Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Today is India's Independence Day.
We chose to celebrate with ice cream.
We chose to celebrate with ice cream.
Monday, August 13, 2012
For the past week or so, I've been in a bit of a funk. For no single reason, I'm irritable, non-social, and listless. And so what I'm about to say is probably not accurate, and odds are, not even true in most cases.
People are selfish.
And lately, this pervasive attitude has really started to bother me.
Do I think people are selfish only in India? No. But with all the social norms I've grown up with, and am now living apart from, I think this truth is easier for me to see here.
When people choose to lie to me instead of give me bad news.
When people push my children on the ground because they're in a hurry to leave an elevator.
When people stare at me blankly and suddenly forget the English they were just using when I ask about things I'm missing in a food order, or when I ask for change from an auto driver.
A few years ago, I struggled to survive in a bad work environment. When I finally decided the stress and frustration was beginning to affect my health and home life, I quit. And when I told a friend of my decision, she said, "You gotta do what's good for you." I nodded in agreement, and it wasn't until I was on my way home that I started thinking that maybe she wasn't right after all.
Because you see - I left that job quickly. I went down to the HR department, gave them my resignation, and then told them that while I would abide by policy and give them two more weeks if they required it, I would strongly prefer that they allow today to be my last day.
I left several teammates in a lurch that day - and heaped the very same stress I'd decided I couldn't handle onto their already burdened shoulders. In truth, I was selfish.
I mention this only to say that in the grand scheme of things, I am one of the most selfish people you will ever meet. But lately I wish we could all be a little more honest, and open, and just plain nice to one another. That for one moment each day, we really make an effort to place ourselves in the shoes of the person standing next to us, and ask what we can do to make their life easier.
So the next time I have to pick twelve items from a menu before I find one that they actually have in stock, I'm not going to get angry. I'm going to smile, and say thank you, and try my best to be the happy part of someone's day, instead of just another customer.
Because the truth is, I'm just being selfish. And the world could use a little less of that attitude.
People are selfish.
And lately, this pervasive attitude has really started to bother me.
Do I think people are selfish only in India? No. But with all the social norms I've grown up with, and am now living apart from, I think this truth is easier for me to see here.
When people choose to lie to me instead of give me bad news.
When people push my children on the ground because they're in a hurry to leave an elevator.
When people stare at me blankly and suddenly forget the English they were just using when I ask about things I'm missing in a food order, or when I ask for change from an auto driver.
A few years ago, I struggled to survive in a bad work environment. When I finally decided the stress and frustration was beginning to affect my health and home life, I quit. And when I told a friend of my decision, she said, "You gotta do what's good for you." I nodded in agreement, and it wasn't until I was on my way home that I started thinking that maybe she wasn't right after all.
Because you see - I left that job quickly. I went down to the HR department, gave them my resignation, and then told them that while I would abide by policy and give them two more weeks if they required it, I would strongly prefer that they allow today to be my last day.
I left several teammates in a lurch that day - and heaped the very same stress I'd decided I couldn't handle onto their already burdened shoulders. In truth, I was selfish.
I mention this only to say that in the grand scheme of things, I am one of the most selfish people you will ever meet. But lately I wish we could all be a little more honest, and open, and just plain nice to one another. That for one moment each day, we really make an effort to place ourselves in the shoes of the person standing next to us, and ask what we can do to make their life easier.
So the next time I have to pick twelve items from a menu before I find one that they actually have in stock, I'm not going to get angry. I'm going to smile, and say thank you, and try my best to be the happy part of someone's day, instead of just another customer.
Because the truth is, I'm just being selfish. And the world could use a little less of that attitude.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Jason posted this on Facebook, but just in case you missed it, I thought I'd share it here. Remember seeing the news about 6.something million people losing power in India due to a couple of failures in their infrastructure? Luckily, Bangalore was not affected.
But...Jason may have captured a clue as to what the issue is...
You tell me? Is electrical equipment supposed to be this - flamey?
But...Jason may have captured a clue as to what the issue is...
You tell me? Is electrical equipment supposed to be this - flamey?
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
You may be aware that my awesome wife was a finalist in RWA's Golden Heart competition. So it gives me great joy to announce that she was the winner in her category!!
