Chandars' Place

Innovative Film City, Bangalore

2009-05-01T08:19:00.000-07:00

We visited Innovative Film City about 35 kms from Bangalore with the kids. It was a great outing and was a lot of fun. We reached there around 11AM and spent nearly 6 hours - still wasn't enough to see a lot of the entertainments. This is a new attraction near Bangalore and has been done really well. The entry fee was a nominal Rs.50 per person and you pay for the individual entertainments inside. We visited a children's museum where kids can try as many as 15 professions including handling money (Innos) on their own. The crowd picked up around noon, but the lines weren't terrible. We also went to Louis Toussad's wax museum, haunted house, miniature city, dinosaur park and fossil museum. We have to go back there to look at the other ones. Pictures in our flickr.

Summer is here

2009-04-19T06:09:00.000-07:00

We have to break the mold of posting just 2 updates a year. Hopefully, we'll have more in 2009.

The summer is here.

Anu and kids are vacationing in Pune, I got back to Bangalore today (work). We had a great time in Pune and Mumbai. My parents joined us at Pune airport last week flying in from Chennai. We all went to Mumbai the following day. The weather has begun to warm up there, but didn't hurt that bad this time. We were mostly visiting relatives in Mumbai - went to the InOrbit mall which came up recently in Vaashi, Mumbai and supposed to be one of the biggest.

Coming back from Mumbai to Pune we made a day trip to Shiridi to visit the Sai Baba temple there - hot weather, barely managed. On the way back, we stopped in the middle of nowhere for lunch. It turned out to be a neat picnic. We later went to sani ballapur - another place middle of nowhere. We were told people don't lock their houses since the town is so safe (from burglers). It turned out that the shop our driver took us day-robbed us of Rs.350/- selling innocuous looking items before we came to our senses. Next we went to a water park (Krisnuai) in Pune and shopped at MG Road in Pune the following day.

Earlier, I had visited the US on business for 3 weeks. Went to Detroit and Austin. Got to spend a weekend each at New Jersey at my sister's place and California, visiting friends. The trip was so hectic with the work and travel, but was nice to meet friends and catch up.

While in US, picked up a WII console and an Ipod touch. The kids didn't get a chance to play the WII since we packed off to Pune in a couple of days after I returned - they love the iPod touch though - Keshav has mastered the 3 games I downloaded. Did you know you can get a WII game in India for Rs. 150 ($3) - pirated ofcourse :(

Pics at our flickr site

2008 in review

2008-12-14T02:09:00.000-08:00

As we get to the close of 2008 our life here seems to have gotten more hectic. Both Vallabh and Keshav celebrated their 4th and 8th birthdays respectively (pics in flickr). The kids have lots friends and continue to have a good time. Vallabh is in the second standard (grade) and Keshav in LKG (lower KG).

We celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary this July. We went out for a quiet dinner which has become a rarity the last few years.

Vallabh has been taking swimming lessons and has finally gotten over the fear of water and has started swimming with ease. Keshav is still on his training wheels. Anu has been taking pilates lessons during the week. We have tried to be regular with our gym schedules. The jury is still out on the improvements.

I'm still with Trilogy. The business is slowing down due to the Auto market in the US, expect to see some significant slow down in the first quarter of 2009. Work otherwise is quite normal. I have taken up the job of a General Secretary for our community in November. I started learning golf but have not been regular about it. I want to continue the game so I can play more regularly.

We visited Hong Kong earlier this year. The grand parents visited the kids along with great grandma. We also went to Chennai for a few times and once to Pune.

My aunt passed away in September and Anu's maternal grandma in November. Our friend Sai's dad passed away suddenly in August. The losses were hard to take and we miss them all.

Our neighbors in Cassia who we and kids were very close to, moved out into their newly bought home. This was a damper for the kids and us.

The Christmas tree has been put up in our living room. We are going to Chennai during the Christmas break to attend my uncle's 60th birthday. We expect to be back in Bangalore for the New Years.

