A Day in the Life...

Whenever anyone heard that we were going to be moving to India, the inevitable question was, "So what are you going to do?" Well the current answer to that question is:

...sitting at home, going a little stir crazy, spending too many days of my life waiting for electricians, painters, carpenters and the like who have arranged to come to make finishing touches on the house...but they never show.

I have to remember, "tomorrow" just means not today.

Very frustrating.

But, our shipment arrived and ..... (drumroll)... I have my yarn! My fiber! My spinning wheel! Also all of the other necessary things like a blocking board, yarn swift, etc... My swift was damaged in the shipment and now I am a little afraid to check my spinning wheel.

It is starting to feel like a normal house though. We have our stuff. We have TV and I even watched the last quarter of the Super Bowl! That was a pretty awesome quarter to catch. And now, I am able to keep up with all of the Super Tuesday goings on.

The neighborhood here is a fairly nice one by Indian standards. By nice I mean that there are nice houses here. There isn't a lot of greenery like I am used to, but the houses are all fairly large and full of household help and such. I have had a stream of women coming by looking for work and had one woman who wanted to work full time for 3500 rupees/ month (less than $100 USD). I think she was even looking for a "live in" position. But I had already heard about another woman who was looking for a full time position, had experience with another expat family and spoke excellent English (much, much more helpful to me!!!!). So, Lalitha started working on Monday and is a real dear. She can clean far better and much faster than I am able to and I feel like all of the dust and grunge that we have been walking on for the last week is finally starting to get cleared away. Well worth the more than 3500 Rs. we have agreed to pay her.

So, while I am India, charming, exotic locale that it is; the hanging around the house part feels pretty mundane and uninteresting.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

But still, some things are different. For example, some of what I have become aware of by being around the house are the day to day goings on of the neighborhood. We have the lady who comes by in the morning selling little garlands of flowers, the garbage truck comes by at around 10. Wait. I have to tell you about that. Garbage.

So, at home garbage is very organized. You get two large containers. One is black and is for garbage, one is green and is for garden and lawn waste. In addition to that you have containers to put your recycling into. Paper, plastic, cans, styrofoam.... you know. Recycling. Pick up is every Thursday.

So - back to India. I knew that garbage collection was a little different and that for some areas one of the perks of having household help is that they are the ones who have to deposit the garbage somewhere. Now, this being the nice area that it is that doesn't happen around here. Well...yeah. But I finally asked the owner, "So, what about garbage?" She told me to just put it out in a bag - well actually she said a covered bin which after some back and forth I realized that she meant a bin with a plastic bag, but you don't leave the bin out, just the bag. "So, when?" I asked. In the morning was her response. Well, after a few days I realized that she was right. In the morning. Every morning. A little truck (kind of like a Vespa with a large box on back) comes by and collects the trash. On Sunday they came by to collect the fees as well. 50 rupees. (about $1.50 USD) A month. And you know what? I think we are being overharged.

Another person who comes by is the milk delivery man. Now, he comes by early. 6:30 am early. I am not usually real awake then... but he did come by later in the day and ask if we wanted milk delivery. It is done on a token system. So, we bought a little book of tokens and every night I put out a token, in a plastic bag, under a rock (so it doesn't blow away) and in the morning there is a half liter of milk! Pasteurized but not homogenized and some of the best milk I have had. Check out the packaging though...
When I first saw these in the grocery store I was confused as to what they were. Finally we realized- but we stuck to the milk in the boxes. We just couldn't get our heads around how you would deal with milk in a... well, a bag. I have to admit that I am still working on mastering the finer points of how to pour without dribbling. But the real lovely thing about the milk is this...

South Indian Filter Coffee
yum.

And the Winner Is....

Well I apparently need to thank Cindy of Cindy Knits and Janice of Knit Flix for also giving me the Make My Day award! I guess it is time for me to name names huh? And I think I am grateful that I have received the award more than once because that means that I can give it to even more people!

The rules are as follows: “Give the award to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel happy about blogland. Let them know by posting a comment on their blog so they can pass it on. Beware you may get the award several times.”

Can I tell you all how hard this is?! I am going to go over 10 since I have received the award more than once, and I am sticking to people who blog on a fairly regular basis... family members excluded from winning :)

So, without further ado and in no real particular order I would like to award:

The Knitist: Have to. It was she who first introduced me to blogs, social knitting and Bobaknit. I cannot imagine my life without those connections. Thank you Jeni!!!!!!! Muah! (I miss you!)

Knitters Anonymous: Cookie and Kristi always have something beautiful and inspiring to share. They are also very good at inspiring much sheep related fun and goodness! Port affectionatos.

Fiber Fiend: Margit is an up and coming designer, fiber and yarn supplier, an inspiring spinner and just an all around fun person!

The Wonderful World of Teenuh: TeeNUH is an awesome friend, a great Bobaknit retreat roommate and an amazing creative person (she makes some really cool paper products as well!!!)

Twisted Stitches: Lisa has taken to writing blog posts to her Grandma who taught her how to knit. I love her style and am glad that she is no longer calling herself a beginning knitter. She is doing some awesome projects and is really inspiring!

Knit-topia: Jill knits on the train and makes some absolutely beautiful things as well. She has been known to inspire a deep appreciation for Port. Not as innocent as she looks ;)

Knit@nite: Ah, Linda. Linda is best shared and enjoyed in person but I think you are able to catch a glimpse of her witty self through her blog as well.

