole of whitefield area,the water supply has affected.BESCOM has informed us that due to tree cutting on the road power has been cut off and upto 5'o clock we are not going to get supply.This has seriously affected our water supply.Even we are not in position to purchase the tanker water.

Kindly bear with us.We appologise for this.

Thanking you,

Maintenance

Mumford & Sons - The Cave - Filmed in Goa, India

2011-03-01T20:01:00.001+05:30

Going Green

2011-03-01T19:53:00.002+05:30

Larrie plans to Go Green when we return to Minneapolis and not use disposable plastic anymore. He had seen these heavy duty bags around town and decided to go to the source in City Market. For some reason he arranged to acquire 50 of them even though they will probably NEVER wear out. (Hmmm... anyone want to know what they are getting for Xmas in 2011?) The vendor didn't have that many but said he could make them in an hour. They we about 30 cents apiece. I could see a potential long term import business model here...

The story behind the story: I wanted to get these bags, and I asked Imtiaz where we could get them, which turned out to be City Market. I learned something about City Market that day. I thought City Market was a general reference to an area, but it is a specific building. We pulled in, and attempted to find a parking spot. In order to park, we needed to move a two wheeler out of the way; so, Imtiaz and I picked it up, and moved it. When the owner showed up, we almost got into a fight over the fact that we had moved his bike. The stuff on the ground under our feet was indescribable - a combination of manure, garbage, straw, leavings from the vegetable and fruit markets, and other stuff. You glided through this stuff. So, picking up and moving a two wheeler was problematic when you were standing on slick sludge.

At any rate, we parked and headed inside. This was an incredible indoor market, and you can see from the pictures, this is this guys whole business. His stall is about four feet wide, and maybe eight feet deep. Imtiaz negotiated the price, Rs. 15 each, and the guy said about half an hour. Imtiaz and I went up to the third floor to the tools market, which was like walking around Weisman's in Great Falls - I loved it. If I had found the third floor earlier on, I would have owned more tools. On our way back down to see progress, we encountered a cow wandering about the hallways, and there were multiple birds, and I'm pretty sure a fine colony of rodents. Unbeknown to us, the power had gone off, and it takes power to run the sewing machines - "not ready, sir". I had to get to the dentist; so, we headed off. The original idea, as told to me by Imtiaz, was "just 10 minutes, sir". Another deep dive into the markets proved to be just that, deeper than originally planned.

Upon our return from the dentist, an hour and a half later, they were still sewing. We did a quality check on the completed bags, rejecting some, which took a lot of discussion to assure them that they were unacceptable. In the end, we walked out with the bags through a different entrance, and on the way to the car passed a street vendor who had about 10,000 of these bags ready - cash -n- carry. Oh, well; not the first time I have been fooled by preconceived expectations. The bags on the street were Rs. 45 each. So, convenience costs more, but there is some guy at the Sultan Khan Bag Works who is getting his bags sent to Minnesota, and he is smiling!

Firing up the brick kiln

2011-03-01T19:39:00.001+05:30

Sited on Larrie's Sunday morning bike ride this week were two men checking a fired brick kiln. One of the most interesting things about living in India is seeing how items originate.

The rest of the story: We ride our bikes through what we call sand pit mines - think of a skate board park. The "miners" take the sand, and the brick guys take the clay, which just leave a big messy moonscape behind. The brick makers refine the clay and make the bricks. But, to be a sturdy brick requires firing. In some cases there are formal kilns with smoke stacks and everything, but every now and again I see a pile that looks like a kiln. They pile up bricks, and then put "pipes" of wood here and there, more bricks, more wood, and so on. Now, by wood, I'm talkin' 8" trees the full length of the pile. This pile was the first time I have seen one sealed up and cooking - you can see the burn marks in the picture. I did not know they sealed the sides with clay to create a rare oxygen environment for slow cooking.

The Cats in the Cradle or 18 lb. Cat in a Gravity Well

2011-03-01T19:15:00.001+05:30

Tiger is going to miss swinging in his hammock next February. I don't think Minneapolis weather will allow him as much pleasure as this February in Bangalore did. He laid in the hammock purring for at least 10 minutes and meowed at us every time he wanted us to start it swinging again.

Cloudy with a chance of coconuts

2011-02-26T10:31:00.000+05:30

Bulk flowers for sale at City Market in Bangalore

2011-02-26T09:32:00.000+05:30

The Dune Eco Beach Pondicherry - Baywatch 7

2011-02-20T23:10:00.001+05:30

We traveled to Pondicherry a couple of weeks ago and stayed at one of the more unique places we have found during our time in India. We stayed the Dune Eco resort, which I highly recommend. The resort offers quite an array of different types of rooms. They vary from fully enclosed and air conditioned to down right primitive. We chose the latter and stayed in a hut constructed of bamboo lashed together with rope with a palm frond roof. Of course this was not the least bit airtight and we could see the ground right through the floor and the sky right through the ceiling. I slept like a baby both nights, lulled to sleep by the ceaselessly crashing waves on the nearby beach. The beds came with netting so mosquitoes were not a problem. Anything else that might get in, we just didn't think about. After all, we KNEW there was a rat waiting for us back in our house in Bangalore.

Bats & Beehives

2011-02-20T20:13:00.000+05:30

During his Sunday morning bike ride through the country side east of Bangalore, Larrie came upon this tree full of bats and beehives. These fruit bats have a wingspan of MORE THAN FOUR FEET and are also called flying foxes..

http://www.wonderclub.com/Wildlife/mammals/indianflyingfox.html

Some suggestions for a move to Bangalore

2011-02-15T22:46:00.001+05:30

Best Things We Brought

• Our cats – they made Bangalore seem like home. It was expensive, but worth every penny to us.
• Brita water pitcher – takes any leftover flavor out of the already UV filtered water.
• Crocs – great shoes for here because they are relatively comfortable, water proof, and can be easily soaped and cleaned. Tivas or anything similar would be good too.
• Bicycles – Palm Meadows is great for riding around, especially with kids.
• Scooter - Jessi likes to zip around and doesn’t complain about going with us for a walk if she can use her scooter.
• GPS – Larrie enjoys riding his bike east of Bangalore in the villages and country side. It has been very handy for that and trips to other cities.
• Camera – when we moved here, they were significantly more expensive here for the exact same model we purchased at Target. $250 in B’lore –vs- $150 in Minneapolis.
• Laptop – as we have traveled around, most hotels have wifi so it has come in handy to keep in touch, as well as to look up tourist destinations and information while we’ve been on the road. They are also cheaper in the U.S. for the most common brands though there is not as significant a difference in price as for cameras.
• iPod / iPad – good for using when wifi is available for email, Skype, games, videos etc. when a laptop is bigger than what you want to carry around
• Nintendo DS – great for traveling in the car for Jessi. It takes much longer to get anywhere here due to the heavy traffic and bumps in the road.
• Mobal phone – this is a pay by the minute international phone that works in almost all countries in the world. Mobal is the brand. You only are charged when you use it. We will let it sit for months at a time then use it when we travel out of India. (My work cell phone only works in India).
• Copier / scanner / printer device – an inexpensive multi device has been extremely handy for business transactions with the United State. We’ve had a number of documents we’ve needed to print, sign, scan, and email back; especially for our house purchase in Plymouth. It has also been very handy for scanning documents for insurance claims. Larrie won one just before we left town. We saw the same model on clearance at Target for $30.
• French press for coffee or percolator – power often goes to backup generator in Palm Meadows. When that happens, a coffee maker, microwave, toaster oven, dryer, water filter, water heater, etc. does not work. (Lights and TV stay on.) Also coffee makers are very expensive here.
• Toilet paper – if you like it soft and absorbent. We have yet to find cushy toilet paper here. Most is rough and thin.
• Travel Kleenex packs – many rest rooms will not have toilet paper.
• Purel – many rest rooms will not have soap.
• Folding lawn chairs & folding patio tables – Bangalore almost always has beautiful weather so we spend significant time outdoors. These have come in handy for barbeques, parties, and just hanging out.
• Web cam – nice for staying in touch with family back home
• Step Ladder – keeps the service providers from using the excuse that they can’t do the work until they have a ladder and then not showing back up for a few more days. Plus just generally handy for getting cobwebs off the high ceilings and changing light bulbs.
• Tool box – Larrie has found lots of uses for his tools for dripping faucets, tightening cupboard doors etc. It take a long time to get the rental agency to fix anything like that.
• Universal plug adapters – this has been handy as we’ve traveled to other countries outside of India. There is quite a variety of electric outlet configurations.
• Grill – we use it often since the weather is so nice. We use real coal here.
• Lawry Seasoning Salt – a taste home for food cooked on the grill
• Cooler – to keep the beer cold when grilling. You can buy them here on occasion, but they are VERY expensive.
• Mattress – typical beds in India are much firmer than in the U.S. If you like it soft, bring your own or a good thick mattress pad.
• Citronella candles – nice for sitting outside at dusk when the mosquitoes appear.
• Bug spray – such as Deep Woods Off and your favorite kind for your kids. Mosquitoes aren’t too much of a problem during the day in Bangalore so we ended up with way more than we needed.
• Board games, playing cards – fun way to spend time with the other expats
• Favorite DVDs – cable is available here (Disney, Nick, etc.) and has a number of familiar children’s program though.
• Swim goggles – lots of swimming opportunities are available
• Crop pants – You don’t commonly see women wearing shorts but crop pants are very acceptable.
• Pots, pans, and favorite cooking tools – the basics are in the house but wasn’t adequate for things we like to cook.
• Over the counter kids medicine
1. Advil, Tylenol
2. Anti-itch crème, Benadryl, sunscreen
3. Cold Medicines
4. Imodium, Rolaids, Pepto-Bismol and other stomach medicine
• Vitamins
• Prescriptions
• Preferred personal products for deodorant, shampoo, pads, etc.
• Lego – hours of fun for the whole family and the neighborhood kids too.

What I wish I would have brought
• Folding Quad chairs – since the weather is so nice, we tend to socialize quite a bit more or go to the park. The folding quad chairs are easy to take along for a comfortable seat.
• Extra radio batteries and Triple A’s – These are hard to find. Double A’s are readily available everywhere.
• More holiday plates and decorations – makes it feel more like home to have reminders of the traditional American holidays
• A light that automatically turns on when the power at the outlet goes off – would be handy on the rare times when the power is out more than a few minutes before the backup generator fires up.
• A tent – it would have been fun to camp in something that would keep bugs and snakes out.
• Our bike trailer – would have come in useful to haul items back from nearby businesses by bicycle, since we don’t have access to a car all the time.
• Jumper cables – after initially publishing this list, two people mentioned how difficult (impossible) they are to find in Bangalore. In fact, the Bangalore native next door picked his up in California.

