Monday, October 31, 2011
In Oklahoma, our friends and family are experiencing their first freeze of the winter, and the jackets are definitely out. So I felt it was appropriate to brag a little bit. While it has been a little cooler for the past couple of days, it's still warm enough here to swim. So Oklahomans (and anywhere else winter is knocking on doors), enjoy!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Upholstery.
No, the sentence above wasn't for drama. It was to make sure I spelled it correctly. But feel free to read with drama. Here's another chance.
Upholstery.
The first week in our new apartment, we bought a sofa set. We've learned that here in India, a sofa "set" (sometimes shown as 3-1-1) means you get a couch and two single-seat chairs. The set was covered in what I like to call "pleather", a plastic material made to resemble real leather.
We thought it would be a good choice to clean, should the little guys (or me!) decide to spill something on it. What we did not count on, however, is that the pleather would become separated from its fabric backing, and peel off. Tadah! Ruined sofa. Feeling sick over the fact that we just bought it, Jason and I decided to find someone to re-upholster it, assuming it would likely be cheaper than buying another. (As a side note, we were wrong here, at 12,000 INR, we could have probably found another used set for less).
I called around for several weeks with no luck, and finally found someone willing to take on the job. We made an appointment for him to stop by the next day. He brought a helper, and by the afternoon, here's what my sofa looked like.
No, the sentence above wasn't for drama. It was to make sure I spelled it correctly. But feel free to read with drama. Here's another chance.
Upholstery.
The first week in our new apartment, we bought a sofa set. We've learned that here in India, a sofa "set" (sometimes shown as 3-1-1) means you get a couch and two single-seat chairs. The set was covered in what I like to call "pleather", a plastic material made to resemble real leather.
We thought it would be a good choice to clean, should the little guys (or me!) decide to spill something on it. What we did not count on, however, is that the pleather would become separated from its fabric backing, and peel off. Tadah! Ruined sofa. Feeling sick over the fact that we just bought it, Jason and I decided to find someone to re-upholster it, assuming it would likely be cheaper than buying another. (As a side note, we were wrong here, at 12,000 INR, we could have probably found another used set for less).
I called around for several weeks with no luck, and finally found someone willing to take on the job. We made an appointment for him to stop by the next day. He brought a helper, and by the afternoon, here's what my sofa looked like.
Since it was late, he said he'd be back the next morning to start sewing, and I gave him half the agreed upon price to purchase the material.
Now, if you're smart, you're screaming at me through the computer over a specific phrase above: he said he'd be back. Yes. I know. I'm a very slow learner. But this time, it made sense. He needed the new fabric and a sewing machine. I agreed.
Tomorrow morning arrived - no visitor. I called his cell. Guess what? His sewing machine is broken, and he's getting it repaired. All of my US readers, I know what you're thinking. "Why didn't he call and let you know?" Well US readers, that's a stupid question. Everyone knows this action would be proactive, and I learned pretty quickly that it's a rare person here in India that's proactive.
A day later, and I'm getting a little concerned. I gave this guy quite a bit of money. Oh, and if you forgot what my couch looked like, take another look above. I sat down (on the floor since I didn't have a couch) and mounted a cell phone campaign. Every hour on the hour I called and asked for an ETA.
And guess what? Day three he and two other guys arrived, put my couch together and made it beautiful, and even sewed my curtains! Success! (But mostly "whew"). And I know I keep promising a video tour of the apartment, but I'm not there yet.
So - if you wanna see some pics of another B'lore apartment, you can take a look at the J and B - India blog in the "Blogs I Follow" section on the right. They did a good job with the photos, and really, I promise to get to mine someday.
Now that Amberly is four, she needs an older sister. So it's time to celebrate Bekah's Birthday!
Happy Birthday Bekah!
Friday, October 28, 2011
We really love our patio furniture - especially when pizza's involved.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
It's been a while since I've posted the fabulous food prepared by my cook, so I thought I'd post a favorite of mine. I love fried rice. There is nothing better than adding grease to something that used to be healthy. So, without further ado:
Step One: Chop the veggies - onion, carrot, peas, and capsicum (green bell pepper) are diced.
Step One: Chop the veggies - onion, carrot, peas, and capsicum (green bell pepper) are diced.
Step Two: Heat the oil. My cook added these tiny seeds to the oil as it started to boil, and she did her best to tell me what they were, but I will not attempt to spell it here. Instead, I will post a close up picture, and maybe someone can tell me the name of them in the comments below. (It is suggested, and likely correct, that these are fennel seeds. Thank you commenter!)
I should mention that you also begin preparing the rice at this point, in a separate container, according to the directions on the package.
The pot with oil and seeds
Close-up of the seeds - Very nice person told me these are likely fennel seeds in the comments.
Step Three: Allow the talented cook to add the vegetables to the boiling grease. (Note: do NOT add the talented cook to the grease)
She looks scared only because of the camera. I swear.
Note the absence of cook in the mix. Veggies are done when they are soft.
Step Four: Add the rice and mix. She also added ketchup and soy sauce. I'm sorry, but I did not pay attention to how much, so I will do that very annoying "season to taste" comment.
Lakshmi told me that they use even more ketchup after the rice makes it to the table, but we liked how it was straight from the pot. Yummy!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
No post for this one - we're too busy enjoying the fireworks, but here's the Wikipedia link.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali
Edit 10/30 - I wanted to add to this post, for anyone thinking of moving here, that Diwali is loud, and it's very neat to see all the fireworks right in the middle of the city. The laws in the US vary, but around the Tulsa area, it's illegal to set off fireworks within city limits without a permit, so fireworks in the middle of downtown (at least by individuals) is rare.
Also, Diwali is a time for celebration and gift-giving, and I would say it most resembles Christmas in the size and "feel" of the fun. We learned it was customary for houses to be cleaned out, and many new items be bought around this time; furniture, pots and pans, clothing, etc. The old items, if they were still in pretty good shape, were offered to your domestic help, along with a monetary bonus. I had a hard time discovering how much the bonus should be, but since we didn't really have any old things to give to our maid and cook, we decided to give them a bonus equal to one month's salary (3000 INR for each). I can't tell you whether that is too much, too little, or just right, but I thought I would mention it so you will at least know to ask around for an appropriate amount.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali
Edit 10/30 - I wanted to add to this post, for anyone thinking of moving here, that Diwali is loud, and it's very neat to see all the fireworks right in the middle of the city. The laws in the US vary, but around the Tulsa area, it's illegal to set off fireworks within city limits without a permit, so fireworks in the middle of downtown (at least by individuals) is rare.
Also, Diwali is a time for celebration and gift-giving, and I would say it most resembles Christmas in the size and "feel" of the fun. We learned it was customary for houses to be cleaned out, and many new items be bought around this time; furniture, pots and pans, clothing, etc. The old items, if they were still in pretty good shape, were offered to your domestic help, along with a monetary bonus. I had a hard time discovering how much the bonus should be, but since we didn't really have any old things to give to our maid and cook, we decided to give them a bonus equal to one month's salary (3000 INR for each). I can't tell you whether that is too much, too little, or just right, but I thought I would mention it so you will at least know to ask around for an appropriate amount.
The kids and I met Jason for lunch at Taco Bell near Sony World, and I got a kick out of the below sign. So all you kids in the US, if they don't offer Hindi as a foreign language, Spanish will work just as well.
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