OK, I was aware that the typical Engineer in India does not get paid like a typical engineer in the US.
Without getting into details, it really puts it into prespective on how fortunate we are.
Monday, July 13, 2009
The Conquest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Saturday afternoon snack consisted of the following:
Fresh Guacamole (with perfectly ripe avacados that were just picked from the tree)
Fresh Salsa
Colby Jack Cheese
AND............... Fresh Tortilla Chips!!! YES!!!!!! FRESH!!
No, this was not a dream and Yes, it did really happen here in Bangalore!!!!
Let me fill you in....
It all started last week when a friend informed me that you can get really good Chips and Salsa from Chili's (yes, there is a Chili's in Bangalore). The chips are just as good as back home..... the salsa is OK, but take into considersation that my standards are high, for the average salsa-eater, it is pretty good. So, for 95rs (yes, that is less than 2 bucks), you can get a big bag of chips and a container of salsa!!! So Saturday my friend Hiran and I were out shopping, we stopped at the Chili's To-Go area and got hooked up!!! 200 rs and we had 2 big bags of chips and salsa!!!
We quickly got home, I whipped up some salsa and guacamole and we totally pigged out!!!! Hiran and her son Shyl and the 4 of us feasted on chips, salsa and guacamole!!! We were in heaven!!
The best part, we can now get Tortilla chips whenever we want!!! Move over Tostito's we now have Chili's chips at our finger tips!! Devraj will now be making a weekly run to Chili's to get the chips!!
You are probably thinking, 'Who gets so excited about chips and salsa???', sadly, we do!
Fresh Guacamole (with perfectly ripe avacados that were just picked from the tree)
Fresh Salsa
Colby Jack Cheese
AND............... Fresh Tortilla Chips!!! YES!!!!!! FRESH!!
No, this was not a dream and Yes, it did really happen here in Bangalore!!!!
Let me fill you in....
It all started last week when a friend informed me that you can get really good Chips and Salsa from Chili's (yes, there is a Chili's in Bangalore). The chips are just as good as back home..... the salsa is OK, but take into considersation that my standards are high, for the average salsa-eater, it is pretty good. So, for 95rs (yes, that is less than 2 bucks), you can get a big bag of chips and a container of salsa!!! So Saturday my friend Hiran and I were out shopping, we stopped at the Chili's To-Go area and got hooked up!!! 200 rs and we had 2 big bags of chips and salsa!!!
We quickly got home, I whipped up some salsa and guacamole and we totally pigged out!!!! Hiran and her son Shyl and the 4 of us feasted on chips, salsa and guacamole!!! We were in heaven!!
The best part, we can now get Tortilla chips whenever we want!!! Move over Tostito's we now have Chili's chips at our finger tips!! Devraj will now be making a weekly run to Chili's to get the chips!!
You are probably thinking, 'Who gets so excited about chips and salsa???', sadly, we do!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Sad News....
Mango season is over!!! :(
I did not get a chance to relish the last mango of the season before it passed.... I am a bit sad because the mangoes were AWESOME...
I will be looking forward to mango season next year!! And I will be sure to enjoy each and every mango!!
Until then, I will have to find a new fruit of choice. There is always the banana which is always in season, but quite frankly, a bit boring.
I will try for the guavas, mangosteens and passion fruits.... Though I am not sure if they are in season....
I did not get a chance to relish the last mango of the season before it passed.... I am a bit sad because the mangoes were AWESOME...
I will be looking forward to mango season next year!! And I will be sure to enjoy each and every mango!!
Until then, I will have to find a new fruit of choice. There is always the banana which is always in season, but quite frankly, a bit boring.
I will try for the guavas, mangosteens and passion fruits.... Though I am not sure if they are in season....
Sunday, July 5, 2009
The Quest!!
There has been a quest over the last year.... nothing major, really, just some good nachos!!
So, when you have good cheese....the stuff my mom brought from home - cheddar, Monterrey jack, Colby... by the big Costco brick sizes.... there are no good tortilla chips around.
When you have good salsa, one of my recent specialties is mango salsa.... again, there are no good chips around...
