Where in the world are the Patnodes??

One last trip....

2009-07-25T00:14:00.000-07:00

One last trip.......... HEATHROW to JFK!!!!!!

We are at the airport and our flight departs in about 20 minutes. It really seems like we have been gone from India for ages already! We are all so excited to be "home" again. Many blogs to come from this trip once I have my beloved laptop back!!!

See most of you very soon!

:)

Almost home!!!!!!!!!!!! Last stop (almost)... Rome!!

2009-07-20T10:25:00.001-07:00

OK, we are definitely LOOOOOVVVVVVVEEEEEEE Italia!! Venice was perfection... Bologna also was just a terrific city (ohhhh, the food!) and now we have been in Rome for 2 days and it is awesome as well. Finally found an internet place that likes my photos... too bad I now have over 900, yes that is NINE HUNDRED great shots on my SD card!! This is after deleting all the crappy ones on the train ride to Rome!! What a trip this has been already! So I am obviously not posting 900 photos here on my blog... at this point it will need to wait until we get back, and I will post the link to our Picasa site and you can browse through them when you have an hour to spare!! Here are just a few highlights... I will try to pick just 2 pics from each stop (if I can help myself!!)

Taylor hops right into a black cab at London's Heathrow Airport heading to our hotel... the cabbie has her backpack... they loved the black cabs which fit the Patnodes comfortably in the back... they have 5 seats, facing each other..

Andrew and Lauren resting on a street corner after the London Eye ride... Big Ben and the Parliament in the background.

Many nice beers, many nice pubs... The London Eye and below it, the Mall Road in front of Buckingham Palace...

On to Paris... Luxembourg Gardens (did not lose Lauren here)...Eiffel Tower (did not lose Lauren here)...Euro Disney (did not lose Lauren here)...Exploring the city streets (did not lose Lauren here)...

The Louvre Museum... yep... lost Lauren here!! But she did get to see the Mona Lisa first, and so did Taylor...

Venice...

Bag sale near the Rialto Bridge... I would never have bought 2 of these bags, not even if Taylor bargained them down to a giveaway price... because that would have been WRONG!
Rome... The Trevi Fountain...

Lauren in the Sistine Chapel with her pet lizard...Vatican City...
"Piazza di Spagna" ... On the Spanish Steps...

Ahhhhhhhh Venice!

2009-07-17T05:44:00.000-07:00

Well, the overnight train was an adventure! We pulled out of Paris' Bercy Station last night at 9pm... our sleeper cabin for 6 consisted of the Patnode 5 and a 70 year old lady from Paris who spoke only French and Spanish!! I felt so sorry for poor Rose! She bonded with Lauren right away and I think by this morning she truly meant it when she said (I think), "lovely to meet you all".
The night on the train deserves a novel on it's own and I just don't have the time for it all... but the train stopped at the Italy border and a bunch of police got on and sifted through the guy in the cabin next to ours bags... and hauled him off the train at 4am!!

Venice is realy beyond words. Pat and I agree it is by a mile our favorite city - and I thought Sydney would never be outdone in my book! It is just mesmerizing.... and surprisingly inexpensive compared to Paris!! The people are super friendly and the food is WOW!!!! We will be here only two days and then it is off to Bologna (just an hour's train ride from here)...
Will definitely try to upload the photos here tonight!!!

Euro Disney

2009-07-16T01:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we tackled Euro Disney!! Still no pictures for you as these hotel and Internet cafes are fussy in France about downloading applications to their computers... maybe worried about the swine flu??!! I will try again in Italy tomorrow.
Disney Paris felt very familiar. It was built as a replica of Disney World in Orlando, where we have been many times. It was the first time for Lauren, and she completely devoured the park!! She rode everything like a trooper... even Big Thunder Mountain!!! I think the highlight for the kids were the bunk beds in the Disney Dream Castle.
We are leaving Paris today after a quick spin over to the Louvre Museum. We are taking the overnight train to Venice tonight!

In Paris!!!

2009-07-14T10:58:00.000-07:00

Sad to say, still no photos!!!! I have now located a great Cyber Cafe, here in Paris... but everything is in FRENCH if you can imagine that... and even the "helper" guy does not speak any English!!! So I will carry on the best that I can without any pics.

We all absolutely LOVED London. We ended up spending most of our last day at the Science Museum, which the kids really enjoyed. Will have tons of pics to share once I can figure it out.

Eurostar to Paris from London was a breeze. St. Pancras Station is clean, beautiful, and efficient... just like all of London! The kids were excited to travel through the chunnel.... although I am not sure we really even knew it when it happened!

Paris is much more difficult to navigate. Somehow we have managed with Pat's limited French. The sights are awesome, but the city is really a filthy mess!! And our standards are pretty low after this past year in India!! We spotted more rats at the Eiffel Tower last night than we saw in India in a year ... BY FAR!!!!!!!!
I must say though, it was pretty amazing sitting at mass in the Cathedral of Notre Dame though!!

It happens to be Bastille Day today, so we started the day with French pastries and watched the parade. Tonight they are having fireworks over the Eiffel Tower, which we can see from our hotel room. Tomorrow we will spend the day at Euro Disney and then Thursday night we will take the overnight train to Venice.

That is all I can update without my pics. I will try again tomorrow!!

In London!!!!!

2009-07-11T05:21:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are... in London!!! The flight was perfect, the kids slept, ate and watched the Hannah Montana movie (thank goodness for Hannah) for 10 hours! So far it has been the London Eye, Big Ben and the Parliament, Piccadilly Circus, the changing of the guard at Buckingham and lunch at a pub. And it's just been day one! Can't download my photos until tomorrow, so I will post them then! Off to the Princess Diana Memorial Playground now in Hyde Park. Promise to post pics tomorrow.

Thank You India!!!!!

2009-07-09T06:51:00.000-07:00

No need for tear filled goodbyes, this year has been everything we had hoped and so, so, so much more!! We are flying out tonight and I think this photo really says it all!!

Next stop... London. I will blog from there for sure!!!!f

Karavalli

2009-07-02T09:20:00.001-07:00

This week we went out for a great dinner at Karavalli. Joined by our India "family", the Katragaddas. We have really enjoyed spending time with Gopi and Seema, and their kids Prenav and Aditi. It is especially handy to have them around when ordering food at an Indian restaurant!!!

Karavalli specializes in southern Indian coastal cuisine and it was really terrific. They serve on traditional banana leaf plates... also in this picture, to the right of my non-traditional, ridiculously spicy Bloody Mary, is vegetable soup, served in a copper and glass drinking mug.
Andrew was strategically seated next to Seema's Mom, and was on his best behavior!

Lauren loves the hand cleansing bowl...

At the end of the meal, we were asked if we'd like some paan (pronounced pahn). Paan is chewed as a palate cleanser and a breath freshener. It is also commonly offered to guests and visitors as a sign of hospitality and as an "ice breaker" to start conversation. It also has a symbolic value at ceremonies and cultural events in south and southeast Asia. Paan makers may use tobacco as an ingredient in their paan fillings. Although most types of paan contain areca nuts as a filling, some do not. Other types include what is called sweet paan, where sugar, candied fruit and fennel seeds are used. I was intrigued by the look of it... neatly wrapped in a leaf...

Gopi dug right in, and Seema and her sister, along with their Mom took one, so... what the heck... we LIVE in India for goodness sake! Gopi smiled as Pat and I accepted...

Gopi told us it is proper to eat the entire thing at once - I really thought we were being "punked" and looked around for Ashton Kutcher. But then I peeked over and saw Grandma chomping away with her mouth full, so we went for it. I can't say it was great... must be an acquired taste. It tastes sort of like I would imagine a mouthful of potpourri wrapped in a freshly picked oak tree leaf might taste. I mean that in the nicest possible way!!! I convinced myself it must be in some way good for my digestive system and after at least 5 minutes of chewing, it was gone.

There are many regional variations of paan and the custom dates back to as far as 2600 BC!! Paan eating was taken to its zenith of cultural refinement in the pre-partition era in North India, where paan eating became an elaborate cultural custom, and was seen as a ritual of the utmost sophistication. The traditional way of paan making, storing and serving is interesting. The leaves are stored wrapped in a moist, red colored cloth called 'shaal-baaf', inside a metal casket called 'PaanDaani'. The PaanDaani has several lidded compartments, each for storing a different filling or spice. To serve, a leaf is removed from the wrapping cloth, de-veined, and kattha and lime paste is generously applied on its surface. This is topped with tiny pieces of Areca nuts, cardamom, saffron, (un)/roasted coconut pieces/powder, cloves, tobacco etc, according to the eater's personal preferences. The leaf is then folded in a special manner into a triangle, called 'Gilouree' and is ready to be eaten.

Add it to the list of firsts for the Patnodes this year!

Friends...

2009-06-28T03:59:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-06-28T03:16:00.000-07:00

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!!

2009-06-27T02:47:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-06-14T09:05:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-14T08:43:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-06-11T08:54:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-06-07T05:22:00.000-07:00

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!!

Final 46 days!!!!!!!

2009-05-22T03:06:00.000-07:00

I just peeked at our "countdown sign" and today it reads 46!! That's 46 days until we depart India. We will be moving out of our villa 4 weeks from Friday!! We are all so excited to be heading back home. As terrific as this past year has been... it is time... I can't wait to step foot on American soil and take a deep breath of the smog around JFK airport. I feel like it's crunch time to gather up mementos and get photo books made up. I am desperate to hold this experience close in our hearts and clear in our minds. Thank goodness I kept this blog, because much of it is really a blur to me!

One of the things I will miss the most is the simple happiness and contentment in the eyes of everyone. Even in just doing the simplest of things...

Election results, day at the field, and cobra snakes...

2009-05-16T14:39:00.000-07:00

Pat and Andrew survived their long, hot day in the sun. Temps were in the 90's today and there just is no place to escape the heat out on the athletic fields. Andrew ran hard and qualified for the finals in both the 200 and 50 meters. Here's a shot of the crew representing Indus...

We are quite leery of open fields here in India. I have not blogged at all about the snakes here, but they are prevalent - and deadly. There are more than 270 species of snakes in India, 60 of which are venomous! Vipers, pythons, cobras... all the big ones. Everyone here has the snake catcher's mobile # on their speed dial list. 2 weeks ago we had a 4 foot long venomous snake in OUR YARD!! Yikes! You need to be especially careful in big open fields (oh, did I mention the track competition was in a BIG OPEN FIELD!). Check out Lauren running through said field...As we departed the field... we saw a group of locals gathered on the roadside, some with their cell phones snapping pictures. I knew instantly it was something amazing - because trust me, nothing surprises the locals here. We pulled over to see what the fuss was all about. It was something amazing alright - 2 cobras performing their rare mating dance ritual. I scrambled for my camera and Pat was able to snap a quick shot of it (forgive him, he is just an amature with the camera) You can just make out the snakes in the direct center of the picture - they were at least 6 footers, standing 4 feet high and completely intertwined and "dancing". It is something that almost never is observed in the wild... lucky us! Thankfully these two were busy at their own party and did not bother slithering around our feet at the track.

We left the field, dropped Taylor off at her bowling party, and headed over to the Hard Rock Cafe to eat. One problem with this plan...The Hard Rock is closed????? A couple of guys out on the street reminded us that tonight is the release of India's election results... so all bars and pubs are closed. It is not legal to sell alcohol for the 3 days surrounding the elections (which were held last month), or on the day the results are announced! This law is part of the effort to avoid violence related to the hotly contested elections. So it was off to Toscano for some italian (no wine though!).

Busy, busy, busy... so unusual!!!

2009-05-15T23:26:00.000-07:00

Today is a busy day, which is actually quite unusual! One of the major perks of this assignment has been the mellow schedule. I remember how rare (and GREAT!) it was back in NY when we would have a completely free weekend. Here you can almost always clear the decks if you want to and just relax. It helps that the kids' activities (sports and hobbies both) are incorporated into the school day. In addition to phys ed., they have their chosen sport (Taylor plays basketball and tennis while Andrew runs track and plays soccer) as well as a hobby (Andrew takes karate and Taylor, Indian dance)... music is in addition to this, and art! It's no wonder they are out of the house for 10 hours a day.

Today, though, is a busy one. Andrew took the bus at 7 this morning into the city as he was chosen to represent Indus at the Global Athletics Competition in Bangalore. Harish drove Pat over, leaving at 9:30, dropping him off at 11:30... then high tailing it back here to pick up the girls and I and take us back to the city to drop Taylor at a bowling birthday party. From there it's over to the track to try to catch Andrew in the finals and then racing back to the bowling alley to pick up Taylor before 6:00! Squeezing in there grabbing some food, somewhere! Now a year ago, this day would have seemed like a walk in the park. But quite honestly, I am really out of "soccer Mom" shape. We are just about to leave for the bowling party drop off. I will drop a blog in tonight with a few photos and with Andrew's race results!!

Oh, the Mango...

