Monday, September 22, 2008

Zoo...Boooo...Two

Well, if you haven’t noticed I have been out of touch. A lot has happened in two weeks and I haven’t been able to sit down and write anything. We went to a zoo in India, got our things and Veda turned two! I will do a separate blog on our home some other day.

Where to begin…ah, the zoo. Bottom line…not my most favorite place, but the kids loved it. We had to walk through a small outdoor bazaar area where they were selling corn on the cob and sugar cane juice. The corn looked SO good, but we didn’t want to risk getting sick, so we just ate samosas in the zoo (that probably wasn’t the best idea either, but it’s too late and we are fine.)
We then hopped on a “Grand Safari” bus which took us around the area adjacent to the to see ‘free roaming’ wildlife.
Let’s just say it wasn’t the greatest ride, but again the kids had a blast. Not only did they get to see lions, tigers and bears right next to the feet of our bus, they also got to see cobras, pigeons, guppies, monkeys and birds. And for some reason the birds were the biggest hit. Who knows!?! Here are some pictures from the zoo.
This bear walked up right next to the bus.
Sweet white tiger.
Another white tiger from the bus.
Kids standing next to worthless fence looking at crocs.
Guppies are usually the main attraction of any zoo?
There was NOTHING but a fence between the bear and us.
Pigeons are the second main attraction.
Ro and V couldn't keep their hands off these very clean fences.
Samosas were yummy....cross your fingers!
Popsicles are the BESTEST!
So…Martin and I went to the shipping docks to “receive” our things. Come to find out we weren’t getting anything – BOOOO!!!. We were just watching the guys move our boxes from one shipping counter to the other, while Customs could went through it. That was a disappointing day. We had to wait another three days and then it came!!! OUR STUFF. I have to tell you….you just don’t realize how much you miss home until you see your belongings. Don’t get me wrong, India has been wonderful to us, but to see my couch and bed…..YAHOO!!! It was the best. It sounds so bad and I thought about this a lot, but I really think it has to do more about making such a drastic change and not the actually the things themselves. I mean the smells of our things, the feel of the cloth, the pictures, the taste of foods and our bed really just made me (and Martin and the kids) very comfortable. We sent Rohin and Veda out for the day, so we could unpack the boxes. The house was still empty when they left, but when they arrived back their rooms were unpacked. Rohin ran upstairs and said “OH WOW!!!!” It was pretty cool to hear the little guy so excited about something. And his bike! Geez….he rides around on that thing like there is no tomorrow. He actually has little buddies here that he goes bike riding with. It’s so cool.
Queen Veda has her wagon now so I don’t have to pick her up and carry her everywhere. She can now be carted to her important appointments-HA! I will write a separate blog on our home. All I can say is we are very blessed.

Ms. Veda has turned two. I can hardly believe it, but it is true. We had a little impromptu party for her on Sunday (the day before her real birthday). We invited some families that we met here. Veda had a great time. I ordered cupcakes, brownies and cookies from a Western bakery (side note: we don’t have an oven in our home yet). All the goodies were a hit and the kids ate them up. Thanks to our friends here in India for celebrating Veda’s birthday. My cousin Mistu was there too and he got roped into playing Wii with Martin. Martin was so happy.

If I haven’t already mentioned this when we first got to India, Veda started to take an interest in making food. She would run to the bare walls of our home and make “kunch kies” (or French fries) by waving her hands up near the wall. It was really sad, but SO cute. Before we left the US, I bought a little kitchen for Veda and on her birthday she received it! She was in heaven. She is making “kunch kies” and pancakes all the time. She also got a couple of other cards from the US..it was great! We ended the night with some “Little Mermaid”. Rohin’s vote was Cars the movie, but since it was Veda’s birthday he got overruled. Though, he still made a last ditch effort and said “Mom….I think Veda really wants to watch Cars.” It was cute, but it was V-day, so Cars that night.





Monday, September 8, 2008

First Time For Everything...

When Martin and I came to India in May he saw a man with a stick in a traditional Indian store. Martin had to have it! I was completely against it because frankly, it scared me. Long story short…we have our first “Indian” thing in our house. Meet Mr. Makbar. By the way...Veda calls him "my man". It's pretty funny.

We…or should I say Rohin had his first “artistic expression” moment. He drew Mom some train tracks. They were great! Oh, did I mention they were on four white walls of our home! Brilliant!

Here in Bangalore apparently “Sunday Brunch” is a big deal, so we decided to give it a go. We went with some other expats and their families to a very fancy hotel and had “brunch”. The brunch was good, a little over priced, but we had mimosas and ate fancy food. I have to say there is still nothing like the Pancake House back home! The kids had a great time. Rohin tried cotton candy and ran around in the garden area. Veda ate ice cream and loved every bite.

We also decided to venture out with some friends we met here in Bangalore. Joanie and Pete are from San Francisco and have a beautiful daughter named Isabel. Rohin and Veda have become very good friends with them. So, we put the kids down and headed out for dinner. On our way we saw a local club that looked very interesting. Half way through our dinner we decided that we would hit up the local joint! After a few cocktails we were ready to try it out! As we pulled up to “Fuga” we noticed the people that were coming in and out of the club. Honestly, we could have been in Detroit, everyone was dressed in very Western styles. After paying the 500 rupees ($12.50 US) each, we walked into a red tunnel that was filled with a cloud of smoke! (And just like the good ol’ days, I will smell like an ashtray when I leave.) As we walked in, Martin and Pete went to get drinks and paid $75 US for four drinks. The import prices are great! To give you the short version…it was very crowded, very smoky, some guy was doing hip thrusts as a dance move, and we had a good time! Definitely worth going once and definitely was like every club back home except for more of my kind of people J Our first club in Bangalore was a success. Oh yeah and we were home and showered by 12:30 am. Everything here closes at 11:30 pm, so a little different than home.

Martin got his first haircut in India! He needed it…we all needed him to get his hair cut. If we had to listen about another story of his long hair!! Just kidding! Five US dollars later “Prakash” had hooked Martin up with a head massage and a sweet new hairdo! Yahoo!

On the way out to visit a school for Rohin there was a temple. It was for Lord Hanuman. Rohin and I (well, more me) decided we would go in and check it out. My driver pulled up to the temple and as I got out (with my shoes), I noticed my driver taking off his. So, I asked him “Ummmm…Krishna, why are you taking off your shoes?” and replied “because you can’t walk in with them”. Now mind you…I know this rule. I grew up with this rule, but outside of the temple! Outside….100 feet from entrance! Outside…where there is goat, cows and stray dogs hang out! Let’s just say the answer was yes. So, Rohin and I took off our shoes and left them in the car. As I set my bare foot on the sandy and rocky earth I saw two things…one, my driver watching my every move to see if I was going to freak out (I didn’t!) and two, a pile of who knows what right next to the car. Every step was very calculated all the way to the entrance. I didn’t make a face because I didn’t want to be disrespectful, but WOW I have to say I don’t think I could have done that in any other circumstance! My first time on Indian soil without shoes was definitely worth it!