Latina Representation in Bangalore

Johanna and I went to a wonderful party where many of the Latina women living in Bangalore were present. I was thoroughly amazed at the representation from all the countries. Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Guatamala, Mexico, Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Spain and more. Very few of the women were from the same country. It was a fun outing and I met a lot of ex-pats. The food was excellent and the entertainment was unbelievable. Unbelievable as in I would have never believed anyone if they told me that 3 Indian guys in Bangalore would be entertaining us singing country, rock, and salsa music while wearing cowboy hats. They sounded really close to the actual artists - reminded of wedding singers.

Agra Fort and Baby Taj

The history of the Taj Mahal is linked to the Agra Fort and "Baby Taj". No trip to the Taj Mahal would be complete without visiting these other two monuments. The Agra Fort was where the emperor's son imprisoned his father before he could spend all the money in the treasury on the infamous "black taj".

From the above tower in the Agra Fort, the emperor lived the last 7 years of his life. The tower was complete with a view of the Taj Mahal - the tomb the emperor had built as an expression of his love for his late wife, the queen.

Click Here for Photos of Agra Fort

Click Here for Photos of "Baby Taj"

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal was truly a wonderful site to see. What made the trip even more impressive was the history behind all the buildings in Agra: the Taj Mahal, the Agra Fort and the "Baby Taj". Click Here for Taj Mahal

Very Large Statue of Hindu God

Right behind a toy store is a huge statue of the Hindu God, Lord Shiva. Shiva is one of the principal gods in the Hindu religion. He is often referred to as the destroyer. This statue is about 50 feet tall and definitely the biggest one I have seen in India although I am told there is another larger. We happen to pass by during the Diwali Festival at which time thousands of people in Bangalore go to pray to Shiva.

Annual Sports Event

We attended the final day of the company's Annual Sports Event. Eric was asked to speak at both the opening and closing ceremony. The main events included soccer, cricket, and volleyball for the men. The women also had teams for volleyball, soccer and a dodgeball style of game. The children had a lot of fun. I played on the management team. My wife commented that everytime I caught the ball during the cricket match everyone cheered. Apparently I impressed a few Indians by my quickness. Of course, they didn't know I played many years of baseball growing up. Nonetheless, I played the best defense I could with almost no practice for last 10 years. I did have to pay a price - I was sore for two days after.

Johanna was impressed by some of the soccer players who were wearing Argentina jerseys.

Tourist Attraction for the Indian Tourists

During our trip to Agra and Delhi, I soon realized I and many other tourists were part of the "attraction" or site seeing for the Indian tourist. These people obviously don't get out much. I think Sarah had here picture taken more by other people than by me. After about the fifth time, I finally took a picture of me posing for picture with the India Tourist at the Gandhi Memorial in Delhi. However, my favorite pose was at the Agra Fort where Caleb had fallen asleep in my arms. I was tired from carrying his dead weight for the last 30 minutes and decided I need to sit down and rest. I sat down on a raised area of marble, when a man with his camera approached me asking if he could have one quick photo of his daughter (about 10 yrs. old) sitting next to me.

In addition, as a family we were a novelty for the Chinese tourists. Johanna noticed it when we first walked into the hotel in Delhi. A family with 3 children was quite the attraction for the Chinese tourists who quickly took out their cameras. Then again at the Taj Mahal, Johanna, Sarah and the boys were quickly surrounded by a group of Chinese tourists. Once again the cameras came out.

Excuse me, why are you talking Hindi to me, do I look Indian???

If I only had a dollar for every time someone asked Johanna, "What part of India are your from?" or just started talking Hindi. During our trip to Delhi and Agra, it was even more prevalent. Just about everyone we came in contact with including drivers, guides and not to mention most of the locals. The funny thing was that she wasn't even wearing one of the Indian outfits she bought here.

The funniest episode was on the train from Agra. Johanna was having trouble with here seat. The kind gentleman behind her started explaining to her in Hindi. I did all I could to not laugh looking at the blank look on Johanna's face. Then there was the guy sitting at the table next to ours in the restaurant. He proceeded to ask Johanna in Hindi which part of India she was from. Our guide quickly came to rescue.

BEST FRIENDS STICK TOGETHER

Here in India, when you find a best a friend in life you don't want to let go. This may seem strange for American culture but here in India, it's okay to hold hands, hug - but not kiss, your best friends since elementary school. Talk about culture shock!!

