Sad Goodbyes

We've spent most evenings over the past week with neighbors and professional colleagues who have become true friends to us in our time here. We have been blessed with so many wonderful people to help us to adjust and ultimately to thrive in Bangalore--both personally and professionally. We will miss them dearly.

A few pictures from various farewell events follow (we will leave Bangalore tomorrow morning).

Driving in B'lore rush hour

I finally had a dream come true by driving a car in Bangalore yesterday. The vehicle was a Maruti 800 (0.8 L displacement engine) and was loaned to me by my friend Prof. Umesh Waghmare. The right-side driver compartment and left-handed stick shift took some getting used to, but before long, I was weaving and honking along with the rest of the traffic. I have some video evidence of this event that I'll try to post soon.

Kerala Beach and Backwaters

After we had finished at the pool in the hotel, we went to the Lighthouse Beach. We all had to squeeze into one auto rickshaw. We were all relieved to leave the auto. Our driver dropped us about 50 yards away from the beach and we walked the rest of the way. When we reached the shore, we hopped in the sea. The waves were enormous! They were definitely the biggest ones that I have ever seen in my life. We swam for a bit and then moved to another spot. The life guards helped by waving people to another section because the waves were to strong in that area. When we finished swimming we decide to walk home. We had no clue where our hotel was. We walked up to a nice resort and asked the security guard for directions. Luckily, he knew where it was. I was glad we were able to walk but the heat was outrageous! It felt so nice to walk into our A/C room.

The next day we went on our backwater tour. We drove for about 15 minutes to reach the place. Our boat was already sitting at the dock. It was amazing how they pushed it forward. A man stood at the back of the boat with a huge bamboo stick. He would jab it into the bottom of the water and push us forward. We were supposed to see the sunset but decided not to because we would have to wait for 1hr. On our ride we saw many birds from sea eagles to a Kingfisher. After our tour was over we headed back to the hotel.

Exit Interview: Mark

Mark's interview follows.

Exit Interview: Kyle

Kyle is my graduate student and accompanied us here (and will return with us as well). He was gracious enough to participate in this free-wheeling interview.

Our stay in Kerala

Last week we went to Kerala for 4 days. We flew to Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala. We stayed for 2 days at the National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology's campus guest house. We got to stay in the VIP suite. Then we went to Kovalam (10 miles away) and stayed at the Taj Green Cove Resort.

When we reached the resort, they gave us each a welcome necklace made of shells. After checking into our rooms, we walked down to the beach. The beach was very rocky and closed for swimming because the waves were so big. We went back to the resort and went swimming in the pool.

We played tennis twice. It was very hot, but fun. We also went to a beach where we could swim. Thomas will blog about that soon.

We loved the restaurant at the resort. It was outside by the pool. My dad ate fish curry at every meal except breakfast. He said he would make it when we get home if he can find any good fish in Indiana. Everyone loved the fish curry but me, I enjoyed the spaghetti!

Exit Interview: Thomas

Over the coming days, I will record interviews with each of the children. These video segments will be completely unedited, and the children will not have reviewed the questions in advance. The first interview is with Thomas. Enjoy!!!

Jaipur

After seeing Agra, we drove to Jaipur. It was a long, bumpy ride and I was sick by the time we reached there. Luckily, our hotel was very nice, and I was able to get a good night's sleep. In the morning, we began our tour of Jaipur, also known as the Pink City because many of the buildings are pink in color. The city was built by Jai Singh II.

The first thing we saw was the Hawa Mahal, also called the Palace of Winds. It really isn't a palace; it is just a facade. Built in 1799, it has five stories but just one room deep. The walls are only 8 inches thick. It was built so that the women living in the real palace could look out and watch what was happening outside the palace without being seen.

Next we went to the City Palace. We could see the outside of the Palace but weren't allowed inside because the ruling family still lives there. We went to the Palace Museum where we looked at very old carpets, paintings and weapons. We also went into the Pritam Chowk which is a big courtyard where entertainers performed. We saw the world's largest silver object which is an urn that was used to carry holy Ganges water when Madho Singh II visited London in 1901.

We also visited the Jantar Mantar an observatory built by Sawai Jai Singh II who liked astronomy. We saw the world's largest sundial and many other instruments for studying the stars and planets.

That night, we went to a restaurant named Indiana. We met the owner who went to Purdue to study engineering. We saw the State Flag of Indiana and watched some dancers perform. My mom and my Aunt Ellen danced with them. At the end of our meal, it began to pour down rain (we were sitting outside). Luckily it only lasted about 10 minutes.

The next day we went to Amber Fort, a few miles from Jaipur. It was built in 1592 by Man Singh I and was the capital of Rajasthan before it was moved to Jaipur. We toured the Fort and saw many rooms with mirrors and gems in the walls. Afterward, we rode elephants around part of the city. Before heading back to Delhi, we stopped for a photo in front of the Jal Mahal, also called the Water Palace because during the monsoons water fills the lake around the Palace to make it look like it is floating in the water.

Shimla

We arrived in Shimla early in the morning and checked into the Quality Inn. When we had all checked in at the front desk, a few workers took our bags up to our rooms. We had three rooms for eight people. The men who took our bags up for us unlocked the doors and let us in the rooms. The very first thing I noticed was the smell. It smelled like rotten eggs. It was utterly disgusting! We decided to rename it the Not-So Quailty Inn.

Each room could only fit two people so we knew that we would have to get two more beds to put into the rooms. I went into the room that smelled the best. All of us were dead tired. We watched a bit of the Masters on TV, and then quickly dozed off to sleep.

When I woke up everyone was awake and ready to go eat lunch. I was confused because I though I had slept through the night. When I got down to the lobby I looked up at a clock and saw it was 2:30 P.M. I said to my sister Grace, "This can't be right. It's the morning." Finally I realized that it was the afternoon. The rest of the day we spent at an outdoor mall with small shops in every vacant spot. My mom had to stay home because she was still feeling sick. When we got back we had dinner and then went to sleep.

The next day, I was feeling very ill. I couldn't go eat breakfast because of my stomach ache. The rest of the family went to the Viceregal Lodge while my dad and I stayed back. I was very glad to see the Yankees game. I saw all of it except the top of the 1st inning. When the rest of the family returned they told me about the lodge that they visited. The British made it in 1888 as a summer residence for the British viceroys of India. Inside they saw the table where the partition of India was formalized.

