Starting from Scratch - the story of setting up house in India

I LOVE MY WIFE.......I have to say this before I begin typing anything more.....it is Wednesday night here in Delhi....and I will be heading home in 4 days....I LOVE YOU SWEETIE....yes I have missed her terribly.......64 days apart.....I think this is the longest time we have ever been apart in 22 years.......it will be 68 days by the time I land.....ONLY 4 DAYS!

Writing about setting up a house...even in India.....is boring! Nothing new.....nothing exciting.......I did learn/verify one thing though.....FURNITURE SHOPPING is just as frustrating 13,000 miles apart as it is 2 feet apart.

But not because of Linda....she was great...truly. Just too many choices.......but some really interesting stuff....if your name is GEORGE JETSON.......very modern stuff...beds that are only inches off the floor......when our bed is so high at home Linda almost needs a ladder to climb in......but we did our best didn't we sweetie.....936 pictures of couches and beds and chairs and beds and couches and chairs and couches and sofas and tables and chairs and rugs and chairs.

But finally it gets delivered Friday and Saturday; they say it will be delivered at 1:30pm.....but it's India....that means anytime between 1:30pm Friday.....and 1:30pm Saturday......
New Refrigerator (anxiously awaiting the suitcase full of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups I'm bringing back).....a water purifier, washing machine and dryer, a microwave, a TV, 4 heaters(no central heat), a dining table because you don't eat in the kitchen, living room seating area, TV room/Den seating, three beds and six nightstands...and mattresses.

Now there is something exciting to talk about...mattresses....they are only 4 inches thick/thin.....but I haven't had a backache since I have been in India......nothing to compare them to in the states.....Linda and Preston, even though I chose one of the traditional Indian mattresses for our room, there are two spring mattresses like home.

And we still have things to purchase......kitchen stuff, window treatments, artwork, lamps, rugs and groceries.....I just don't have time to do everything before I leave. I want everything to be nice for you and Preston when you arrive.....I got to stay in a 5 star hotel.....I want this to be special for you. We have our own elevator/lift...isn't that cool....and a backup generator for when the electricity goes off.....I didn't mention the bicycle I am purchasing for Hiralal, who will be cooking for us......stuffed bangain.....yummy.....oh, and I forgot to mention, the stove runs off propane gas......but they deliver, and so does RED MOON BAKERY, started by a CANADIAN couple......check out their website: http://redmoonbakery.net ....oh and the vegetable man that comes with his cart EVERYDAY full of fresh produce...

Setting up house.....wanting everything to be just right......is not easy.....I LOVE YOU BABE.......I MISS YOU.......this place needs your touch to make it "comfortable" and warm and cozy.....just like you have made every place we have lived...HOME!

This is it.....where we will be spending the next few years of our lives......the area of town we will be living in is called VASANT VIHAR......it's a great location for us.....convenient to my new office in Gurgaon and The American Embassy School where Preston will be. This is a three story building.....our apartment or FLAT, is all on the top floor which is really the second floor......Yes...I said it is a 3 story building...we live on the TOP Floor which is the 2nd floor....Confused?........this is India....I need not say anymore. But you will have to get used to things like that.

It needs the Linda touch! The Linda feel! It needs a wreath on the door.....It's empty now.....but it will soon come to life.....but it really does need you to breathe life into it. An empty shell as of Wednesday December 3, 2008.....by Sunday you will see some changes...all of you must keep following the blog and watch the transformation as we make our new home in India.

I can't wait to see everyone.....only 4 days.....but, I can't wait to get back to India either....this is when it will truly begin.... OUR INDIA ADVENTURE......

TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT?

The two paragraphs in quotations are not my words, but words of a journalist from India describing the Taj Hotel in Mumbai.

"Anyone, anywhere who has visited Mumbai will be gasping at the sight of a burning Taj Mahal Palace & Tower hotel. That is because it is not your average hotel.