Needles and Niels: Abigail is surrounded by boys and men and keeps her humor by knitting (in non animal fibers!) many cute and creative things. She is never afraid to rip things out, change a pattern or otherwise spit in the face of the knitting gods!

No-Blog Rachel: yeah right. She caved. Not only does she blog, she knits, spins and also enjoys a good port!

Spinnity: Mary is not contrary, she is a wonderful hostess, birder, knitter, spinner and has an incredible wealth of knowledge that she is always willing to share!

Purls Beyond Price: What can I say, she is beautiful inside and out, has a new baby girl (who is enjoying many beautiful hand knit things!) and is also very good at encouraging stash enhancement!!!

Seltsame: Sheetal can whip out knitted items faster than I can keep track. I still can't figure out how she gets all of her patterns onto her computer, but somehow in doing seems able to alter a pattern at the click of a button.

Phew... can I keep going? There is more, but now I'm going international!

Pikku Kettu: From Finland, she makes some beautiful things and is one of several knitters who I discovered through Sock Madness (Madness 2 is coming!!!!)

Dances With Wool: Also from Finland, Lene is a beautiful writer, an incredible artist in many forms, and always inspires me with her thoughtful creations.

Yarnissima: From the Netherlands. Proof that a picture is worth a thousand words. Her designs speak for themselves. Beautiful.

Celtic Memory Yarns: Jo is from Ireland, is another Sock Madder and is a talented writer and sells some beautiful hand dyed yarns on eBay as well! What a witty woman (and definitely has the Irish gift for the gab!)

Linnkat: Okay, she is another Sock Madness participant as well as an American currently living in Kenya amongst all of the upheaval that is going on there at the moment. Interesting to hear what she sees and observes.

How about a few more? Ready....Okay!

Now we are heading to India. Yes, people blog in India! First we have...

Metroblog Bangalore: My daughter actually discovered this site for me and I am very grateful that she did. It features a group of authors who post about happenings in and around Bangalore. It really helped me to get a sense for the city before we came. And then there's...

Bangalore Daily Photo: Rajesh posts a photo a day along with some comments about the subject. Again, this blog has helped me to get to know Bangalore a little better and is much enjoyed.

Bangalooru Banter: Bikerdude is a talented writer and also seems to have a bit of comedic genius. Now I just need some one to translate the Kannada jokes for me!

Chitra Aiyer: Not only does Chitra share her experiences about returning to India from the US, in proof that the world is indeed quite small, apparently our husbands used to be co-workers and know each other!

Where is She Now: Thanks to Ravelry I discovered one of the few KNITbloggers in India, Swampna has helped me to feel like I am not the only knitter in India!! (okay, okay, she also crochets!)

Road Blog Ahead: Joy was another Ravelry discovery and leads a life that is fascinating, a bit crazy and definitely inspiring.

And finally...

I Love This World: This site always makes me smile and appreciate something about this crazy world that we live in. Good to read after a bad news day.

Thanks for reading this far. Please check out some of these blogs, I promise you you won't regret it!

Next time I will tell you about our house and our neighborhood!

Go ahead...

Before I go any further there is something that I must do.

First I need to thank all of you who have left comments. Usually I try to respond individually to each comment and I simply have not been able to keep up with that lately. Your presence here is appreciated and helps very much to keep loneliness at bay! Thank you, Thank you, thank you!

Secondly I need to thank Sarah at Bella Knitting. She gave me an award!


Sarah, you're a sweetheart and I am enjoying sharing my adventure with all of you!!!!
I am going to have to wait a bit to pass on the award to others...but I promise I won't forget!

So- where were we? I had had a lovely day last week and ever since then life has showed its mundane-everyday life-get on with it side. Well... Indian style.

We have our residential permits.
I have a sim card with an Indian number.
I got a NEW cell phone :)
We have been looking at furniture.
I bought plates and bowls.
I bought cups.
I bought silverware
I ordered curtains for our house.
Anna said she was actually craving Indian food.
We ate at the Hard Rock Cafe.


Yes. It has been quite a week filled with a lot of driving, waiting in traffic and me trying not to get stressed but check it out...

We have keys!

I have never in my life had so many keys. Each and every door has a lock. Not sure if it paranoia or necessity. But it is certainly rather ironic for someone who never carries house keys and tends to leave things unlocked.

Yes folks, the days of "shifting" (Indian English for "moving") will be upon us soon. I was at the house today and I made a list of all of things that still need to be finished but then later realized that while there a lot of things, they are all little things. Tomorrow, hopefully, we will get some furniture in the house and then the plan is to actually sleep there Friday night. We might not have gas (for cooking), we won't have an internet connection (shall have to find a Wifi spot!), but we will have a house to call ours for the next two years!


So, I shall make this a brief post as I am dog tired and got little sleep last night but I do want to share with you some of the many everyday sights I get to experience as I am driving all over this traffic filled "rash" driver city...

Bangalore wild life:
Driving along. Minding our own business and what do we see?

Yup. Camels.

Then on another excursion we were stuck in traffic (it's true- shocking- but true) and I looked over and saw a small herd of goats! They were sort of grazing in an empty area next to these shops. What is with the goats?! Traffic moves on a little and then I see...

If you look closely you will see and understand. Goats = mutton. Did I tell you it is really easy to be a vegetarian in India?

But one of my favorite sites has got to be this. Could not believe it...

That says KenTACKY Fried Chicken. We laughed and laughed so hard! Then we had to try to explain it to our driver. Made my day!

