Shopping for Wheels?

Loyal readers are probably aware that we bought a car a couple of months ago. Somebody requested that I post our car buying experience in India. How did I miss that? The experience was definitely blog-worthy .... so here it is!

Buying a car in India is very different than buying a car in the US. The fact that every major manufacturer (ranging from Hyundai to Rolls Royce) has a dealership out here and cars have turned from luxury items to necessity, there is a huge market out here. Couple this with the service orientation of Indian businesses and you have a car buying experience that you would cherish.

Once we had selected the make/model, we called the two major dealerships in town. A sales representative was at the doorstep of our house within 24 hours with a car for a test drive. I test drove the car around the house after which we were given a complete run-down of features, costs etc. ... at the house! Auto dealers making house calls! Visit to the dealership may actually be optional. We went just to check out the different colors etc.

After we had decided the exact car we wanted, the negotiations were done on the phone. All paperwork was brought to my office to be signed off and the car was delivered at home with a red ribbon tied around it!

Healing - the Indian way

I have had a mild case of psoriasis on my elbows for some years. Nothing serious but I none of the traditional treatments have worked. I have even had a couple of dermatologists look at it and prescribe treatment.

Since I am in India, I decided to give the ancient Indian school of medicine - Ayurveda a shot. I signed up more for the experience than an actual cure. If this treats the problem, then that will be an added bonus.

The visit with the Ayurvedic physician was interesting. He attributes the condition to impurities in the blood and prescribes treatment to remove the toxins from the blood. The treatment includes two herbal syrups - 5 tablespoons each to be had three times a day after meals. Along with that is a paste that is supposed to be eaten at along with the medicine. The thick greenish black paste tastes awful!

The treatment also includes seven days of a procedure which includes a head massage and 30 minutes of an oil drip. Basically, you lie down on a large wooden table. A head band is tied on your head and your eyes are covered with medicated cotton. A brass pot is hanging above your head from which medicated oil drips on your forehead for thirty minutes. I am not sure of the effectiveness yet, but the procedure is definitely relaxing.

Stay tuned to see if this procedure and treatment actually works. I will update the status in a couple of weeks!

The Show Must Go On ...

Yesterday, the William Joseph Academy of Fine Arts had it's fifth annual music program at the St. John's auditorium in Bangalore. Both Aanish and Ayaana are students at the academy. Aanish is learning guitar while Ayaana is continuing with her piano lessons. Both of them performed yesterday in front of about 300 or so parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and fellow students and of course their own proud parents!

The show was in an outdoor amphitheater which has a beautiful setting. Around 50-60 students performed with their music teachers. This was Aanish's first performance ever and he aced it! Ayaana was her usual confident self and did her piece flawlessly. It was a formal program and all the boys were dressed in white shirts, black pants, black shoes and red ties while the girls were in white tops and black skirts or black pants. Everyone was looking very smart and professional.

There was even a special treat for mothers (for the upcoming mother's day). Dr. Ashley, who heads the center, sang a tribute to motherhood while roses were distributed to mothers in the audience.

Spot the NRI

The new India has brought many Indians living abroad for years back to their homeland. Most of them have returned here for improved and enhanced career prospects while reconnecting with the country of their birth. Other reasons abound such as being closer to immediate family, strong social networks, giving children born outside India a unique perspective on the country, participate in and contribute to the growth etc.

Bangalore continues to be the magnet that attracts Indians from all around the world. I see it as the NRI (non-resident Indian) capital of India. Interestingly, these are all folks who were born in India and completed their education here before leaving the country for improved and enhanced career prospects elsewhere.

The experience outside of India has changed many of these folks (including ourselves). Mona and I frequently play the game of "Spot the NRI" in a crowd! NRI men are usually clean shaven, speak in measured tones and are frequently seen in an informal setting wearing a clean t-shirt and long shorts. You can also spot them taking walks with their children or pushing the kids stroller or carrying a mountain of shopping/grocery bags and walking behind their wives! Many of these folks are caught in two worlds. They miss the order, cleanliness, structure, discipline and work ethic of their adopted country while enjoying the social connections, great food, hospitality and warmth of their home country.

Interesting "dual-identity" dilemma for these folks!

Outta my way!

We now own a car and I have been driving around Bangalore for over a week. First couple of days were terrifying! I have learnt that you have to have excellent time, space and depth perception to figure out whether you can make it through that narrow space between the bus on your left and the truck on your right before either decides to make an unexpected turn in front of you. You also learn very quickly that you need to stay intensely focused on the road ahead of you. No distractions such as music in the car or a conversation with your family while you are driving. Your video gaming instincts must be finely honed so that you can avoid all those nasty "aliens" such as pedestrians, bicyclists, auto rickshaws etc. who might decide to appear in front of you without any warning.

There are also many positives to car ownership in India. There is a car wash service in our building that will wash the car every day for about $5/month! Self-service option for purchasing gas does not exist. It is all Full Service!

Even Mona has started driving and is ecstatic about her new found freedom and mobility!

Watch out Bangalore! Here we come.

Goa Calling

After several months of intense focus at work, I finally managed to get a few days off last week. Aanish and Ayaana had their spring break and this was an ideal time for a short vacation. The kids have never been to Goa and it's been over a decade for Mona and me since the last time we were there. So Goa it was!

Goa was everything that we remembered and much more. The place has become a real world class tourist destination. And judging by the number of foreign tourists, it is clearly extremely popular among Europeans and Asians.

We were staying at the Taj Holiday Village and had a relaxing and fun time. We went on a boat ride to see dolphins off the coast, watched a cooking demonstration by one of the chefs, went jet skiing, swam, ate and lazed around in our villa. Weather was exceptionally good - not too hot but just right. Who could ask for anything more? Ayaana declared that this was one of her best vacations ... so the next one is going to be tough to beat.

Supermarket Wars!

The experience of buying groceries in India has transformed over two decades. The days of a vegetable vendor with a push cart arriving door-to-door are a thing of the past. The small local general store that sold everything from food grains to calculators have become extinct.

A few weeks ago we walked into the newly opened hypermarket SPAR. SPAR is an international food market and is a leading chain in the UK. Started in 1934 in Netherlands, this company has started opening big-box supermarkets in India. The latest one to open in Bangalore is simply HUGE! There is not very much in terms of food supplies that a typical NRI or an expat would miss after stores like this open. The local business titans are not to be left behind. Both Tata and Reliance have made entries into this segment. Reliance has a model of hundreds of small stores (RelianceFresh) nationwide while Tata is following the big-box model with their Star markets, where you can get wheat freshly ground to flour for those hot rotis and parathas!

The smaller boutique markets (Nilgiris and Namdharis) still exist and cater to a small target group of customers.

These markets are complete with delis, fresh hot food, bakeries and other services that an Indian housewife (oops ... home maker) would have killed for 10 years ago! A stroll through these markets is a truly international experience as well as you now have access to food products from all over the world - cheese, chocolates, cereals to oils and spices. All of this is coupled with the exceptional high standards that have now become a hallmark in the Indian retail industry.

It is simply not going to be as much fun shopping at Ralphs any more!

Open Roads!

