Still not packed

You would think since I have all the time in the world, all the bags would be packed, the house would impeccably clean and tidy and I would be sitting on the couch watching tennis and soccer without a care in the world. I have been watching some tennis and soccer but  I'm not packed, haven't showered yet and the house is a disaster and will need days to recover.   I'm hardly left with a few hours to get ready, I spent the morning getting overseas health insurance and the rest of  the day sort of flittered by.

Sindhu says she can't believe we're going to the US and is very excited. Rushil wants to make sure he hangs out with his friends here at the complex as much as possible before we head out.  I am looking foward to seeing our friends and  family in Seattle and doing some shopping.   Prasad is swamped at work and would probably be happy to stay back in India.

Maybe I'll take a short nap and then get to it. I'll hopefully be posting from the US if I get a chance to.

Happy Canada Day and Happy July 4th!

Soccer Garb

These two are inseparable, Rushil's best buddy at our complex.

Because of you know what, Rushil is back to playing soccer again. He was on a hiatus for many months because of  the IPL.  He was exclusively playing cricket till a month ago when he started tennis lessons. Motivated by his coach, he has shown a lot of interest in tennis but it's not a team sport and since he is a beginner he needs an adult to play with him. So he's back to soccer. He doesn't watch the soccer matches for more than a few minutes but the matches motivate him to play. He is probably familiar with a handful of the popular players but doesn't follow who is winning or losing.  A couple of days ago, we were with my inlaws on Brigade road and saw this store that exclusively sells soccer clothing made in Thailand. Rushil got very excited and selected a Ronaldo jersey but given the practicality of maintaining a a white shirt we convinced him to get a Messi jersey which he received as a gift from his grandparents. He made me wash it that night so he could wear in the morning. Yesterday after he put it on, he insisted that I check the shirt every few hours, he didn't want to get it dirty so he could wear it for a few  more days :-)

Commercial Pet Peeves

In the last year, the number of fairness cream commercials seemed to have increased tenfold on television.  What irks me is that the movie actors and actresses  endorse these products and claim that people will become fairer by several shades if they use the creams. One commercial alluded to an interview candidate landing a job because of the fairness cream !?!  I can't imagine they actually work and if they do, who knows what kind of chemicals are in them. It's seems  irresponsible to advertise these products.  Commercials make huge claims that are misleading, I guess it's the same in other countries but I think they stretch the truth far too much here. Complan will apparently make kids taller and they will  have more stamina than Sachin T if they drink it daily. Garnier's Fructis shampoo will make your hair stronger and it will stop falling out. Lately, body sprays for men have been very popular and the commercials are pretty riske (can't find the accent over the "e").  All are not bad, some are entertaining. Last year, they used to have these amusing condom commercials but they have gone off air recently. My  favourite are the Tata  Docomo commercials, I love the one with the mother cutting vegetables with the subrapatham  playing in the background, her daughter lifts her shirt to show this huge tatoo on her back and the mother looks in horror but says "very nice" to her daughter. They have a couple different versions of these  and they crack me up every time.

Completely off-topic but  there are plenty of  tennis fans here, why are they bumping  the Wimbledon off air in favour of FIFA and for FIFA pre-shows?!? There are enough channels and they can air both. Nadal was trailing and in trouble in the 2nd round and it was not important enough to air?!? Frustrating...

Baking session #1 - A Disaster

Well since the oven is fixed, Sindhu has been dying to bake something. We picked up a Pillsbury brownie mix today and gave it a whirl. It took 10 matches to light the oven. I couldn't get the hang of turning the knob and lighting it at the right time. I almost burnt my fingers while I was at it.  The mix came with a baking dish of it's own. The dish however looked like it was made of paper and the oven starting smoking after we placed the dish inside.  Sindhu pointed out that the instructions clearly mentioned that the dish had to be in the center of the oven. I moved it but then I was concerned that I might burn down the apartment so I placed it in a glass dish, not that it would have prevented the thing from burning anyway. I carefully checked it a zillion times by the standard stick a fork in it but it was left in the oven for too long. It came out looking delicious but the bottom was burnt and after an hour, it was hard as a rock. And believe it or not, I have done this before, but I guess it was too long ago. We're going to try baking a cake tomorrow, wish us luck!

