Wednesday, July 22, 2009
July 2009 Update from Bangalore
Fri., July 10, 2009
Amma and Appa left on the Shetabdi express for Chennai
Alice for playdate
Molly to performance art workshop at Neev 5-7pm
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Made final decision to stay in India for one year.
I went with Molly to her classmate Rishika's birthday party today on Race Course Road near the Chalukya hotel. Badri brought Charlie and Maya to the HAL Airplane Museum.
In the evening, Badri went to an IIT event and I went to Kitty's for a dinner party. Met interesting
Sunday, July 12, 2009
I lost my voice this week. May have been from training three days in a row and flying in an overly air conditioned Kingfisher plane.
Badri brought the kids to KREDL (Karnataka Renewable Energy Development, Ltd.), the alternative energy park which also features a musical fountain. The park shows visitors how energy can be generated from sunlight, wind, and biomass.
Went to the Indiranagar Club with Sangeetha and Tutu for lunch. Their daughters Koyal and Ghazel also came. Very relaxed atmosphere. Good food. People say that the KGA (Karnataka Golf Assoc.) Club has better food, but this is fine for me. Only five minutes walk from our place, too. Badri is hiring a salesperson, Murali, who is going to sponsor us for a one year temporary club membership. I think it'll cost about $250 for the year. There's a pool where kids can take lessons, as well as tennis and badminton lessons.
Tutu and Sangeetha are very happy we're staying. They've been asking why we don't buy a place instead of throwing money away by renting. Prices are down, but our cash is tied up in our Lincoln house.
In the evening went to the movie Ice Age 3. Lots of fun. Kids loved it.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Met with a former Aditi parent for coffee at her house on 13th Main this morning. Lakshmi's son, Gokul, graduated about six years ago and is now teaching at the school. Her husband has a long history of startups in Bangalore and had lots to stay about doing business in India. As Amma said, in not so many words, there's lots of great relationship building and fuzzy feel-good meetings, but it takes a looooong time for this to happen. And often a lot of baksheesh (bribe paid to expedite service) to pay along the way as well.
Later I picked up Molly and her friend Mehma (Mohandish Jolly's daughter) at the ADA Rangamandira on JC Road, where they'd going to see a play. It's the venue for a lot of Bangalore's cultural programs. Of course, Molly would tell me nothing about what she'd seen, and Mehma rattled on about it.
July 14, 2009
Met Jackie for lunch at Mocha on Lavelle Road. That and Claytopia's Bistro are two of my recent favorite places for lunch. You can get a lamb burger at Bistro for 40rs (less than a dollar!) and a chicken salad in pita at Mocha for just a little more. Both ambiences, especially Mocha, are great. Gave Jackie the news that we're staying. She's actually one of the first we told that we were moving back to Boston, and she was the first who had tried her best to talk Badri out of it, saying it'd be good for him to go back and forth for a while to see which--Boston or Bangalore--would be the best.
July 15, 2009
Went for teeth whitening Dr. Ravendra at Manipal. The plastic retainer fitting cost 2000rs, two visits to him 300rs total, and 1500rs for the Opalescence gel to go in the retainers, for a grand total of $76. Badri paid 6000rs, or $120, for one sitting at Dr. Parambi's, with a peroxide whitening gel.
Yesterday I received a text message from Veronique saying that Nina's (Tutu Chengappa's Mom) husband has died. Today I went over to see her and Tutu, to find that it was the house was filled with people coming to extend their condolences. Uncle is Kodagu (from Coorg) so there were dozens of women in all white saris worn Coorgi style, with white long scarves pinned in front. While pausing before Uncle's body, everyone took a small branch of flowers dipped in Cauvery water and wiped it across his lips, giving him his last drink. It's also the custom, Nina auntie told me, to leave money on the tray alongside as well.
The Cauvery River is considered to be a very sacred river of southern India. It originates from the Brahmagiri hill in the Western Ghats in Coorg district of the state of Karnataka. The Cauvery is called the Ganga (Ganges) of the south. Between October and November, depending on the calculation of local astrologers, the Cauvery bubbles up in rebirth. Thousands of pilgrims climb up past Kodagus' coffee estates to the forest covered Western Ghats to cleanse themselves of their sins in the tank built around her holy waters.
I picked up the children at school and we all went to Alla's. She's moved to Vital Mallya Road, across from UB City (up the road from Sunny's restaurant). The kids haven't seen Bruno since he stayed with us over Christmas and they were all excited to see him (as I was!). Amazing apartment consisting of the two top floors in the DeSouza Layout.
July 16, 2009
Met Bev at Fresco's, a cafe inside Hatworks Blvd. on Cunningham Rd. They're moving to North Carolina soon, and she's not very excited about it. Her husband, a Maharastrian, wanted to move to a less polluted place and they'll end up there.
July 17, 2009
Went to Viji's so she could show me and Priti, a new person to town, around to the "must know" places. Went to Mysore Silk where she buys all her material for stitching, Sri Krishna for jewelry (that's where Amma, Badri, and I had picked up some things a few years ago), Clipper Furnishings before Commercial Street for curtain and upholstery material, and last but not least, a shop near the temple intersection on Halasuru Road for sari clips(!).