An Artful Eventful Day

Mornings here in Bangalore have a real beauty to them. The sounds of the neighborhood and city start to creep into your consciousness as you lie in bed. The local dogs barking to defend their territory, the auto rickshaws starting to buzz down the street, it all adds up to a gentle push to awaken and join the fun and adventure that wait for you today.

And what a day it was! First, I need to tell you that I have been successfully crossing "that street" all week in order to take Anna to the school bus. I am not nearly as brave as the locals, but I manage and can even do it in the afternoon with the heavier traffic - the rickshaws, buses, scooters and cars all passing inches away from me. It is quite exciting! ;)

Now, Wednesday was a really special day. I met up with Debbie Ann and Charles (both of whom I met through blogging before I even came to Bangalore!) and had a traditional South Indian breakfast. Masala Dosa and filter coffee- yum! This is quickly becoming one of my favorite meals! Then we dropped Charles at work and headed off to a "road trip" organized by the OWC. When I saw this trip I knew I had to go since one of my personal tasks while I am here in Bangalore is to discover if I still have a passion and interest in art. (I attended- though never graduated from art school when I was younger.) We went to the studio/home of Balan Nambiar. Wow. I am so glad that I went! He is a painter, sculptor, enamel artist, photographer and researcher. He is very influenced by his upbringing in rural Kerala and was a fascinating, interesting, and kind man. I sincerely hope that I might be able to have some future interactions with him. Debbie has written a little write up of our experience there, you can go read it if you would like to know more about him.

Well, after we were done Debbie suggested that we head over to Chitrakala Parishath. It is a local art school and has a museum that exhibits traditional and modern Indian art. They wouldn't let me take my camera inside, but I can tell you that I was very impressed with much that I saw and also enjoyed the student exhibit and the exhibit from Kolkata by the Spectrum Artists' Circle.

Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath

After we were done in the museum we wandered around the campus a bit and saw some fun sites:

A pillar with decoration

A student(?) sculpture

Dog resting outside and open air classroom

And then we saw......

A MONKEY!!!

This one is for you Margit!

Monkeys and Malleswaram

Hello again! So, there are lots of cool little things about India and Bangalore. Like these. These are little bananas. I know that they have a variety name but I can't remember it and I didn't write it down. They are very tasty and just really cute!

So, as you know we are not allowed to drive here. Company policy. Fine by me. Driving here is best left to professionals. Or so we thought. Last week our new car arrived on Friday morning. It had a new stereo and had newly tinted windows (mostly to offer Anna a non fishbowl experience while driving around). With our new car came our new driver, Manju. Friday was fine and our new car was decked out with garlands and a new little statue of Gansha or Vinayaka. (sorry the pic didn't come out better) But, more on Manju later...

After we dropped off Bryan and took Anna to school I decided that I wanted to explore the Malleswaram area. We are not going to be living there, but it isn't too far from our area. As we were driving into the area we passed by a temple that looked as if it was dedicated to Hanuman, more widely known as the monkey god. This is a very cool looking temple and as I was checking it out I noticed that there were monkeys crawling over the face of the temple! Unfortunately I did not get any pictures since we were just driving by and I had no idea it was there. I will try to go back another time though. It is a very interesting temple and the monkeys make it a must see!

Once we reached the market area I got out at 8th cross and Sampige Road and just started walking around and exploring. It was still early and many of the stores and carts were just starting to open up- but it was really nice to just wander around and look at everyday life here. I did see this temple and later heard the priest chanting over the neighborhood loudspeakers...

If you look at the above picture you can see Hanuman (the monkey god) and Vishnu (the blue one with four arms). Sorry that I can't tell you more about the Hindu gods at this time! But I can share this detail of the temple. I just really love all of the designs and decorations!

You also see the modern world coming into this area. As I walked down Sampige Road I came across this. This is where the metro is going to be coming into the area. If I remember correctly this is the line that will go down to MG Road, where Bryan works. (By the way, I think every city in India has an "MG", Mahatma Gandhi, Road.) Watching these types of construction sites, that are everywhere in this city!, is really fascinating.
In the west these types of sites would be filled with many large, loud heavy machines as well as a good amount of large, loud heavy men! Here it is so, so different! Much of the work, for good or bad, is done by hand. There are many more people than machines and there are also many women. At this site there were women who were wearing "hard hats" although the hats had a flat top with a little rim. This is because they were there to carry dirt and such that was being excavated from one place to another. They would line up, receive their bit to carry- loaded onto a cloth or flat surface on their head, and then they would carry it off and come back and wait their turn again. There was one woman in particular who kept looking at me as I was looking at their whole system of working. She was incredibly striking. She was small, but stood tall. She had a very strong and proud face and I would have loved to have sit down and talk with her. If she would have been willing. She in no way flinched from my gaze. She was beautiful.

I later wandered back up Sampige to the market area. Here there are many fruit and vegetable vendors, as well as the flowers you see here. A little ways up the street there was an elderly woman who was making up the little white flowered garlands (Jasmine?) like the one that was in a car in the earlier picture. I stood there and watched her work, her fingers moving so quickly and nimbly as she grabbed two flowers, wrapped the thread around one and then made a loop and slipped it over the second flower. You see these women, and occasionally men, on streets everywhere making these and selling them. It seems that vehicles are very commonly garlanded in some way. Small ones for smaller cars and really large ones for trucks and buses!

I also had a real "not in Kansas anymore" experience while sitting down and drinking a bottle of water. I caught some movement out of the corner of my eye and looked up to see

a donkey

walking down the sidewalk.