2009-05-12T04:44:00.000-07:00

Mango season is in full swing here in Bangalore. I must admit, that apart from possibly a mango daquiri while on a carribean vacation... or maybe a slice that found it's way into a fruit salad somewhere.. I never actually ate a mango... I cetainly never bought one... and I don't think I even knew what one looked like!

Chalk this up to one of the thousands of things I have learned this past year. Let me start by saying.. yum! Mangoes are just delicious. We have a tree right in our back garden and Sheela loves to take Lauren out every morning and pick the ripe ones. There are mango stands all around the villages...

They will cut them for you on the spot if you want, or you can buy them sliced up and in a bag like french fries...
I have also seen them on a stick, like cotton candy. And of course, there are even the Mango Puree Corn Flakes!!
This weekend we had the most amazing mango salsa that our friend Dev made. This will surely be on my list of party snacks when we get back to NY!!
A few interesting facts... The mango is the national fruit of India and is native to the Indian subcontinent. More than half of the world's mangoes are grown in India, yet only 1% of them are exported from India. I am thinking that the BILLION people who live here consume an awful lot of mango!!

May???

2009-05-03T22:04:00.000-07:00

It is May already!! I have such mixed emotions, as time has seemed to FLY by, yet it seems like we've been gone forever. By the time we get back we will have been in at least 10 different countries on 4 continents in just 12 months, WOW!

As good as I have been about capturing everything with my camera, I am in the mad rush of snapping random pics of our everyday life here in the hope that it will help keep these memories fresh in our minds forever. I love this sequence that I took this morning...

Taylor and Andrew ready for school...

Pat walks them to the corner...

Lauren calls Andrew back...And asks for another kiss...
Then he runs to catch up...I try to get to the Leela Palace at least once a week. It is about a 20 minute ride from home (that's very close in Bangalore terms), they have a great group of shops and the Barista there makes a mean espresso! When I arrive, I take my usual seat, overlooking the pianist below (who plays primarily American classics... maybe she does that just for me?) I get the head nod from the waiter and return it with a head waggle... a few minutes later, voila... espresso. I usually bring Lauren with me (OK, I sometimes bring Lauren with me) and she orders some big chocolate drink which invariably arrives with piles of whipped cream and a fancy straw. I sit there and look around and think, "wow, India really is a dichotomy." I think it really is more of a "tri"chotomy, but there will be plenty of time, over many glasses of wine back home to discuss all of that. Back to the Leela. Last week, on my way over to my waiting coffee, Pat called and said he had a couple of hours open in his schedule at work. What a treat... he came along with us. Here's a shot of Pat and Lauren who is swinging a bag with her coveted sugar doughnut (the one she always chooses and never eats!)

She is quite at home in 5 star establishments now. Not sure Panera will measure up for her when we get back!

A keeper for the scrapbook... Pat with a goatee and showing off his braces.

Some sad news from this week. Our neighbor's beloved dog, Lilly, went to doggie heaven. Lilly was one of Taylor's best friends here in India and we will all miss her dearly...

Sitar

2009-04-24T22:09:00.000-07:00

We just got these photos of Taylor's sitar performance at Indus from our lifesaver friends, the Patels (thank you Vim). For some reason, seeing Taylor sitting up on that stage playing a sitar was one of the highlights of our year for me.

Farm Visit...

2009-04-21T07:54:00.000-07:00

Last weekend a coworker of Pat's, Neelmegh, invited us out to see his family owned organic farm. The day proved to be quite informative. We had a 2 hour car ride, during which I asked him a dizzying amount of questions. It is nice to hear the point of view of a guy who was born and raised here in India!!

So it turns out his family owned a 6 acre parcel of land just on the outskirts of Bangalore. As the city grows, more and more of these privately owned lands are being "bought up" by the government. When their land was purchased, they decided to reinvest some of the money in an organic vegetable farm. India law only allows a person to buy farm land if he is a "farmer," proven by ownership of other farm land. This is meant to prevent businesses from buying up farm land to build commercial property upon. Since the land they sold to the government was farm land which had been in their family for generations, they qualified. They purchased 6 acres of land about a 2 hour drive from the city of Bangalore nearly 5 years ago. Since then, it's value has increased 5 fold!!

On the ride to the farm we saw a strange sight. A half mile long section of village road needed to be widened to support the growing traffic flow in the area. Apparently it only needed to be widened enough to take down half of the shops and stalls along the road. Now you can picture half in many ways, but you likely would not expect to see this... it's one of the most bizarre things I have seen this year (and trust me, that's saying a whole lot)!

These places were just chopped off to where the government needed to and then left that way!
Once we reached the farm, we met Neel's farm hand. They hired this farm hand, a guy who lives on the land and tends to the daily chores... planting, watering, harvesting. He is paid a small salary and also gets to eat from the land. He greeted us and then promptly climbed up a coconut tree to get us a welcome drink.

High in the canopy are the young green coconuts. It is a long climb for a drink though. These are sold anywhere and everywhere on the street in India, cut up on the spot for you, for Rs 10 (about a quarter). The coconut water is full of natural electrolytes and totally hygienic, unlike much local water; they say it's the best drink for the heat!

After a quick drink, we strolled around the farm. First stop... the cows. They have 2 cows, neither of which is kept for it's milk production. The cows' real value is in it's manure. These cows produce enough waste to fertilize the entire farm.

Next, we checked out the ragi crops. Ragi is a hugely popular grain grown primarily in the arid areas of southern India as well as in Africa. It is also known as finger millet. Similar to rice, it is eaten by people in Bangalore in some form nearly every day.

We picked some Ragi, which can even be eaten raw. Lauren loved it!The mango trees were ready for picking, too. When you pick a mango, there is a good amount of clear sap that drips out of the fruit. This sap contains the same chemical found in poison oak and poison ivy. You must immediately wash off any sap that contacts your skin, or the rash is... YIKES, bad!

One mature tree like this one can produce more than 1500 mangoes in a year.

After our stroll through the tomato, eggplant, pumpkin and pomegranate, it was out to the bananas... Bananas in India are much smaller than those we are used to back home. They are very sweet though, and are plentiful in southern India. In addition to the fruit itself, the banana leaf is a valued commodity. Especially in southern India, the leaf is used as a plate! It is brilliant, really. The leaf of the banana plant is thick and wide. It has a naturally waxy coat and is full of nutrients which are absorbed into the food (especially hot food). Best of all, it is 100% biodegradable! So when it was time for us to have lunch, which Neelmegh's Mom had graciously prepared for us... the farm hand went out and retrieved a "plate" for each of us. I watched as he trimmed each leaf with his trusty curved knife... this is the same type of knife all the coconut vendors use...

We ate lunch from our banana leaves, said our thank yous and goodbyes, piled back into the car and headed back to the fairy tale that is Palm Meadows. It was a refreshing break to spend the day in the country!!!

Climber...

2009-04-20T07:02:00.000-07:00

Taylor went on an overnight field trip with her 3rd grade class a few weeks ago. She went to a wilderness camp a few hours drive from Bangalore. She returned with grand stories about the things she had seen and done. About the cockroaches she had tried to kill in her bathroom (not kidding), and the cliff edge she walked along blindfolded! She also told us that they were asked to rock climb up a huge boulder and that she was the only 3rd grader who did it. I was not sure how much of her story was true, but today one of the chaperones sent me photos from the trip...

Way to go Taylor!!!!!!!!!

FYI... It seems she was not ebellishing much after all...

More Kabini photos...

2009-04-20T02:24:00.000-07:00

We just got the photos from our friends who joined us on the Kabini trip... enjoy!

Patnodes and Harveys at our villa ready for the journey...

The leopards...

Monkey holding her baby...
Pool fun...

A family of 5 can fit on the elephant ladder...

Mama elephant with her 10 day old baby...

My favorite photo... I am sure this one will be poster sized back in Saratoga...

Our last dinner...

A child's ride you would never see in America...

2009-04-19T05:43:00.000-07:00

In America we have cute little horse rides that you put a quarter into and it gently "gallops" for a minute or two while a cautious parent stands inches away prepared to save the child from slipping off. Much more fun with much higher potential for injury here in India. Who would let their child ride this crazy contraption???? :)

Trip to Kabini

2009-04-13T09:21:00.000-07:00

Our trip to Kabini was just terrific. I must admit, I was not overly excited about a 6 hour drive to a remote location in southern India. I mean, really, we live in a remote location in India... truth is, nearly all of India is pretty remote! Kabini is renowned for it's wildlife sanctuary, Nagarhole. It is surprisingly, actually a World Heritage site! The Kabini River flows into the Kabini Reservoir, upon the shores of which the fabulous Orange County Resort was built. The resort is perfect. It is designed and detailed as a Kadukuruba Village, each hut built right on waterfront with it's own swimming pool in a private open-air courtyard. Lauren was loving our bed!

We settled in and then it was off to our evening jeep safari. First, a boat ride across to the opposite shoreline where our jeep was waiting. Here is Andrew, showing his serious side...And the Andrew we all know and love...

Taylor buddied right up with our naturalist guide...
Once we were on the jeep, it was about a 6 kilometer drive to the entrance of the reserve. The local villagers ran to the roadside to greet us as we passed by...
People just going about their day... much of which revolved around collecting clean water for drinking and cooking...

The main road was being paved. Of course nearly all done by manual labor...

Once inside the reserve, it was all business. We were asked to keep completely quiet, whispers only, in respect for the wildlife, whose "home" we were visiting. Somehow, the Patnode kids did a superb job of maintaining safari silence (probably most difficult for Taylor!!!!!!!!!!) We spent the next 2 hours exploring the wild...We saw loads of spotted deer, elephants and monkeys. Also a very good sighting of a changeable Indian falcon...

Blah, blah, blah... let's face it... we did not come all this way to see a spotted deer, right? Here it's all about the tigers and leopards!! Both nights we were lucky enough to spot a leopard!! The first night, we watched a leopard up in a tree branch, about 25 meters away. It was lounging up there for about 5 minutes before it got spooked and climbed down and into the brush. This is the best picture I could get of it, sorry for the poor quality. I will post better photos as soon as I have them!!

The second night was even better, as we THOUGHT we had spotted a leopard, but were unsure exactly where it was... as we sat perfectly still and quiet in the jeep, waiting to hear a rustling in the brush... he appeared!! And I captured it miraculously on video!!

In addition to the safaris, we had so much fun just hanging around the resort. The infinity pool was great fun for the kids (of all ages!)...

The kids joined in with the native dance demonstration...
And the elephant interactions were priceless...

Anyone up for washing an elephant in the river?? Of course our kids stepped right up! Taylor was the first to hop on her... just a girl in a bathing suit and a giant elephant in a river in India, perfectly reasonable...

Who was giving who a bath anyway??

Time for a rest under the biggest shade tree I have ever seen...

We were so sad to say goodbye. Lauren waved from our window until the last villager was out of sight!

Happy Easter!!!!!!!!!!

2009-04-12T08:46:00.001-07:00

A very Happy Easter to everyone back home!!!! We have just returned from our Kabini trip and there are so many photos and videos to post that it might take me a full day to complete the entry!! Also, the family that travelled with us is staying an additional day, so I want to have their photos as well, since I might actually be in a few!! Here are just a few shots, a preview to tomorrow's blog!!

Sandalwood - One of India's many treasures...

2009-04-06T04:14:00.000-07:00

One of the most distinctly “Indian” resources is sandalwood. On Pat’s very first trip to India – 9 years ago – he bought a small elephant carved from this precious wood. I remember the first time I smelled that fragrance. How unique it was. It is hard to explain it, but once you have breathed it in, you never forget it. The strength of the sandalwood oil is such that the elephant, after all these years, continues to give that terrific aroma!
We have been on the hunt for a cross carved from sandalwood to give as a special gift for our cousin Ethan, who is making his Confirmation in June back in the U.S. As you can imagine, in a land where 98% of the population are non-Christians, this is not an easy task! In general, the folks here in India don’t say “no”. Almost anything is possible… for a price! The sandalwood cross, however, became quite the challenge. Finally, after a long string of “no’s” … we stumbled upon a little Muslim run jewelry shop, whose shopkeeper said “Yes, for you we will find! Come back in 1 week’s time.” Sure enough, 1 week later… the cross was ours! I held it to my nose… yes, that unmistakable smell!