Am back in the US after a gap of nearly four months. I was driving on one of the highways in South East Florida from the Treasure Coast to Fort Lauderdale and I realized how much I miss driving in the US. I had almost forgotten what it was like to be on wide open highways driving at 70-80mph. With Ms. Hertz Neverlost as my companion, I did not have to worry about getting lost and waste my time paying attention to road signs etc. While driving here, you can be in your world - calm and relaxed.

In contrast, driving in Bangalore is a completely different experience. The concept of space does not really exist here but when you are driving here, you feel connected to everyone around you (and if you don't pay attention, you will indeed connect with the nearest vehicle or pedestrian).
Driving here will keep you alert and put your senses in overdrive!

Love is in the air

I had never imagined Indians as hopeless romantics. Wooing never used to be a skill found in a many Indian men. Women were too shy and reserved when it came to matters of the heart.

With the advent of Valentines day in India, all of this has changed. This year, I was struck by the fact that Valentines Day, which was virtually unknown 20 years ago has now become one of the major Indian “festivals”. There is absolute media frenzy around the day of the cupid. Almost every major restaurant in town offered a special Valentines Day package for couples and was booked solid weeks in advance. For the retailer, this has created another opportunity to create shopping hysteria in a country where there is a high percentage of under-25 men and women with high disposable income. This festival has also brought a boom for florists!

Catch me if you can ...

If your idea of a thrill ride is Viper or X2 at the Magic Mountain, you need to experience a ride to the Chennai airport during rush hour when you have a plane to catch. I found myself in this enviable position several days ago. I left the office at around 7:15pm for a 9:30pm flight. I was feeling pretty good because I had given myself an extra 15 minutes. Unfortunately, this was the day when a group of college students decided to protest something (bad government policy, unfair examinations, too many classes, ban on ipods, traffic congestion in Chennai etc.). They blocked the main Mount Road in Chennai causing a severe traffic jam.

But luckily, my colleague Muthu knew his way around the city. He managed to get me out of the jam but in the process we ended up in the back roads of Chennai. With luck and instinct he navigated us through the obscure unnamed streets of the city. With occasional help from a pedestrian or a bicyclist, he managed to keep us moving in the general direction of the airport. Huge speedbreakers, excessively long traffic lights, road construction, lane closures etc. made this ride feel like an obstacle course.

After what seemed like hours, we were back on the main road and Muthu finally pulled in to the airport at 9:25pm.

Did I make it? You bet I did. After all, this is India. My flight was delayed by about 20 minutes and I made it with enough time to spare!

Recession .... what recession?

The media is full of reports on the economic downturn in the US and speculation whether the country is the midst of a recession or on the verge of one. The collapse of the housing market and the sub-prime crisis and the resulting impact are making news headlines daily.

But if you are in India at this time, all of this seems like fiction. All the IT services majors - TCS, Infosys and Wipro have announced 9-month earnings that are exceeding Billions (Yes, with a "B") of dollars and high rates of revenue growth despite a weaker dollar. Housing market is crazy with the demand continuing to skyrocket. Jobs in the IT and ITES sector are plentiful and candidates are few causing double digit wage inflations. Mutual fund investments are giving 50-60% annual returns.

Consequences of a flat world?

A new day in Bangalore

It's been a couple of weeks since we have moved into our new apartment (sorry, flat) and we have completely adjusted to our new home. The move was easy (since we simply moved next door) and the floor plan is nearly identical. There is no built in furniture like our prior apartment so the place looks a bit bare. We plan to add some furnishings in the coming weeks.

The view from the new apartment is much nicer. The guest bedroom and the children's bedroom face the lake. At this time of the year, the lake is full of water and offers a really nice view in the early morning. During this time, there are plenty of birds such as swans, cranes, herons etc. that would be a bird watcher's delight. Having tea in the balcony overlooking the lake has become a favorite activity for Mona and me.

The city beyond the lake is a densely populated landscape of closely packed buildings. The early morning fog covers the city so it is nearly invisible. It starts to appear magically as the sun comes out.

The morning time also brings with it the street noises of India. Our building is adjacent to a major highway and we hear the noises of the buses, trucks, auto rickshaws early in the morning.

And another day in Bangalore begins.

A New Beginning ...

It is hard to believe that it has been a year since we moved to Bangalore. Last year, we were on a plane flying over Bombay when the clock struck midnight on December 31st, 2006. This year, we celebrated our entry into 2008 by moving into a new apartment. We spent the day moving and the evening having dinner with our dear friends, Ira and Sherry.

2007 has been a good year and we have enjoyed every moment of our transition to India. Ayaana and Aanish have settled down in school and enjoy the new education system. We have made many new friends here and have been enjoying the good food out here. We have also become fans of Bollywood (you must check out Chak De) and enjoy IndiPop!

It has been a long time away from close friends and family in the US. We remember all of you a lot and want to wish all of you the very best for 2008. Hope the new year brings you everything you want and all your dreams and wishes come true. We hope to see some of you in India in 2008.

Here's to another chance to get it right!

Merry Christmas

It is Christmas day in Chennai and I am sitting at the airport waiting for my flight to Bangalore. The airport has Christmas decorations, there are carols playing from a loudspeaker and the boutique store is selling Santa caps. Christmas has arrived in India!

The office (yes, unfortunately I was working on Christmas day) had Christmas art and decorations all over and a Christmas tree sat decked up at the reception. The employees cut a cake to celebrate the occasion. Street vendors in Chennai and Bangalore are selling the latest rage – musical Santa caps with twinkling lights. Indian children have found another excuse to demand presents. And of course, every major store in town is having the inevitable Christmas Sale!

This reaffirms my belief that Indians love to party and celebrate. They will cross cultural and religious boundaries when it comes to getting together with friends and family, eat, drink and exchange presents. Thirty festivals and holidays a year are just not enough. Need more!!!

Let me see where I can find some eggnog and sugar cookies.

Till the next time then … ho, ho, HO!

Honesty

It was another typical day at a crowded Bangalore mall. Mona and the kids were heading off to Bombay for winter vacations and Ayaana wanted to buy gifts for everyone - with her own Money! Yes - she had collected over Rs. 2000/- ($50+) during the course of the year and was going to generously spend this cash to buy gifts.

We found ourselves at the ever popular Landmark store at the Forum where one can find anything for anybody. Ayaana had a blast selecting gifts for each person on her list. As we stood in the check-out line, she realized that she had lost her money somewhere in the store. Her excitement vanished and she couldn't hold back her tears. One look at the hordes of people in the store and you pretty much knew that there was no hope of finding the lost cash.

We made a last ditch attempt and I went with her to the help desk to inquire if the money was found and returned to the lost and found. Unfortunately nobody had turned in the money. Then I walked with her to the section of the store where she had lost the money and asked the store personnel if they had heard anything about any money being found. One of the employees tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to follow him to one of the counters in that section. He spoke in rapid Kannada to the guy behind the counter while I explained our predicament to him. He took out the money from his pocket and handed it to me. The employee who took us to the counter had found the money on the floor and had turned it in to the manager!

I thanked the man and offered him a reward which he refused to accept. And Ayaana - she was in seventh heaven. The excitement was back and she was once again happy.

