Friends...

Yesterday we said "see you later" to great friends, the Harveys. The kids played and had a sleepover...

While the adults had a last dinner together at Shiro...

Roadside Vendors...

Roadside vendors are abundant in India. You see them absolutely everywhere, crowding the streets, especially on the main roads which are heavily travelled. They sell nearly everything you can think of... Watermelon... Peanuts...
Ice cream...

Veggies...
Need a knife??? No problem!

Even fresh drinking water...
Most vendors have carts on wheels, just like this one, which they push from place to place and cover up with tarps at night...

I love this picture that I snapped yesterday... check out the 2 customers, eating their chaat (Indian snack... yummy, but terribly unhealthy!), the cart owner in the middle, and the guy squatting down off to the right, washing the used chaat plates off in a bucket for the next customers. The two guys eating are completely unfazed by this... YIKES!

Back to the hotel!!

Well, we have come full circle here in India. Yesterday we moved BACK into the hotel here!! Just 13 more days here in Bangalore - a two week vacation in Europe - and then we will be home, sweet home.

Sadly, we did not get the same room # here from last year. We were in 222, and everyone loved repeating it back to us, "trrrrriple two??". Instead we are in 218, oh well, it will do!

Keep in mind we lived here at this hotel for our first 2 months in India. By the time we moved out, we were pretty sick of it. Somehow, moving back in felt great! .

The last 2 weeks have been full of goodbyes. Nearly all of the expats who are not leaving for good, go on "holiday" to their home countries for the summer. So it really is a mass exodus at this time of year... reminicent of a college graduation day, loads of people saying their final goodbyes and packing up their dorm rooms. Everyone heading in their own direction.

We already have plans to meet up with friends. We will meet the Hendersons in Windsor while we are in the UK, and the Sheens will visit us in Saratoga the weekend after we return. See you later is much easier to say than goodbye!

As promised, I will keep the blog up right through our Europe trip. Our itinerary is: London, Paris, Euro Disney, Venice, Bologna, Rome, London... whew! There's always time for sleep back in NY :)

Mission Impossible... making a return in India...

It is nearly impossible to return anything in India. Honestly.

We nearly made it through the entire year without needing to try. Until this weekend. In a silly moment, I bought Pat a pair of jeans without having him try them on. OK, so obviously they did not fit.

Saturday we headed out to make the big "R". I should call it the big "E", since returns are not possible, even with a receipt... exchanges only... even in major department stores! So anyway, we approached security (outside the front door) with the bag. Checkpoint #1. The guard examined the jeans and directed us to security guard #2 (inside the front door). He also checked the bag and directed us to "bag check security" about 20 feet from checkpoint #2. Bag check security examined the jeans and the receipt and produced a clear plastic box... sort of like a briefcase. He proceeded to "lock" the jeans in the box (seriously... key and all!!) and directed us to customer service at the rear of the store. Cameras are not permitted inside the store, so it was only now, past all the initial security, that I could try to snap a photo of all this madness! Even at this point, it was nearly impossible, as their are sales assistants planted in virtually every nook and cranny of the store. I did get this one shot of Pat with the case!!

OK, so now we reach customer service and the clerk their gets the keys and unlocks the box, grills us a bit about what is wrong with the jeans, generates an exchange slip and sends us out to find a new item. On to the next challenge. Making the actual exchange. At this point, I had lost concentration and left Pat with the 3 sales clerks who were "helping" him at the register. I shopped on my own for 20 minutes until he appeared carrying the bag... taped closed. We then had the bag checked by the exit security, and, finally, we were free! Quite an ordeal.

Student Led Conferences

A terrific concept at Indus International School... student led conferences. Held after the last day of classes, these conferences are set up for each child to present their year long portfolio to their parents and teachers. They were terrific!! It also gave us a chance to roam around the amazing campus one last time...

The amphitheater...
Race back to the top...
Taylor points out some of her favorite trees...
Off to the playground of science...
How many students to lift Lauren on the pulley swing??

Andrew with his posse (what is with that face??)...

Taylor presents her portfolio...

And says a final goodbye to her friend Bowdica and her siblings, returning home to Finland today for summer break...

Last day of school and Lauren turns 4...

One step closer to our return. The last day of school (yeaaaahhhhh!) was great. We went in for the presentation of their certificates. It was sad to watch the kids saying their goodbyes, knowing they will likely never see most of these kids ever again.


Lauren turned 4 today. She insists she is not a "baby" or "little" and will call you on it if you say it to her!! She tries very hard to act like a big girl... but yet she still buckles a Webkin in her car seat with her...

I took Lauren to my favorite jeweler on Commercial Street to pick out some new "bling". She chose some sparkly earrings, and our friend Padmaja bought her a pearl pendant. She always gets lots of attention in the city... many squeezed cheeks... here's one she could not escape. Check out the hand headed toward her cheek in the first shot, and then the "squeezer" walking away in the second shot!

Then it was off to Mynt at the Taj West end for lunch. Lauren loves the hummus and they have a Lebonese chef who makes killer falafal. Not suprisingly, Lauren got the royal treatment...

June already!

32 days left in India! We have been busy with end of school year activities, a long string of parties and squeezing in trips to the city picking up last minute items and having clothes made at the tailor on Commercial Street.
Planning is complete for our Europe trip! We will split 15 days between London, Paris, Venice, Bologna and Rome. A year ago this trip would have seemed like an impossibility with 3 kids. Oh, what a difference a year makes! A few mindset changes that have occurred in the past year...

We need a big car, because we have a big family! How about only having 1 scooter for a family of 4 or 5? Makes a Honda Civic look pretty spacious.

Remember when kids simply played in the dirt... and had fun doing it? What, no Nintendo DS??

How would you like this job??
Just like the U.S., India aims to keep the streets safe! It is never a good idea to DRUNK and drive!!!

I promise to get a few blogs up this week (I know I have been slacking). Also, I will blog in the UK, France and Italy!!