A bit of sandalwood history and interesting facts:

One of the oldest incense materials, Sandalwood has been in use for at least 4,000 years. It is one of the most calming incenses and therefore is one of the preferred ones for meditation. It calms the mind, enhances mental clarity. Sandalwood is grown almost exclusively in South Central India, in the dry forests of the Deccan plateau, which rolls through the states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. If you were looking at a map, this would be approximately a 200-kilometer circle using the City of Bangalore as its center. Lucky us!!
As the tree grows, the essential oil develops in the roots and heartwood, which requires at least 15 to 20 years. Full maturity is reached after 60 to 80 years. The core of dark heartwood gradually develops, which is covered by outer sapwood. The sandalwood tree is never “chopped down”, but rather uprooted in the rainy season, when the roots are richer in the precious essential oil. The best quality oil comes from the Indian provinces of Mysore and Tamil Nadu, where the harvest of Sandalwood trees are protected by the state government.
Sandalwood has a sacred 4,000 year old history of being mentioned in Sanskrit and Chinese manuscripts. The oil was used in religious ritual, and many deities and temples were carved from its wood. The wood is soft to carve and is frequently used in sacred fragrant carvings. The ancient Egyptians imported the wood and used it in medicine, embalming and ritual burning to venerate their gods. In Buddhism, it is considered to be one of the three incenses integral to Buddhist practice, together with Aloes wood and Cloves. Depression, anxiety and insomnia were thought to be improved by sandalwood. It was believed to promote spiritual practices, peaceful relaxation, openness and "grounding." It is used in many death ceremonies to help the crossing over, and to comfort mourners. It is also used in many forms of initiation rites to open the disciples mind to receive consecration. In the Zoroastrian Temples it burns in there sacred fires to soothe the troubles of all humanity. It is used by the Jewish, the Buddhist, the Hindus, as well as almost every other belief system for its vast diversity in attributes.
Its ardent admirers have called Sandalwood oil "Liquid Gold," due to its precious nature. Once the oil has been distilled it is matured for six months so that it can achieve the right maturity and perfume. It develops from a very pale yellow to a brownish yellow. It is extremely thick and viscous with a heavy, sweet, woody and fruity aroma which is pungently balsamic.
Sandalwood trees are all protected by the government of India; their population has been vastly reduced in the past decade. While government approval is needed to harvest even one sandalwood tree, poaching is prevalent!

Taylor's birthday -off to see the tigers...

2009-04-04T08:34:00.000-07:00

Today is Taylor's birthday... and you know Taylor is all about the animals. So we finally made the short drive to Bannergatta National Park, just outside of Bangalore. Pat was disappointed by the alcohol policy...

And Andrew was worried by another policy...The elephants were happy to see us...
And felt much more rough than I anticipated - they could us some serious moisturizer!!Many monkeys roaming around the grounds... this one let us get within a foot of him!!But in India, it is all about the tigers. We hopped on a "safari van" and headed into the tiger sanctuary. The driver let Andrew co-pilot and even let him man the stick shift!Let me start by saying, "WOW"!! These are simply amazing animals. Just a few quick facts that you might not know about the Bengal tiger...

There are estimated to be only 1300-1500 tigers living in the wild today, nearly all of them are right here in India.
The white Bengal tiger is simply a normal Bengal tiger which has a double recessive gene giving it his white (and BEAUTIFUL) color.
If a white Bengal mates with a white Bengal, 100% of their offspring will be white. If a white Bengal mates with a traditional yellow Bengal, 100% of the offspring will be yellow (unless the yellow partner is an offspring of mixed parents in which case there is a 50% chance of a white color) Got that?
The white Bengal tiger is so rare in the wild that there have been only 9 confirmed sitings in the past 50 years!!
These tigers (males) have an average adult weight of 500 pounds!!

I have seen caged tigers before. The San Diego Zoo has a terrific display, as does the Sydney Zoo. But seeing one of these fabulous creatures up close... face to face... you have to see it to believe it. These are pictures we took with our little Cannon camera, out the van window... no fancy zoom lens... just a few feet from these huge cats. Andrew said it best when he shouted out, "This is definitely the closest I've ever been to a tiger"!

This guy is just a cub, only 18 months old... check out the size of his paws...

Next week we head to Kabini, where we will visit Nagarhole National Park!

Happy New Year !!

2009-03-27T04:13:00.000-07:00

Today is the celebration of Ugadi here in the state of Karnataka, India.

Ugadi is the new year's day for the people of the Deccan region of India. It falls on a different day every year because the Hindu calender is a lunisolar calendar.

It starts on the first new moon after Sun crosses equator from south to north on Spring equinox.

The people here celebrate the festival with great fanfare; gatherings of the extended family and a huge feast. The day begins with ritual showers (oil bath) followed by prayers, and then the eating of a specific mixture of -
Neem Buds/Flowers for bitterness
Raw Mango for tang
Tamarind Juice for sourness
Green Chilli/Pepper for heat
Jaggery and ripe banana pieces for sweetness
Pinch of Salt for saltiness
This mixture with all six tastes, called "Ugadi Pachhadi" , symbolizes the fact that life is a mixture of different experiences (sadness, happiness, anger, fear, disgust, surprise) , which should be accepted together and with equanimity.

Like all festival days here in India, everything shuts down for the observance. Schools, businesses, public transportation... simply stop for the day. It's actually quite nice that the special days here in India are just all about spending time with family...

HAL

2009-03-26T00:35:00.001-07:00

Today we went to...

Oh, sorry... don't read Hindi? On our way there, we came upon a stubborn cow in the road. She totally stared us down while we patiently waited for her to cross!When we arrived, I wondered why we passed this great place by so many times in these past 8 months. It is just a few miles from our community and turned out to be a fun place to spend a beautiful morning in Bangalore. We paid our 105 rupee family entry fee (that's about 2 US $) and in we went.The outside grounds are filled with fighter jets, bombers, helicopters etc...
We stood inside the cavity of a space shuttle...

Inside they had flight simulators. The staff was all too happy to help the kids fly (and crash)!

Easter Egg Hunt

2009-03-22T01:35:00.000-07:00

Hippity hoppity, Easter is on it's way! Saturday was the big Easter egg hunt function, which is run by the OWC (overseas women's club). Keep in mind when checking out these pics, that this even was held at someones house. Not a bad place, huh?
Cotton candy anyone?

A spin on the merry go 'round with Antonia...

The egg and spoon race...Three legged race...

Belly balloons...

Andrew and his buddies found the big stash of candy filled eggs!

On to the serious business of the egg hunt!This kid was ridiculously cute...

How about a cupcake to finish off the day?

Camel & Japanese Food

2009-03-16T05:02:00.000-07:00

Having been here now for over 8 months (can that be possible?), there are very few things that the kids see out the car window that surprises them. Somehow, the novelty of a camel strolling down the street never wears thin. Lauren spotted this one on our drive to the city last night to meet friends for dinner. Seems this camel could be carrying waaaayyyy more...

Perhaps these ladies could use some of it's spare "camel" power... as they walk along, barefoot, each carrying a huge load of tree branches on their heads!
We had dinner at a Japanese restaurant in the city and a fun time was had by all!

Holi Festival of Colors...

2009-03-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

It was about this time last year that we told the kids we would be spending this year in India. One of the first things we came across when researching India on the Internet, was the Holi Festival. The kids were excited at the thought of celebrating this festival... and you will soon see why. It is a kid's dream, really. And a time when grown ups can act like kids.

I will spare you all the details of the origins of this festival (I know this is not like me, but quite frankly, I am just too darn tired tonight to fact check!).

The main event of Holi is indeed a carnival of colors. On this day, children, friends and neighbors come out on the streets. And the spree to color-anyone-you-see takes over. Colors of all form and variety. They come in every color of the rainbow. And they are available in oil, water or powder base. Colored powder, or, gulal was earlier made out of Dried seeds of some tropical flowers like the Palash, and dried silt from the riverbed. People throw these colored powders in the air as they shout "Holi Hai!", and smear each other with this colored powder. Throw some water into the mix, why not??? It makes for one "Holi" mess. But also so much fun!!

Holi is celebrated throughout India. In big cities and small villages. On roadsides and in neighborhoods.

Just seeing the neat cones of powder on the roadside vendor's carts, is amazing.

I took these pictures in town, just outside of Palm Meadows...

We had some neighbors and friends over after school today to celebrate. Holi Festival of Color did not disappoint... check it out...

Somehow I look completely clean in this shot, let me assure you, I WAS NOT !!!

Our driver, Harish, got a splash of color from Lauren!

We may need to carry this tradition back to the states with us... it was terrific fun!

Missing...

2009-03-09T22:16:00.000-07:00

My Mom flew out yesterday , and WOW, do we miss her!!!!!!! 6 weeks really sailed right by and I can barely believe we are into March already! I’d say that now, we are all missing home a lot . Pat did get a 2 week “home” visit in January, and he will be back again in May for a week. This is a blog about things I really miss (it goes without saying that we miss EVERYBODY tremendously, so these are things, and not people), and things I do not miss at all... and looking forward, the things I will miss when we leave India.
I REALLY MISS:

Coffee - I got a big fill of coffee in Australia, but I sorely miss my morning cuppa Joe (OK, and my afternoon and evening… and even late night cup!) There are many things we have gone without here, which I hope to never have again… coffee is NOT one of them!
Music - We have our IPODS and we download music all the time… but I never realized how much I love listening to the local radio stations in NY. It really struck me when we watched the Grammy Awards last month, how great the music selection in the US really is.
Cold and rainy days - So this one might seem weird, since the weather here in Bangalore has been a carbon copy EVERY day since last September… sunny and 85 degrees, no chance of rain. Seriously…not a drop of rain has fallen here in 5 straight months.! It is beautiful every single moment of every single day. Somehow, it gets quite boring after a while. I long for my first cold, rainy day next fall. To just sit by the fire, with my coffee (and maybe listen to the radio!)
My kitchen - Oh, how I miss my kitchen! Kitchens here in India are completely separate rooms in the house... like a bedroom (with a door and all!) I think the theory is, only the cook and the maid actually use the kitchen (not true for me). It is sort of lonely and dreary in there :(
The barbecue. Even if we had a barbecue here, what would we really cook on it? I miss the smell of a steak on the grill.
An empty house. The house here is never empty. Someone is always roaming around, doing something. The door bell rings non-stop (the flower delivery, mail delivery, bug spray guy, newspaper, water bill, cable bill, electric bill, Internet bill (these guys just show up at the door and you pay them cash... no kidding)
Chudys buffet parties (and mostly Robin’s brownies)
Milk. Real milk. In a gallon container. Pasteurized. Homogenized. Fortified. From Stewarts. Or Price Chopper. Or Hannaford. I have not had a drop of milk in India. Not a drop. Somehow the kids have not balked at the box of Nestle Slim 'milk' which sits on the shelf (not in the fridge) in the market. While on holiday in Australia, we bought a gallon of milk and sat down around a table outside the store and drank the entire gallon down, straight away! It was one of the (many, many) highlights of Australia for me!!
Drinking water from the faucet - of course the water situation here in India is a catastrophe. Only bottled water is suitable for consumption. Even for cooking, water needs to be purchased in 10 gallon jugs. I can't wait to glug down a glass of good old fashioned Saratoga tap water. Not sure I will ever buy bottled water again!

I DON’T MISS

Driving - there is a lot to be said about just getting into your car and saying “Home, Harish", then reading a good book until you pull into your driveway.
Cleaning the house
Yard work
Running errands - It is nice to be able to send the driver back out for you when you realize the 3 things you forgot to pick up at the grocery store.
TV - American Idol is the only US show we get here, but I realize that other than Grey's Anatomy, I really don't miss any other television programming. And it has been great for the kids... they do watch a few shows (mostly in Hindi... Spongebob in Hindi, I guess, is still pretty funny to them!)
The crazy, over scheduled days ... you know the ones... soccer practice, to dance class, to ice skating lessons... oh and squeeze in homework and 2 birthday parties as well if you can.
Fast food restaurants … would have been on the “miss” list a few months ago, but once you do without it for a while, you do realize how unnecessary they really are.

I WILL MISS

$5 pedicures (AND having the time to sit for a few hours a week and be pampered!)
The 7:30am-5:00pm school day
School uniforms (oh, how easy they make the morning routine)
The broad range of cultures encountered every single day
I must admit, I will miss the Indian food... I may need to visit the Indian restaurant in town every now and then for a "fix"
Having Pat around in the morning to walk the kids to the bus and enjoy our lounging mornings... just chatting and drinking tea for an hour every day.
The travel... having the chance to explore this side of the globe has been PRICELESS!
Last, but certainly not least.. ALL the wonderful people we have met on this journey. Some of them, I hope, will be friends forever!

Indus Aquatics Championship...

2009-03-04T06:24:00.000-08:00

It was yet another full day of competition at Indus! We spent 6 hours poolside while the kids swam their hearts out. Who knew the Patnode kids are fast swimmers?? They took home 6 gold medals, 4 bronze and Andrew won the 2nd grade individual trophy (he placed 1st in every individual 2nd grade event!)

Pat even raced in the Dad's 25 meter freestyle. Check out the serious swimmers in their Speedos (not Pat, of course... but the other Dads)!

Pat won a medal as well!!
Everyone had a fun, fun time...

