High points

On the drive home from the Corbett National Tiger Reserve in Uttarkhand, North India, I asked the family what the high points of the trip were for each of them.

Rachel:

1) The monkey stealing Rebekah's chips

2) Getting a stuffed tiger

3) Seeing the baby elephant

Rebekah:
1) Riding on an elephant in the river

Dan:
1) Seeing the baby elephant

For me:
1) Watching the elephants being washed in the river

2) Watching the sun come up while riding in an open jeep through the tiger reserve. (Even if we had to get up at 400 am and I was completely exhausted)

Sunday Swimming

We recently found out that the church we have been attending, The Delhi International Christian Fellowship, has an early service on Sunday. With anywhere from 20 to 40 people it is small and fits our style and schedule much better. We are in and out of Delhi before many people are out of bed and most importantly, before any of the Sunday traffic starts. Today after church, we decided on a lazy Sunday with naps, games, and time at the pool. For once I remembered to bring my camera. Rachel and Rebekah lived up to their reputation as divas by showing off their modeling skills. They definitely don't learn these poses from me.

Rebekah lounging in the sun.

Rachel has become a very good swimmer but prefers to float around in the ring.

Practicing the pose.

Rachel said, "Am I ready for Project Runway?" She could care less about the designs and designers but L-O-V-E-S watching the models.

Finally the two in one photo just being themselves.

transformation of our home

The first two photos were taken July 2010. There was so much dust, rubble and construction going on at the time. There was no way that I could picture how this place would eventually turn into a home for us. Yes, in the back of my mind, I knew it would happen. But it seemed so far away.

Above is looking into the dining room from the entry way.

Below is from the hallway looking toward the living area.

Above is our dining area today :) This is taken looking through the hall window. (See large hole in photo at top) My helper, Rebekah, somehow managed to get her little face in just about every shot I took. I would make sure she was out of the room, and somehow, by the time I clicked, there she was.

The living area with our new sofa and rug (and fake sleeper). The window above sofa is the large hole seen in second photo. Now it is a nice window that allows tons of light to pass into the hallway leading to bedrooms.

Looking through the hall window into living area and on to dining area.

We still need to hang some of our artwork, get a few more plants, and mess it up a little to make it feel 100% home. But, it is almost there.

Cooking at home

Yesterday, I decided to cook our first Indian meal at home. On the menu was Muttar Paneer, Lacha Paratha, and a beef dish (water buffalo). I did the beef the same way I always did in the US just to keep the girls happy and make sure they would have something to eat. I would love to say that I totally went out of the box and made this delicious Indian meal on my own. Unfortunately, I can't say that. Tshring, our wonderful housekeeper/nanny/cook/mama's helper did most of the work. I did watch, hang out with her in the kitchen, and learn from her during the process.
We started with the spices and Ghee. The ghee is on the left. When looking at it in the container, it reminds of post lipo-suction photos of fat that has been taken out of a person. Tshring has worked in homes with children before so she left out the chilis (much to Dan's disappointment).
Rachel and Rebekah helped her roll out the dough and slather it with ghee for the lacha paratha.

A finished plate....yummmmy. Clockwise from top: Muttar Paneer, the plain water buffalo, and Lacha Paratha. Lacha means layers so the dough is rolled out, then you fold it like a fan, twist the dough into a ball again, and re-roll. When it's cooked it has nice flaky layers in it. Again, yummmy.
Up close with the muttar paneer. One of my favorite dishes so far. The girls didn't even want to try it. Rachel said it wasn't "as gross as it looks" and Rebekah made me wipe the sauce off her peas before eating. Oh well....we will keep trying.

one stop shopping

Shopping here in India does not happen with the ease to which most of us westerners are accustomed. I often have to go to three or four different shops to find all the essentials. Meat is better in one place, but the veggies are fresher across town, while good bread is in another location. If for some reason I need batteries, light bulbs, or something "out of the ordinary" then we are off on another adventure. It can take a large portion of your day just to do what I would do in an hour at the local Target. Finally, I have found a place where I can do most of my shopping in one stop. Arjun Marg in Gurgaon is my newest favorite spot. The need to go to three or more shops to get it all done is there but the shops are all together in one city block.