Check-out the pictures posted in flickr

Happy New Year 2008

2007-12-31T20:36:00.000-08:00

We wish all our friends and family a wonderful 2008!!!

We celebrated New Year's eve at a friend's place in our complex. The kids stayed up miraculously the whole time - probably the first time awake for Vallabh. The fireworks display at the dawn of the New Year was dazzling to watch.

Last week, we had visited Mysore and Srirangapatnam (about 120kms from Bangalore) with my sister's family. Pictures from that trip and Vallabh's 7th birthday party are posted at our flickr site.

A trip to Mangalore

2007-10-02T00:16:00.000-07:00

We just got back this morning from a 3-day trip to Mangalore - a coastal town in Karnataka. We had a fantastic time and got pics (on our flickr) to prove it. We stayed at the Taj Manjarun which was a big hit with the kids. We were treated to a 5-star fair with great food, tidy rooms and welcome amenities.

The bus ride to Mangalore took an arduous 9+ hours and the roads barely existed most of the journey. The ride back was little better since we were knock-out tired and rested our eyes and limbs for the most part.

We spent the first day sightseeing nearby places in Mangalore and visited Udipi and Kollur (temples) the following day (Sunday). Since it rained for the first half of every day, we couldn't spend the time at the beach as much as we'd like to have. We visited the Malpe beach on Sunday and kept within city on Monday.

Check out pics from our trip and other escapades at our flickr site.

Summer vacation is over; Keshav turns 3

2007-07-01T03:28:00.000-07:00

It has been 3 months since the last update. Quite a few things to catch you up on.

In April we went down south to Tanjavur & Peravoorani to give Keshav his first 'mottai' ('mundan' or tonsuring). It was good that we did the trip before it warmed up. Anu and the kids spent a couple of weeks at their GP's house in Chennai.

In May, we visited Pune, Mumbai and Mahabaleshwar. For the kids, this is the first trip to Mumbai, and for us, after several several years. Mumbai is Bangalore in 2X fast forward - just amazing. Pune is more laid back and hilly. We made a one day trip to Mahabaleshwar which is about 120 kms from Pune on the hills. We went to strawberry farms and raced ATVs on dirt.

The schools reponed in June. Keshav started his pre-school with reluctance. He is now enjoying his school and friends. Vallabh went to I Standard (1 grade) in the same school (PSBB). Keshav goes to Kidzee which is a franchise of Zee films. The school is just 2-3 blocks from our campus. Anu gets to have some free time between 9:30 and Noon these days.

Anu and I got ourselves enrolled in Pilates and Yoga - mine is from 6-7a and hers from 11a-noon. Whether we lose weight and get slimmer is to be seen.

Keshav celebrated his 3rd birthday yesterday. The party as in the terrace and we had hired a 'baloon-twister' which was a hit.

Check out pics at our flickr site

Trip to Coorg

2007-03-20T09:48:00.000-07:00

We returned from a 3-day trip to Coorg about 250kms from Bangalore. Coorg is known for its coffee estates. The place we stayed had 4 cottages in the middle of a coffee estate (http://www.sand-banks.com/). There were 3 other families that shared the cottages, so there was no shortage of kids.

The roads were terrible as we got near the coffee estates, but were wonderful till we got to Mysore. We took a 1-hour drive to Abbey Falls on the first day. The second day was pure R&R. In the evening we went out to visit the coffee estate owned by the Kalappa family (our hosts). On the third day, we visited the Duberi park where elephants are trained and a tibetan monastry almost sprang out of nowhere on the way back.

The hosts spoiled us with great Coorg food and lavish comforts. Overall, it was a nice vacation - the birthday treat we bought ourselves. Pics are posted on our Flickr site.

Aero show 2007, Bangalore

2007-02-10T08:16:00.000-08:00

Today we went to see the Aeroshow 2007 in Bangalore. For Rs.300 per person, it was well worth it. We watched some amazing maneuvers, cutting edge technology and chilling speeds. The show is in Yelahanka (about 10 KM north of Bangalore) and is ending tomorrow.

