Monday, November 30, 2015

The first day of packing

So last night, Ajey and I worked till late, finishing up our end of the organizing and sorting. Sent Manasi off to school this morning, and we were ready for the movers by 9am - ready for a busy day of packing! And then - nothing!! The hours ticked by - we weren't totally in the dark - kept getting hourly updates from the supervisor saying that the truck and crew were stuck in traffic, and would be there soon! Really?? Ok, but exactly how soon is 'soon' - not a clue!!!

There wasn't really anything we could do but wait. And it ended up being quite a relaxing morning - a few hours of quiet talk time with my husband, no distractions - it's been a while side we've had free time like this!! We even managed a quick Starbucks run across the street, had a leisurely breakfast, and just - for lack of a better word - chilled!! It was almost 1pm when the tuck finally rolled outside our house - turns out that morning fog had closed down all major highways in the area - leading to horrendous traffic pileups everywhere!!

Once the crew got here, though, things moved pretty quickly. They had 1 person packing the air shipment, and he got through it very efficiently - our organization, ahem, did simplify things a bit - he was done in little over an hour!! In the meantime, the others were unloading the truck - bringing in stacks of boxes, giant rolls of bubble wrap, packing paper, duct tape - and funnily enough, a bag of the little silica gel desiccant packets - one went in every box!!

It was a really beautiful day, today, weather wise - perfect to pack up the garage. Over the last week, all my sea shipment kitchen stuff I had moved to the garage - so in effect they were packing the kitchen slog with the garage!! They brought a lot of things outside to pack - including our family room couches - guess it was just more comfortable that way!! One guy seemed to be chair guy - all he did the entire time was pack chairs - don't know what the deal with that was!! Maybe they read my blog about the 5 tables, and decided to bring in a specialist!! Ajey's joke, that one!!

The big difference, this time, is that instead of all the packed boxes being stacked in the house - they were loaded up in a truck and taken to Nanjing - where they will be loaded into the actual container. So there isn't one day dedicating to loading - each day will end with a loading session. So today, they stopped packing at 4pm - yes, they barely worked 3 hours - and the truck was loaded and on the way to Nanjing by 4:30pm!!

I have to say - I couldn't really fault their packing techniques - and that was one of my biggest worries. The time it's going to take them - my money is still on Thursday - Wednesday night, if they work really, really hard!! We'll wait and see - so far so good!! End of day 1 - we still have our living room couch, and most importantly our beds - one less night of sleeping on the floor - yay!! Tomorrow is supposed to be an early start - well, at least an earlier one - the crew is expected to arrive by 9:30am!! Fingers crossed!!


Most of the air shipment

Empty family room

Loading the truck

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Ready or not...

This is it!! Tomorrow the movers come in to pack up all our stuff and send it on a 6 week journey around the world!! Last night of (relative) peace and quiet at the Kulkarni household!! The moving company has estimated that 2 days will be needed - well, I'm not quite so sure about that - so keeping fingers crossed that they will finish by Wednesday!!

Most people think that moving with a relocating company is really easy - all you do is sit back, and they come in and pack everything for you, right?? Couldn't be further from the truth - as we have learnt, sometimes painfully!! There's a ocean of belongings that needs to be sifted through and sorted, to begin with!! Then there's the decisions - what do I need right away? Can this be put away for 2 months? What are the absolute essentials for the air-shipment? And so on...tons of second-guessing, and changing of minds - until finally, ready or not, it's time for the movers to come in!!

This last week, with Ajey in Japan, I had nothing else to do but get the house ready. This time, I'm just a little more jittery than usual. Two reasons. First, we are not working with Allied Relocations anymore - they have done all our previous moves, and it has always been a great experience. This new company - well, we're sort of the guinea pigs, our move the first they do for our company. I really don't know what to expect!! Second, as I said before, the 2 days really worries me. The problem is that the customs officials need Ajey's passport for a week after the last box leaves our house - and since our air tickets have already been booked for our onward journey, it would be a real problem if they don't finish on time!!

So where do you start?? I always like to bring all our knick-knacks, ornaments, decorative stuff together in 1 place. There's no reason for these to be be packed by room - they don't really have any designated spots as such!! All go in 1 box together - saves them from being accidentally packed with heavy things like books or lamps!! And then, when unpacking, it's so much fun to open this box - all the little frills and fancies to make your house a home!! So slowly, over the week, all these little bagatelles made their way down from various places in the house to the dining table!!



