Mall

went to new mall in the area today InOrbit Mall. Ate a vegetable burrito at a Mexican to go place that had lentils (beans?) and 'an exotic mixture of zuccinnnii , onion, and cottage cheeze'. Looked at the Claire's type accessory stores, the department store, got an espresso, then found a giant Fred Meyer type grocery and houseware store. It was not unbearably hot today. 1) table service for $1 espresso 2)view from the mall, you can see water buffalo to the right of the white pole between the palm trees 3)I had to include a photo of a toilet, at the mall there is always a drain in the corner with a spray hose to wash with 4) Ladies Security Check, the curtained booth where ladies get privately patted down before entering any mall, shoppinjg area, park , festival area, large restaurant 5) general security gate to mall in parking garage, there is a ladies security check curtain to the left of the gate

Housekeeper

The housekeeper of the apt is Sarenjin. He is roughly 40 and has a wife and 2 daughters 3 and 6 I think. He used to be head of housekeeping of the old computer company offices and will hold the same job when the offices for the new company are finished and in the meantime he has been doing housekeeping at the apt. He started spending half the day at the offices on the 1st so we don't see him as much at the apt but I don't feel that there's a whole afternoon of housework here. He does the laundry (leaving my piles on my luggage or inside if it's open) about every other day (the washer is tiny-o so tiny and adorable), cleans the kitchen, sweeps and mops the whole apt, organizes the recycling (recycling is king here, we more or less don't make trash), brings fresh fruit everyday and makes fruit salad and will bring other groceries or get take out depending on what we need (the first couple days i was here he brought take out cuz I wasn't up for going out). If we're in the apt at lunchtime he makes us plates of leftovers (that still freaks me out) He loves to organize things and i've been told "yeah, you can put it there, but it'll just wind up where Sarenjin thinks it should go". He comes by roughly from 12-6 Mon-Sat and doesn't stay here the whole time, but runs errands, usually including the farmers market. Since June 1st he's been coming by for an hour or two after a while at the office. I don't think an apt this size needs a housekeeper, but it's sort of a transition job between companies, and he's someone to ask "where do we get this?" or "how do we get this fixed?" I get the impression that he is very good at asking around for things. Since there are about 3 1/2 white people in this city, it's in our interest to have a 'cultural liason'. He takes the bus now but will hopefully get a scooter soon. We asked him about avocados yesterday and he had never seen one around here. Too bad! More mango!

photos 1) more traffic 2) my second sock is better than the first 3) a new kitchen shelf was delivered the other day 4) I love the ice cube trays, you twist them and the cubes fall into a bucket below 5) the o so tiny washing machine on the kitchen balcony (pannies and sox are hung on this balcony and towels and shirts etc on the more public balcony)

Clothing/Shopping

Ok, so iz Friday morning. Last night we asked the housekeeper if he knew of a ladies tailor. He didn't know any nearby, but when he went to the farmers market he asked around and I was later told that two women would be showing up this morning to measure me and take the cloth I bought yesterday to make into an outfit. So I'm waiting and a little wierded out. I haven't been measured for anything since my prom dresses. See, that's what makes Sarenjin so great, he doesn't want us gringos to go wandering into some shop that is going to rip us off, so he asked around at the farmers market and with the guards at the gate and most likely the women coming over live int he apt complex. There's 25 BU dorm size apt buildings and I guess a lot of people have businesses from inside the home. Since all the women buy cloth and have it tailored, a lot of women would know tailoring. Sometimes you pass a shop that says 'precut clothing' and it's usually mix and match tops and bottoms. The shop we went into yesterday also had a sign saying 'fixed prices' which means no haggling. Nicer for us. The cloth was 1350 rps which is less than $30. Every store that you go into has a security guard who opens the door for you and you have to leave your bag at a cubby and present your receipt on exiting. Not sure if I mentioned the malls yet. At every mall entrance and some larger stores and restaurants you walk through a security gate (the beepy kind like at the airport) and there are varying amounts of guards and guns. If you're a woman (oh, me,me! I am ! I am!) you walk through the gate then behind a curtain where there are 2 women guards. You open your purse or backpack for a quick look, then they very not-shyly pat you down all over including over your boobies and between your legs. Not groping, but very efficient, and it is all over. It's sort of a pain in the ass, but you know that you're safe everywhere. Photos 1) I'm starting to learn landmarks this lot is across from the graveyard about 5 mins drive towards town 2)the black car in front of camera says "Jesus Loves You" 3) workmen in the office lobby , lots of progress since then this is over a week ago 4) outside window from office, some of the workers families live onsite then move to the next site 5) ronald Mc Donald in shopping mall. Also, when you're shopping there are about 12,327 employees who take things off the shelf and hand things to you or display them for you and they call you ma'am or madam. Unless you're a guy. "Madam likes blue, here is blue. Madam does not like red, okay." All shop signs are in English. I've heard that they can be in English, then if the shop chooses to add other languages it must be both Hindi and Telegu around here, so most people just put up English signs rather than all 3. So everyone knows shop words in English and when in doubt point and say please.

Bought Something

Went to General Bazzaaarrr today by cab (long ride , lots of traffic, and expecting to come back with bags. Bought fabric to make tunic, pants and shawl with. Got hot, sweated, ate biryani. Need to find good Ladies' Tailor reasonably close to have the outfit made. This will not be a sari, but a top, bottom and shawl. Not sure yet if I'll get a sari. Today I saw moo cows, working cows, donkey, she goats, he goats, roosters, eatin' chickens, kitty, doggie. All normal now.

Traffic

Ok, so you know what iz like in Coolidge Corner when it's a red light, but everyone from the opposing direction has gone halfway through the intersection and gets stuck and all the pedestrians just go for it? Yeah, it's like that but FAST! It does seem to make sense because everybody does the same thing and everybody knows what's going on. A lot of honking, but it's not aggressive, it's to let people around you know where you're passing them. Most people use motorcycles or scooters, so when a car or truck is about to pass you, they honk to indicate on which side (there are no silly 'lanes' here) so that you won't move towards that direction. It's nonstop but it totally works. The closest thing I've seen to road rage is someone shaking his head at a bold move. Also haven't seen any road kill or collisions. SPEED BUMPS HURT!!!! There are speed bumps EVERYWHERE! and they are part of a grand scheme to make people infertile! On a 10-15 minute ride into town there is 1 stoplight intersection, but there are about 23 speed bumps. I suppose this is to keep people from going too fast for too long -that's why they're called 'speed bumps' silly. U-turns are legal everywhere and on long roads there are regular breaks in the median so you can do them. This seems to keep traffic moving and it keeps you from having to look for a place to turn around. It's really different, but I feel totally safe and it makes sense for here.

Deb Needz Spell Bettur

Not much to report. Stayed in all Sunday watching sports (?) and in all day Monday watching them tell us how hot it was on tv. Yesterday went to the office for a while and ate lunch at N Grill a mixed cuisine restaurant. Very neuvou (sp?) riche loft excessive glassware sort of look with huge nude Thai goddess statues and coconut trees in the courtyard. Ate gnocci in pesto sauce. SO nice to have my own entree and not have someone in my face ladeling out my food.

Driving Photos

1)the Torso, Forehead n'Sunglasses Subcontinent reunion tour of 2010 2)water buffalo everywhere 3) everyone drives a motorcycle or scooter, this is in a parking garage at a mall, some people tie a small scarf to the handle to tell theirs apart a lot like people do with luggage at airport, 4)inside of an auto, 3 can sit in the back and there is a shelf to put packages in the back, but i've seen way more than 3 people in one of these, they are all over even on tiny tiny back streets, 5)my first sock!