I have been away from blogging for so long that I don't know where to start.
Anyway,not going into the painful details of renovating my home,I will just say
that I achieved 90% of what I had in mind.
Given the conditions in India where getting somebody to hit a nail on the wall takes
months,I am quite happy with the work I got done.
Although,now is supposed to be the fun part where I hang family pictures,put up
wall art,add some knick-knacks here and there,but unfortunately I have lost all energy to
do that.I will take a break,and get to it whenever I feel like.
So,what has been going on in my life the past 2 years?Well,a lot.
First of all,with God's blessings,my kids and family are well settled.
They love school,have lot of family and friends around.They are happy.
I resumed my Odissi dance classes and I am loving it.
More on that in my later posts.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Monday, June 30, 2008
Some suprising changes
*One of the oldest and classic newspaper,Times of India has turned into a trashy tabloid.
*It is impossible to watch TV together as a family.Absolute nonsense.
*People from East India,Bihar,Rajasthan,Nepal,Assam have taken over Bangalore.
*Innumerable malls have sprung up in every corner of Bengaluru.
*All automobile showrooms (Honda,Maruti,Hyundai,etc)have their own in-house priest who will conduct the pooja for the car before you drive it out of the showroom!
*All new cars come with a Ganesha idol stuck on dashboard.
*Autorickshaw drivers have turned into arrogant,demanding,almost mafia.
*Autorickshaw drivers have turned into arrogant,demanding,almost mafia.
*Well stocked grocery stores in every street corner.
*Shocking cost of living in Bengaluru.I was stunned by some of the prices I saw on everything from vegetables,to domestic help.
*Kannada is visibly(audibly?)missing from Bengaluru.
*People are crazy for material,brand crazy.Packed malls on weekends.Consumerism is taking over youngsters.
*Well maintained gardens all over the city,although not that many left.
*Good security personnel in all apartment complexes.
*Sheer number of youngsters in the city.I feel really old in this city!
*U.S.used to be known to have spoiled,indisciplined,demanding and bratty kids.Bengaluru has taken over that title.
*Sidewalks distinctly missing from all roads!
*Bengaluru turns into a mush pit when it rains!
*Excellent,quick, health service.Very friendly doctors,and of course reasonable costs of medical care.
*Garden city has morphed into Garbage city.*U.S.used to be known to have spoiled,indisciplined,demanding and bratty kids.Bengaluru has taken over that title.
*Sidewalks distinctly missing from all roads!
*Bengaluru turns into a mush pit when it rains!
*Excellent,quick, health service.Very friendly doctors,and of course reasonable costs of medical care.
*Companies selling luxury products inside housing complexes,everything from exotic carpets,furniture,designer clothes,very expensive diamond jewelry to even BMW who had
cars on display and for test drive along with a sign up stall.
Two months later...
Its been two months since we moved to Bengaluru.
So many things have happened in the past one month,so many new experiences,that its hard to write everything.
Overall,its been quiet a smooth transition.
And I atribute that to family support and help.
They always come forward and help out with whatever they can,be it babysitting kids,finding a maid/driver,finding a rental apartment or just giving tips on where to shop for groceries and daily requirements.
Setting up some things were very easy,like buying a car,washer/dryer,cell phone,etc.
But some things have been a pain.Bengaluru is the silicon valley of India,but its been a nightmare to get an internet connection.We applied for a connection a week after we landed, and we never heard from the providers for a week.Then they did the usual"I am on my way"
"I will definitely connect tomorrow"talk and delayed for another week.Finally a guy showed up and connected but it is so unreliable.It never works when we need it.
Thats the white collar workers.
Then the blue collar workers.We are renovating our existing house in whitefield,and getting labourers and contractors to do the job has been a terrible experience.Again,Blore is a popular place to invest in real estate,and homes and apartments are being built all over the place,but we are not able to find a few guys who will paint our walls and change tiles.
And don't even bother to look for somebody creative in this overly populated city for someone who can design your interiors and do a neat job.
The most efficient set of people among all I have seen are the folks at my children's school.
They have been very prompt in sending emails,confirmation letters,giving all the information at the right time,and providing uniforms,lunch menus,shoes,bus facilities,etc on time without causing any confusion.
I am very impressed with their professionalism.
Just like in U.K. people always talk about weather,people here have only two topics;rising prices and traffic.
Everyone's life revolves around the terrible traffic.
Pretty much the only subject we are discussing about while driving is about the lack of any sort of sense in the people who are on the streets.
The ones driving and the ones walking.