And my faith in the human spirit and the goodness of man (and woman) went up another notch.

In Search of Efficiency

Taxes wait for no one and they caught up with us last week. The property tax on our home was due last week and we realized it a few days before the payment deadline. I called the number listed on the tax bill for credit card payments. I had made the payment using our credit card and was done with the transaction in less than 5 minutes. A few days before, we needed to check the balance of Mona's credit card, make payment and transfer funds. Another 5-minute call to Wells Fargo got everything taken care of.

These interactions made us realize how much we miss the high degree of efficiency that is common place in the United States. The other day, I had to transfer funds from an account in one Indian bank to another and we spent half a day visiting the banks, writing checks, filling out complicated deposit forms etc.

Complicated procedures exist here to conduct simple day-to-day activities. These are compounded by difficulty in reaching people and lack of clear instructions.

You eventually get used to the system but occasionally when you are exposed to a highly efficient interaction, you do long for high degrees of efficiency!!!

Bangalore Unwired!

The state of Karnataka has started an ambitious project to turn Bangalore into a wireless city. A pilot project is underway and scheduled to launch in early first quarter of 2008. This is supposed to Wi-Fi enable the region around M.G. Road (the main drag in Bangalore). Wireless Bangalore will minimize location dependency and allow adults and children to work and play from anywhere in the city.

I dream about the reality of this vision as I am standing in my thirteenth floor apartment trying desperately to locate the one spot where my cell phone might pick up it's signal. There are two such spots (thankfully allowing both Mona and myself to use our cell phones at the same time) in the house. One spot is a circle with a diameter of 2 feet at the border of the kitchen and the living area right next to the refrigerator. The other is a 1ftx2ft rectangle in the bedroom next to the dresser.

Even the landline is not 100% reliable. Most of the times it works ... but it conks out right before I have an important conference call with a customer!

There lies the irony of a place called Bangalore (and India!).

Playing with fire

Mona and I returned from our trip to Jordan and Dubai, picked up kids from Bombay and got back to Bangalore in time to celebrate Diwali. This is probably the biggest holiday of the year in India and a major Hindu festival. And to add to the fun, we had Seema and Mick visiting us from Los Angeles at the same time.

The children (and the adults who are still children at heart) had a blast. Fireworks in India now match the sophistication of fireworks anywhere in the world. Families will spend tens of thousands of Rupees to buy an assortment of fire crackers which include some of the most unique in the world. Gender differentiation is quite obvious during this festival as you see the girls huddled in one corner playing with sparklers and colorful fireworks while the boys are busy in another corner bursting LOUD bombs!

It goes without saying that there is lots of food around. The building association also organized a show which included a fashion show, play, mime and other items that showcased the fine talents of the young children in the building.

Welcome to Jordan

Jordanians are either extremely warm and friendly folks or they (young and old) have been trained effectively in growing tourism within the country. "Welcome to Jordan" is the phrase you will hear from everyone including little children on the street to a police official.

Mona and I were fortunate to visit Jordan for several days earlier this month (the reason for my conspicuous absence from this blog). Jordan is a wonderful country where history rules, there is stress-free chaos and people are warm and welcoming. Petra (one of the wonders of the world) was the main highlight of our visit and well worth it. But we managed to pack quite a bit in a few short days. We had a chance to float in the Dead Sea, view the incredible mosaics in the city of Madaba and live the history in the ancient city of Jerash. Amman was an interesting city where finding your way around (if you are driving) is an interesting experience.

This was our first visit to a country in the Middle East and we will back for more.

Bad Hair Day?

The big day is here! Mona has her 4-hour appointment to get her hair straightened. This is a major make-over ($$$). We are leaving on vacation in a couple of days and she has been planning this for quite some time. The appointment is for 4pm on Saturday. My cousins are coming over for dinner around 8pm on Saturday - so this should work out just fine.

She is at the beauty salon where the first phase (yes, this treatment must be administered in multiple phases) has been completed when the power goes off. Not an uncommon phenomenon in this part of the world. This is the reason why diesel generators were invented. Everyone is waiting for the generator to kick in but ... no electricity. Power comes back on and off but is not staying on consistently enough for phase two to begin. Finally, the generator comes on-line until someone decides to start a water pump, which blows the generator again.

Finally, the owner requests Mona to continue the treatment at home. So next thing I know, she is back at home with a hair dresser and her assistant (and a bunch of supplies and equipment) in tow. Treatment continues at home and is completed after a couple of hours.

Results: A+!

Boo!

It is the end of October and it is Halloween in Bangalore! Yes ... last week it was Dassera and next week it is Diwali but now it is Halloween. With the large numbers of expats living in the city, there is no reason to not celebrate the festival of fear!

OWC (Overseas Women's Club) had a Children's Halloween party at the Doodle Den on Sunday. All the NRI kids in town (and believe me ... there are hundreds of them in town) who cannot miss a year of tricking and treating showed up in their finest costumes. Kids had a blast with face painting, arts and crafts, games etc. etc. Ayaana dressed up in a pirate's costume and went to the party with Mona. Aanish is too old for Halloween and spent time at home playing cricket with me.

And the party goes on ... and on ... and on

Last week, Ayaana turned 11 - her first birthday in India!

Planning for the celebrations started a few weeks ago. She was going to have two parties - a day party for her friends in our building and a sleepover for her friends from school. Of course, we had planned a family dinner for her birthday and we could not forget celebrating her birthday in school! I don't even want to think about what the wedding plans are going to look like for this girl.

Regular readers of my blog have probably figured out by now that Indians are extremely social. So these multiple celebrations should come as no surprise because it is natural for one to share happy moments with as many people as it is humanly (and economically) possible.

All the planned celebrations went well and she had a great time during the entire week! The girls had a blast during the sleepover (I am still not sure why they call it a "sleep"-over). Multiple cakes, dozens of phone calls, dinner at a favorite restaurant, a pile of gifts and a ton of best wishes .... this was a memorable birthday for her!

Advertising takes wings!

Inspite of flying extensively in India for the last 10 months or so, last week was the first time I flew Air Deccan. I understand that this is an extremely innovative airline when it comes to revenue maximization. Which is probably the reason it was acquired by Kingfisher some time ago. Air Deccan was started with a mission to bring air travel to the common man. Translation: cheap, low frills airline!

You quickly begin to understand their success when you notice the large ads painted on the exterior of the plane. You settle down comfortably in your seat and you see an ad starting back at you from the back of the seat in front of you. There are ads on headrest covers ... ads everywhere!

The airline even has a silent auction that is conducted during the duration of the flight. You can actually bid on items ranging from keychains to watches. If you have a winning bid, you pay cash for merchandise and pick it up before you deplane!

"Dining" with the stars

Vidhyarthi Bhavan is an old iconic restaurant that has served legendary Masala Dosas for generations. The place is a must-stop for South India's most popular movie star, Rajnikant on his trips to Bangalore. After nine months in Bangalore, we finally made it out to VB last week with Maya Mami, who was visiting us from Los Angeles. We had actually gone to MTR for breakfast but seeing the crowd and not wanting to wait an hour, decided to go to Vidhyarthi Bhavan instead.