The air shipment - a lot of thought goes into this!! This is limited space, so prioritizing is of the utmost importance!! Starting with kitchen items, my most precious woks and vessels - well, actually the 2nd most precious - most precious are the pressure cooker and the polpat-latna which travel with me!! Add a few dishes, cutlery, glasses - for those few days in the new house. A TV, of course, and a DVD player - much to Manasi's disappointment, we ruled against the X-Box!! Clocks, chargers, a few tools. Since we're moving in winter - extra blankets, pillows, covers. And then the clothes, of course - right down to boots and extra coats! All put together in a little nook - ready to leave tomorrow!! Not too bad, is it?!!

Air shipment

The hardest to organize - the kitchen, a close second is clothes!! Especially things I put aside for the air shipment - I kept running up to fetch that 1 little thing I absolutely needed - it was maddening!! How can you estimate the number of spoons you need daily?? Or glasses??!! Aargh!! And clothes - what I need for the next 2 weeks, next 2 months, and thereafter - 3 sets!! Well, the sea shipment was easy - all summer clothes in there - easy-peasy!! But deciding between what to carry in suitcases, and what to send with the air shipment is incredibly hard!! Quite sure I haven't really done a good job on that - I just wanted to get it done!!

Personally, my least favorite part of any move is when the frames come off the walls. That, somehow, of all the other things, seems so very final! The bare walls, now with the odd tattoos of nails, are so sad to look at. I always leave this until the last moment - nothing depresses me more!! Although, it is a good idea to have all the frames in 1 place, I think - like the trinkets, they pack well together, and accidental damage is minimized!!


In the end, no matter how much work has been put in - moving days are inevitably chaotic and frenetic!! I usually lose my head about halfway through - the whole process is incredibly stressful - and a crying jag is certain to be on the schedule!! Still, as of now, D-day-minus-1, we're quite primed to go - down to having designated 'no-pack' zones on each floor, which the movers won't touch - although I'm absolutely sure there's still a ton of things we've forgotten!! Oh well, ready or not - here come the movers!!

Friday, November 27, 2015

Finishing up the groceries...

One of the challenges we've faced here in China was the availability of groceries - especially the staples for our Indian cooking!! Of course, living away from India for the last 18 years has made me quite adaptable - make-do with what's available, and skip if not available!! It did help that I didn't really start cooking until I left home - so I didn't really have any favorite recipes requiring only 1 particular ingredient, and I learned to cook with what was easily found!! A somewhat slapdash style, to be sure - but hey, it works!!

Even with so much flexibility, I found China difficult - because even the very basics very hard to find here!! Quickly learnt to stock up on my twice-a-year trips to India - spices, lentils, and of course, black tea!! Seriously, I'm probably the only person in the world who brings tea to China - with the wide variety of green teas and herbal teas here, you would think I could find something to suit my palate!! And every time I've had visitors, tea and lentils are always on my list of things to bring with!!

And then there's the US groceries - none of these are essential, to be sure - but still, it's nice to have a box of our favorite Honey Bunches, and nothing can come close to Kraft mac and cheese - don't even mention the Rice Krispies or the Pop-tarts! Yes, all junk food!! These are all available in Suzhou, but at exorbitantly high prices - so anytime Ajey goes to Peoria on business, a suitcase full of goodies comes back with him!! The best part is, I can order everything from Amazon, he doesn't even need to go shopping!!

So, it's no surprise that the pantry is always pretty well-stocked at the Kulkarni household!! Which wouldn't be a problem, except that the moving company will not ship any food for us!! We either find a way to eat our way through our stocks, or end up giving away a ton of food before we leave! So about a month ago, started Operation Finish-the-Food!!! It's quite a difficult balance to achieve - to prepare a full meal using only pantry ingredients - obviously, some things will run out faster than others!!

Like red chili powder - I was initially at a loss when I finished this key ingredient - but I did have a ton of dry red chilies, and I just put them in the grinder - voila! - fresh chili powder!! And this fresh powder actually tasted better than the store bought one!! The spice mixes went pretty quickly too - so we had our last batch of chhole (chickpea curry), rajma (red beans), and pau-bhaji!! Finished up all the sprouts - missal is now a family favorite!! And sabudana khichdi for breakfast - got both sabudana (sago) and peanuts with that one!!

We almost had a crisis when I ran out of tea, though - that's one thing I just cannot do without!! I had a couple of boxes of the Hills Bros cappuccino mix, but those were soon gone, too - and we were down to plain old Nescafe!! After a few days with a grumpy start - I'm sorry, I need my morning cuppa to function - I'd had enough!! So the next time I was in Shanghai, I made a quick detour to the Indian store, Bhoomi - broke the no-buying-new-grocery rule for a box of Tajmahal!! 

