The Big Fat Indian Wedding

I can't believe that it has taken over a two and a half years before we got an opportunity to attend a traditional Indian wedding. The son of our landlord got married last week and Mona and I were invited for the wedding. The marriage was on a Thursday morning followed by a lunch. A large wedding reception was scheduled for Friday. We were leaving for Hong Kong on Friday and decided to attend the lunch on Thursday.

The wedding turned out to be a traditional south Indian wedding. The actual wedding ceremony started at 7:30am in the morning on Thursday and lasted about 4 hours. During this time, there were several different poojas (prayers) and rituals. Lunch service started at 11:30am. By then, there were about 3000 guests. No, I did not add a zero by mistake. I do mean three thousand guests. So naturally, lunch had to be served in shifts. This was quite an experience.

The dining hall consisted of long tables with folks sitting on one side of the table. Each table could accomodate about 20 people and there were at least 20 tables. So about 400 people were being fed in one sitting. We took our seats after one group of people had completed their lunch. An army of waiters and servers worked with speed to clean the tables, cover them with white sheets of thick paper and place a huge banana leaf on the table in front of each guest. The etiquette is to sprinkle a bit of water from your glass and wash the leaf clean with your hands.

The vegetarian meal consisted of nearly 20 courses and included a few different vegetable curries, roti, poori, pulao, plain rice, bhajiyas and a couple of different sweets and desserts. Servers made their way down each row serving each person. The food was delicious but the experience was truly unique.

We missed the wedding reception the following day but passed by the venue on our way to the airport! This one also looked like a grand affair with lights and decorations and probably a similar number of guests!

Now that is a big fat wedding.

Back in my favorite city

In case I have not mentioned this before, London is on the top of my favorite city list. If I have already told you this earlier, then this is to let you know that nothing has changed. I still love the place and wish that some day I can spend 3-6 months living here.

Perhaps it is the international feel of the city that appeals to me. Earlier this afternoon, I was sitting on a bench in Kensington garden. In a period of about 15 minutes, at least 40-50 people walked by speaking in over a dozen languages! I like the crowds here - people are walking everywhere, there is hustle and bustle around the place. The underground tube (train) system is fabulous and makes getting around the city a breeze. Well ... today was an exception. There is a strike and the underground is not functional. So I got a feel for London traffic as I drove in a taxi from one end of the town to the other.

I have been quite fortunate with the weather. With the exception of one or two trips to this city, the weather has generally been perfect every time I have been here.

The only bad thing about my recent trips here has been the fact that I keep traveling alone for work. I need to come back soon with Mona, Aanish and Ayaana. Plus I have promised Aanish that we will come to London and take him to an Arsenals football match! Keeping my fingers crossed on that one.

Democracy at work

India recently held parliamentary elections to elect a new government and a prime minister. It was a fascinating experience to watch the entire process from up close.

In a country that seems to thrive in chaos, order somehow manages to emerge at the other end. The ruling Congress party and the prime minister Manmohan Singh were handed a mandate by the people and returned to power for a second term. The verdict was hailed in both India and abroad as a vote for sustained growth and development. Stock markets reacted favorably and foreign investments immediately started accelerating. The common man seems to be happy at the state of affairs.

Several hundred million voters took part in this election. Stories of voting machines being dispatched to remote regions of the countries (deep forests and high mountains) to enable tiny groups of voters filled the newspapers. The entire process lasted for several weeks as the infrastructure required to conduct elections on a single day would be unimaginable. Despite fears of unrest, the elections were held in a peaceful manner. The media provided a huge level of transparency in the process. Popular movie stars participated in ad campaigns to promote awareness and encouraging people to vote. The massive young population of India was truly engaged in the process as was evident by the measures taken by each political party to connect to this segment of the population.

In the end, the system worked as it was intended and the result will make India a stronger nation in the coming years.

Moo On!

It's been nearly two and a half years since I moved to Bangalore and I have assimilated fairly well. I have gotten so used to things that are typically Indian that I don't even notice them any more. But some days I try to consciously look out for those Indian experiences that have no parallel anywhere in the world.