The restaurant is in the heart of Gandhi Bazar - an old building with the long and narrow interiors resembling a tourist bus. There is no air conditioned waiting lobby, no reservation system and no system of queue. If a table is not available, you simply target a table where you might want to sit and go stand next to it. Don't worry about offending sensibilities as the restaurant's patrons are quite used to this. You grab a seat when it is available, seat, eat and leave.

Masala Dosa is the main specialty here and you will be served one by default. The menu is limited to a couple of different types of dosas, idly, masala bhat and vada. Mona and Mami loved the Dosa but I thought it was a bit too oily and thick. The Chutney has a thin consistency but the Sambar was delicious. Vadas were fresh and crisp and definitely my favorite here.

Overall, quite an experience and if you are a foodie, you must check it out at least once.

Grocery Shopping in LA!

Some things never change.

This is the thought that went through my mind as I was pushing my shopping cart at Ralphs in Glendale earlier this week. I was back in Los Angeles and made my mandatory visit to the local grocery store with Mona's shopping list. It's been nearly ten months in India but there are some things that we still miss. Such as Mexican Food!

So I am here - 10,000 miles away from Bangalore and still shopping at the store for salsa, beans, tortillas and cheese! Of course, I can't forget the muffin and biscuit mix.

Most other products are now easily available in Bangalore but for some reason, supplies for Mexican food are virtually impossible to come by. But we are well equipped now for our next meal of fajitas, enchiladas, spicy salsa and spanish rice!

Buenos Noches!

'Jet'ting to London

I flew Jet airlines on my recent trip to London. For those among you who are regular travelers to India, Jet is a well-known name. They are one of the premier domestic airlines known for great service, terrific cuisine and friendly staff. The airline has recently been granted licenses to fly on overseas routes and has started flights to Singapore, London etc. The New York segment is scheduled to be operational soon.

I was not disappointed flying an international route on Jet. The 777 was designed with passenger comfort in mind. Subtle design changes (like moving the handset/remote control from the side of the seat to the back of the seat in front) make flying more comfortable. The TV screens are huge and are equipped with touch screen control. Seats are ergonomically designed with built in comfort such as lumbar and neck supports.

Service is exceptional as expected and the cuisine is top class.

In the eye of the storm

The monsoon season in India is a unique experience especially in an urban center such as Bangalore. September is supposed to be the highest rainfall month and as the resident expert here, I can certainly vouch for that. While Bangalore rains do not come close to Bombay rains, they come down hard.

I have written numerous times about the traffic in Bangalore so my regular readers can imagine the impact of the rain on commuting. Without a decent drainage systems, roads are generally flooded within minutes of a heavy downpour. The traffic clogged streets get further congested and the vehicles (except for bicycles and 2-wheelers) come to a virtual halt. And of course, this is precisely the same moment when the drivers of vehicles on the roads (especially the large buses) take leave of their senses and rather than heading for their destination, start moving in the direction of any empty space that comes in their sight.

You must have the ability to set aside your anger, frustration and other negative emotions and learn to enjoy this (unless you are an hour late for an important investor meeting). If you can do that, it is quite entertaining and in some ways uplifting! The fury of the rains is insufficient to quash the human spirit here. It is amazing to see children playing in ankle deep waters or pedestrians bravely making their way to their destinations with minimal protection against the rain. And the patience of the drivers – to my knowledge there has not been a single incident of a person shooting some one else due to road rage.

Now that is Nirvana!

It's a dog's life

Mona joined a Yoga class last week. An instructor from the Art of Living foundation offered a week-long course (2 hours daily) at the building. Over two dozen residents from the building participated in the class. Mona has been gaga over the class and I spent an hour learning the basics from her today.

Of course, tennis lessons are still going on (thrice a week) for both Mona and Aanish. They have been learning for months and I suspect they are both getting pretty good at it. Ayaana makes a new friend every week and with her new and shiny bike is out every evening.

I am trying to visit the gym twice a week and a gym trainer has developed a customized one-hour workout plan for me.

Back to School

It is September 1.

According to the Vedic Calendar, it is Chaturthi h. 06-33, Asvini Nakshatra h. 54-16, Vriddhi Yoga h. 48-41, Balava Karana h. 06-33.

Aanish and Ayaana have been back to school for a couple of weeks and a new routine has set in our daily life. There was the usual excitement about new classes, new friends, meeting old friends, getting new books & supplies and meeting new teachers. Ayaana is continuing Bharat Natyam lessons while Aanish plans to continue guitar lessons. Ayaana has moved out of the primary block. She will be leading the school assembly next week and will lead the singing of the Indian National Anthem (yup - she has memorized this).

Aanish has an interesting program this year with some exciting classes. His business studies class is quite fascinating and is focused on turning 9th graders into real business people.

The road to school has been upgraded (it was a bumpy rocky road for miles) but there are more kids in school this year. So the trip to school still takes about 40 minutes.

A new director of administration is in charge this year and discipline has been tightened. Strict guidelines for hair (short for boys, shoulder length or tied up for girls), uniform and behavior have been posted. iPods and video games of other students have already been confiscated for the academic year!

Move aside Mel

Bollywood beats Hollywood once again! If you thought that Mel Gibson's troubles with the law when he had the altercation with cops last year was a big deal, you have seen nothing yet. Two of the biggest stars of Indian Cinema have been sent to jail within a few weeks.

Sanjay Dutt was charged with possession of illegal arms about 14 years ago (yes, yes ... that's the pace of the legal system here) and has finally been convicted of the crime and sentenced to 6 years of prison time. He started his jail term a couple of weeks ago causing huge distress to movie producers who have millions of dollars invested in films starring Sanjay Dutt on the production floor.

Meanwhile, Salman Khan (another Bollywood favorite) has been sentenced to 5 years imprisonment for the shooting of two black bucks (considered to be a protected animal) during a hunting trip in 1998. Salman is expected to be arrested today.

As expected, the news media can't stop talking about these and you get to see/hear friends, families, lawyers, cops, news analysts, film industry colleagues all expressing their opinions!!

Saare Jahaan Se Accha

If you want to get a feel for the vitality in India, you must visit the country around August 15th - India's independence day. This year, the country is celebrating it's 60th year of independence. While there is a lot of hope and optimism about the country's future, there is also a growing recognition about the problems (poverty, overpopulation etc.) among all. The newspapers today were full of debates and discussions about the progress made since independence and the way forward.

At the office yesterday, folks split up into three teams and competed to create an exhibit that represented India. These are the guys who represent the future of India where nearly 50% of the population (500MM) is 25 years old or less. It was a fascinating experience to view the country through their eyes. One exhibit represented India as a growing sapling (high prospects) on a rock foundation (difficult circumstances). The second had the country represented as a pigeon in a cage with the door open. The cage is open but the bird has not flown out yet. The third was full of optimism and was a celebration of the country's achievements and prospects for the future.

The residents association at our building had organized an Independence Day celebration complete with flag hoisting, march past, children's concert and breakfast. A school next to our building had their celebrations at 10AM with speeches and patriotic songs. The theme in all these events was pretty consistent - future looks bright and there is no stopping the young, bright and talented of this country. But there is also a tremendous responsibility to ensure that the opportunities are made available to all (250MM still live in dire poverty!).