No owner. No harness or rope of any kind. Just a donkey walking down the sidewalk.
Wild.

So I'll finish with the bad news about our driver. On Saturday Manju arrived and our new car was a bit worse for wear. He had apparently gotten into an accident on the way to get us. Okay. Great. Well, these things happen. Then we went about our errands and were headed back to the apartment and he got into another accident! It was totally his fault too. sigh. So, now he is no longer our driver. I feel a little bad as yesterday he was telling me about his wife and how they have been married for one year and such. But we just felt like we couldn't trust his driving. I think he just wasn't used to driving a car like ours. I do wish him well and hope that he can find good work with someone else. I also hope that we can find a good driver without too much trouble.

Well, I will leave you with another shot from the Malleswaram area for now I am off to meet Anna at her school bus stop! Till next time!

Some of the many "two-wheelers" of Bangalore

Q and A (क्यू ऎंड अ)

Yes, that's right I now have a "type in Hindi" tab at the top of my posting box. Someone needs to let me know if it is correct though!

So, I received so many interesting replies to my last post and a lot of them asked questions, so I thought that a Q and A post would be in order. So, here goes:

Mrs. Fife asks: "what sort of protection will your cats have if they venture out?"
We are actually planning on having the cats stay indoors here. We passed up one house that we looked at solely on this decision. There just would have been no way to keep the cats indoors in that particular house. For one of the cats, Ashley, this is not a problem- she prefers to stay indoors. For Benny it will likely be a bit more of a challenge, but we figure the house we are getting is just like one giant kitty condo anyway!

She also asks: "how's the weather? Do you find it cool at all?"
Compared to California it is not cool, but it is not unbearably hot either. We have noticed that it is getting warmer though and have heard that it quickly starts to warm up this time of year! I was talking with a store owner the other day about how Bangalore used to be referred to as the A/C city because it was naturally cool and people would (gasp!) actually need sweaters in December and January. But apparently, due to all of the building, cutting down of trees, and increased traffic, they have seen a real change in the climate here in the last ten years. Very interesting. And now Tata wants all of those on motorbikes to get a car?! Not so sure this is a good idea...

Linnakat asks: "are your switches the opposite way from in the States?"
Yes! The light and electrical switches are the opposite and there seem to be twice as many! This is because many of the electrical outlets have switches that turn them on and off. If you ask me, this is absolutely brilliant! Although when recharging a cell phone or laptop it helps to remember this and turn ON the switch before going to bed and needing the phone in the morning... :)

Spinalcat asks: OMG, Lush! But how do you use it with crummy showers and no tub?
Actually, I am quite surprised as to how quickly I have adapted and figured this all out! You just get your washcloth and sink it into the water, get your face (or other body part) good and wet, Lushly lather up, and then rinse using the same procedure! I have learned that it is wise to fill up the smaller bucket with water for this purpose- otherwise when you are rinsing out your wash cloth you get the rest of the water a bit yucky. Coolio!

Cookie asks: I'm sure you'll start missing "good old American something" sooner or later. Perhaps yarn? :-)
Just have to say "yes!" to that one. I am very much looking forward to our shipment arriving so that I have my yarn again!!!! I need soft squishy things to fondle!

Well, I guess that is about it for the Q and A. Next time I will tell you about exploring Malleswaram, the wildlife I encountered there, and our new (little too wild) driver.

Oh! And thank you SO much for all of the comments!!! It helps me to feel connected to all of you and to feel less lonely here. Very important ;)

Hello! Or should I say Namaskaar?

Greetings from beautiful Bangalore! Now that everyone at home is heading off to sleep and they are no longer calling me via Skype I have a chance to sit down and tell you all how we have been!

Flame tree (?) outside our flat

It has been a very busy first few days and we are adjusting to everything fairly well. There is so much that I want to share with you that I hardly know where to start! I think I should start with a shower though. Yes, you heard right, a shower. See, at home this is a fairly simple process. Strip, turn on the water and get in and do your business. Well, our first morning here I headed to the bathroom with the intention of doing just that. I stripped, turned on the water and got in. Holy mofo-bejeezus. COLD! Turn right, turn left, still freakin' cold!!!! So I took a very refreshing and quick shower and got out. Well, turns out that there is a water heater that you have to turn on for the shower. That was one of the many, many light switch looking things on the wall. Well, this make sense, India does all that it can- out of necessity- to conserve energy and power in all forms. So usually in each area where hot water would be had will be an individual water heater. Smart.

So, day 2 I turned on the important light switch looking thing, waited about 5-10 minutes and then proceeded with the shower sequence. Ahhh, nice warm water.....wait, it's getting colder... cold again!!! Yikes- that warm water does NOT last very long! Turns out the tank for said water heater is not so large.

Day 3: necessity being the mother of adaptation, we have all switched to taking showers Indian style. This means we turn on the water heater, wait the needed amount of time, and then we fill up a large bucket with the now highly valued warm water. We then use a small bucket/scoop to shower ourselves by hand. Quite effective actually! It sure uses a LOT less water too. I can usually get by with one large bucket full, but need a bit more when I need to wash my hair. Wow. The daily adventures of India!

So, we are currently staying in a flat in the Southern part of Bangalore, Koramangala. It is a very busy area and getting anywhere is quite a challenge. For example, we are very close to one of the larger, nicer malls in Bangalore- it would be a short walk from here. Except that we would have to cross this very busy street. Now doing this in a safe way takes a bit of practice I think, and I don't feel like I am quite up to it yet! So we haven't been there, even though there is supposed to be a good coffee place there (and a Lush, and a movie theater...). I am going to have to brave it one of these day though. In the meantime I am enjoying the view from our balcony as Bryan has the car/driver today...

