Picnic

For anyone who has attended the IS Picnic in Minneapolis, I just have to say, we don't have nearly as much fun as they do in India. This picnic was unlike any I have been to. There were team building activities, there was rock climbing, there was rappelling, there was balancing on a rope and that was only before lunch. After lunch there was swimming and a rain dance. Most of you, like me, have probably never experienced a rain dance. I expected dancing around some object in an effort to make it rain (as in from the sky). Further, I thought this a little pointless since the chance of rain in February is about nil. Boy was I wrong. There was a DJ who kept a stream of high energy music going while lots of sprinklers rained water down on us. It was great in the hot heat of the afternoon. The sprinklers were pool side so there was a lot of switching between swimming and rain dancing. You have to see the pictures to understand.

Are you smarter than a stove?

Well, the issues with the mice was not resolved and I have moved to a new apartment over the weekend. I'm 5 floors higher so hopefully the mice won't be able to follow. I returned to my old apartment after a night away to pick up a couple more things and my decision to move was confirmed after I saw what the mice did with free rein of the apartment for a night. I'm starting to think instead of mice, I had a pack of wild dogs. My new apartment has been more recently renovated than the old apartment and is very nice. I don't have as nice of view but that is a small price to pay. I was lucky to get a heads up from the other ex-pats that the new stove is different because the stove is easily smarter than I am. I figured out how to turn on the stove but the pans from my old apartment never got hot. I was thoroughly confused. My very helpful fellow ex-pats told that the stove works with special pans that when burner and pan link, only then does the pan get hot. After requesting and receiving pans from the front desk, I put this to the test because come on, no stove links with its pans does it??? Sure enough, the pan almost instantly got hot but the burner itself was hardly warm. This is an amazing invention! However, I don't even want to know how expensive these pans are or what happens if/when I scorch one.

Super Mouse Update

I just got word from the hotel that the super mouse has been found attached to the sticky trap hiding under the dishwasher. I actually feel bad for the mouse, it must have been terrified all day. Anyway, I'm assured the problem has been taken care of and all further holes have been patched. Also they completely cleaned the apartment and shampooed the carpet. I'm giving it another go but I have another apartment available to switch to if this fix fails.

Super Mouse and Normalcy

So much to write about today. I have another chapter to share in the rodent drama that has become my life. The hotel has gotten involved in trying to evict the rodent from my apartment. They boarded up where they thought he was getting in but that didn't seem to stop him. Then last night, they put large sticky traps down to try to catch him in the act. This concerned me because if it was successful and we caught the rodent, I would have to face him in the morning and I didn't relish staring down one angry rodent. Fast forward to this morning. I heard him last night so I knew he had been there. I cracked the door but didn't see anything. I snuck out slowly but still nothing. The rodent had taken the whole trap with him! There was evidence of his passing, some eaten bananas, a wrapper, rodent droppings, but no rodent and no trap. Well, this was the last straw for me. I requested a new apartment this morning. He's given me good blog material but I give up, he won.

My other story for the day happened shortly after I arrived at work. I went down to get some coffee at the local coffee shop. After navigating the road successfully and on my own I might add. The coffee shop could have been from the US, it is just like any Starbucks or Caribou. After spending time inside it was almost like being back in the US. But then I walked outside and on the sidewalk on a busy Mumbai street walked a large cow with a dog following right behind. They walked the whole way down the sidewalk while I watched. That site absolutely, without question, reminded me where I was and I know I'll miss events like that when I come home.

Bank

Today I visited an Indian bank for the first time. My task, changing large ATM bills into smaller usable ones. I have been on a quest for 50 rupee bills to use for tips. I had already asked at the exchange counter at the airport and the hotel. Anyway, back to the story. Upon walking in the door, I was startled by the man standing there with the very large gun. I wouldn't want to rob a bank here when the guards carry that fire power. Not knowing where to go, I asked at the "Can I help you" sign. They directed me to the "Cash" counter which made a lot of sense but was one I was hoping to avoid since right by the counter was, you guessed it, another man holding a very large gun. While standing in line, I tried not to make eye contact with the guard in case I looked guilty. After getting to the counter, I handed over my bills which were then counted by a machine that basically flips them. It was pretty cool actually. He then gave me the smallest bills he had, 100 rupees. My hunt for the elusive 50 continues.