Jai Hind!

Enchanting Tamil Nadu

The children's summer vacation was coming to an end last week and we planned a quick last minute vacation to Tamil Nadu. We decided to visit the famous temple city of Mahabalipuram (also known as Mammalapuram) and Pondicherry (famous for it's French Quarter - a'la New Orleans). We took a train to Chennai where Mona and the kids spent the day sightseeing while I spent the day at work.

Next day we drove to Mahabalipuram - destination GRT Temple Bay. This is an exquisite beach resort and a must-stay during any visit to South India. The kids absolutely fell in love with our beach front villa and did not want to leave. Game room (X-Box, table tennis, dart board, carroms and more), Infinity pool, fabulous restaurants and organized tours - you name it and they have it.

The highlight of our trip was a visit to see the old and ancient temples built during the fourteenth and fifteenth century. These heritage sites have been well preserved and are quite a sight and experience. The recent Tsunami has uncovered a few more temples under the water and a small boat ride from the resort takes you to close to the spot where you can see the roofs of the temples under water.

We thoroughly enjoyed our 2-day stay here and moved on to Pondicherry. But more on that in a future post.

Bangalore Monsoons

The monsoons have finally arrived in Bangalore but so far they are nothing compared to the rain that we have seen in Mumbai. It rains hard several times a week. You don't get to see this kind of rain in Los Angeles so it is a new experience for us. Monsoon rain creates some unique challenges for people out here.

There is a lot of two-wheeler traffic on the roads in India. When it is pouring hard, the roads clear up amazingly quickly and if you are in a car, you are zipping to your destination. Most folks however are not deterred by the rain and getting soaking wet is taken in stride. The children are loving this season and actually head out to play outdoors when it rains.

Occassionally water will seep into our flat and towels strewn around the place during heavy rains is not an uncommon sight. Mona also gets impacted by rain because her tennis lessons get cancelled! But at the end of the day, we all enjoy the rains! Water level in the lake across from our building is rising and the green cover in the city looks fresh and rich.

Fun in Fundustan!

We were in Hyderabad last week and finally made it out to Ramoji Film City. This has been on our list of places to visit for quite a few years and this time we were determined to make it part of our visit. Film City is the Universal Studio of India and has the credit (according to the Guinness Book of world records ... don't believe me? Check it out here.) of being the largest film studio in the entire world.

We did not know what to expect but were pleasantly surprised. Film City is spread out over 1.5 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds and is an attractive tourist destination as well as a successful studio for movie and television production. Indianized versions of popular Universal Studio attractions (stunt show, behind the scenes, tour through movie sets etc.) are combined with themed attractions such as a haunted house and a ride similar to It's a Small World!

No tour is complete without good food and this was no different. Our tour package included lunch at the 5-star hotel Sitara located on the grounds. All I can say about the food is ... YUM!

Potter mania hits Bangalore

Harry Potter is no less a sensation here in Bangalore than any other place in the world. The release of book 7 - Deathly Hallows was as heavily anticipated here as in any other major city around the globe. There was plenty of pre-release media buzz and Indian children were anxiously wondering the fate of the wizard boy - who would die and who would survive?

We had the book reserved at Landmark several days prior to the day of the launch. Saturday morning (D-Day) we set out to buy the book. Fortunately, there were no long lines and crazy crowds at the bookstore. There appeared to be an adequate number of copies for all. Aanish was determined to start reading the book at 7PM. I suggested that he wait until 8:17PM (77 minutes past 7PM). He started reading it the minute we landed at home with a plan to read about 100 pages/day. He finished it the following day!

The Hindu reported a sale of 20,000 copies in Bangalore on the first day! Clearly a global phenomenon.

Live Earth!

If you were at the Live Earth concert last week (7/7/7), we were there with you! We watched quite a bit of the 24 hour marathon concert held in over a hundred countries to focus attention on the climate crisis. One of the major highlights for me personally was to see a holographic image of Al Gore opening the event in Tokyo. Cool! It was fun to see the coming together of Genesis and Police, see Bon Jovi in New York and Shakira in Germany.

While we feel pretty good about our contribution to help solve this problem (significantly less trash, reduced power consumption, high degree of recycling etc.), we came up with an action plan to do even more. Aanish has the responsibility of turning off appliances that are not in use while Ayaana has promised to take shorter showers. I took an oath to reduce the usage of air conditioning in the office and Mona is already doing more than her fair share of this.

If you have not had the chance to see any part of this event, check it out online (YouTube, MSN etc.) and help save the planet!

Partying - Indian Isshtyle!!

The Mantri Sarover (building where we stay at) home owner association planned a big bash last weekend to celebrate the onset of the monsoon season and to welcome new residents who have moved in over the past few months. They promised an evening of fun, games, music and good food. We decided to give it a try and am glad we did!

The party was organized on the tennis court. There were probably over a 100 people (40 of them young children under the age of 10). While the kids were busy playing Treasure Hunt and Bomb the City, the adults were enjoying beer and appetizers (hot potato tikkis, chilli paneer ... yummm!). It was funny watching Aanish join the fun and play these games with 5-year olds! But heck, you can never stop being a child. Actually, he was not very keen on coming but his opinion changed when he won Rs. 500/- in a game of Tombola (also known as Housie or Bingo in other parts of the world). Ayaana enjoyed herself thoroughly and stayed back late even after we had gone back home.

The company was good. We met a lot of new and interesting people. Food was delicious. Music was a bit loud but you can't listen to Bollywood any other way.

Great party and we are looking forward to the next one.

A new Dawn of the Brain Gain era

In the 80's and early 90's, India was suffering from a massive Brain Drain. Talented and highly educated university students and professionals were moving to the US, UK and Middle East in hordes to create a better future for themselves. The India Boom has reversed this trend and the country is now experiencing a Brain Gain as many of these professionals are moving back in equally large numbers. These folks are bringing back world class expertise, overseas professional experience and higher education from reputed universities and helping to accelerate the growth of India Inc.

I recently met with Asif Noorani, who is a reputable journalist with a Pakistani newspaper, Dawn. He was fascinated with this phenomenon of returning expatriates and has written a piece in the newspaper. I get a mention in his piece as well! You can read all about it here.

Monsoon Landing

From the hot and dry climate of Los Angeles (90 degrees+) to torrential rains of Mumbai!

I have never been in Bombay during the monsoons so it was quite an experience for me. Mona sent me an SMS while I was at the Kualalumpur airport indicating that the Bombay airport may shut down because of the monsoons. All passengers had their fingers crossed as the flight to Bombay took off from KL. Fortunately for all, there was a brief respite from the rain when the plane arrived in Bombay.

Over the next couple of days, the rain was non-stop and the downpour brought over 10cm of rain just on Saturday. City services were crippled and streets were deserted. Over 40 people have died as a result of this year's monsoons. But spirits are still high and Mumbaikars are getting on with life despite the rains. Bombay has seen worse in past years! The drainage system is going through an upgrade to deal with the heavy monsoons but the project is not scheduled to be completed until 2011.

Bad 'Air Day

So I am in Binghamton, New York on Monday and have a flight scheduled to Boston on Tuesday morning at 7:30am, scheduled to arrive in Boston around 11:00am.