The show started with paratroopers from Indian Air Force skydiving from about 4000ft. The Navrang helicoptor display stole the show with their formations and unbelievable stunts. Next came the Tejus fighter aircraft from IAF which clocked an amazing speed. We were blown out of our seats when the USAF F-16 and F-18 displayed their prowess. We got to see and hear aircrafts travelling at supersonic speeds. The final display was Boeing's C-17 Globemaster, a carrier aircraft in USAF that can carry a payload of several tonnes. It was HUGE!

Check out the pics at our flickr site

We have moved

2007-02-07T09:42:00.000-08:00

This time to our new apartment. We did our housewarming on 22nd January which was well attended by our relatives and friends. Shortly after, we moved all the stuff that week. Anu's mom helped out like she did when we moved to Bangalore.

We are more or less settled in now - the bunk bed has been set up in the kids' bedroom and we have put glowing stars and moon on the ceiling.

The TV is moved against the far end of the living room, so the kids don't bang into it each time they get excited. Since our apt opens up towards the West, it is much warmer and well lit than the earlier one.

The internet and cable connections came the same day we reached the new apartment. The telephone was activated a day after.

We're still debating whether to go to the airshow in Bangalore this weekend and have started planning our trips this spring and summer.

Checkout the Housewarming pics at our flickr site

Happy New Year 2007

2007-01-01T09:45:00.000-08:00

We wish all our friends and relatives a very happy and prosperous new year 2007 !!!

This year will be special to us as we have recently purchased a flat in B'lore and plan to move in early Feb. This is also our first new years (w/ kids) in India.

We welcomed the new year breaking the family tradition by staying awake at the stroke of midnight.

Pics of the new year's get together, vallabh's 6th birthday (10th Dec) and our trip to Mysore are posted on our flickr site.

Wonder La

2006-10-29T08:27:00.000-08:00

We went to Wonder La again, this time with Anu's brother and family. It was a hit just like the first time. The weather was just too good!

Vallabh and Kavya (Anu's niece) had loads of fun. Keshav refused to enter the water, still had fun watching us jump in and out.

More pics on our flickr site

Happy Diwali

2006-10-22T06:54:00.000-07:00

It's been almost 10 years since I was in India for Diwali; Anu and kids were here a couple of years ago. We had a wonderful time at Chennai, in spite of only for a couple of days. The Diwali scene in India has changed quite a bit. There's more awareness to environmental issues - which explains the reduction in the fire crackers sale and use. The crackers are also getting more friendlier - most crackers display the decibel level and some even come with safety fuse that's timed to avoid bursting on the face.

The usual ones like, 100(0) walas, flower pot, ground chakar, sparklers, rockets are still abound. The fireworks display high in the sky, which is quite a crowd puller in the US and abroad, have become common place here. The night sky is full of beautiful firework displays - they are going on even as I'm blogging. They are out in full force. We saw few wonderful displays behind the Chennai Central clock tower on our way to the train station on Saturday.

Happy Deepawali 2006! Pics on our Flickr site

Time was slipping away...

2006-10-22T06:40:00.000-07:00

We almost didn't make it to our train on Thursday headed to Chennai, thanks to Bangalore's traffic jam. For no apparent reason, the traffic came to a standstill on JC Road, just a few minutes away from the City station. We only had about 30 mins for the train with our seats yet to be confirmed. We almost gave up, but decided to get out of the car and started walking towards the station.

Luckily, we found a autowallah who took pity on us (w/ kids and bags in tow), decided to take us to the nearest train station at which our train would stop enroute to Chennai. We made it there miraculously with few mins to spare and made it to Chennai.

Our first experience of Bangalore's famous traffic jams will stay as a memorable one!

A brush with the past - Tipu

2006-10-13T22:42:00.000-07:00

Not having much to do last Sunday, and the driver at our disposal, we decided to visit the Tipu's palace and fort in the heart of B'lore city. Even long time Bangaloreans would not know about these wonderful pieces of history in their backyard. While the palace was open (Rs.5/- entry fee), the fort was unfortunately closed for renovation. It is sad that these wonderful treasures have long been abused and ignored. However, both these sites are now under the care of Indian Arch. Society, and are being renovated and preserved.