Here is one of the neighborhood strays...


And here is our flat!
This is actually the second flat we have been in. When we first arrived we were in another, far less pleasant- alright, downright dingy - apartment that smelled rather bad. Then on Sunday they came in and announced that we had to move to another flat. "Why!?" we asked, as we had just unpacked things, and the cats were finally starting to relax a little... Well, we never did find out why, but we suspect that they may have made a mistake and put us in the wrong flat in the first place. Anyway, we are much happier here and the cats are as well (no unpleasant cleaner smells for one thing). Although Benny would sort of like to go outside...

The funny part about being in a "Serviced Apartment" is that I chose this option so that we could feel more independent, make our own meals, etc... Well, it turns out that a serviced apartment comes with service. Who knew? So, every morning there is a "boy" (their term, not mine) who comes to make us breakfast and then clean up the flat. He will even do laundry and iron. The ironing is necessary because there are no power clothes dryers here. Again- lower energy usage- we from the states could learn a lot from the Indians!!!!! So we are getting used to the idea of having someone work for us in this way. Weird.

So, we are here for two more weeks. We got the house we wanted and it is in a good location for Anna's school (she starts tomorrow)- also not too bad for Bryan's work. If you go to Bryan's blog you can see some pictures of the house. It is quite large and is a very modern and newly built house. For you Bay Area natives out there, I think I would describe it as a modern, 3-level Eichler. Very nice design. It is big enough to have guests, but now we have to get some furniture... (hey didn't we just get rid of all our stuff?! yikes.)

My daughter would also like you all to know that she has started a blog as well. She is telling about her experiences here in India. Her blog is called "Curry Pizza".

A glimpse of sunset through the buildings...

I am looking forward to getting all of our tasks and errands straightened out so that we can get out and see the city a bit more. Most that I have seen thus far has been through the car window. But frankly that is pretty typical Bangalore!

Till next time!

Here in Bangalore

Well, we made it. We arrived in Bangalore... well don't ask me when. It is still a bit fuzzy. Those 20+ hour flights can really mess with your thinking! But I can tell you that we have had almost two days here and we have spent a lot of our time looking at housing possibilities. We have looked at eight different houses/units and think we have chose one. Monday will be the day to start working on getting our residency permits as everything depends on that. Lease a house? Need your permit. Open a bank account? Need your permit. So the permit needs to be gotten.

Today is our day to sort of take it easy a little. We are feeling the effects of jetlag a bit more and right now I would really like to just crawl into bed and sleep. So with that- I will offer you a more complete post at a later time.

Oh yeah- my husband is watching Cricket. My husband the sports hater. What's up with that?!

Departure: January 2nd, 2008

It has been a busy couple of weeks around here and I would like to share with you some of what has been going on. First I should let you know that we have a departure date! Finally!!! We are leaving on January 2nd. That is a week from tomorrow. Are we ready? Nope -not even. But we are making progress and I am not too stressed out about it - yet. But we have had some lovely gatherings.
Some of my dear Homeschool friends had a going a way party for me and it was really lovely to see all of them, many of whom I do not get the opportunity to see much these days. We also had the Open House/Bon Voyage party during which we were able to catch up with old friends. Here is Conner now as tall as the two Bills!

So we have our passports with visas and are fairly set to go, I think I even have the cat thing figured out, I just need to make sure that all of the paperwork for bringing them with us is done properly. The bureaucracy is killing me. This form, that form, copy this... I really hate this kind of stuff. Somehow I get the feeling that this is good training for dealing with things in India though.

We still don't know for sure about the house. although we are a little suspicious that we don't have it. We keep hearing things like, "Haven't been able to get ahold of the owners", or phone calls not returned, etc... which makes us suspect this is the Indian version of "It is not available" We'll see. I am actually, miraculously, not too worried about it. I would prefer to know where we will be, but I feel fairly confident that we will be able to find something that we like.


We have all been packing and cleaning and have appreciated VERY much all of the help we have received. Really, a large part of the job is getting rid of all of the junk that we collect on a daily basis that makes it impossible for us to see what we actually have! As I have been packing I have found a different sort of stash... chocolate! I didn't realize I had quite so much! I open a drawer and there is a bar of dark chocolate. I clear a bookshelf and hiding behind the books is more dark chocolate. I have been finding it everywhere! Very funny. I hide it from my kids and then can't find it myself..




Now, before I get too far, I also need to send a HUGE, HUGE thank you to Denise!!!!She sent me this lovely yarn and- check out the card! I didn't realize that she makes these!!!! She has a whole line of them. Dang. They are cool! I hope some of my favorite LYS owners will see this and get her cards or something... And the yarn? Well, see for yourself, but it is lovely. The colors are jewel like and some of my favorites. Yum!

Fleece Artist Merino 2/6

Now, on to the knitting. Yes! I have been knitting! It has actually been really nice to have a project that I can turn to when I need to relax and unwind. It is just challenging enough to distract me, but it doesn't contribute to my stresses. So, enter Cookie and her test knitting project. Wanna peek? I knew you would!

Nice, no?

All of the gatherings really remind me of how fortunate I am to
have so many beautiful, wonderful and loving people in my life. I am so grateful that we have things like blogs, Google chat and Skype to keep in touch! It will help me feel like I am still surrounded by all of those that I love.