If a momentous infidelity is being committed on a given night, or a billion-dollar business deal being inked, or a recklessly brilliant idea being hatched, there is a fair chance it is being committed,
inked, hatched at the Taj. Mumbaikars who can afford it have their most romantic meals at its Wasabi restaurant, accept marriage proposals in its Sea Lounge, land job offers in its coffee shop."
Just three and a half hours before this tragedy began to unfold, I was interviewing a candidate, in the very same coffee shop mentioned by the journalist, for one of our most senior positions in our company, our Director of Finance. To me, there was not a more fitting place to conduct such an interview, and the location was convenient to another appointment I had in the city.....actually just right around the corner from the hotel.

I arrived at the Taj at 4:10 in the afternoon and was dropped off by our Chairman H.P. Rama. I have become accustomed to the heavy security at the hotel, and after making my way inside the lobby, introducing myself to the candidate, I suggested the coffee shop, as the lobby was packed with guests and there were no empty or conducive places to speak. Although I had been in the hotel once before....(see my earlier blog entry on Mumbai)I was not aware of the location of the coffee shop and I stopped at the front desk to ask directions. After finding our way, I asked for a quiet table in the corner and after purchasing some bottled water, we settled in and discussed the details of our company, it's strategy, our needs and he discussed his background and how he felt he could contribute. Any of my former colleagues would tell you that my interviews are traditionally marathons for a candidate, but today I was racing against time and the horrendous traffic in Mumbai.....and I glanced at my watch twice.....as I needed to allow ample time to catch my flight. Our meeting concluded after an hour and a half or so, and after paying for the bottled water, I strolled out of the front of one of the most elegant hotels in India, in my suit and tie feeling great about the candidate and knowing that I could still make that flight in time. As I was walking, a young Indian girl, a street beggar, took notice of me and began walking along my side and making conversation...she was just one of the many that wait for tourists and beg for money, i was pulling my computer bag in one hand.....put my hand in my front pocket to avoid being a victim of a pickpocket scam, and chatted with her as I walked. She asked where I was from, and I stated "Delhi" and she said she didn't think so, and I was joking as I walked along, asking her if she could tell by the color of my hair or my skin.....until her proposition...."I do not want any money from you sir, but could you please buy me something to eat". I asked her how old she was as I neared the office I was heading too, passing up the street she wanted me to turn down; she stated she was 18 years old.....she looked 13 or 14, and she was street smart, confident and articulate.....I told her I didn't think she was that old, but I enjoyed the conversation, and I reached into my pocket and pulled out a 100 rupee bill, said goodbye, and disappeared quickly upstairs. I checked my watch....5:45pm; if we got going by 6pm I would be in good shape.
This was not just any flight......but it was a flight that earlier in the day I was complaining about. Amit, Director of Technical Services and I were traveling together from Delhi to Mumbai, but I had opted not to stay the evening; my original plans were to fly in early and leave as late as I could. In order to accomplish this, I had originally scheduled myself on two different airlines.....I was told that my morning flight had been changed...and my departure time shifted by only a half hour, so I was not concerned, but I wasn't informed, nor had I realized that my departure time had changed from what I originally had requested. I was trying to pack in as much in one day as I could. With that said, my original plan was to conduct the interview in the evening at the Taj, as I thought my day was mostly going to be spent at the office of the architect for the hotel in Vizag, with Amit.
As a matter of fact, our Deputy HR did not confirm the interview until almost 8:00pm the night before I left, because my plan was to have the candidate meet between 6:30 and 7:00 and get started.
I was actually upset, because this interview was important, and I even told the Managing Director that I didn't think I was going to be able to conduct the interview as planned. I reluctantly told Ranjeeta to schedule the appointment at 4:00pm, and in the back of my mind I had planned to call and cancel if it became necessary.

My plane took off at 9:15pm.....and I was in the air about 30 minutes when the terrorist attack took place;not having any idea as to what was taking place. I learned about it from Ranjeeta, who sent me a text message that I responded too that I had just landed, and then she called concerned and told me what was going on and that she was watching the events unfold on TV. She had arranged my meeting at the Taj and knew I was at the hotel earlier that day.