Tipu lived over 200 years ago and used the palace in Bangalore as his summer home.

Pics on our flickr site.

Rendezvous at Leela

2006-10-13T22:30:00.000-07:00

Kim and Barbara visited Bangalore on business from Schwab. They were staying at the Leela palace on airport road. I met them at their hotel on the last day of their trip. They were both 'really ready' to get back home to California, but had a bit of last hour shopping to do before getting on the plane :-) We chatted about their 'food' escapedes and run-ins with the 'cabbies' in Bangalore. I'm sure they had tons of 'Bangalore experience' to take back home.

Pics on our flickr site.

Golu in Chennai

2006-10-13T22:20:00.000-07:00

We visited Chennai for Navarathri couple of weeks ago. This time we went calling on relatives far and near. We also went shopping in T-Nagar for Diwali. The pocket felt lot lighter on our way back! Got back to Bangalore on 2nd October.

Golu pics on our flickr site.

Saraswathi pooja

2006-10-01T01:37:00.000-07:00

Saraswathi pooja was clelebrated excellently. Mami's mama family visited. mami's thatha was the chief guest. latha perima,viky,divya,ghayatri etc. Visited us in athai's house.
this was a great day with all of them there.Vallabh and keshav were very happy and were enjoying the day.

Dusshera is here!

2006-09-24T08:20:00.000-07:00

Nine days of celebrations have started all over India. In some parts, Dusshera is celebrated as Durga Puja. Dandya (dance) has caught on as the new face of Dusshera in parts that don't typically do Dandya. Last night, we had an hour of Dandya at Brigade Millennium (our residential community) with performances from kids and parents. It was a nice evening and a well organised celebration.

Vallabh's school closed for Dusshera on Wed last week, and reopens on 3rd October. Before they closed, the school had a 'Live Golu' in celebration of the festival. 'Golu or Navarathri' is another way Dusshera is celebrated in South India. Vallabh was dressed as 'Lakshmana' from Ramayana (see pic).

Keshav is his usual uncaring self. He's turning into a tough 2-year old who has an opinion on everything. He talks if anyone cares to listen. It's wonderful watching him do things, so different from Vallabh during his age. By the way, he doesn't have any friends of his own, but plays with his older brother's friends and toys.

Anu is taking swim lessons every weekend early in the morning. We wake up, see her leave, and go right back to sleep. She's also taking music lessons and finds time to take Vallabh to drawing and sloka classes here at Brigade. We're thinking of putting Keshav in school towards the end of this year.

Chandar's work is going well. The last few weeks have been hectic 12 hour days. It'd be nice to take a break and visit Chennai (again) this week.

More pics on our flickr site

Elephant Ride

2006-09-02T18:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to B'getta National Park with the kids and our chittappa who's visiting us from Chennai. All of us went on an Elephant Joy Ride before going to the zoo. The kids got their first hand experience of elephant travel - could come handy for negotiating the notorious Bangalore roads.

We rode on 'Vanaraja' while 'Gayathri' was looking (the names of the elephants)

Pics on our flickr site

Vallabh's Art

2006-08-29T20:15:00.000-07:00

Vallabh joined a drawing competition at school. Theme - My favorite picture

Ganapati Bappa Moriya

2006-08-27T09:23:00.000-07:00

Today is Ganesh Chaturti, it's celebrated in grand scale all over India. In the North, the festivities go on for 10 days before 'visarjan' - immersing Ganesha's idol in the sea or a nearby water body. We immerse the idol on the second day - tomorrow.

We went to the market y'day to pick up the clay idol of Lord Ganesh. The idol was decorated today followed by a small pooja, and ofcourse, delicious food afterwards.

Pics on our flickr site

Daytrip to Shivasamudram (Near Bangalore)

2006-08-19T22:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we went on a road trip to Shivasamudram which is about 120 kms from Bangalore. It was a great sight to watch river Cauvery drop 400ft over the cliff. The road to get there is quite good except for a few patches along the way. The weather was quite warm, but bearable. We stopped by the Hydroelectric plant that was build 100 years ago.