What I didn’t need
• 24 bottles of my favorite lotion - it is humid here so skin doesn’t dry out link in Minneapolis. I’m taking 237/8 bottles back home.
• A dozen pairs of socks – the only time I’ve worn socks is for trips home to Minneapolis and during layovers in Europe. A couple of pairs will do.
• Ant traps - The types of ants here in India, do not recognize the U.S. ant traps as food and therefore the traps are ineffective. The just walk right over the top.

Favorite things I purchased here
• Hammock – cheap and I use it often because the weather is so nice
• Bar – there is beautiful Teak furniture available here for very good prices, especially at Tahr. We bought a nice fold up bar that is unlike anything I’ve seen in the U.S. for an extremely reasonable cost. I’m quite sure it would have cost 4x as much in the U.S. All sorts of table, chests, and cupboards can be found.
• Toaster oven – generally houses here will not have ovens. Buying a small toaster oven has allowed us to back cookies, pies, and cakes for some comfort food from home. Best to buy it here because of the 220v power source.
• Electric tea kettle – quicker to warm up water than on the stove. Best to buy it here because of the 220v power source.
• Scarves for gifts – they are inexpensive and it is fun to take a whole stack back to the U.S. and let people pick their own from it.
• Children’s books – you can often buy hardback familiar titles for less than paperback in the U.S.
• Electrified mosquito swatter – handy if mosquitoes start hatching in your house. We haven’t had many until the last two months and now we can’t seem to overcome them. I’m getting bit inside my house way more than when I am outside.
• Charcoal starter can – makes getting the coal hot much easier for firing up the grill
• Labradorite – as pretty as opal and very inexpensive.
• Sterling silver – very good prices.
• Silk – beautiful patterns.

Best Online Services
• iTunes Store / App Store - for movie rentals or purchase and downloading games, music, etc.
• Amazon kindle downloads – to get newest books. I’ve used this when I’ve wanted a specific title. There are good bookstores here and books are less expensive but when you want something specific Amazon might be easier.
• Skype service plan with an external Minneapolis phone number – allows family / friends in the U.S. to call for the same price they would pay to call my in Minnesota. Also very handy to give to insurance companies etc. since many people don’t know how to call India or have their phones enabled for international calling.
• Realtor.Com / Zillow.Com – used to find a house to buy long distance in the Twin Cities.
• Google Earth – great for getting a lay of the land.
• www.earthclassmail.com – PO Box, Mail scanning and forwarding service.

Poinsettias bushes are amazing in Bangalore

2011-02-09T21:16:00.002+05:30

The vibrant red and green of the poinsettias is absolutely beautiful in Bangalore around Christmas time. You plant your left over, droopy leaved, potted plant one year and the next year you have a robust bush that is colourful all over again.

(And no, I don't spell colorful with a OU now. My computer did that because big brother knows I'm in a place that uses British spellings. Scary huh?)

Note traffic coming towards us on both sides of the car

2011-02-09T20:50:00.005+05:30

Pondicherry must have its own special brand of traffic rules. We were in the middle lane going one direction and we had a lane of traffic on either side of us going the other direction, for no particular reason that I could see. And it wasn't that we were going the wrong way down a one way road. We sure waste a lot of usable road space in the U.S.

A man in India told me once: "We don't drive on the left of the road, we drive on whatever is left of the road." Yep, I believe that now. I've learned to either distract myself by closing my eyes or getting out my camera

Seriously, could even one more stick of sugar cane be loaded on that truck?

2011-02-09T00:14:00.000+05:30

I really questioned the wisdom of passing this thing. And yes, as we saw a little later... Sometimes it does all fall off in the middle of the road.

Change I got when I bought a 25Rs Coke with a 100Rs bill

2011-02-08T20:10:00.002+05:30

This is the change I got when I bought a 25Rs Coke with a 100Rs bill. I mean, who knew that Orbit gum was a legal tender? I wonder if I can buy a Coke with 5 packs of Orbit gum... hmmm... I'm going to have to try that before I leave Bangalore.

Things that go Bump in the Night

2011-02-08T07:23:00.000+05:30

I was doing a late night email after returning from Pondy over the road from hell, and I heard a "clink" sound in the kitchen. A glass had fallen over ....

Rewind four days.

It was Friday morning, and we were to get up early for a road trip to Pondy with Jess and Tash (Jess' new BFF). I stumbled out of bed and into the common area upstairs where the computer is, turned on the light, and noticed that both cats were sitting on the Lego table intently watching the corner where the cat food boxes are. I knew something was afoot as the only things the boys stare intently at - are alive.

As I moved closer to see what the boys were interested in, a dark shape dropped out of the curtain and onto the floor - scurrying behind the cat food bins. OK, this is not how to start the day of a seven hour drive to the beach.

Rewind four weeks, more.

Something had been chewing holes in the master bath screen. As we have noted before, we have windows open 24x7x365 for ventilation. The open windows have screens in an attempt to keep the bugs out - I say attempt as is that only, an attempt. When the first hole appeared, I covered it with duct tape and thought nothing of it. Then a second, and a third hole appeared - all in the same window. Something wanted in the house, what could it be?

The neighborhood has striped squirrels (about the size of chipmunks) running all over the place. The sides of the houses, being stucco, are just another raceway for them. So, I thought a squirrel was what was eating holes in the bathroom screen. I swapped out the screen with another bathroom whose window is not open, and I thought, problem solved.

Then one day, I noticed a pile of scat and evidence of urine on the ledge outside Jess' window. I told Jess that she must have a squirrel living outside her window - I mean, what else could it be, right? This is on the second floor of the house.

Then the holes started appearing in the big window in the upstairs common room - the Lego / computer room - where the cats eat. Patch one, done. Patch two, done, and I notice some cat food on the ledge outside. Hrmm, maybe the squirrels like cat food. Patch three, done, and a bigger pile of cat food outside. The squirrel is a hoarder! OK, time for action.

We had bought some screening material in the past, and I had a chunk left over. This stuff, while plastic, is pretty tough. So I put the tuff screen up on the outside of the wrought iron grate in the window. Thinking, problem solved, but if the stiffer screening didn't work, I was prepared to go to full on war. In my thoughts, I was devising a 220v squirrel zapper. However, before the new screen went up, an unrelated phenomenon, which turned out to be related.

One day I was sitting at the computer, and I noticed two red ants walking up a wire. After dispatching them to the great beyond, and working for a bit, I noticed the swarm of red ants coming in through the window. Well, this was war, and I furiously beat them back with a newspaper - no insecticide, as it might harm the cats. A few stragglers caused me to dismantle the cat food bins in the corner, where I discovered a small roach infestation. Pest escalation, time to get the maxo-kill-the-damn-bug juice out. The cats were napping in the bedroom though all the paper whacking; so, I closed the door and nuked the roaches. During the cleanup after the war, I noticed what I thought was roach scat, and I thought, wow, these guys really leave a load behind - they were somewhat sizable roaches, you see.

Now, I know what you're thinking, "Larrie needs to be better at scat identification", and while that might be true, it's not gonna happen. Boy children spend a great deal of time discussing the various attributes of scats, but by the time you're my age - that need is done and gone, unless of course you're around grandchildren.

Ok, back to four days back time.

I started to remove objects from the corner to get a better view of what I was encountering, and for the first time, I noticed that this thing did not have stripes (Damn!), and wow, cat food really does gloss up a fur coat - hi pro glow! It is 4:45 am, and I am standing in my skivvies, the cats are intently watching my every move, and the girls are still sawing logs. So, it is time to work out a plan.

I closed the door to the bedroom. Who knows how much bedlam would have ensued if a rous (rodent of unusual size) had run into the bedroom. So, protect the innocent, check, done. Next arm yourself. I go outside to the carport and get a long handled broom and a club. Not sure what I was thinking as in retrospect, it was pretty silly to do. Then, still in my skivvies, I start to pull the box back, thinking either the cats will jump it, or I will club it.

Ok, dear reader, you need to understand how we have desensitized the cats to the squirrels. The cats are allowed out on the patio to a certain degree, and they get very focused when a squirrel is in the trees, and they are admonished to ignore their instincts and sit quietly, which they are getting better at - as long as we're watching.

Which is what the cats did with the rous, they focused their attention, while sitting on the table, but did not go anywhere near the rat. After I pulled the bin out far enough, the rat scurried into the room. Little buggers are fast, which is why, in retrospect, it was pretty silly of me to get a broom and a club. Well, it went over the ledge and onto the stairs with a crash and thud, and the rous is now a resident of the first floor, and it is 5:15. Time to get the dead moving towards our trip.

I made coffee - it's easier to get Alli out of bed if you waft coffee under her nose, and I woke her with the tale of the previous 30 minutes activities; to which she regaled the scene coming to bed the prior night, highlighting it in an email to her boss composed while on the road to Pondy:

"If you need me in Minnesota or even Canada next week, I’m there for ya. I can "hit the ground running". I’m pretty sure Larrie can pack up for the move home, without me. I’m thinking a nice, cold country would resolve my critter problems.

Forget bringing the squirrel trap. It turns out the striped squirrel invasion was just a happy hypothesis on Larrie’s part; probably to placate me. Last night when I arrived upstairs heading for sleep, I noticed one cat at full point, stalking something on the other side of the room, and the second cat in the doorway looking scared. It was 1 am so I thought about the possibilities: gecko, cockroaches, squirrel and decided I just didn’t want to know, and went to bed.

This morning I mentioned the cats’ strange behavior to Larrie and he went to investigate, valiant hunting cat, Jac, at his side. He swished the curtain and a ROUS fell out of the window sill. ROUS = Rodent of Unusual Size. A BIG BROWN RAT is what has been chewing its way through our window screens and coming into steal the cat food. Larrie had assumed it was squirrels entering because it’s the windows on the second floor of the house that are being attacked and the striped squirrels use the stucco on the side of the house like their own, personal, highways. Apparently rats can climb the stucco too.

Larrie went and got a broom, thinking he could smash the rat, I guess. Well, it took off in full bore linear panic and fell off the ledge near the stairs for a 12 foot gainer. Unlike a human falling 12 feet, apparently no fatal damage was done to the rat which is now scurrying around somewhere on our ground floor. I walked downstairs and noticed our scaredy cat, Ti, staring under the bar. I said “What?” and he startled and jumped about two feet backwards off the floor.

So now I have to sleep in the place knowing that rats are chewing on screens on all sides of our house trying to get in and one is running around the floor below me. I wonder where they relocated Debesh’s 5 foot rat snake. Maybe I could go get it.