They also stopped at the Jakhu Hill Temple which is dedicated to the monkey god, Hanuman. Appropriately, monkeys were everywhere and they rented a walking stick to scare them away. Monkeys are so common in Shimla that one on them almost came into our room because the window was open with no screen. My mom and her sister screamed and ran out of the room.

The next day we drove to a place called Naldehra where we had lunch and rode horses. We saw the road that leads all the way to China. They also had a golf course that was built by one of the viceroys. On the way back, we stopped at the Wildflower Hall, a very fancy hotel--so fancy in fact that children under twelve are not allowed. Then we headed back to the hotel which was about an hour away.

The following day we said goodbye to my mom's parents and her sister and they flew back to Delhi. We were fortunate enough to move to a nicer place called the Springfield. From there we could walk to the mall in about thirty minutes. We did a little shopping and were even able to have a Domino's pizza. We spent a lot of time at the Springfield playing chess and carrom. Carrom is a game that a few kids taught me at school. You try to hit poker chips into pockets like in pool. It was much cooler in Shimla and we had to use heaters.

The last night we went to a banquet in honor of Professor C.N.R Rao, one of India's most famous scientists. He was the founder of JNCASR, the institute where my dad works.

Agra

After touring Delhi, we got into our Tempo Traveler and began the 5 hour drive to Agra. On the way, we stopped at Jami Masjid Mosque, built in 1648 by Shah Jahan's favorite daughter, Jahanara Begum. Part of the mosque was demolished by the British in 1857. The royal stove is a famous attraction, where they heated the water for the courtyard.

Our next stop was the Agra Fort. This was by far the best fort that we saw along our trip. The Agra Fort was built by Emperor Akbar between 1565 and 1573. Shah Jahan, builder of the Taj Mahal, once ruled over the Fort. As you can see from the pictures, there is a great view of the Taj from the Fort. He spent his entire life in the Fort, eventually dieing in his son's captivity, where he was locked in his bedroom for several dozens of years. His son questioned him for doing non-Muslim practices and spending a lot of money on things like the Taj Mahal. Shah Jahan was planning to make another Taj Mahal, made of black marble, but his plan was stopped by his son. Shah Jahan's son also killed his brothers for practicing non-Muslim things. We were able to see the "Water Palace", or Machchhi Bhavan where the Emperors were able to bathe along with their several wives. You can see from some of the pictures on the slide show that the ceilings were covered with pieces of glass that reflected the candle light. Inside of the Fort, there were several beautiful mosques, like the "Jewel Mosque", the "Gem Mosque" and the "Pearl Mosque". We were also able to see how their showers looked. They just poured water down a chamber, where it ran down a slate and ran onto the person in the shower, as you can see from the pictures.

Next was the Taj Mahal, built by Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal who died in 1631. Mumtaz Mahal was his third and most beautiful wife. It took 20,000 laborers 12 years to built and cost nearly 41 million rupees, or over 1 million USD (quite a lot of money back then!). There isn't much else to say, the pictures pretty much say it all. Mark was able to smile for pictures, despite getting sick at lunch, but he wasn't able to make the trip into the tomb chamber. Inside the chamber were three or four empty tombs. We walked around them and then went back out. The actual tombs are kept in the in a crypt below and are closed to the public. The Taj was amazing and I'm sure we'll remember it clearly for the rest of our lives.

Delhi

Appropriately, our tour of Delhi began at India Gate, a huge sandstone arch built to commemorate the Indian and British soldiers who died in WWI and the Third Afghan War. Facing India Gate is the sandstone canopy where a statue of King George V was installed in 1936. The canopy now stands empty, the statue having been moved to Coronation Park.

From there, we went to Raisina Hill, the site selected by the British for the new capital. Vijay Chowk or "Victory Square", at the base of Raisina Hill is flanked by 2 large Secretariat buildings which house the Prime Minister's Office and the Defence Ministry. At the crest of Raisina Hill is Rashtrapai Bhavan. Built as the British Viceroy's Place, it is now the residence of the President of India.

Our next stop was Humayun's Tomb. Built in 1565, it was the first great Mughal garden tomb and served to inspire the design of the beautiful Taj Mahal. Also in this complex is the tomb and mosque of Isa Khan, a 16th century nobleman.

Mehrauli Archaeological Park was our next destination. Located within the Park is the Qutb Minar, India's highest single tower. The tower was built in 1193 to mark the site of the first Muslin kingdom in North India.

After a short break for lunch, we went to the Baha'i House of Worship. Constructed in 1986, the white marble structure forms 27 petaled tiers giving it a lotus appearance. The Baha'i sect originated in Persia and is based on a view of humanity as one single race. People from all faiths are invited to meditate and attend daily services in the auditorium.

Jami Masjid, India's largest mosque. Constructed in 1656 by the Emperor Shah Jahan, it took 6 years and 5,000 workers to build. Upon entering the mosque, we had to remove our shoes and cover our exposed skin with cloth. From Jami Masjid, we rode through Old Delhi via bicycle rickshaw to the Red Fort. Constuction of the fort began in 1639 and took 9 years. The fort was the seat of Mughal power until 1857 when the last Mughal emperor was dethroned and exiled. When India became an independent nation in 1947, it was here that the national flag was raised for the first time.

After seeing the Red Fort, we headed back to the hotel for the evening. The next day, we continued our tour of the Golden Triangle and Shimla. Upon returning to Delhi at the end of our 2 week journey, we went to Raijghat, the site of Mahatma Gandhi's cremation. On Gandhi's birthday (Oct. 2) and the anniversary of his death (Jan. 30), the nation's leaders gather here for prayer meetings. Across the street is the Gandhi National Museum where we viewed pictures and memorabilia from his life.

Posted by Amy, signed in under Grace

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Planes, Trains, Automobiles . . . camels, elephants, horses and rickshaws!



During our journey through northern India, we utilized practically every form of transport know to man (except aquatic, thank heaven). Our adventures began by way of air from Bangalore to Delhi were we met up with my Dad, Diana and Ellen. Amazingly, all of us received our luggage without incident! On the 9th, we set off in a 10-seater van with minimal a/c capacity. We toured several interesting sites in Delhi including the Secretariat, India Gate and Jami Masjid (India's largest mosque). From Jami Masjid, we traveled a short distance through the bazaars of Old Delhi by way of bicycle rickshaw to the Red Fort. This mode of transport was a first for us all and allowed us to truly experience the environs of Old Delhi.