Went to Aditi to talk with Molly's teachers about how she's adjusting to the new environment.
Molly started a performing arts class at Neev from 5-6:30pm with a woman named Keerthana who's known to be very good with kids and drama. I'd heard about the class from Vini, the mom of Molly's classmate, Mehma.
July 18, 2009
Badri, Charlie, Molly, and I went to visit Janaki Auntie and Babu Uncle while Maya went to Rishika's birthday party. It'd been quite a few months since the kids visited. We have to be super careful about anyone having sniffles or a cough because of Janaki Auntie's decreased immunity.
Big night of jazz at b flat with Kitty, Divya, Irfana, Deepti, and Pamela Leri, who's in town. Badri met up with us a little later.
July 19, 2009
We went to the National Gallery of Modern Art.
Took a walk with Brenda Peden.
July 20, 2009
Nilu came over for a visit.
Went to Veronique's for a playdate with her, Sangeetha, Arti, and Marion and kids.
In the evening, went to Olive Beach with Kitty for a reading by Manreet Sodhi Someshwar of her first book, The Long Walk Home.
July 21, 2009
lunch at Claytopia with Gauri, Keya's mom.
brought Maya to Dr. Sudha because of her coughing.
July 23, 2009
Went to Aditi to attend the first standard curriculum presentation by Nishita and Bhagya, Molly's teachers. Funny moment when the math program, Everyday Math, was introduced, saying it's from the University of Chicago. Lots of parents looked at each other and asked, "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
Molly was staying back for bharatanatyam dance, so I went with Maya and Charlie to the Esteem Mall for the first time, where we had a bite at Pizza Corner.
July 24, 2009
Last time I met with Molly's teachers, they asked if I could come along on the field trip to the Bannerghatta Zoo. So I went today. Molly and I picked up Prekshi (2nd standard was going as well) and we met everyone at the Bangalore Club to catch the bus. It was a long and exhausting day, but a good chance to see the kids Molly's been talking about, and get the know the teachers a little better.
At the end of the day, brought Prekshi home with us and she stayed here to play, have snack and dinner. Usually it's her big sister Pragya who we have over, since she's Maya's classmate. In the car on the way back from the club, Prekshi pointed to my cheek and asked, "What are these?" "Wrinkles," I told her. "Your mom doesn't have them because she has nice Indian skin and is much younger than I am," I said, smiling.
July 24, 2009
Molly went to her performing arts class at Neev today. I asked her if she prefers dance on Thursday at school, or this drama class, and she prefers the latter. I think she must really enjoy going back to the place she spent a good part of her day over the last four years. Such a warm and cozy atmosphere, where teachers have had time to get to know everything about you. I think the transition to Aditi has been tougher for her than for Charlie. Charlie joined in his prep, or kindergarten, year, while Molly's coming in to Aditi to first grade with 33 other kids who have already been together for a whole year. And based on what Maya said about her first year at Aditi, in second grade, kids were none too kind to her at first.
July 25, 2009
Maya went to Pragya's for a playdate, and had lunch there with her and Lakshya. Today I found out that lots of kids in 4th, and even in 2nd, are already on Facebook. I think it's too young.
Went to a party in Sadashivanagar with Charlie for his classmate Shiel. Quite a blow out for this five year old! Bouncy castle, tattoo artist, fully catered lunch, at least 100 people. His mom, Shruti, is very nice, and his dad, Sanjith, has a renewable energy company called Soham. They've just launched a big hydroelectric project near Jog Falls, one of Southeast Asia's largest waterfalls. Met Claire, the mom of Charlie's classmate Manu. Claire is French and Manu's dad is Kannadiga. They've settled down here in India, living in Malleswarm, one of the oldest and most traditional neighborhoods of Bangalore. Caught a ride home with Gauri, since I'd sent the car back so Appa and Molly could go on a date.
Tonight we went to Kitty's for a Michael Jackson party. Also there were Sarayu, Divya and Vinod, Deepti and her husband, Yamini and Vinoo, and Irfana and Roshan. The big news is that Divya and Vinod may be moving to Colombia!! Roshan and Vinoo, two fellow Kodava's, met each other for the first time. There's a distinct resemblance from one Coorgi to the next.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Went to the children's park in the morning followed by the customary dosa meal. Then went to Ulsoor lake to take a boat ride, have popcorn, and run around the park. Lovely time. But you can really see the algae bloom in the color of the lake. Things will be even worse once Ganasha Chaturthi comes and all the Ganesh's are submerged in the lake.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Maya stayed home sick from school with a high fever.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Maya home again. I went to Bannerghatta for a training at vmware for 16 people, Developing a Global Mindset.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Maya home yet another day, now with sore muscles and what seems like a heavy asthmatic cough. I brought her to see Dr. Chinnappa.
July 31, 2009
Maya's 4th day home. Doctor requested blood tests. Maya hates getting poked.
Went to Elbit for a DEXA, bone density test where they check hip, wrist, and spine.
Molly went to performing art at Neev, and Badri and I went out to celebrate our 12th anniversary. It's the silk anniversary, and Badri gave me a beautiful sari. Went to the tapas restaurant in Ulsoor, then upstairs in the same building to a Thai place for dinner. Had a really nice evening out.