So anyway… like I said, I’m ready to hit the ground “running”. J"

Back to current time.

I went down to kitchen to see if the "clink" was really what I thought it was, and yes, something had knocked over a glass. Damn! The rat was still in the house. It was time for an erattification, but not before sleep.

Sharanama (housekeeper) showed up today, and I told her that she and I were going rat hunting, and I layed out the plan. The look on her face was "that's not in my job description, ewww". Ok, I was solo in the quest.

The cats were fully aware of the rat, and apparently had ceded the ground floor to it. They were sleeping in Jess' room, and I just closed the door as I needed to have other outside doors open to provide an exit path for the blighter.

I pulled out the fridge, as I was convinced it was behind it - no rat. Not even rat scat. Then, using the broom, I started banging on the walls of the fridge, and the rat jumped down from the fridge condenser coil, and scurried into the washroom. Ok, one room down, one room to go. I went into the wash room, and closed the door - the washroom has the open door to the outside. I started poked around (with the broom handle) in the stuff where the rat had disappeared, and out it popped and jumped through the door to freedom. Rat, gone, and I closed the door.

After putting all the stuff away, fridge, etc., the boys sauntered down as if to say, is it gone? Big help having two cats in India is; although, Sharanama told me her cat does not trifle with rats, either. I wonder what it is about Indian rats that leave the cats quaking in their socks?

Endnote

As Alli proofread this story for me, she noted "that's not what happened", and then she told me her version of the truth. Long term relationships seem to require multiple versions of the truth to get a story told, and I sure some of you readers will notice the difference in this tale of the tell. It could be that in the excitement of encountering a rat in one's skivvies at 4:45 am, certain details get fogged; however, the important part is that the story and the relationship are a collaboration, and the rat is out of the house, and I am still here.

Cats totally stressing about rat in the house and plotting their next move

2011-02-07T19:19:00.001+05:30

Toilet paper? Preparation H? Or ???

2011-02-07T18:28:00.001+05:30

I wonder, just what is it that this truck hauls considering the promise painted on its side.

Hey look! It's 28 degrees in both Bangalore AND Minneapolis today

2011-01-21T20:19:00.001+05:30

-28 C = -20 F 28 C = 82 F

Urinary Distraction Bengaluru Style

2011-01-21T10:05:00.001+05:30

I see in the papers that both Sony and Sega are launching video games for mens urinals. I'm not sure the environment needs more electronic gear to recycle when there are other forms of distraction available already in nature.

It is winter time here in Bengaluru, which is the season following the monsoon season. During winter, the nights are chilly, the days are warm, and the air has dried out - a perfect storm for the breeding of mosquitoes. Despite our abatement efforts, the house is full of them, and they are quite hungry - they attack anything sending off enough of a heat signature to qualify as food. We're not sure where they come from; we think they are breeding in the water drains. I kill at least a dozen each morning in the kitchen, and Alli does in another dozen or so in our bathroom.

So, by now you are wondering what mosquitoes has to do with the entertainment value of men urinating, and here is the answer to your query: Mosquitoes. The little blighter's seem to congregate in the wetter areas of the house - the bathrooms. When standing and relieving myself, some will attack my stream, which provides quite a distraction to one's purpose. You cannot just stop what you're doing for other remedies, you see, and very quickly a duel breaks out trying to splash the flying menace into the bowl for a quick trip to the great beyond.

So far, the mosquitoes are winning the duel. I think it has to do with their maneuverability as they are quick to dash out of bound of the bowl, and cannot, in all good conscience, follow them out of bounds hose in hand. However, this is not the case in the rest of Bengaluru as the men urinate just about anywhere they want to, thus they are not limited to the bowl space of the loo. While I have no direct experience or data, I suspect the duel is more even in public, but there too, the lowly beasties win the war on shear numbers. However, I must wonder if it is the mosquitoes that are behind the movement of "Don't Urinate Here" signs placed in some places.

So, I think Sony and Sega are missing the mark with the devices, they only need to release some mosquitoes into the mens restrooms, and lower the room temperature to entice the bugs to go for it - especially, in those washrooms where a trough replaces a bowl and evens the odds of the game.

Happy Makar Sankranti

2011-01-17T00:15:00.002+05:30

This weekend was Makar Sankranti which is celebrated many different ways across India.

In our state, Karnataka, sugar cane plays a major role in the harvest festival. Large stands of cane for sale sprang up over night. It seemed to me that as much diligence goes into picking out just the right piece of sugar cane as goes into picking out a Christmas tree.

I found there is black sugar cane and white sugar cane. Black is preferred and more expensive because it is much sweeter.

http://www.surfindia.com/festivals/makar-sankranti.html

There has to be a good caption for this...

2011-01-15T18:09:00.001+05:30

but I can't think of one. Ideas?

A learning moment... for someone.

2011-01-03T19:26:00.001+05:30

A couple of days ago, while we were watching a recap of New Year's Eve celebrations around the world, Jessi exclaimed, "Hey, that is London!" I, thinking this was a great opportunity to make the point to Jessi about how much she is learning by being dragged around the world, asked her how she knew that. (She doesn't think it is fortunate to travel, she thinks it is a hassle that she is forced to endure.) I fully expected her to say, "Because I've been there". Instead she said, "I know it from watching Phineas and Ferb.", one of her favorite cartoons. Sigh... I guess one of us got her point across.

Great deliberations...

2011-01-02T17:54:00.001+05:30

One night while still in the Outback, I wandered down to the somewhat rustic outbuilding that held a two stall restroom. I entered the first stall and noticed something swimming in the toilet bowl. I left and went in the next stall. That stall was out of toilet paper. What to do? I went back to the first stall and tried flushing. Whatever was in the water was persistent and arose from the depths even after I flushed twice. Again, what to do? This stall had paper so I took it off the spindle and returned to the second stall. As I started to sit down, I noticed a humongous fuzzy spider on the floor. Anyone who knows me at all, knows I abhor spiders. I find big, fuzzy ones especially terrifying. In this case though, I decided the known enemy in front of me was better than an unknown entity beneath me. I was relieved when I stomped my foot behind it and it scurried out of my stall. Phew!

Christmas at Kroombit Park, Lochenbar Cattle Station, Queensland

2010-12-26T18:41:00.000+05:30

Why an oncoming car flashes its lights in Australia...

2010-12-26T15:21:00.002+05:30

We wondered why an oncoming car was flashing its lights at us. The picture shows what we found on the main highway heading south in Queensland. We are now marooned in the newly formed island of Biloela, Australia, courtesy of Cyclone Tasha. Roads in every direction are impassable. We had planned to be at a beach resort by now, but are stranded up near the Outback instead. That's OK though. There is just more rain on the coast than here anyway. Hopefully we can get out tomorrow though more rain is predicted all week. Australia's 17 year drought has ended.

So this is the tale of our castaways,
They're here for a long long time.
They'll have to make the best of things,
It's an uphill climb.

The first mate and her driver too
Will do their very best,
To make the Jessi comf'terble
In their Outback island nest.

Thornes: The Holiday Rainmakers

2010-12-23T21:59:00.000+05:30

So... if you need help curing a decade long drought, we are available during the Christmas Holidays 2011. We can provide references and proof of effectiveness with an enduring track record (see pictures below). *With an all expense paid trip, Larrie promises to wear his orange "Make It Rain" shirt (as shown in both).

Australia 2010... the river between us and the resort

Africa 2009... the river between us and the resort.

Tomorrow we will try the crossing again. We just need to meet a bunch of nice Australians like our new found African friends last year.

FYI: We also found our rainmaking to be effective in both Singapore and Hong Kong during their dry seasons this year.

12 Days of Christmas - India

2010-12-23T17:50:00.000+05:30

Some times I just wonder about things...

2010-12-19T21:10:00.001+05:30

like why did this Sri Lankan elephant place this branch on its back?

One of many large open wells near villages in India

2010-12-19T20:59:00.000+05:30

These wells are very, very deep. As seen in the picture, there is no fence surrounding them. Unfortunately, sometime at night, children fall in and drown. Granite slab stairs, stuck into the side walls, are used to access the water.

Yes, that boy is on a bicycle covered in live chickens!

2010-12-19T20:40:00.001+05:30

Granite is so plentiful in India, slabs are even used to make bridges

2010-12-19T19:38:00.001+05:30

Facebook Status Updates May 19, 2010-Dec 11, 2010

2010-12-11T21:19:00.001+05:30

Sat December 11, 2010, 12:28 am: YAY! Got my first Christmas card of the season this week... They are extra special living so far away from family and friends this time of year,

Sun December 5, 2010, 7:49 am: Bangalore friends: why are there all sorts of crackers tonight?

Sun December 5, 2010, 6:47 am: Jessi hates pink, so I put all of Larrie's Xmas presents in pink bags or wrapping, thinking I would save myself the time of applying name tags. I figured his masculinity could handle it, though from the look on his face... maybe not.

Sat December 4, 2010, 11:19 pm: You don't have to buy poinsettias every year here. You just plant them and they turn into a nice bush that turns read again the next year.

Sat December 4, 2010, 10:48 pm: we have a cat who is going to get a lump of coal for Christmas. He bit through the wires on the Xmas lights and won't leave them along.

Sat December 4, 2010, 9:53 am: Agh... Managed to sunburn my face hiking in the fields nearby Bangalore today. And now the temp has dropped below 70 degrees and it feels downright chilly. Seriously though, I'm not expecting much sympathy from my Montana or Minnesota friends.

Sat December 4, 2010, 5:20 am: We have a new house rule: should you be lucky enough to smash one of the elusive household mosquitos, you are the responsible for removing it's carcass from the wall. (Gentle reminder to my family.)

Thu December 2, 2010, 7:43 am: was silly happy, when I walked into a restaurant in the middle of Bangalore and it was fully decked out for Christmas with wreaths, lights, and deorated tree included. The experience could only have been heightened by a serenade of Christmas music, alas.

Thu December 2, 2010, 7:42 am: Saw my first ladybug in Bangalore today. Howeve, it was in our building, so I suspect, if they are anywhere near as prolific as ladybugs in Minneapolis, I'll be seeing a lot more, soon.

Mon November 29, 2010, 8:52 am: Wonders what kind of a week it will be when my first discovery of Monday was that some driving school decided to put my route to work on it's training circuit. The commute was already slow enough... without people looking terrified and going half speed.

Sun November 28, 2010, 12:06 pm: Wonders why all DVDs in this day and age don't have close caption. We are watching some that have only Spanish and French subtitles, which is better than nothing, but doesn't really help me. Ironically, the worst offenders are those sourced in th USA.

