Good Bye Dubai

I am in the business centre of the Business Class lounge for Emirates at the Dubai airport that is absolutely immense and teeming with travelers.  Our flight boards in about 25 minutes.  Last night my laptop battery died, so I had to make it a short post.

It has been enjoyable blogging each day, and I am certain that when I read it again in the future, I will be able to fondly recall my experiences here.  My niece said that she enjoyed reading about my adventures and asked if I could blog again on my next journey.  We will see where the paths ahead may take me.  My sincere appreciation to everyone for the powers of your prayers for me!

Our journey is ending but the memories will always remain... Thank you, Bangalore & Dubai.

Dubai Tour

Mosque

Boat Ride on Dubai Creek

This afternoon, the tour company picked us up from our hotel for a guided tour called "The City of Merchants."  I know that sounds like a shopping trip, but it was actually a tour of some of the historic and cultural places of Dubai.  It was conducted in both English and German.  We learned that there are no taxes  for the 8 million residents of Dubai because everything is government-owned.  Water is more expensive than petroleum which makes sense.  Dubai was also voted as one of the safest cities to live because the laws are extremely strict, so the crime rate is very low.  A conviction for causing an accident while drunk will lead to eviction from the country.  Stealing may cost you 3-15 years in prison.  Among several stops during our 5 hour tour, we visited the outside of a mosque, the Dubai Museum showing what the city looked like in the 1800's, the spice market and the gold market, but my favorite was a short boat ride across Dubai Creek.  It was beautiful being on the water.  The weather was very hot and dry.  After the tour, we went to the Dubai Mall, the largest shopping mall in the world.  It was massive and it looked like what you would expect from a massive shopping mall in Dubai.  Every store imaginable was represented and then some along with many American restaurants such as CPK, TGI Friday's and Dean & Delucca's.  There was an Indian restaurant, but of course, we didn't eat there.  40% of the population is actually from India which is interesting.  Every 30 minutes, they have a fountain show set to music and it was very impressive, especially since its backdrop is the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.  Every show is different.  Dubai gets my vote as the city with consistently the cleanest restrooms.  There is no trash on the ground and the city overall is very clean.

We have enjoyed our stay in Dubai and I am thankful for this unique opportunity.  We leave tomorrow at 8:55am for our flight home. 

Burj Khalifa - tallest building in the world

Dubai Mall Fountain Show

Greetings from Dubai

Hello from Dubai!  With much sadness, we said good-bye to the HSC team as our van departed the office for the final time late Friday night. 4 Mercedes-Benz vehicles arrived at the hotel to take us to the airport, even though we had only booked two cars through Emirates Airlines (complimentary chauffeur service since we are flying business class). We had never seen a Benz in Bangalore until then. Compared to our frightening first experience of driving in India, my driver did not use his horn but instead, he high-beamed people (which is apparently more courteous here) as he quickly weaved his way around cars. For the next hour, I sat in silence as I gazed upon the sights of the city we had come to know well and reflected again upon the past 2 weeks.  There are many things that are inconvenient about travelling to India - remembering to take daily malaria pills, brushing your teeth with bottled water, remembering not to accidentally get any water in your mouth when showering, worrying about whether the food may make you ill, not being able to eat fresh uncooked fruit and vegetables, navigating spicy Indian food, remembering to ask for no ice when ordering a drink, dealing with the hot weather, always spraying mosquito repellent before going outside, dealing with the noise and scary driving, and having to mentally calculate the exchange rate of rupees to USD when purchasing something.  Yet every one of these minor inconveniences was well worth the experience I had in return, and I am glad I came.

HR Shared Services - HR Administration Team, Me & Lisa

Here is a photo of the HSC HR Administration team I worked with.  On the far left is the Team Leader, and my co-worker, who was a great help, is on the far right.

My suitcase and backpack are both much lighter without all of the office supplies, snacks and gifts I brought.  I slept for a couple hours on the 4+ hour flight from Bangalore to Dubai.  The plane landed amidst hazy skies in Dubai at 6:30a.m., and we are currently resting at the hotel.  The disparity strikes you immediately between India where many people live in extreme poverty, and Dubai, some 4 hours away by plane, where many people live in extreme excess. I felt sadness for both. Why you might wonder? Although great wealth may seem to be the answer and panacea to life's problems, we know that stories of former celebrities and some lottery winners prove otherwise.  You can surround yourself with riches & the most expensive of everything and still feel a longing within that cannot be fulfilled through material possessions.  The people here have spent their riches on the tallest building in the world, visually stunning hotels, underwater restaurants, and shopping malls beyond imagination; however, when I think about the impact of what even one-tenth of 1% of the wealth in this country could do elsewhere to help children, widows, orphans, and those in need, I am sad beyond words.