Trophy Presentation Video

2009-03-01T01:24:00.000-08:00

Bear with me as I post a few videos that are a bit out of date. I finally located the video conversion software I need to transfer the data from my computer to the website!! Anyway, these 2 videos are from the althletic day trophy presentation. Andrew, it seems, has reached superstar status among his classmates... in the first clip, the entire primary block begins chanting his name - he is completely embarrassed and shrugs his shoulders in such a cute way. Watch how the other kids are touching him at the end of the first clip and in the second clip as well. What a great memory for him!

India etiquette

2009-02-28T02:01:00.000-08:00

Here in India, it is common to receive an invitation on the day of the affair. I am not talking about, "hey, why don't you come by for pizza tonight"... I am talking about "Please come to our wedding tonight"!!!! No joke. We have been invited to a dozen weddings since we arrived, and the invites never happen more than a week in advance. Our last invitation came the morning of the wedding. Last night at 6:15pm our doorbell rang. I opened the door to see Andrew's friend, Nihal, with a stack of birthday invitations. I opened it, to find that the party was today at 11am. AND, the rsvp was for "before 7:00pm tonight". Can you imagine? So, basically you are getting 44 minutes to decide if you can make it, and then 15 hours to go buy a gift. And it's not like there's a 24 hour Walmart nearby... OR ANYWHERE IN INDIA!!!!!!

Andrew had a great time at the party!

Spice Route Sleeper...

2009-02-26T10:16:00.000-08:00

While we were up in Delhi, we had dinner at the Spice Route restaurant - ranked in the top 10 worldwide!! It was an amazing atmosphere with terrific food. Poor Lauren fell asleep at the table before we even ordered our food. She slept through the entire meal. Must have been the cozy pashmina they wrapped around her!! I love how we just go ahead and have the waiter take a family picture anyway...

Agra Fort

2009-02-24T22:03:00.001-08:00

If you were to list the surviving structures, that had a profound role in shaping the history of India , probably Agra Fort tops the list. In other words , if you make a who is who of the Mughal Emperors, more than half a dozen Emperors - Babur, Humayun, Akbar, Jehangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb - lived in the Agra Fort.
The Agra Fort is not a mausoleum. It is a completely different feeling than exploring the Taj Mahal. It was a strong hold , the administrative headquarters, the royal palace , the court , and even a bazaar .... all boiled into one giant imperial ball. It gives a close view as to how the Mughals lived, what their living rooms looked like, how magnificent their private gardens and mosques were. Walking around Agra Fort is like visiting the private homes and courts of the bygone emperors. And it is very easy to get the feel of their daily life in the grand and ordinary corridors of their living quarters.

Built originally prior to 1500 as a brick military fort, it received a major face lift in 1565, when Akbar commissioned a project which took 4,000 workers 8 years to complete. By 1573, the Agra Fort had been transformed into a majestic red sandstone structure - with 70 foot high outer walls, 2 moats (one wet moat filled with crocodiles, and one dry moat filled with lions, tiger and leopards), an enormous drawbridge and zig zag corridors with portholes to spew hot oil on invaders! Akbar's son, Jehangir, ruled the empire next - followed by his son, Shah Jahan (who built the Taj Mahal for his beloved wife, Mumtaz) and finally, Aurangzeb, who took over power from his father Shah Jahan and placed him under house arrest in the fort until his death in 1666. Each ruler added his own flare to the fort.

It is amazing how the red sandstone has maintained it's color through all of these centuries. This fort was built, of course, long before anything but hand tools were available. So each piece of sandstone was chiseled perfectly and then interlocked, one piece at a time. No cement or mortar... just interlocking pieces - imagine that? 2.5 kilometers in circumference... that is a LOT of sandstone!

Within the walls of the fort, the common areas and living quarters flow into one another seamlessly. Many areas have a great view of the majestic Taj Mahal.
The attention to detail and the symmetry everywhere is startling. In the main palace area the marble is all inlaid with semi-precious stones. The small decorative cavities you see all over the walls are to hold candles. Don't forget... it would be hundreds of years before electricity was invented!!

This kid asked to take a picture with Pat and was so surprised when Pat picked him up!!!

This is beautiful example of the Persian style gardens the Mughals were fond of. On three sides of the garden are arched chambers each with a panoramic view of the garden. These are the storied rooms where the ladies of the royal family lived. Once the garden had the best grapevines known. Now the garden is planted with green and red creepers alternatively giving it an amazing geometric pattern of its jigsaw like features.

The kids really enjoyed the tour as well. Andrew said it was "almost" as great as the Taj Mahal!! For them, I think it was like a giant playground...

And there were loads of monkeys... and you know what kids don't love monkeys?
So it was goodbye Agra Fort... goodbye Agra. It was back off to Delhi!!

Built for love...

2009-02-24T08:02:00.000-08:00

The Taj Mahal is the symbol of eternal love. The story is that this beautiful structure was built by one of the most powerful emperors in the history of India for the memory of his most beloved wife. Emperor Shahajehan had built many architectural marvels in his career, but Taj Mahal is the zenith. The world heritage site and the seventh architectural wonder of the world, Taj Mahal is different from the rest. The emperor loved his wife Mumtaz dearly. At the age of fifteen, the prince who would be called King of the World met a refined and highborn young girl at a bazaar within the walls of the royal palace in Agra. Court poets celebrated the girl's extraordinary beauty. "The moon," they said, "hid its face in shame before her." For both, it was love at first sight. Five years would pass before the auspicious day chosen for their wedding, and from that moment, they became inseparable companions. When in 1631, she died giving birth to their 14th child; Shahajehan lost the will to live. It was then he decided to build a mausoleum for his beloved which the world would remember. And indeed the Taj Mahal is mesmerizing!!!

The Mughals were not only all powerful, but seriously rich. Jahan had become Emperor on his father's death in 1627 and the list of his possessions is unbelievable in terms of gold, silver, and precious gems. It was an age of outrageous opulence, and a time when some of the world's largest and most precious gems were being mined from India's soil. The making of the Taj involved thousands of skilled workers brought from all parts of the Mughal Empire. The beautiful white marble that was mined and brought 200 miles from the west by a crew of 1,000 elephants is inset with intricately cut gemstones. Red sandstone was brought from Fatehpur Sikri, Jasper from Punjab, Jade and Crystal from China, Turquoise from Tibet, Lapis Lazuli and Sapphire from Sri Lanka, Coal and Cornelian from Arabia and diamonds from Panna. In all 28 kind of rare, semi precious and precious stones were used for inlay work in the Taj Mahal. The construction took over 20,000 workers, 22 years to complete! By the time the work was done, Shah Jahan's eldest son, and heir to his throne, was already well into the planning stages of overthrowing his father's power. In 1658, his son declared himself Emporer and imprisoned him in a tower of the Agra Fort, where he spent his days peering across the river at his masterpiece Taj Mahal, where the tomb of his beloved wife lay. He spent 6 years, until his death, held at the Agra Fort. His tomb now lies beside his beloved Mumtaz, inside the walls of the Taj Mahal.

Knowing the history is such an important part of appreciating the beauty of the Taj Mahal. When Prince Charles and Princess Diana came to India in 1992, Prince Charles was too busy with "business" in Delhi (ahhh emm... Camilla Parker Bowles!!) to accompany the Princess on her Taj Mahal visit. This photograph speaks a thousand words about their dwindling relationship... as she sits, alone, at this grand monument, built for love.

AP Photo 1992

This bench is now known as the Lady Diana bench, and is the most popular "photo op" location at the Taj Mahal. We look pretty darn good on it, I think!

A few more photos from our visit... The marble stairs and tunnel leading up to the main platform of the Taj...

Taylor with a group of beautiful young ladies who wanted a photo with her...
And again, Taylor with 2 guys who took her picture with their cell phone cameras!
Pat and Mom marveling at the inscriptions from the Koran...
The sun setting behind one of the 4 pillars...
Inside... no photos allowed (oops!)...
Mom and Taylor trying to look cool (not working in those dorky booties!)...

OK, I seriously need to get some sleep, so more Taj pics and the Agra Fort post to come tomorrow!! Good night :)

Agra Trip - Taj Mahal here we come...

2009-02-23T23:23:00.000-08:00

We have just returned from our whirlwind trip to see a little monument you might have heard of here in India - the Taj Mahal. Today I have a bit of what I am calling a "Taj hangover"... it is a small price to pay, I must say!! Bear with me on the blog side of this - there is sooooo much to talk about. I will devote this blog to the trip from Bangalore to the Taj and follow up tonight with an information and photo packed blog of the Taj/Agra Fort tours as well as the link to our Picasa site, where all 400+ (no, that is not a typo) photos from the trip will be!!

So, we were up by 4am, departing our villa at 4:45am for the Bangalore Airport. The ride to the airport is 50 kilometers (30 miles), which takes just under an hour with NO traffic... but can easily take 2 hours or more - so you always need to leave very early and hope or the best.

We arrived in plenty of time for Lauren to catch up with some of the security guards who adore her. Imagine what this conversation is about...

Next, it was onto what I like to call the runway bus, which carts us across runways and to our waiting plane. Next stop... Delhi - which is a 2.5 hour flight from Bangalore - straight north. It is the US equivalent of flying from Florida to NY. Notice the backpacks... continuing my art of light travel, we were able to pack everything we needed for a 3 day trip for 6 people into 3 backpacks!The arrival in Delhi was smooth... with no bags to collect at baggage claim, we were found our waiting driver and it was off to Agra.

Lauren was asleep 5 minutes into the drive...

Agra is about 185 kilometers from Delhi (114 miles), HOWEVER - yes, that is a big however... it is a 4 - 5 hour drive!!! They don't just plop the Taj Mahal down in an easy to get to place, you know. A few pics from the Delhi to Agra journey...h

Yes... those are chickens - can you say, "fresh poultry"?

We arrived at our hotel in Agra at 3pm. Our tour guide was there waiting and said we had about 15 minutes to get checked in and changed, or we couldn't fit in the tour with the day's sunlight. No problem! 15 minutes later we were back in the car. Our hotel was just 1.5 kilometers from the Taj Mahal... and gas powered vehicles are not allowed within a 1 kilometer radius of the monument (to prevent emissions from harming the marble), so in typical India style, we jammed ourselves inside of this battery powered car for the last kilometer...

Hawkers and beggars fill the street in the last few hundred meters before the Taj Mahal entrance. It is absolute pandemonium!!!!!! While we are used to it, to some extent, living in Bangalore... this is honestly times 1000. It is surely my record for saying "no" the highest number of times in 5 minutes - and that is saying a lot since I have 3 kids!!!!

So there we were... at the Taj entrance. A camera and a bottle of water. That is all they allow you to bring in. Our guide was Faizel... and he was great... Here he is leading Taylor and Andrew to the gate...

On the way, I caught a glimpse of the the Taj, peeking over the top of the wall...Taylor's first glimpse was through the arch... here she is pointing it out to Pat...Once you enter the main archway... the view is the one we have all seen so many times...So we made it! We were at the Taj Mahal!!

The many colors and styles of India...

2009-02-17T03:04:00.000-08:00

I have thought so many times that I should post a blog about the way people dress here in India... this blog is waaaaayyyyy overdue. Oh, where to start?? It is so diverse, that describing it is more difficult than probably any other culture in the world! If you take a snapshot of a crowded street anywhere here in Bangalore, you see people from all walks of life, each with his/her own style. It is an almost even mix of barefoot vs. shoes, saree vs. jeans with kurtas, chinos vs. dhotis (aka the "man skirt"). All moving together in perfect harmony. Many people holding to centuries old traditional garb, many people having been completely "westernized" - maybe wearing a DKNY tee and Calvin Klein Jeans!! Can you imagine walking down 5th Avenue in NYC and seeing this...and this...
and this...
all together, and thinking it was completely normal?? This is as close as I can relate the variety we see here in India.

Salwar kameez is a traditional dress worn by both women and men in South Asia. Salvars or shalvars are loose pajama-like trousers. The legs are wide at the top, and narrow at the bottom. The kameez is a long shirt or tunic. The side seams (known as the chaak) are left open below the waist-line, which gives the wearer greater freedom of movement. In Afghanistan and , Pakistan and India, the garment is worn by both sexes.

When women wear the salwar kameez, they usually wear a long scarf or shawl called a dupatta around the head or neck. Here's Mom in one of her new "I am going to the Taj Mahal" salwar kameez outfits... I must say, she looks like a natural!!

The kids, in theirs...

A kurta is also a traditional item of clothing. It is a loose shirt falling either just above or somewhere below the knees of the wearer, and is worn by both men and women. They were traditionally worn with loose-fitting paijama (kurta-paijama), loose- salwars, tight-fitting churidars, or wrapped-around dhotis but are now also worn with jeans. Kurtas are worn both as casual everyday wear and as formal dress. A kurta is also referred to as a panjabi.

Pat had his made down on Commercial Street... as you can imagine, India does not carry a big selection of "Pat sized" attire!!