Shivasamudram Falls

Western Falls

Eastern Falls

After getting drenched under the falls

We embarked on a more ambitious trip today to Shivasamudram falls about a 3 hour drive away. There are other places in Karnataka that are higher on my priority list but unfortunately can't be managed as a day trip.  We saw the western falls  - Gagana Chukki but they were not too impressive and we could not go down to the bottom of the falls. We did however enjoy the tender coconuts, totapuri mangoes and bhel puri with slivers of raw mango, very delicious! It was recommended that we go to the eastern falls - Bhara Chukki. There were far more visitors there and if you were willing to climb 200 stairs you could go to the bottom of the falls and hire a boat and visit some of the other inaccessible falls. Although the falls were not very strong mainly due to the hydroelectic plant, the kids and Prasad really enjoyed getting drenched under the falls. They were selling freshly barbequed and sauteed fish  which apparently looked delicious. Prasad was a bit disgusted by how much garbage was thrown near the falls, it's sad to see that they don't enforce cleanliness even at beautiful tourist locations. Later we had a picnic lunch at an open spot on our way back and another family was also having their lunch a few yards away. They were a much larger group and after their meal, they had left all their paper plates, cups and bags right on the ground, just simply irresponsible. It was lovely to drive through the Karnataka countryside, there were parts that reminded me of Kerala. What I enjoyed the most was seeing the bullock carts, I couldn't get a great shot of one, it's not easy in a moving van.

The Tourist Stuff

Outside the Bull temple

At Lal Bagh

Gandhi Bazaar

We finally made it to the Bull temple, it's one of the recommended sights in Bangalore but it took us 2 years to see it. A huge granite slab was carved into a bull 500 years ago and a temple was built around it.  The temple is located near Lal Bagh park so we had a picnic at the park and took a stroll. Along the outside walls of Lal Bagh, there are miles and miles of paintings,  I never noticed them before, some are quite beautiful. S & R grumbled about  visiting the temple and park but they enjoyed the tender coconuts, climbing the stones structures at Lal Bagh, savouring popcicles and munching on the last remaining totapuri mangoes of the season. Our final stop was Gandhi Bazaar, we shopped for fruits and vegetables. I went a  bit crazy with the camera today so I posted a few of the pictures I took.

And this is how it works

A fine example of how things work in India.

Our oven was never properly installed or maybe we just didn't know how to use it, who knew you would have to light a flame with a match to get it work !

Day 1: I called a 1800 number, the woman  in Pune gave me a local Bangalore number but diligently took down my name and number and said someone would call me back.  I called the local number a few times but it was busy and gave up that day.

Day 2:  I called at 9AM , the phone was switched off. At 10:55AM,  someone picked up the phone and said the technician would be out today to fix my oven.  I asked at what time, she said he would call  me one hour before he arrived at my place

Day 3:  Ofcourse noone showed so I called again 10 more times. The first 9 times, the phone was "unreachable" in the middle of the day. The woman said the technician was busy yesterday but he will definitely come today but she still couldn't tell me at what time.

Day 4.  This time I was rude. I told her that she ditched me 3 days in a row. The line was cut in the middle of our conversation because I  ran out of money on my cell phone. As I was scrambling to find another phone, she ACTUALLY called me back and said the technician left a bit late but he would definitely come today.

Day 5. I was out having lunch with a friend from Montreal that I had not seen in 15+ years. We connected on FB and found out that we are both living in Bangalore. Anyway during the lunch, I received a call from the technician, he was going to be at our place in 1 hour!  He showed up 2 hours later which was pretty impressive and fixed the oven in one shot.

Now I have to actually enter the kitchen and start baking....