I will share photos following our city tour this afternoon.  Until then...

Reflections Upon India

As I was reflecting upon my 2 weeks here, I thought to myself that this trip represents "the joy of travelling", meaning that, to me, whenever you visit another city or country and you do not return unchanged, it means that the journey was worthwhile.  I believe that one of the most powerful gifts that travel can offer us is a change in perspective of how we view the world and the framework of our daily lives... but only if we allow the experience to transform us.  It is interesting how two people can visit the same place at the same time, and one person can walk away with very little except some nice photos & a few trinkets, while the other person leaves feeling changed from within.  I guess the difference in the two experiences is that we have to be open to looking outside of ourselves and our circumstances.  In simply trying to keep up with our jam-packed schedules, we often get wrapped up in the busyness of our daily lives. This experience made me realize that I have a long way to go in being able to truly see others the way God sees them.  It took a journey 9,034 miles away to the other side of the world for me to realize this.

Semiya Bhath & Dosa

Since it was my final day, I went to breakfast because I knew my favorite waiter, Siva, would be looking for me.  I decided to try some Semiya Bhath that looked like plain verimicelli with some julienned vegetables.  It appeared harmless, but looks can be deceiving - it turned out to be the spiciest thing I have ever tasted! My mouth was on fire the moment I ate it, and it lingered for a long while, even after drinking some orange juice.  The waiter said, "It is cooked with chilies, but it is not very spicy." Maybe not for him. :) He then asked if I wanted to try dosa which is a rice pancake that he would have specially made from the kitchen since it is not a part of the breakfast buffet.  When it arrived, it didn't look anything like I was expecting (see below left).  It was huge and reminded me of a crepe. You tear off a piece and eat it with chutney.  It was quite good but it was just so much, and I wanted to make sure the plate looked like I ate it.  Too bad my co-workers were not around.  I was so stuffed. 

Before and...

After

No Tissue Thursdays

It's Thursday, which means it is "No Tissue Thursday" at the office.  When the team warned us about it last week, I asked, "Does that include toilet paper?"  They laughed and said, "No, there will be toilet tissue but no paper towels to wipe your hands."  Every Thursday, the paper towels are removed from the restrooms to encourage employees to use the air dryer instead.

Last week , the Team Lead taught me a few phrases in an Indian dialect, including "Hello", "Have you eaten?", "Yes" and "No."  Last night, after the 9:00 meal break, as the Team Lead was walking into the conference room, I bravely attempted the "Have you eaten?" phrase.  It phonetically sounds something like "Con-na-kaya?" She immediately smiled and replied something that I, of course, did not understand.

Methi Paneer

There is still much to do, but our time here is coming to a close soon. We will need to pack our belongings tomorrow morning (Friday) and check out of the hotel before leaving for work. We booked a driver via Emirates Airlines who will pick us up from the hotel for our 4:15am flight to Dubai, where we will be staying just one night to take a quick tour of the city. I know that the irony between the two countries will be very striking. We return home Sunday afternoon.

I think the waiters at the restaurant will miss me, and I will miss them too.  I was not very hungry this morning so I skipped breakfast and opted for an early lunch.  When I arrived at the dining room, one of the waiters immediately came up to me and said, "Ma'am, you did not come to breakfast."  The waiters have all been very kind and courteous, and they know that when I order Methi Paneer, which is now my favorite Indian dish, they ensure the chef does not make it too spicy.

I think the one thing I regret not bringing is medicine to put on a mosquito bite. Although I don't like using repellent with DEET, I am grateful that I have only had 1 mosquito bite. Oddly, it was on my left palm but it did not itch and healed after a few days. One of my co-workers has had a lot of mosquito bites since we arrived and her arm was red and swollen, but none of us brought medicine to put on the bite.

Blogging

A couple months ago, when I decided to write my first blog, I figured that India was the perfect opportunity... and it was. Whenever I travel, I always carry a journal to document my experiences because I enjoy reading it later and recalling fond memories. One of the advantages of a blog is being able to easily share photos alongside descriptions to make the experience come alive. Each day, I have tried to share something unique and interesting about India, although I have always known that my view of "interesting and unique" can be very different from others! :) Those who have been following my blog may never have the opportunity to visit India (or may never want to!), but I hope that through the thoughts and pictures I have shared, you now feel a little closer to the culture of India and its people. 