Of course, the article of clothing most associated with India is the sari. A sari or saree or shari is a female garment in the Indian subcontinent and Pakistan. A sari is a strip of unstitched cloth, ranging from four to nine metres in length that is draped over the body in various styles. The most common style is for the sari to be wrapped around the waist, with one end then draped over the shoulder baring the midriff. The sari is usually worn over a petticoat (pavada/pavadai in the south, and shaya in eastern India), with a blouse known as a choli or ravika forming the upper garment. The choli has short sleeves and a low neck and is usually cropped, and as such is particularly well-suited for wear in the sultry South Asian summers. How the sari actually stays together is a mystery to me. I have had our maid Sheela show me how it all works several times, and I still have no clue! The house maids here wear them almost exclusively. Bright colors and beautiful fabrics... jasmine flowers tied neatly in their perfectly braided hair - all this to come and clean a house?!?!? Yes, it is all about the tradition.

Not only can they work in their saris... but they also ride scooters in them!! I am always amazed that the fabric does not get caught up in the wheels...
Last, but certainly not least...lets talk about what I call the "man skirt"... the dhoti. The dhoti, known as a panche here in Bangalore is a traditional garment of men's wear in India. It is a rectangular piece of unstitched cloth, usually around 7 yards long, wrapped around the waist and the legs, and knotted at the waist.
In northern India, the garment is worn with a Kurta on top, the combination known simply as "dhoti kurta", or a dhuti panjabi in the East. Here in Bangalore, we see it most often worn simply with a dress shirt! The lungi is a similar piece of cloth worn in similar manner, though only on informal occasions. The lungi is not as long and is basically a bigger version of a towel worn to fight the extremely hot weather in India.

So this is a good overview covering at least the basics of fashion in India. You really can't go wrong... trust me, you see it ALL!!!

Back to Indus International School...

2009-02-13T22:08:00.000-08:00

So, after a gruelling day in the hot sun for Sports Day yesterday, it was back to the school again today for the second grade end of unit celebration. This is NOT like hopping in the car for a 5 minute ride to Lake Avenue, folks. At best, the trip to Indus takes 45 minutes... each way~~~!!! Trust me... I am not running forgotten homework, or library books, or swimsuits for swim class over to the school - EVER. If you forget it... you don't have it. Period! I think this has actually helped them both in the responsibility department (a little bit?).

I actually quite like the drive to the school, especially in the morning, as the roads are through tiny villages... and it is awesome to see the local people, old and young, going about their business. Check out a few photos from the ride...

Working in the fields (using oxen to pull the plough) - the tee shirt on this guy might seem out of place. It is not uncommon to see western wear on the local people. Many of the expats donate their clothes to their staff or to residents nearby.

People getting ready to head off to work. Grabbing a snack at the food stall. The backpack is extremely common in India. Since the main mode of transportation is the motorcycle, they carry the essentials in their backpacks. Nearly every public place has a bag check out front for backpacks!

Check out the size of this load of hay! The two women on the left are carrying jugs of water on their heads. Since nearly all of the ground water here is not drinkable (nice way of saying wicked polluted), every day water needs to be collected from local distribution centers, or from water trucks.
It is very common for goats and sheep to live inside the house...
Also common to see goats and sheep hanging in mutton stalls...

All kids get a free education here. They also all wear uniforms. They attend school 6 days a week... that's right - even on Saturday! I love seeing them all in formation for their morning excersise. Less than a mile from this school... down a one lane dirt road - sits Indus. Andrew's class performed for their end of unit celebration (you can see his head on the right back row)...

He also showed off his artwork...

It was another fun filled Indus School event!!

Indus International Sports Day... Will the Patnodes bring home the gold??

2009-02-12T07:42:00.000-08:00

You know it's going to be a long, hot day when they hand out visors on your way into the stadium!! These visors are the sports day equivalent of the cone shaped hats that we hand out to guests at kids' birthday parties... you know, the ones with the thin elastic band that is held on barely by a staple on each side... the thin elastic band that suddenly becomes a deadly weapon when you try to squeeze in around your adult sized head. Come on, admit it... you have squeezed that hat on your head at least ONCE!! Anyway... the visor, like the party hats... only really look good on a 3 year old.

The kids were all enamoured by the trophy table!

Taylor and Andrew took home some serious hardware!!! 4 gold medals and a silver... and Andrew won one of the coveted cups for top 2nd grade boy athlete!

After the races, we strolled around the beautiful 40 acre Indus campus for a bit. The resident Indus geese and their 3 new goslings, loved my Mom!! Although mama goose chomped on her ankles right after I snapped this picture.
Taylor was so proud to show off the smartboard in her class.
Tomorrow we head back to Indus for the 2nd grade end of unit presentation... "From farm to table". At the end of every unit, the kids prepare a summary performance. Each student has a speaking part, which is presented to other students, teachers and parents. What a great way to get the kids comfortable speaking in from to a large group. No surprise that Taylor is a natural. Andrew has really come a long, long way. I will post a video tomorrow!!

Carol's 1st Guest Post

2009-02-08T03:19:00.000-08:00

Who would believe that my first trip out of the US would be to India? I think that I knew everything there was to know about life here, from this blog! The plane trip itself was phenomenal, amazing, luxurious really! And I was banned to the lower level economy section of the plane. I can't imagine what life was like for Pat, who was upstairs even more pampered!

When I entered in arrivals at Bangalore airport, I felt right at home. (ok---I was also traveling with Pat --I might be sounding like a seasoned international traveler at this point, but I'll admit I would not have done this on my own!!!) Now, on to the best part of my arrival..... Cyn at the door and the grand kids waking up and seeing me sitting in the living room sipping tea! Oh, the excitement -- like Christmas morning!!! They have grown sooooo much and they all have picked up some of the most adorable expressions in their speech!! I could go on and on about the wonderful things I have seen in the two weeks I've been here. There are "challenges" - like the first time the power went out and I was on the (marble!) stairs with Lauren in front on me. Hearing the little voice announce "don't move, Grandma, it will be ok", was comical and a little scary! For all of my "shopping buddies" - oh how I wish you were here!! The shops are amazing and I want to buy everything (thank goodness for my voice of reason Paddy - one of Cyn's neighbors). She keeps reminding me that I'll be here a long time and there are so many more places to see. I have found that India's cuisine agrees with me (with the least amount of spice, of course!), that tea in the afternoon is a wonderful treat, the people are warm and friendly and the traffic in the city is not as frightening as I thought it would be (as long as the driver is NOT me!!)

I'm sure I'll have much more to tell over the next few weeks and while I'm sure my blog will not be as frequent as Cyn's, I'll try to keep in touch!

Trip to the mall and Bedtime Stories

2009-02-07T08:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday (Friday), Mom and I took Lauren to Indiranagar... a 'suburb' of Bangalore, with terrific shopping and restaurants. We met a friend for lunch at the 100 Foot Road Boutique. I love this place, because it is an awesome restaurant and a great boutique. Lauren discovered she LOVES hummus (much to our despair as she hogged it all!!). She also was very popular with the staff. Our waiter gave her this pink flower and the sales girl started snapping her photo with her cell phone... so I decided to take hers too. I think it made her day!Today (Saturday), we headed out to Forum Mall. We all piled into the truck for the long journey into the city. Last Saturday the drive took us 90 minutes, so today we prepared. The DS games , the Ipods and don't look now, but Andrew is actually reading Around the World in 80 Days!!Miraculously... we made it to Forum Mall in about 40 minutes. This is one of my favorite Bangalore Malls. It is super clean (and even has nice bathrooms!)... We decided to see a movie... Bedtime Stories was playing at 12:15... by the way, the theaters here are nicer than any in the US. Tickets cost under 4 bucks each and they serve you food, from a menu during the show!!! It is actually an affordable family outing. We grabbed some cookies at the Cookie Man before the show...

Mom got her first taste of McDonald's in India on our way out!

First Carrots!

2009-02-05T20:44:00.001-08:00

Sorry, it has been a few days since I have posted. I am just recovering from my first illness in India! What started as a cold last week got progressively worse... yesterday I actually had to go to (gasp!!!) the DOCTOR! It was quite a nice visit... At the clinic here, you see whichever doctor happens to be free, regardless of their specialty. Last time Lauren went with her foot infection, she saw an obstetrician! I got the lucky draw of the young, cute cardiologist. He spent what seems like 10 minutes, taking my blood pressure. He did not, however, even look in my aching ear. He asked me heaps of questions... many of them seemingly unrelated to my symptoms. I walked out of his office with a brown lunch bag full of medicines... all for under $5!!!!

I braced myself for the medicine. Having dispensed it many times to Taylor and Lauren here... I knew it was not the pink, fluffy, bubble gum flavored stuff we get in the US. Again, with the theme of bowling without bumpers and riding without training wheels... medicine here tastes like the motor oil it should! I was mildly encouraged by the splash of writing on one of the bottles that read, "NEW, tingle taste"! OK, FYI... "tingle" motor oil is just as gut wrenching as "non-tingle" motor oil! In any case... I am feeling much, much better after just one day of the brown bag pills and liquids.

Back to the carrots post...

We have the best fuits and veggies growing all over our yard (worthy of their own post, which I will get to soon!). Lauren loves to go out every day and pick, cut and eat whatever is ready. She has been eagerly awaiting the harvest of our first carrots - which take quite a while to grow. Lauren was so excited when Sheela told her she thought the carrots were finally ready!!

Maybe the best carrot Lauren ever ate!!

Also, in the garden, so many beautiful flowers.... whenever a yellow rose blooms, it goes straight to my Mom (they are her favorite, after all!)

Brace yourself. My Mom has asked to do her OWN blog entry! She will write it this afternoon. Stay tuned!!!!

Rest and Relaxation - and Lauren's new bike

2009-02-03T08:42:00.000-08:00

Today I had a few friends over for lunch. Sheela had the house all in order and all the cooking done by noon...

My Mom is loving Sheela. Here is Mom relaxing while Sheela cooks!

Lauren outgrew her old bicycle. She is in love with her new India Princess bike. It has a HUGE front basket, a back storage pod and even a bell!!

Oh, yeah... and hand brakes!! Who puts hand brakes only on a bike meant for 3 year olds?? Welcome to India. Also, along the vein of no bumpers in the bowling alley, the training wheels are about 3 inches off the ground AND the roads here slope about 20 degrees away from the center line. Thankfully, Challu runs around after her all day, saving her from one disastrous crash after another.

Slumdog Millionaire

2009-02-03T08:02:00.000-08:00

Months ago I started reading all the hype surrounding a little movie from India called Slumdog Millionaire. It opened long ago in theaters across America and has been getting rave reviews, multiple Golden Globes and 8 Oscar nominations!!! Strangely, it just opened here in India last week. We went to see it on Saturday night and really loved it.

As you can imagine, it has created quite a stir here in India. BUT, not in a good way. For the most part, people here are embarrassed by the film. They think it depicts India in a negative way. I saw one article where it was referred to as "white man's imagined India". I think that the middle and upper class here in India feels that they have finally come so far toward feeling less like the third world country that westerners think of them as and that this film somehow takes away from that. Rubbish, I say. Go see the movie and judge for yourself.

Bowling and Basketball

2009-02-02T00:11:00.000-08:00

This weekend was a birthday party marathon. We left for party #1 at 9:45am. It was an 11am party at Amoeba Bowl in the city. Traffic was bad and we were the first guests to arrive at 11:15am (we even beat the birthday girl!). Can you imagine driving for 90 minutes to reach a birthday party that is just 15 miles away?? The bowling alley is very modern and nice. One small difference to note is that the balls come in size small, medium, or large. No weights on them at all. One MAJOR difference... NO BUMPERS!!! Can you imagine a bunch of children - most of them Indian and never have bowled before - without bumpers?? This is pretty much the theme in India. Sink or swim . Watch your step or you will fall through the hole in the sidewalk. During school competitions, there are winners and there are losers... and you know whether you have won or lost. None of this "we don't really keep score" business. 4 full frames of bowling until the first pin toppled! It was pretty agonizing to watch, but I must say, as the games progressed, there were fewer and fewer gutter balls.

After the bowling, they served food in the "Amoeba Lounge". A grilled cheese sandwich, chicken "drummetes", a vegetable spring roll and french fries. We have come a long way in India, I thought, as I sat eating a plate of food served to me in a bowling alley!!

After lunch, it was up the stairs to the game center. Pat went straight for the speed basketball hoop... were he was thrilled to shatter the standing point total record. Taylor hauled away the hundreds of winning tickets (did I mention that absolutely nobody plays basketball in India??)

After the cake we rushed out into the waiting car... to get back home in time for party #2 - which we did with 15 minutes to spare!

Sunday was a bit more relaxed. Andrew loved having Grandma to help him with his homework...

Oasis Center

2009-01-29T20:03:00.000-08:00

Today we went to Oasis Center. This pretty much completes the circuit of my weekly "rounds". As always, we went directly to the 4th floor so I could get my delicious latte at Gloria Jeans. Mom opted for an iced coffee (testing her stomach with India's cold milk!). As usual, Lauren got a scoop of ice cream with rainbow sprinkles at Cold Stone. We picked up a few local treats at the market to have for an afternoon snack. A vegetable moneybag and a kheema samosa (which is filled with ground lamb) served with traditional indian mixed pickle...