05:45am - Wake up grumbling
06:30am - Scramble out of the hotel and leave for the airport
06:50am - At the airport and checked in (Good!)
07:30am - Flight leaves on time (Great!)
(BTW, Binghamton airport is a charming little airport.
On this day, there were a total of 5 flights departing this
airport between 7am and 3pm.)
09:00am - Land in Philadelphia on time (Good luck continues ....)

This is where the horror begins. A couple of half-hour delays in the departure are announced after which the flight is cancelled. Some weather related problem somewhere in the country has messed up US Airways and all flight schedules have gone awry.

We manage to get ourselves on a 12:30pm flight which in turn is delayed by a few minutes (no big deal!). We board a tiny plane and quickly settle in our cramped spaces only to discover that the plane has been overfueled and will have to be defueled! There is also some paper-work induced delay. 30 minutes later, we are finally ready for take off.

We arrive in Boston around 3:30pm minus Todd's checked in luggage. Another hour later we leave the airport without his bag. Finally arrive at the hotel at 5pm - almost a 12-hour adventure!!

America's Favorite Pastime

Good to be back in Los Angeles once again! One of the highlights of this trip is attending a baseball game with family. Inspite of spending twenty years in the US, America's Favorite Pastime has somehow never managed to become mine. I have not been able to get into this sport. Not sure if it is out of loyalty to Cricket or what.

But I must admit that I had a lot of fun when all of us went to the Angel Stadium to see the Angels play Pittsburgh. Richard and Kanan invited us to the suite (which is really the only way to attend a sporting event in the US). Got a chance to catch up with family and friends which is always a treat. Anupam uncle gave me a quick tutorial about baseball which made the game even more enjoyable. Of course the usual frills of attending a baseball game (hot dogs, pizza, popcorn, cotton candy, nachos, beer etc.) were all there.

Best of all, Angels won 10-1!!

Airline Efficiency?

I have been doing a fair share of flying while in India and have been very impressed at the ability of all airlines to minimize ground time. Planes land, passengers de-plane, new passengers board and the aircraft is back in the sky in less than half hour. But before you start giving a lot of credit to the process efficiencies, 6-sigma and ISO-9000 programs within the airline companies, I believe that most of the credit needs to go to the passengers.

As I have mentioned in a couple of my postings before, Indians do not like to wait. Earlier this week, I was observing passenger behavior sitting at the Hyderabad airport. Even before the plane has landed, passengers are already crowded close to the gate. As soon as their plane lands, more passengers huddle around. As soon as the first boarding announcement is made, ever passenger is up, in line and pushing ahead to board.

Of course, getting off the plane is no different. You can sense the urgency among fellow travellers to tear off their seat belts and lunge for their hand luggage the moment the aircraft touches down. Despite pleas by the air hostesses, folks are up and getting ready to de-plane before the "Fasten Seat Belt" sign has been turned off.

So - much credit to the passengers for the increase in airline efficiency (and profitability!)

Chief Destruction Officer!

I have never heard this one before but according to a quote attributed to Tom Peters in The Hindu, he refers to CEOs as CDOs - Chief Destruction Officer! Highly compensated guys who work tirelessly to blow up their own companies before their competition does.

In an uncanny replay of a similar scenario that is being hotly debated in the US, CEO compensation is the topic of discussion these days in India Inc. According to today's editorial in The Hindu, Indian CEOs are much better off than their counterparts throughout the world when their compensation is taken as a percentage of their company's profit. If the salary difference between a CEO and the company's lowest paid employee (x1000) is a cause for angst for many in the US, consider that the difference is between 15,000 to 20,000 in India.

Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, urged companies to take a hard look at this issue and of course prompty came under fire because his suggestion was considered as anti-reform!

No guns, knives, bombs etc.

I am not kidding about this. I noticed this as I was waiting in the line for Security Check at the Chennai airport last night. Large flat panel monitors above the x-ray machines listed items that were unacceptable in your carry-on baggage. Here is a sampler:

• Brass Knuckles
• Crowbars
• Knives
• Golf Clubs
• Dynamite - other types of explosives are probably ok
  
• Razors - pretty normal .... but read on
  
• Gels including shaving creams - pretty normal ... but read on
  
• Books (1 or 2) - more than that could be construed as a weapon!
  

Items that are permitted:

• Shaving kit (without a razor and a shaving cream?)
  

You got my attention!

One thing you realize quickly when you are in India - there are a lot of billboards around here. And they are HUGE!!! If you are in a major city (and a not so major one), you can't help but notice the large number of billboards everywhere. And some of them are as tall as a building. Besides size, they use attractive models, catchy phrases, colors etc. to attract your attention - each one attempting to stand out in the crowd.

I was trying to figure out the popular categories and here are the results of my unscientific study. One major cluster is related to housing and furnishings. With a massive demand for housing and an explosion in the real estate market, it is hardly suprising to see billboards advertising a piece of heaven on earth (and some divine furniture to go with it). Then you have the clothing and the jewelry category advertising must-have outfits for discerning men and women. Of course, you have the usual others - automobiles, cell phones and banks. But by far the biggest category is Movies. The movie billboards are the biggest, the most colorful and unique in style and design. I guess this is a reflection on the huge popularity of the Bollywood, Tollywood and Lollywood industries in India. Larger than life images of Tough heros, Mean villians and Gorgeous heroines provide some distraction and relief during your daily commute!

Into the Green Paradise

We are back in the Southern State of Kerala - God's Own Country. This time we are in Wayanad, on vacation with our extended family. Four families, eight adults, six kids, one van and one SUV in a beautiful plantation resort for the weekend!

We spent the weekend at Tranquil Resort - a private coffee and vanilla plantation spread across 400 acres. Our hosts, Victor and Ranjini have created paradise in this corner of Kerala. Lodging include guest cottages, suites, tree house and even a tree villa! The interiors have been conceived and designed by the hosts themselves, who also live on the property with their daughter, son-in-law and two grand children ... and yes, a half dozen absolutely wonderful dogs. The hospitality and the service is out of this world. The resort has five chefs who turn out one excellent meal after the other.

There are nearly a dozen trails on the property, a comfortable pool, massage facility and games for the kids. You never have to leave this place to seek fun and adventure.

Harvesting Water

In a world where water is starting to become a precious resource, you can imagine the water crisis in a country like India where the population crossed the 1B mark a couple of years ago and industrial growth is accelerating. The establishment of large campuses by global multi-national firms and the explosive growth in massive residential complexes to house the growing affluent and the returning NRIs have increased demands on scarce water resources. In an earlier posting, I had written about the dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu regarding the distribution of the Cauvery river. This sort of issue is not limited to this part of the country but is seen all over.

While travelling through Kerala a few weeks ago, I learnt about the phenomenon of Water Harvesting - which gave me a lot of hope. Kerala appears to have a highly developed system and infrastructure for harvesting rain water. The system involves capturing rain water from rooftops, capturing water from seasonal flood waters etc., purifying it and using it for a variety of purposes such as drinking water, irrigation, cleaning etc.