Are you sensing what the issue is... yes, it is Tortilla chips. We can not consistently get good tortilla chips in Bangalore. This is not an exaggeration. There have been times that I have sent the driver on a hunt for tortilla chips and sadly he has scoured all the grocery stores in town, and he came back with nothing!! Now keep in mind that there is only brand of tortilla chips in town and they are OK. Sometimes you will get finally find a bag and it is pretty much crushed...
So a few weeks ago we were out on a shopping adventure and we ended up on Brigade road because Milan wanted McDonalds. We ended up with the sweet parking spot (which does not happen often), so we decided to make the most of it and do a bit of shopping. We strolled and wandered and then we stumbled upon this mall that was tucked into the street. In we went, it seemed a little dated, but we decided to take the tour around. On the main level there was this little grocery store. No bigger than the size of our kitchen and dining area back at home. In there it was a foreigners paradise!!! Fruit snacks, pop tarts, tilex, honey bunches of oats, and then as I was admiring all the things that are familiar from back at home, I spotted it... it was there, right in front of me. The blue bag with big black letters, T-O-S-T-I-T-O-S!!! I almost shed a tear.... I found TOSTITOS!!! I held the bag close to my chest and was so happy!!! I looked a the price, and I knew that this would be painful... yes, the bag of tostitos was 300 rupees... $6 dollars. I had to suck it up and pay the 300rs, because I could not bear to leave the store without the tostitos... Once they were home, we had to wait for the perfect occasion to indulge in the tostitos.
So, it was Friday night and our friends from Syracuse NY came over for dinner, this was the last time we would see the family in Bangalore b/c they are leaving to go back to US on Jul 10, this was the 'Tostito-worthy' occasion!! I made some salsa, we had some good beer and enjoyed... The Patnodes appreciated the quest for the Tostitos!!
So next time you are in the grocery store and you see a whole aisle full of tortilla chips, don't take it for granted!! There are some that are deprived of such a luxury!!
So, when you have good cheese....the stuff my mom brought from home - cheddar, Monterrey jack, Colby... by the big Costco brick sizes.... there are no good tortilla chips around.
When you have good salsa, one of my recent specialties is mango salsa.... again, there are no good chips around...
Are you sensing what the issue is... yes, it is Tortilla chips. We can not consistently get good tortilla chips in Bangalore. This is not an exaggeration. There have been times that I have sent the driver on a hunt for tortilla chips and sadly he has scoured all the grocery stores in town, and he came back with nothing!! Now keep in mind that there is only brand of tortilla chips in town and they are OK. Sometimes you will get finally find a bag and it is pretty much crushed...
So a few weeks ago we were out on a shopping adventure and we ended up on Brigade road because Milan wanted McDonalds. We ended up with the sweet parking spot (which does not happen often), so we decided to make the most of it and do a bit of shopping. We strolled and wandered and then we stumbled upon this mall that was tucked into the street. In we went, it seemed a little dated, but we decided to take the tour around. On the main level there was this little grocery store. No bigger than the size of our kitchen and dining area back at home. In there it was a foreigners paradise!!! Fruit snacks, pop tarts, tilex, honey bunches of oats, and then as I was admiring all the things that are familiar from back at home, I spotted it... it was there, right in front of me. The blue bag with big black letters, T-O-S-T-I-T-O-S!!! I almost shed a tear.... I found TOSTITOS!!! I held the bag close to my chest and was so happy!!! I looked a the price, and I knew that this would be painful... yes, the bag of tostitos was 300 rupees... $6 dollars. I had to suck it up and pay the 300rs, because I could not bear to leave the store without the tostitos... Once they were home, we had to wait for the perfect occasion to indulge in the tostitos.
So, it was Friday night and our friends from Syracuse NY came over for dinner, this was the last time we would see the family in Bangalore b/c they are leaving to go back to US on Jul 10, this was the 'Tostito-worthy' occasion!! I made some salsa, we had some good beer and enjoyed... The Patnodes appreciated the quest for the Tostitos!!