I am going to miss all of my homeschool friends. I am going to miss all of my knitting friends (how can I replace Bobaknitters?!) I am going to miss all of my favorite yarn stores with their vast palettes of yarns... Rowan, Malabrigo, Blue Moon, Regia, Crystal Palace, Cascade... We are so spoiled here!


I am going to miss having family a close drive away. Family that laugh at jokes that no one else gets. Family that love you regardless of your flaws and weird tendencies (like bringing knitting with you to every family gathering!) I am going to miss watching the younger ones hang out and enjoy each others company and the loving teasing that goes back and forth between us all. I am going to miss the hugs and the love...



This last week is going to be very hard in many ways. There is A LOT of work to do yet, boxes to pack and things to move. There are quite a few things that remain on our to-do list, but hardest of all are the many goodbyes that need to happen. I am hoping to get to see all of you who are close by before I leave, but if I don't... rest assured that you are being thought of and I look forward to our next meeting, whenever and wherever it may be. Thank you to all who have helped, to all who have come by to visit or send a card, an e-mail or leave a kind comment here. It is much appreciated!!!


I guess that is it for now. I'm not sure that I will have a chance to post again before we leave on the 2nd but I do want to wish all of you a Happy Solstice, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!!


I'll catch you on the flipside of the world- Bangalore!

Knitters in the news...

In case you haven't seen this, the Wall Street Journal printed a story about Sock Wars yesterday and mentioned Ravelry as well! How cool is that?!

I have a lot more to post, but it will have to wait till tomorrow.

In the meantime, if you are so inclined, you can go look at Lisa's blog and enter her contest- you have until midnight on the 19th!!!

Need a Little Christmas...

Boy, I feel like I have more unfinished business than a shy cat with constipation.

Okay- sorry - that might be a strange image.

Anyway, I am trying to feel Christmas-y and my mother brought over a little tree.


A really little tree.

But somehow it is very sweet and it has endeared itself to me. (Now I just need to remember to water it!)

Today I am feeling like the tide has shifted. My car is listed for sale on Craigslist. We are getting calls from the movers. I am making appointments to get things fixed around the house and we even have renters. All of the little things that need to get taken care of in India are starting to happen and as my husband said the other night, "This is really happening."

We are having a Bon Voyage/ Holiday open house on Saturday and I know that when I picked that date it was because I thought that by then things would be winding down. :) Silly, silly me. Oh well. It shall be as it shall be. I am looking forward to getting to see people before we take off but the "goodbyes" have already begun. Saw Cookie this weekend and had to give her a goodbye because she is going to be leaving soon, and by the time she returns we should be in India. If you are local and would like to come and somehow did NOT receive an invitation through other means, just drop me a line. All are welcome.

I did have one nice bit of knitting related news over the weekend. One of my blogfriends, Denise, had a contest on her blog in celebration of her blogiversary and I won a large skein of Fleece Artist yarn!!! I shall make something nice and Indian-ish with it.

Oh - and Jeni had her pattern published in Knitty! W00t!

I am still knitting on things I can't show you and am doing some test knitting that I am not sure I can blog about (forgot to ask about that) - yeah. Test knitting. Because I need more to do. Really. (okay, actually I find that it is relaxing and helps me focus a little better when I am working on other things- honest!)

So this is probably one of the most dis-jointed blog posts I've ever made. But this is it for the moment and now- back to that unfinished business...

A few things...

You know you have been e-mailing a lot about India when you see this at the top of your Gmail page:

हवाई टिकटे - MakeMyTrip.com - भारत जाइए 559 मे ओनलाइन बुक कीजिए
I'm pretty sure that's Hindi. (Hey- at least I know it isn't Kannada!)

Benny update: He has been diagnosed with probable early stage heart disease but has been cleared for travel! Yay!!

Yesterday I was at home sorting papers at the dining room table and looked up to see a stray Pit Bull* in our backyard with Benny in his mouth, tossing/shaking him back and forth. I ran outside and chased off the dog who thankfully dropped Benny right away and I then managed to get Benny inside. I took him to the vet later but he was miraculously okay. Amazing. If I hadn't been there?...
My mom had arrived just after this had happened and said that if he could survive something like that, he ought to be fine with an airplane trip! Love my mom.
*I have nothing against Pit Bulls. We used to have a lovely Pit Bull named Bandit and she was one of the most wonderful pets we ever had. But after having her I am also very aware of how incredibly strong they are and how much damage they can do.

I am continuing to sort, give away, donate, pack and throw away STUFF. So much stuff. How does this happen?! But I must say that while there is still a lot to do, I am seeing a difference and it looks a little (okay, minuscule) bit better every day.


Ugh.

Got Yarn?

Check it out. I made yarn!

2-ply Blue Face Leicester

We had a wonderful spinning day at Margit's yesterday. Mary, Lori, Rachel, and Sheetal were all there as well. They were incredibly supportive and encouraging and after a lot of humming and hawing on my part I plied and skeined my first yarn! I couldn't be prouder!

2 skeins, about 340 yards!

No, it's not perfect. I still have much to learn to be a good spinner. But I did it and I got over the intimidation factor. (Totally weird, I almost didn't go because I was scared to ply!)

Then, after celebrating with a little champagne I got to work again and starting spinning up some pencil roving that I had picked up. It will also be pretty!

Here's to spinners!


* A special thanks to Margit who took all of the pictures here. I had forgotten my camera!!!!!

I Love This World

Why? Well I think we need to start with Freecycle.