This technique has been extended to "Grey" and "Black" water harvesting. Grey water refers to used wash water from bath, shower, sink etc., while Black water refers to water containing fecal waste. To my amazement, techniques have been developed and perfected to harvest both Grey and Black water as well so that it can be recycled for a variety of functions.

It is heartening to see the efforts, foresight and leadership being made in this area to help in water conservation and recycling efforts!

Emperor of Fruits

If the mango is the king of fruits, the Alphonso (also known as Hafuz) is the emperor.

It is great to be in India during the heart of the mango season. Our visits in the last couple of decades have been usually during the winter so we have always missed the peak season (April/June). But now that we are here, we are thoroughly enjoying eating mangoes. The Alphonso is considered to be the best mango in terms of sweetness and flavors. It even has it's own page on Wikipedia, if you care to read more about this exquisite fruit.

We are pretty much in the peak season now and you can get the sweetest and tastiest Alphonsos at this time of the year. They run about Rs. 400/dozen - so you are paying around $1/mango. But when you sink your teeth into this juicy, sweet and succulent fruit, it seems like a price well worth it.

Just found out that the restrictions from the US agricultural department have been lifted on the Indian mango and starting in 2007, Indian mangoes can be shipped to the US. Keep an eye out for these delectable fruits at your local supermarket. You will never understand the joy of eating one of these until you actually try one!!

World's best chilli dog!

It's good to be back in Los Angeles!

One of the highlights of this trip was a visit to Pinks in Hollywood. If this is conjuring up seedy images of a dim-lit cabaret bar in a dark alley, think again. We are talking about the most famous hot dog stand in the country. Paul Pink started his hot dog stand in 1939 and sold oversized hot dogs with chilli, mustard and onions in a hot bun for 10 cents.

Today, hot dogs sell for around $3.50 each at the Pinks hot dog stall. It is a small place at the corner of Melrose and La Brea and you can spot it easily because of the crowd gathered around this place. We had to wait in line for over an hour before making our way to the counter. I ordered a spicy Ozzy (polish sausage, grilled onions, mustard, cheese and chopped tomatoes!).

Quite an experience at this historic landmark!

Indus Day

Last week was the annual Indus Day at the children's school.

WOW!

At Indus International School, they are serious about the International bit. Children from over a dozen countries were represented in the show. Performances ranged from Indian folk dances like Bharat Natyam to a popular Korean dance. The kids did a reproduction of the musicals Annie and Oliver Twist. Indian kids sang western songs while Australian kids danced the Bhangara. During one performance, children representing their home country came on the stage waving the flag of their country - Holland, UAE, UK, Australia, Germany and India. Conspicuous by it's absence was the American flag!, Finally, all the students of the primary section got on the stage to sing the Indian National Anthem!

Truly amazing performances by the young children and the event made you feel like a global citizen.

Wedding Bells for Aishwarya!

The prettiest woman in the world (this is according to popular media and an opinion not necessarily shared by me .... in case Mona is reading this!) ties the knot with popular movie star, Abhishek Bachchan. If you have been following this blog regularly, this is the same lady who married a tree in order to ward off evil for her future husband. You can refresh your memory by reading about that piece here. So Abhishek is safe!

There has been a media frenzy about this wedding. Detailed analysis of the big event started weeks before and avid fans got details ranging from the saree that Aishwarya was going to wear to the entertainment program that was being planned for the wedding. Speculation about the guest list was rampant and you got to hear from those who made the list and those who did not. There was also open debate about why folks did not make the list. For example, another popular Indian actor, Hrithik Roshan, did not make the list. The reason? In a recent movie starring Aishwarya, Hrithik and Abhishek, there is a kissing scene between Aishwarya and Hrithik!

The day after the wedding, photos of the event were splashed on the front page of every newspaper. Post-wedding analysis started immediately with astrologers and marriage counselors analyzing the personalities of the couple and making predictions about their future life together.

Days after the wedding, the news about the couple is still making front-page news. Today's headline - Father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan declares that his daughter-in-law can continue her acting career while Aishwarya has formally assumed the Bachchan last name and has signed her first autograph as Aishwarya Bachchan.

Summer camp comes home

It is summer holidays for most children in India. Unfortunately, this does not include our kids. They are attending an International school and the vacation schedule at this school is similar to the schedule in the US schools. Summer vacation will start for them in June. But that has not stopped them from being able to participate and enjoy some of these activities.

Kids here have a huge choice of activities for summer vacation ranging from Karate lessons and art to learning Japanese and playing tennis. Best of all, these activities actually come home instead of the kids having to be shipped off to summer camps. Classes are offered in residential apartment complexes and the biggest challenge for parents and kids is to figure out a schedule where activities do not overlap each other. An evening stroll through the campus feels like a walk through a summer camp. Karate classes by the pool, Art lessons in the indoor recreation room, tennis lessons at the court!

Horn OK Please

In India, roads are noisy and you can hear the traffic not only when you are stuck in traffic but also when you are sitting in the living room of your thirteenth floor apartment sipping a drink!

I was on my way to work the other day looking at the crazy and chaotic traffic on 80 ft Road (yes, that is indeed a street name in Bangalore) and the main reason for this noise hit me. Almost everyone around you (including your own driver) is continuously honking the horn of their vehicles. There are no exceptions to this. This orchestra is played out starting from the ringing of a bell on a bicycle to the deep bellowing honk of a bus and includes melodious horns of cars and the wheezing sounds of an auto-rickshaw horn.

And of course, nobody really pays any attention to this din so clearly the purpose is not functional. So what could it be? I realized that everyone honks because they are being told to. If you look on the rear sides of large trucks and buses, you will see big signs that say the following:

• Sound Horn
• Please Sound Horn
• Horn Please
  
• Horn OK Please
• Please Horn

and many other variations of the same ....

Mystery solved!

In God’s own country

Today, we returned from our first vacation since our move to India and the verdict is unanimous – this one ranks among the best! We spent a week in the southern state of Kerala which carries a tag line of “God’s own country”. Besides having the distinction of the most literate state in India (over 95% literacy), Kerala is a gorgeous state and has some of the most beautiful scenery that you can find in India.

Our travels included visits to national parks and bird sanctuaries, boat rides on the back waters, hikes and drives through pretty amazing landscapes. Food (which is typically an important measure of a vacation for us) was exquisite at every location ranging from roadside stands to our hotels. While the vacation was overall pretty relaxing, we managed to get quite a bit of sightseeing done. Within a couple of days in the state, you understand very quickly why this place is called God’s own country. Nature is at its best in Kerala and tours and hotels are geared towards providing you with the best experience. Kerala is a feast for nature lovers with exquisite bird watching, wild animal sightings and the vegetation. The place is also heaven for history buffs because of its rich and fascinating history. For example, in the seaside city of Cochin, you get to see Chinese fishing nets that were installed in this region between 1350 and 1450 and are still used by local fisherman to haul their daily catch.

The highlight of our trip was a stay in a Kottavellum – a houseboat made completely of wood and coir in the town of Alleppy. We had a personal staff of three – a captain, a chef and an engineer on board and we had exclusive use of the entire boat. Our stay included cruises through the backwater, visit to a village for an up close view of life in this region and gourmet meals cooked according to our preference. Sitting on the deck at sunset was one of my most memorable life moments.