The next day we headed for Agra. Mark got sick while we were touring Agra and wasn't even able to walk up the steps at the Taj Mahal. However, he was able to muster a smile for the photos. Luckily, he was feeling better for our long drive to Jaipur. We were able to break up our drive with a ride on a camel cart (also a first for all of us) and auto rickshaw (a first for my Dad, Diana and Ellen). These diversions were not a result of the flat tire on our jalopy van! In Jaipur, we were able to ride elephants through part of the city.

The transportation highlight had to have been the overnight train we took from Delhi to Kalka. Our train was delayed for over an hour so we had plenty of time to spend at the Old Delhi rail station (quite an experience in itself!). In order to make up lost time, the conductor accelerated the pace of our train which made the journey very rocky and difficult to sleep. I would have taken some pictures of us on the train but I was feeling extremely ill. When we reached Kalka, we found out that there were no tickets available for the 5 a.m. "toy train" (Shivalik Queen) to Shimla. The next train was scheduled to leave at 8:30 a.m. We decided to forgo the Shivalik Queen (despite that fact that it is listed among the 1000 things you should do before you die). Instead, we took a taxi though the winding roads of the Himalayan foothills. While in Shimla, we rode horses in the mountains. The views were breathtaking and the fresh air was a pleasant relief from car exhaust.

After spending 2 days in Shimla, my Dad, Diana and Ellen flew back to the US. We spent another few days there while Tim attended a conference. We all were dreading the long trip back to Delhi. Our only viable options were train (which Thomas opposed) or auto (which Mark and Grace opposed). We ended up taking a tour bus which was arranged by Tim's conference. The bus had great a/c, but no suspension. Luckily, Thomas, Mark, Grace and I found seats at the front of the bus. Tim was stuck in the last row, but somehow survived. At times, he was bouncing so far off the seat that his head was almost hitting the ceiling. We had to stop the bus twice for people who were ill, fortunately we weren't among them.

Despite some of the crazy transport issues, we had a fun time visiting northern India. We enjoyed having my Dad, Diana and Ellen along and will look back with fond memories of our trip. We joked that we should write a movie script for another Family Vacation (if we can get Chevy Chase to agree to play the role of Tim).

Home again

We finally reached Bangalore tonight. I'm not sure that I've ever been so happy to be home, even if our apartment here is a temporary home. Thomas was very ill for most of the day, and we are convinced that he has some bad bottled water at a roadside restaurant near Kalka (between Shimla and Delhi). Ironically, this restaurant touted its "delicious digestive food" and claimed to offer the "best food in north India." We enjoyed visiting the Mahatma Gandhi memorial and museum today in Delhi. Fortunately, Thomas improved enough to walk through the museum, which houses many interesting pictures and artifacts from Gandhi's life and the clothing that he was wearing when he was assassinated. The kids and Amy will surely have more to write in the coming days.

Back in Delhi, finally toward B'lore

We returned safely from Shimla via bus yesterday, and we're now back in Delhi for the day. Tonight, we will fly home to Bangalore, ending a very long tour of north India. Mark's health has improved; but now Thomas is sick. We all cannot wait to return to Bangalore, and I expect that the others will write many new blogs about our tour.

Very briefly, from Shimla

This blog is coming directly from an email message and will not contain photos. I am writing from a very slow hotel computer. We arrived safely in Shimla yesterday morning. Our travels have been quite troublesome. Amy became very sick, mainly from the car rides, we think. Mark has never fully recovered and is staying with me in the hotel this morning. The climate is very cool here (highs around 70 F), but the hotel turns off its central heating in April. On the bright side, the town is very quaint and seems to be more of a place for Indians than foreign tourists. The prices on most items are low (and even posted on some items--amazing!). We're hoping for a better
afternoon and remainder of the journey. All the 'visitors' (Jack, Diana, Ellen) are well.

Jaipur sights

Another quick update from Jaipur... We're doing well, and the kids have recovered completely. We had dinner at a restaurant named "Indiana" yesterday, and amazingly, the owner is a Purdue mechanical engineering graduate named K. Jai Singh (see following picture). He spent 35 years in the oil industry (with Exxon and Indian Oil) before semi-retiring and starting a restaurant in the front yard of his family's historical home in Jaipur.

The food at Indiana was probably the best I've had in all of India. In fact, it was so good that the sisters (Amy and Ellen) spontaneously broke into dance.

The touring spots in Jaipur are also very interesting. The picture below shows the world's largest sundial. Today, we'll tour the Amber Fort and then proceed onward to Delhi for trains to Kalka and then Shimla. Riding an overnight train should be quite an experience for Jack, Diana, and Ellen.

Brief update from Jaipur, on the fly

We arrived today in Jaipur after having visited Agra yesterday (and the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, and other places). We are doing reasonably well, but each of the kids has become sick along the way. Yes, that kind of sick...well actually, both kinds. I think that they drank some bad water; Amy is convinced that they have car sickness (the drives from Delhi to Agra and Agra to Jaipur were five and seven hours, respectively). Anyway, other than our air conditioning going out in the middle of a hot (100+ degree F) day, and a tire blowing out on our van, our travels have been uneventful. When my parents arrived in Bangalore a couple of weeks ago after touring this part of India for a week, the last thing they wanted to do was to ride in a car, and now we all understand the reason.

The Taj Mahal was as amazing as advertised, at least from a moderate distance. From up-close, the pollution has definitely taken its toll, as it has stained some of the marble a grey/brow hue. Nevertheless, we all definitely felt like the visit was a great experience (see pictures below). I'm sure that Amy and/or the kids will make a photo album and slide show later. We have good internet access here and should be able to communicate well for the next day or so.

Follow-up

We will leave tomorrow for north India, where we will meet Amy's father, stepmother, and sister. Our tour will begin in Delhi and then proceed to Agra, Jaipur, and Shimla. We'll try to find the time and internet access to blog, but if not, we'll catch up upon our return.