Out to the movies

Today I took S & R and two of S's friends to see the 3D version of Alice in Wonderland. We went to see the movie at Bangalore's newest mall in Malleswaram. It is apparently the largest mall in India.  I couldn't do any shopping but I'm planning to trek over there in August when the kids are in school so I can shop in peace. They have a slew of foreign stores but also many local stores I have never seen. They host Bangalore's first Taco Bell. The kids devoured their tacos, and I savoured the veggie fajita quesadilla which was not available in the US.  They even have a Swenson's, I remember hanging out at Swenson's in downtown Montreal and it brought back wonderful memories. The theatre experience was impressive! They had these large comfortable reclining seats with proper cup handles and plenty of leg room and space. What an experience, I hope they continue to  maintain the theatre, it's definitely the best theatre experience I have ever had. The girls loved the movie, they couldn't stop talking about it during the car ride back.


The last 3 days have been so busy. Rushil especially keeps me on my toes. I've been playing tennis, ping pong and lots of cricket with him but I've been enjoying every minute of it.  Prasad suggested that  I needed to take time out for myself, primarily because he doesn't want me to drive him nuts when he gets home from work :-) 


I'm planning on joining the OWC (Overseas Women's Club) tomorrow, I had joined them when we first moved here but I didn't get a chance to renew my membership last year. They do quite a bit of charity work so I'm hoping to get some good leads there, they have also have a yahoogroup which provides a wealth of information.

Kavita's Visit

The Monica-Sindhu fest ended today although maybe we'll be able to get them together again one more time.  They had so much fun together the last few days and being apart the last 2 years did not make a difference at all. Monica is taller and more mature but still the same sweet, polite and easy going Monica I remember. Ariana was a toddler two years back and now she is this bubbly, vivacious girl who bonded with Sindhu and I found them both squeezed into the same seat when I picked up Sindhu today.  She looks just like Monica did a few years ago.

Kavita had a very packed week, her parents are here, she has tons of cousins and relatives in town and a huge wedding later this week.  She squeezed us in for one night, and we managed to go to Barbeque Nation san les kids and had Jaljeera mojitos, cosmos, a great meal and chatted the night away.  We took the girls to the salon to get their nails painted and did some shopping.   Kavita looked simply fabulous, she put in some long hours at the gym before the trip and it certainly paid off. 

I forgot to take pictures during their stay but managed to click a few when I picked up Sindhu today. Hope we continue to have more visitors.

His Advice

As we're walking to S & R's art class this morning  this is our conversation:

R:  I think Daddy should work longer hours so he can make more money.
Me:  Are you worried because I'm not working?
R: Yes
Me: We'll be fine.
R: Seriously, he should work a few extra nights, maybe not every day.
Me: I'll be sure to tell him

First Day Off

Prasad asked me what I did after he came back from work. I scrambled to come up with something worthy. What did I do?  We went to S&R's school in the morning, shopped for groceries, vegetables and had lunch. I lounged around in Sindhu's room fully intending to clean up the mess but ran out of steam. My cousin dropped in and we chatted for a bit and Prasad came home. Very uneventful but the day flew by. We hosted a small dinner party which Prasad did not have to lift a finger for but I can't complain, I hardly lifted a finger either.

I want to enjoy my year off but I feel a lot of pressure to use the time wisely. Does it mean that every minute has to be accounted for? Our friend that came over for dinner last night wisely suggested that I lower everyone's expectations so I don't constantly feel guilty about admitting I didn't do much.  Right now the kids are home and we have lots of plans for the summer so I'm gearing up for that. I still check my work emails every few hours, it will take me a couple of weeks to get work out of my system.

I had sent an email to a colleague in the US about my leave and one person asked me if I was having a baby. I laughed my head off.   The next question is whether everything is ok and  when I say everything is fine, I get a quizzical look, so why are you taking time off?!?

Kavita is in town with Monica and Ariana. Sindhu is so excited, Monica is staying over tonight and Kavita and Ariana will be coming over tomorrow. More on their visit  in the next few days.

Anyone watching soccer? I caught a bit of one match this morning, damn those guys are good looking!!!