Thu November 25, 2010, 9:09 am: Appreciates how many of my India friends & colleagues have wished me Happy Thanksgiving today. It is that graciousness that has made India such a nice place to live the past 2+ years. I am thankful for having the opportunity to live here.

Wed November 24, 2010, 9:23 am: A 64 gb iPad is not big enough. Nor is one enough for a family of three. Luv it!

Sun November 21, 2010, 8:05 am: After traveling from north Bangalore to south Bangalore back to north Bangalore today, I commented to my driver he was getting a lot of mileage. He just looked at me quizzically. I guess when you live in the land of kilometers, the term "mileage" doesn't have much context.

Sat November 20, 2010, 6:11 am: Check out Target for iPad

Sat November 20, 2010, 5:42 am: Never would've guessed 25 years ago, at the Bryan Adams concert in Bozeman, Montana, that my next opportunity to catch him live, on stage, would be in Bangalore, India. I wonder, how does that rank, compared to the state fair circuit?

Tue November 16, 2010, 10:32 pm: already misses singing along at the top of my lungs to Christmas carrols in the rental car. Since my vocal talent is a bit lacking, my driver probably wouldn't appreciate the serenade, not to mention, you don't find Xmas music on the radio in Bangalore. Always open windows at home aren't conducive to my yowling there either.

Tue November 16, 2010, 10:21 pm: had a smooth journey back to Bangalore and got to my house about 4am.

Sun November 14, 2010, 11:20 pm: Headline on the Minneapolis Star Tribune paper today: A Month's Worth of Snow in a Day. Yep, I was here to see it in all it's glory. I think I experience all four of Minnesota's seasons last week. Spring on Mon/Tue, Summer on Wed (people were eating lunch at tables outside on sidewalks, Fall on Friday (saw folks raking), Winter on Sat & Sun. Whew!

Sat November 13, 2010, 2:15 pm: since I head back to India on Monday, I'm cramming my enjoyment of the holiday spirit all into this week. Snow, a radio station playing non-stop Xmas music, decorations already up in stores, and I even saw some lights on houses. Until you've missed a white Christmas for a couple of years, you can hardly imaging how happy I am today. Starting to feel a little homesick and I haven't even left...

Sat November 13, 2010, 10:41 am: Why oh why did I hope to see a little snow before leaving on Monday? Why didn't I wish to win the lottery instead. Dang my feet are going to be cold in my only yep options: Crocs or dress shoes!

Thu November 11, 2010, 9:10 pm: unless you are a masochist and enjoy pain, do not believe someone who says "Our sizes run big here and the leather stretches a lot, plus, if you get a half size bigger your heal will slip out". Just stick your tongue out and say "Liar, liar, pants on fire" and run away. Don't feel guilty for even a second. Especially if you would have to travel across half the world to return the shoes and they already know that.

Wed November 10, 2010, 10:43 pm: After wearing open toed sandals every day the last two years in India, my feet really hurt from wearing dress shoes in Minneapolis this week, and I have the blisters to prove it! I mean, who knew, that apparently, you develop calouses on top of your toes that prevent this kind of agony when you wear pumps on a regular basis. Another expat lesson learned.

Wed November 10, 2010, 7:33 am: kind of enjoys the first 3 or 4 days of jet lag when I can say sanctimonious phrases like: "I get up with the birds" or "I don't even need an alarm to wake up in the morning". By the end of the week, though, I've adjusted to my old night owl ways and almost need a gong to rouse me out of bed.

Tue November 9, 2010, 6:53 am: Jessi was duly impressed by my command of the language when I conducted a full business transaction in Italian in Venice. Of course it was at a coffee shop and included verbiage like cappuccino, venti, and panini. Do you think I should tell her most of what I know is limited to what I've learned a Starbucks? :-)

Mon November 8, 2010, 7:18 pm: ok, I have already decided I DON'T miss the short days of winter in Minneapolis. Of course, I do miss the long days of summer though.

Sun November 7, 2010, 10:34 pm: yeah, baby! I have a candy apple red Dodge Charger from the car rental this week. It's MINE, ALL mine, and ONLY mine for 8 blissful days. I can't adequately express how much I've missed driving the past two years. I'm FREEEEEE!!!!!

Sun November 7, 2010, 10:28 pm: was THRILLED to see the Statue of Liberty for the first time ever from the plane today. I still have Bruce Springstein's tune "Born In the USA" stuck in my head hours after silently signing it to myself while landing. (Dang ear worms... at least it wasn't "It's a Small World" or "Yummy, Yummy, Fruit Salad!" because those really get annoying.) I'm so HAPPY to be HOME for a week.

Sat November 6, 2010, 12:13 pm: is thrilled to hear stores are already decorated & playing Christmas music. Having missed the last 2 Christmas seasons in the United States, I plan to thoroughly immerse myself as much as I can in 8 days before I head back to India. It's my favorite time of the year!!! It is never to early to put up Xmas lights. :-)

Sat November 6, 2010, 11:02 am: since I have extra time on my hands in Venice waiting to catch my flight to the U.S., I wanted to update our blog. No luck... I would need to know Italian first. I couldn't even figure out how to sign in. Just because I'm in Italy, doesn't mean I suddenly am capable of reading Italian!!! Cut it out, Big Brother Google!

Thu November 4, 2010, 4:54 am: is heading to the U.S. for a business trip in two days! Yay! So excited for this surprise opportunity to get home for a week and especially for a chance to see the house we are trying to buy, which I've only seen over the internet. The offer is in, but the bank is very slow to respond so we don't know what will happen.

Wed November 3, 2010, 12:11 pm: checked 2 more off the "bucket list" today (even though one had been on the list less than 24 hours): Visited Greece & rode a donkey. In the morning riding a donkey up a cliff didn't sound like a good dea for either me or the donkey. After sampling both red and white Greek wine, by afternoon, it didn't seem like such a bad idea to ride one down. Yee haw!!! Not as fun as a camel, but still fun.

Mon November 1, 2010, 8:03 am: being on a ship in the Adriatic sea this week, learned that Europe also observes daylight savings time, though India does not. However, in Europe time changed this past weekend while the U.S. changes next weekend. Huh... all I know is it means a lot of later meetings in the evening for the next four months... blah & bluk.

Mon November 1, 2010, 5:00 am: scratched off another line from my "bucket list". Made it at least two feet up a rock climbing wall yesterday. It wasn't far, but at least both feet were off the ground. Of course, Jessi was at the top ringing the bell.

Sat October 30, 2010, 2:44 am: the romance must be over... today Larrie told me I was "not a fox". Later he clarified he just didn't like the Halloween mask I was trying on. He thought I was more of a cat. Whew!

Fri October 29, 2010, 3:24 am: After living in Bangalore, the traffic capital of the world in my estimation, for the last two years, Venice, with no cars, no motorcycles, and no honking, is a wonderful respite for a couple of days.

Tue October 26, 2010, 11:41 am: discovered Jessi can sing the India National Anthem quite proficiently but doesn't even know the name of the Star Spangled Banner. I guess we'll need to play catch up on U.S. specifics before she starts school in Minneapolis next fall.

Sun October 24, 2010, 3:17 am: is loading every CD I ever purchased into iTunes. This is going to take awhile...

Sat October 23, 2010, 12:57 am: how do you win a fight with your husband over whether something is green or brown when all your daughter will commit to is "greenish brown" or "brownish green". Smart kid!

Thu October 21, 2010, 8:50 am: is not happy with Jessi's school today. They had her compete against middle school kids instead of her peers in the shot put event at a track meet and of course she wasn't able to quality. Like Larrie & I were, Jessi is large for her age (9) and gets teased plenty. The one area where she feels good about her size is sports because of her strength. Couldn't they have let her have a day of positive body image?

Wed October 20, 2010, 9:33 am: when I requested a diet Coke today, I was asked if I wanted it "COLD or NORMAL" reminding me that many people in the world prefer beverages at room temperature.

Mon October 18, 2010, 12:51 pm: is feeling demoralized after an afternoon playing the Wii with Jessi and seeing my Mii get smaller and smaller while her's got bigger and bigger. What could shout "loser" more loudly???

Mon October 18, 2010, 1:41 am: Hey neighborhood jerk: just because we piled up some garden clippings to be taken does not give you the right to pile on with garbage including DVD cases. The gardeners don't take those. Next time do what Larrie had to do in place of your laziness, put them in a bag and in a dumpster. Be a responsible citizen instead of part of the problem.

Thu October 14, 2010, 10:55 am: Larrie met me at the van with an umbrella in hand so I could get in the house without looking like a drowned rat! I'll take that kind of consideration in lieu of a dozen roses any day.

Wed October 13, 2010, 9:55 am: Finds it disconcerting to be listening to the next door neighbors battling. I don't even know what it's about because it is in another language but the guy sounds like a total jerk. At least this time it is evening and not before a reasonable wakeup time on a Saturday.

Sat October 9, 2010, 8:21 am: If you live in India and buy something in Sri Lanka that says for sale only in Singapore and Brunei, have you done something illegal? And, where is Brunei anyway?

Wed October 6, 2010, 11:05 pm: had a "string hopper" for breakfast in Sri Lanka: think Ramen noodles formed into a pancake then topped off appropriately. http://www.roshani.co.uk/livingtoeat/index.php/2007/06/19/string-hoppers-a-bit-of-food-nostalgia/

Wed October 6, 2010, 8:13 am: Thinks there is something humorous about landing in the middle of a Swedish chainsaw convention at our hotel in Sri Lanka.

Thu September 30, 2010, 3:27 pm: Something scary has moved into the neighborhood. There are at least two of them and they are loud. If there is such a thing as night monkeys, that is what these sound like. They fire up about 2am.

Sat September 25, 2010, 11:34 am: Advice to anyone leaving the U.S.: If you buy a laptop when moving abroad, make sure it has an international warrantee. HP (which has stores all over the world) doesn't for our laptop which had an ant crawl inside and toast it to the tune of $1100. Bought a new Sony Vaio today, which does. Bye Bye HP, you s*ck!

Fri September 24, 2010, 3:14 am: found a new way to relax before giving a presentation to a room full of people: Trip in the hallway, things can only go up from there. (Yes, learned through personal experience.)

Sun September 19, 2010, 8:10 am: A fun thing about living here is learning other forms of English. For example "tiffin" is Indian English for "a lite meal" and "tucker" is Australian slang for food. (We get Australian TV channels.)

Sat September 18, 2010, 9:59 am: Walked out of the spa in a nearby neighborhood and finally saw my first big snake in India not in a zoo. About a 7 footer was winding it's way across the parking lot in front of me. I'm glad I was already in the car!