Had my flight not changed, I would have more than likely been at the hotel, waiting for the traffic to weaken, while interviewing the candidate.....I had no luggage to check, and I could have pushed it. But it did change...a change I was upset about....I can't explain why.
And I will never know, if the attack was actually planned earlier in the day, and that they were delayed and the plans changed on that end....pushing the planned attacks to later.
I took a picture of the receipt for the bottled water and I grabbed a picture of a burning Taj hotel from the Internet.....the first two pictures you may recognize from my earlier blog on Mumbai; a picture of the cupola of the Taj towering above some typical buildings in old Mumbai, and a picture I snapped from the car as I was driving past marveled by the beautiful architecture of the building.

Since arriving in India I have never felt unsafe, but then again, I have not placed myself into situations that were dangerous. I have avoided crowds, and gatherings of large numbers of people,etc.

A brush so close to harm such as this, and the odd circumstances with my flight, affirms my faith that I have an angel or two watching over my well being. Yes three and a half odd hours is certainly TOO CLOSE, yet I have a sense of COMFORT knowing that I am being well looked after from above.

Our New Car......"Indy" !

Purchasing a car in India is a much different experience than what I am used to in the United States. Totally different.....if you want to test drive a car, they bring the car to your home or office, the paperwork is crazy (duplicates of duplicates, and if it is a business purchasing a car, it is necessary to provide two pieces of stationary (to prove that you are indeed a business and not a terrorist)......and then they deliver the car to you at your home or office. And trying to accomplish all this with a semi-language/accent barrier is even more interesting.

But, the most interesting thing the custom in India of having your car blessed....yes....another PUJA.....Ramesh, my driver explained that it was a necessary thing to have done......so who am I to argue....especially when I am trying to coax him away from his current job at agency he works for to come and work for Linda, Preston and me. So the car HAD to be blessed. We agreed that we would have it done on Sunday.

There is also another custom....when someone purchases a new car, it is customary for them to share their "good fortune" by giving small gifts of cash to those who help them......yes....the owner has to pay his/her helpers.......not much...just a little something to the Security Guards at the gate to the Home Office and of course...the driver. And the priest that performs the blessing.

This is also time in my life that I get a new car for my use......and I can't drive it on the streets.....not legally anyway....and I have not been tempted in the least to even break the law and jeopardize my employment status or have to pay a fine. Not to mention the crazy way people drive and on the opposite side of the road...shifting the gears with your left hand instead of your right.....it is different....NO THANK YOU.

The car/crossover vehicle is a Toyota Innova.....with a 2.5 liter Diesel Engine......chosen for it's spacious interior, comfortable A/C,smooth ride, it is economical to operate and it will be virtually maintenance free. Linda chose the color.....Champagne Metallic...very classy! And it seats SEVEN Passengers.....so we have enough room for our friends when you come to visit.

While Ramesh shared the custom of the blessing, I shared a bit of cross cultural knowledge with him...our practice of naming our cars!......So...our vehicle has the best of both world's/cultures......meet INDY!

Indy has a 20 gallon tank and received his first FULL tummy on Sunday......1600 Indian Rupees.....$33.33 US.....not bad for a vehicle that will get about 32 miles to the gallon!

It was a very auspicious day...and as is customary.....we had to remove our shoes and socks and stand in the street next to INDY while the blessing was being performed.....I taped the entire thing...and tried to attach the file on the blog...but I think the file is too large....I can send it via email to any of you who are interested.

The Puja was performed at the Rama Mandir Temple which was a small temple.....Ramesh asked for 100 rupees and ran down the street to go and purchase the fruit, flowers and the coconut....necessary as offerings...the coconut was cracked on the ground and the milk was sprinkled on INDY.....at the end of the ceremony, a lemon from the offering is placed just in front of each tire and the priest, after he is paid for his services, instructs the driver and passenger (me) to get into the car and pull forward until the lemons are smashed...I wanted to get a picture but I was rushed into the car!

