It's The People

Today I decided to take another one of "muse walks" and just see what's going on in my neighborhood. I grabbed my camera and decided to walk the "100 foot, CMH loop"--a favorite walking path of the expat walkers (thank you, Todd) which takes you on a nice one-hour walk--approximately 3 miles--around some of the neighborhoods in central Banglore--Indira Nagar, Cambridge Layout, and Ulsoor. On the route you will see everything from cows to coconuts; smell everything from freshly steamed sweet corn to auto rickshaw exhaust; hear everything from fluted Indian music to noisy car horns; an assault on the senses but an amazing experience nonetheless.

After living in India now for over 10 months I must say that my favorite part of this experience has got to be the Indian people. Being a blonde caucasian I stand out easily which still seems to fascinate people--it's like they're not sure who or what I am. They often stare, which at first bothered me. I thought they must think I am a threat to them or that I was trouble, but then I figured out what to do--I smile. When they see me smile I see their faces soften, their eyes glimmer, and their brilliant white teeth peek out of their mouths as a gentle smile comes to their face. It's wonderful!

Everywhere I go I continue to meet amazing people--warm, sincere, polite, and oh so friendly--and when they see my camera they know that I am just as interested in them as they are in me. Kids will come running to me yelling "Hi!" and "Me! Me!", waiting for me to take their picture as they stand and pose, showing me their best angle. Most of the time I don't need to say much... in fact, today I didn't speak a word to any of the people in my pictures--I didn't need to... just that simple smile, hand wave, or a quick salam (done by touching your forehead and bringing your hand down) is all that's needed to communicate in a universal language.

I have only 53 days left in India--and what an adventure it has been. I've still got a couple of trips left--one to Nepal & Katmandu in two weeks (some fresh air in the Himalayas!), as well as a week-long trip to Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia with some of the expats--but then I pack up for home at the end of October. So I will continue to soak-in the experiences during my last two months... each experience, each person, each memory another page in my book as my world gets bigger and bigger.

I am so grateful for this experience.

Namaste.

Bannerghatta Safari

Another place I visited when my friend Tom was here in July was Bannerghatta National Park and wildlife preserve in southern Bangalore. The 25,000 acre park is home to panthers, lions, tigers and a large variety of birds, and offers several different safari packages to the interested tourist.

Tom and I decided to head down there for a day and found all sorts of interesting sights. We bought our tickets for the Lion & Tiger safari and decided to walk around the premises beforehand. Much to our surprise there were some elephants walking through the park and their guides were nice enough to stop and let us meet the elephants on their way! We also got to experience a wide variety of monkeys (and their crazy antics!) as we walked around the lake and circled the zoo area.

In the zoo were a variety of snakes, birds, and other animals. I was amazed at how clean the zoo looked (after hearing reports that the zoo was rather shabby) and the variety of exotic birds and other jungle animals was quite interesting. The safari was incredible--we saw male and female lions, both gold tigers and white tigers, and got to ride in a bus with a whole group of kids from a local school. It was a blast! My favorite part was seeing the white tigers...beautiful. In fact, we were so close to them that they were only an arm's reach away--amazing!

After the safari, I introduced Tom to a drink of fresh coconut juice and a bite of the "meat" inside of it--I think he realized just how different it really is from the processed output we are accustomed to in the U.S.--but I love it! Plus fresh coconut juice is good for the body. Check the online photo gallery for more snaps.

All-in-all the trip to Bannerghatta was well worth the noise and hassle of traffic--a short ride for an amazing adventure, and all just a quick trip on the other side of Bangalore. Even though there might not be lions and tigers, you might be surprised about the things that are just outside of your backyard, I know I was!

Peace.

Bangalore Walks

This weekend I went on a tour of Bangalore with Bangalore Walks, a journey through 500 years of history in 4 hours. This tour is one of the most popular among overseas visitors and expats, and is not a sightseeing tour--rather, it is an interactive introduction to Indian culture in parts of Bangalore that most expats (and even locals!) are unlikely to have visited. It includes short walks, along with portions driven by an air-conditioned bus, and moves from point-to-point over the 4-hour period. The tour was followed by a fantastic lunch at Ebony, a restaurant on the 13th Floor, a local favorite spot.

