Back in Bangalore

I'm back in Bangalore and of course the screwiness begins :)


Yesterday Billie and I went to a crafts fair on MG Road. Seeing as she stays out in Whitefield she hired a taxi through her hotel and came to pick me up. So the taxi driver has been on the job for one week and not only does he not speak English he also doesn't know Bangalore. Lord knows where we would have wound up if we weren't paying attention to the route he was using to get us from the Leela to MG Road. As it was he went past the turn and we had to tell him to make a u-turn. But we did finally make it to our destination.


The crafts fair was pretty cool. It was government sponsored which means the vendors and the quality of the goods has to be a certain standard - in other words they can't tell you something is leather when it's not. So we meandered about the craft fair for a couple of hours - bought some items and decided we had enough.


Our driver was waiting in the parking lot and we get into the car and the engine won't start. Our driver decides he's going to pop the clutch to see if that will work. So he has 3 other guys come over to push the car with Billie and I inside. In the meantime I'm trying to let him know if Billie and I get out of the car it will be a lot easier to push but I might as well have been talking to a brick wall. So the three guys push the car through the parking lot and then out on to the street. Meanwhile the engine still isn't popping over and I'm thinking to myself this is an accident waiting to happen. The driver is coasting down the side street - in the opposite direction of MG Road where we could have found an autorickshaw and an ATM - and Billie and I are just looking at each other. I said to her - it's a good thing this isn't my first or second day in Bangalore because I'd be freaking out - now I'm a seasoned vet so I just take this all in stride. Anyway, about halfway down the block he stops the car - and not over to the side of the road - just in the middle of the block. He gets out - opens the hood and starts fiddling about. We have no idea if he's out of gas - or if something else is wrong and Billie has called her hotel to have them send another taxi and all of a sudden he gets the car started. So off we went - me back to the Leela and Billie back to Whitefield. When I saw her in the office today she confirmed the car made it back without breaking down again.

Always an adventure.

It was nice when I arrived back in the leela to have everyone say how nice it was to see me again - probably lying through their teeth. I'm very upset though because Krishna, my floor butler, now starts work at 8pm and I never see him. Apparently he told the new floor butler all about me though because he's taking pretty good care of me as well.


That's all for now.

Back to Bangalore

So I'm back to Bangalore. Being able to get back to the states was really a godsend. I so desparately needed the break - it was great to be with Chester and for those I didn't get to see it was just insane - between working, the doctor appointments, getting my taxes done etc. I just couldn't do everything.


Then it was off to Dallas for meetings and let me tell you they kept us going morning, noon and night.


I just left Florida last night and am now in London -I've got a meeting with a customer tomorrow and then Friday I'm back to Bangalore. The good news is I get to come home around May 11th so I'm going try and travel as much as I can although most of it will probably be on my own.

Anyone want to come visit??????

And now I site back in the same British Airways lounge I sat in just two months not knowing what I was getting in to. This time I know the drill - will go directly back to my room at the Leela - pass out for awhile and then meet Billie around 2pm to do I have no idea. At least when she leaves on the Ides of March (the 15th for those of you who are challenged) she'll be back on the 24th. I advised her I will no doubt be heading back to the states for good around May 10th. It's certainly been an adventure but I've decided I'm the type of gal who likes to use to Charmin to wipe and wants something that flushes after I go to the bathroom. I'm sure 20 years ago it all would have been so great but now I'm old, cranky and set in my ways. No more 3rd world countries - I'm a western gal.

So the next post will be from India.

A Night of Indian Dance

I'm quite the social butterfly here in Bangalore. Last night I went to see a "cultural" performance of Indian dance. It was pretty cool. I just love the way they use their arms and hands - it's so graceful and beautiful. And then afterward Nicole and Brian were hungry so we went to the mall - well actually since they were on their scooters they went first and then Vick and I met them. Anyway when we walked into the mall I noticed there was Italian Gelato stand and so I got a combination strawberry and lemon sorbet and it was divine. Then we went upstairs to the food court to find Nicole and Brian and they had gone to a stand which they thought said Hot Dog and they got what was the most disgusting looking thing and ate it. Then they looked at the box it came in and it actually said Hog Dog. I wonder if they were sick today :)

Spent a lovely day at the pool. It was beautiful here today but very hot - even me the sun queen had to sit under the umbrella after an hour. Then I went to the gym and here I sit working away and counting down the hours till departure.