On our way back, we stopped at Channapatnam (about 60kms from Bangalore) which is known for its wooden toys. As it turns out, our driver's family lives in that town. We had a chance to meet them and stopped at the toy store before heading home. Vallabh was quite amused by the onlookers as we walked through a narrow alley to reach our driver's family.

Earlier this week, my Sister, Seetha and her family had visited for a couple of days. We had been to Chennai to celebrate my little nephew's (Advaith) first birthday.

Pics are posted on our flickr site.

One more reason to be in Bangalore?

2006-07-24T20:11:00.000-07:00

Chennai Visit

2006-07-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

We returned from a 3-day trip to Chennai last Sunday. The heat was unbearable. We took the night train on Friday and reached Chennai early morning on Sat. We did a traditional birthday ceremony for Keshav on Sunday. During our stay at Chennai, we met Sumathi Narayanan, Chaya and Anirudh who are on their India visit. We returned to Bangalore on Sunday.

Jul 15th was our 8th wedding anniversary. We went bowling with the kids, had dinner at Utsav restaurant in Jayanagar before returning home.

Bangalore has cooled considerably - the lows are even below Livermore. We are still looking for an apartment to buy - haven't had much luck so far.

Vallabh likes his school and has progressed to the next level in swimming. Keshav's adding new dimensions to his antics everyday

Keshav turns 2!

2006-07-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

Keshav celebrated his second birthday on Friday (30th June) - the first one he'd remember! There were quite a few kids from our block who attended the party. We had snacks, juice, pizza and a butterscotch flavored cake. The kids played 'red light - green light' going with the car theme :) - got tired, and moved on to coloring and turned the place upside down - pretty normal for us. Anu conducted a musical chair with a twist - instead of chairs, the kids had to pick a car from a reducing pile of cars at the center of the circle. Keshav was quite oblivious of the fact that it was his birthday until he stood in front of the cake and everyone but him started singing. He flashed a huge smile and went for the candle - obviously, knew the drill!! More pics at our Flickr site...

Taxman, beat it!

2006-06-26T10:17:00.000-07:00

One common thought people returned from US to India have is - how to distribute the money in IRA and 401K without penalty, since most of the returnees are well below 59 1/2 years

Rule #: Distributions from IRA (that aren't qualified for tax benefits) before the age of 59.5 will be subject to 10% penalty, and the regular income tax on the withdrawn amount.

The suggestion below looks credible...

In case you have traditional IRA accounts (or will have when you rollover your 401ks), do not convert them into Roth right away (since Roth has tax free withdrawls). Wait for the year when you have little or no US income then do the conversion … so you pay no taxes at all on the conversion. Pass this on to anyone else who has made the migration back to India as well.

More details here …. http://www.fatwallet.com/t/52/624589/

A visit to the Museum

2006-06-24T10:38:00.000-07:00

Today we visited the Visvesvarya industrial and Technological Museum in Bangalore. It's a good sized museum with a nominal entry fee (Rs. 15 per person). There are five floors of exhibits with sections dedicated to Aerospace, Biotech, Mechanics and electronics. The science behind each exhibit was a bit overwhelming - kind of reminds the school days, and the museum deserves a better upkeep. We had a good time however. The boys were fascinated by the wheels and all things mechanical in the museum.

More pics on our flickr page

Lavan's Bangalore visit

2006-06-23T21:04:00.000-07:00

In her own words:
I came to banglore by air on 22 nd.I really enjoyed the travel.This was the first time I experienced a flight journey.I was really lucky
to get the window seat in my flight.I enjoyed to see things go smaller and smaller,as the plane reaches its maximum hieght.After reaching banglore,mami &keshav recieved me at the air port.I visited the swimming pool and enjoyed
watching my little brother swimming there.we all ate some snacks in the nearby stall.the next day
I enjoyed discovering things by wandering around the appartment on my own.
It wasreally a nice stay over here,enjoying this cool climate and playing with my little brothers.

