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.