Other places we visited during our vacation included Thekkady, Kumakarakom and Munnar. We ended our tour with some sightseeing in the temple city of Madurai in Tamil Nadu where the highlight is the Meenakshi temple – built over a thousand years ago to honor the Hindu god Siva and his consort, Parvati.

Making the grade

I attended my first parent/teacher conference at Indus yesterday and had quite an experience. My last such conference in India was probably over three decades ago when I was the student being discussed at such a conference. We never had a formal conference in those days and it was just a quick discussion on the report card.

At Indus, the middle school conference was held in the massive indoor sports complex. Teachers were seated at separate tables in the large gymnasium. Parents picked up the child's report card at the entrance and met each teacher individually. The teachers gave out the results of the latest exam and had a frank and critical discussion about your child's performance.

From what we heard, grade 8 is a tough one to manage. Kids are going through a transition period and beginning to rebel. The chemistry teacher was expressing his relief at being assigned only a single 8th grade section to teach (out of 3!). The english teacher was highly critical of the inability of today's children to write well and speak effectively. Her students find her attempts at teaching them Queen's English humorous. The computer teacher was wondering why children from the US and UK are better behaved than the Indian kids - can you believe that?

Fifth graders on the other hand appear to be a delightful bunch and all the teachers seem to be happy and excited to work with them.

The IB curriculum does sound very interesting and the approach to education (learn, think, analyze, apply) makes a lot of sense. The experience is different and hopefully will give our kids a broader perspective on the world and people!

Failure is not an option

India is in the midst of cricket fever! World cup 2007 is being played in West Indies and as always the country of a billion cricket fans are glued to their TV sets and radios to follow the action. And the fans are expecting the best from the "men in blue" during this world cup.

Alas, the Indian team did not live up to the expectations. India lost the very first match against Bangladesh and the Indian fans were not happy. And I am not talking about being disappointed that your team did not win. I am talking about being seriously unhappy.

Effigies of the Indian team were burnt the day after the match. Angered fans ransacked the property of one of the Indian batsmen, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (see attached photo). This property was gifted to Dhoni by the government and the fans felt that he does not deserve it. The cover photo on Times of India showed a group of women with batting pads challenging the India team to a match with them. There were protest marches, poster burnings and other equally exciting events throughout the country.

Cricket is serious business here and is not for the faint of heart!

The bag that could but wouldn't

If you are on the road a lot, you have probably had a baggage problem or two on a few trips. So a story about lost/delayed baggage is not real exciting. But I had quite an adventure earlier this week and felt that I must absolutely share it with my friends.

This incident happened during my trip to Birmingham, Alabama earlier this week. We were scheduled to leave from LA on Tuesday afternoon on a United flight via Denver. Our plane landed in Denver ahead of schedule but due to gate congestion, sat on the runway for over 45 minutes. We had less than 15 minutes to make our connecting flight but we made it (sans a few calories lost in the mad dash!). But guess, who (or what) didn't make it? Yes - my brown duffel!

The next flight from Denver to Birmingham was scheduled to arrive the following afternoon at 1pm. And we were scheduled to be on the same plane for our return flight at 1:30pm. I was on the phone with representatives from United (friendly CSRs from India and Phillipines) begging them to route my bag back to LA and NOT send it to Birmingham. I was scheduled to be on a flight back to Bangalore on the same day and I had to have my bag. After several calls to United, I received assurances that the bag would be routed back to LA.

The bag was routed to Birmingham.

Of course, not having a clue as to the location of the bag at any given point, I had accounted for this possibility. I must have spoken to the entire staff of United at the Birmingham airport because the Sikora Bag seemed to have been designated a celebrity status. When the plane arrived from Denver, the ticket agent asked the baggage handlers to locate the bag, retag it and leave it on the aircraft. This must have been the turning point in the story. As it turns out, the bag was on this plane and was thankfully not unloaded.

My duffel made finally made it back to LA on the same flight with me. Happy Ending!

Fast food nation!!

I never thought I would say this but I love junk food! I have never been a big fan of hamburgers etc. but something about being away for a few months has made a difference.

It's great to be back in Los Angeles. I have been here for less than a week and I have had close to half dozen hamburgers and chicken sandwiches with fries in that time. My recent one was a hamburger meal at 12:30AM in Birmingham, Alabama at a McDonalds! How much more American can I get?

It was good while it lasted but now I am craving again for some good Sambar Rice. Glad that I am headed back to Bangalore tonight.

The drive to be first!

Indians want to get ahead!

No, I am not talking about space exploration or software development or business process outsourcing or even medical research. I am referring to the inherent drive to be the first in a queue! In India, you will notice that the queues work a bit differently. I am referring to queues in banks, airports, movie theaters etc.

Three characteristics about queues jump out at you here - they are generally very long, they move extremely slowly and people are constantly cutting in, shoving and pushing to get ahead quicker. People seem to take this need to move forward rapidly within a queue at any cost as their birthright and appear confused when others get offended at their behavior.

An example to highlight this phenomenon.

I was at the Bangalore international airport and there was a huge line to get in. Either a breakdown in the security equipment or some inefficient bureaucracy had created a bottleneck. Many folks were waiting patiently in the slow moving queue for nearly half hour just to gain entry into the airport building. Meanwhile, I could see some passengers simply walking past the queue and attempting to enter the building at the front of the line. One such gentleman standing next to me and attempting to enter the line behind me got yelled at by folks further back in the line. However, this did not seem to bother him and he somehow managed to work himself into the queue ahead of many other folks while shaking his head in puzzlement at the anger of his fellow passengers. About 10 minutes later, a similar thing occurred with another passenger. The gentleman who had cut in to the line earlier was furious and indignant that someone would behave in such a manner.

Go figure!

Rang Barse

Yesterday Indians celebrated the colorful festival of Holi! Holi is celebrated each year at this time of the year and people throw colored water and powder at each other in celebration during this festival. Of course, as is common with most Indian festivals, there is a lot of fun, food, music and dancing.

While Holi is celebrated to welcome the onset of Spring, it has it's origins in ancient Hindu mythology. As the legend goes, King Hiranyakashyap was the king of demons and a staunch enemy of Hindu god, Vishnu. His son, Prahlad was a devotee of Vishnu and as such the king ordered him to death. Prahlad survived a fall from a mountain, a herd of elephants and other attempts at his life. Finally, the king's wife, Holika was assigned the task of killing the boy. Holika had a boon that would allow her to remain unharmed even if she was set on fire. So she held Prahlad and sat on a large bonfire. But miraculously, Prahlad survived while Holika burnt to ashes. During Holi, a large bonfire is let to commemorate this event.

The association at the building had organized a Holi event at our complex. This was a two-day affair that started on Saturday with a talent show for children and a dinner. It was a great opportunity to meet with many of our neighbours. The talent show was cute. Next day, the festivities started at 10am in the morning when over a hundred people took part in the throwing of colors. Mona and I have not celebrated Holi in 20 years and of course the kids have never experienced this. Needless to say, they had a blast. They had a complete license to do what they wanted and they made full use of it. Against the background of loud Bollywood music, we had a blast playing holi for hours.