Vallabh goes to School

2006-06-15T08:56:00.000-07:00

The much awaited event happened on Wednesday this week - Vallabh went to School for the first time in India. Like us, there were hundreds of nervous parents who filled the unfinished playground at the PSBB Leadership Learning Academy on Bannerghatta road. It was a great sight to see so many kids assembled at one time - ages 4-7.

Vallabh's class is on the first floor, and he goes to UKG 'C' section. So far, he seems to be enjoying his school. Starting Tuesday, he'll go on the school bus.

The school's founder Mrs. Parthasarathy was there to inagurate the school. She announced that there'll be no exams and kids don't have to carry books daily. Cool concept eh? Wonder why they didn't think up this when we went to school!

Visit to Pune

2006-06-15T08:45:00.000-07:00

Anu and kids visited her mom and brother's family in Pune late May - early June. We were all bent on settling in Pune before finding a job in B'lore. Anu had a first-hand experience of life in Pune, which turned out to be pretty good. The weather in Pune is not as pleasant as Bangalore, but isn't bad either. The city has a very long history and is supposed to be better constructed than Bangalore.

Anu's mom and brother's family moved to Pune earlier this year from Gwalior. Her neice, Kavya, celebrated her fourth birthday. The kids stuck like glue!

More pics at http://www.flickr.com/photos/chandars/

Fun time with grandparents

2006-06-15T08:32:00.000-07:00

The kids and us had whale of a time with grandparents and great granma (kollu paati) visiting us in May. Great granma and grandpa were first time fliers, and had a lot of fun flying in and out of Bangalore.

More photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/chandars/

Time to buy property in Bangalore

2006-05-30T11:13:00.001-07:00

After a few weeks of hunting for an apartment to buy, I have come to a realization that we should have started looking out for one 6 months ago. The prices have skyrocketed and continue to go up.

The apartment buildings are huge and come will full amenities - club, pool, park, gym etc.

The prices around our area are Rs.3000 per sq ft. A 2000 sq ft apt would run up a bill of Rs. 80L ($180K) including car park, maintenance and 12% tax. The prices are going up drastically. In our area, the prices were in the Rs.2200 per sq ft range 1 year ago.

Prime localities can run up fro Rs. 3500 - 4500 per sq ft.

If you are looking to move back, or looking for a good investment, buying property in B'lore is definitely worth a second look

Checkout Brigade Group's website http://www.brigadegroup.com/apartments/

Other popular builders are Sobha, Prestige, Poorva and Mantri

Going to the movies

2006-05-28T06:45:00.000-07:00

Movie theatres in b-lore are grande affairs.

Anu and I went to see 'Rang de Basanti' at the PVR cinemas at the Forum mall. Tickets can be booked by phone and picked up an hour before the movie starts. The online ticketing hasn't caught on yet. Last Friday, I saw 'Da Vinci code' at the same theater.

The multiplexes are coming up everywhere. There aren't as many seats as traditional theaters - multiplexes have 500 seats are so. The tickets cost between Rs 150 - 500 depending on the class. For Rs. 500 at the PVR cinemas, you can watch movies in full recliner couches, with food served during the show -- a 'royal' experience.

Mysore road...Smoooth!!!

2006-05-06T11:26:00.000-07:00

Wonder la

2006-05-06T11:20:00.000-07:00

It's a theme park about 30kms from Bangalore on Mysore road. We visited this morning and had a wonderful time. Anu with kids at the wave pool. This was a huge hit with the kids and practically everyone there. For more pics checkout http://www.flickr.com/photos/chandars

Skanda and Sudha visit

2006-05-01T11:06:00.000-07:00

Skanda and Sudha visited us y'day and stayed over. It was good catching up. The kids had loads of fun. They were up past mid-night. The moms went on for long after...