Diwali Festival in India

The Diwali Festival is a Hindu celebration that brings with it many other fun and exciting activities. Often referred to as the festival of lights, it quickly becomes a cross between 4th of July and Christmas. While we didn't decorate the house with lights, we did take advantage of the fireworks and good food.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Despite being thousands of miles from the spirit of Halloween, the children were able to enjoy Halloween in this small neighborhood. In fact the Indian children have realized what fun it can be running from house to house asking for candy.

The Subtle Differences...

Sometimes it is the subtle differences that catch your eye. Take for instance sugar in India. When we first went shopping, it seemed the best place to buy flour, sugar and salt was in the bulk foods section of the grocery store. The sugar looked a little more granular than sugar in the US. Nonetheless, I just accepted it and hoped it would taste close to the same as back home.

Then one day, someone mentioned to us to check the Tea and Coffee section for the fine ground sugar like in the US. The next opportunity I had to go shopping, I checked and sure enough there it was in a yellow, ziplock, airtight, sealed bag half the size of the smallest bag of sugar you can buy in the US and twice as much. Perhaps the greatest piece of marketing on that bag is a small phrase, "Sugar - the way the world loves it." That is, except for the 1 billion plus Indians. Sometimes seeing all the subtle differences, I wonder if I am still on the same planet or perhaps in some weird Twilight Zone episode. "India is a unique place" was the gross understatement I heard on the travel channel during one of my trips. And yet you still find ways to love and enjoy every minute of it!!!

What Goes Up, Must Come Down!

WHOA!! Don't worry, it is not a real person. We are in India, not the middle ages. As you drive through Bangalore, these guys hang out at just about every construction site - definitely the small to midsize construction sites. Now you may be wondering what are these "others". Could they be building scarecrows? Our driver told us that they wrap the safety belts around the "dummy" and drop him to test the line. Better him them I say! That brings up another question, hmmm I wonder if there are building inspectors in India?

Language Barrier

If you think English is a common language among UK, USA and India, you may think otherwise on a visit to India. It is plenty difficult to understand "English" and yet I have been speaking it all my life. Trying to understand someone with limited or broken English such as the gardener is even more challenging. Often times, I am not sure if he is speaking English or Kannada. Nevertheless, the language barrier comes out even in the written form. Take for instance the "Super Speciality Hospital" or another one of my favorites is the "beauty saloon" or the "chit company".

At work, a common phrase used to ask or require someone to do something while not being forceful is "please do the needful". That compares to my stern American phrases, "just do it" or "just get it done". Now I do try to soften my American phrases from time to time with a "please".

What Does He Eat?

So the more I look at these pictures, I wonder what was I thinking getting so close to this spider. Obviously, the forest will have a greater abundance of insects for this guy to munch on.

However, this guy is big enough to take on a mouse!

More Zoo Picks

The Zoo has a lot more to see. Here are some other pictures. All of the animals were in cages except for the spider spotted by Joe (guy from work that went with us to the zoo).

Click Here to See Zoo Picks

Elephantitis

One of the fun things to do at the zoo is to go see the elephants. One of the elephants has been trained to accept money and in return will tap his trunk on your head. The Indians love their elephants - one of their main gods here is part elephant so you can imagine what a novelty it is to have an elephant "bless" you with his trunk. For us of course, there were mixed emotions. Joshua refused to get close to the elephant. Caleb didn't care for the experience either and gave out a scream. Johanna went for it and I don't know if she pulled back or what but the elephant completed missed her head. Sarah had no complaints just the well-mannered look when she is in hands of strangers.

And You Thought You Came from a Big Family...

The Hippo family was a cool thing to watch at the zoo. I never realized the hippos were this big. You watch them on PBS, Nature or Discovery in the wild but they are usually in the water or you don't see them to scale until you actually see them in person. This animal is big!!!

The Bear Necessities

Also at the Wildlife Reserve was a Bear Safari. Sarah enjoyed the front seat on this one and almost got up front and personal with a bear. But our driver - Sunil - shown below was quick to shut the window. Thank you Sunil!! The driver of our bus was also quick to shut his window. The children got the most amusement out of watching the bears run in front, along side and behind the safari vehicle.