This morning was one of those days. I was in the car stopped at a traffic light at a major intersection in Bangalore. On the opposite side, I noticed a bullock cart stopped at the intersection! This is in the middle of peak hour traffic with buses, cars, auto-rickshaws, scooters, motorcycles, bicycles, trucks etc. all trying to find their way forward and rushing to get ahead. Amazingly enough, I noticed that the vehicles around the bullock cart had somehow made way for it and were patient enough to allow it to make it's way at a lumbering pace.

No outrage! No drive by shooting!

What a country!

Doing business without technology?

Can you imagine a company in this day and age doing business without using technology? No e-mail, computers, accounting systems, blackberries!!! Crazy, you say? That is what I thought until a tiny incident opened my eyes to a new way of doing business.

I was hanging out at home in the morning reading my newspaper when the bell rang. It was the Coconut-Wala delivering coconuts (in India it is quite common to drink tender coconut water during summer). He handed me our daily supply of two coconuts and asked for his monthly payment. When asked how much we owed him, he was able to tell us accurately how many coconuts he delivered during last month, number of days of missed delivery and total amount owed in a single breath! No excel spreadsheets, no calendar, no on-line delivery schedules, no inventory management .... no, sir (and madam!). He had it all in his head.

As I drove in to work, i started to observe and think about the other "Coconut-Wallas" out there who operate in a similar fashion. There is the guy who sells plants and pots across the street from us, the guy who delivers milk (different quantity each day), the guy who delivers newspapers, the guy who delivers DVDs .... . I have never seen any of these guys carry a notebook, leave alone a laptop! And they are all running small successful businesses.

So to all of you who believe that you can't run a business without technology ... have some coconut water!

The Art of Yoga

It's been over two years since we have been in India and it was about time that I got involved in something that was totally Indian. So I finally signed up for Yoga classes a couple of months ago. Since my weekly visits to the gym had dwindled down to .... ZERO, I figured I needed an alternate fitness program. Of course, my recent painful misadventure with kidney stones have made me realize that the human body cannot be neglected for long. Yoga seemed like a nice relaxing, non-impact, low intensity workout and it felt like something that would suit my style. Best of all, a Yoga instructor was offering classes right in the building, so I would not even need to drive to class.

It's been over 3 months now and let me tell those that have never practiced Yoga - IT IS NOT AS EASY AS IT LOOKS! The asanas (postures) are designed to extend, stretch and pull every muscle in your body. An hour and a half of twisting and contorting your body, definitely gives every muscle the exercise it needs. But I definitely see progress. For the first couple of weeks, I would crawl back home from class groaning! It seems to be working now. I definitely feel like I have more energy and greater flexibility. Of course, the class is getting tougher as well. The best part of the class is the way you end it. The last pose is "Shavasana" - the dead man's pose. It is called that for a reason ..... you are nearly dead by the time you get there and you look forward to it. In this asana, you are lying down flat on your back, with your eyes closed and muscles relaxed for about 5 minutes. Absolute bliss!

Spring Break Log

This year for Spring Break, we planned a trip to the Andaman Islands. This turned out to be a great choice. The place is a fantastic island destination with white sandy beaches, lush tropical greenery and water-based activities but does not have the throngs of visitors that are typical in similar destinations. The islands have yet to be discovered by vacationers around the world and are not totally developed and commercialized.

We spent a couple of days in Port Blair - the capital city which used to be a prisoner's colony during the British era. A prison (Cellular Jail) is one of the main highlights on this island. Several important freedom fighters were housed in this prison. Another destination worth a visit is Ross Island which is a 15-minute ferry ride from Port Blair. The British officers had established a colony for themselves on Ross Island and governed the region from here.

We spent the remaining four days at Havelock island - absolute bliss. We were staying at a wonderful eco-resort, Barefoot Resorts. The accomodations at Barefoot are designed in the style of traditional Nicobari huts. The resort is truly an eco-friendly destination. The use of energy is minimized, Solar energy powers most of the resort and they are big into reducing waste and increasing recycling. The surrounding were gorgeous - the huts are located in a forest. The beach is a 2-minute walk from here. The beach itself was one of the best that we have been in the world - warm water, white sandy beach and a spectacular landscape.

We got our fill of adventure sports. All of us tried our hand at Kayaking and Snorkeling. Snorkeling was a first for Mona, Aanish and Ayaana and they had a terrific time.