So next time you are in the grocery store and you see a whole aisle full of tortilla chips, don't take it for granted!! There are some that are deprived of such a luxury!!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Happy Independence Day!!
Our 4th was celebrated with a walk to the mall that open just right outside our complex. Had dinner at a really nice Italian restaurant (Toscana), and ate Baskin Robbins ice cream for dessert. Afterward we went to a neighbors house and lit off some fireworks...
Hearing all that you would not suspect that it all took place in India...
Hope you all enjoyed your 4th!
Hearing all that you would not suspect that it all took place in India...
Hope you all enjoyed your 4th!
Friday, July 3, 2009
July 3, 2008
July 3, 2008 is a date that we will remember forever!! It was the date that we left the US for the move to Bangalore!
Now a year has gone by, 365 days.... It many respects it seems like it was just yesterday and in other respects it seems far longer.
It is amazing when we look back to see all that we have experienced over the last year!!
Now a year has gone by, 365 days.... It many respects it seems like it was just yesterday and in other respects it seems far longer.
It is amazing when we look back to see all that we have experienced over the last year!!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Our Maid
This post is about Manjula our maid. She has become a part of our family, just like Devraj the driver.
I still remember when we met her for the first time. She same for an interview, it was clear that the family felt a connection with Manjula on that day. Including the kids…. They both said that they liked when they met her for the first time.
She quickly learned how to clean the house to meet the ‘Vim Standards’. She quickly switched from the straw broom that you have to squat on the floor to use, to the swifter mounted on a stick. This was by upon persuasion from Vim. But she adjusted!! She learned to use the dust buster… again, a change from her norm, Vim initiated. These are adjust a few examples of how adaptable she is.
Now, she was completely learned our routines and styles. She cleans the bathrooms, she puts away the kids toys, she cleans the kitchen, she does the laundry (including folding), she iron, she mends our clothes (buttons, hemming etc…), she does the shipping for all the Indian food (dahls, rice, flour, etc…) she cooks….. and on top of all that, she babysits Mira and Milan too!! She is a true gem.
I have to say the best is her cooking!!! She has come a long way…. She now can cook Gujarati food better than me!! She has been cooking for a lot of neighbors and they are all digging her cooking!! And I am loving it too!!
Now we try not to take advantage of her. Some people purposely leave dishes in the sink from the night before for the maid to take care of, or they will have the maid work 7 days a week. For us, we have Manjula work 4 ½ days a week. She has Friday afternoon and the weekends off. She will come if we need her, but typically she has that time to spend with her family, she has 2 young boys. We figure if we take care of her, she will take care of us.
Now only if we could bring her home with us when we eventually come home… oh that would be golden!!
I still remember when we met her for the first time. She same for an interview, it was clear that the family felt a connection with Manjula on that day. Including the kids…. They both said that they liked when they met her for the first time.
She quickly learned how to clean the house to meet the ‘Vim Standards’. She quickly switched from the straw broom that you have to squat on the floor to use, to the swifter mounted on a stick. This was by upon persuasion from Vim. But she adjusted!! She learned to use the dust buster… again, a change from her norm, Vim initiated. These are adjust a few examples of how adaptable she is.
Now, she was completely learned our routines and styles. She cleans the bathrooms, she puts away the kids toys, she cleans the kitchen, she does the laundry (including folding), she iron, she mends our clothes (buttons, hemming etc…), she does the shipping for all the Indian food (dahls, rice, flour, etc…) she cooks….. and on top of all that, she babysits Mira and Milan too!! She is a true gem.
I have to say the best is her cooking!!! She has come a long way…. She now can cook Gujarati food better than me!! She has been cooking for a lot of neighbors and they are all digging her cooking!! And I am loving it too!!
Now we try not to take advantage of her. Some people purposely leave dishes in the sink from the night before for the maid to take care of, or they will have the maid work 7 days a week. For us, we have Manjula work 4 ½ days a week. She has Friday afternoon and the weekends off. She will come if we need her, but typically she has that time to spend with her family, she has 2 young boys. We figure if we take care of her, she will take care of us.
Now only if we could bring her home with us when we eventually come home… oh that would be golden!!
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