In starting this blog, it has been my hopes that through blogging I can place a positive spin on all my experiences of my time in Bangalore. This has been so far, very easy to do as the amazing experiences have far outweighed the discomforts and frustrations that can come with adjusting to a new culture and home. I find myself taking my first dip on the adjustment curve (missing the familiar and family and friends). Finding myself weak in this new world, sucumbing to complaining and tantrums- it started with being upset when I oversteamed the broccoli and ended with throwing a pillow against a chair...repeatedly...saying words my mother would wash my mouth out with soap...something tells me it wasn't the brocolli that made my volcano blow.
I realize now more than ever how important it is for me to remember and embrace these positive experiences, after I ride out the waves of each emotional storm. to take a breath and remember and not curl into my smaller self.
That said, it is important readers of this blog can have access to both sides of my expereince. Afterall- India is not a utopia. Life is not perfect. Knowing this, it does not do Bangalore justice to describe only the beautiful and serene. It is a paradoxical life here in Bangalore. The weak and strong, poor and rich, yes meaning no, the beautiful and ugly. (Stay tuned in a future blog as I expound upon these paradoxes.) Bangalore appears to need both the positive and negative to survive. Perhaps we all do. Thus, I continue to learn important lessons about give and take in Bangalore.
After that long winded explanation, here is a list of my top 10 favorite things about being in Bangalore and then for your p.c. enjoyment, the not so favorites.
enjoy.
Top Ten Favorites:
1. The men of Bangalore wearing 1970s flared jeans and pants. Love it. Not sure how this trend started or why it never left, or why I find it highly amusing.
2. Coconut water for 20 rupees. That's 39 cents in the U.S. vs. the 2 bucks it is in Minneapolis. Not only do I love a good deal, but they crack it open with a machate and give you a straw. That's fresh. This love extends to the fresh bananas, papapya, melons here.
3. Bangalore Children. Their bright vibrant faces and big round almond eyes. Gorgeous and so uber cute and funny. Love seeing them piled on a motor bike with their mom, dad and siblings. That's right- siblings with an 's'... all on one motor scooter.
4. The sunny weather and Swimming. I feel forunate to be staying this month in an apartment with a pool. and I have retaught myself the front crawl, which has been a fun accomplishment and meditative exercise.
5. Masala Dosa. A crepe like piece of Heaven wrapped around spiced potatoes served with coconut and mint chutneys and succulent sambhar soup. Too good to describe, better to wikipedia or "google image" it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dosa or http://www.google.co.in/search?q=masala+dosa&hl=en&rlz=1T4TSNO_enUS459US459&prmd=imvns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=R-IOT8-qMsHWrQfWkrX-AQ&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CBoQ_AUoAQ&biw=1249&bih=586
6. Time to Explore. With no work to hold me down and trying to find structure in my day- I realize I have for the frist time in my life, complete freedom to explore. I am excited to travel, meditate, yoga, play music, volunteer and study aryuvedic medicine / nutrition and farming.
7. Learning to Ask for Help. Not only am I learning that the internet only gets me so far in Bangalore. i.e. google maps is not so accurate here nor can I find that perfect yoga instructor through even advance searches, I am learning that I can not just rely on myself here. I must ask for help from others- and not feel guilt or "Minnesota Nice" about it. And in return, people I met here from India as well as expats are more than willing to help- they love to help pass on crucial info like, where is the best place to buy tahini?. I have met some fabulous new friends and feel affirmed and supported by them.
8. Stray Dogs. Close your ears my precious puppy, Dosh, as I do miss you dearly! But- it appears to me that the stray dogs here (and there are many!) are calm, cool and collected and super sweet. I like to observe them on my morning walks in the park. I have made a companion too with one dog who lives outside my apartment. He is my pet away from home. I am already telling Adam, I want to adopt him! (I know, I know....leave your comments below if you must!)
9. Organic Produce. It is not as common as you think, but being the super sleuth that I am I have found a few unique spots to purchase organic fruits, veggies, rice, beans, flours, eggs, etc. Adam loves how easy it is on his pocketbook too as I can fill up bags and bags of organic products, soaps etc. and not go over 20 bucks a trip. Look out Whole Foods you have met your match!