On other topics, if you answered "between 100 and 199" in the last poll, you were correct. A whopping 126 people have formally registered to view this site. We can access rudimentary site traffic information, and usually 10 to 20 unique 'visitors' read the blog each day.

I've also kept up with my pleasure reading, having finished the following books in the past couple of weeks:

• Peace Child by Don Richardson: This book recounts the story of Don Richardson and his family, who were 1960s missionaries to New Guinea tribes that still practiced cannibalism. The story is simply amazing (my student Kyle Smith loaned it to me, and Thomas is reading it now).
  
• The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown: OK, so I hadn't read it previously and figured that I should. I was quite disappointed in the mediocre writing style. The movie was much better, in my opinion.
• A River Sutra by Gita Mehta: This short novel describes a series of interwoven fictional stories that center on the Narmada River in India. The book is masterfully written and contains wonderful insights into the mythology and mysticism of India. Definitely a 'must read' (and thanks to my friend Shobhana for loaning it to me).
  

Nana and Papa

Tim's parents spent a few days with us last week. Having just come from Israel and Northern India (where they had the good fortune of seeing tigers), they were ready for a more relaxed pace. In addition to Nandi Hill, we took them to Bangalore Palace. The Palace, built in 1880, was modeled after Windsor Castle and cost an estimated 1 million rupees ($250,000 - an exorbitant amount back then). Unfortunately, the Palace fell into disrepair in the mid-1900s when it was at the center of an ownership dispute between the government and the ruling Wodeyars. It has since been returned to the Wodeyars who have opened it for public viewing to finance its restoration. There is much work to be done!!

No trip to our village would be complete without a stop at the local barber shop. Tim's dad was pleased with the barber's skill and price. He tipped him 30% and it still only cost him a dollar.

Some More on School

So now that school is out, we'll probably be getting a lot more chances to blog about our experiences here. Three times a week we will be going to my mom's school and helping out with some of the kids there. In a week we are going to Northern India and will meet our Grandpa, Grandma Dee and Aunt Ellen. We'll be up there for a week and a half. We will see Delhi, Agra (The Taj Mahal), Jaipur, and Shimla (in the Himalayan Mountains). I've heard that it's a lot of fun.

School here was a lot different than the one at home. First off, when the children go home, their parents make them study for most of the rest of the day (which has its advantages and disadvantages). They take the exams much more seriously and begin studying at least a month before they start to take them. The work is about as tough as it is back home. There is hardly any homework (because the kids are expected to study) and I could do most of the exams without a problem.

As far as class schedules go, there is also a difference. Instead of doing chemistry one year and physics the next, they do physics, chemistry and biology all at the same time. They have about an hour to an hour and a half each week of each class. We rarely have the same class two days in a row. Math is also different. They have 45 minutes of math each day and go over some of the basics on each topic (algebra, geometry, and trigonometry). They don't go into as much detail in each topic, but each year the topics get more and more complicated; whereas the school at home goes over only one topic in one year.

Overall, the teachers were very nice to me and so were most of the students. I had a different teacher for each subject and because there were only 36 kids in my class, they came to us instead of us going to them. The teachers seemed to be very strict, but the students just as rowdy. The kids who went to my school were very wealthy. Some of the kids laughed when I told them the I rode to school in an auto-rickshaw. They said they had never ridden in one before.There was a rumor, which is largely believed to be true, that the grandfather of one of the kids in my class owns the Delhi cricket team. I went to an end-of-the-year party on Friday night at the most expensive apartments in the city (because you can watch the cricket matches from the roof).

It was a different but helpful experience for all of us and is probably a way of schooling I will never forget.

Nandi Hill: The Mountains and Hills of Bangalore

Last Friday was my last exam which was German. Grace had regular school and Thomas had a 6 hour English exam. I was lucky because mine was only 1 hour. When the exam was over my dad was waiting at the school gate and took me home in an auto rickshaw. By the time we came home, my grandparents (on my dad's side) were there. I changed into shorts and then we departed for Nandi Hill. It was about an hour drive. Luckily we went north of the city so there wasn't as much traffic. After 45 minutes we started seeing big hills. There was a path up one which we followed. Each "U" turn on the mountain counted as one turn. When we reached the top there was a "40th" turn sign. My dad bought the tickets and my mom got us some Kurkure (spicy Cheetoes). Our driver took us in the gate, then dropped us off. The first thing I noticed was the cool air, another thing was all the monkeys. Everywhere we turned we saw some monkeys! We walked around the hill and we could see over the walls and very far down. We heard music from the bottom of the hill and were surprised that we could hear it all the way at the top. We walked back up to were we started, got in the car, and left for our ride back. We needed to pick up Thomas and Grace so we ate at a recommended restaurant near our school. After picking up Grace and Thomas, we drove back home. Here are some of the pictures that we took on the hill.

School

I'm starting my last week of school tomorrow. The children here are really good in math. They have easy spelling. The kids here have good handwriting. In Indiana I have a lot more friends. Here I only have about 6. In my class here there are 36 children. In Indiana there are only 20 kids in my class. My favorite part about school is meeting a lot of new people. I love the school's soccer area. My least favorite part about school is not having my old friends here. Kids in my class are making me very nice cards for me because I'm leaving. One girl keeps saying to me "Do you have to go?" My best friends' names are Diya, Nicole, Shivani, Lavika, Tangum, and Kavya. My teacher's name is Mrs.De'Cuna. Besides me, there is only one Internatinal girl in my class and she is from France. Overall school has been good.

I'm having a party this weekend. I'm having my 6 friends. We are going swimming and then having pizza. It will be so much fun. I wish my friends in Indiana could come to the party. I'll blog on it after it happens.

Random Musings

Just to spice up the blog a bit, I've written several thoughts about life in India below.

Talk is cheap... When driving in Bangalore, you can be assured of being cut off by a car or truck every few seconds. Amazingly, many of the cars (particularly those sold by Hyundai) have stickers on the back windows that read: "Caring for you...Always" and "Drive home a relationship". I must say that after being cut off by an aggressive Hyundai, those words ring quite hollow.

Another Indian language... Speaking of cars, I've found that there is a universal language in India, and it's not Hindi or English--it's car horn Morse code. I've done some translation, for example: (i) a short honk means, 'I'd like to pass you, but I'll slow down if you swerve in front of me.' (ii) two short honks mean, 'I'm going to pass you, and I'll be mad if you swerve in front of me.' (iii) three long honks mean, 'I might be an easy-going person, but I'm ready to fight you if necessary, you moron.'