Although Ramesh speaks English very well, I did not try and explain that in the US we refer to cars with chronic mechanical and quality issues as LEMONS......isn't it interesting that they were used in such a fashion for the ceremony!

Enjoy the pictures and IF any of you are interested in the file containing the video, please let me know...I will be happy to share it with you.

"Sending out an SOS"

Well, if you looked at the picture, you can tell what this blog entry is about.......
My lovely wife placed several packages of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in my suitcases before I left for India..........which have been wonderful for breakfast...but I have not eaten them everyday....I have been rationing them..well I am down to my last package of six......well, now five.....only five packages ......two cups in each of course......and I have approximately a month and a half until I return to the States. Let's see.....that's 45 days....10 cups left......I can have one cup every 4.5 days(but I am worried about the one left in the open package developing that freezer burn taste)........or one package of two every 9 days.....I need to go to the store today to buy some soap......I will search for an Indian substitute.......there is no need to attempt to send them, they are delicate items that need to be transported with the kindest of care.......someone will just have to make a trip, and pack an adequate supply in their suitcase.......any volunteers?

Diwali Puja at our Office! Yes....another Puja

Today was "Diwali Eve" and we actually had a Puja at our office today..........tomorrow the same ritual or prayers will take place in peoples homes all around the globe. Since this was done at our offices, I was able to take a video of the beginning of the Puja......which lasted for approximately 45 minutes. What you are witnessing is just a fraction of the "action"! Watch and listen to the chanting that the priest is doing. It is very interesting. The only thing that would make it more real is if you could smell the incense burning.

I think I am getting to be a professional Puja attendee!

Here are a few pictures of some of my team members as well........notice the "dot" on my forehead......this was put on by the priest. He first dipped his finger in the dark stuff and then into a little pile of rice.....so I had this on all day (I went House Hunting just afterwards). What you can't see in the picture is the string tied around my right wrist......I am not sure what the meaning is, but I will find out. There is another funny cultural "faux pas" to tell...YES, I did something I shouldn't have...again! Enjoy!

"Right there, no down a little, now up...hmmm..ok you can stop"...

House hunting in New Delhi has been many things, but I can say it has never been boring.......and until I captured the pictures above, I had never truly associated it with having an "itch.....scratched.....and satisfied". Hence the title of this blog entry.
I have been house hunting....or apartment shopping.....with a professional real estate agent named Rahul Rewal. Rahul is a great guy....and I will have to take his picture and create a blog entry just for him...but back to the entry. Rahul has shown me around the areas of New Delhi that I have been concentrating on at least 4 times now.....and I am sure he is cursing me....but today I went back to the last apartment he took me too on Saturday....it was dark and I wanted to see it during the day and have a look around the neighborhood also.
The apartment is in an area of New Delhi called Visant Vihar....and I heard Rahul refer to it as "VV" yesterday on the phone...see,I am picking up on the local colloquialisms.
Well, I think this is the one.....after it receives Linda's approval via photographs.
So Rahul......after tomorrow,(he is taking me out one more time), there will be no more "down (VV), Up (Golf Links), over to the right (Defence Colony), a little more (Sundar Nagar), Down again (Shanti Niketan), over to the left again(Jor Baugh), a little more (West End) now back (VV)....aah yes....I think you have it.
The pictures of these two cows was taken on the street the apartment is on......so I think it was another sign that "things will be good for ALL of the Lauland's" while we are on this India Adventure!

Diwali - Gifts, Gambling, Lights and Fireworks

Hello again everyone.........time to share yet another celebration with you. Deepavali, Devali or Diwali as it is known, is a major Indian festival celebrated by Hindu's, Sikh's and Jain's (the three major religious groups) around the world. Yes, there is probably a Diwali celebration going on right around the corner from wherever you may be reading this from. Today these three groups celebrate it as the "Festival of Lights";where the lamps or lights celebrate the triumph of good over evil in everyone. Hindu's in particular celebrate Diwali much like Christmas/New Years combined......yes, gift giving and fireworks!

