Sleep – shop – argh!

Our driver has taken a few days off to spend with his family. He arranged for another driver from the cab company to ferry us around for the duration. The new driver has advised us that he will be taking us around until Tuesday, when Mr. Kumar returns to work.

We returned to Commercial Street in the early evening and I purchased a replacement suitcase. Anand assures me it will survive the trip (it’s Samsonite with a 3 year warranty and I’ve already warned him that if it breaks on the way home, I’m holding him responsible) and despite being the same size (30 inches) as the suitcase I originally arrived with, it seems to be deeper. In the store – far away from my hotel room and the broken suitcase – it definitely looks like it will hold more than its’ predecessor. This is a very good thing, since I’m leaving with more things than I had when I arrived. The sarees alone account for over 13 meters of fabric that I now need to pack! I’m so worried about not having enough space in my luggage that I decide to pick up a cabin bag as well. Since I flew out with a laptop bag only, I’m allowed another piece of carry on and fully intend to use it. In the spirit of Diwali, the store offers a discount rate from the ticketed prices and offers to hold the bags at the store while we continue our shopping.

Luggage secured, we wandered in and out of a number of shops before Anand found what he was looking for. Unfortunately, the embroidered Kurties he was interested in didn’t come in the shorter length and he had difficulty deciding if which of the Kurties he wanted to purchase – if any. After some colossal waffling, Anand decided on three great Kurties. However, he didn’t want to wear the pajama bottoms and wanted the Kurties cut down so that they would appear more like North American clothing. *Sigh* I’m sooooo disappointed in him. After much haggling with the clerk, he finally agreed to keep one of the Kurties exactly as it should be (pants and all) and had the remaining 2 altered. We’ll be heading back to Commercial Street sometime next week to pick them up.

After tossing around a few ideas – Chinese, Tandoori, etc. – we decided to try a Tandoori restaurant that Manish had mentioned to me a few weeks ago. When we arrived at the restaurant, it was closed for Diwali and we were back to square one. We then considered going to the Royal Afghan in the Sheraton, since the tandoori was wonderful at that restaurant, but the new driver wasn’t familiar with it’s location and we didn’t know the exact address. In the end, we gave up and headed back to the hotel for dinner.

After dinner, I attempted to pack most of my things in the new bags to ensure I had enough space to fit everything. Surprisingly enough, I have room to spare in all of my bags now. Granted, I haven’t tried to pack my monster makeup and toiletries bag yet, so that could soon change.

I logged into the internet to chat with Drew and Virginia and flipped channels on the TV (this is only the second time I’ve turned on the TV since I arrived) while I was waiting. After 4-5 hours of chatting with friends from home, I toddled off to bed.

In keeping with tradition, today was a lazy day. Anand and I agreed to meet in the late afternoon to go shopping and I planned on getting as much sleep as possible.

I’ve decided I’m definitely buying a new suitcase and introducing my current one to the dustbin. I have serious doubts that it will survive the return trip to Canada. Today, Anand and I are window shopping – attempting to find out what I can expect to pay for a suitcase before I make a final decision.

We headed to Commercial Street – which is the main street in a motley warren of interconnected alleys and roads where shops exist in great numbers. The streets were packed with locals and tourists and it was somewhat difficult to move around without bumping into anyone.

We wandered in and out of clothing stores (Anand is looking for some traditional shirts) and luggage stores. Little shopping was accomplished and we called the driver to take us to FoodWorld (grocery store) so we could purchase some snacks. Loaded down with Diet Coke and Lays potato chips, we headed back to the hotel. On the way, I declared my intention to revolt if I had to eat another meal at the hotel restaurant. While we both agreed that a change in eating establishments was in order, neither of us could agree on what type of food we were in the mood for. In the end, we broke down and acted like typical North American tourists – going for the familiar restaurant we can find back home – and ate a TGI Fridays. Considering the fact that we’ve been driving by it every day since we arrived (it’s 2 blocks from the hotel) it’s amazing that I managed to hold out this long and not visit the restaurant sooner. It’s not that I wanted to eat North American food so much as I wanted a change in routine. Besides, they make great nacho’s!

Well fed and loaded down with snacks, we returned to the hotel for an early night. I flipped channels on the TV (this is only the second time I’ve turned on the TV since I arrived) for a few hours before heading off to sleep.

So long and thanks for all the fish*

For once, I finally managed to obtain a decent amount of sleep. When I went to bed last night, I had bags under my eyes big enough to cart home half of my purchases in! This afternoon, I look more human.

It’s a sad day for Anand and I today. Bill and Linda head back to the US at 8:30 pm tonight and we won’t see them again for quite a while. Anand commented that over the past few weeks, we have spent 16 hours a day together. It seems like they’ve always been here with us – laughing, shopping, eating, whining about lack of sleep, etc. It hasn’t really sunk in yet, but when it does, I am certain that the glimmer of Bangalore will be dimmed due to their absence.