Fri September 17, 2010, 9:12 am: tonight I learned my driver can change a tire in 7 minutes flat and also, that he know the distinctly non-Hindi word "SH*T"

Thu September 16, 2010, 9:41 am: Arcane knowledge that comes from living overseas: toilet paper rolls are not standardly sized. An American brand will not fit on an Indian spool. I suppose it is because one is metric and the other is not.

Wed September 15, 2010, 11:38 am: thinks it is WAYYYY to easy to buy books through a Kindle. My credit card is going "ca ching, ca ching, ca ching". At least I used to have to drive to a book store or spend time on my computer and wait a few days for delivery. Now I found it very easy to drop $100 bucks sitting on my couch. I did that amount of damage in about 5 minutes the other night just following the trail of recommended books.

Tue September 14, 2010, 11:18 am: realized just how fun it is to be an adult sometimes when Jessi started campaigning for one of the remote control helicopters that were for sale all over Hong Kong. I thought, "Hey, I've always wanted to have one too!". She was quite surprised when I said "Give us two of those, instead of No." And, yes, I'm having fun with my new toy :-)

Mon September 13, 2010, 11:11 am: Jessi was all prepped to have chicken soup in Hong Kong until the lady in front of her scooped up a chicken foot. I couldn't convince her that a foot wasn't all that different than a drumstick. They are both part of the chicken's leg, right?

Wed September 8, 2010, 9:22 am: hopes there are Starbucks in Hong Kong 'cause that's where I'm heading tonight. Bigger bonus if Egg McMuffins are found. Who knew when I started this adventure two years ago that I would eventually rate the quality of my trips to other countries in Asia on what familiar U.S.A. junk food could be found there.

Sun September 5, 2010, 1:53 am: weird... someone down the street is playing Seasons In The Sun (Terry Jacks) anyone else remember that? And Que Sera, Sera (Doris Day) on an electric organ. Not the music I expect to hear in India (or prefer to hear, for that matter).

Sat September 4, 2010, 4:39 am: JUST A REMINDER TO MY NON-GAME-PLAYING FRIENDS &FAMILY: I play games that generate a lot of posts. This can be irritating if you don't play. If you don't want to see these, move your cursor over the game message and the word "Hide" will appear. Click on "Hide" for the game name - and not me! - Future messages from THAT GAME will be hidden

Fri September 3, 2010, 11:47 am: 3 hours at the spa today helped the muscle cramp in my leg way more that taking Advil every day for a week did. It was easier on my stomach too.

Wed September 1, 2010, 10:44 am: Wonders what the appropriate response to my 4th grade daughter skipping two classes after lunch with 3 of her friends to play with a puppy should be?

Sat August 28, 2010, 12:51 pm: is enjoying listing to the combination of toads that seem to be happy it rained this evening, crickets, and what must be a local festival or wedding playing cheery traditional India instruments. Very nice combination to fall asleep by...

Mon August 23, 2010, 7:32 am: was woken up by my cat tapping his paw against my lips in the night. What the heck??? Was he tracking a bug and thought it went in my mouth? Was I snoring? There are some questions, I'll probably never know the answer to.

Sat August 21, 2010, 6:42 am: Bonus! Not only were there McDonalds & Starbucks right outside the front door of our hotel, Universal Studios Singapore had roast turkey legs. Turkey is not easily or cheaply found in India.

Wed August 18, 2010, 12:06 pm: Is happy. I've heard a rumor there are Egg McMuffins and Starbucks in Singapore and that is where I am going tonight. Yum! Home cooking.

Wed August 18, 2010, 7:06 am: saw three monkeys on the way home today. This is the first time during my 2 years in India that I've seen monkeys on the way to & fro work.

Wed August 11, 2010, 10:32 am: Today a lady was run over in front of our house, literally. Several back bones are broken and her skull came open. It is unknown whether she will make it. We live in a quiet, gated neighborhood. Folks, get off the phone and pay attention to driving. It only take a second of distraction to hit something. There is no way your conversation is more important than someone's life. Hang up, please.

Sun August 8, 2010, 12:53 am: is really "BUGGED" that an ANTcrawled into my laptop and died smack dab in the middle of the screen. GROSS! Hopefully it will dry and fall down out of view. Oh well, I guess it could have been worse and fried the cpu of something. Dang ants.

Tue August 3, 2010, 10:12 am: had a very happy day! I went to the first Taco Bell to open in India. A bean burrito never tasted sooo wonderful.

Mon August 2, 2010, 9:32 am: Jessi is sitting here watching an Indian movie "3 Idiots" singing along in Hindi laughing her head off.

Sun August 1, 2010, 2:58 am: Jessi has evolved to a whole new level in her adaptation to living in India. Yesterday she ordered the spicy hot wings at the Bangalore KFC. And, believe me, if something is advertised as spicy here, it is HOT.

Sat July 31, 2010, 1:54 pm: a visit to KFC, a nice virtually empty small park with baby bunnies, 90 minutes at the spa, and finally a nice dinner at the new French place put a dent in my home sickness. When winter hits Minnesota, I'm sure I will miss it less though.

Fri July 30, 2010, 8:25 am: my daughter is downstairs wearing headphones listening to Queen and singing "We Will Rock You" at the top of hear lungs. I doubt she has any idea how loud she is, but she sure sounds happy! I can't help smiling. (Oops. just realized all my co-workers on the conference call heard her too. That might account for a couple of chuckles I heard on the phone)

Wed July 28, 2010, 12:56 pm: JUST A REMINDER TO MY NON-GAME-PLAYING FRIENDS AND FAMILY: I play games that generate a lot of posts. This can be irritating if you don't play. If you don't want to see these, move your cursor over the game message and the word "Hide" will appear. Click on "Hide" for the game name - and not me! - Future messages from THAT GAME will be hidden

Mon July 26, 2010, 10:36 am: is wondering why Facebook is suddenly suggesting that I travel to Iceland. Have I been complaining about the heat too much? Did they get their "I'" countries confused?

Sun July 25, 2010, 8:40 am: Jessi got to watch a cat -vs- snake smack down at the end of the block. She said it was quite a contest for a few minutes. Finally the cat got the snake in its mouth and bit it and shook it enough to make the snake go limp. Then ran off to have it for dinner, I guess. GOOD KITTY! I happy to report Jessi was wise enough to watch this from across the street. She said the snake was about 18 inches long or so.

Fri July 23, 2010, 8:53 am: learing of the day... how do you get a cockroach out of you toaster? Just turn the toaster on, the cockroach pops right out. There are some things I could have lived my whole life without knowing.

Thu July 22, 2010, 1:34 pm: This can be made into a meaningful set of sentences. Can you do it? that that is is that that is not is not is that it that is it

Wed July 21, 2010, 9:39 am: Holy Humongous Hairy Flying Critters! Someone must have infiltrated the cave, Batman! I saw many hundreds, if not over a thousand, monstrous bats flying overhead on the way home from work. They must have more than a 2 foot wing span. The sight would have made a great Hitchcock movie. Do they call them "flocks"?

Mon July 19, 2010, 1:20 pm: Yuk! again. I DO NOT LIKE certain species of bugs. Today, I am missing that wonderful, extremely cold, sub zero weather, that makes Minnesota inhospitable to quite a few gross creepy crawlies.

Fri July 16, 2010, 7:03 am: feels powerless. No, I'm not having a bad day... it looks like our backup generators are out of commission again.

Thu July 15, 2010, 11:41 am: Whoa! July 15 and I just saw my first 2010 Christmas season advertisement. Tickets for the Christmas Nutcracker performance in Minneapolis go on sale tomorrow. And I thought I started early when I put up my xmas lights the day after Halloween :-)

Thu July 15, 2010, 10:59 am: sorry Minneapolis friends... but I would guess at least 300 days a year, Bangalore has better weather than Minneapolis and today is one of them.

Mon July 12, 2010, 10:36 am: Ack... Jessi has acquired a Rubik's Cube which really means I have reverted to my elementary school obsession. The words "Help me, mom" were like falling through the looking glass.

Sun July 11, 2010, 8:04 am: Gotta' love a place where 2 hours of pampering in a spa costs about $30

Thu July 8, 2010, 8:34 am: I am available for adoption to a good home without rats. Will code for food! The #$@ rat is back. It is a strong one and got through the drain cover Larrie had put down. Larrie secured it again and within an hour the rat had pushed it free a third time. The drain cover is now nailed to the floor. YUK! I am avoiding the laundry area permanently. Pretty creepy to think of things coming up out of your floor.

Tue July 6, 2010, 12:34 pm: had to laugh out loud when Jessi commented that maybe Larrie needed "an extra chip" when he was bemoaning not remembering something. I was surprised she even knows what a memory chip is, let alone to make a joke about one.

Tue July 6, 2010, 9:34 am: ick! icK! iCK! ICK! Our cook couldn't find her aprons. She left them on the washing machine. Larrie looked behind it in the utility room & found them partially eaten & shredded to make a RATS NEST! It came in the sewer drain. Somehow it had pushed the grate off. ick! icK! iCK! ICK! I can't tell you how glad I am to have the two tabbies along. No way a rat is getting past them into our living area. ick! icK! iCK! ICK!

Mon July 5, 2010, 9:51 am: Ironic... the city is virtually shut down due to the strike and for the first time in recent memory we had stable electricity all day. Hmmmmm???

Sun July 4, 2010, 12:22 pm: had a party at our house last night and was amused to find a tomato slice under the pillow on our red couch this morning. I can visualize one of the moms thinking "Yeah! Sneaked one in on the hamburger" and her child thinking "Gee, I wish I had a RED couch at my house to hid the tomatoes, that worked REALLY well!"

Sun July 4, 2010, 9:55 am: weird... India is on strike tomorrow against rising gas prices and we've been told to stay in our neighborhood compound. There are nets up around retail business to prevent rocks from going through windows. No one really knows what is going to happen & if violence will break out. Saw an auto rickshaw with communist flags flying amidst blaring loudspeakers. Our driver said the message was to boycott driving tomorrow.

Sun July 4, 2010, 7:31 am: JUST A REMINDER TO MY NON-GAME-PLAYING FRIENDS AND FAMILY: I play games that generate a lot of posts. This can be irritating if you don't play. If you don't want to see these, move your cursor over the game message and the word "Hide" will appear. Click on "Hide" for the game name - and not me! - Future messages from THAT GAME will be hidden

Fri July 2, 2010, 5:02 am: thinks getting a work visa extension in Bangalore is nearly as fun as missing a flight & spending the night in the airport.

Thu July 1, 2010, 10:09 am: Plans to get out my left over Diwali sparklers on Sunday. I'm feeling homesick with the 4th of July coming up. Luckily, it gets dark at 7pm here so I don't think anyone will mind too much.