Of course, the major highlight was the food! The seafood prepared in traditional island style was finger licking. We did not have a single meal that would be average. Each one was better than the other. We had our fill of prawns, lobster and crabs! We took a break from "masala" seafood one day at Havelock and decided to eat at an Italian restaurant on the island .... simply superb!

Invasion of the Roach Coach

Food trucks (roach coaches?) are part and parcel of daily life in the US. The closest equivalent of those were roadside street vendors with pushcarts or small stalls that sold beverages such as tea, coffee, fruit juices to snacks like chaat etc. With a growing workforce that is dealing with increasing mobility, long commutes, extended working hours, it was simply a matter of time before the "mobile" food stall became part of the Indian daily life as well.

Last week, as I was driving to work, I realized that I had never noticed the number of mobile food stalls that were all around. Small vans with mobile kitchens are out in the morning churning out hot masala chai and south Indian coffee along with a full south indian breakfast. The vans are back during lunch with an assortment of snacks and full meals and catering to the hundreds of thousands of office workers.

The concept is pretty much similar between the Indian and the US roadside food services. The big difference is the highly discernible palate of an Indian. Indians are very choosy and selective about their meals and it is interesting to see the mobile food industry evolve to cater to the Indian market - with all the flavors and choices that a typical consumer might want!!

Holi is back!

Today we celebrated our third Holi in India. Mona left for Mumbai this morning so she was not able to join the celebrations and we missed her. There was a large turnout for the festival. As in prior years, there was enough color, water, music, dancing and snacks for everyone. There was an added element this year - Bhang!. It is a preparation made from the Cannabis plant and can be smoked or consumed as a beverage. Last time I had Bhang was over 25 years ago. This time, the concoction was probably a bit milder (catered to the 40+ generation) and all it did was make me pass out for a few hours.

And since Mona was not around this year, I had to figure out how I would get myself and two color and water soaked kids into the house without messing up the whole place. But as they say, necessity is the mother (well, father in this case) of invention. A few newspapers, old napkins, plastic bags and a mop did the trick. Place looks spanking clean!

Standing in the midst of swirling colors and spraying water, I was watching folks from the ages of 2 years to 60 years having a gala time. Festivals like these bring people from different backgrounds, ages, religions together in an environment of fun and friendship. To get a feel for Holi, check out this wonderful ad.

Leadership Camp Report

Ayaana is back from her one-week Leadership Camp in beautiful Coorg. I am not 100% sure but it feels like she has grown taller and her self-confidence is higher! But then - that could be a doting father speaking.

Jokes aside - the camp sounds like a lot of fun. Coorg (also known as Scotland of India) is a resort in Karnataka near the border of Kerala. Almost 50 seventh graders spent a week at camp in a coffee plantation learning team and leadership skills. Activities ranged from trekking and rapelling to survival cooking and hanging around bonfires. One night, the students learnt how to pitch tents and spent the night in tents.

I have never been to Coorg but Ayaana claims that the scenery is out of this world. The pictures she took on her digital camera confirms this.

After a week of bonding with nature, the kids returned home on Saturday - after making a lunch stop at .... you guessed it - McDonalds!!!!

I can't live without .....

I am on my fifth plane ride in four days. There are only so many movies that you can watch and only so many hours that you can work on your laptop (before it runs out of power). Bored out of my mind, I pulled out the Skymall magazine - the in-flight shopping guide.

I have never paid much attention to these magazines until today. As I was flipping through the pages, I was amazed at the stuff that you can buy these days. For instance, how can you live without a Sleep Regulating Sun Lamp that emits the wavelength of morning sunlight to ensure peaceful sleep? And can you imagine traveling without an anti-bacterial plastic cover for remote controls that will control the spread of germs when you are handling the TV remote in hotel rooms? Life can never be complete without a multi-function video pen that can record voice and video and yes amazingly enough can write as well!

And why would you ever want to deal with the hassle and mess of using real candles when you can buy a set of flameless candles that come with ... you heard it right - a remote control! And here's the item that is my favorite - a Barbeque branding iron - to help you personalize your steak, turkey and fillets with your initials.

It does make a statement about people! After all - we are what we buy.

Show me the money!

I have been back in the US for less than 24 hours but the enormity of the economic crisis and the criticality of a stimulus plan is clearly obvious. This hit me hardest when I read about Starbucks plans to lower prices of its signature coffees and offer combo breakfasts. The news on TV and newspapers is full of tales of layoffs, shutdowns, closures etc. International travel is down! Cost-effective valentines day gifts are being promoted! None of this is a major surprise because we have been constantly reading about this - but being in the eye of the storm makes it much more real.