So that's where it goes... If you're like me, you've often wondered where all the pulp goes when they make 'pulp-free' orange juice in the US. Well, it turns out that Indian juice companies actually brag about how much pulp they have in their drinks. If I find out that American pulp is not making its way to India, I'll be the first the write the business plan...

Pinhead politics... One unusual feature of India is the pervasiveness of big political billboards showing badly cropped mug shots of a political clan, with mismatched head sizes that are apparently in proportion to each person's political power. An example of such a billboard follows. The words on the billboards are always in the local language, but I've added what I suspect to be their meaning in English.

By the way, the featured politician above looks quite familiar... For more fun with Indian political billboards click here.

Well that explains it... I've often wondered why India's fanatical love of cricket hasn't translated to baseball. Then, yesterday I found the answer on this T-shirt in a clothing store (they've mistaken American football for baseball--Ron R, when we visit here in August, we'll have to hold that baseball clinic that you suggested).

The spicy breakfast diet.. If anyone thought that Amy was joking below about writing a book on 'the spicy breakfast diet', think again. This diet works. I'm fastidiously avoiding the posting of too many pictures of myself here so that I can maximize the shock value when you all see me in person again (and also so that none of you will believe in the diet so much that you steal the idea).

Books and Some History

Our blogging frequency has decreased the past couple of weeks, primarily because the kids (mainly Thomas and Mark) are in the middle of two weeks of final exams. For those from India, you know how grueling these exams can be for young students. I believe that this experience will be good for the kids in learning study habits for more demanding courses in the future. The good news is that they seem to be keeping up quite well with the other students.

Amy wrote below that we are reading much more on this trip that we had been at home (I hope that this change is permanent). In the following, I give brief reviews of the books I've read on this trip (in the order of reading):

• The Anglo-Maratha Campaigns and the Contest for India: The Struggle for Control of the South Asian Military Economyby Randolf G. S. CooperThis book is based heavily on the author's PhD dissertation. The central thesis is that western historians have incorrectly ascribed Britain's conquest of most of north India (controlled at the time by the Marathas, based in Mumbai and Pune) in the early 1800s to superior western training, discipline, and technology; instead, the author argues that the reasons for the quick British victory involved a complicated interplay among access to weaponry, the use of mercinaries, and defections of European officers to the British (or East India Company's) side. He repeats this thesis (especially the first part about western historians) ad naseum throughout the book. I found the text interesting solely for the historical facts that it provided. Regarding the thesis, one unexplored facet of the events is that not all European officers left the Maratha army for the British side; the French officers largely remained with the Marathas in opposition to the British (these events were contemporaneous with the French revolution and the beginning of the Napoleanic wars). Given France's military history (parodied here), perhaps this latter factor should not be overlooked.
• The Alexandria Link
  by Steve BerryThis fast-paced thriller is based on the premise that the promised land from Abraham's time was actually in Saudi Arabia (this hypothesis does have some scholarly advocates), and furthermore, that the former holdings of the great library of Alexandria still exist today, maintained by a secret order of protectors. The library allegedly contains irrefutable evidence of the hypothesis about the ancient Jewish lands, and a protagonist spy and his ex-wife must protect the secret so that it does not destabilize the region further. A very fun read.
• A History of India, Vol. 2
  by Percival SpearThis book summarizes the history of India since the 16th century to (almost) the present. The author emphasizes that much of India was ruled by foreigners from the 12th or 13th centuries until its independence in 1947. The book begins in the 16th century with the establishment of the Mughal Empire by Babur (a Turk). Babur's grandson Akbar is perhaps the best known of the Mughal Emperors, as he expanded their territory and was known to be a patron of the arts and to exercise relatively more religious tolerance. Akbar's kingdom extended from Afghanistan to Bengal (Calcutta) and included all of north India and some of the south. The middle portion of the book focuses on the demise of the Mughals, primarily to the benefit of the British, whose imperialist policies and tactics exploited India for more than two centuries. The last part of the book addresses India's struggle for independence and the creation of Pakistan (and later Bangladesh). The partitioning of India was quite sad and, in hindsight, probably could and should have been avoided. The leading advocate for a separate Pakistan was Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He later become Pakistan's first Governor-General and sought to build a nation that was tolerant of different religions--perhaps even officially secular (some debate exists on this point). Unfortunately, he died shortly after Pakistan's founding, and the nation since then has been quite unstable, continuing to this day. Meanwhile, Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru led India to establish a parliamentary democracy. Gandhi in particular was very disappointed in the partition, for he believed that people of all faiths could co-exist in an Indian democracy. This tolerance provoked a Hindu extremist to murder him in 1948. Nehru continued to lead India for several decades, and his support of scientific education and research led to the naming of the research institute where I now work.
• Shantaram
  by Gregory David Roberts
  This semi-autobiographical novel chronicles the experiences of an Australian prison escapee and former heroin addict in the Bombay (Mumbai) underworld. The book is masterfully written, and the main character's experiences are both amazing and terrifying. The middle part of the book tends to drag, particularly with Bombay mafia dons and slumlords waxing philosophic about the meaning of life. After reading the book, I learned that the author is now promoting his brand of New Age philosophy, and these segments of the book are clearly part of an ulterior agenda. Nevertheless, the book is well worth the time it takes to read its nearly 1,000 pages, but I must warn you that the book contains much profanity.
  
• Indian Summer: The Secret History of the End of an Empire
  by Alex Von Tunzelmann
  Amy read this book before I did, and she recommends it highly. The book follows the lives of Dickie and Edwina Mountbatten in India. Dickie was the British Governor-General during partition. Apparently, Edwina and Jawaharlal Nehru had a long-term affair with the full knowledge of the Governor-General. The book does give some insights into the creation of India and Pakistan, and to me, the history clearly reveals that much of the animosity between India and Pakistan was a consequence of each side's believing that the British government favored the other. Of course, such fears from Pakistan were quite reasonable, given the closeness of relationship between the Governor-General's wife and the Indian prime minister. I found the book to contain too much gossip and too little history, but that's just my opinion.
• Other, more technical books
  I've also read a number of technically oriented books including Prof. CNR Rao's biography (Science as a Way of Life, 2nd edition, Prism, 2005) and his book Understanding Chemistry. I've also read much or all of Solar Energy by SP Sukhatme, Thermal Physics by Ralph Baierlein, and several other engineering or physics texts (but I know that no one cares about those, and perhaps none of the above, either. Frankly, I'm just happy that you made it this far).
  