Sun June 27, 2010, 12:36 am: is disappointed. I was excited to find a very rare imported can of Diet Dr. Pepper yesterday in Bangalore and paid 2x the usual price for a soda. Put my mug in the freezer and this morning was anticipating how good a nice frosty glass of Dr. Pepper would taste. NOT one iota of flavor was in that can! RIPPED OFF AGAIN :-(

Sat June 26, 2010, 9:37 am: Errrgh! Three quarters of the way through a murder mystery and cable went off. Must remind self lights and water are on and working fine. Still, errrgh. Oh well, can always pay $2.99 and watch last 15 minutes from iTunes. But still... ;?$!!!

Tue June 22, 2010, 10:04 am: was awarded "Mother of the Night" by Jessi who was upset that she couldn't have microwave popcorn since we are on backup generator which means the microwave doesn't work. Who knew making popcorn the old fashioned "manual" way could generate such gratefulness!!!

Mon June 21, 2010, 11:41 am: was soundly taken to task by my daughter when I got my hair permed yesterday. She said I should accept myself as God made me and not try to impress others. Easy for her to say... she takes after her fathers side of the family and has naturally curly hair with body! She also told me I can't get a tattoo. How did I birth my own mother???

Fri June 18, 2010, 7:47 pm: is NOT happy. 6:11 am and NO water! Woke up to a strange gurgling sound and wondered "what the heck???" Tried to flush toilet because the sound seemed to be coming from there. Huh... nothing happened. Now trying to figure out what to use to brush my teeth. Maybe some Kingfisher beer... :-( AND if anyone can't tell, I really didn't want to be awake at 6:11am on a Saturday. I don't even get up this early for work.

Wed June 16, 2010, 7:46 am: was disturbed to be woken by my cat sticking his paws under my pillow like something live had run under it.

Wed June 16, 2010, 12:29 am: A tribute to Paul Singer http://www.retailsystemsresearch.com/_document/summary/1121

Sat June 12, 2010, 5:16 am: has a soapy head. JUST LOVELY... no water! It disappeared half way through my shower after I put shampoo in my hair. Have about 30 people are coming over tonight. I'm wondering should I call them & tell them to be sure to use the john before getting here? Cross my fingers & hope it comes back on? Cancel? MUST REMIND SELF... This is part of the adventure.

Sat June 12, 2010, 1:49 am: RIP Paul Singer. One of my memories of Paul is when I first started working at Target nearly 14 years ago. He was my boss's boss. I made a suggestion a couple of days after I started working there. Paul sent me a thank you note on a coupon for a treat in the cafeteria. I still have the coupon because the thank you note was such a nice welcome. To me, that was Paul, a person who cared and made people feel welcome.

Tue June 8, 2010, 10:36 am: Thanks to everyone for all the well wishes! I had a great day.

Mon June 7, 2010, 10:16 am: In a generous gesture, Jessi gave me her Baskin Robbins Lucky Game scratch card for my birthday. It seemed to be a very sincere gift. (She likes scratch cards). For my birthday I got a 10% off coupon to B&R plus the fun of doing the scratch off with a coin.

Mon June 7, 2010, 9:41 am: Thank you to everybody for the kind birthday wishes! Makes my day! :-)

Sun June 6, 2010, 8:33 am: oww! Tried eyebrow threading. I think that is just another term for minor masochism. There are some things that just once is enough!!!

Sat June 5, 2010, 9:49 pm: is drinking locally grown Sidapur coffee from Coorg, a coffee growing region about 5 hours from Bangalore. There is nothing like beans freshly roasted from the plant.

Sat June 5, 2010, 9:45 am: Yikes! Almost stepped on two toads bigger than my fists so I decided to walk in the street instead of the sidewalk. We've had enough rain in Bangalore recently that the toads are out at night and they are LARGE!

Fri June 4, 2010, 10:04 am: Jessi was happy to discover her much-liked teacher from 3rd grade has become her 4th grade teacher. Larrie and I are pleased too.

Fri June 4, 2010, 8:21 am: JUST A REMINDER TO MY NON-GAME-PLAYING FRIENDS: I play games that generate a lot of posts. This can be irritating if you don't play. If you don't want to see these, move your cursor over the game message and the word "Hide" will appear. Click on "Hide" for the game name - and not me! - Future messages from THAT GAME will be hidden

Thu June 3, 2010, 8:14 am: THAT's different! For a city with a record low temperature of mid-50's Fahrenheit, surprisingly it is hailing here. Just saw some horizontal rain too. I wonder if B'lore is subject to tornadoes. If I was in Minneapolis, I'd be heading for a room with no windows.

Wed June 2, 2010, 10:04 am: was treated to a welcome back lunch today in Bangalore. It is great having such wonderful friend on both sides of the world!!!

Tue June 1, 2010, 8:47 pm: woke up to the wonderful smell of fresh mangoes in the house similar to the delightful odor of a Christmas tree. We bought 12 lbs. yesterday and 8 have been consumed already. Did a taste test of three different kinds and indeed they had distinct flavors but all delicious.

Tue June 1, 2010, 9:39 am: Had a classic ride home from work... 6 lanes of traffic stopped at a light, about 15 water buffalo just ambling along which decided to cross against the traffic, 1 traffic control officer who just shrugged his shoulders. What are you gonna' do? There is no hurrying a water buffalo or changing their direction. I loved it because I was on the cross road & the buffalo barricade gave my car a chance to get ahead.

Sun May 30, 2010, 8:27 pm: Yuk, it looks like it is a cold shower for me this morning, which I detest. Power has been switching off every few minutes so our geyser (small water tank which must be turned on 20 minutes before shower) isn't working since we are on backup generator.

Sun May 30, 2010, 7:22 pm: Jessi shouldn't have any trouble getting out of bed for her first day of 4th grade tomorrow. She was up at 4:15am again today. Hopefully school will wear her out so she gets back on a normal schedule. Jet Lag, not fun for youngsters.

Sun May 30, 2010, 6:46 pm: wonders how long it will be until Facebook realizes I'm back in India and starts showing me India focused ads again. GMAIL has already figured that out. Big Brother is Watching...

Fri May 28, 2010, 11:21 pm: oops! Larrie just said "Happy 17th" and I said, "Oh, is it the 29th already?" I'm blaming this on jet lag.

Fri May 28, 2010, 11:03 pm: Dang! An anthurium thief struck at my house. How RUDE to steal someone else's flowers. I doubt the thief will get nearly as much enjoyment from them as I did drinking my coffee in their presence every morning. They were really pretty.

Fri May 28, 2010, 7:02 pm: Discovered there are birds awake at 3:48 AM in Bangalore. NOT something I've ever cared to research.

Thu May 27, 2010, 7:02 pm: was informed by our driver that indeed we got back in time to catch part of mango season. He stated that Badami mangoes are the best. Just tried one. I have to agree they are incredible. For all my U.S. friends: Did you know there are well over a hundred kinds of mangoes? When I moved to India I was perplexed when someone asked me my favorite. My response was "orangish?"

Thu May 27, 2010, 5:52 pm: well... 4:21am Bangalore time and we are all awake. Yes, jet lag is plaguing us. In fact, Jessi hasn't gone to bed yet.

Wed May 26, 2010, 3:30 pm: after a 32 hour journey door-to-door from our Minneapolis hotel to our Bangalore house, we are safely back in India. MUST sleep... SOON!

Tue May 25, 2010, 4:16 pm: if you've been talking with a friend about getting together soon, do it, because all too unexpectedly the opportunity may be forever lost. RIP Asif. I will miss your smiling face and always regret not getting our families back together for another pleasant evening. Thank you for being my friend.

Tue May 25, 2010, 3:18 pm: savored every bite of the most likely the last Egg McMuffin I'll have for another year. Wow, I missed them for the last 18 months.

Tue May 25, 2010, 6:31 am: is heading back to the future. Being on the other side of the world, Bangalore is nearly 12 hours different than Minneapolis. Just let me know if you ever want to know what's going to happen the next day. :-) Jet lag, here I come.

Mon May 24, 2010, 8:25 pm: is feeling the ambivalence and regret of trade offs as I get ready to leave for Bangalore. I will miss the long daylight hours of the MN summer and the fun in the evenings that it enables. At the same time, I'm reminding myself how much I love the relatively long daylight hours of the Bangalore winter compared to the darkness of Minneapolis in Dec/Jan.

Mon May 24, 2010, 8:22 pm: had a final infusion of the soul food of Minnsota's North Shore: the sweet fresh air, the vibrant green of spring, the lulling sounds of Lake Superior's waves. This will need to last me for a year. We fly back to India tomorrow. We were happy to find that our cabin's roof has been successfully repaired.

Sat May 22, 2010, 10:17 pm: has to say... I am SOOOOO glad that the show, The Nanny, is not broadcast in Bangalore. And... if it is, please, NOBODY tell Jessi. It is her new favorite and it is driving me crazy.

Sat May 22, 2010, 12:18 am: is winding down my 6 week visit to the U.S.A. Thank you to all my wonderful friends, family, and co-workers who have made this a terrific stay. We start back to B'lore on Tuesday at 10am and will get to our house about 4am Thursday.

Wed May 19, 2010, 11:13 pm: errrrgggh! My glasses just broke and I'm blind as a bat without them. My spare pair is in Bangalore, a world away. The sorta' good news is I have an emergency pair along. 12 year old glasses don't look so hot. (Not to mention they are about 5 prescriptions behind what I currently wear and scratched. I'm predicting headaches for tomorrow.) Cross you fingers for me that the optical shop can fix quickly.

Workin' at the cow wash, yeah!

2010-12-11T21:09:00.001+05:30

It's cold outside... Brrrr... in Bangalore!

2010-12-07T19:13:00.002+05:30

Earlier this week we had a day when it didn't even get to 70 degrees. As you can see by this picture, the Bangaloreans are bundled up and drinking hot beverages to fight the chill. (Picture published in Times of India, 7 Dec. 2011)

Remembering Max

2010-12-07T09:50:00.000+05:30

Max at the Cabin, 2007

I woke up the other day thinking about Max. I do not know why. Max, or her true name of Maximum Toes Cat, was a rescue kitten we got a couple of months after Alli's childhood cat, Jasmine, died in 1999.

First, some background. Just before moving to India, Max, a.k.a. Maxine so that the vet knew she was a she, was diagnosed with a cancer, operated on, and seemingly recovered. We had decided to leave Max in the USA with Zander as we did not believe either would make the trip to India, nor would they be comfortable with their long hair. So, both of the girls went to Montana with Alli's folks, and the boys came to India with us. As I indicated in our last edition of the Babbler, both of the girls passed away last year. Max's cancer came back with a vengence, and it has taken us a year to ponder a proper eulogy for Max. Alli had made some notes of things to remember, but to date has not posted. Perhaps, that is why I woke up remembering her - Max was letting me know that she needed to be remembered.