Mom loved it!!
Arjun must have smelled the snacks and came by for a visit with Lauren ...

Jewlery and Books

2009-01-28T08:13:00.000-08:00

Rainbows on roses and whiskers on kittens. Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens. Brown paper packages tied up with strings. These are a few of my favorite things.

If they re-wrote this song for my Mom, surely included on her list would be jewelry and books.
Today we went into the city with my friend and neighbor, Padmaja, to visit Blossom Books, a used book store. We passed by this street book vendor on our way...
Then it was on to Blossom... 2 levels of used books - great prices...Mom loved browsing, and bought several books...
Padmaja was born and raised in Bombay, so she knows her way around the streets of India. A trip to the city with her is always an adventure. I like to have the driver drop me right at the store front... she prefers to walk the streets! Mom went right along, like a pro...

She took us to one of her favorite local shops, where we got the "carpet talk". Mom almost fell over when they told her this carpet cost $5,000 USD...

She settled for a much less expensive, but equally beautiful and unique ring instead. Padmaja made sure she got the absolute best discount price!

So Mom had another great afternoon, full of a few of her favorite things!

Let's see India...

2009-01-27T09:33:00.000-08:00

OK, enough of this Palm Meadow isolation. Today we hit the streets. The day started slow, with Kumar (the fill in driver) hanging a hammock that Sheela and Challu brought for Lauren. It is common for the driver to take care of these household tasks.

Lauren loves the hammock...

I thought a trip to the Leela Palace for some shopping and lunch would be a good first adventure for my Mom. As we drove past Palm Meadows security at the exit, I was excited to see Mom's reaction to the India street scene...

She was completely unfazed!!! Although she did appreciate the stark contrast as we pulled around to the Leela Palace...

We shopped and ate in luxury... Mom was not quite seeing what is all the fuss about the hardship in Bangalore!!

Tomorrow my neighbor Paddy is taking us to a used book shop in the city. NOT the Leela, I can assure you!!

Grandma day two... more Palm Meadows...

2009-01-26T04:28:00.001-08:00

So... day 2 of India. Following proper guest protocol, we stayed in Palm Meadows only for day 2! It was Republic Day today, a national holiday, so we had a relaxing day. Starting with idly for breakfast...

Then on to some reading on the terrace...

A walk to the market, followed by a glass of wine and a card game with Taylor...

Tomorrow the kids are back to school and we will head out into town. Then the fun will begin! Stay tuned.

Grandma in da house!!!!!!!

2009-01-25T07:09:00.000-08:00

So, my Mom has basically never left the friendly confines of our great United States. I say basically because she did honeymoon across the border in Montreal in 1967!!! She got her very first passport at 61 years of age and here she is, her very first time abroad! Most people work their way up to India. Not Mom.

She and Pat walked through the door, after 20 hours of air travel... at 4:45 am. Needless to say, the kids were ecstatic to see her!! By noon, Pat was well into his 7 hour nap. Not Mom...

We went to explore Palm Meadows... we are starting out slow - baby steps. Just Palm Meadows for the first 2 days!!

First stop... Lauren's favorite elephant. She gives it a pat on trunk each time she passes by.

Next... the ATM ... Mom's first Indian rupees - 1,000 of them ($20 USD)

Her first purchase... Baskin Robbins x 3 ... 120 rupees (about 2 bucks)
Then on to the club for a tour and some lunch... Mom was quite adventurous. She ate masala dosa, sambar, and garlic naan!

A great first day. Be sure to follow close, I will be updating often with Grandma in India news and photos!!!

#1 place you need to visit before it's gone...

2009-01-19T00:39:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy of Frommers

We have been debating about making the journey to Agra to see the Taj during my Mom's visit. It means a flight to Delhi, in northern India and then a train trip out to Agra. Seems like a big undertaking with 3 kids. On the other hand, it is the Taj Majal!!
I just came across this interesting article on Yahoo.com ... I think I am conviced we need to go.

Places to See Before They Disappear
Consider visiting these rare cultural, historic, and natural sites before they are irrevocably altered or gone forever.
#1 Taj Mahal
If the plan to close the Taj Mahal goes into effect, it would reduce this over-the-top mausoleum — built by Shah Jahan (fifth emperor of the Mughal dynasty) to mourn his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal — to a mere postcard silhouette instead of the spiritual experience it can be.
Even a recent rise in admission prices doesn't deter floods of tourists from shuffling through the Taj Mahal — three to four million tourists every year. Between the crowds and the air pollution that's eating away its white stone facade, tourism officials are considering closing this 17th-century landmark to the public, leaving its fabulous domed symmetry — that graceful center onion dome, the four smaller surrounding domes, the slender punctuating minarets, the serene reflecting pool — visible only from afar.
Shah Jahan placed this memorial beside the Yamuna River, despite the constant risk of flooding, because it was next to the bustling market of the Tajganj, where it is said he first saw Mumtaz selling jewels in a market stall. Work started in 1641, and it took 20,000 laborers (not to mention oxen and elephants) 22 years to complete; its marble came from Rajasthan, the precious stones from all over Asia. In the late 19th century, the badly deteriorated Taj Mahal was extensively restored by British viceroy Lord Curzon; what will today's Indian government do to preserve this treasure?

Kumar is no Harish...

2009-01-19T00:03:00.000-08:00

Kumar is fine. He seems very nice. He speaks english(ish). He is an excellent driver. BUT he is no Harish!!!

Bad news from this weekend. Our beloved driver, Harish, was in an accident with his 2 wheeler on his way to our villa on Saturday. He broke his leg!!!!

Let me just tell you, that when you get a call from your driver that he has broken his leg... you feel very bad. For him... and for you!! Your driver is your lifeline here, really.

Well, Harish spent the day at the hospital and then, at 8pm, took a taxi here to our villa... with his wife - and his X-Rays!! Poor guy is in a cast from his hip to his toes. He looked a wreck. But he felt he needed to come by to "set me up" with a fill in driver!! His brother-in-law, Kumar, who he said is "a better driver than him".

So, Kumar arrived today. I know that I am totally comfortable here now, because he walked up, I shook his hand, checked out his toothless grin (seriously!) and prompty handed him the keys to our truck and hopped in!!!! This poor guy was so nervous, he was shaking! He stalled the truck 3 times before we left the driveway. I thought he might pass out right in the driver's seat. I said "Fab India please" and away we went. Kumar was fumbling to adjust his seat and find the A/C controls. I really wanted to dislike Kumar, but I didn't. Turns out he seems great... but he's no Harish!!! He will hold us over until Harish can drive again (which he claims will be only 15 days!!!!).

Last cooking post... promise!!

2009-01-14T02:27:00.000-08:00

OK, this will be the last cooking post... promise!! Now I have many of the basics down... cooking is so much nicer when someone else is cleaning up after me! I think I should bring Sheela home with us :)

Last night I made a full indian dinner. It was my first experience with a pressure cooker ( a highly popular method of cooking here in India). I nearly passed out in the kitchen when the cooker "whistled" for the first time. The recipe called for a cooking time of "3 whistles"... not sure just what that meant - I waited and watched as the cooking started. The pressure began to build in the pot and I heard a slight whistling sound. Counting that as "one whistle", I continued to wait and watch. About 5 minutes later - "BAAAAAAAMMMM"

The steam release and sound from this cooker is scary! THAT was actually "whitstle" number one. 2 explosions later, dinner was complete! Butter chicken, lemon rice and papadum (made from lentil, chickpeas and black gram). Take a look... the kids loved it!Sheela taught Lauren how to roll out the chipattis, too! Chipattis are the Indian version of fried dough... although they do use whole wheat atta flour (a bit healthier, I presume).

Here's Lauren, heading to settle into her beanie bag and watch the Pink Panther with her chipattis.

Next project...

2009-01-11T01:58:00.001-08:00

Next, I thought I would tackle some Indian cooking. Really, I need to be able to make my mother something authentic when she gets here!! This has been a long overdue task. Harish and Sheela have been after me for months to pick up a few popular recipes. So, away I went... Harish took me to a local place to buy a dosa pan (tava) and an idly cooker. The entire staff crowded into my small kitchen to see the instruction!! Regular dosa batter is made from rice and split, skinned urad bean (black lentil) blended with water and left to ferment overnight. For a price, you can buy it already made - cheating a bit, but listen, I am NOT skinning lentils!!! The batter is then ladled in small amounts onto a hot greased tava, where it is spread out into a thin circle and fried with oil or ghee (clarified butter!) until golden brown. Then you simply roll it (like a crepe) and serve! Simple, really. The trick is to spread the batter very thin, so the dosa is crispy. Anyway... I made them for dinner last night and the kids devoured them!!!! My camera battery was dead, so, sadly there are no photos. Next time, though!

Using the very same batter, with some added baking soda. I learned to make idlis next! These are wildly popular in the south of India. They are eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner and are steamed in a pressure cooker. Here's my idli cooker!!

My first batch came out perfectly!!

Idlis are considered to be one of the world's 10 healthiest foods! Probably more so when eaten traditionally with chutney or sambar. Not so much when dipped in maple syrup and spread with peanut butter - but, hey, they ate the ENTIRE batch!!

OK, and Andrew did drink what was left of his syrup... what is wrong with this kid??

Back in the India groove...

2009-01-11T01:43:00.000-08:00

It took a bit to re-adjust after our piece of Australia heaven. The kids have been back to school already for a week now and Pat is at our home in Saratoga, on business, for 2 weeks! Those of you who know me well, will wonder what project I will undertake while Pat is away - you know I need to keep busy! Well, the first day I cut bangs into Taylor's hair!!

Opera House and Bridge always around... like a full moon in the night sky

2009-01-05T10:06:00.000-08:00

The Opera House and the Bridge... icons of the Sydney skyline... seem to be ever present when you are in Sydney. The way the city is situated around the harbour... they are like a full moon in the sky - seemingly following you wherever you go! One of them seems to sneak into nearly every photo!!!

The bridge is massive. It is actually the world's widest long span bridge. It carries six lanes of road traffic on its main roadway, two lanes of road traffic (formerly two tram tracks) and a footpath on its eastern side, and two railway tracks and a bicycle path along its western side. It is also the world's tallest steel arch bridge at 430 feet from it's top point to the water! Trust me, when you are on the ferry going under it - it is breathtakingly massive!!!!

The Opera House is really equally huge. The building alone covers 4.5 acres of land!

I don't know if it is more spectacular in the day, with the sunlight glimmering off the roof's over 1 million glossy tiles...

or at night, when it uses the electricity equivalent to a city of 25,000 people to light it all up!

I love this picture of Lauren and Taylor walking up just one of the flights of hundreds of stairs.

Back in India...

2009-01-05T00:26:00.000-08:00

Here we are, back home in Bangalore! It was a long day of travel... we left the hotel in Sydney at 9am on Saturday and arrived at our villa here just before midnight. The kids, once again, travelled like pros. Big props to Lauren, especially - I don't think there is a 3 year old around who could possibly have been any better, not just this trip, but for all of our adventures over the past 6 months, then she has!! She was really the wild card in all of this... we knew that as Lauren went, so would go the Patnodes. And she has surely stepped it up. I think she now has a mind that operates more efficiently than mine (ok, that is not saying much!)

Two weeks in a foreign country with 3 kids is much easier when they have already been living in a foreign country. I loved listening to the kids as they would strike up conversations with other folks in Australia. Hearing them talking of our travels really warmed my heart.

Walking into our villa was great. Sheela had washed all the windows and screens... dusted the ceiling fans... cleaned out the fridge... etc... She had the kids' pajamas laid out and their school uniforms for Monday pressed and ready. Sanjeev, the florist, had delivered a fresh arrangement. Raju had picked papayas from the yard and had them in the fruit basket. It's like a vacation, returning from vacation!!

A few Sydney observations...

2009-01-01T01:38:00.000-08:00

Heading back to India tomorrow... wow, 2 weeks has flown right by!! It will be nice to be back in our own beds again. We never did adjust to the 6 hour time change, so that will be a breeze on the way back. I will post a few more Australia blogs when we return and can download the video we have. New Years Eve was just awesome here... more to come on that!

Before we go,...just a few observations... things that really stand out here in Sydney. I am not trying to make generalizations about Australia as a whole, just what we have noticed here in Sydney, having been here for these two weeks.