I received my first Diwali gift from the wife of the owner of the hotel in Vizag......a decorative box of "treats".....and they were yummy! Knowing that the only way I could share them with you was through the blog, I made sure that I took a few pictures.......they tasted as good as they look! OK, they were pretty, but I must admit that I was leery about eating the "shiny" ones......which are covered in real silver! These Indian sweets are known as "Barfi" and they do taste
wonderful.......the one in the back is almond flavored and the one with the nuts....pistachio....which I admit was my favorite! I looked up "edible silver leaf" and learned this very interesting fact......the use of silver foil in Indian food dates back thousands of years, its claimed; in fact, India converts 13 British tons of pure silver into edible foil each year! That little one shaped like an apple was tasty also!

The week ended with me being invited to my first Diwali party......they have actually been going on for several weeks.......where friends and family get together and play cards and gamble.....the gambling ends on Diwali, which this year falls on Tuesday, October 28th! This party was hosted by a friend of Sonya's, Tanya and her husband, and happened to be just down the street from my "Home Office"! The parties start late.....I was told to arrive between 9:30 and 10:00pm......dinner wasn't served until midnight.......until living in India, I thought that Louisiana had everyone in the world beat when it comes to having festivals, parties, and fun....now I am beginning to wonder! I took some pictures of the decorations and people at the party to share with you...... Happy Diwali!!!!

Doubletree by Hilton Vizag.....someday...and another cultural experience!

For those of you wondering how our first hotel in India is coming......Slooooooooowly! For those of you who saw the first set of pictures I took in August on my inaugural trip, not much has changed...besides having to go there to assess the status of the hotel, a huge part of my job is establishing relationships with the owners. Many of you will recall my telling you that the owner, Sarat Kumar Reddy, wanted to open the hotel on the date of his father's birthday, October 15th...I had promised him back in August that I would be in Vizag for his father's celebration....no matter what. Opening the hotel on his father's birthday was Sarat's dream, but it was clear to me back in August that we would not open the hotel.....but I was going to be there for him. There was a ceremony scheduled that day, but it didn't involve a ribbon cutting...it involved another "Puja". Now this was my second puja and there were many familiar aspects ....remember ...no shoes.....and a priest....alot of chanting, flowers, incense, candles, gods, more flowers.......and something unfamiliar....sitting on the table were two clear containers with two different liquids in them...and one of those little spoons! Now keep in mind that I am standing in this room, watching intently at everything happening, which is easy to do when you don't know what is being said....I don't know if he was singing the Hindi version of "How Great Thou Art" or what, so all I can do is observe.....when the priest picked up the container with the "milky, cloudy, liquid" and then saw Sarat form his hands into a cup......I admit I was having second thoughts, but I couldn't back out at this point.....OK..."second thoughts" is being nice...I was thinking "Oh Shit, what am I about to drink"? I watched Sarat drink the liquid from his hand, then he rubbed the remaining liquid in the palm of his hand through his hair. I say to myself.."OK, I got this down....cup hands.....drink liquid (I was worried about making a slurping sound, and then rub the remaining through my hair...I can do this", but I am still a little nervous. Well obviously I am still around to write my blog; so I didn't die or get deathly ill, but my story can't stop there.....Brace yourselves....I executed the task at hand flawlessly, but did not take into account that rubbing liquid through my hair would have different results than Sarat, who has a thick hair.....yes.....the liquid as it turned out was coconut juice with something sprinkled in it.....but it did not stay in my hair......it ran down my forehead! Yes.....another "cultural" experience for Lloyd in India.....I am guessing that Gandhi has the same problem.....so I wore the coconut droplet that reached my left eyebrow with pride....and I had to do so because the ceremony was not over....Have any of you stopped laughing yet?? So then we were given something to eat, which was sweet.....I think it was called "ghee"....Indian clarified butter with sugar.....it tasted better than it looked....almost like a praline flavor without the pecans. Well...when the ceremony was over , I excused myself and wiped the droplet inconspicuously from my brow...but i had strands of hair and flower petals plastered to my head....because coconut juice is sticky....and I had to walk around like this all day long! Well here are a couple of pictures of the hotel.....like I said, not much has changed and I estimate that the hotel will open sometime at the beginning of March. The last picture is of "Sonny", at least that is what I think I heard them call him.....he sleeps just outside the door to the temporary office at the project site. I miss you Murphy!

