Raju, our driver, making chapati with the kids.
Friday, February 20, 2009
The land of spicy ketchup
So, I was once sent an e-mail list of 20 ways you know you're from Minnesota. My favorite: if you think ketchup is spicy.
Well, we're not in MN anymore. I bought some ketchup for the kiddos and intentionally chose the kind that says "NO ONION, NO GARLIC". Matthew took one bite and started crying. Poor kid. It was a little spicy. I'll keep trying.
Last night Hannah said, "Mommy, I don't want any more India food, Mommy. Can you just give me Minnesota food?" She was pretty tired. We had apples and peanut butter for dinner.
Well, we're not in MN anymore. I bought some ketchup for the kiddos and intentionally chose the kind that says "NO ONION, NO GARLIC". Matthew took one bite and started crying. Poor kid. It was a little spicy. I'll keep trying.
Last night Hannah said, "Mommy, I don't want any more India food, Mommy. Can you just give me Minnesota food?" She was pretty tired. We had apples and peanut butter for dinner.
Our first dinner out
Shae and I had a lovely dinner at a restaurant at the clubhouse in Palm Meadows this evening. I wish I could offer a more thorough account for what we ate, but I still haven't wrapped my brain around all the long titles of the dishes. We had delicious garlic naan, some amazingly marinated vegetables and chicken cooked in a Tandoori oven and served with a mint chutney. We also had some tender, flavorful lamb in a curry gravy. Oh so good. Finished with a little roasted pineapple topped with saffron ice cream for dessert. Wow. And the price was wonderfully reasonable, like a dinner out at a casual restaurant like Chili's.
One of the funnier moments of the dinner involved a plate w/raw vegetable condiments: tomato, cucumber, red onion and a long, slender green stalk... which Shae, not unreasonably, assumed was a green bean and began to munch. To quote him, "I realized there weren't any beans inside, but little white flakes (seeds)...and I asked myself, 'What the heck did I just put in my mouth'?????" It was a very hot pepper masquerading as a green bean. And, yes, he did end up spitting it into his napkin. :)
One of the funnier moments of the dinner involved a plate w/raw vegetable condiments: tomato, cucumber, red onion and a long, slender green stalk... which Shae, not unreasonably, assumed was a green bean and began to munch. To quote him, "I realized there weren't any beans inside, but little white flakes (seeds)...and I asked myself, 'What the heck did I just put in my mouth'?????" It was a very hot pepper masquerading as a green bean. And, yes, he did end up spitting it into his napkin. :)
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Afternoon activity
This was a few days ago right in our driveway (just the length of a car). It's our gardener who's up in that tree! They have to cut branches that are old and could fall and make sure no coconuts are ready to drop. Apparently, the branches can take off a side mirror!
Coconuts are dangerous in many ways. My knee injury (road rash) is slowly healing but it still pretty ugly and a little painful. I saw a friend on my run this morning and was kindly reminded to "watch out for those coconuts."
Check out our photo site for more pictures of the event and Hannah drinking coconut water. She wasn't to keen on it; Matthew loved it.
Coconuts are dangerous in many ways. My knee injury (road rash) is slowly healing but it still pretty ugly and a little painful. I saw a friend on my run this morning and was kindly reminded to "watch out for those coconuts."
Check out our photo site for more pictures of the event and Hannah drinking coconut water. She wasn't to keen on it; Matthew loved it.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Help: Part One
When asked what I was most looking forward to about our move to India, I replied, “Household help, to be honest.”
And honestly, that’s been the best and most challenging part of our short time here so far. I am grateful for the assistance, and in need of it: things take much longer to do, the time-saving devices we’re accustomed to in the US are either unavailable or not as dependable here. I also need help at times navigating the cultural differences, having someone who speaks one of 4 languages used communicate what I’m trying to say…
Our helpers are: 1) Raju, the driver (official job, which includes being available up to 14 hours a day, 6 days a week; he takes Shae to work and picks him up, and is available to me & the kids in the interim.) I’ve written a bit about him so far. He’s the youngest of 4 kids (a delightful, social baby of the family; funny like my sister), he’s married and has an 8-month-old daughter. We hope to meet his family next month when they return from the village. He grew up in Bangalore, knows the city very well. His English is the best of our helpers, though we still have a few misunderstandings/puzzled looks every day. He thinks WE speak too fast. Ha ha. In addition to English, he speaks Hindi, Kannada (language of the state of Karnataka, where we live) and some Tamil. He is Hindu. Hannah loves the shiny golden Ganesh (elephant god) on his dashboard.
He has been an ENORMOUS help in running errands and finding the things we need for our home. He not only takes us there (no street signs), but helps us make the purchases and/or bargain if we need it. I really feel like he is an ally—not to suggest an advesarial relationship between us as expats and the Indian world, but perhaps us as obvious newbie foreigners trying to adjust to a radically different world (I feel so much like a freshman again)… his is a face of compassion towards us. Though he does laugh at us often, too. Usually with us. You should have seen him laugh at my passport photo, “Not a very good photo, madam.” He calls Matthew “Matthew-baba” (like Ali Baba). He kisses the children every morning when he greets them.
