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.