We met for our final lunch together in the hotel restaurant. Earlier in the lobby, keeping with Diwali traditions of giving gifts, Linda provided me a 6 day supply of Tylenol PM. Now, instead of staring at the ceiling at 6am, I can ensure that I’ll get a good night sleep when I need it. Bill handed over his remaining Granola Bar supply with a comment that if I don’t use them, I’m to follow the tradition and leave the remainders with Anand on the 9th of November.

We can hear the fireworks (which are called crackers in India) shooting off all evening. A quick peek out the window provides a birds eye view of the action. Small pockets of fireworks are being shot into the air in what appears from a distance as a random display. The displays aren’t publicly organized, instead the fireworks are shot off by groups familes, friends, neighbours and corporations.

Tonight a Dandiya dance is taking place in the basement of the building. I tried to take pictures, but it was very dark and my flash wasn’t strong enough to make an impression. All of the pictures appeared as dark grey and black blobs on screen.

At the dance, I had a small mehndi design placed on the palm of my left hand. I could only stand to keep the mehndi on for 75 minutes, so I don’t know how long the design will last or how dark it will be in 1 to 2 days. Before I leave, I would like to have an additional mehndi design added to the front and back of my right hand.

* Source: Douglas Adams, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy trilogy (in 6 parts)

A tip and an apology can go along way. We were originally told not to tip in the hotel restaurant, but service has improved immensely since Linda tipped the waiter on our last buffet bill. At the time she provided the tip, she also called the hostess over to explain to the hostess that we had been instructed not to tip, that it wasn’t expected in the hotel, and apologized. Since the tip was provided, we no longer have to wait years to be served and the staff is bending over backwards to make our experience as enjoyable as possible. Linda was allowed to order of the childrens’ menu, bottled water arrived at the table without having to be requested. Bread baskets contained warm bread and were refilled when emptied… it’s such an amazing change. Anand and I will definitely have to remember to include a tip on our bills if we eat at the restaurant again before leaving the hotel.

Today, everyone is wishing each other a happy Diwali. I found an excellent description of Diwali on the net, so rather than attempting to explain it, I’ve provided you all with a link to the site above.

It appears we scheduled our gold shopping on the proper day. It is considered to be a good omen to buy gold or silver on this day, as it is Dhanteras. Following the traditions of the new country, Linda, Bill and I purchased some items at a jewelry store on Commercial street. Anand, as usual, did a lot of window shopping. We can’t pick on him too much today, since we razzed him on Tuesday about purchasing the rug. Today, he has a get out of teasing free card – at least when it comes to shopping.

Linda, Bill and Anand had their first trip in an autorickshaw this afternoon. Lucky for Anand, Manish and I, we had a decent driver. We’re not sure where Bill and Linda’s driver got his license, but a cracker jack box comes to mind. He was an absolute maniac on the roads. However, now Linda and Bill can brag that they’ve survived the adventure of a lifetime.

Our auto ride ended just in the nick of time. The skies opened shortly after we crawled into our cars and the streets were quickly flooded. Autos became stuck in the road as their engines flooded. Motorists stopped their mopeds and left them by the side of the road as they ran for cover. In an attempt to get us to work safely, our drivers took a trip through back alleys where only one car could pass at a time. While traffic wasn’t a concern on this route, the flooding seemed more concentrated here. We were amazed at how quickly the city flooded – considering it had only been raining for 20-30 minutes. Despite Manish assuring us that it wasn’t monsoon season, it rained cats and dogs for over 4 hours before clearing and returning to the humid Bangalore weather we had become used to.

Safe and sound at work, we listened to the rain beat down and watched lightening flash across the sky.

As we left work for the evening, Linda and Bill said their goodbyes. Without skipping a beat, Linda announced that Anand was single and in need of a wife before he leaving India. Anand turned a bright shade of red and we could see the wheels churning as people tried to think of friends or family who might fit Anands’ criteria.

At lunch today, we opted for the buffet and agreed at the end of the meal that we are pretty sick of eating. While it’s not entirely true, we often feel that all we do is eat, sleep, work and eat some more.

After lunch, we headed to the Central Cottage Industries Emporium on Cunningham road. Yep, that’s it… we returned to the scene of the crime…

Linda had seen a sapphire ring in CCIE when we were rug shopping and had decided to return and purchase it. Unfortunately, the price was a little too steep and the salesman wasn’t in a bargaining mood. On the bright side, Linda did manage to pick up 2 new rugs – Kashmir ones this time – at the 47% discount we had obtained last time we were rug shopping and had an opportunity to hone her bargaining skills. She haggled her way to free shipping and a great price.

I’m very proud of myself. I managed to stave off the overwhelming desire to purchase a larger rug for our home and walked out of CCIE without purchasing a thing.

Anand shocked everyone and bought a small 2×3 rug. We were all amazed that he’d purchased anything and Linda remarked that we needed to get a picture of Anand with a shopping bag. Apparently, there are people in Winnipeg who will pay for proof that Anand has been out shopping.

— break for work —

The crew at work presented Linda and Bill with a coffee table book highlighting Bangalore. Each agent signed their name in the book and Linda told them that the book would be placed in their office for her co-workers to view.