December 30, 2011
December 5, 2011
December 1, 2011
WTH??? Random alcohol free day in MN???
September 26, 2011
Home
September 25, 2011
Bangalore get rich quick scheme
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
September 10, 2011
Whoa... THAT'S a BIG bird!
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.
September 5, 2011
Almost autumn
September 3, 2011
July 12, 2011
Puppy Love
The furball is already returning a little ball to Jessi.
July 2, 2011
Home...
July 1, 2011
June 19, 2011
Minor challenges of moving across the world
May 27, 2011
Yet another way to transport stuff on a motorcycle
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
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 I’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 “really good� 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.
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 I’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 “really good� 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.
May 6, 2011
The same, but not the same
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.
May 4, 2011
What I will miss...
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
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?
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! :-)
May 3, 2011
Our bags are packed and we are ready to go...
Just waiting on our humans to come pick us up.
My Advice to India
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
May 2, 2011
Worthy ideals
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.
April 30, 2011
Larrie's final Sunday bicycle journey in Bangalore: Ride report and Socrates hour recap
As recapped by: Rajesh (posted by Allison)
Date: Sun, Apr 3, 2011 at 11:00 PM
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!
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 '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!
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