Kabini

Last weekend we went on a five hour car ride to the Kabini National Park and River Lodge. There are many animals in the park, which are all wild. While we were there, we saw a lot of spotted deer and monkeys. Unfortunately we couldn't see any of the tigers or leopards, because there is such a small population of them. The cottages we stayed in overnight were nice and clean. I have put together a slide show so you can see some of the animals and the lodge where we stayed. We also got a chance to ride an elephant (only a short five minute ride) and ride in a boat across the river to see some elephants grazing. The elephants have to eat almost all day long to receive all of the food they need. On Friday night, we saw a movie that helped us learn a lot about the park and the animals in it. When we were there, the grass had almost turned to dust, but when the monsoons come, everything comes to life and the park turns green. We had a lot of fun learning about some of the animals found in the natural habitat of India.

Shopping and Cuisine

Even though shopping and cuisine are lagging in the poll right now, I thought I'd write a bit about them since the kids will have to blog about school and I'd rather leave the history for Tim. I have included a slide show of a fraction of the various shops in our village. You can see that the produce is beautiful and abundant. We have been enjoying many vegetables and learning what they are called in Hindi: aloo (potato), gobi (califlower), palak (spinach), bhindi (okra), capsicum (green pepper), mutter (peas), etc. For the most part, we have avoided meat. When you walk down the street and see chickens and goats (I spared you photos of them hanging in the shops, skinned), you have a suppressed desire to eat them!

Typically, the kids and I eat cereal or toast with peanut butter for breakfast. We have the milk delivered daily (cost is about $0.25 per L) which then needs to be boiled. Tim often eats leftovers from the night before. He claims that a spicy breakfast is key to weight loss (it seems to be working for him) and thinks I should write a booked called "The Spicy Breakfast Diet". The kids' school doesn't provide lunch so I pack it for them. It is pretty typical of what they would bring at home. Some days, Thomas and Grace bring leftovers. Mark sticks more to peanut butter and jelly, but he seems to prefer it on chappathi instead of bread. I bought Grace a tiffin-box to carry her rice and dal.

Regarding the food, most Americans mistakenly believe that Indian food contains an abundance of curry powder. Curry, in Indian cooking, is a broad term referring to almost any spiced, sauce-based dish. The spices commonly used include, garlic, ginger, onion, green chilies, mustard seeds (rai), cumin (jeera), funugreek, (methi), cardamon (elaichi), red chili powder, tumeric powder (haldi), asofoetida (hind), coriander (dhania), and garam masala. We eat more of these spices in 1 week than we did in a whole year at home. We have chappathi and rice every night. We usually also have dal (lentils) and another dish like chana (chickpeas) masala, palak (spinach) or kaju (cashew) paneer (cottage cheese), sambar or spicy cabbage, califlower or eggplant. Occasionally we have dosa, paratha, poori, or idli and wonderful fresh coconut chutney or raita. For some easy to follow Indian recipes, go to http://www.showmethecurry.com/

Produce is incredibly inexpensive here. Today I bought 10 small lemons (to make lemonade) for $0.75. I can buy 2 big bunches of spinach for less than a dollar. Bananas are about $0.05 each, while apples cost about the same as we pay in the US (which makes sense because most of them are imported from Washington State). Juice, peanut butter, cereal, spaghetti sauce, and paper products are all relatively expensive. A jar of Skippy or Ragu, or a box of Honey Bunches of Oats (Mark's favorite cereal) costs about $6.00. We have been buying an Indian made peanut butter (more natural and way less expensive), making our own spaghetti sauce, and sticking to plain cereals like Corn Flakes and Wheat Flakes. Without an oven, it is a challenge to fix some things. I am able to buy flat bread and have been making the kids "pizza" by grilling the bread on a fry pan, sprinkling on Italian herbs and adding mozzarella cheese. It seems to do the trick. Thomas likes his pizza with tomatoes so I grill those up too. It is even possible to cook garlic bread on a fry pan. My mom brought us 6 boxes of Mac-n-cheese and 5 boxes of granola bars. They finished them before she left! I guess they miss some of their favorite foods.

Regarding other types of shopping, we can buy shoes and clothes in our village. Although the price is right, the quality is poor. There is a fairly big mall about 5 km away (The Esteem Mall) with a mix of both Indian and Western clothes. It has a Nike and an Adidas store, but the prices on most things are even higher than in the US. Downtown Bangalore has several very nice malls and many craft emporiums. There are lots of people trying to sell things on the street from books, to socks, to sunglasses. They are always ready to make a deal. My mom found several "deals" that were too good to pass up. Even after emptying her suitcase of the food she brought us, she still didn't have room and we have to mail a box of stuff back to the US.

On a side note, while I was typing this, the man who irons clothes in our apartment complex returned 8 items that I brought to him this morning. The cost was $0.60 for the lot of them!

Panchatantra

We had a play called the Panchatantra which consists of 17 folk tales and each have a lesson in them. 3 plays were in Hindi, 2 in Kannada, and the other 11 were in English. Ever since we began school here we have been practicing our play for the last 1hour of the day. Grace and I were in the chorus, so we sang short songs every few minutes. It was very boring but we got to skip a lot of school. We stayed back from school on 1 day and did a tech. rehearsal. We had 3 performances, and each one was over 2 hours long. The play was about three uneducated princes who must take over their father's kingdom. The king gets a man who takes them into the forest for 6 months to learn lessons. At the end they go back to the king and they are much smarter. You can look at the top of the blog and see some of the pictures. If you'd like to see many more pictures, please go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/photos.MAIS
http://picasaweb.google.co.in/susan40

Authors- Mark and Grace
Slide show creator- Amy

Wonder la

Saturday we spent the day at Wonder la. I put a slide show together that shows some of the pictures we took. As you can see, the park is beautiful and very well maintained. The kids had fun on the rides and slides. We were even asked to be in a scene for an Indian movie they were filming. Very funny!