Three Days and Counting

Can you tell how excited I am to be coming home. I shall kiss the ground after I get done kissing Chester. Bottom line is no matter how much we complain about our country with all its faults and inequities we still have it better than many other places in this world. Okay - that's enough rah rah America from me.

I shall spend my weekend lounging by the pool weather permitting and am debating about getting one more massage before I leave. 23 hours in coach is not going to be fun and the only reason I'm taking the more indirect route coming home is because Singapore Airlines has an extra inch of seat pitch and leg room and their service, even in coach, is superior to the other carriers. I shall try to remain in an Ambien coma for most of the flight but somehow I don't think that's going to happen.

In addition to looking forward to my capuccino from Peet's I can't wait to hit the boxing gym - see the lads - and hit some bags. Shadow boxing just isn't the same. So what I've been doing while I'm here is something I haven't done in a really long time which is traditional weight lifting, running on the treadmill, the exercise bike and the elliptor machine.

Okay -the next time you hear from me I will be stateside.

Christain Music Anyone

OMG!!!!! So Saturday night I went out with Nicole to hear the band and it turned out that after the first three songs all the rest of the music was Christain Rock - she was mortified - I thought it was pretty funny. I mean if you didn't pay attention to the words the music was not bad. Really the best part was her friend Vivi came with her sister who happenned to be a documentary filmmaker. She was very interesting - about 2 years ago she did a documentary on the Brothels in Mumbai and young girls forced to work in them.

On Sunday I just chilled by the pool all day and went to the gym in the afternoon.

I know you've heard me say this before but I'm going to rethink this whole Leela Palace thing when I'm home. What prompted me is this morning my taxi never showed up and I started thinking the only reason I'm going into the office everyday is because the cost of the internet access in the hotel is so freaking expensive. Not that I have to pay for it but I guess I'm trying to be a good corporate citizen - UGH - should I throw up now?

Okay - have to work - you know folks you can leave a comment for me on these blogs or just email me directly - I appreciate everyone's wise ass comments - just remember my father reads this :)

Raining in Bangalore

Wow - I woke up this morning - didn't even bother to look outside and went directly to the gym which is on the bottom floor of the hotel with no windows. I was there doing my workout for about 90 minutes and came back upstairs only to discover it's raining - not hard - a drizzle but raining nonetheless. So much for my plans to hang out the pool. Hmmm - what to do, what to do... Might just hang out on my balcony and read my book because I don't really think I want to do any shopping. It's supposed to be like this tomorrow as well - at least according to weather.com. It's not like i can turn on the TV and watch the Indian version of the Today Show with Al Roker giving me a weather update.

I'm going to listen to some music tonight at a place called Opus. The woman, Nicole, I met at the expat dinner invited me to come along. I believe there are a couple of guys she knows that play in this band - she said it's American kind of folksy music. I have no idea what that means but I guess I'll find out.

Tuesday night the Overseas Women's Club is having their Professional Women's Group meeting so I'll be attending that. It cracks me up that I'm considered a Professional Woman when the the truth of the matter is you all know I hate the corporate world with a passion and would rather be hanging out with dogs. And don't even get me started on the fact that India is still very much a male dominated chauvanistic pig country - makes my skin crawl. Ya think I'm ready for my break to come home???? (ha-ha)

Random Thoughts

Or as Arsenio Hall would say things that make you go hhmmmmmm

I notice they are always mopping the floor in the various establishments but I never see them with a bucket of water when they are mopping - kind of makes you think they're just pushing dirt around on the floor not too mention making it wet, slippery and dangerous

They have something called elephant showers which is basically when you go on an elephant ride they make sure you go to a stream and then the elephant showers you with their long snout - do you think put a filter in the elephant to make sure the water has been decontanimated???

Well I'll be in Bangalore all weekend most likely hanging out by the pool after the gym and a leisurely breakfast. If I get really brave and don't mind sharing my day with 12 million other people maybe I'll go over to Commercial street and do some shopping since there really isn't anything else to do here.

I'll keep you posted because inquiring minds want to know :)