Andi, Mike, and Michael (from Target) joined me along with several other international expats and visitors from the Bangalore Expat Club (BEC) for this enlightening tour of old and new Bangalore and its rich history. It included visiting the legacies left behind by the British, French, and other nations of the world. India has been a foundation for so many of the world's influences--from the exportation of exotic spices, to being the home of a young Winston Churchill. Many battles have been won and lost on Indian soil, and if Napolean would have made it past Egypt to India in 1799, Indians may very well be speaking French today. Je trouve cela incroyable!

One of the most fascinating parts of the tour was visiting a Hindu temple and learning more about the different customs and traditions of Hinduism. Since 80% of population of India are Hindus, I wanted to learn more about the foundations behind their belief system. It was interesting to learn that Hinduism is not as much a formal "religion" as a philosophy about tuning into God within you. The Hindu teachings recognize a single God/Source, and view other Gods and Goddesses as manifestations or aspects of that supreme God (sound familiar...?) The Hindu religion brings a tolerance that allows for different stages of worship, different and personal expressions of devotion, and even different Gods to guide your life on this earth. Fascinating. I was once again reminded how so much of spirituality is deeply within us; our religions just manifest this common understanding in different ways. Our physical and emotional bodies may be different, but our spiritual bodies are One--we are cut from the same cloth. And when it comes down to it, isn't that what really counts?

See beyond the body and mind;
see the spirit within each of us.

Namaste.

Another Michael Moves In!

This past week a good friend of mine, another expat from Target and another Michael, moved into Zen Gardens. He arrived from Minneapolis a few weeks ago, cleared his employment Visa, passed customs on his shipment, and his landlord just finished furnishing the apartment. His move was something I've been looking forward to since we both knew that he would be coming to India this year.

Between Michael's arrival at Zen Gardens and the Indian holiday of Sankranthi, the day on which the sun begins its journey northwards, it appeared to be a great excuse, er... I mean reason, to have a little gathering. Michael pressed his favorite kurta (traditional India attire which resembles a robe-like shirt over thin pajama-like pants), and I got to try out my newest kurta shirt--a shorter cut version.

Michael invited one his friends/teammates, Pandu, and his wife, Prasanthi, for some traditional Indian food and a ritual blessing of the new apartment. I walked down the street to the local flowers stands and bought fresh jasmine, marigolds, tuberose, and fresh roses with a water bowl to float them in. This would bring more new life into the space as well as provide a light natural fragrance for the apartment.

Prasanthi made sweet pongal, a traditional Indian dish made with rice, fresh coconut, and various nuts and fruits. It tasted like warm rice pudding--mmmmm. We then all walked down to Ruchi, a local favorite restaurant, and had a wonderful dinner containing a variety of Indian curries, garlic chicken, rice, and vegetables. Indian food is delicious and reminds me of when I lived in Hawaii, but instead of chopsticks you can use your hands. It's very fascinating--a little odd at first, but once you get used to it, feels more natural than anything I've ever experienced. Remember when you loved to eat with your hands as a kid? Well, welcome back to childhood! It's actually quite freeing. One word, however: remember to wash your hands before and after dinner :o)

Happy Sankranthi!

Neighborhood Muse Walk

Recently I decided to walk around my neighborhood and take a closer look at the people, buildings, and colorful culture that surrounds me--well almost surrounds me. My apartment, which is in a gated and sheltered oasis from the realities of the neighborhood, has been built to ensure that its guests won't be surrounded too closely by the realities of Bangalore. So naturally I wanted to experience the dichotomy which exists a few steps away from my front door--something that I'm usually only allowed to observe from the backseat of my chauffeured car.

My apartment building is a complex appropriately named Zen Gardens to attract expatriates, foreign nationals, and other corporate citizens. There are several of us expats living here from Target, Goldman Sachs, IBM, and other multinational corporations. The complex is cleaned and maintained by a crew consisting of gardeners, housekeepers, security guards, and other staff. The main structures of the two buildings were completed just last spring and some of the apartments are still under construction, so our places are new and mostly owned and furnished by local investors. The grounds are quiet, patrolled, and calm.


The view across the street from Zen Gardens is profoundly different. The streets are filled with buses, trucks, cars, motor scooters and motorcycles (referred to as "two wheelers" in India), people of all ages, dogs, cows, goats, and anything else you can think of. Most fascinating are the piles of bricks, rocks and other rubble that line the streets and grace the front step of nearly half of the buildings and houses. Directly to the left of our front gate are several garbage piles where you will always see either a cow, dog, or goat munching on the latest treats. On this day there were a couple of dogs and a goat having an afternoon snack as a woman washed her laundry on the sidewalk (well, there really aren't any sidewalks either--they're just rock slabs lined next to each other... mostly).