My husband and I as a couple,can see a slow change in our own behaviour as well.
It is a must that we park our courtesy outside the door while dealing with anybody.Being nice does not help here if you want to get work done.If we behave well,be patient and talk nice,people take us to be idiots.We tried to incorporate our politeness cultivated in U.S. by avoiding honking,being punctual,saying hello before talking to somebody,talking softly and slowly,etc.SORRY!!None of that works.
Very quickly we have learned to be loud,assertive,to the point,showing a bit of road rage while driving,take people to task by calling and yelling,and guess what??
Its working!!:)
So many things have happened in the past one month,so many new experiences,that its hard to write everything.
Overall,its been quiet a smooth transition.
And I atribute that to family support and help.
They always come forward and help out with whatever they can,be it babysitting kids,finding a maid/driver,finding a rental apartment or just giving tips on where to shop for groceries and daily requirements.
Setting up some things were very easy,like buying a car,washer/dryer,cell phone,etc.
But some things have been a pain.Bengaluru is the silicon valley of India,but its been a nightmare to get an internet connection.We applied for a connection a week after we landed, and we never heard from the providers for a week.Then they did the usual"I am on my way"
"I will definitely connect tomorrow"talk and delayed for another week.Finally a guy showed up and connected but it is so unreliable.It never works when we need it.
Thats the white collar workers.
Then the blue collar workers.We are renovating our existing house in whitefield,and getting labourers and contractors to do the job has been a terrible experience.Again,Blore is a popular place to invest in real estate,and homes and apartments are being built all over the place,but we are not able to find a few guys who will paint our walls and change tiles.
And don't even bother to look for somebody creative in this overly populated city for someone who can design your interiors and do a neat job.
The most efficient set of people among all I have seen are the folks at my children's school.
They have been very prompt in sending emails,confirmation letters,giving all the information at the right time,and providing uniforms,lunch menus,shoes,bus facilities,etc on time without causing any confusion.
I am very impressed with their professionalism.
Just like in U.K. people always talk about weather,people here have only two topics;rising prices and traffic.
Everyone's life revolves around the terrible traffic.
Pretty much the only subject we are discussing about while driving is about the lack of any sort of sense in the people who are on the streets.
The ones driving and the ones walking.
My husband and I as a couple,can see a slow change in our own behaviour as well.
It is a must that we park our courtesy outside the door while dealing with anybody.Being nice does not help here if you want to get work done.If we behave well,be patient and talk nice,people take us to be idiots.We tried to incorporate our politeness cultivated in U.S. by avoiding honking,being punctual,saying hello before talking to somebody,talking softly and slowly,etc.SORRY!!None of that works.
Very quickly we have learned to be loud,assertive,to the point,showing a bit of road rage while driving,take people to task by calling and yelling,and guess what??
Its working!!:)
Domestic help
Having lived in US for 11 years and being used to multi-tasking,using domestic help is surely an interesting experience and definitely takes getting used to.
We all imagine we'll come back to India and the biggest perk is we don't have to run around for the mundane chores.It is true to a large extent.I am really loving not having to do the dishes and the dreaded laundry.
The sink is always free of vessels and clothes are washed,and even ironed by the end of the day.Every morning,the car is washed and cleaned.
I have been so used to quietly going about doing all the housework and the outside chores,that it's a bit difficult to tell somebody to do it.
I tend to get up and keep doing everything myself.I hesitate to order the maid around.
And I am very uncomfortable when they are hanging around the house all day.
Similarly, I get worked up when I go out that the poor driver is waiting for me outside.
My family rightly says that I don't know how to get maximum work out of servants and drivers for the money I am paying them.
But I am also realizing that it's very easy to get spoiled.So,I just maintain my habit of doing as much as possible myself.Or at least put the time I get now to better use.
The key in all this is to find a good maid,which is the hardest thing is to get these days.
But once you do,life is definitely much easier,provided you get a good maid.
And I am one of those lucky ones:)
We all imagine we'll come back to India and the biggest perk is we don't have to run around for the mundane chores.It is true to a large extent.I am really loving not having to do the dishes and the dreaded laundry.
The sink is always free of vessels and clothes are washed,and even ironed by the end of the day.Every morning,the car is washed and cleaned.
I have been so used to quietly going about doing all the housework and the outside chores,that it's a bit difficult to tell somebody to do it.
I tend to get up and keep doing everything myself.I hesitate to order the maid around.
And I am very uncomfortable when they are hanging around the house all day.
Similarly, I get worked up when I go out that the poor driver is waiting for me outside.