The senate is scheduled to vote on the stimulus package today. I have been hearing a lot of debate on this but really hope that it passes. The country needs a real shot in the arm (one on either arm and possibly a couple in the butt!) to get things slowly moving back on track.

Road Trip Log

Last weekend, we set out on a road trip to the ancient city of Hampi. This post is a summary of the road trip. Look out for more on Hampi in a future post. This was the first time I was driving on a highway in India - and a looong drive it was! The drive to Hampi from Bangalore took us over 9 hours. The return trip was a bit shorter.

For all of you who are might be contemplating a similar adventure, please bookmark this post as a reference. I have advice here about how to enjoy a long drive on a highway in India while ensuring safety. Here are some of the key highlights of the journey:

Entertainment and Education
Yes .. you heard right! A drive on an Indian highway is highly entertaining and educational. The backs of trucks (lorries as they are affectionately known here), have visuals and messages that entertain and educate you. Messages include the spiritual kind (God Bless You, Jai Mata Di etc), the advisory type (Small Family - Happy Family, Don't Drink and Drive, Keep Distance) to pure entertaining (Highly Infal mable). Messages encourage you to maintain a party atmosphere by honking your horn (Horn OK, Sound Horn, Blow Horn). Signs on the highway encourage safe driving by advising you to avoid killing yourself as your family awaits you.

Safety
Driving on an Indian highway is no different from navigating an obstacle course. Constant vigilance is required because you have no idea where the next obstacle will appear from. Obstacles include a 2-wheeler, a metal road block, a huge rock, a tractor driving towards you on a one-way road and of course human beings.

Nature Experience
Wild life peacefully coexists with humans in India (even in semi-urban areas). So it was no wonder that we saw a variety of animals including dogs, cows, buffalos, pigs etc. Animals can also serve as obstacles.

Food
Highway fast food is not as widely available as in the US but a popular South Indian restaurant (Kamat) has started to open a chain of clean restaurants serving vegetarian food. Of course, you have the usual 'Dhabas' that are unique to Indian highways and serve rich and spicy food.

Craters and Valleys?

Nope! I am not talking about a recent sightseeing visit to an exotic volcano site. Rather, I am referring to driving on Bangalore roads and specifically referring to the GIANT speed bumps that you would typically encounter every 100 yards or so. The sickening crunch that you hear every time your car navigates one of these gives you pictures of the battered underbelly of your shiny new vehicle.

After the millionth such crunch, I was convinced that there must be a solution to this. I googled Bangalore Speed Bumps and sure enough, found hundreds of discussions on local on-line forums on this topic. One of these forums had the answer. As your front wheels start to climb the speed bump, you turn your steering wheel to the right or left and drive over the bump at an angle. Of course, you have to correct course quickly as you are climbing down to avoid totally confusing the traffic around you. But it works!

Since then, I have not only managed to avoid damaging our car but have also dispensed this advise to all my friends who are plagued with this problem.

Couple of other useful tips:

1. Unload your heaviest passenger before passing over a speed bump
2. Heavier passengers should sit in the front seat
   
3. If you happen to be driving to the airport with heavy luggage, the passenger on the front seat (and even the driver if possible) should carry a heavy piece of luggage on their lap
4. If you happen to be going to dinner, eat less in order to keep the weight in the car low
   

Happy driving!

Out with the old, In with the New

As we bring in a new year, it is but inevitable that one is going to reflect back on the prior year because history is the best teacher for the future! 2008 was a mixed year for us. We are now completely settled in Bangalore and this has become very much a home for us. The children are growing up into adults with their own personalities but with a very important skill - adaptability and flexibility. The worse effects of the global economic recessions have not been felt in India and even the most conservative estimates are predicting a 5% growth in GDP for 2009. Mona has never been busier in life both socially and professionally. 2AdPro is doing well and I enjoy most of my time there (there are always moments when you would rather be in a dentist's chair!). And then, this was the year that the US elected its first African American president. Way to go, America!