I also caught the interest of the local kids who were excited to see a man with a camera taking pictures of animals and garbage, so they naturally started lining up for pictures with their smiles and laughter. Their favorite part is when I would show them their picture on my digital camera--they loved that!

I spent the afternoon just walking, listening, watching, (smelling), and experiencing my neighborhood. My muse walk was enlightening. The contrasts are so clear and powerful you can't help but be instantly moved into a state of introspection.

When I returned to the gates of Zen Gardens I was greeted by the usual 3-4 security guards, the iron gates were opened to me and I was once again welcomed into my protected sanctuary. I suddenly felt a rush of relief and gratitude, yet pangs of guilt and sadness. I felt grateful for the privilege to be experiencing life in India but also selfish for complaining about my water not being hot enough or my fan not keeping me cool. It's all a matter of perspective, but that's exactly what leaving your comfortable environment gives you. That's why I love to travel so much--it always teaches me to be grateful for what I have.

Today I am reminded to be grateful, and that is good.

The Royal Treatment

Today I got the "royal" treatment. My driver, Amith, took me to see Bangalore Palace... the former home of the King & Queen. It was built in 1887 by King Chamaraja Wodeyar and is supposed to be inspired by the Windsor Castle in London. Not only did I get to look around, but I got my own personal guide and tour of the castle. It was amazing. I'd never seen a palace with so many different styles and colors of ceiling tiles! Plus, the last King and Queen to inhabit this palace back the 30s had the coolest circa 1930s art deco furniture--too cool for a medieval-style structure.

Another advantage of having my own personal tour was that I was allowed to not only look at whatever I wanted, but to touch it, open it, explore the different rooms, and also take pictures of whatever I wanted. There were no "velvet ropes" on this tour. My favorite part of that privilege was touching the handmade stools fashioned from, oh I don't know, elephant's feet, perhaps?! Or how about buffalo hooves...? Yeah, this King was decadent. If you'd like to see my whole set of pictures from my personal tour (including the 100 year old elephant head mounted in the main foyer), just click on any of my slide shows and you'll be taken to my Picasa online galleries.

Later after the palace tour, Amith and I went shopping again and I picked-up the last of the Christmas gifts for my family back home in Minnesota. I also went out walking when I got home and explored my neighborhood... too bad I didn't have my camera, but I will take it another time. I would have loved to show you the cow that leisurely sauntered down the middle of the street like she owned it... sheesh! Moooove on over, darlin! (It's funny to watch the cabs and cars honk at them... they could care less). What a life. Happy weekend, all :o)

The Beauty and The Bacteria

This weekend marks my second full week in Bangalore and I can confidently say that this country is truly the "land of contrasts". Everywhere you go you see brand new buildings tucked between dilapidated structures, many of which are perpetually under construction or appear to have been destroyed by some force of nature. Amongst the busy streets, crowded sidewalks and garbage-ridden alleyways exists artists and craftsmen creating beautiful jewelry, clothing, and stringing flowers into lovely pieces of art. Contrast.

My driver, Amith, drove me around the city on Saturday and showed me a few of the parliament buildings, which are beautifully ornate. We saw several government buildings (many of which were built by the British) including the Bangalore State Parliament and the High Court of Karnataka (red building). The size of these building is amazing--reminds me a lot of Europe.

Amith and I continued to drive around the city, stopping to pick up supplies for my new apartment as well as some Indian souvenirs for my family's Christmas box. It's hard to believe that it's Thanksgiving weekend--you wouldn't know it living here! It's 80 and sunny every day (much like it was in Hawaii), so the seasonal calendar is quite obsolete. For Thanksgiving dinner a group of the Target expats, along with other expats and their families, gathered at a local restaurant for a traditional American-style Thanksgiving dinner. They served up a buffet with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetables, and pumpkin pie. It was quite delicious! This dinner was also a great opportunity to meet more expats from other companies and countries.

This past week I've also been "privileged" enough to experience the not-so-good side of living in India. The bacteria. Even though I usually only drink bottled beverages and try to be safe with the foods that I am eating (avoiding cold water-based beverages, ice, and any foods rinsed with water) it is inevitable that you will get sick while you are here. So, I spent two days in bed last week, and had a tough night and day of fever and "Bangalore Belly" this weekend as well. Not so nice. However, I figure that my system will need to adjust to the bacteria, but my immune system is working overtime. Thank goodness for my essential oils! I'm usually through the worst and in the clear within 24 hours. It's much like the 24-hour flu or food poisoning... actually, it is food poisoning... a different type of bacteria that my American body doesn't process. So now I will continue to adapt. Ah, yes--welcome to India.