Losing Jasmine was a huge hit to Alli. It took the wind out of her sails for a few weeks, and she did not want to even think about going and looking for a new cat right away. Zander was ten at the time, and she was enjoying the run of the house. However, Zander had always been the "other" cat as Jasmine had never forgiven Alli for bringing her home, and Zander developed on the fringe of life in the house.

Alli had told me the story of how Jasmine came to be with her - how they chose each other. As I recall the story, she was looking at kittens, I don't remember if it was a shelter or pet shop. Anyway, she picked up Jasmine who nuzzled into her neck and began to purr - the bond was that quick, and it lasted 19 years.

A couple of months after Jasmine's passing, Alli awoke one Saturday morning and asked if I would go down to the Humane Society to look at kittens with her. I said sure as it is always fun to show some affection starved cats a moment of love. When Alli and I go shopping for her stuff, I quickly scout the offerings and point out items I think she would be interested in. So, I made a quick perusal of the kittens in the room, and when I turned around to report my findings, there in the middle of the room was Alli with a little ball of fur nuzzled into her neck, purring. I thought, alrighty then, I guess we're done here - the bond had been made, and we took Max home, but not before I asked Alli "Just how many toes does that cat have, anyway?". You see, Max was polydactyl, and she had at least six toes on each foot - a good snow shoe cat for Minnesota Winters.

Alli puts Max as having 26 toes on four feet. Her front feet had what appeared to be thumbs, and she could grip objects the way humans do, which was quite useful when she was walking the railing at the cabin. And, it appeared as if she had her feet on the wrong side. You know how a child's feet look when they put their shoes on the wrong foot? Well, that is how Max's feet looked.

Ok, another digression to set the stage for Max's home coming. Picard was in the house, too, and for those of you who remember Picard, he loved a new toy. Once, while we were still living in Great Falls we bought Picard this motorized ball with an infectious giggle. The ball had pegs sticking out of it, and it would bounce around the kitchen making its noises, which.drove Picard crazy. He would pounce on it, bark at it, and had way too much fun chasing it around the kitchen. We could only set the ball down for two minutes before Picard was too crazed to control himself. He loved a new toy, and he hated squeaky toys. Cats were purrrrfect!

We took Max home, and Alli was planning the process of nurturing a new cat into the house when we were met at the door by Picard with a very expectant look on his face - "Did you bring me a toy?". As far as Picard was concerned, Max was his. They grew into the best of friends. We took Max to the cabin with us, and she and Picard would romp and play and fall asleep on top of each other. While we were driving to and from the cabin, Max slept on top of Picard. When Picard passed in 2006, Max went into a depression which lasted about a year - she missed her buddy. It was during this period that Max began to groom me. As we sat in the family room watching TV, Max would sit behind me on the top of the sofa, and she would lick my hair. I think that I became her new Picard bud, and obviously I needed some nurturing and grooming. I must say, being groomed by a cat is a fairly weird feeling.

Max was a mouser, and our house in New Hope needed a good mouser. Prior to Max's arrival, we had rescued over seventy mice from the house for relocation to other environments. After Max's arrival, well let's just say there was a new sheriff in town, and the mouse harvest went way down. Jessie came into the house next, and when Alli returned to work we began our relationship with Megan to be with Jessie while we went out for date night. Megan was 12 at the time, and there were a few phone calls about what to do with what Max just brought up out of the basement. Once, we came home to both Megan and Jessie sitting on the couch in the family room, feet up, Max was on the floor by the TV with a big paw holding down a still alive mouse. I put on a glove and walked over to the cat to remove the mouse so the kids would get off the couch, when Max and mouse went upstairs into the living room. Chasing her down, I wrested the mouse from her control, and she sauntered off. The mouse then escaped my grip and was loose on the carpet again. Max laid down in the middle of the living room and began to groom herself. She looked up at me as if to say, "Dude, you wanted it, you catch it!", and so I did. Never expect much from a miffed cat.

Max loved to play mouse ball. We got some play mice from the pet shop. I think they were made out of rabbit fur, or some such. Max would sit on the stairs to the sleeping area of the house (we had a split level, so we had stairs everywhere), and we would stand in the entry way and pitch the play mice to her. Max would use her over sized feet to bat them back to us through the wrought iron railings. Alli thought that Max was left handed after watching her play mouse ball, or it could be that she knew she could not backhand the mouse.

Another game with the play mice was to hide them around the house. Max would hunt and find them while we were at work. She loved the variability of this game, and she would stalk them once she noticed a new nose or a tail where it should not be. We kept buying mice as they quickly disappeared. We wondered where they went. Then one Sunday I got busy with a new vacuum, and I moved a bunch of furniture around to clean under, and I found a treasure trove of well used play mice.

Then there was the "Super cat in the Target Bag" incident. We came home from a foraging trip with many bags of stuff, which were put on the dining table to keep Picard from eating whatever might be in the bag. I went downstairs to relax from the exhaustion of shopping when the damnedest clatter broke out. Next thing I know there is the furry shape flying over me at great speed towards the back of the room, and then it zipped back over me and headed back upstairs towards the bed rooms. I caught up with a very frightened Max who had gotten her head though the handle hole of a plastic shopping bag. She had become Super Cat (put in your own Ta-Da) - totally freaked. It took a couple of days to completely piece together the story of what had happened as we had not found the contents of one of the bags, and we thought we had left something at the store. We had not, it was scattered about the living room and under furniture.

Oh, and then there is the example of what not to do with a cat. Alli's folks had a lot of fun gifting us stuff for the cabin, and one of those gifts was a bear foot stool, which we named Calvin. We got the bear after Max was grown, and she was making less frequent trips to the cabin. Well, I took her into the cabin from the vehicle, and I stuck her face in Calvin's face, and she voided right there on my leg. The girl had a weak bladder, and she lost it. Cat 1, laundry 0.

Sundays at our house, when we were actually home, were lazy feline affairs in a sunbeam with coffee, the paper, and McMuffins. The minute Alli unwrapped her McMuffin, Max was right there to help assure her that there was no waste of McNubbins. The counter to this was the mess Max made while drinking. She would scoop up some water in her paw and lick it off, while the paw was dripping all over the floor, and like normal cats she would also lap up water; however, she had a long tongue, and would get water all over the bathroom. The bathroom cat dish always looked like a pigeon had just taken a bath with all the water that was scattered about.

Little oddball memories include how Max loved to listen to me whistle. I whistle when I'm happy; Jessie sings, I whistle. At some point, not sure when, but Max would come and sit in front me when I was whistling as if she enjoyed the playing of the instrument. Regardless of where she was at in the house, she would come sit and listen to me whistle. Or Max on the kitchen counter listening to the ice melt in the sink - we don't know why that fascinated her, but it did. Or how she really hated to go into a cat carrier. Whenever she saw the cat carrier, she headed for the ledge behind the furnace, and we had a devil of a time getting her flushed out of there.

I visited Max just before her death at Alli's folks house. She had just completed her last chemo, and she didn't feel at all well. She wanted nothing to do with me, and I thought she might be angry with me for sending her to Montana. But a few days later as I passed through Butte again, she sauntered up to me with all the love of a cat missing her person, gave me a bump and wanted to be hugged. I new I had been forgiven.

Alli has her own memories of Max, and possibly someday she will share them. She has compiled a list of actions and behaviors that Max and Picard shared with our family. For me though, Max was probably more my cat than Alli's. For some reason, maybe it was that she bonded with Picard so much, she bonded with me. It was hard to remain my normally composed self the day that Alli's folks sent the email informing us of her passing. We knew it was coming, but we were still not prepared for it. I have never been around a cat who displayed as much emotion as Max. You could tell when she was hurting on the inside, when she was mad or depressed, or just wanted to be left alone to sulk. And you could see how excited she would get when a spontaneous game of mouse ball happened. I don't know, but I would swear she was more than a cat - she was a little human with a lot of fur, teeth, and claws.

You can never say goodbye to loved ones lost. You can only remember them. And this is to remember a little ball of fur that stumbled into our lives and left a hole in our hearts when she changed ranges.

Jessi at the stable

2010-12-06T22:00:00.001+05:30

Whew, and we're not done yet

2010-12-04T07:58:00.000+05:30

It has been awhile since I pontificated about something, mostly because of the inability to get into Blogger (the blog hosting service we use - see earlier post on that subject), but also we have not been in India much, and it takes time to compose and post, which when you word smythe those two words you get compost. Proper composting takes awhile to beget fertile topics.

Alli decided that we needed to get out (of India) more, and set about a travel schedule for the rest of 2010. Her decision was made in June shortly after our return from our USA visit. Since that time we have escaped to Singapore and Hong Kong, we have toured Southern Sri Lanka, and we have cruised the Mediterranean after a wonderful visit to Venice. Since it is now December our last trip of the year is to spend the holidays in Queensland, Australia. Whew!

After all the travel, Jessi has gone on record that she is tired of airports, and that when we repatriate back to Minnesota, she does not want to get on an airplane anytime soon. I think the girl needs to nest. However, that is not in the cards as Alli begins to brood a bit if there are not trips penciled into the calendar. So, a new round of travel planning is beginning, but I think it will be shortened by the realities of the task ahead of us - repatriation.

May 5, 2011 is the working date for our departure from India, which leaves us (as of this posting) with five months in India. We have made an offer on a house, and we are awaiting news of that transaction. Alli traveled to MSP after our cruise in the Med on a work trip. She got to see the home for the first time - after having 12 inches of snow dumped on her. Jess is all moved into the new house in her head - nesting has begun, and the campaign for a dog is unrelenting. Jess is rather crafty about how she weaves a dog into a conversation. She is hoping to catch me with my guard down, and promise a dog sooner than her 12th birthday, which is what I have committed to.

For my part, I just go where the winds blow me. I have been busy with the Peerwater project that I have been volunteering on. All the travel has eaten into the weekend bike riding schedule, and I have not been out on a ride for quite some time.

So, planning continues on travel and repatriation while dreams are hatched and discussed of remodeling the new home, dogs, and life in the USA. I told Alli in Jan of this year that 2010 will evaporate, which it has, and 2011 promises to be just as fast paced with all the relocation, unpacking and resettling. I don't remember time moving quite as fast when I was younger. I remember being so bored because there was nothing to do. These days, I look forward to those periods of time where there is nothing to do - with the corollary that nothing is left to be done, too! I think that is Zen, but then it could just be seeking a quantum of solace in a busy world.