Meet Hiralal.......my personal Chef!

Before I arrived in India, I received an email from Sonya inquiring as to my arrival date so that she could arrange for a cook and a houseperson to "look after me". Well they have been doing a fine job....it is very uncomfortable to have two people always wanting to do things for you. The first few days, I didn't utilize my cook, Hiralal......partly because I am not used to such treatment, partly because I didn't want to eat alone, and partly because I was busy discovering Delhi's restaurants! Which are great! Hiralal was beginning to feel unwanted, so this Thursday and Friday and Saturday and Sunday, I used him.......yes....I discovered that he is not just a cook, but a Chef! Hiralal can cook anything, but up till now I have kept it simple.....not because of him, but because I don't know what to ask for! The first night I asked for some Dal (lentils), rice and vegetables. It was so good, I asked for it a second night! It was much of the same, for the other nights with a little variation here and there. Today, before I left to wander around with Ramesh looking at neighborhoods again, the following dialog took place with Hiralal. He asked if I wanted some lunch, I declined.....but said that I would like him to cook dinner....I went to the internet, typed Indian Food in the Google Search and asked for images! Bingo, I had a menu from an Indian restaurant located in New Jersey.....filled with dishes with Indian names and descriptions. I wrote down the ingredients and asked Hiralal if he could cook ALOO BAINGAN.....$11.95 at the Palace of India restaurant in Lawrenceville, NJ...at that price I figured it had to be good! My pronunciation of Indian words has much to be desired, so you might imagine how this dish sounded to Hiralal....he looked at me wanting a little more direction. I figured that there was a disconnect with the name of the dish...so I thought i would just tell him the ingredients....."Eggplant, potato's, onion, chili peppers" He repeated "potato, onion, pepper" but he did not understand eggplant! So.....back to the computer...typed the word, eggplant, in the google search and hit Image again and up popped a picture of .......a BAINGAN!!!!!!! His eyes lit up.....I gave him a 100 rupee bill (about $2.25) and he cooked a meal for 4 people. Not since Grade School have I felt the need for FLASH CARDS, but I am thinking about developing a set.....perhaps they can even be marketed and sold! I am always trying to find a way to get rich.....any backers for my "Flash Card" idea?

Dusshera Again!: My second Thursday in India and another National Holiday!

I am beginning to think that India has as many festivals as Louisiana. Yes it is true that on Wednesday, I celebrated this same holiday in South India (Chennai), but today it is being celebrated in New Delhi. I was driving through several neighborhoods in South Delhi, looking for the ideal place for Linda, Preston and I to settle, and came across several parks which were being decorated for the evenings festivities. In Delhi, neighborhood organizations put on a live reenactment of the story of Rama defeating Ravana. Replica's of Ravana are constructed of different materials and are erected; later in the evening, the actor playing Rama shoots an arrow into the stomach of Ravana and the replica catches fire. The evening is filled with fireworks and music and food; just like Louisiana! Here are a few pictures that I took at one such celebration site. I wanted to witness the celebration first hand, but I decided to sit this year out and enjoy the view from my car. Next year, I will feel a bit more comfortable and will enjoy it with Linda and Preston.

This is what happens when you don't follow rules!

