Spring Has Sprung!

Well, this weekend was surely nothing less than eventful--if there isn't a holiday to celebrate, we'll just create our own! Whereas last weekend consisted of national and international holidays, this weekend was several social events creating all sorts of opportunities to connect with coworkers, charities, neighbors, and friends.

Friday night was the BEC's Black & White Ball held as a benefit for Sukrupa, a school for street kids in India. Besides getting "dressed to impress" in stylish black & white, the night included dinner, dancing, and a silent auction consisting of paintings by the children, fun activities, and even dinner cooked by Barbara, BEC President and Hungarian cook extraordinaire. A group of us from Zen Gardens (or Expat Central, EPC, as we call it) went to the gala affair in our best black & white. Michael Hubbard (now known as "Curly Mike") and I ("Burly Mike") coordinated our black & white Indian kurtas so it gave us a great opportunity to shop for some new Indian formal wear, which is always a perk! Another one of our TTS team members from Minneapolis, Tim, also had a chance to attend the event in an Indian kurta, so that was great. It's always so nice when our HQ team members visit! Hope you had a great trip, Tim :o)


Saturday night brought the EPC Progressive Party--somewhat like a progressive dinner, but just simple drinks and snacks throughout the 8 different apartments we occupy at Zen Gardens, Building A. Every 30-minutes we would rotate to the next apartment, thus giving all the guests an opportunity to view the different apartment layouts, decor, and "warm" each apartment with their cheerful spirit. It was a fun night of conversation, music, laughter and stories, and a wide variety of drinks and snacks. Fun for everyone! I had a great time helping to organize the event and, of course, taking snaps of the entire night--I love being the Paparazzo.

Next weekend Michael, Paul, Will, and I are off to Sri Lanka to do some exploring, and then I'm preparing for a whirlwind tour of central Europe with Mom & Dad on Eurail--I love vacation time. Never a dull moment in the life of this expat :o)

Even though it's sunny at 90 degrees virtually every day in Bangalore, springtime still brings a freshness and feeling of renewal. The change of the season marks the entrance into summer--new flowers bloom, the winds change, and vacations are planned. May this spring renew and refresh you--get outside and soak up the natural beauty of this earth. What a gift!

Happy Spring to All :o)

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!