The Fresh Produce Shoppe. They get deliveries on Wednesday so that is the best time to go. They also carry a small selection of imported and local goods. Plus, they deliver....but as I have learned, who doesn't deliver in India.

You can go to one shop and buy your fabric or an outfit and then go to one of the many men and women sitting in the aisles with sewing machines for alterations.

Really, I'm convinced that if I search enough around this area there will never be another need to shop anywhere else.

Plants, Goats, & Bargains

Each day in India brings on another adventure. Today, my friend Uyen and I headed out to find some plants for our balconies and homes. We both came to India and moved into our new apartments around the same time. We also each have two girls of approximately the same age and lived in the hotel in adjacent rooms for 11 weeks. Needless to say she has become my newest bff. It is so much fun kitting up our new homes together and sharing our finds. I found some lamps, a place to get a good haircut, and the grocery store. She found the pest guy, the meat guy, and someone to polish our floors. It just wouldn't be as much fun doing all this without her. Alas, I digress.....back to today. We decided it was time to get some greenery in our homes. Our amazing driver/translator/security guard, Nemlal, took us to what I am starting to call "Nursery Row" on MG Road in Gurgaon. The lush plants and vibrant shades of green, yellow, and purples that welcomed us were incredible. Wandering among row upon row of tropical trees and bushes was extremely calming. Most business I have frequented so far in India have at least one minimal English speaker. No such luck at this place. Thankfully, Nemlal was with us and stepped right up. His English is so-so but today I will give him an A+.

The goats were running wild among the plants. I don't think they belong at the nursery but appear to feel right at home. I tried to jokingly ask if we could hire a goat to come prune the plants and bushes for us. Maybe it was lost in translation because it didn't even get a smirk.

Nemlal bargained with the plant guys and made sure they picked out the very best for us.

We also got to see where the pots are made at the back of the nursery as well as where the men live. Between the two of us we purchased 15 plants which were delivered by two bicycle wagons and three men.

Part of our final purchase and the men figuring out delivery.

All in all a good day :)

Indian Cooking 101

Back to school again? Okay it's only one and a half hours, two days a week for six weeks but....for me, the whole idea of a cooking class seems odd. I am not that great a cook to begin with. I haven't even mastered the good old American standards. What am I doing taking an Indian cooking course? One reason, a good friend is taking it and this gives us an excuse to hang out together without children. Two, we are in India (duh?) so I may as well take advantage of this opportunity. Three, I am hoping that with this course I will learn a little more about what I see in the markets. The spice sections have always been a little overwhelming to me in the US. Add all the Indian spices and names I'm not familiar with and you've got me running for McDonald's. Thankfully, this teacher, Punita, really means it when she titled the class "Intro to Indian Cooking." She started from the very basics. We saw, smelled, and tasted most of the spices. She showed us how to chop a chili pepper without getting much of the juice on your hands. She gave us a list of all the commonly used spices with descriptions and their Hindi names. Check back with me in six weeks and see if I can make you a beautiful curry dish or not.....

The ingredients for the "basic sauce" as Punita called it. Not really a sauce in my vocabulary Tomatoes, curry leaves, ginger, garlic, onions, chilies, and coriander. She says to fry these ingredients up with a little oil and have the basis of many, many Indian dishes.

Cooking up the "sauce."

We also made Allo Tiki that day. It is a sort of potato pancake with chilies, onions, ginger, and a dozen other spices mixed in. You coat it with semolina, fry, and voila (there has to be an Indian word for voila, but I haven't learned it yet). They were delicious with a little kick to them too. I will have to learn to make two portions....one spicy for Dan, and another not so spicy for the girls and I.