10. My Hubby. Although, not Indian, at least not fully transformed yet, I love Adam and being in Bangalore with him. With just the two of us, we rely a lot on each other, more than ever before as we both go through our ups and downs, him with a new job and me with searching a new purpose. We spend a lot of time venting and laughing and being goofy together and I look forward to seeing how this relationship continues to grow.
For those of you who do not wish to read rants or raves, read no further. You may miss out an a chuckle or two.
The Not So Favorites:
(perhaps you can add your comments and help me see the positive spin on these...)
1. Cow and dog dung- a lot of it. Toms shoes don't last long here.
2. Trash and Pollution. I do believe I am acquiring fun new allergies from trash and vehicle pollution. The other day Adam and I were on our morning walk in the park and he was like "I just love the smell of campfires" And I was like 'honey, that smell is from the heap of burning trash over there.'
3. Grocery Shopping. It can take all day. We sat down to eat a turkey sandwich for lunch and Adam and I counted the 9 stores I went to for its ingredients. (Although, sometimes it is excited to find the needle in the haystack like when I found out that they sell tortilla corn chips here.)
4. Missing Dosh. My heart aches when I think about not being able to snuggle with my puppy. He is my ray of sunshine when I am low. Seeing him on Skype makes me sadder :(
5. Missing Family. I am missing out on some significant life events- like my sisters purchase of a new dog, my mom is going through cancer (please pray for quick and healthy healing!), anniversaries, birthdays, the holidays, etc. I love getting mail here however (hint hint!)
6. Mising Restaurants and Music Scene. All you Minneapolis folks, you are so blessed with this. Get out there and make reservations at one of the thrifty hipster, organic places for me. Here it is not the same. Go see a show at First Ave. For me, please, have a glass of one and listen to some sweet acoustic or bluegrass guitar show. Outside my window every night until 11, I hear the same Indian cover band playing (and not so fantastically) the same renditions of Coldplay's "Yellow" and the Beatles, "Yesterday."
7. Being White. That's right. I have white skin, therefore I can pay more than someone from Bangalore for that beautiful pashmina. Or confuse that I wish to go sightseeing everyday in a Rickshaw. "M'am, auto ride, m'am? M'am you need gold m'am, or my favorite, ' beautiful bangles for a beautiful lady" Or...Oh wait. Nooo!
8. Being Female. I am trying to "fit in" so to speak. But being white and female kind of makes me stick out like a sore them (no more than my tall red head husband, I suppose). But it appears that no matter if I wear a Sari or a t-shirt, I get looks like I am walking around naked. Hmmm. ever had that nightmare that you are walking the school hallways and you realize you forgot your pants? yeah. I am living that....
9. Lack of independence. I know, I mentioned I am learning that I need to be dependent on others, but sometimes I just want to jump in my car and drive. Or walk without dodging cars or cows. It is very sweet how to see the look of shock on peoples faces when they realize that "no I didn't have a maid/cook/driver/gardener", etc at home and I did it all and worked a full time job. (okay...maybe I will love having someone to help me clean here...)
10. Lack of bodies of water. I am realizing that water quenches stubborness and over-driven self at times or in Aryuvedic terms, I am a "Pitta" or fire element, and thus I need water to mellow out. I miss the land of 10,000 lakes. In particular, I miss Lake Hiawatha and sitting in stillness, no horns, no music...silence.
Perhaps some are blessed with more optimism than myself. But in going through this exercise, I am reminded of how easy it is to list the negative. It seems in our nature as humans and the normalcy of our brains to pick out "what is missing" or different or wrong with this picture.
I am reminded that it is important to not be over consumed by the nitty gritty, even when I feel that the gritty is filling me full. It is a choice I need to continually make to embrace my new life to its fullest- naked and all.
I think I will start tomorrow.
Play that funky music, white girl.
More cuties by one of two lakes in Bangalore.
My birthday celebration- lemongrass ice cream- yum!
I realize now more than ever how important it is for me to remember and embrace these positive experiences, after I ride out the waves of each emotional storm. to take a breath and remember and not curl into my smaller self.