My niece Maddie has been regularly following my blog, and after she read about the cows wandering in the road, she asked, "If the cows roam around, what if it goes into one of the stores?"  That was so wonderfully funny.  It also reminded me of my co-worker who visited India a few years back.  He tells the story that he was checking his Blackberry in the back seat of the car, when he looked up and suddenly noticed that a cow was looking into the window.  He said, "Holy cow!" His driver replied, "Yes, the cows here are very holy."

After I sign-on to my blog account using Google Blogger, I can view statistics of not only how many times my blog was viewed (517 total views), but it also shows me the countries where they can identify that someone viewed my blog.  I was surprised to see that there are 20 pageviews in Russia and 1 in Germany.  It is both fascinating and scary what type of information they can collect.

Additional Photos of India

Heliconia Flowers at Palm Meadows

3 People on Motorbike including Young Boy

"Use Me" Rubbish Can

A Cow Outside Mysore Palace

Boy Still Trying to Sell Us Things as our Van Exits Parking Lot

Tent Coverings Where Some People Live

No Horn

Our Driver Getting a Ticket for Cell Phone Use

Pictures from left to right:
1) There are many pretty flowers at Palm Meadows which my Mom would love since they also grow in Hawaii.
2) It is common to see 3-4 people on a motorbike or moped including small children either sitting or standing at the front or an infant being held in their mother's arms.  Typically the man driving will be wearing a helmet since there is a helmet law, although the man in this photo is not, and the usually passenger (often a woman) will not be.
3) Some of the rubbish cans here - if you can find one - have the words "Use Me" on them; however, given the amount of litter everywhere, many people are not following this directive.  Maybe if it said, "Please Use Me"??
4) Cows are sacred in India because they are considered a god, so most people do not eat beef.  Ironically, this cow was eating the trash outside of Mysore Palace.  This proves my point above about the usage of rubbish cans.
5) A boy persistently trying to sell us sandalwood fans through the window as our van was exiting the parking lot of Mysore Palace.
6) A photo of some tents where people live.  We also saw an entire field of "homes" constructed out of corrugated aluminum sheets.
7) There are signs that indicate "No Horn" but no one notices them nor complies.
8) Photo taken out the back window of our driver getting a ticket for cell phone use from a motorcycle cop (see my April 29 post for more details).

May Day Holiday

Stuck in Traffic

Tuesday, May 1 is a day off for the HSC team.  I learned that it is also called International Worker's Day or May Day, and it is a national holiday in over 80 countries as a celebration of the international labor movement. (Hmm.) In other countries, workers and their labor unions take part in marches. In Bangalore, there were no people marching, only people sitting in traffic.  We had plans to meet some former members of the Recruiting team for lunch, and the roads were absolutely packed with cars, motor rickshaws, bicycles, buses, mopeds, motorcycles, horse-drawn carts and pedestrians.  We had lunch at an Indian restaurant called Samarkand, and the food was as good as the company.  Traditionally, you eat only with your hands, so I did, even though they offered us, as the foreigners, spoons.  We ate paneer (cheese), kebabs, biryani and chicken makhani - everything was very tasty and not extremely spicy.

The ants are hard to see but they are there

Speaking of traffic, while I was waiting for the attendant to clean my room after breakfast, I sat in the shade near the pool.  Small black moving figures caught my eye on a nearby tree so I looked closely and saw a trail of ants carrying food from the ground all the way up a palm tree.  One line of ants was going up and one was coming down.  There were many near misses as ants quickly scurried in a weaving erratic path without a real sense of order.  Upon observing this, I immediately thought, "This is exactly how traffic is in Bangalore!"

At 10:00pm, it started pouring extremely hard with strong thunderstorms for over an hour.  I quickly saved the documents on my laptop because even in good weather, power outages are common in Bangalore due to the power grid. At the office, suddenly all the power will go off for several seconds, and although we have only experienced it one time so far in the evening, we've been told that it occurs several times per day. The HSC team is so used to it that when the lights go off, they will briefly pause and then continue talking even while still in the dark.  When the power came back on, my colleague and I looked up at the ceiling because it sounded like an airplane engine when it is about to take off.