You remember the rule that you were taught at a very young age; "Don't talk to strangers!" Here I am...alone in a strange land, and thousands of miles away from the voice who ensured that such lessons were taught and stayed with me throughout my life.......and what do I do.....I talk to a stranger! Well nothing bad happened; as a matter of fact, breaking the rules, sometimes, leads to good things......especially when you are on an adventure! Meet my new friend Prem and his family. Prem and I just happened to be sitting next to each other on the airplane from Chennai to Delhi. It began as a typical flight.......minding my own business, seat back, and trying to catch a few winks of a nap.......then my meal came. If I hadn't mentioned this earlier, flying on any of the airlines in India is truly an enjoyable culinary experience, even in coach! Nothing at all like the US which typically gives you a free soft drink and a small bag of peanuts or pretzels......the airlines in India feed you a wonderful meal even if the flight is only an hour or so! And they even insist on giving you a choice: Indian non -vegetarian or veg.....kosher.....you name it and it is yours! But enough about that. What is important about the meal is that they also include, wrapped up in your real cloth napkin, a small package of the Indian version of after dinner mints......flavored seeds of all types, but you can mainly taste anise. They are candy coated......I think you know the stuff I am talking about. Well, I have taken a liking to these mints....and I guess I was eating them...out of sequence to my meal. My neighbor, Prem, decided to use my culinary 'Faux Pas" as a way to break the ice. He simply asked......you like our mints? I nodded and said "yes" and continued to fidget with my tray......straightening things up and just waiting for the flight attendant to come and retrieve it. Shortly after the Flight Attendant removed our trays, Prem went to the restroom and then so did the passenger to my right......I found myself alone in the middle seat. Prem obviously returned before the other passenger, and when I noticed when he returned he sought an empty seat in another row (the plane was not full). At that point, I unbuckled and moved to the window seat, and this time, I made a comment about "I think I will help us both get more comfortable since the seat next to me is vacant". That was it.....I stopped minding my business and the conversation started. Prem it turns out is on his way to celebrate his granddaughter's birthday, who was turning 4 years old. I won't bore you with our entire conversation, but Prem offered to help me search for a place to stay in New Delhi and he invited me to attend his grand daughters birthday (which I politely declined).....after we deplaned, he immediately started making calls to friends in the areas that I found to be desirable. We were waiting for our luggage and he would get a friend of his on the phone, talking in half English and half Hindi......and then he would say, Mr. Lloyd.....speak to my friend Mr. Banga. We retrieved our bags and were making our way from the airport where my driver was waiting......and I asked him how he was getting to the birthday......when he stated that he was taking a taxi, I invited him to use my driver. The plan was for my driver to drop me off at my "home/office" and then take him on to his destination, as his destination was beyond mine......but the conversation continued.....we talked about food again, work, family, travel, etc.....and then the topic of birthdays came back around. Knowing that it was his granddaughters birthday and it was also a "special day of Vijayadamshi", I commented that she must be considered very special to share a day of such importance with her birth. He explained that her Birthday and the holiday do not always fall on the same day each year, but that he too was born on a very special day according to their beliefs, and unlike his granddaugthers which changes, his always falls on the same day in August. I asked the date........and wouldn't you know it is the same day as mine, August 21st! Prem is a few years older than I am, he is 52 years old, but we do share the same day. Well......that was halfway through our hour and a half journey through the traffic of Delhi, so I wound up attending his granddaughters Birthday. I am sure that Prem and I remain friends for a very long time! Sometimes breaking the rules turns out well! Their names are as follows: Aarushi(the birthday girl), Rimjhim(his eldest daughter and mother to Aarushi), Anuraag (Aarushi's dad) and Anjali (Prem's wife)