My family rightly says that I don't know how to get maximum work out of servants and drivers for the money I am paying them.
But I am also realizing that it's very easy to get spoiled.So,I just maintain my habit of doing as much as possible myself.Or at least put the time I get now to better use.
The key in all this is to find a good maid,which is the hardest thing is to get these days.
But once you do,life is definitely much easier,provided you get a good maid.
And I am one of those lucky ones:)
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Bought a car
This is our third week in Bengaluru.
Two important jobs accomplished.
We took an apartment for rent.Then we booked a small car.
Buying a car in India was the easiest thing to do.
Initially we were overwhelmed by the number of brands and models.
So,we first just looked around on the roads when we were driving.
We picked what looked good from the outside.
After shortlisting a few brands,we went to the showrooms to get more details.
The salespeople are amazingly knowledgeable and have all the car details and information at
their fingertips.
They patiently repeated the details as many times as we asked.
We were able to test drive any car we wanted.
Some of them even brought the car to our home all the way from Whitefield to Domlur just for
us to test drive at the time that we wanted.
The test driving itself is really funny.
We took the car out of the the showroom and went onto the main Bannerghatta road...and stopped.We sat in traffic jam for about 5 minutes.
Then the cars started inching forward slowly.We also followed slowly.
Then we took a U turn and came back to the showroom.
The entire test drive was at 5 KMS per hour and most of the time,we were sitting in traffic.
In some ways,maybe thats the realistic test of the car we are going to buy.
Mainly we have to see if the brakes work!
After driving all the powerful cars in US,any car seems like an auto here.The engine drags itself,the vehicle does not seem smooth.
So,after realising that,our decision was easy.
We decided on Hyundai Getz.
We first thought of buying one small car and one big car.
Big car here,is a Honda Civic!That is considered a luxury car.
But after seeing the traffic,the nicks and dents on all cars,the slow speed of vehicles on the roads,lack of parking spaces,we quickly changed our mind.
We did not see any point in buying a big car because no matter how powerful the car,the maximum speed we drive in the city will be 25 kms.Also,chances of the car getting hit and dented is high,and we need more parking space for big cars.
People here buy all the big cars just for showing off and its a matter of prestige.
Since I don't care about both,I am being practical.
We have decided to go for Maruthi SX4.
Its a better version of an Esteem,looks good and is half the cost of a Honda Civic.
Booking the car was also very easy.
Show a document for address proof,5 photos,a token advance,and fill a simple form and we are done.
The car will arrive in one week.It will be brought to our doorstep.
Oh,also,each automobile showroom has its own resident priest to do pooja as we take posession of our car.Once the car is inspected,then the pujari is called from inside the showroom office and he does a small pooja,and he hands us the car keys...The car also comes standard with a ganesha attached to the dash board!
Now,its a matter of mustering up courage to start driving in Bangalore..yikes...!
Two important jobs accomplished.
We took an apartment for rent.Then we booked a small car.
Buying a car in India was the easiest thing to do.
Initially we were overwhelmed by the number of brands and models.
So,we first just looked around on the roads when we were driving.
We picked what looked good from the outside.
After shortlisting a few brands,we went to the showrooms to get more details.
The salespeople are amazingly knowledgeable and have all the car details and information at
their fingertips.
They patiently repeated the details as many times as we asked.
We were able to test drive any car we wanted.
Some of them even brought the car to our home all the way from Whitefield to Domlur just for
us to test drive at the time that we wanted.
The test driving itself is really funny.
We took the car out of the the showroom and went onto the main Bannerghatta road...and stopped.We sat in traffic jam for about 5 minutes.
Then the cars started inching forward slowly.We also followed slowly.
Then we took a U turn and came back to the showroom.
The entire test drive was at 5 KMS per hour and most of the time,we were sitting in traffic.
In some ways,maybe thats the realistic test of the car we are going to buy.
Mainly we have to see if the brakes work!
After driving all the powerful cars in US,any car seems like an auto here.The engine drags itself,the vehicle does not seem smooth.
So,after realising that,our decision was easy.
We decided on Hyundai Getz.
We first thought of buying one small car and one big car.
Big car here,is a Honda Civic!That is considered a luxury car.
But after seeing the traffic,the nicks and dents on all cars,the slow speed of vehicles on the roads,lack of parking spaces,we quickly changed our mind.
We did not see any point in buying a big car because no matter how powerful the car,the maximum speed we drive in the city will be 25 kms.Also,chances of the car getting hit and dented is high,and we need more parking space for big cars.
People here buy all the big cars just for showing off and its a matter of prestige.