Bhuja / "Bhujia" Update

Update: On Monday evening, I took the bag of Bhuja to work and placed it on the table of the conference room where we usually meet with members of the HSC team to review their processes.  In the midst of a conversation, the Team Lead suddenly noticed the shiny red bag and said, "Oh, you brought Bhujia."  She said that in India, it is called Bhujia with an "i".  When I asked if it was her "family's favorite" according to the advertisement on the packaging (see my post on April 14), she said that people in India like to eat it when drinking alcohol because it is a salty snack.  The bag said that it has sultanas, so I asked them what that was, but they did not know.  Later I discovered on Google that sultanas are a fancy word for raisins.  The HSC team tried the Bhuja and said that by comparison, the Indian version is very spicy because they use more masala, which I don't doubt.  I tried some, and although there are flames on the packaging of the Bhuja, it was only mildly spicy.  As I was eating a handful, I wondered why there were so many "multi-grain noodles" compared to the peanuts, raisins and peas. After checking Google, I realized that actually, traditional Bhujia is only the noodles.  The website I read described it as a "famous crispy snack", dating back to A.D. 1877. There's even a recipe for how to make it on wikipedia, and traditionally, the primary ingredient is "gram flour" (not sure what that is) along with moth dal (not sure what that is either), vegetable oil, salt, red chilli, black pepper, cardamom and cloves.

Week 2 Begins

Today, we will commence working from 3:30pm - 12:30am which is two hours earlier.  Last week, they announced a shift change for the team which everyone was very pleased with, and so are we.  Leaving at 12:30am will also enable the HSC team to catch cabs home directly outside of their building rather than taking a van to a different location.

Bhaji & Poori

This morning for breakfast, I decided to switch up my routine and have pancakes.  Most of the waiters know me well because I come every morning for breakfast and on weekdays around 9:30, not many people are around.  While waiting for my pancakes, one of the waiters encouraged me to try Poori and Bhaji (not to be confused with the Bhuja snack which I will finally try tonight).  Poori spelled Puri was one of the items mentioned by Andy on his list of Indian food.  The waiter described Bhaji as a mixture of vegetables in a gravy.  He explained that you tear a piece of Poori and eat it with some Bhaji, and that it is very good.  He was right - it was tasty with a mild flavor of potatoes, carrots & vegetables, and it was not spicy at all.  The Poori is very light and it is as thin as tissue paper used to wrap presents.  The chef looked at me strangely when I snapped a photo.

Pancakes with American Garden Syrup

The pancakes were pretty good considering that it is their version of American food.  It was funny that there is only one big bottle of pancake syrup called American Garden, so if another guest orders pancakes, they take the bottle to the next table.  Having observed this on a prior day, I knew to immediately put some syrup on my plate before the bottle was taken away.













This morning's weather turned out to be quite nice although  Accuweather.com is calling for temperatures in the 90's with thunderstorms for the remainder of our stay here.  It was forecasted to rain this past weekend, but thankfully it rained heavily only in the evening, once we had already returned to the hotel. 

Commercial Street

More Shopping...

Commercial Street

Pavitra and Saloni from the HSC team kindly offered to take us shopping on Sunday, so we met them on Commercial Street which is about a 45-minute drive from the hotel.  It is actually a series of roads and alleys with shops, outdoor stalls and places selling snacks.  Goods ranged widely from American brands (official Levi & Wrangler Stores) to trinkets (carvings of animals in wood and soft stone, wooden boxes and paper mache items) to jewelry stores as well as clothing stores (both modern and traditional Indian styles & fabrics).  Bangalore is known for its silk and for its sandalwood which has an aromatic smell & is grown here.  Except for the nice stores, it is expected that you bargain, so we were glad to have Pavitra & Saloni with us.  Street carts sold guava, starfruit, green grapes and freshly squeezed sugarcane juice. I watched as a man on a bicycle with young coconut attached to it, used a huge knife to whack off parts of the skin to make coconut drinks for thirsty shoppers.  After a couple hours of shopping, we stopped by KFC and had a light snack and a delicious mango smoothie.  The restaurant was quite crowded and Saloni shared that she and her friends will meet and hang out at KFC.  While we were shopping, our driver waited for us nearby. When we were done, he took us to see some government buildings with nice architecture and a park.  The city is currently constructing a metro station near the High Court of Karnataka, a beautiful red structure.  Bangalore is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka.  The driver stopped in the road for us to quickly take a photo as other cars honked at us, of course.  Apparently, it is also against the law here to talk on a cell phone while driving because our driver was pulled over by a motorcycle cop.  It was the first police vehicle of any kind we had seen.  You have to pay 300 rupees or they will confiscate your driver's license.  It is common to see people driving cars, motorbikes, mopeds and bicycles while on the phone, although you'd think they would especially want to pay attention given how people drive here.  Shortly after being stopped for using his cell phone, our driver's phone rang again.  We yelled  in a joking way to him, "Be careful! Don't pick it up."  He did anyway.  Our regular driver was not available on Sunday, so this driver came instead.  He was very kind and friendly, so we were glad that he took us around the city that day.