Where have the Tabbies been?

2010-12-01T09:37:00.000+05:30

You may have noticed a lack of content flowing from us in the past few months. We have been unable to get into the blog hosting service to add content for quite some time. Every day I go out to see if I can login, and I cannot. This morning, I got lucky; so, I thought I would broadcast a message letting followers of the tabbies know that we're still here.

I have been working to diagnose and correct the issue, but alas, I fear it is within Google, or India, or global DNS. Either way, if our service continues to be spotty, then we're going to move the blog to a different hosting service to see if we can get back to blogging.

Alli has been able to sneak in a few things through email posts, but I require a much more robust environment. So, stay tuned, and we will see if the issue is corrected, or whether we move the tabbies.

Not your average school bus

2010-12-01T00:11:00.001+05:30

I would faint if I saw Jessi's school transporting her this way. The back of this truck was full of young school children being driven somewhere. Sheesh... and we argue about whether there should be seat belts on buses.

Halloween 2010: Larrie

2010-11-21T20:23:00.000+05:30

Halloween 2010: Venetian Masks

2010-11-21T20:17:00.000+05:30

A beautiful vegetable

2010-11-20T20:31:00.001+05:30

I have no idea what this vegi is, or how it would taste... but it is the
most aesthetically pleasing natural edible I have ever seen.

Intel Environment Award Laureate 2010: Peer Water Exchange

2010-11-17T10:52:00.000+05:30

PEER WATER EXCHANGE

2010-11-17T10:49:00.000+05:30

Intel Environment Award 2010 Laureate: Rajesh Shah

2010-11-12T10:04:00.001+05:30

This is the organization which Larrie tries to assist. If you want to know who is doing the most important work in the family... it is Larrie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5dRk5OtWdY

Hong Kong skyline over the harbor at night

2010-10-24T18:02:00.001+05:30

Hong Kong skyline over the nighttime harbor

Guaranteed Healthcare Solutions for less then $1 and road side

2010-10-24T16:35:00.001+05:30

Retaliatory Nocturnal Red Bellied Ants

2010-10-21T19:07:00.001+05:30

The ants are fighting back! I took .ant traps and spread them around my hallway, bathroom, and bedroom including under the bed over the weekend. Earlier this week, I woke up with one of my cats standing on my head trying to paw something on the wall above the headboard. I figured it was an ant or gecko and tried diligently to go back to sleep until the cat started sticking his paw under my pillow like something had crawled there.

Last night I wore up to ants biting me. I have about 30 bites on my arms and legs. Luckily, unlike mosquito bites or bee stings, they don't itch or sting. They just look like I have some sort of pox. Any ideas how to form a truce with ants? I fear they are going to pick me up one night and carry me away.

In another development, something has put big holes in our screen in the bathroom window on the second floor. The first hole was about 2"x2" and appeared over night. Larrie patched that with duct tape. This morning a new hole appeared on the other corner that is about 3"x3". I guess it is some comfort it can't be a spider or a snake. But what would be out at night doing that??? And why it is trying to get in my bathroom? Hey!!! Perhaps it is an anteater.

Deterioration of Palm Meadows: The story about the power

2010-10-17T11:33:00.002+05:30

Reported by Larrie upon his return from the airport on Monday:

When we walked in the door, there was no power. It took a few moments to figure that out, and to deduce that the power was not coming back on. I got Allison's lunch packed and sent Imtiaz on his way, then I changed my clothes into something more fitting the heat, grabbed my meter and headed for the power box. The control gizmo that switches back and forth between main and generator was blinking generator. So, I figured something was wrong, and Jess and I went to the maintenance office to get an electrician.

They came about 10 min later, but just before they got there, we went back on main power; so, no problem. "Call us when the generator is on" as if you can only fix the roof when it's raining. Not 2 minutes after they vanished into the ether, we go back on generator, and same thing happens. I had attempted to boot the PC in the meantime. I waited for them to return as they said they would, but no show; so, off the maintenance office again.

This time they took 20 minutes to show up, and I had had enough time to figure out that we were only getting 120v rather than 240v and the relay was not working properly. So, after they arrived, it took another 20 minutes to explain the problem. Off to the main panel at the end of the block, where we discovered that at some time in the past a copper wire was used to extend an aluminium wire, and the joint has suffered from dielectric corrosion. The USA outlawed the use of aluminium wire in houses in the 50's due to the danger.

They fixed the main panel, then went back to the house where it took another 20 minutes to wire it properly and put it back together. Finally, 240v on generator.

So, I started to boot the PC again and got caught in an auto-update which locked up the machine. Another half dozen attempts to test the switching from main to generator, a locked up PC, and I started a cold boot from a hard down. I was just getting email working when I got Allison's SMS.

Why not respond by phone you might ask. Well my cell phone was pretty well discharged, and to recharge it required electricity.

Top it all off, there is another water line break on our street - our 4th / 5th this season - and we have no water. Gotta love this neighborhood and it's infrastructure! Keeps it interesting... Palm Meadows is losing the luster it once had.

This whole sequence was prompted by Allison pinging Larrie via SMS to see if he had booked Jess's riding lesson for Sunday.

Ready Reckoner: Bangalore <-> Minneapolis

2010-10-16T22:00:00.006+05:30

Sometimes conversations here confuse me, so I've put together a *ready reckoner to help the next person who speaks Minnesotan but not necessarily Bangalorean.

*ready reckoner = cross reference

Bangalore Word = Minnesota Word

cabin = office

chock-a-block = jam packed
club = group

creche = daycare

cribbing = whining

crore = ten million or 100 lakh

diversion = detour

do the needful = do whatever is necessary

erstwhile = former

hill station = mountain town

hotel = small, walk up restaurant (no rooms)

Housie = Bingo

fag end = very last

flyover = overpass

intimation = inform

lakh = one hundred thousand or 1,00,000 (*note the difference in placement of the comma)

lorry = truck

miscreant = vandal

monsoon = June - Oct

noon = anytime from about 2pm to 6pm

PG = paying guest

prepone = do earlier

puncher = tire repair

revert = respond

Rs 44 (rupees) = 1 dollar (as of Oct 16, 2010)
scale = ruler

scheme = plan

school year = June through March

summer = April / May

tank = reservoir
tell me = hello

Thermocoal = Styrofoam

tie up = partnership

to let = for rest

torch = flashlight

touch wood = knock on wood

2 minutes = usually about 10 minutes

10 minutes = usually about 20 minutes

Where did the map go?

2010-10-16T08:04:00.000+05:30

Regular followers of the tabbies might wonder where our map went. As you have noticed, we use Blogger to host our blog, and Blogger is owned by Google. I had created the map of our travels using Google maps, and had embedded it into our blog. In the last few months, the blog has been very slow to show, and we have been experiencing some errors in loading the main page, which prevent us from administering the blog. In an attempt to diagnose the issue, I removed the map, and the page speed is now much better. You can still find the map in the Lynx section. Removing the map did not fix the original issue, and I think I'll leave it as a link.

Taj Tabbies

2010-10-16T07:51:00.000+05:30

While in Sri Lanka last week, we spent 3 days in Bentota at a Taj property decompressing. The Taj was typical with our other Asian travel experiences, which all serve breakfast as a buffet. However, special to the Taj Vavanta were the tabbies.

We had noticed the cats, there were two, the day we arrived. Cats are not unusual in Asia, but they are somewhat unusual at a resort property, and this was our second sighting of cats at a Sri Lankan resort. Alli had commented on the cats and the mongoose in her post "Sri Lankan Wiener Kitties".

During our second breakfast one of the cats came over to our table gently seeking a kibble, which Jess and Alli were only to happy to oblige. While, the cat was sitting expectantly between our table and the table next to us, the lady of the other table returned from a foraging trip to the buffet. Not expecting a cat to be in the way, she ran smack into the feline and gave a pretty good shriek, and she did not drop her in hand dishes. The cat, ever the experienced and cool one, only looked at Jess for another bit of that egg or bacon, or whatever she might spare - other than fruit.

After being completed with a nibbling, the cat turned and crossed to the ledge where it curled up in a sunbeam for a much needed respite. Typical, as they were both "boys".

We were spotted before we sat down during our last breakfast at the Taj. The other tabby came sauntering over to where we were about to sit, sat down with an expectant look on his face, and waited for the feast to begin. It was as if the two had conferred about which of the people were cat friendly. While the cat awaited his breakfast, the other cat was curled up on the ledge in a sunbeam. Apparently, another cat friendly human had fulfilled his need for feed that day.

Well, Jess and Alli wasted no time in delivering a fine feast for their feline friend. And true to the coolness of catdom, he washed himself and sauntered back to the ledge for a nap. All-the-while a noisy buffet was being delivered by the army of waiters and chefs, who took no notice of the boys on the ledge. Just another day in paradise, I suppose.

You're Still Manly, Dad

2010-10-09T11:28:00.000+05:30

We stopped at a "Government Run" Spice Garden for a tour in Sri Lanka this week. Organic Ayurvedic medicine sales were its specialty. Our guide offered to demonstrate their "all natural" hair remover. Being skeptical to begin with, Jessi and I decided we should put this goop to a real test and volunteered Larrie's leg. Before he could object, the pink stuff was smeared onto a good sized patch.

The salesman continued on to pitch his other products and I was the recipient of a pleasant, non oily, head massage and a relaxing back rub. The requisite 10 minutes passed and we were ready to view the test results. Impressive! Larrie's hirsute shin was now as smooth as a baby's cheek (you pick which kind). Seeing Larrie's somewhat flummoxed look, Jessi consoled him, patting him on the shoulder, saying "Don't worry dad, you're still manly."

Once I saw the outcome, I wished the trial had taken place on the top of my big toes. I was all ready to buy a bottle until I learned it was $60. Supposedly if you use it every day for a week, that place will grow no hair for 9 years. I just wasn't ready to make that kind of money or time commitment to find out if it was true though. -Allison

Sri Lankan Wiener Kitties?

2010-10-07T16:40:00.002+05:30

Our hotel has a number of cats wandering the grounds, which, of course, pleases Jessi and me to no end. I had a double take though when I saw what looked like a wiener kitty (ie. like a dachshund had mated with a house cat). Turns out it was a rotund mongoose.

Now, that in itself worries me a little... Since mongooses (mongeese?) eat snakes, does that mean there are a lot of snakes here? Or should I look at this from an optimists point of view... Perhaps there WERE a lot of snakes here but the mongoose ate them all and just hasn't started its slow descent into starvation yet. -Allison

--
Ok, an update to this post. The following day, Jess did see a snake at the hotel. So, even though the reported mongoose was rotund, it still had some work to do.