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.

Preparation, Currency & Immunizations

Time is flying by at warp speed.  It is hard to believe that I depart for India on Friday!  Being the Type A person that I am, I have been trying to follow – sometimes successfully and other times unsuccessfully – my preparation list.  I would consider myself a fairly experienced traveler for both work & vacation, but travelling overseas requires more planning.  The key items on my planning list have included: my visa (completed in March), immunizations and exchanging for local currency (completed; see below for more details), getting a much-needed haircut (done with quite a bit cut off because of the hot weather), buying gifts for the team there (still to do), picking up snacks (mostly done) and packing (several items have been thrown haphazardly into the suitcase).  I prefer travelling “light” simply because I don’t like lugging a large suitcase around; but logistically I won’t be able to bring a small suitcase since most of it will be filled with snacks and supplies for work.

For my immunizations, I contacted the Travel Advisory Center at Kaiser about a month ago.  The Advice Nurse said that I needed Tetanus/Whooping Cough, Typhoid, Hepatitis A & B – all of which I have had except for Typhoid.   I finally went for my immunizations on Thursday, and the typhoid shot was quite sore afterwards.  I also got a prescription for Azithromycin ($10 for a 30 day supply).  The nurse said that Ciprofloxacin no longer works in India so that is why she gave me Azithromycin instead.  As the pharmacist was describing when to take the Immodium and Azithromycin, I was praying that I won’t have to use it, but it is comforting to know that I have it – just in case.

I've always found it helpful to have currency upon arriving in another country.  I went to Foreign Currency Express at the World Trade Center in Downtown LA.  I decided to give it a try since it had good reviews on yelp. (What did we do before yelp?)  The exchange rate is $1 USD to .0217 India rupees, so 100 rupees is $2.17.  Since I wanted some small bills for tips, I placed an order about a week prior.  I took public transportation since I don’t enjoy navigating the streets of Downtown LA and finding parking, but I was a little worried since I was carrying several hundred dollars worth of cash to exchange for me and my co-worker.  You sometimes hear of stories in the news of people getting robbed of a large amount of cash, and I always wonder, “Why was that person carrying so much cash with them?”  Now I know why.  Perhaps they were trying to exchange currency.

Photos of Bangalore

If you are wondering what Bangalore looks like, here is a preview.  I also plan to post some pictures from my experience once I am there.

Bangalore Palace

Busy Street at Night

Brigade Road

View of the City