High Court of Karnataka

Weekend Visit to Mysore

"Horn Please OK" "Goodbye"

We arranged through the hotel a tour of Mysore, which departed at 6:00am on Saturday.  Mysore is approximately a 3 hour drive each way from Bangalore.  Despite the honking and speed bumps, I managed to fall asleep several times on the way.  On the highway, I noticed that many large trucks had "Sound Horn" painted on the bumper or back panel.  Variations were "Honk OK", "Blow Horn" and the more courteous "Please Sound Horn."  One truck had a typo: "Soun Horn".  Some were painted decoratively in fun fonts while others were in plain block letters. My favorite is found in the photo to the right.  What I found ironic is that even if the truck didn't indicate that honking at them was okay, other drivers did it anyway, so what's the point of the sign?

Sri Ranganthaswamy Temple

Mysore Palace

Our first stop was a Hindu temple in Srirangapatna called the Sri Ranganthaswamy temple, located 11.8 miles outside of Mysore.  It was built in the 9th century.  Being a group of 4 foreigners, souvenir hawkers and people offering tours immediately closed in on us the moment we stepped out of the van.  Entering the temple requires you to take off your shoes & socks, and leave them at the "slipper parking" area where a man collects 20 rupees to watch your shoes (although he really isn't).  I chose not to go inside because while temples are interesting to look at, it conflicts with my beliefs as a Christian.  My 3 co-workers received a bindi (red spot) between their eyebrows which they said represents another 100 years of life.  The driver also took us to a lake which we didn't understand the significance of, but it had a sign saying that swimming was against the law.  Many people walked down the concrete steps and splashed the water onto themselves.  We also visited the Summer Palace of Tipu Sultan who was the ruler of Mysore during the 1700's.  People from India were charged an admission of 5 rupees.  As foreigners, we had to pay 100 rupees.  After lunch, we visited the Mysore Palace which I later learned is one of the most famous attractions in India after the Taj Mahal, with 2.7 million visitors annually.  After navigating through souvenirs stands and hawkers trying to sell us sandalwood crafts & a snake made of wood that looked real, we purchased our ticket of 200 rupees (vs 20 rupees for locals).  It was built in 1912 and is the home of the royal family of Mysore.  On the building were thousands of light bulbs, and during festivals and special occasions the building is lit. I wonder how they often they replace the light bulbs since they are incandescent and do not last as long as the energy-efficient type. Photos that I saw on the internet reminded me of Main Street at Disneyland when the buildings are lit at night. 

Having light-colored skin is valued here in India, and my coworker mentioned that while watching TV in her hotel room, she saw at least 6 different commercials for skin lighteners.  During our visit to Mysore and at the temple, people often snapped photos of my co-workers Tina & Lynn, or directly asked to take a photo with them.

A Changed Perspective

Buildings at a Distance

At our hotel, which is inside a gated community with guards 24 hours/day, you feel completely safe, and in being surrounded by such modern and plentiful amenities, you could be anywhere in the world. Yet down the road beyond the ultra-rich homes of Expats, extreme poverty exists just outside the gates. Earlier this week, I wandered to the 3rd level of the main building of the hotel to see their library, billiards room and business center. As I happened to look out the etched picture window, first I saw the beautiful view of the hotel in the forefront, and then I noticed some buildings off in the distance, so I snapped a photo. Later, as I reflected upon that moment, I realized that it's a great analogy of how easy it is to feel insulated while on the immaculately maintained hotel grounds because you feel far removed from the "outside world"... yet, once noticed, the extreme contrast is unmistakably striking.  Along the roads to the office, you will see people's homes made of crude coverings in the midst of rubble. There are piles of dirt and bricks in random places, and the roads are dirty with many sections in disrepair.  Wild dogs and other animals roam freely. When you finally allow yourself to realize it, you feel sad as you gaze upon such destitute conditions, and you gain a sense of compassion for the people who have lived such a hard life with so little.  During our drive to the office, I thought about how we have all grown tired of the hotel food here, yet any one person we witnessed on the road that day, probably would have been so grateful for even a few bites of the meals we have had. I felt incredibly humbled.

