Have you Connected yet?

I have shocked myself that I haven't mentioned possibly the greatest lifeline necessary for helping us settle into Bangalore.  Three Letters 'OWC'!

Overseas Womens Club  OWC Website

OWC is a great way to find expat friends who will help you learn the ropes so that you can settle in faster than doing it on your own.  You will certainly make new friends, have people to ask those puzzling questions, join their Yahoo group where info is exchanged all the time.

They host charity events, have things like daytours to places you haven't been, and have groups for all kinds of interests from food to horseback riding.

Their Weekly coffee morning is at Leela Palace on Thursdays at around 11 I believe.  You can go become a member, meet some new people, buy a copy of their 'Bangalore In's and Out's' which will be your info resource for a while, and just get connected with your new City!

Good luck
Sherri 

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What to bring with #1- Baking supplies

I think that it is a good idea to start a list of things to bring with you when you come to India as an expat family.  If you are packing your household furniture etc and sending them along you will have a greater opportunity to bring things that we never did.  We moved into a household already up and running with my father in law, and so didn't need to bring 'the kitchen sink' so to speak.

Here is the beginning of a list that we'll add to.  Feel free to add your own list in the comment section.

Baking Supplies:

Are you an avid baker?  If so you should bring your specialty pans.  It is possible to find bunt pans, loaf pans, cake pans etc.  There are items that you will not find in Bangalore that you should consider bringing:

1. Bakers chocolate - Unsweetened and semisweet.  All I have found here is low quality brick chocolate so Stock up

2. Baking Soda - The 'soda' here does not pack the same punch as it does at home.  I usually have to increase the amount in a recipe by half or sometimes double to get any action.  Bring some Arm and Hammer with you

3. Baking Powder - Same Idea as soda.  Bring it along

4. Real Vanilla Extract - Bring it.  All you will find is the imitation vanilla here, and it is pretty bad quality in my opinion.

5. Yeast - if you make breads regularly, bring your favorite.  I have found commercial quality instant yeast in one specialty location that actually works. www.generalfoodadditives.com is their website.

6. Chocolate chips - the store mentioned has pretty good mini chocolate chips, but if you are particular about your chocolate chips bring some along.

7. Marshmallows - I have found marshmallows intermittently at 'the Supermarket' on brigade road, but if your kids love rice crispie squares, you should bring some with you as they are quite expensive and not quite the same as what we are used to.

8. Good quality spatulas - the ones I have found here tend to fall apart

9. Good quality spoon measures and cup measures.  - the only spoon measures I've found here do not have the 1/4 and 1/8 measure and they are flimsy and the handles break off.  I have been through a few sets

Juice -R- Juice

Ok So I've been here for almost a year and have JUST figured this out!  A 1 Ltr box of juice (Tropicana or some such) costs anywhere from Rs 85 to Rs 100.  I think I have passed by 'Juice shops' all over the place but have never stopped to purchase any. (Other than Cane juice which is one of my favorite things)

It being spring, our family has been sick for about 3 weeks with cold and stomach bug and possibly allergies.  We're pretty run down, so I decided this past friday to get some fresh juice from the juice shop next to Namdhari's where I shop frequently.  I purchased a litre of Watermelon juice and a litre of Pineapple juice for Rs 95!  That's half price!

I am a convert.  I will be buying fresh daily juice from now on.  What could be better for the kids!

If you are going to do this, be certain to ask the owner about the kind of water they use as some of the juices (like Pineapple) need liquid to blend properly.  To be doubly sure, bring your own water to have them use for blending.

Until Next time
Sherri

Great News

When we came to Bangalore we initially had some issues with managing time with car and driver.  I eventually happened upon a friend who's F/T driver was only able to work part time due to Kidney failure and the need for Dialysis.

I was VERY lucky to be paired with him as I was in need of a flexible Part time driver.  He has turned out to be a very experienced and calm driver who is one of the sweetest, gentle, kindhearted people who is very good with our small children.  His daughter also filled our need for a part time nanny and babysitter, coming after school weekdays and evening babysitting.  Which can be very hard to find unless you hire a full time Live in Nanny.  Our children love both of them like family, as do we.