What is Freecycle? Well, it allows people to post things that they would like to give away, or receive for FREE. Why is it great? Well, lets take today for example. I was looking at the latest local Freecycle list, I have it set to daily digest at present, and I saw that someone is looking for a couple of twin sized mattresses. Well, it just so happens that I have a couple of twin sized mattresses that we need to get rid of! They are perfectly usable, but no one is going to be using them for the next few years and I would rather not pay to store them. So. instead I get to pass them on to someone who desperately needs them and is incredibly grateful. We are both happy. Win win.

Now a couple of weeks ago I had posted a big long list of things that I had available for pick up for Freecyclers. I received many replies and was stunned by how quickly everything had been promised to others. So, one of the first to reply on a number of items came to pick things up and asked "Where are you moving to?" She was floored when I said Bangalore because that is her home town! How weird is that? We spoke for some time about the city and then later she e-mailed me asking if I would like to borrow from her a movie called Outsourced. I had actually heard about this movie and had it on my Netflix list, only they didn't have it in stock yet because it had just been released on DVD. Anyway, she lent us the movie and it is absolutely hysterical. If you have any connection to India you will die laughing and will enjoy even if you don't! But it is not just a funny movie, it also offers a lot of poignant truths about both India and America. Really, I cannot recommend it highly enough! Here is a preview that you can enjoy if you are so inclined.



Then a few days ago I received in my e-mail an 8 page document that my Freecycle friend had typed out that told about all of the different areas of Bangalore, where to shop for what, nice neighborhoods to live and shop in, what to be careful of, etc... WOW! Awesome. This is exactly why I am looking forward to experiencing India. Geetha, you are wonderful!

But I also love bloggers!

I have had a couple of other synchronistic exchanges in the last couple of weeks around blogging. First, a couple of weeks ago I was trying to sort of track down a "blog friend" who hadn't posted anything in some time. I sent messages to other bloggers who had a connection to her and in so doing started an interchange with Lynne during which I discovered that Lynne will be moving to this area in about a month. And I mean really this area. More "weird" huh? So we have been exchanging messages and I am going to make sure that she knows about all of the local knitting groups and LYS's. I will hook her up! Hear that Lynne? You are in like Flynn! (omg- that totally rhymes!)

I also received a comment from a woman, Debbie Ann, yesterday who is from San Francisco and she and her partner are currently living in Bangalore! We are already planning on getting together once we arrive (and she even indicated a possible interest in learning how to knit- muahh ha ha haaaah!) and, well, again- I was just marveling over how this sort of thing would not have been possible just ten short years ago (maybe not even 5 years ago!)

Oh yeah- final thing. I came to a sudden realization yesterday as I was looking at all of my yarn and trying to figure out how much space it would take up, where I would stuff it, etc.... And then, I realized that I could totally fit all of my yarn in one of our large suitcases. Who cares about clothes! Those I can buy there and I don't really need that many clothes... I am bringing my yarn. Hear that world? I am bringing my yarn!!!!!!!

Oh, oh oh!!!!! Check this out! I just saw this. That pic? That is Bangalore. Did you see? He is wearing a KNIT hat and a KNIT sweater! Knitting! Bangalore! Oh, I am happy!

My Buddy Benny

So, where were we? Knitless blogging and packing I think, right? Well, we'll start there anyway.

Knitting update? Not a lot. Strictly a little Christmas knitting that I can't show ya. Nothing too ambitious though, I assure you.

Mostly I have been working on getting things set up for our move. We have a pretty-much-empty storage space now as well as a hasn't-yet-been-used private mail box. Now I just need to get things moved to their respective receptacles. Bleah. Not fun work.

I have also been looking into what needs to be done to be able to take our cats with us to India and was thrilled that it looks like it can be done! Then yesterday as a part of that I took the cats to the vet to get all of their vaccinations up to date and to have them micro-chipped. When we arrived home the vet called me to let me know that Benny has a heart murmur (why didn't she tell me when we were there?!) At first I thought, "Oh! Poor thing!" and then as she went on and explained some of the possible causes and such it occurred to me that this might make it so that he cannot go with us. I cried. Then I felt ridiculous because I cried. Then I realized how often Benny keeps me company and I cried some more. Somehow I never realized how much I care for this silly cat. Dang, now I'm crying again.


He follows me around the house when he wants attention or just wants to know I am there. If he is out in the backyard and I call him or whistle, he comes running. When Bryan is out of town he usually knows and comes to sleep with me. He always knows when I need a little extra love and is there for me. What am I going to do if I don't have Benny? And then there is Ashley. Ashley is Benny's sister and they have always been together. If Benny can't go would it be right to take Ashley? Am I going to have to find a home for the two of them? I can't think about this right now. I will just have to take this one step at a time.

I took him back to the vet today to have some more tests done to determine the cause and severity of said heart murmur, but now I am concerned that the stress of a 20+ hour flight would not be so good for him. Benny is my buddy. I would really miss him.

In which Snid knits slick, slippery silk...

(How's that for a tongue twister?)

I know, I know- I promised you knitting and the problem is that I don't have a lot of knitting to share. The little bit of knitting I have done is Christmas related and other than that- I got nothin' for ya. No, wait- that's not quite true. Remember this? My 25 Rupee, 50 gram cone of silk from Bangalore? Well I tried it out.