Before and after

2006-05-01T11:05:00.000-07:00

Things are starting to take shape as we fill up the house. The kids' bunk bed is arriving tomorrow. We ordered most of the furniture from 'Concepts Furniture and Interiors' on Hosur road near Dairy Circle. The best part is, all furniture can be customized to our taste. In our case, we just showed the 'Concepts' guy, the IKEA catalog, and voila...the order is made. Damage - Rs. 1.25L. Before and after pics below

2006-05-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

Dining

2006-05-01T11:03:00.001-07:00

Dining room

2006-05-01T11:03:00.000-07:00

Kids room (after) - not much different eh!

2006-05-01T11:02:00.001-07:00

Kids room (before)

2006-05-01T11:02:00.000-07:00

Living room

2006-05-01T11:01:00.000-07:00

Before and after

Catching up!

2006-04-26T20:41:00.000-07:00

We still haven't got internet connection from Tata Indicom...the misery continues.

The great hunt for the car is over. After surveying the market, and taking a few test drives, we have settled in for Ford Fiesta. We expect the car this weekend. There's an agency (janavahana) that arranges drivers for those in need...like us! The service is pricey by Indian standards (Rs 5k pm), but it comes with peace of mind.

We have our living room furniture, the beds are still on order. For now, we have more or less settled into a daily rythm. Vallabh is going to a swimming class (which he hates btw). The summer is starting to make it known...the temps are in the high 80s (relatively high for Bangalore).

Anu's mom is leaving next week to Chennai. Sudha and Skanda are visiting Bangalore tomorrow - we are eager to meet them.

The mango season is in full swing...the fruit is delicious - can't believe how long we missed it!!!

Getting an internet connection in Bangalore

2006-04-12T11:24:00.000-07:00

The choices of internet providers are abound. The list has all the popular names - BSNL (Govt), Tata Indicom (VSNL), Hathway, AirtelT, Reliance etc.

The types of plans offered can be quite confusing - like cellphone plans. Plans can be volume based (download GBs), time based (hours), Speed (64-512KB) or a combination of all.

One can get a connection in less than a week if the provider offers internet in the area. A quick phone call brings the rep to your door within 24 hours. It takes a day to determine if the area is serviced by the provider. If yes, the connection is made within 2-3 days.

Unfortunately for us, most of the providers don't offer service in the building we're in. This is because it's a new community. We hope to get hooked up to the net in another week - lets see!

Last night at Halcyon, Bangalore

2006-04-12T07:20:00.000-07:00

We are moving to our apartment tomorrow. Anu and her mom have been setting up the place over the past few days. All our stuff have arrived from US - lots of unopened and opened boxes.

We paid Vallabh's school fees and got his admit card in PSBB Learning Leadership Academy. The school bldg is still unfinished and we've been promised it'll be ready before school starts in June.

Today, the washing machine was hooked up. Also got the gas cylinder for kitchen. The phone should've been hooked up today - but everything came to a grinding halt with Dr. Rajkumar (movie actor) passing away today.

All offices and shops were closed on hearing the news. There's hardly any traffic on the road - everyone's got indoors fearing riots. Onour way

home today, we saw huge nets in front of Forum Mall to stop rocks from breaking the glass structure and windows. Interesting challenges!!

We're enjoying our last day at Halcyon - the temporary housing provided by Trilogy. The service here has been exceptional and the staff extremely friendly.

The kids have been glued to the TV all the time - getting all the channels and cartoons...and some more. It's going to be interesting when we move to our apartment since we have not purchased a TV.

Vallabh met a few friends today at the apartment - Vidhyutha, Daisy and Pranav.

Settling in...

2006-04-07T11:48:00.000-07:00

We've started to unpack and set up the new apartment while still living in the company provided guest house in Koramangla. Our air shipment arrived earlier this week and everything was intact. The kids now have more toys, and we have few more pairs of clothes. Our sea shipment has been delayed clearance due to a bank strike. Hope to get them delivered next week.