Confirmation

Ok, I am definitely not alone. Now I just have to figure out what species my roommate is. I've started sleeping with my bedroom door closed and locked. Any guesses on what is eating my fruit? I'm guessing mouse (please don't be a rat) or bugs. Out of those, I would definitely prefer a cute little mouse. Please comment with your votes!

On top of the world

I've been missing home and loved ones this week. This is the longest Dave and I have been apart and communication is more difficult than I anticipated. Sometimes when you're feeling low, something happens to pick you up. Another colleague from work, Jack, was visiting this week and last night we did a little touristing. At the end of the night, we visited InterContinental hotel in South Mumbai. The timing ended up just right to view the sunset over the Arabian Sea. It was wonderful and the open air restaurant was so relaxing. I was reminded of how much I have learned about the area and people since I arrived. It's amazing the subtleties you pick up by co-existing and not just talking on the phone. I know this experience will make me a better person and employee. That purpose really makes the homesickness worth it. I know the pictures don't do it justice but it will give you an idea!

Challenges

I've written a lot about challenges in my personal life and adjusting but since the majority of my time here is spent working I thought I would devote one post to that topic. There are some things I take for granted in the states. One is our working hours. When in Minneapolis, I tend to get in early and leave for sure before 5 PM. This means all of my free time is chunked together in the evenings. Here, my free time is split between the morning and the evening. This really limits what can be done in either free times. I also feel for those that have to commute up to 2 hours each way due to traffic and train schedules. This greatly extends their day. The second thing I took for granted is having a guest wireless network. That doesn't exist here and is rough when trying to work with my iPad and/or phone. Finally, due to my PC being Win 7, I can't use any sort of wireless with my PC. I've been relying on a broadband card and cables. A fix is in the works and I can't wait! I'm learning so much here about the people and the environment in which they work. What an experience!

Dosa

I am attempting to cook for myself and decided to be adventurous and try to make a local favorite, dosa. For anyone not familiar with dosa, I am including a helpful link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dosa. Dosa is supposed to be a nice thin cracker/crepe type thing. Mine turned into more like a rice pancake. I tried to make it better by adding nutella. Nutella in my experience makes everything good :) But this turns out to be a less than appetizing preparation. I got some advice from my coworkers and hope next time will be better.

Target by any other name...

I found my India mecca today and it is called HyperCity. About 45 minutes from my apartment there exists a place called HyperCity. One thing I noticed here is that the stores are quite small and you need to visit several types of stores to get everything you can get in one trip to Target. This isn't bad, just different. I actually find it quite quaint and European. However, every once in a while, a girl just wants to go to one place and get everything. HyperCity is that place. It has groceries, cosmetics, toiletries, furniture, household goods, gifts, etc. As if that isn't enough, across the street is an entire mall with clothes, electronics, shoes, etc. It's kind of far away but it's nice to know it's there.

Does this look dangerous to you?

Today I saw three men in hard hats with no shoes and no safety line dismantling the scaffolding they were standing on. Something about the situation screamed "This is dangerous" but they didn't seem too concerned. Oh, and we're on the 8th floor!

I'm not alone

I am starting to think I am not alone in my apartment. The latest evidence is that some fruit I left out yesterday had several small bites taken from it this morning. I'm thinking mouse but I don't really want to accept that. As much as I would love a pet, a small hairy rodent is not what I had in mind. However, even though I don't appreciate a live mouse on my counter, I think I would like a dead mouse on my counter less. Therefore, I am not going to report this situation just yet. I have removed temptation and am hoping my little mouse friend will move on to greener pastures. Please comment with additional advice on how to make my little friend move on.

Temple, Car Towed, Engagement Party... Just another Day

Today I visited another temple in South Mumbai, this one for Ganesh. I am amazed by the temples. There was a group of five of us: Myself, Manisha, Virendra, Anjele, and Virendra's mom. We paid to take the shortcut in otherwise we would have had to wait for at least 2 hours. Up to the temple there are tons of people selling offerings to take in. We also had to check our shoes as they of course weren't allowed. The temple itself is made almost entirely of marble and it was packed. As we filed towards the center it became more and more crowded. In the middle part itself it was a surge of people and you just sort of pushed your way through keeping an eye on at least one other member of your party.