That said, it is important readers of this blog can have access to both sides of my expereince. Afterall- India is not a utopia. Life is not perfect. Knowing this, it does not do Bangalore justice to describe only the beautiful and serene. It is a paradoxical life here in Bangalore. The weak and strong, poor and rich, yes meaning no, the beautiful and ugly. (Stay tuned in a future blog as I expound upon these paradoxes.) Bangalore appears to need both the positive and negative to survive. Perhaps we all do. Thus, I continue to learn important lessons about give and take in Bangalore.
After that long winded explanation, here is a list of my top 10 favorite things about being in Bangalore and then for your p.c. enjoyment, the not so favorites.
enjoy.
Top Ten Favorites:
1. The men of Bangalore wearing 1970s flared jeans and pants. Love it. Not sure how this trend started or why it never left, or why I find it highly amusing.
2. Coconut water for 20 rupees. That's 39 cents in the U.S. vs. the 2 bucks it is in Minneapolis. Not only do I love a good deal, but they crack it open with a machate and give you a straw. That's fresh. This love extends to the fresh bananas, papapya, melons here.
3. Bangalore Children. Their bright vibrant faces and big round almond eyes. Gorgeous and so uber cute and funny. Love seeing them piled on a motor bike with their mom, dad and siblings. That's right- siblings with an 's'... all on one motor scooter.
4. The sunny weather and Swimming. I feel forunate to be staying this month in an apartment with a pool. and I have retaught myself the front crawl, which has been a fun accomplishment and meditative exercise.
5. Masala Dosa. A crepe like piece of Heaven wrapped around spiced potatoes served with coconut and mint chutneys and succulent sambhar soup. Too good to describe, better to wikipedia or "google image" it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dosa or http://www.google.co.in/search?q=masala+dosa&hl=en&rlz=1T4TSNO_enUS459US459&prmd=imvns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=R-IOT8-qMsHWrQfWkrX-AQ&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CBoQ_AUoAQ&biw=1249&bih=586
6. Time to Explore. With no work to hold me down and trying to find structure in my day- I realize I have for the frist time in my life, complete freedom to explore. I am excited to travel, meditate, yoga, play music, volunteer and study aryuvedic medicine / nutrition and farming.
7. Learning to Ask for Help. Not only am I learning that the internet only gets me so far in Bangalore. i.e. google maps is not so accurate here nor can I find that perfect yoga instructor through even advance searches, I am learning that I can not just rely on myself here. I must ask for help from others- and not feel guilt or "Minnesota Nice" about it. And in return, people I met here from India as well as expats are more than willing to help- they love to help pass on crucial info like, where is the best place to buy tahini?. I have met some fabulous new friends and feel affirmed and supported by them.
8. Stray Dogs. Close your ears my precious puppy, Dosh, as I do miss you dearly! But- it appears to me that the stray dogs here (and there are many!) are calm, cool and collected and super sweet. I like to observe them on my morning walks in the park. I have made a companion too with one dog who lives outside my apartment. He is my pet away from home. I am already telling Adam, I want to adopt him! (I know, I know....leave your comments below if you must!)
9. Organic Produce. It is not as common as you think, but being the super sleuth that I am I have found a few unique spots to purchase organic fruits, veggies, rice, beans, flours, eggs, etc. Adam loves how easy it is on his pocketbook too as I can fill up bags and bags of organic products, soaps etc. and not go over 20 bucks a trip. Look out Whole Foods you have met your match!
10. My Hubby. Although, not Indian, at least not fully transformed yet, I love Adam and being in Bangalore with him. With just the two of us, we rely a lot on each other, more than ever before as we both go through our ups and downs, him with a new job and me with searching a new purpose. We spend a lot of time venting and laughing and being goofy together and I look forward to seeing how this relationship continues to grow.
For those of you who do not wish to read rants or raves, read no further. You may miss out an a chuckle or two.
The Not So Favorites:
(perhaps you can add your comments and help me see the positive spin on these...)