Amy's Update

When I first came to India, I thought the time would pass so slowly. But now that we are settled and adjusted, time is ticking away. I am not sure I will be ready to leave by mid-May. I have really taken to the culture here. I feel comfortable venturing out into our village and downtown Bangalore. From buses overflowing with people (sometimes even crowded on top of the roof) to women in beautiful colored saris, there is always something to see that just makes me smile or shake my head in disbelief.


I had a great birthday! The kids at Sukrupa surprised me by singing happy birthday and presenting me with flowers and a cake. One of the children, a wonderfully smart boy named Bharath, led a prayer for me while the other children bowed their heads. He thanked God for me and my family and asked for our safe travel to Hampi. He asked God to bless us and to help us grow closer to Him. What a fantastic birthday gift!




As you know from Thomas' blog, we had a wonderful trip to Hampi. We are learning so much about the history of conquest and rule in India. Tim and I have also been reading some great books in this regard. I just finished Indian Summer - The Secret History of the End of an Empire by Alex Von Tunzelmann. The book's focus is on the end of the British rule in India and the events surrounding partition and independence. I highly recommend it!

Mark and Grace had there school play this week. Because of this, they had no regular classes. They didn't leave for school until 3 p.m. and had to be picked up at 9:30 p.m. Thomas had to go to school as usual. Needless to say, this put a slight wrench in our driving routine. Luckily we were able to communicate these changes to our rickshaw driver. The 270 students (grades pre-7) had 3 performances of The Panchatantra. We went to the show Tuesday night since Tim had to leave for Chennai on Wednesday. The show was fantastic! The costumes were amazing! Hopefully either Mark or Grace will blog about it and post more of the pictures.

Friday, Mark and Grace had the day off from school (poor Thomas did not). They came to Sukrupa with me and then my mom and Grace went to have manicures and pedicures ($15 pp). Tim returned from Chennai very late Friday night.

Saturday, went to Wonderla - a huge amusement and water park about 50 km from here. We also went to dinner at the home of one of India's most famous scientists and the founder of JNCASR. More on that later . . .

A Bird's Eye View

Over the past few weeks a group of painters were hired to paint our apartment complex. I went to the roof to take some pictures, and the men there wanted me to take some shots of them. I took a few from the roof and then came back down to our apartment. Right outside Grace's window a man was standing on the little edge trying to perfect his work. I noticed that I could get a better snap from our balcony, so I went on it, and took these in the slide show...(Photography by Mark)

Bats, Lizards, and Snakes - Oh, My!

Bats

We've seen lots of animals around my house. Yesterday there was a bat hanging from a lamp in the hall outside our apartment. I didn't know when I walked up the stairs that it was there. But then my Grandma and Thomas showed the bat to me. My Grandma got scared and refused to take the stairs until it left. Today the bat is gone. There was also a bat in my Grandma's shirt. She saw a black hairy thing move. She asked our maid what it was; she said it was a bat. My Grandma picked up her shirt, then the bat fell out and flew away.

A lizard

A lizard got in our house last week. We tried to get it out with a stick. We tried to force it outside. It jumped in my dad's shoe. It was changing to different colors to blend in. It finally went under the sink and we haven't seen him since.

Snake

There was also a big snake in our apartment complex. It came out of the bushes and went into the basement. My mom was afraid to go running and we were afraid to play outside. We never actually saw the snake so we don't have a picture. They had someone come and trap the snake and take it away. I hope no more get in!

The Lost Kingdom

On Friday night, we headed off to the train station at around 9 p.m. to catch the over night train to Hampi, which is at the north end of the state of Karnataka, about 400km north of us. It was the capitol of an ancient kingdom whose remains are still being found today.

We weren't in first class on the train this time, but I can't really see the difference between first and second class. They are the exact same except that first class gets doors that can lock. I don't really see a need for them. We arrived around 7 in the morning and took a break at a hotel where we also ate breakfast, then got on the bus and drove up a hill made of boulders.

At our first stop, we met our tour guide for the day, and he showed us around the area. The first thing we saw was a Hindu temple. Each temple has a certain god or goddess dedicated to it. Some were Brahma, the creator, Shiva, the god of destruction, Lakshmi the goddess of wealth, Vishnu the preserver, and Garuda, the great sun-eagle. We saw many temples along the way that were dedicated to one of these gods. All but one of the temples we saw are no longer in use, because they are partly damaged. In the Hindu religion, you can't worship at a temple that is damaged in any way, so these are purely used for tourism. We climbed further up the hill and went down the other side, passing smaller temples along the way. The one temple that is still in use was on the other side. On our way there we ran into some magicians who wanted to do their magic for us. They were dressed in colorful clothing and had their faces painted.


The entrances to these temples are huge. They are built almost in the shape of a pyramid. The base is made of stone, and the rest is brick. When we entered, there was a painted elephant standing there, where people would walk up and give it money. Then it would put the money into the hand of the man standing next to it, turn around and tap the person on the head. Inside, there were a lot of people worshiping the gods. This was one of the old temples in the city that was not demolished. We also saw a monkey fight in the old dancing hall built in the middle of the temple. They really can be nasty little creatures. I've heard of stories at our school where monkeys have raided the classroom at lunch looking for food and students have been attacked.

Next, we stopped at a market place where people from around the world used to come to buy Indian silks, diamonds, etc. The people who worked here also lived behind the stalls, and you can still see the base of some of the homes. There was a pool that was almost dry, but fills up during the monsoon season. When the invaders came (5 Muslim kings and their armies from around the region who decided to fight together), they were looking for all the diamond and riches that were in this part of India and destroyed most of the temples as well.

Then we went and ate lunch in the front yard of the Queens' (there were two queens) and King's bath building. It was the size of a swimming pool. After their bath, they would get a massage and then be carried miles to reach the palace. Our lunch was very good, but my grandma almost got mauled by a cow walking in the street that wanted her food. It ate some of her sandwich, but not much else. It stayed around a while along with two dogs and a flock of crows all waiting for her to drop something.

After lunch we went swimming in a river nearby. There was a big current so we all had a lot of fun. This river gets dammed up a little farther down and is a main power source for the nearby villages and towns. During the monsoons, the river rises so high that it covers a building on the side. As you can see, it helped us cool off on such a hot day.