We have just found out that his need for a kidney transplant has been filled and we will be losing him for a few months as he goes through the transplant process.

The story of how he came to have kidney failure is a sad one, and unfortunately all too common here in India.  He was poisoned by a family member for monetary reasons.

Many of us could not imagine what it is to have kidney failure and the daily ramifications of dealing with it.

The only thing to figure out is where the money for costs will come from for this procedure.  I am sure that God will provide.

I will post on progress
Sherri

Musings

I was struck today by the existence of a 'gust of wind' that lasted all of about 20 seconds.  I am now musing about the lack of wind here in Bangalore, and how different that is from our home in Canada....and wind just tends to be a little annoying when you have long hair.

I never really made note to myself about the absence of blowing wind here.

Just a random thought I had to share
Sherri 

What to convey to your staff

One thing that we the average family from Canada is not used to is having house staff.  How do you deal with house staff?  This has been a battle for me.  Here are a couple of pointers that you might not consider:

1. Explain with great emphasis that they are not to 'medicate' your children under any circumstance - especially if your children are young.

2. Keep all Medications in an inaccessible place for your housestaff.

3. Explain that you and your children can get very sick if you drink plain tap water, so your water bottles are to be filled with filtered water only.

We spent the first 8 weeks of our stay here ill until I caught our housekeeper filling our water bottles with tap water.  NICE!

I won't even comment on the very recent medication experience, but lets just say that it is imperative that this is discussed!

So am I an old hand at this?  I'm really not sure yet.
Until next time
Sherri

Sources #1 - The Supermarket

I will be posting regularly on where to find things in Bangalore.  I think the biggest issue with settling in an Indian city is where to find some of the creature comforts of home.  In a place where the Produce is vast, but the Local vegetable selection can be somewhat of a quandry for those who are not used to the Indian menu.  Children are the hardest to please of course and take the longest to become adjusted to Indian cuisine, if they do at all.

My children if they had a choice would eat Pancakes or French toast every morning until the end of time I think.  However Pancakes just aren't Pancakes without Maple syrup, and French toast just isn't French Toast without Molasses.

 It was a good 6 months before I found either.  However the only source that I have found is a great place called most simply 'The Supermarket' in the 5th Ave Mall on Brigade road just south of MG Road.

You can find all sorts of creature comforts from all over the world in this shop.  You will generally pay import prices, but some things are just worth it.

Until Next Time
Sherri 

Am I an old hand at this yet?

Sherri Vaters Here
Our family has been in Bangalore for the better part of a year now! Does this make me an old hand at being an Expat in Bangalore?  I'm not sure yet. One is always finding new  conundrums that need to be 'figured out' especially in the first year as an Expat.

Unlike other Expat families we have not been placed here by a company as employees.  So we have no contract to stay as most do.  The length of our stay is completely up to us.  In a way this is good, but as we get entrenched in life in India will it be harder and harder to 'pull out'.  I guess we shall see.

One thing that we all notice about India is that clock runs as a snails pace... or maybe it isn't the clock that is slow, just the pace of life.  So when I sit here and exclaim 'where has this year gone?' I think it has moved so slow that we haven't recognized its passing....

Friends who moved her right about the time that we did went 3 months before they could get internet hooked up in their home!  That's right, in the IT capital of India.  Yet when we call to increase our internet access speed, we have a technician at our door in less than an hour.  When would that ever happen in fast paced New York or LA? With everywhere we live we take the good with the bad, life would be much less interesting if there weren't issues to resolve.

India is steeped in ritual.  Arriving in India was a fantastic experience.  India is where you are met at the airport by a group of people (relatives, new coworkers, housestaff, etc) who present you with garlands and place a bindi on your forehead.  There is another ritual for entering your new home.

I have been given an interesting perspective on life in India.  I am married to a NRI (Non Resident Indian) who was born in North America.  We are a blended family exploring life here.

We have a whole lot of exploring to do!

Until Next time
Sherri