A Day in the Life...

Beautiful Clouds After the Rain

It turned out to be a beautiful day after the rain with huge puffy clouds floating by. After a cooler morning, it has warmed up again.  Yesterday, it rained well into the early evening which is unusual for this time of year in Bangalore.  We did not bring umbrellas so we had to walk quickly from the entrance of Tesco HSC to their office building. 

Thunderstorms

It is Wednesday, and today’s excitement was the rain and thunderstorms that began at 1:00pm.  Since then, it has been raining off and on at varying levels of intensity.  I was in my hotel room working near the balcony when I heard the sound of falling rain against the foliage, so I took the opportunity to use one of the many free blue umbrellas available at the hotel to walk around outside in my shorts and flip-flops.  The staff quickly lowered the clear plastic shades around covered walkways to keep the path dry and lifted up the cushions on the recliners near the pools.  The team at the office shared with us that commonly, when it gets very hot, it will rain for a short time to help cool down the temperature.  The monsoon season starts in the Summer from June to September.

Challenge: Let's see if you can spot the differences in the pictures below.

Answer: There are several differences, but the two primary ones are the umbrella and in the second photo, the waterfall is turned off.

Our First Days at Tesco HSC

Entrance to Tesco HSC Main Campus

It was exhausting but we survived our first two days at the office.  We were far more relaxed on the drive there, probably because we expected the honking and packed roads.  There are large cattle meandering in the middle of the road, and they obviously pay no attention to the honking, so our driver had to carefully go around them on the narrow, unpaved road.  It is only a 15 minute drive to the Tesco HSC (Hindustan Service Centre) campus – a large complex of offices supporting the 13 countries where Tesco operates retail locations.  On our first day, we were warmly greeted by the staff of approximately twenty, some of whom we had previously seen during videoconference calls and of course, talked to over the telephone and via email.  They are kind and wonderful people.  The chocolate bars survived and arrived at the office unmelted.  Today we felt a nice evening breeze during the dinner break at 9:00pm when we went to, what they call, their "food court" - imagine a very large, white permanent covering in the courtyard where they serve free dinner to those on the evening shift because there are no places nearby the Tesco campus to purchase food.  The food, which tonight was an Indian dish not recognizable to us, is described by many of the staff as "okay."  By 10:00pm (or sooner), we all began to feel rather sleepy as we checked our watch to see what time it is: 4 1/2 hours to go.  At the end of the day at 2:30am, the entire HSC team leaves the building together to take a van to another building to catch their cabs home.  We learned that some have commutes for 1 hour or longer.

Palm Meadows Resort

One of several pools at Palm Meadows

The Palm Meadows hotel where we are staying, is a nice resort inside a gated community, with multiple swimming pools, a fitness center, spa, and many activities including badminton, squash and tennis courts.  The staff members, of which there are many, are very friendly and accommodating.  The grounds are well-kept. Each morning the fallen leaves & many plumeria flowers are swept up, and the grass is hand-cut with shears. Rooms are clean and modern, and the hotel is busy during the weekends with many kids swimming and participating in the hotel's children's activities including a bounce house.  (No, this is not a hotel review for Fodor's.)  We have eaten the buffet for both breakfast and lunch, and I have tried a few Indian dishes although sometimes it is not clear what it is.  (Unfortunately, they were not on the list I shared earlier from Andy.)  Even at the hotel restaurants, my colleagues and I have been hesitantly walking around the buffet quietly asking each other, “Anyone know what this is?  Do you think this is safe?” We realize that one wrong move would prove regrettable later.  The hotel provides 3 complimentary bottles of water each day (2 large Aquafina and 1 small one).  I have made sure that one large bottle always sits next to the faucet to remind me to use it when I brush my teeth.  Every day, the staff brings a small fruit basket and a plate of 4 mini cookies.

Strangely, there is a scale in the bathroom, but there is no alarm clock, or clock of any kind in the room.  When I requested a wake-up call from the front desk at 7:30am, it ended up being a live person calling me at 7:23am saying, "Good morning, Ms. Jong, this is your wake-up call."  I wonder if they have ever forgotten to call a guest.