Safari-rific and Zoo-pendous

We went to the Tiger Safari and Bannarghatta Zoo here in Bangalore. It was great! The have some big tigers!! The white tiger is quite the show off and posed for the cameras while others you could have walked up to and touched.

My Long Lost Ancestors!?!?

From time to time, I wondered where did the "Gillies" name come from. Of course, we know how the Taylor, Smith and Baker families received their names. However, what did a "Gillies" family do 500 years ago? I have searched high and low - okay not really. I just came across for me one of the most hilarious things related to my family's name on the internet - here in India of all places.

So there I was minding my own business on the internet looking for potential things to do while in India when I stumbled across a website.

"JLR’s Bheemeshwari Fishing Camp is a perfect base for anglers in pursuit of the Mighty one. The fishing season here is during the months of November, December, January and February. Guests are provided with a local guide or ‘gillie’ for every two visitors. Gillies help anglers with their knowledge of the waters and are experienced fishermen themselves. They also are adept at using the coracle boats (native, circular boats made out of buffalo hide) and can move guests from place to place in the waters."

So there you have it. The Gillies Family are local fishing guides in India. I was curious to know if this was a local language or an english term. So my journey quickly turned to Webster's Online Dictionary:

Etymology: Scottish Gaelic gille & Irish giolla youth, gillie
1 : a male attendant on a Scottish Highland chief; broadly : ATTENDANT
2 chiefly Scottish & Irish : a fishing and hunting guide
3 : a shoe with a low top and decorative lacing

Nonetheless, before I leave, I must go and meet some of the local "Gillies" in India.

Busy, Busy, Busy!

One of the things you will notice very quickly in Bangalore is that it is a very busy place. People, traffic, shops and cows. As you drive through the city, it becomes too difficult to pickup on everything that is going on around you. Therefore I have quickly learned to keep my camera phone out and ready.

Here are couple of quick snaps for the week.

The small to medium sized business are still king in India. However, there are a couple of large malls. I am still amazed they can fit all of the signs on some of these buildings.

Did I Forget To Mention...

Dear Johanna,

I may have forgot to mention one small detail about India. Please forgive me.

Okay....So on Sunday afternoon, Johanna comes running from the kitchen. I'm not sure what is going on and of course she can't speak because she is in shock. As I go into the kitchen, low and behold, not only did we bring home the "mysterious white hot dog" but there on the wall is a three inch cockroach similar to the one in our other post.

Click below to watch the live action.

On Monday, I showed the maid. She chuckled. Then she looked at my wife and said, "ma'am, you afraid? Every home in India have 30. Kids catch with hands" and she motioned with her hand. She added, "we have spiders too." This just added to Johanna thoughts and she became even more nervious. I have to admit, I am not a bug lover either.

Church in India

As a family, we enjoy going to church on Sunday. There are three small branches. The first week, Eric took us to one that was close to the apartment he stayed in on his short trips. The other weeks, we have been going to the branch that we correspond to geographically. Here is the link if you want to know more about the church in India. http://www.lds.org.in/ The lovely thing is that the church is the same here in India. (No pictures yet.)

Why Do We Eat It?

Thank you, Johanna! For all of you who read my post about "Why Do I Eat There", you would have read my sarcastic comment about the "mysterious white hot dog". Johanna surprised me yesterday by bringing home the one and only "mysterious white hot dogs" for dinner. Just waking up at 6:30pm, dazed and unaware, I stumbled into to kitchen where Johanna was preparing dinner. As she removed the lid from the pan, I gave out a yell - ahhh!!??

For those of you who might feel how lucky we are to be exploring a new culture and new place. There is a price to pay. The diet is the first thing to be sacrificed. Why did we eat, the "mysterious white hot dog" last night? Because there was no other meat in the store. So when you are eating dinner tonight, please remember us.

Monkey Temple

I decided it was time we ventured out of our gated comunity into the real India. I wanted to see some Hindu Temples around our neighborhood. There must be one every other block, Some temples are very small and close to businesses. Click Here to View Slideshow. They are just a little room open to the street and people can go inside for quick prayers on the way to work (my guess). Inside you can find a figurine representing one of the many Gods of the Hindu religion. The ones we went to visit are bigger buildings. In these kind of temples the Hindus perform "Puja" which is a prayer or ritual to worship their Gods. The driver took us to several temples but they are only open in the mornings and evenings. So we were only able to take pictures of the exterior. Which is a good thing because I had the children with me and visiting these places during the day was weird enough, visiting them at night could be a little too much for their impressionable minds. There was one temple that was open and was worth visiting: the temple for the monkey god Hanuman. To enter the temple people remove their shoes. This day in particular the temple was almost empty but the priest told me that on Saturdays they can get as much as 1500 visitors. They believe that the monkey god will bring them good luck during the week. If you want to learn more about Hanuman click here. Inside there were many altars and fires, and we got the chance to see "Puja". Overall it was a very strange experience because everything is so different from our western cultures, but I enjoyed it and I am glad to have had the chance to see it :)
Check the "picture of the week" at the bottom of this page.