My favorite part of the day (Virendra won't appreciate this) was after we left the temple we walked to the car but alas the car wasn't where Virendra had left it. I was a little confused at first until I heard the word towed. That I understood have had that situation happen to me at least once! Virendra had it all under control though, he quickly found the lot it was towed to, which surprising for those in the US, was only about 2 blocks away. All was resolved quickly and we were on our way.

Next on the list was Madhura's brother's engagement party. I was so honored to be invited and they were all so welcoming. It was a great experience and I got to wear my first traditional outfit from the shopping trip in the previous post. Another excellent weekend but Valentine's day is making me miss home and Dave. Wish I could share this all with him!

Shopping

I'm officially better. It took a full 4 days and lots of different medicines but I feel like myself again. I didn't realize how weak I was until I got better. I decided to celebrate my new found health with what else... shopping!

Manisha and Virendra took me to R City mall to Lifestyle. It was one of the most fun shopping experiences I've ever had. I got a few traditional shirts and one leggings outfit. Apparently February and March are when the stores put everything on sale so it was perfect timing. We spent so much time in Lifestyle we didn't have time to go anywhere else. We are planning a return visit sometime in the future.

Traffic and Electrolytes

On the way home yesterday, I saw something I had never seen before. In the US, it is frustrating when you stop at a stop sign with one or two others and no one knows who should go first. Manisha, Virendra and I came upon a signal light that was out with no traffic cop to direct traffic. It was chaos! The stream of cars who had a path just kept going whether they had to stop and block everyone else or not. We sat there about 5 - 10 minutes before the rickshaws and motorbikes started pushing their way in. At that point total gridlock, no one could move an inch! I still don't know how it got sorted out but eventually Virendra was able to find a way through. I wish I would have gotten a picture for you to see.

The other part of this post's title is electrolytes. The doctor here prescribed them with some other things I was already taking. First this means I had to visit a pharmacy (medical shop) which was actually a very pleasant experience. I would equate it to a Walgreen's for anyone from the US. Anyway, you mix this powder with water and it is supposed to help with my weakness. First of all, yuck! the stuff tastes terrible. But, it does work miracles. I feel stronger than I've felt in days.

Where don't you want to be when sick?

I'm going on day three of being sick and I'll tell you the last place you want to be is in a government office! My task today was to register at the FRRO office making me an official resident. Let me set this up for you, a long alley, no signs, climbing 3 flights of stairs. That is just to get to the fRRO office. I would never had made it without the professional General Mills hired on my behalf, Jay. Once there, I was told i would be on my own. Jay couldn't go into the room with me. So off I go, into a room with many people waiting and a few computer terminals. Trying to remember what Jay told me to do, I filled out my application online and headed to desk 2B. I'm not sure but i think i jumped to the front of the queue at this point - oops! After a very awkward conversation with the worker who spoke little English, I understood through gestures I should go pay now. In line to pay, I was happy to realize the lady in front of me was just as if not more confused than me. I know, that doesn't sound nice but it was a little comforting :) The last part finished up quickly and I was on my way. The whole process took about 2 hrs with 3 hrs travel time. I don't understand how people do it without a Jay. I know I wouldn't have made it!

It had to happen...

Well, I got a little careless and got sick. Let me tell you, it isn't pleasant. I blame the very yummy food and drinks over here for tempting me into it. My team got to tell me a very well deserved "I told you so". They had recommended I start slow but I had to jump right in! I woke up with cramps, fever, and a headache that wouldn't stop. After sleeping 36 hours I woke up weak from lack of food. I ate some cereal and an orange and felt good enough to go back into work. It's nice to be around people again and contious. I have to give a big thanks to the medicines and thermometer sent with me! I am a little disappointed in the SOS card I got. It is supposed to be for emergencies and medical advice. I waited on hold 30 minutes before giving up. Not ideal if this was in fact an emergency.