I knit a sample swatch using my size 1 Addi lace circulars (actually more like 1 1/2, or 2.5 mm). It was a bit stiff when I first knit it, it obviously has some sort of sizing or something on it. It is also slick as - well I'll keep it clean and say it is slick. So slick that after I cast off the last row, pulled the yarn through the last stitch and cut it (leaving about my usual 3-4" length) it wasn't long before I noticed that this length had somehow slipped back through and was coming undone and dropping stitches! I quickly put a safety pin through what loops I could find, deciding that if it was that slick then ripping back and picking up stitches would be no fun, if not impossible. (It's a swatch not a garment!) I washed the swatch and it's drape and usability improved dramatically. I think this has potential!


Yay! I am planning on skeining and washing the rest of the yarn before I use it- I think it will be much easier to work with and hopefully won't be quite as slippery.

As for the move and all of the plans related to that. Well, things are progressing, although I am conflicted as to whether I want them to move faster or slower. We are still waiting for a lot of paperwork to be generated but the offer has been approved and accepted. Yet I am also feeling like time is marching towards our departure very quickly. My 18 yo daughter moved out last week which leaves us with two children left in the house...it is almost eerie quiet at times. We have boxes everywhere along with piles of things that I am sorting through and it doesn't feel very holiday-ish at all, at all. I did get both a storage space and a mail box this week so I am feeling like the business end of things is getting done. Now we just need to sell my car and rent out our house. sigh.

Well, I hope that all of you who celebrate Thanksgiving have a beautiful holiday. Enjoy your loved ones and don't eat too much!!!

Things I'll Miss Monday- The Food

I have been pondering a series of posts in which I show you the things I will miss once we are living in India. You see, I am not just some recent Valley transplant who came here in the midst of the dot com bloom or any other such Silicon Valley growing spurt. I have lived in the Bay Area for most of my life, since I was two and the Summer of Love was on the horizon. I remember the orchards, the greenhouses, the mobile home parks and taking the bus to the end of the line and back again on lazy Summer days- just because. So, this place is home. What will I miss?

Well, let's start with the food. ;)

Admittedly, there are few establishments that have been around since I was a kid, but there are a few, like

El Faro
No, it isn't necessarily the best Mexican food in town, though it is good. The decor leaves something to be desired- but I have fond memories of going there as a child, ordering corn tortillas with butter (fresh!) and trying to outdo my dad with eating chips and as much hot sauce as we could stand, my eyes watering as I smiled and asked for more.
Marie Callendar's
We used to go to the one on El Camino on Sunnyvale and it is still there. It was a real treat for us and I always loved the napkins that said "Apple Pie without some cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze." Still haven't tried apple pie with cheese, but mom got Thanksgiving pies there for years (we now make them ourselves and they taste much better- Mom just isn't much of a baker!)
Peninsula Creamery
This place definitely still exists and the long lines on any given weekend morning will attest to its popularity. Now, with that said it is a very different place from when I was young. This was one of our favorite hang outs when I was a young punk rocker art student in high school. We would hit all of the thrift stores in downtown Palo Alto (used to be tons!!!!), peruse the used record shops and then head to the creamery for a bite to eat. It's decor was sort of a leftover mish mash of 50's, 60's and 70's with evidence of years of greasy food on the decidedly off white walls. Our favorites? Tuna sandwiches, burgers, and the best milkshakes anywhere, made with real Peninsula Creamery ice cream (Emerald Isle, yum!) The grumpy old lady waitresses who called us all "Sweetie" were the best!
Hobee's
This is another still popular spot that has evolved into a chain, but I remember going to the first Hobee's, still there on Central Expressway and Rengstorff in Mountain View and all I can say is that they also had the best burgers and milkshakes. They were sort of the health food version of the all American burger stand and really my memory can recall none that bested them! My favorite booth to sit in had the picture of the card playing dogs hanging above it. Last time I ate there they still had the picture!


Falafel Drive-In
This is a more recent discovery for me since I have moved a little further South in the last 12 years, but it has been around forever, always has a line and is just really good, simple, and inexpensive food. Best. Falafels. Banana Shakes. etc. Yum.
La Costena
This grocery store with the burrito bar in the back is just the best, best, BEST place to get a burrito. I used to work occasionally across the street and I would walk over, buy an extra large burrito for a few dollars and it would be enough food for an entire day. Have to thank Peter Kirkeby for introducing me to this, but they are still here and still cheap!
Barefoot Coffee Roasters
No, they haven't been around forever, yet. But I couldn't let a post about local food stuff go by without giving them a mention. They are quickly becoming a South Bay mainstay- why? They are simply the best coffee house ever. I have never tasted a latte as good as theirs (and if you ever get one from Monica you will consider yourself blessed!) anywhere. I will seriously miss their coffee, both roasted to take home and their drinks, best enjoyed "for here".

Latte by Ariel

Now, before I forget- again- I wanted to let you all know that my dear husband has also started a blog. Go say "Hi!" and welcome him to the blogosphere!

Next up? Knitting and other fiber-y pursuits.

A new look for a new life

Well, I decided that I wanted to have a little brighter colors around here- hence the new look.
What do you think?

I need some brighter colors! I have been dealing with jetlag for the majority of the week (yes, we are back!) and the weather has been gray and cold and not real conducive to getting much done. But today I am finally feeling somewhat normal again. Yay! So, I should be working on packing things up and getting rid of things. I did do a little of that, but then I decided I wanted to work on my blog instead. 'Cause that really needs to get done, you know? Like, now. It is imperative! (ahem)

Well, it cheers me up a little anyway.

Tonight? Bobaknit.

Never did find any boba in Bangalore. Dang.