Why Do I Eat There?

One of the major difficulties working the night shift is the lack of food options. All but two restaurants close at the food court after 11:00 pm. Last week walking back from the food court with a couple of my co-workers, we came across a disgruntled customer lying on his back in complaint over the lack of options. I just had to take a picture. After seeing this, Johanna asked me, "why do you eat there?" There are many reasons. The excitement of the unknown. The thrill of staring death in the face and surviving. No need for laxatives. The mysteriousness of Indian food like the veg burger or the white hot dog. You have to love the offshore life!

Don't Judge a Person by the Size of their Banana

Walking through the produce section in India you will quickly stop and say, "wow, look at the size of those bananas." But don't judge these by their size alone. They are just as tasty. In fact, they are perfect for the children, especially our little one. They fit just right in her little hands and we don't waste half a banana on the floor.

The Garden City

Click here to view a slide show of the plants around the house.

Bangalore is a wonderful garden city. Especially during this time of the year when the rain drops are falling daily and flowers are in bloom each morn. This home must have atleast 100 different plants, trees and bushes that surround it.

Wedding Receptions

We have been to two wedding receptions. Ironically, they are very similar to ones in the US. You walk up, say congratulations to the bride and groom, take a few pictures, grab a bite to eat, say hello to a few people you know, and then leave.

I am really glad I went to the weddings because I was able to mark off a couple of items on my list of "Things to do Before I Leave India". One of those is eating off of a banana leaf. The food is spicy but the rice (which I didn't capture in the photo) is usually plentiful and not that hot.

Sarah doesn't have any trouble meeting new people at the weddings. This is nice because Mom and Dad get a chance to eat and talk with others. Here she is at Sayed's wedding reception with some of his extended family.

Culture Shock Moment No. 1,001

When you visit another culture you always do your best to learn about the unique differences before you go, so as not to embarrass oneself. Well, our villa sits on the edge of the subdivision. Just on the other side of the wall is a small dirt road. Adjacent to the road is a small concrete building under construction - almost finished. The other day we heard a band playing in the distance and the music became progressively cheerful as the band marched down the path. With the drums and flutes playing a merry tune, Johanna ran to the back, 2nd story patio to see. In the distance, she could see a group of men carrying a large flowery altar-like structure. Flowers are very common during "puja". Her first reaction was that they must be finished with the construction enough to perform "puja" on the building. So she proceeded to call to the boys, "Joshua, Caleb come quick, see the parade."

By the time I arrive on the patio, the band is walking down the path adjacent our villa with the beautiful flower petaled structure in hand. Johanna is clapping to the music, tapping her feet and surely with a smile. In the meantime, I grab out the camera phone and snap a picture of this special moment. Then in an instant Johanna stops, turns around to me and says, "Eric, there is a dead body in the flowers." huh!!!?? We retreated to our villa in embarrassment.

Side note: Had we been able to see far enough down the path and waited long enough, we would have watched the beautiful flower structure aflame as they cremated the body. Also, the picture has been omitted out of respect for the deceased.

When it rains, it pours!

Despite the heavy rains, we have managed to stay dry. The rain falls about everyday in Bangalore during the month of August and September. The daily check of the weather includes walking outside to look at the clouds and the ground. There are usually two forecasts - dark clouds means rain is on its way or sunny skies with a wet grounds means you have some time to do your shopping before the next storm. The storms do not have a lot of lightning or thunder like the storms in Arizona but the rain does come quickly.

First Impressions

We have quickly found out how much everyone adores children. Sarah especially is enjoying being picked up frequently by perfect strangers as we go to church, weddings and work. Caleb and Joshua are not as fond of the constant cheek pulling. With adorable faces like these who wouldn't want to pull their cheeks.