My first Puja ! Vijayadashmi or Dussehra

My business trip to Chennai turned into much more than I had anticipated, as it coincided with one of the most auspicious days of the year for all of India. The day of Vijayadashmi or Dussehra, is the classic drama of Good over Evil; the day Lord Rama killed the demon god Ravana. My "adventure" is exposing me to all sorts of interesting cultural experiences, however, I never believed that I would be asked to participate in one! The day before the celebration, or Puja, people began decorating their cars with flowers. Typically, the celebration only pays homage to Rama, but in Chennai they incorporate three additional gods; Lakshmi, Saraswati and Shakti. A shrine was erected at the hotel I was visiting and employees placed various items they use for their jobs at the base of the shrine to be blessed for good fortune. The General Manager of the hotel made sure to point out that they also included the "cash box" to be blessed as well! The room was full and before the shrine stood two men in traditional celebration clothing chanting and singing things in Hindi. Prior to entering the room in which the shrine was erected, everyone was asked to remove their shoes, as this area was now considered a holy place. Not fully understanding if it was culturally permissible or not (of which I have a great deal to learn) I made sure to seek permission to take pictures of the event. My plan was to just try and get to the rear of the room so that I could observe what was taking place and get some interesting pictures. Throughout the ritual, the two men I mentioned are performing various functions including the placing of various items on the shrine, lighting incense, placing and throwing flowers on the shrine and the items presented as blessings. It was truly an amazing thing to be witnessing first hand. Then they brought around a small bowl of water, with flower petals floating in it; the "priest" had a small spoon, and he spooned some water into our hands so that we could wash them......after he made sure that everyone was clean, he started working his way around the room asking people to touch trays of blessings. All types of things were taking place at set times of the celebration. Unexpectedly, he made his way to me, and took me by the arm and asked me to "light the lamp" at the center of the shrine; after trying to back out and humbly pass the duty onto someone else, the entire room began insisting that I light the lamp. I had no idea that I would be asked to play a role other than observer. i returned to my place in the crowd, and just before the conclusion of the service, the priest asked us to again extend our hands, and he placed a handful of cut flower buds and petals in our hands, and as we left we were t place them at the base of the statue. My first Puja.......

My "Home Office" in New Delhi

As I explained to many of you before I left, I am currently living at our temporary office space which has been set up in an apartment. This is typical of the type of housing that Linda, Preston and I will be living in (I will post a better picture in the near future). It is a 4 story building and we occupy "Floor 1", which in India is really the 2nd Floor. The ground floor, or "Floor 0" is considered the first floor of a building! My "Home Office" is truly my home; when everyone else leaves at the end of the day, my commute is wonderful! The refrigerator is stocked with food and drinks, breakfast items are in the pantry, marble floors, granite counter tops, lots of storage, a king sized bed, a "house boy" that washed all my dirty clothes and folded them while I was out today, and cleaned my bathroom after I showered this morning. It is truly a different lifestyle. I have a cook too.......breakfast, lunch and dinner; but I haven't used him for any meals yet, so I am not sure how he cooks! But that doesn't mean that I am not eating well......the food is very good and I am enjoying getting to know the "lay of the land"; and exploring the restaurants is one of those important things to become familiar with. I will use him.......but today I "Reese's Peanut Butter Cup" for breakfast. You may have noticed that I didn't say "frozen".......Linda packed 4 packages for me, which I quickly removed from my luggage and put in the freezer yesterday when I arrived. They were the only things in the freezer, and they would have been perfectly frozen after 24 hours! When I opened the freezer they were gone! Frantically I looked in the refrigerator and noticed they had been moved; obviously someone must have thought I made an error and moved them to the "right" side.......They drive opposite we do, so maybe the houseboy thought that I was thinking that everything was backwards; even the fridge. They are back on the "left side" which is right for me!

P.S. Alright, this is India after all......something has to be broken....everything can't be paradise after all. Well I did leave a few details out, but they are NOT COMPLAINTS! The A/C is a little loud.....its a window unit and they are by nature.......I have stayed in hotels that have A/C's just as noisy.......my faucet in my bathroom only "trickled" until it was fixed......my shower, was also a trickle......but I had plenty of hot water......probably until the shower head gets replaced; then I might run out. And then I was awaken by a pigeon this morning, "cooing" outside my window. You know he had to be loud for me to hear him over the noise coming from the A/C unit, which is at the same window! I have learned to keep my camera handy since being in India, because there is always something to share.