Big things this week:

Anu's mom arrived from Pune to help us with the move. The kids now have a great company, and we're breathing a sigh of relief.
Vallabh got through the selection process at two schools and we've decided to put him in PSBB Learning Leadership Academy on Bannergheta Road. It's a bit expensive, but we have had the best experience with among the schools we've seen. The school is approx 3 km from our apartment - still a 30 mins drive. Class start in June.
The Refrig, Washing m/c and stove were delivered.
Getting a gas connection has been interesting - we haven't got one yet. To provide a gas connection (cylinder), the reputed companies need the 'ration card' as a proof of residence. A gas voucher is required to get a fresh ''ration card' issued - go figure! For now, we are planning to borrow a cylinder from a friend and *work* on getting a ration card.
We've finally connected our Vonage today. The 925- number should be active for another week , and then we've to try it at the new apt. We plan to move in on Apr 12
Getting phone and internet connections have also been quite easy, if you go with a private provider. We've placed an order for Phone (landline) with Tata Telecom, and i-net DSL with Airtel
The great hunt for furniture is on...

The ubiquitous cellphone

2006-04-07T11:33:00.000-07:00

The first thing you get asked is your cellphone number, even before your name. Everyone has one! Although getting a cellphone is pretty easy, it didn't quite feel that way at first. Here's how you go about it:

1. You need to get an equipment (which fits with pretty much all providers). This could run from Rs. 2,000 thru Rs. 30,000. Once you get the equipment, you are in the game.

2. Decide if you want to go pre-paid or post-paid.

3. Pre-paid is easy. Just walk into any street shop and ask for a SIM card. It'll cost you approx Rs. 400 for 100 mins. The shop keeper activates it right there (by calling on his cellphone - no surprises there). You can be on your way in 5 minutes.

4. Post paid needs paperwork, but it's just a breeze as well. All you need is a photo id, picture and address proof. If you need long-distance access, you'll be asked to furnish Salary details. The rep visits your office or home to take the order and gives you the card right there. It takes a day to activate.

2006-04-07T11:14:00.000-07:00

My office building in Bangalore. We've two floors in this bldg. If you run through the names of offices along this road, you'll find every name in Bay Area. Just goes to show how much globalization has spread.

Neighborhood rates

2006-04-05T11:34:00.000-07:00

Would you believe if I told you a luxury apartment cost more than Rs. 100,000 per month(~$2,500) ? You better...Acropolis, near Dairy Circle.

2006-04-05T11:14:00.000-07:00

The Forum Mall
This is round the corner from my office and the ultimate weekend destination for the local crowd. There's 4 floors of parking, tons of shops and restaurants...and even a 12 screen movie theater.

I went to Pizza Hut (which btw looks nothing like the original) the other day with my colleagues. There are over 30 Pizzas on the menu with all the Indian flavors you can imagine - even saw Pepperoni - a no-no for the local crowd. You ring a bell in the front of the restaurant if the service was good. No tips..just ring...ring...ring.

2006-04-02T03:05:00.000-07:00

Our UK visit was short and sweet in spite of the freezing temps and constant rain. London is a great city. It's a miniature of US - the roads are narrower and not as neat. And then....the language!

The first 3 weeks in Bangalore

2006-04-02T01:04:00.000-08:00

Can't believe we've been in Bangalore for less than 3 weeks! The settling in has been quite smooth and comfortable. All of us have kept good health so far...haven't really ventured out to try the restaurants or local water. The first time we did, Anu was down for 2 days.

We have found an apartment which is about 7kms from my place of work. The apt complex has excellent facilities. The roads are not near as good. More about this later. Our stuff will be delivered in the next 2-3 days at this new apartment.

Vallabh went for an evaluation (test) at the Oxford School in JP Nagar yesterday. Today, he went to PSBB Leadership academy for a similar evaluation. We hope to finalize the school in the next week.

Today we went and purchased a refrigerator, washing machine and cooking stove. We've to start looking for furniture.

Trilogy has been great. I've managed to keep a US like schedule at work.

2006-04-02T01:02:00.000-08:00

We are put up at the Halcyon in Koramangla. The facilities are outstanding.

2006-03-30T08:48:00.000-08:00

Vallabh's last day at Quarry Lane school