Since I don't care about both,I am being practical.
We have decided to go for Maruthi SX4.
Its a better version of an Esteem,looks good and is half the cost of a Honda Civic.
Booking the car was also very easy.
Show a document for address proof,5 photos,a token advance,and fill a simple form and we are done.
The car will arrive in one week.It will be brought to our doorstep.
Oh,also,each automobile showroom has its own resident priest to do pooja as we take posession of our car.Once the car is inspected,then the pujari is called from inside the showroom office and he does a small pooja,and he hands us the car keys...The car also comes standard with a ganesha attached to the dash board!
Now,its a matter of mustering up courage to start driving in Bangalore..yikes...!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
70 violinists
On occasion of Rama Navami,for the past 70 years B'lore has the tradition of inviting the country's best musicians under one roof to perform at the Rama Seva Mandali.
Last evening,my FIL,Srini and I decided to check out the concert of the day.
70 artists would be playing the violin at the same time.We decided,if it was giong to be mediocre,then we would come back home early.
So,we went.I must say,it was one of th most mesmerising carnatic concerts I've ever heard.
Musicians aged 7 to 70 were on stage,lead by Smt.Kanyakumari.We just did not feel like leaving half way through the concert.It ended at 10.30pm.
My FIL,hubby and I came out and the roads were deserted,not a single auto in sight.
THen a bus came "vroooming" from the end of the road.He stopped in front of us with a loud screech.
It was private L&T bus that is supposed to be taken to the depot,but of course ,the guy was going to make a few bucks on the way.So,a dozen of us hopped in.The driver was either drunkk or a foolish,arrogant ,young driver who thought he owned the road.
He took Rs.8 per person and the ride was more scary than any ride in Universal Studios or Six Flags.Only here it was realy people and real vehicles ahead of us.
Pretty much driving in Blore is a game of cat and mouse with death.
Finally we reached our stop,walked safely back home.
But it was all worth it,as the concert was immemorable.
By the way,the cost of the entry ticket for an evening of great music.....Rs 3/- !!!!!!
Last evening,my FIL,Srini and I decided to check out the concert of the day.
70 artists would be playing the violin at the same time.We decided,if it was giong to be mediocre,then we would come back home early.
So,we went.I must say,it was one of th most mesmerising carnatic concerts I've ever heard.
Musicians aged 7 to 70 were on stage,lead by Smt.Kanyakumari.We just did not feel like leaving half way through the concert.It ended at 10.30pm.
My FIL,hubby and I came out and the roads were deserted,not a single auto in sight.
THen a bus came "vroooming" from the end of the road.He stopped in front of us with a loud screech.
It was private L&T bus that is supposed to be taken to the depot,but of course ,the guy was going to make a few bucks on the way.So,a dozen of us hopped in.The driver was either drunkk or a foolish,arrogant ,young driver who thought he owned the road.
He took Rs.8 per person and the ride was more scary than any ride in Universal Studios or Six Flags.Only here it was realy people and real vehicles ahead of us.
Pretty much driving in Blore is a game of cat and mouse with death.
Finally we reached our stop,walked safely back home.
But it was all worth it,as the concert was immemorable.
By the way,the cost of the entry ticket for an evening of great music.....Rs 3/- !!!!!!
exotic fruits
I have arrived at a time in Bengaluru,when its time for the exotic fruits to arrive.
After many years,I am really enjoying and relishing the wonderful fruits that is so
alien to westerners.
I am introducing them to my kids too.Starting from the starange looking Tatenungu,Pannerle,Nerale,jackfruit to
the common guavas,mangoes,etc which are considered exotic elsewhere.
I think its even more enjoyable to me,because its not just the taste but it takes me
back my childhood.Thats what makes it even more enjoyable.
Whoever is visiting Bengaluru during this time should definitely try out all these
lovely fruits that will quickly disappear as the season is ending.
Not only are they delicious,but are extremely good for health filled with vitamins and
anti-oxidants.
After many years,I am really enjoying and relishing the wonderful fruits that is so
alien to westerners.
I am introducing them to my kids too.Starting from the starange looking Tatenungu,Pannerle,Nerale,jackfruit to
the common guavas,mangoes,etc which are considered exotic elsewhere.
I think its even more enjoyable to me,because its not just the taste but it takes me
back my childhood.Thats what makes it even more enjoyable.
Whoever is visiting Bengaluru during this time should definitely try out all these
lovely fruits that will quickly disappear as the season is ending.
Not only are they delicious,but are extremely good for health filled with vitamins and
anti-oxidants.
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