Loads of smokers! It is like being in NY 20 years ago, truly. People, young and old smoking everywhere!
Waaaaaayyyyyyy nice cars!! BMW, Mercedes, even Rolls Royce... $eriou$ car$ ... and absolutely NO MINIVANS!!!
Remember the 80's, when guys in America were all pumped up?? Oh, yeah... but times 1000%. They all walk around in tank tops and can sometimes barely fit through doorways!! I don't think that the Barry Bonds/Roger Clemens coverage is very big here. From a tourist's point of view... not bad to look at!
It's a 9 to 5 world. Virtually all stores and shops close up at 5pm everyday and are not open at all on Sundays. Even down at Darling Harbour, don't try to find an open store on Friday evening at 5:30... even the visitor's center is locked up tight!
Family rates are available EVERYWHERE... the ferry, the monorail, Luna Park, museums... everywhere.... you pay for just 1 child.... the Chudys and the Dennetts would clean up here!!!
The people are ridiculously nice... I don't think we came across a cranky person in all of Sydney.
The flippin' accent is, by far, the coolest around!! I swear, I could listen to it all day. They use "bloody" and "no worries" like it's going out of style. Everybody is a "mate" or a "bloke" and "goodonya" is all one word, I think!! The accent goes well with the personalities here... very easy going.
The currency, too... super cool factor. The $1 and $2 are small gold coins... fine. But the paper currency has the most amazing clear patch sewn right into the fabric of the small bills. And it is all so new and clean (maybe it's not fair to compare to the nasty old rupee bill in India!!)

So, these are just a few little tidbits. Again, more to come when we get back "home" this weekend.

Just doing nothing...

2008-12-29T04:09:00.001-08:00

There's so much to do and see in Sydney. But some of the best parts of our trip we have spent just doing next to nothing!

Just walking the streets...

Having a picnic in the Botanic Gardens...

Watching a chess match under a shady tree in the park...

Playing tag in front of the Opera House...
Grabbing some fresh fruit to snack on ...

Resting on Mrs. Marqueries chair...

Playing games with a piece of string...

Running obstacle courses through Hyde Park...

Petting dogs...

Waching people swim in the Andrew (Boy) Charlton Public Pools (not a bad view from this rock... OR from the pools... these pools are heated saltwater!)

Ohhhhh, the food...

2008-12-29T03:09:00.000-08:00

Our food situation, as you know, has been pretty pathetic over the past 6 months. There are so many great aspects of India... not many of them are edible! That said... take this food review as one coming from 5 little hungry bird beaks sitting in a nest!! Even a worm, if prepared the right way, would go over pretty big with us.

The food here in Sydney is quite diverse... You can get anything from sushi to pancakes, from nachos to shrimp on the bahhhhbie all within 1 city block.

Coffee is sold at little independent baristas absolutely EVERYWHERE in the city. There are a couple of Starbucks, although the locals won't be found dead there... just for tourists! They are serius about coffee here (LOVE IT!) ... they even have their very own coffee language. Order a "long black" which is a double shot of espresso poured over hot water. Or a flat white, which is much like we know a latte in America, except stronger. I pretty much order something from every barista I pass by. I think my coffee consumption is keeping the entire Australian economy afloat.

In one full week here, we have not eaten more than 1 meal in any given day... can you imagine that?? Our little India bellies just cannot handle the volume!! I will say that when we sit down to eat, it's like we are having our last supper, trust me we savor every bite. Check out Andrew eating chili nachos and pancakes with grilled bananas...

All the food has been awesome here! It's really a melting pot of ethnicities here... so, much like you find in NYC, the aussies are grilling everything (yes, even kangaroo!) , the Japanese are running the sushi bars... the Italians are making the pizza, the Chinese are whipping up the dim sum... and yes, although we will not eat it here... the Indians are shelling out the curry!!

Can you say BEACH CROWD???

2008-12-29T02:45:00.000-08:00

We headed to Manly Beach in the afternoon... planning to just check it out... maybe watch the surfers for a bit and then head over to Darling Harbour for a nice dinner. When we arrived, well, can you say beach crowd???

I could see it in the kids' eyes. They were not leaving this beach without a swim. Lauren started the 'I am about to run into the water with my clothes on' wiggle straight off...

They all walked down to the water... within moments...

I was holding Andrew's hat, shirt and watch...
I am fairly certain this conversation went something like this... "Wow, that was fun! Can you believe Mom let us swim with our clothes on???"
The soaking wet clothes and sand in all the cracks on the ferry ride back to the Quay was worth it!

We did stop back at the hotel for a shower and change before heading over to Darling Harbour for dinner.

Loving Australia!

2008-12-26T03:01:00.001-08:00

The Patnodes are loving Australia!! What's not to like?? It is summer here, so the weather is fantastic... warm sunny days and cool breezy nights. Sydney itself is very metropolitan... a good mix of beautiful old architecture and modern sky scrapers. The city it built around the harbour, so you get the most spectacular view of the bridge and the Opera House no matter where you are or what you are doing... amazing. The ferries cart you everywhere... right to the doorstep of the zoo, the aquarium, Manly Beach... whatever!

I love this shot of Andrew, taking a break at the foot of the stairs to the Opera House, just chilling out, checking the time on his new watch. I now call him Big Ben, because he is constantly reporting what time it is here, in India, in the US... how many minutes until the ferry arrives, how long we have been waiting for our food etc...

Today we went to "The Rocks" - just a short walk from the Quay... I love this place, because nearly every place has a witty rock related name... we dropped our laundry at "Wash on the Rocks" (on a side note... we brought just 2 checked bags for the 5 of us spending 2 weeks here-I even impressed myself with this feat!!)... thus the need to do laundry!! Anyway, you just drop off your duffel bag at Wash on the Rocks and they return it to your hotel the same day, all clean and folded!! We went straight from there to eat at "Pancakes on the Rocks" (seeing a theme here) and even came across a car-rock "meeting" in the middle of the road! We shopped at Rockhounds (jewelry) too!

Around the harbour, there are all sorts of street entertainers. And when they invite you to join them... well, you just have to go!

We went to the Taronga Zoo on Christmas Day. Wow, I am not really a fan of zoos... but I would say this is even tops the San Diego Zoo, which is saying alot!! I wont bore you with a bunch of animal photos... you know in Australia it is all about the koalas and the 'roos, right? Just steps from the entrance, in the kangaroo hop about, our day was made, with kangaroos hopping all around us! No fences, no gates, no barriers... just a bunch of kangaroos and us! This was my favorite little joey...

The koala encounter is terrific as well. This little baby boy koala had a thing for Lauren!!

I have so much more to talk about. More to come tomorrow... many people have asked about the food. I will devote an entire blog to food tomorrow!!! For now, I need to enjoy my latte... YUM!

Getting to Sydney... not a short trip!!

2008-12-24T01:08:00.000-08:00

We left Bangalore on an 11pm flight which connected in Singapore. We were not sure how this would all pan out with the kids. They do call it a red eye for a reason!!

So, we got to the airport a full 4 hours before our flight and flew through the new "heightened" India security in about 5 minuteds!! The kids read a bit...

Andrew helped tag our luggage (this reading and writing thing is really paying off for us now!!)

And they played who can make who laugh first until their sides hurt!!

When we finally boarded the plane, I sat with the girls (good choice!!!)

Lauren was asleep before takeoff... and Taylor not far behind.

Andrew did not sleep a wink on either flight... not a surprise, since they bring endless supplies of food and he had video games at his seat! When we finally arrived in Sydney (after nearly 24 hours of travel!!)... he made it through dinner (barely) and promptly fell fast asleep in the restaurant!!

So, we are here, safe and sound. We all slept until noon our first 2 days (I joke you not!)... so can't say much about the breakfast food here :) I will try to post a blog every 2 days or so while we are here. So far... LOVE IT!!

On our way (again!)

2008-12-20T23:33:00.000-08:00

Here we go again! We are on our way to Sydney, Australia. Flying out of India at 11pm tonight and won't land in Sydney until 5:30pm tomorrow. 14 hours of flying time and a 5 1/2 hour time change. Wow, I see why they call it the land down under!! Sydney is 16 hours ahead of EST, so we will be ringing in the new year at the harbour fireworks show while most of you are still drinking your morning coffee!!!

I will keep the blog up right through the trip - I am certain there will be lots to write about.

Hoping you all have a happy and safe holiday season.

WE MISS YOU ALL!!!

Merry Christmas to All!!

2008-12-18T01:05:00.000-08:00

Hope you all enjoy our holiday "card" as well as the pictures / video of the making of the card!!! May you all have a holly, jolly season...

The Auto Rickshaw

2008-12-18T00:49:00.000-08:00

The auto rickshaw is a staple of India transportation. Rickshaws are hired vehicles and make up about 50% of road traffic here in Bangalore. The rickshaw is perfect for maneuvering through the crazy traffic here. It has a 2 wheel base and a single wheel front, which is steered by handlebars, like a bicycle... giving it an extremely small turning radius and allowing the driver to squeeze into impossible gaps!! The rickshaws are powered by gas cylinders and are quite fuel efficient... they get, on average, 85 miles to a gallon of fuel. They top out at about 30 mph, which is just fine, because the traffic flow is never, ever that fast! Hiring a rickshaw is just like a taxi in the US... simply flag one down and hop in. A rickshaw is a cheap ride, too. Expect to pay about 50 rupees ($1 US) for a lift to the market. Expect to pay about 400 rupees if you want to hire one for 15 minutes to snap a few Christmas card photos of your kids!!!

Bakugans in India?

2008-12-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

Well, it was a long swim across miles of ocean. But these little buggers made their way all the way to India! I have a general rule that I do not buy toys of any sort for my kids in the month of December. I mean, what if I buy something that Santa may have been planning to bring for them? I broke that rule today, when I walked into The Depot (bookstore) and saw a huge display of Bakugans! There is zero advertising for toys of any kind here in India (refreshing!!), but I had heard about these little toys from friends back home. I bought them, wondering if the kids would even know what they were...

Trust me, they knew! Even Lauren got in on the action!!!

More on Indus Day

2008-12-17T02:26:00.000-08:00

So, the Indus PYP performance was awesome. Unfortunately, we have no further video or photos. They had a professional video crew and photographers there (and I mean PROFESSIONAL!... the huge hydraulic booms for the cams and all. I felt like they were shooting an MTV video, for goodness sake) They had a famous Bollywood star there as the honorable guest and she gave a lovely speech (no idea who she was, but the parents from India were quite excited!). After many, many (and did I say MANY??) speeches, the show started well after dark. Taylor's sitar performance was terrific and Andrew was an adorable cat. He was less than thrilled with the bright pink belly and ears he had to wear.

I did get a few photos before the show started - and I will post the clips of Taylor and Andrew from the DVD when we get it.

Indus Day

2008-12-16T00:35:00.000-08:00

Can you imagine that yesterday was the last day of school at Indus until January 5th? Just 5 days until we fly out to Australia!!!! Today is Indus Day, a production is put on by the entire PYP, for the parents. Taylor and Andrew have been practicing for what seems like months for this evening. They try to keep it top secret what the show is all about... I know that Taylor will be playing her sitar and it looks like Andrew will be robbing a house or pumping gas! I snapped these photos on their way out the door to the bus this afternoon... more photos and video to come tonight after the production!

Drew decides to test the seams on his costume with some kung foo fighting moves on the way down the block to the bus stop. Taylor, wisely, continues to walk...

Signs of the times

2008-12-11T03:56:00.000-08:00

Similar to "please don't walk on the grass" signs in the US. Public urination is completely acceptable in India - as long as you don't see a sign or posting that states otherwise! And trust me, you see it happening EVERYWHERE!!

Check out these other interesting signs from around the city:

Another, less threatening version of this sign is, "Stick No Bills" Bills are advertisements or fliers which are commonly 'stuck' on walls and roadway dividers.

And my personal favorite... straight to the point with this one, I guess!!

Million Dollar Arms

2008-12-09T04:30:00.000-08:00

Ethan, this blog is for YOU!

We had heard of the Million Dollar Arm contest here in India when we first arrived in July. It was a reality show, run by some California company who thought, in a country with over a billion people, surely they could find someone who could throw a ball hard enough to sign a major league pitching contract in the US. Turns out, they were right. 30,000 people tried out, and in the end, 2 boys ended up being signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates! These boys had never seen a baseball, or thrown a pitch prior to the show. In fact, they were both javelin throwers here in India!!

In my fact checking, I actually came across a blog that THEY are keeping in the states. Check it out, here is the link

http://www.themilliondollararm.com/blog/

It is sort of a reverse culture shock blog to what we experience here. It will make you laugh!

To answer your question, Ethan, there is absolutely no coverage here of this news! Almost nobody here even would know what baseball is!!

Introduction to...

2008-12-06T19:36:00.000-08:00

Andrew, meet rugby. Rugby, meet Andrew. Rugby?? Yes, rugby!

Andrew was introduced to rugby on Saturday afternoon. Does it look like he enjoyed it?

Most of the kids in this league are actually underprivileged children from the area who are provided with free instruction and equipment for the sport. What a terrific program! Of course, before long, Pat (who knows nothing about rugby), was out there coaching. He was wildly popular with the children...

Andrew was a natural... he earned the player of the week award...