And honestly, that’s been the best and most challenging part of our short time here so far. I am grateful for the assistance, and in need of it: things take much longer to do, the time-saving devices we’re accustomed to in the US are either unavailable or not as dependable here. I also need help at times navigating the cultural differences, having someone who speaks one of 4 languages used communicate what I’m trying to say…
Our helpers are: 1) Raju, the driver (official job, which includes being available up to 14 hours a day, 6 days a week; he takes Shae to work and picks him up, and is available to me & the kids in the interim.) I’ve written a bit about him so far. He’s the youngest of 4 kids (a delightful, social baby of the family; funny like my sister), he’s married and has an 8-month-old daughter. We hope to meet his family next month when they return from the village. He grew up in Bangalore, knows the city very well. His English is the best of our helpers, though we still have a few misunderstandings/puzzled looks every day. He thinks WE speak too fast. Ha ha. In addition to English, he speaks Hindi, Kannada (language of the state of Karnataka, where we live) and some Tamil. He is Hindu. Hannah loves the shiny golden Ganesh (elephant god) on his dashboard.
He has been an ENORMOUS help in running errands and finding the things we need for our home. He not only takes us there (no street signs), but helps us make the purchases and/or bargain if we need it. I really feel like he is an ally—not to suggest an advesarial relationship between us as expats and the Indian world, but perhaps us as obvious newbie foreigners trying to adjust to a radically different world (I feel so much like a freshman again)… his is a face of compassion towards us. Though he does laugh at us often, too. Usually with us. You should have seen him laugh at my passport photo, “Not a very good photo, madam.” He calls Matthew “Matthew-baba” (like Ali Baba). He kisses the children every morning when he greets them.
Traveling photos
Having trouble uploading photos to Blogger... will post on our photo site: www.mccowens.smugmug.com (e-mail me for password if you need it: lisa_mccowen@hotmail.com)
Here are a few pics of the lovely lounge in Chicago and then the kids at breakfast at the Taj Residency, our hotel in Bangalore.
Having trouble uploading photos to Blogger... will post on our photo site: www.mccowens.smugmug.com (e-mail me for password if you need it: lisa_mccowen@hotmail.com)
Here are a few pics of the lovely lounge in Chicago and then the kids at breakfast at the Taj Residency, our hotel in Bangalore.
Having trouble uploading photos to Blogger... will post on our photo site: www.mccowens.smugmug.com (e-mail me for password if you need it: lisa_mccowen@hotmail.com)
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Culinary delights
A brief overview... more to come. Our cook, Raj, shooed me out of the kitchen saying, "Madam, this week we are very busy. Next week I show you each dish."
- Fantastic fruits and vegetables--cheap, cheap, cheap!: carrots, tomatoes, cauliflower, snow peas, cucumbers, tangerines, apples (surprisingly!), grapes, Matthew's favorite and oft requested: PINEAPPLE, pomegranates
- Fresh juices: pineapple, sweet lime (I asked for no sugar in mine and Raj obliged me the first day. The next day he explained that the lime needed some sugar but assured me he only added 40% sugar to mine. :))
- Skim milk and yogurt are available everywhere. Yay for having made my kids eat plain yogurt w/honey for their short little lives. This has eased the transition.
- Rice. Our cook likes Korean rice.
- Dal. Many kinds. My favorite thing so far.
- Delicious rice salad (cold), w/ yogurt, cilantro and pomegranate.
- Beef w/chili powder. Matthew cried. Shae ate it!
- Potato salad w/cilantro, boiled eggs and radish (long, white, cooked ones)
- Delicious and entirely-too-rich beet salad concoction. I dared to ask what was in it: "beetroot, butter, cream and a little cheese"
So far, we've asked the kids to try 1 new thing at each meal. They haven't really eaten more than a bite. I am discouraged but trying to stay upbeat and emphasize my own enjoyment. And I'm buying lots of eggs (only a few rupees a piece) and yogurt... their comfort foods.
Will write more about shopping and what's available later.
Quick poll: what would YOU consider an outrageous price for Cheerios?
- Fantastic fruits and vegetables--cheap, cheap, cheap!: carrots, tomatoes, cauliflower, snow peas, cucumbers, tangerines, apples (surprisingly!), grapes, Matthew's favorite and oft requested: PINEAPPLE, pomegranates
- Fresh juices: pineapple, sweet lime (I asked for no sugar in mine and Raj obliged me the first day. The next day he explained that the lime needed some sugar but assured me he only added 40% sugar to mine. :))
- Skim milk and yogurt are available everywhere. Yay for having made my kids eat plain yogurt w/honey for their short little lives. This has eased the transition.
- Rice. Our cook likes Korean rice.
- Dal. Many kinds. My favorite thing so far.
- Delicious rice salad (cold), w/ yogurt, cilantro and pomegranate.
- Beef w/chili powder. Matthew cried. Shae ate it!
- Potato salad w/cilantro, boiled eggs and radish (long, white, cooked ones)
- Delicious and entirely-too-rich beet salad concoction. I dared to ask what was in it: "beetroot, butter, cream and a little cheese"
So far, we've asked the kids to try 1 new thing at each meal. They haven't really eaten more than a bite. I am discouraged but trying to stay upbeat and emphasize my own enjoyment. And I'm buying lots of eggs (only a few rupees a piece) and yogurt... their comfort foods.
Will write more about shopping and what's available later.
Quick poll: what would YOU consider an outrageous price for Cheerios?
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