1. Cow and dog dung- a lot of it. Toms shoes don't last long here.
2. Trash and Pollution. I do believe I am acquiring fun new allergies from trash and vehicle pollution. The other day Adam and I were on our morning walk in the park and he was like "I just love the smell of campfires" And I was like 'honey, that smell is from the heap of burning trash over there.'
3. Grocery Shopping. It can take all day. We sat down to eat a turkey sandwich for lunch and Adam and I counted the 9 stores I went to for its ingredients. (Although, sometimes it is excited to find the needle in the haystack like when I found out that they sell tortilla corn chips here.)
4. Missing Dosh. My heart aches when I think about not being able to snuggle with my puppy. He is my ray of sunshine when I am low. Seeing him on Skype makes me sadder :(
5. Missing Family. I am missing out on some significant life events- like my sisters purchase of a new dog, my mom is going through cancer (please pray for quick and healthy healing!), anniversaries, birthdays, the holidays, etc. I love getting mail here however (hint hint!)
6. Mising Restaurants and Music Scene. All you Minneapolis folks, you are so blessed with this. Get out there and make reservations at one of the thrifty hipster, organic places for me. Here it is not the same. Go see a show at First Ave. For me, please, have a glass of one and listen to some sweet acoustic or bluegrass guitar show. Outside my window every night until 11, I hear the same Indian cover band playing (and not so fantastically) the same renditions of Coldplay's "Yellow" and the Beatles, "Yesterday."
7. Being White. That's right. I have white skin, therefore I can pay more than someone from Bangalore for that beautiful pashmina. Or confuse that I wish to go sightseeing everyday in a Rickshaw. "M'am, auto ride, m'am? M'am you need gold m'am, or my favorite, ' beautiful bangles for a beautiful lady" Or...Oh wait. Nooo!
8. Being Female. I am trying to "fit in" so to speak. But being white and female kind of makes me stick out like a sore them (no more than my tall red head husband, I suppose). But it appears that no matter if I wear a Sari or a t-shirt, I get looks like I am walking around naked. Hmmm. ever had that nightmare that you are walking the school hallways and you realize you forgot your pants? yeah. I am living that....
9. Lack of independence. I know, I mentioned I am learning that I need to be dependent on others, but sometimes I just want to jump in my car and drive. Or walk without dodging cars or cows. It is very sweet how to see the look of shock on peoples faces when they realize that "no I didn't have a maid/cook/driver/gardener", etc at home and I did it all and worked a full time job. (okay...maybe I will love having someone to help me clean here...)
10. Lack of bodies of water. I am realizing that water quenches stubborness and over-driven self at times or in Aryuvedic terms, I am a "Pitta" or fire element, and thus I need water to mellow out. I miss the land of 10,000 lakes. In particular, I miss Lake Hiawatha and sitting in stillness, no horns, no music...silence.
Perhaps some are blessed with more optimism than myself. But in going through this exercise, I am reminded of how easy it is to list the negative. It seems in our nature as humans and the normalcy of our brains to pick out "what is missing" or different or wrong with this picture.
I am reminded that it is important to not be over consumed by the nitty gritty, even when I feel that the gritty is filling me full. It is a choice I need to continually make to embrace my new life to its fullest- naked and all.
I think I will start tomorrow.
Cutey-pottotie kids.
Lori, What a fantastic experience for you! I didn't know you were living so far away, so I'll look around more on your blog for more info about it. I look forward to reading more. We moved to NE Mpls this summer, so I have been learning about some of the great places to go. I might need some suggestions from you :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad both of you are enjoying your time in Bangalore - I'm looking forward to visiting with both of you next week :)
ReplyDeleteB
Yes, you are absolutely right, being starred at just gets old, and the art of pretending like you are not noticing this is tiresome.
ReplyDeleteLearning to ignore ... toughie.
hey lori, have you added any new fun events lately. i am anxious to hear..just how long you have been there and how you are managing. wait is your maid there yet. push aside and let her clean. hope all is still great/good. rox graduates in a couple of weeks. crazy crazy...when you get back you will have to visit the east coast..an easy schmeezy trip after india. we will love to have you and adam for a sojourn....a what? love you girlie
ReplyDelete