But this year has also been marred by many unfortunate events. Hate filled terrorists have continued to wage a war against innocents throughout the world. We experienced bomb blasts in Bangalore and Istanbul. The recent shooting and bombing incident in Mumbai left all of us cold and in a state of shock. Israel is attacking Hamas as we speak and a conflict is brewing in every part of the world.

My biggest hope for 2009 is that violence and terror will lose and peace will prevail. How is this going to happen? I feel that it has to happen from within each human being. We must all identify the hate in ourselves against anything and anybody and destroy it. No new leader of the free world or a prophet from the stars will solve this problem. We have to step up to this and each one needs to do his/her part in building a peaceful and tolerant world.

Happy New Year!

This too shall pass

I have been off-line for several weeks now and this is purely due to health reasons. Couple of weeks ago, I was back in Los Angeles for a 10-day visit to the US. On Day 2, I felt an acute pain in the left lower abdomen. The pain was so severe that I had to contact a very good friend of ours who is a doctor. I was quickly diagnosed with a kidney stone and before I could say "Rock", I found myself on a bed in an Emergency Room with an IV in my arm. After a CAT Scan and blood test, I was prescribed strong pain medication along with antibiotics. On Day 3, I was a plane headed back to Bangalore.

I landed on early morning Friday after a very long and uncomfortable (due to the pain) plane ride. The pain was still fairly strong but I thought the pain killers would do the trick. I even headed to the office for a meeting. But then the pain increased so much that I had to turn right back and head home. If you have ever suffered from a kidney stone, my deepest sympathies are with you. If you have not, you are lucky and please drink 3 liters of water each day!

I was back in the Emergency Room (this time in Bangalore)! I finally passed the stone and life has since been limping back to normalcy. An ultra-sound test has shown that there are 2 or 3 more in my kidney and I have been prescribed a treatment called litho-tripsy by the urologist. And friends and family have been very kind and checking on my health and prescribing a host of treatment options ranging from homeopathy, yoga and ayurvedic massages to beer, stem of the banana plant and a host of other remedies. I am determined to try ALL of them!

Thank you all for your support during this time. And most of all, thanks to my lovely wife, Mona, without whose constant help and strong support, this would not have passed!

Terror in Mumbai

Our past few days were spent watching in horror as the terror drama in Mumbai was unfolding. We are sad, frustrated and angry at the senseless killings of hundreds of innocents, the mindless violence and the destruction of an iconic building. The ordeal came to an end yesterday when the last of the terrorists was shot dead but it will take a long time for the city and the country to recover from this.

As the drama was unfolding on the television for over 60 hours, people in India and all over the world were watching in horror at the unbelievable turn of events. The terrorists targeted the heart of India's financial, entertainment and tourism capital by attacking Mumbai. A large number of foreigners were victims of the tragedy making this a truly global event that was covered in mainstream media around the world.

It is a sad commentary on the times that we live in when a group of less than a dozen individuals, armed to the teeth, can land in a major metro city in the world and generate such mayhem. This is a completely unjustified act of cowardice that serves no purpose. Many innocent lives were lost and families were destroyed as these young heartless terrorists continued on their rampage without any emotion or feeling.

We mourn with the families of those who died and were injured in this attack. We salute the brave men and women of the law enforcement force who risked their lives to save others. Several of them laid down their lives in the line of duty. Funerals are being held around the city for the victims of this tragedy. Memorial services are being held to honor the brave.

We hope that this incident will trigger action by the Indian government at the central and state levels to improve their preparedness in dealing with such incidents. This attack has exposed the inadequate level of preparations in major areas such as intelligence gathering, personnel training, upgrading weapons and equipment etc. Most importantly, the politicians must wake up to recognize the need for a coordinated response and leave aside their petty political differences to establish a strong anti-terror system that would ensure that such an attack would never happen on the country's soil again. Countries around the world must recognize that cooperation at a global level is required to combat and win this new "war".

Traveling on the Interstate ...

This week when I was returning from Chennai to Bangalore, I decided to drive down with Mohan. While the Chennai to Bangalore flight is about 45-50 minutes, the driving distance from the Bangalore airport to my house is about an hour and a half. The drive from the office in Chennai to the airport is about an hour. Add an hour long wait at the airport and the total travel time is about five hours. The train ride between the two cities is about the same and so is the drive time. So I thought .. what the heck!