Conquered Fear

I did it! I ventured out alone! My goal this weekend was to get groceries and other necessities like laundry detergent and dish soap. This would help to break my dependency on the very expensive hotel food. I was very afraid, I'll admit it. My fear was only compounded when there wasn't a hotel driver to use. All of a sudden I was dependent on a taxi driver who I wasn't sure spoke English. We made it to the grocery store alright and that's where the adventure began. I was stared at and watched from the moment I stepped through the door until I left. They had guards in every aisle and the other shoppers seemed overly interested in me and my choices as well. I was shocked by what was expensive and how expensive it really was. The soy milk was almost $5 a quart and the Tide laundry detergent was $10 for a very small bottle and I won't even mention the laundry softener. Now I know why most expats bring cleaning supplies. They seem to be a luxury items here. Anyway, on my way out of the store, I was stopped by the security guard speaking Hindi. After my earlier experience, see "Security Optional?" below, I made a special effort to understand what he wanted. Turns out, I needed my receipt stamped. Simple request, just not so simple via awkward sign language. My taxi driver waited for me while I was in the store and actually turned out to be wonderful. I felt like I had conquered the world upon returning to my apartment!

My first weekend

I've had a whirlwind of a weekend. In one day Rathish, Sujit, Raul, Virendra, and Vishal showed myself and several coworkers around Mumbai. We saw the public laundry, the area where the Bollywood stars live, a huge bridge connecting two parts of Mumbai, a temple, the trains, a local art festival, 2 local pubs, and an Arabic restaurant! It was an amazing experience and so helpful to be shown around by locals. The Arabic restaurant had to be my favorite experience. We sat on cushions around a large table and ate family style. The place was packed when we got there and we ended up shutting it down. I'm having a good time but definitely miss everyone from home.

Cows

I saw my first cow today and was probably overly excited about it based on the reactions of the others in the car. For some reason I thought they would be everywhere but having gone 4 days without seeing one I had lost hope. I can now enjoy my first weekend in peace. Now, for more about the cow. It looked very different than the cows back home. No black and white milk cow here. It was brown with a big hump. I wish I had a picture but I was too busy pointing and shouting cow to think about a camera. Anyway, like all the other animals here, it looked very happy and content. I wonder how the cow and dogs get along? The next thing I can look forward to seeing is a dog chase a monkey. Apparently the monkeys here think that is great fun.

Living in a Video Game

I've come to terms with the driving in Mumbai by pretending I'm in a video game. Then the switching lanes and quick passing don't seem strange at all. I learned today that the average speed of the car in Mumbai is 15 mph and 1,000,000 cars are added to Mumbai streets every year. In Minnesota we would just add new lanes but they have no room to expand roads. I'm glad I'm not in charge of figuring out how to update the infrastructure! It's amazing the variety of vehicles and obstacles you can find on the streets everyday. There are cars, buses, motor bikes, bicycles, rigshaws, people, cats, dogs, cows, and trees. Most visitors agree that simply crossing the street is an accomplishment. I still have not done this without an escort but my goal by the time I come home is to cross the street unaided!

Getting things done

There are many things to get used to in this new culture I have found myself but one thing that didn't take long is the morning beverage service. The first morning I was here, Manisha made a call and minutes later there was a very nice man here with water and Diet Coke. Then this morning, he was back as soon as I arrived with the same. I'm a pretty independent person and usually have trouble being served but I very much appreciate this part of my day!

Security Optional?

I made my first rookie mistake although I'm sure it won't be my last. After going through the hotel security and getting my bags scanned I was invited into a black tented room by a woman. I politely said "no thank you" and kept walking. Who knows what I was thinking, actually I think I was thinking that looks like a photo booth and I certainly don't need my picture taken. After asking other visitors what that was all about, I realized it was a security procedure. Apparently the tent was not for pictures after all but where the women went to be wanded. I'm surprised I wasn't tackeled after refusing the procedure and blithely going on my way. I have since conformed and made ammends with the confused female security guard.

Movie Buff

I've arrived in India after two very long flights. I was able to catch up on all the movies I could ever want to watch. My flight got in about 11:30 PM and by the time I got to my apartment, I was ready to crash. I think this helped since I was able to get some sleep and be at least fairly awake for work this morning.

I had a small fight with my hair dryer when it started smoking but quickly gave in in the interest of not burning my apartment down on the first morning. The hotel hair dryer worked well enough.

I feel a bit dizzy trying to figure out how everything works but the people in the office are amazingly helpful and I hope patient as well since I'm sure I'll have a lot of questions.