Wedding Day!

2008-12-05T01:43:00.000-08:00

Weddings here in India happen any day of the week, at any time of day. Sometimes the celebration carries on for weeks! It's a huge affair, with often thousands of guests! There are all sorts of different customs and traditions. It is all quite intriguing... we passed by this groom on horseback ... his entourage right there on the busy street with Tuesday morning traffic whizzing by...

Power Cuts

2008-12-05T00:39:00.000-08:00

Strangely, I have yet to blog about something that happens every single day in India. Power cuts.

I had never heard the term until we arrived in India. A power cut is, in fact, exactly what it sounds like it would be. I picture it happening like it might in a cartoon... a guy, sitting behind a desk, with a huge lever on the wall behind him, which he can pull down at will and turn the power off to the entire city! Having seen the infrastructure here for 6 months now, this may not be so far from the reality of it! In any case, nearly every day... bam... out goes the electric. Usually for 4 hour blocks of time. The reason behind the cuts is a simple case of supply and demand. The demand for electric power has grown exponentially in the past decade and there just is not enough power to go around!

Now, here in Palm Meadows, we have a massive backup power plant which is fueled with diesel. So our power does "cut", but within 1 minute, the backup kicks in and it is pretty much life as usual. Sometimes this happens up to ten times a day! It used to be quite dramatic, especially when it happened at night. The house just goes dark. Imagine you are sitting at the dinner table, or (gasp) in the shower and you are suddenly in the pitch black! Now imagine this happens all the time. We are so accustomed to it now, that it is quite like a game of red light green light 123. Just stop, wait, and then proceed as usual!

Aussies

2008-11-30T23:02:00.001-08:00

The first of December is already upon us. Two weeks from Tuesday will be the last day of school at Indus before winter break. We are heading out to Australia on 21-December and not returning until 3-January.

Especially in light of recent events here in India, we are looking forward to some R&R there. Some of the things we are looking most forward to are the things we cannot get, see or do here in India. I am sure it will be amazing to see the kangaroos and koalas, and places we've seen so many times in photos like Darling Harbour, the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. Sydney's New Years celebration will be spectacular, of course. How about a McDonald's cheeseburger?? But I am honestly most looking forward to simply being out and about as a family. Grabbing a cup of coffee (oh, how we miss the coffee) and strolling around in public is something we take for granted back home and is one of the things you just cannot do here. Oh, and did I mention a McDonald's cheeseburger?

A little bit of spice...

2008-11-28T02:33:00.000-08:00

One time, back in Saratoga, we ordered Chinese food over the phone and asked for a dish "not hot", which they misunderstood as "hot, hot"! Our eyes are still watering from that one, but I can see how it might happen.

It is a completely diferent story here. Never, ever, ask, "is it spicy"?, because the answer will always be, "no", but the reality will always be yes. This is not a misunderstanding, or a product of the language barrier. In India, they have pallets that have grown so accustomed to the sometimes insanely spicy food, that are nearly immune to all but the highest levels of heat! As a result, in order for food to taste at all interesting, it must be ladden with spice. Simple.

I am proud of how far we have come down the path toward being broadminded with respect to a variety of food tastes. Even Taylor, the last hold out, has inched along!

There is virtually no food here in India which is free of spice. At least a little bit of spice. They even throw some heat into, brace yourself, CHOCOLATE!!!

Goat Keeper

2008-11-28T01:37:00.001-08:00

Did you know that goat meat is called chevron? Of course, we all know that they provide milk. Their hides are also a valuable asset. Best of all, they are one of the easiest livestock to feed as they are not at all fussy eaters.

They are super fertile too! They begin reproducing ("kidding") at less than one year old and their gestation is just 5 months long. Each female goat produces, on average, 2 kids per year! Baby goats average just 7 pounds.

Can you imagine that more goats live here in the state of Karnataka, than their are people in Los Angeles, the most populous state in America (about 4 million)!

Goat keepers usually are not land owners, so they simply roam along roadsides through the day with their herds, grazing on roadsides and fallow land.

It is a simple business, with low overhead! The goats' milk is sold, and, inevitably, the goat itself is sold for it's hide and chevron.

Comments and Christmas Cards

2008-11-27T07:00:00.000-08:00

Entering our 6 month already (can you imagine?), and only 2 people have left a comment on our blog!! It might not be obvious how to leave a comment, but it is quite simple and I love it because I get an e-mail notification on my Blackberry when it happens, very exciting! You will see a little 0 Comments text next to the post time at the bottom of each post. If you click on it, it will allow you to leave a comment. Please do, we really enjoy it!

Remember... all mail (cards and correspondence only... no packages) sent to our Saratoga address gets forwarded to us weekly here in India. So please, please, please send those holiday cards! We look forward to seeing them!

Patnodes are safe and sound.

2008-11-26T20:28:00.002-08:00

Just a quick post to let everyone know that the Patnodes are all safe and sound here in India. It is a scary situation in Mumbai, which is about 500 miles from us here in Bangalore. Pat was actually in Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay) most of last week on business! Wow, India was such a peaceful place until the Patnodes arrived. More to come on this, but just wanted all to know we are just fine.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Playmates

2008-11-24T03:53:00.000-08:00

Andrew and his friend, Nehal, playing a pickup cricket game in front of our house on Sunday morning. A very common site here in Bangalore… if you are short a few players, it’s all hands on deck. Drivers, maids, gardeners anyone will do.

How about a couple of on duty security guards?

Looks like they are enjoying the diversion!

2008-11-22T02:15:00.000-08:00

Challu, having been to a weekend wedding, arrived at our house with her hand covered in henna tattoo.

The henna tattoo is extremely common in India. It is called mehndi It is custom for the bride (and sometimes groom) to have elaborate tattoos applied prior to the wedding. Each female guest also gets the treatment!! Many times scores of tattoo artists are brought in to apply the henna for big weddings. It is also popular for celebrating a new baby, birthday gatherings as well as other festivals here. The henna stains the skin cells and never fades. It disappears only when each layer of stained skin has been exfoliated. It can last weeks or even months!

Lauren was enamoured by it and the next day Challu brought some henna for Lauren's hand as well.

Road Work

2008-11-22T00:27:00.000-08:00

Always watch where you are walking in India. Words to live by. The many animals (and humans) taking care of their business right on the roads is the least of it, really.

In addition, there are just some things that you would just have to see to believe... A full grown tree smack dab in the middle of the road, why not??

25 square feet of missing sidewalk, no sight of any workers, caution tape, not even an orange cone!

Perfectly suited...

2008-11-20T02:21:00.000-08:00

Pat, with his new aerodynamic frame, was in desperate need of some new clothes. Harish would hear none of our talk of off the rack clothes for Pat. He knows a great tailor down on commercial street. So away we went.

Harish went to jockey for a parking spot, and sent us down this alley...

A small man in a purple shirt appeared and sat Pat down in a folding chair with a pile of brochures from suit manufacturers (Hugo Boss, Brooks Brothers...etc...).

Check out Lauren, sitting on a metal stool, with a naked electrical wire hanging inches from her... also see the jagged broken glass in the display cabinet on the right!! Even in the jaws of peril, she is successfully doing what??? Let's take a closer look...

Yes, she has become a pickpocket!!

After selecting a style, it was time to measure up... Lauren has been moved inside to a safer location. The tailors assistant thinks she is too cute!

Measurements in hand, he instructed us, "mere pichhe aye"... hindi for "follow me". So off we went, following his purple shirt through the streets for 6 city blocks. We lost him a few times,

But finally arrived at a Muslim fabric shop, where we picked out the suit fabric...

As well as fabric for his kurtas!

All eyes were on the tallying of the bill!!

Harish made sure they had each others mobile number...and that was that. Send your driver in 3 days time and your goods will be finished!!! We will definitely be making more visits to Commercial Street!

If you need your saree polished...

2008-11-20T00:37:00.000-08:00

Raghu Dry Cleaners! Notice "Saree polish done here"... well, there you have it. If I need my saree polished and with 24 hours delivery, I should look up Raghu.

This must be Raghu... looking very busy...

Boy with cricket bat...

2008-11-18T04:05:00.000-08:00

Andrew spotted this boy wandering down a village side street, toting around his cricket bat. It's one of my favorite snapshots so far. It is already hanging on our living room wall!

Odd Jobs

2008-11-16T09:16:00.000-08:00

You might think, while checking out our blog, that I spend lots of time searching for these obscure photo ops! The truth is, this is what life is like here in India, aside from the highly segregated communities like ours (and there are very, very few of them), the streets are peppered with people going about their business of the day. Nothing at all you see surprises you after a while. So many things are heart breaking and heart warming at the same time. If this place can't change your outlook on life, I am not sure what can. Here are just a few Bangaloreans hard at work...

This guy pushes his cart up and down airport road all day selling what? Who knows!

One of my favorites, what could this guy be doing??

He sells buckets which locals use to collect drinking water. Over 100 buckets on a bicycle!!! They sell for 40 rupees each (about 50 cents USD) and if you trade in recyclables, he will give you a credit.

How about 2 barefoot guys on a horse drawn cart, making a delivery!

Wrapping paper or greeting cards anyone??
What do you think the number 12 on the chalkboard means?? How many coconuts he has sold today or the time he will take his lunch break?

Maybe it's the number of kilos this backpack weighs...

OK, drum roll, please... my very favorite!!! 100 dozen eggs, a motorcycle and heavy traffic on a weekend afternoon. No problem!!

Just out for a Sunday ride...

2008-11-16T07:50:00.000-08:00

I inadvertently took some video with our camera last week when we were on Commercial Street having a suit made for Pat (separate blog to come on that!)and I realized that sometimes video says so much more than a still shot. Today I took this video from the window of the truck on our way into the city. Bear with it, we slow way down about 10 seconds into the video and you can get a feel for the street life here.

We headed to the Forum Mall. The last time Pat had the kids at Forum, it was after he took them to see the India/Australia Test Cricket Match and Taylor promptly tossed her cookies all over the McDonald's dining room! Into our 5th month here, and we finally made a street vendor food purchase! This guy was selling some yummy snack for 10 rupees, about 20 cents USD, (ok, I admit it, I did not actually try it, but Pat and the kids say it was yummy)...

We did go to McDonald's, and thankfully, nobody threw up.

Have you seen those huge lollipops in the windows of candy stores? Who actually buys those?? I mean, what kind of parent cares so little about the oral hygiene of their precious children??

The kind of parent that needs to keep 3 kids occupied for half an hour while her husband is shopping in the Apple store!! Just for the record, the kids only got through about 10 percent of these before they willingly tossed them in the trash!

Funeral Procession....

2008-11-13T04:12:00.000-08:00

I am sure it is not called a funeral procession, but this is how the dead are honored... the corpse is carried through the streets, nearly a mile... decorated with thousands of fresh flowers and followed by friends and relatives. The body is then taken and burned to ashes. We came upon this procession on the airport road right here in Whitefield.

Sati is the practice through which widows are voluntarily or forcibly burned alive on their husband's funeral pyre. It was banned in 1829, but had to be banned again in 1956 after a resurgence. There was another revival of the practice in 1981 with another prevention ordinance passed in 1987 . The idea justifying sati is that women have worth only in relation to men. This illustrates women's lack of status as individuals in India . This still happens here, if you can imagine it. It is a small article in the India Times when it happens, very matter of fact, and always says "widow jumped into the pyre". No investigation, no charges, that's it! Wow.

Whew!! Our disk is safe and sound...

2008-11-09T18:43:00.000-08:00

The disk containing all of the underwater photos from our vacation has arrived safely from Bandos Island!! Whew! As you can imagine, these are some pictures that would be impossible to replace... By the the way, I take credit for nearly all the pictures taken in our family, HOWEVER, I must admit that Pat was in full control of the underwater camera... mostly because I was way too scared of being eaten by a shark or drifting off to sea to be distracted by a camera! There are about 300 total reef pictures, I will spare you that, but these are some of them!

Hanuman - The Monkey God

2008-11-06T02:57:00.000-08:00

We came upon this man, just strolling out on the city streets. For a few rupees he was all too happy to pose for me!

He is dressed as Hanuman, known as the Monkey God.

Embodiment of strength and tenacity, Hanuman, the mighty ape that aided Lord Rama in his expedition against evil forces, is one of the most popular idols in the Hindu pantheon. Believed to be an avatar of Lord Shiva, Hanuman is worshiped as a symbol of physical strength, perseverance and devotion.

On Saturdays and Tuesdays many people keep fast in honour of Hanuman and give special offerings to him. In times of trouble, it is a common faith among Hindus to chant the name of Hanuman or sing his hymn "Hanuman Chalisa" and proclaim "Bajrangbali Ki Jai" — "victory to thy thunderbolt strength". Once every year — on the full-moon day of Chaitra (April) at sunrise — "Hanuman Jayanti" is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Hanuman. Hanuman temples are among the most common public shrines found in India.