Namaste.

Let Him Drive You...

Okay, so trust me on this one... you DO NOT drive in Bangalore, your driver does. Why, you ask? Because in Bangalore there are no rules on the road--it's every man, woman, child, auto rickshaw (the yellow-topped buggy in the picture below), motorcycle, motor scooter, moped, bicycle, dog, and cow (yes, cows roam the streets untouched... they are sacred) for him, her, or itself.

The are a few stoplights, but they're not usually obeyed. There are a few traffic policemen, but they're only present on really really busy streets. There are lines painted on the roads (that are paved), but it's apparently for decorative purposes only. I've never experienced so many people moving at so many different speeds and in such close proximity. If you were to reach out your window you can touch the car, bike, or person next to you. Everything is compressed into such small spaces... the roadways are not wide enough to accommodate all of the traffic.

Then there are the horns--a constant cacophony of short and long beeps from cars, motorbikes, scooters, cabs--all signaling to each other, singing in continuous harmony. It reminds me of those trees full of birds in the morning singing their morning songs. Motorscooters (and people) weave in and out of traffic between cars, but everyone seems to know that everyone else is there. Wives, children, friends, brothers--all hop on the bikes for rides, sometimes you will see 4 people on one little scooter.

It's amazing. When traffic stops, people walk between the cars and sell their goods--magazines, fruits, balloons--anything to make some money. In fact, an interesting site on the way to work yesterday was a small girl, maybe only 5 or 6 years old, doing cartwheels, flips, and walkovers between the cars as we stopped for a moment. She would then tap on your window and tap on her mouth, indicating that she'd like you to tip her for her performance. Amazing.

Here is a picture of my current driver, Amith (pronounced "ah-mit"), as he is on loan to me for the next couple of weeks. I will eventually have a permanent driver assigned to me for the rest of the year. On my way to and from work he is teaching me Hindi (the national language of India) and Kannadan (the state language), and I am teaching him words in Finnish and the little Spanish and French that I know. It's totally cool.

Well, off to the Bangalore Expat Club mixer! Week One of work: complete. Week One of living in India: complete as of tomorrow! This place rocks.

A Passage to India

The two days of flying are over and I have arrived in Bangalore safe and sound--hooray! After flying to Chicago; then to Frankfurt, Germany; and finally on to Bangalore, I have adjusted very quickly to the time change. Thanks to Paul Dominski's words of advice (he's my excellent VP at Target--thanks, Paul!), I managed to sleep and stay awake at the right times to beat the shift. I am now 11 1/2 hours ahead of Minnesota time (BTW: that extra 1/2 hour is due to India not wanting to split the country into two time zones...)

My flight into Bangalore was right on time (1:20am), but, alas, the luggage was not. Apparently the luggage door on the airplane was stuck and so we all waited (patiently) for the luggage to arrive. During the wait, all of the lights in the airport went out (power outage), and everyone started clapping and cheering. Wow! Now there's a reaction--they seemed to celebrate! I'm going to like it here :o)

Even though there were a couple of grumblers, most people were content just sitting and waiting. I had on my earbuds listening to Lisa Gerrard, so I was just fine. And, after an hour and half of waiting, the baggage carousel started moving and slowly parcels began to appear. Hey--it was only 3:00 in the morning and after traveling for 2 days, what's the difference?!

Despite the delay of the luggage and a small "snafu" with my Visa in Chicago being delayed, the move to India has been smooth and easy--just the way I knew it would be.

My room at the Oberoi Hotel is absolutely beautiful. The staff is very friendly, the weather is beautiful and sunny (reminds me so much of the climate in Hawaii), and I am very comfortable. I unpacked this afternoon and have been catching up on email. It's nice to have my laptop with me... I feel like I haven't even moved at all! Now to venture outdoors and check out the city.

Namaste :o)

Itinerary Complete. The Date is Coming...

I got my itinerary today. Looks like I am leaving on Wednesday, November 7th at 3:30pm. I will fly to Chicago, then to Frankfurt, and on to Bangalore. Looks like about 18 hours of flying time (not including layovers), so I'm sure glad I'm flying Business Class :o)

Time to keep packing and crossing things off those lists!