The one thing I always stock up on - consequently, the one thing I have tons of - is rawa (cream of wheat or semolina)!! Upma and sheera didn't make much of a dent, and my favorite rawa dosa - well, Manasi grew sick of that pretty quickly!! So was scrambling for recipes to use it up - when, as always, Nupur to the rescue with this wonderful recipe for Jhaptpat appey! I've always made appey the traditional way, but this recipe is simply awesome!! Wonderfully quick to make, with no compromise on the taste - a keeper for sure!!!

We're literally counting down days on - and it doesn't look like I'm going to finish everything - I'm hoping to at least finish the packets that are open. The sealed packets I'm planning to take with me - everything else, will stay here, I guess - I'm not sure anyone is going to want my bits and pieces of spices!! Overall, a pretty decent job, though - even if I do say it myself - thanks to Ajey for making sure I stuck to the plan!! Makes life ways too - knowing what the meal plan is for the next 10 days!! Cheers!!!

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Is it winter already??!!

Ok, best intentions yesterday - but could not get the Internet to co-operate. Maybe it's because of the big meeting here in Suzhou?? Yes, the same one that has led to miraculously low pollution here - such a co-incidence that a visit from a bigwig almost always leads to better air quality!! And what was with the license plate deal - apparently, only cars with Suzhou plates were allowed on the roads for the last 3 days? Don't ask me why - seriously, who comes up with these rules?!!

We've been having real lovely weather here in Suzhou - nonstop rains, grey, overcast skies and absolutely no sign of the sun. Perfect weather to curl up with a book - except that, with so much to do - I don't really have that option!! The steady drip-drip of the rain has become a constant backdrop, and worse, temperatures are plummeting too - expected to drop to -3degC in the next couple of days! Freezing temperatures. In Suzhou. And it's barely end of November!! Brrrrr!!

And then, to add to my overall sense of well-being(!) - reports of snow in the Midwest. Not just a dusting, as would be expected in November - but a full fledged snow dump - almost a foot of snow in Peoria!! Snow in Peoria - well, why would that bother me - oh yeah, remember that tiny little detail?? I'll be moving there in less than a month!! And I dare not imagine what it's going to be like when we land there!! Hibernation is sounding pretty good at this point - sleep away the cruel winter months, dreaming of tropical vacations!!

Winters in Pune are pleasant - in fact, after the sweltering October heat, everyone is looking forward to that slight nip in the air, the misty mornings, the brisk evenings! Woolen clothes and blankets are dragged out from storage - and despite numerous airings, the lingering smell of moth-balls just never dissipates!! Weather reports were followed obsessively, and the forecast of a particularly cold night would send everyone into a tizzy - imagine, the temperature will drop to below 10Deg tonight!! Celsius - not Fahrenheit!! I know, not really 'winter' cold - but keep in mind - no floor heating, no insulation, no running hot water, windows always wide open - 10DegC can be much colder than it sounds!!

So from this balmy winter, I landed straight into the winter wonderland of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan!! Houghton - where the locals say the 3 seasons are last winter, this winter and next winter!! I still remember the thrill I felt the first time it snowed - and then seriously, it never stopped for about the next 5 months!! I would not have believed that so much snow could exist in one place!! I think I was in shock for pretty much all of winter - by April, the snowbanks were 6 feet high, and entire cars had disappeared under the snow!! Swift learning curve there - this is Winter!!!

At least, that first real winter in Houghton - I didn't know what to expect - ignorance certainly was a kind-of bliss!! Now, heading to Peoria, in the middle of December - I know exactly what we're heading to - and I am flat out dreading it!! The grey snowbanks, the grey sky, the grey trees - the short, short days. the weak, watery sunlight - the ice on the roads, shoveling the driveway - the piercing cold that slices straight to the bone!! No matter how many layers I wear, or how high I crank the thermostat, I can never, ever get warm enough - toes and fingers always numb, nose always freezing!! That hibernation is sounding better and better!!

Yes, winter is certainly not my favorite time of the year! I'm envisioning many days spent snuggling with Sunny, while Ajey and Manasi are off to office and school!! I know there's a lot of people who enjoy the snow - actually look forward to it - and I have to admit that this baffles me. Cold, icy snow vs warm, radiant sun - is there even a choice there??!! Anyway, choice or not - winter is what I have to look forward to - so the plan is to bundle up and stay indoors - possibly until April!! Stay warm, people!!