Our driver will come to pick us up at 4:00pm today to take us to the office.  Tina, who visited India about 2 years ago, said, “It should be safer going to the office since there will be a lot of traffic and they can’t drive as fast.”  It will be our first time leaving the hotel since arriving in the pre-dawn darkness.

Greetings from Bangalore!

Business Class - Boeing 777

Hello from India where we are a little tired but in good spirits!  The 16-hour flight to Dubai literally flew by.  After settling into my business class seat next to the window, my eyelids grew heavy and I fell asleep as the plane was taking off.  I awoke just as the attendant came to take my dinner order – tomato bisque and seafood biryani – and while I ate, I watched episodes of the cute British children’s show Postman Pat (think of Bob the Builder but he’s a mail carrier with a black & white cat) and the latest Mission Impossible.  

Postman Pat

View from the Plane

 The snow capped mountains of Canada from the window were so pretty – yes, the flight path went unexpectedly north since Dubai is on the other side of the world!  Shortly thereafter, I fully reclined my seat and when I woke up - I am guessing - 12 hours later, other passengers were already partaking of breakfast.  I intentionally had not once checked my watch or viewed the map showing the flight’s progress because on long flights, I have a tendency to get transfixed and continually check the number of hours remaining.  Shortly after breakfast, the plane began its descent as the city lights below came into view and we landed smoothly in Dubai at 8:00pm Saturday night.  

On the plane to Bangalore, during the pre-takeoff announcements, I heard them say something like “… please cover your nose and mouth.  If you wear contacts, we suggest you close your eyes.  We are sorry for any discomfort this causes you.”  Suddenly, two flight attendants quickly walked through the aisles holding a small aerosol can in each hand high over their head.  It sprayed a mist upward throughout the cabin.  It was a strange sight.  I held my breath for as long as I could.  The businessman from India who was sitting next to me did not seem alarmed.  I asked, “What was that?”  He explained that before taking off, it is required that they spray a disinfectant to kill any mosquitoes or bacteria.  

It was a rough and bumpy descent as the plane landed in Bangalore 3 ½ hours later at 3:00am.  It immediately felt warm and muggy.  

The ride from the airport to the hotel turned out to be the most “adventurous” part!  If you read my earlier post about the Palm Meadows website, I mentioned how scared I was watching the video of the driving route from the hotel to various points of interests.  Well, I found out that is how they normally drive... but worse.  In the darkness at 3:30am, we sat in silence for the next hour as our driver honked at other cars – I lost count after 17 times – and high-beamed large slower trucks.   There were a surprising number of vehicles on the road for that early in the morning.  Without warning, a speed bump would appear – actually, more like speed hills that were badly scraped from the undercarriage of cars who drove too fast – and most roads did not have marked lanes so people drove haphazardly at a rapid speed.  I felt like I was a part of a video game for a car race where the vehicles jockey for position to take the checkered flag.  It was all a bit unreal especially in a jet-lagged state of mind.  We saw a motorbike carrying 3 adults (husband & wife and perhaps their mother who was sitting at the rear), plus a boy about 8 years old who was sitting between his father's arms as the Dad steered the motorbike.  My colleague Lisa and I stared at each other in silence after we saw it.  Mom, if you're reading this, don’t worry... we are safe. :)

Flight #216 departing soon...

I am now at the airport waiting in the business class lounge at LAX.  My suitcase ended up being 47.6 pounds, mostly filled with snacks, supplies for work, and gifts.  About 4 pounds of it is chocolate since the people in India love milk chocolate and you can never bring enough.  Utilizing my expert packing skills, I thankfully was able to fit everything into one suitcase although it was quite a challenge. Business class travelers on Emirates can check a maximum of 2 bags weighing up to 70 pounds each, but I can't imagine bringing luggage that weighs more than I do.


I took my first-ever malaria pill today (Atovaquone/Proguanil also known as Malarone), which the pharmacist advised to take with food or milk because it can upset your stomach.  I have 22 more.   I have to take one pill before I go, one pill each day in India, and 1 pill for 7 days after returning.  The photo below looks like sudafed but they are larger & pinkish-brown.  The nurse gave me the choice of malaria pills to take for 1 week after returning (Malarone) or for 4 weeks after returning (doxycycline).  I obviously chose the one week.  I set up a recurring appointment in Outlook to remind me via my Blackberry to take it - and my vitamins & probiotics - each day.  I realized that since I am going to a country with a malaria risk, I will be prohibited from donating blood for one year.