Graduation Pictures!

Sindhu before the ceremony

Sindhu receiving her certificates from the principal, Ms Rao

With her grandparents after the ceremony

With her teachers Ms Aruna and Ms Jyothi

With her buddies

And more buddies

Tidbits to share

So many things going on

• Inlaws arrived last night. The house is brimming with people, lots of activity, a bit chaotic but fun.

• School is ending this week. Tomorrow is Sindhu's 5th grade graduation and Rushil's class party.  S&R are beyond excited.

• The biggest news is that tomorrow is my last day of work before I go on (drum roll please) a leave of absence. It's the boldest move I've made  and I probably wouldn't have done it if Prasad had not encouraged me. The best part is that I'm still part of the company but just on a short career break. It's frivolous perhaps, there are people at work that don't get what I'm doing at all, most actually think we're moving back to the US and others are probably a bit envious. I'm a tad frightened of  having so much free time to myself  but mostly excited.  The next couple of months will fly by since the kids will be home for the summer but after they go back to school in August, that's when it will all sink in.  I have so many plans, I've started to write a list of everything I have wanted to do but  maybe I'll only attempt a few of the items.  I'll definitely have more time to blog but who knows if I'll have enough to blog about, I guess time will tell.  

Karate Fun

Rushil's tennis coach, Suraj, videotaped Rushil performing some karate moves outside of our complex.  He added some music to it and uploaded it on youtube. Suraj has a soft spot for Rushil and Prasad, they are both taking classes with him.  They were killing some time while waiting for the rain to subside during the tennis class. The girl in the video is Sindhu's friend Neha.   It's not the most interesting video and Rushil has practiced better karate at home but I couldn't resist putting it up here.

A Weekend in Hyderabad

The happy couple, it was not easy to get a picture of them.

My grandmother's sisters. The one on the left is a riot, the one on the right is a retired Hindi teacher from a small village in Andhra

My father's cousins

More of his cousins

My father's sister and son

My father's cousin I hadn't seen since 1982

The same banana vendor from when Prasad was a teenager

Last weekend, we attended a wedding in Hyderabad. I remember that the bride's mother was very helpful at our wedding and  the bride herself was around 10 years old at that time and she hung out next to us pretty much throughout the reception and the wedding. I still can't believe that little girl got married last week and her mother is about the same age as me.

The wedding was on my father's side. I spent some quality time with my father's sisters and some of his cousins. There were a few relatives that I didn't recognize and so everyone kept introducing me to the various members of the family. One of my father's cousins, I had not seen since 1982,  we had spent almost 4-5 months in India that summer and he hung out with us most of the time so we have fond memories of him. It was so nice to catch up with him.  I also chatted with my grandmother's sisters. My grandmother had 5 sisters and 1 brother. This wedding was her brother's grandchild's wedding.  My grandmother was very close to her siblings and they all have similar personalities and are always a vivacious bunch. Although my grandmother died a few years ago, talking to her sisters is a bit like being with my grandmother.  One of them is such a hoot, there are things she said that were just too funny, it's a shame I can't share them here. 

Most of my catching up happened at the pre and post wedding ceremonies. The wedding itself was not too enjoyable due to the heat,  the reception hall felt like we were sitting under a hair dryer. Hyderabad was experiencing 43+ degree temperatures, I certainly should stop complaining about the 30+ temperatures in Bangalore, the rains have started, and the evenings are so pleasant again.

Due to the Telangana disturbances, there was a "bandh" one day. It didn't stop us from going out but certainly Hyderabad is not as safe as it used to be. The kids were bored as they were mostly stuck in Prasad's parent's AC room but it was a treat for them to see their grandparents after 2+ years. Prasad's parents arrived from the US a day before we arrived so we didn't give them much of a chance to settle in.

Our  friends from Sacramento happened to be in Hyderabad the same weekend so we were able to see Anant  and their family. Sindhu was thrilled to see Kavya and her sisters. The  4 days flew by and we were back home to our little "hill station".