Monday, November 23, 2015

A Thanksgiving to remember

It's been 18 years since I first moved to the US - and over the years, although we have adopted many American customs and traditions - the Thanksgiving dinner has not been one of these!! No turkey for us - although, I never did say to pumpkin pie!! Actually, the only real American Thanksgiving dinner I've been to is in Michigan Tech - when my advisor, Dr. R, kindly invited me and a couple of other Indian students to his home. Of course, at that time, none of us knew anything about Thanksgiving, and Dr. R didn't know that we didn't know - so it was a bit of an awkward situation, 3 vegetarians sitting down to a turkey dinner!! Poor guy - he ended up taking us out for pizza in the end!!

Fast forward to last weekend - and the Thanksgiving celebration here in Golden Lough!! This is not new - in fact, every year that we've lived here - we've been invited to the GL Thanksgiving - but somehow, I have never been able to go. Oh, I had plenty of excuses - I can't make any of the traditional dishes, I don't eat turkey, I don't know most of the people - bit silly, really!! Anyway, this year, Manasi really wanted to go - all her friends would be there - and I didn't really feel right about sending her by herself without at least making an appearance myself. Moreover, my friends, SB, MW and AM - thanks, ladies! - didn't really give me a choice!!

And what do you know, I actually had a really good time!! It was a wonderful party - hosted jointly by the Ss and the Ms - almost 75 people, a huge, huge turnout!! Everyone brought a dish to share - and I guess I should have stepped up and made an appetizer or something - I compromised by bringing a box of Belgian truffles!! In any case, there was a staggering amount of food - all the traditional Thanksgiving fixings - turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls - and 3 kinds of pies, plus a bunch of other desserts!! Green bean casserole and mac and cheese made a perfect dinner for me!!

The big difference this year was the number of 'foreigners' - translated as non-Americans - really, we are all foreigners in this country!! But the Europeans - mainly the Brits - joined in with a gusto!! Anyway, wasn't it really the British who sat down to the first Thansgiving meal - they weren't Americans until much later, were they?!! I did not voice this thought in public - perhaps not entirely politically correct??!! More the merrier, though!! And even though I had gone with the fullest intention of only staying a short time, I stayed till the end - and it really was fun!!






Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!! 

Sunday, November 22, 2015

The first of the farewells

So it's starting - the slow, painful process of saying goodbyes to friends who have been so close to us for the last 3 years - celebrating good times together, sharing sorrows and frustrations, bound together by this unique expat experience. And there's no saying where our paths lead us next - whether these dear friends will meet us ever again - are these farewells final??

Kind of bittersweet, these farewell lunches, dinners - one last time to share laughter and a good meal, one last time to reminisce - and some of the lunches I've been to have got quite emotional!! Although, it is a bit weird - crying on each other's shoulders one day, with profound declarations of everlasting friendship, and then the very next day, meeting at the school bus - just like every ordinary day - because as I've said before, life doesn't stop just because you're moving!!

Ajey will, of course, get a send off lunch with his colleagues - but in addition, it is traditional for Cat expat families to get together for a dinner with repatriating families. I first thought these would be 'official' dinners - very formal, with toasts and such - but no, it's very casual - just friends catching up over dinner!! And actually, this Cat farewell is not even really a farewell - simply because with Cat, all roads lead back to Peoria, and sooner or later, we will be seeing these families again!!

Our farewell, combined with the Bs who are also leaving in December - was this Saturday at the New Ganesh. After a tiring morning of rainy soccer, dinner at an Indian restaurant was a great way to finish the day! The turnout was quite good, despite the weather - almost 10 families - some very close friends, some I'd never met before! The food, and service was excellent as always - seriously, this is easily the best restaurant for Indian food in Suzhou!!



What a wonderful way to start our round of farewells - many thanks to SH and ME for initiating, planning and inviting everyone!! And thank you to all those who came to spend the evening with us - Ajey and I hope that our paths will cross again sooner rather than later!! Enjoy your time in China - and see you on the other side!! Cheers!!

Saturday, November 21, 2015

CISSA in Shanghai

Manasi's first soccer lessons were in Chennai - at that time, she spent the entire hour picking daisies by the side of the field - and that was it, until Dulwich! Over the last 3 years, she has gone from a reluctant goal-keeper to an enthusiastic striker, and this year she was picked to be on the Dulwich CISSA team. Now, the whole selection process for the CISSA team led to a few sleepless nights for me - Dulwich sometimes is really confusing about these sort of things - I wish there would be more transparency, especially when selecting sports teams!