Atovaquone malaria pills

Off to India tomorrow!

We depart tomorrow afternoon!  Thanks to all of my friends who have said that they will be praying for me!  Please pray for safety, health and strength not only for me but also for my colleagues Tina, Lynn and Lisa.  We have a very full schedule during our two weeks, and we will be working from 5:30pm – 2:30am. (There is a 12 ½ hour time difference.)  I am not certain exactly what to expect, but I know for sure that this will be a memorable & unforgettable experience and that I will return with a different perspective.  I look forward to meeting the teams in India and discovering something new during our travels.  Praise God for this opportunity!

Indian Food

My colleagues and I are planning to eat our meals from the hotel restaurants and we will order something to take with us to eat during the 9:00pm dinner break at the office.  They have several restaurants serving both American and India food.  Andy, one of the missionaries at my church who has travelled often to India, provided me with some excellent advice including some of the dishes he recommends:

• Aloo Gobi (potato and cauliflower)
• Dosa (thin rice "pancake”, great with coconut chutney)
• Channa Puri (garbanzo beans with fried "tortillas")
• Pani Puri (garbanzo beans and potatoes inside small hard "shells”)
• Malai Kofta (vegetarian "meatballs")
• Shahi Paneer (Indian "cheese" in tomato-base sauce)
• Mung Daal (mung bean gravy usually eaten over rice)
• Samosa (fried triangular "pocket" with filling of potatoes, peas, carrot, etc.)
• Pav Bhaji (vegetable "gravy" dipped into by buns)
• Idli (round rice flour cake, common for breakfast especially in south) 
• Biryani (a bit like Chinese fried rice: a mix of rice with spices, vegetables, and a type of meat)
• Roti (like a tortilla; it becomes puri if fried)

Andy also advised me that if you are full, be sure not to eat everything on your plate. Cleaning your plate means you have not eaten enough to be full.  This is great advice because it is different from Chinese culture in which as a guest at someone’s home, if you don’t eat a lot, the host/hostess will think that you didn’t like their cooking or enjoy the food.

Based upon the following photos, let's see if you can identify the correct dish from the list above.  (Answers found below.)

[Answers: 1) Shahi Paneer; 2) Pani Puri; 3) Biryani; 4) Malai Kofta]

Video Directions

I leave this Friday, April 20 at 4:45pm from LAX on Emirates Airlines #216 to Bangalore via Dubai for my 20-hour journey, not including a 2-hour stop in Dubai.  We arrive on Sunday, April 22 at 3:00am.  I know that I will be very grateful for being able to fly business class.  We will be staying at Palm Meadows (www.palmmeadowsclub.com) in Bangalore which came highly recommended by several colleagues, and it is frequented by many Expats in India.  Depending upon traffic, it is about 15-30 minutes from the Tesco HSC offices.  One of the most interesting parts of the hotel’s website is their “Location Maps and Directions” page where you can select nearby points of interest.  Not only does it give directions, but there is a video of the actual streets on the route to get there, along with a moving dot on the map representing your location.  It looks like the video was taken by someone on a motorbike or from the roof of a car because there is no windshield visible.  I must admit that I was quite scared watching the video at times because it is going quite fast and there are several near-misses with pedestrians wandering across the road and other cars or motorcycles.

Snacks & Bhuja

Many people have been asking whether I am excited about going to India – including the friendly guy at Jamba Juice the other day when we struck up a conversation as I ordered my favorite 16 oz Mango Mantra – and at this point, I have to admit that my excitement is still muted.  I am in my “focused mode” where I need to use all of my energy and waking hours to complete the key items on my list including several major assignments for work.  I am sure that my enthusiasm will grow once I am packed and on my way to the airport.

It seems that the one advice that was consistent amongst the people who have travelled to India before is: Bring lots of snacks!  So I went to the Burbank Fresh & Easy to pick up some wheat crackers (the F&E version of Wheat Thins that is just as good but for much less), beef jerky, protein bars, trail mix, and something called Bhuja.  I was drawn to the shiny red bag of Bhuja because it touts itself as “an Indian family favorite” and "a tasty, wholesome snack that's great for a nibble anytime."  With a dazzling description like that, how could I not buy it for my trip to India?  I will let you know what it tastes like, and I might even ask some people in India whether it is their family's favorite!  If anyone has tried Bhuja before, please post a comment even if you are not of an Indian family.