After drying off, we drove down the road to what archaeologists say is the palace region of the King and Queens who I wrote about earlier. Their kingdom was called Vijayanagar, and for several hundred years (1300s to 1500s) they ruled most of south India. Unfortunately, like everything else, the invaders ruined the palace as well. Until the 1970s, most of the palace region was buried by mud from the monsoons, and today new remains are still being uncovered. The main reason that the place remained so unknown is that the conquerors killed pretty much everybody in the area and then went back to their territories. Our guide said that it took them 6 months to pillage everything. Only two structures remain standing. One is the stage where the King and Queens would watch performances. The other is part of the staircase leading to a part of the palace. You can still enter the basements where there are rooms made for secret meetings and other important things. We went into one and walked around in circles, until we found the exit. There was also a pool for holy water, where only the royal family could use. The pipeline that gave the pool water was above the ground, filling up the pool with water. Obviously, there isn't much water in it now, but when it starts to rain, the pool can become full. On our last stop, we went to the Queens' palace.

The main structure in the Queens' palace is the Locus Mahal. This is primarily a place for the queen to sleep. Tourists used to be able to go up to her bedroom, but because people were writing their names on the spiral staircase, the gate is now locked. The palace is surrounded by walls, with three watchtowers. Only two and a half remain, but you still can appreciate how heavily the queens were protected. Outside the wall, eleven royal elephants were kept in stables (Grandpa and Grandma Dee would like these). Each elephant had its own room and they were tied around the stomach by a rope up to the ceiling. Each elephant also had its own security guard. These were also very well kept as you can imagine. The caretakers and security guards also had their own home next to the stable, which is now being made into a museum.

We then returned to the bus and went to the Tungabhadra Dam to see the sunset. Then we raced back to the hotel and tried to wash up as best as we could in the short ten minute period that we had. Then we got back on the bus and went back on the train. We arrived early this morning and are now back home. It's hard to believe that we've done all of this in only one day!

On another subject, my grandma is trying adopt the local customs. For example, she is eating Indian food, and today she bought some Indian clothes. My dad suggested one of Ghandi's customs, which was to have one full day without talking every week, but she has not adopted that custom yet.

Grandma's Visit to India

My mom arrived safely on Saturday. On Sunday, we visited the Bannerghatta National Park where we viewed spotted deer, lions, tigers, bears and elephants from a safari bus.

Sunday night, she took her first rickshaw ride. We could only find one on-duty driver, so the six of us packed into one rickshaw (try to picture that)! My mom seems to be adjusting to the change in time and culture. She has been enjoying the warmth, time with the kids and the extraordinary culture of India.

Today she went to Sukrupa with me and helped tutor some of the students. One of the older students will be making her a salwar-kameez with some fabric that my sister-in-law brought in Varanasi, India.

When we returned home, my mom got a big surprise! Apparently a bat got trapped in the hood of her jacket when it was hanging out to dry overnight (or perhaps Tim put it there - ha ha). She didn't notice it when she put it away, but when she pulled it out later, the bat fell out onto the floor. Luckily, Jamila was here and she threw it over the side of our balcony. Welcome to Bangalore!

Happy Birthday Thomas!

Today is Thomas' 14th birthday! Some of his classmates found out it was his birthday and gave him cards. One boy gave him a new shirt - Thomas said it is probably because he wears the same few shirts to school all the time (I tried to pack light)! Tonight we had cake and he opened gifts. He got a watch, rubex cube, some rupees ($), and some tennis balls to play cricket - they keep on losing them by hitting them up onto people's porches. It's hard to believe he could be 14 already!!

Tim's Workplace

I haven't yet written much about my professional activities here--not because they are uninteresting, but rather because of so many other fascinating activities. Anyway, I am working at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), which was founded roughly 20 years ago and houses one of the finest groups of researchers in India and indeed in the world (see http://www.jncasr.ac.in for more information). The people at JNCASR have been wonderful, and I am certain that this experience will have a tremendously positive impact on my work, on that of my students (particularly Kyle Smith on this visit), and perhaps even on my home institution. I'll write more about these activities in the coming months, but as a means of introducing the Center, I've recorded the video below. Please be sure to watch for the "Editor's Note" somewhere in the middle.

Mother-in-Law

A quick note: Mary Jane arrived safely yesterday afternoon, and she seems to have adjusted to the time change already. We visited Bannerghatta National Park with her today. I'm sure that you'll read much more soon...

In my Shoes

I recorded the video below in clips and merged them together. The video documents a typical morning for the kids and me on our way to school and work. On this day, the morning began with a thrilling Boilermaker victory in men's basketball...

Up on the Roof

The past few days I've spent some time up on the roof of our apartment watching life unfold in our little village. It is truly fascinating. The song "Upon the Roof" by James Taylor keeps playing in my head. "When this old world starts a getting me down. And people are just too much for me to face. I'll climb way up to the top of the stairs. And all my cares just drift right into space."
From this bird's eye view (and the help of my 12x optical zoom camera), I can see so much of daily life here. The difference between the view from the north and south sides of the building is stark and is a microcosm for the differences seen throughout India - rich and poor, developed and undeveloped living side by side. The incredible thing is that it all seems to blend together into the most rich mosaic.



You can see how the kids on each side of the wall around our apartment live and play.

Here is a picture of the school across from our apartment. The kids are being dismissed for lunch.
Many of the kids ran home to get their plates and then back to the school where they were served lunch.

Here are some photos from the other side of the apartment:

As you can see from all these pictures, there is a lot going on in a very small area. When I first arrived, things seemed very chaotic. Things still seem slightly chaotic, but there is an underlying current of order. The way everything functions together is truely incredible. People seem content with life no matter what their circumstances. There is a true sense of community between the people of the village. At night, the streets are filled with people socializing, eating, buying goods, etc. It is a very lively place! We don't venture out too much at night, just across the street to buy water, Kukure (India's version of SPICY Cheetos) or ice cream. Very nutritious I know, but we don't have a lot of snack options! As you can see from the picture on the right, development is moving out this way from the city. The new Bangalore International Airport is scheduled to open in a couple months just north of here. It will be interesting to see how Amruthahalli (our village) adapts to these changes. One thing is for sure, India continues to adapt and evolve!!