Yea!!!
http://www.rwa.org/cs/2012RITAGH
Thought I'd add a link to the speech my sister helped me write. It got me a couple of requests for my manuscript, so bravo Andy!
http://lorendac.com/2012-golden-heart-acceptance-speech/
Yea!!!
http://www.rwa.org/cs/2012RITAGH
Thought I'd add a link to the speech my sister helped me write. It got me a couple of requests for my manuscript, so bravo Andy!
http://lorendac.com/2012-golden-heart-acceptance-speech/
Monday, July 23, 2012
I remember spending hours on the Hodgen School playground in Elementary school. Spinning on the merry-go-round, swinging on the swings, and being launched through the air from the Teeter-Totters by my good friend Kari. I also remember the solid metal slide. You know, the one whose surface had been rubbed to a fine polish by years' worth of elementary-sized bottoms. And the one my classmate Alisha eventually fell off and broke her arm.
Ouch.
Since I was young, safety standards for playground equipment has really evolved. No more metal slides - they're plastic now. The Teeter-Totters are smaller, and less-able to launch children into the upper atmosphere. And the hard gravel or dirt surfaces have in some cases been replaced by sand or that weird recycled tire stuff.
Not so in India. Okay, sure, the ground at this playground was covered in nice, soft sand. And there wasn't a slide in sight. But take a look at this picture and tell me what you see. Go ahead, double-click and get a closer view.
Ouch.
Since I was young, safety standards for playground equipment has really evolved. No more metal slides - they're plastic now. The Teeter-Totters are smaller, and less-able to launch children into the upper atmosphere. And the hard gravel or dirt surfaces have in some cases been replaced by sand or that weird recycled tire stuff.
Not so in India. Okay, sure, the ground at this playground was covered in nice, soft sand. And there wasn't a slide in sight. But take a look at this picture and tell me what you see. Go ahead, double-click and get a closer view.
Yes folks, the bottom half of this piece of equipment is totally rusted away. And very very sharp. But you know what? My kids LOVED playing here. And I've gotta say, all the climbing toys looked like a lot of fun. But you can bet I'm glad all of our tetanus shots are up to date.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Our neighbors let us in for a treat a few weeks ago. They invited us to come up and take pictures of their night blooming flower, known as the Brahma Kamal or Night Queen in India. Jason got some great pictures of Girija holding up one of the blooms.
What makes this especially neat, though, is that the Brahma Kamal blooms at night only once per year. Cool, huh?
Monday, July 16, 2012
I occurred to me that even though I have photos of our trip coming up in the slideshow, I haven't done a post about the Bannerghatta Zoo. We've been twice now - once with Jason's parents, and once on our own. The zoo is maybe a thirty minute drive from our apartment, and we always seem to have a great time.
They have a "Grand Safari", where they load you up on a bus and drive you through several very large fenced areas with lions, tigers, and bears (Oh My!) along with a brief glimpse at elephants and spotted deer. I must say, we are vastly unimpressed with the deer compared to the other passengers on the bus - likely because we see them all the time in Oklahoma. The other passengers were jumping from their seats and shoving cameras out the windows, while we yawned and said "oh look, deer".
We made up for it with the more exotic - to us - animals.
They have a "Grand Safari", where they load you up on a bus and drive you through several very large fenced areas with lions, tigers, and bears (Oh My!) along with a brief glimpse at elephants and spotted deer. I must say, we are vastly unimpressed with the deer compared to the other passengers on the bus - likely because we see them all the time in Oklahoma. The other passengers were jumping from their seats and shoving cameras out the windows, while we yawned and said "oh look, deer".
We made up for it with the more exotic - to us - animals.
We really enjoyed the Grand Safari, and if it wasn't for the fact that they attempt to cram WAY too many people on a tiny bus, I'd give the experience five stars. As it is, the heat and sardine-packing steals half a star.
After the Safari, your ticket grants you admission to the "regular" part of the zoo, which is what I consider a traditional zoo experience. You walk around and look at animals in cages with posted signs telling you what they are. A major plus is they have a very good shade canopy because of several very large trees. No sunburns or heat stroke!
I will now issue a warning for any would be tourists - DO NOT TRUST THE MONKEYS! Several of these cute little critters run free throughout the zoo, and when I saw two of the babies, I sat on a bench nearby to watch. They quickly came closer to see what we had on offer, and I pulled out a can of Pringles for their perusal.
They seemed quite willing to get within touching distance, so I gave a piece of chip to Timothy, and we all got a kick out of watching him hand it over.
What we did not realize, however, was this entire encounter was a huge scam.
Do you see the bottle of Coke in the picture above? While we fed the "oh, how sweet!" baby monkeys, mama monkey was sneaking up behind us. Before Jason was able to warn us, mother monkey had grabbed the bottle, unscrewed the lid, and poured the liquid on the stone bench. She then proceeded to drink from the puddle. No more Coke for Jason.
I guess I should be happy she had a caffeine addiction. I'd much rather share my Coke than the contents of my wallet.
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