Driving on the interstate highways (NH -> National Highway) is a bit different than cruising on the Golden State freeway. It took us about an hour to reach the highway. The distance was probably no more than 10 miles but by the time you navigate through the typical traffic in an Indian metro and make your way around the numerous road construction projects, it takes that long.

The ride on the highway itself was quite interesting. The highway is a four-lane highway with two lanes headed in either direction. The road itself is very good with beautiful landscaping etc. One thing that struck me was the large number of trucks headed in either direction. These ranged from the traditional lorries that have been plying on the Indian roads for decades to spanking new 18-wheelers. When one truck is attempting to pass another, you can be stuck behind both these guys for quite some time.

Another thing that jumps out at you is the darkness. We were driving in the night and I realized that the street lighting is minimum. This starts to become a real pain when you realize that the trucks do not have or do not use their indicators and are not well lit themselves. So, how do they manage? Well, it takes two to drive these large monsters - there is the driver who is doing the actual driving and then there is his assistant who is hanging out the other window waving signs to the other drivers on the street in order to communicate the driver's intent.

Then you have the foot traffic - people crossing the highway at random points. I am not sure how Mohan was able to spot these folks and managed to avoid hitting anyone but I am pretty sure that I don't have this skill.

Signs along the highway keep reminding you of stuff such as "Speed Kills", "Go slow, your family is waiting" etc. But just as you start to feel good about these, you see a sign "Hospital Ahead. Emergency services for Accident victims".

Seat of Power and Monument of Love

The day after we finished celebrating Diwali, we headed out to Delhi and Agra for a short vacation. It has been over 20 years since either Mona and I have visited the Taj and we have never visited this Monument of Love together. So this has been on our list of places to visit for quite a few years.

Delhi is the Seat of Power in India and you can feel it when you arrive. We were immediately impressed with Delhi - good infrastructure, clean and wide roads, well behaved traffic etc. We stayed at a B&B tucked away in the exclusive Golf Links neighborhood of Delhi - a charming place in a cozy little area of the city. Sightseeing in Delhi is an unforgettable experience. You can live the history especially if you have grown up here and studied Indian history. Humayun's tomb is a world heritage site and fully deserves the status. The Red Fort brings stories during the Mughal era to life. Jama Masjid is a grand old mosque - another example of the incredible Mughal architecture. The visit to the Bahai temple was interesting. This lotus shaped building is a must-see when you are in Delhi. Akshar Dham is a modern temple with a fantastic architecture, beautiful carvings and a musical fountain that would rival Bellagios in Las Vegas.

Food in Delhi was a major highlight. We ate a lot of street food - our best kind - the succulent kababs served by Khan Chacha in Khan market. We stopped at a Dhaba on the way back from Delhi to Agra and had the best vegetarian Dhaba food that you can imagine. Some of the best street food can be found on the streets of Chandni Chowk where we tried a range of food from hot jalebis to an assortment of parathas to dahi ballas! Absolute foodie heaven!

Our visit to the Taj Mahal was awesome. The Taj is everything that you would expect and more. It is an amazing monument and you are rendered speechless when you first lay your eyes on it (even though you might have seen it before). For a change, we had a guide accompany us and he was able to give us (especially the children) some good insights into the history of the Taj. Fatehpur Sikri in Agra is an equally impressive monument. It is the city that Akbar had built but it was inhabited for only a short amount of time due to lack of adequate water. We also visited Akbar's tomb which is a simple tomb inside a magnificent monument.

Festival of Lights!!!

It is that time of the year again - the festival of Diwali is back! Last week, Diwali was celebrated all over the country including a big celebration in our building. The festivities began on Sunday, October 26th with a talent show. Ayaana performed a Bollywood dance number with a group of kids. As always, there was good food followed by music and dancing.

We went shopping for fireworks on Saturday and it was quite an experience for the children. We bought all our fireworks at a large makeshift market in a ground in JP Nagar. Huge crowds assembled on Monday and Tuesday night to burst the fire crackers. Aanish and Ayaana had a real blast. Flower pots, Sparklers, Snakes, Bombs, Rockets - there was enough for everyone. Ayaana had a minor accident on both days and ended up with a few blisters. But this did not diminish her enthusiasm.

Mona and I ended the celebration of the week with a fun dinner evening with friends. The day after, we left for a short vacation to Delhi. But more about that in my next post.