Anyway, all things said and done - Manasi did make it to the team, and has been traveling regularly to Shanghai with the team this year. CISSA plays Thursdays and Saturdays - and I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't been to see her play even once! I know I should have been more supportive - but I don't think Manasi was too cut up about me not going - besides, Saturdays are such an early start - the bus leaves from Suzhou at 5:45am - and that is waaay to early for me!! My contribution thus far has been having her football kit washed and dried on time, and making her lunch on Saturdays!

Today, I thought, was to be the final day of the season - so Ajey and I both decided to go. The PE staff were a bit shorthanded today - football is serious business at Dulwich - we had no less than 6 teams traveling from Suzhou to play in Shanghai!! I signed us up as extra help, and as a reward(!) we got to ride on the bus with the team. Mercifully, the start time was a bit later - 7:30am at Singa Plaza - now that I can do!! Although, when my alarm went off today, it was pouring - hoping for a cancellation there - but no, didn't happen!! Rain or not, we play today!!

Selfie on the bus

We didn't have too far to go - the school we were playing at, Western International School Shanghai, was barely an hour away, somewhere in the Hongqiao area, I think. Weather hadn't really improved by the time we got there - and although it wasn't really raining heavily at that time - it has been raining continuously for about a week now - and the soccer fields were a waterlogged, squelchy, muddy mess. On the bright side - the pollution was really low!! I was wearing sneakers - bad choice in the rain - and every time I crossed the filed - my shoes got wetter and wetter.

They did end up cutting the tournament short - eventually, it started to rain quite hard, and the girls were all almost completely soaked. So they played 3 games instead of 5 - won 2, lost 1 - not bad at all!! There was a plenty of slipping and sliding on the wet grass - and the astroturf was even worse - and a couple of tumbles, but thankfully nothing serious!! Anticipating the wet day, coaches had asked the girls to bring a change of clothes - and by 12:30pm, we were back on our way to Suzhou!!






And you know what - turns out that today wasn't the last day, after all!! That's actually next weekend - so I guess, I'll be headed to Shanghai for that too!! Hoping for better weather then!!


Friday, November 20, 2015

What I'm looking forward to...

Yesterday, we went to a standup comedy show with our friends, PS and MS - yes, that is why I didn't have a post yesterday!! Anyway, the Kungfu Comedy club in Suzhou routinely hosts comedy nights on Thursday, and about once every 6 weeks, they have a headliner show - where they bring in an internationally famous comedian for a show - and Suzhou ren, if you haven't been to one of these, you really need to!!

Anyway, after the show, over drinks at our house, PS asked what we were most looking forward to about moving back to the US. Ajey's answer was instantaneous - cars! Well, specifically, buying new cars - we haven't owned a car in forever - Ajey, of course, has certain exacting specifications, and I'm sure that deciding which car to buy will be just as entertaining as all our other decisions!! I actually have just 1 specification - I'll drive anything but a mini-van!! Don't tell me how practical they are, and how every family needs one - I just don't want to drive a mini-van!! Keeping it real simple there!!

Obviously, cars is not really high on my list!! Next apparent choice - houses?? Well, yes - we'll be homeowners in the US after a really long time - and the houses we are looking at this time around are really exciting!! It's going to be nice to have a big yard, a full basement, fireplaces, all the fancy appliances - decorating, maybe some new furniture - ooh, it's going to be so much fun!! For sure, a new house is something I'm looking forward to very, very much!!

Next on the list - to know me is to understand this choice - the Public Library system!!! I absolutely love the public libraries!! And the new library in Peoria?? - if there is a heaven, it must surely look like this!!! I distinctly remember the first time I stepped into the Peoria Public Library - this was ages ago, in 1999, before all the grand renovations. The first shock - there is no membership fee!! And this almost finished me - no limit on the number of books checked out!!! Seriously, heaven = here!! The hands-down choice, then - the Peoria Public Library!!

It's all going to be great, of course - no matter how much I whine, Peoria has a special place in my heart, and I'm actually quite happy to be going back - and not just because of the library!!! And knowing that I will be close - once again - to some of my dearest friends, is what keeps me going right now!! Bottom line, that is what I'm most looking forward to - all my Peoria peeps, can't wait to see you!! Won't be long now!!!


Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Traveling with pets

One of the biggest challenges of all these international assignments has been traveling with pets. If you don't have pets, you'll probably think this is crazy - not just the cost, but also the added stress - but if you've ever opened your heart to a furry four-legged friend, you'll understand why we've willingly jumped through all these hoops - and not only once!!

Snowy was such a big part of our lives from the minute we brought her home, that when Ajey came home with the offer to go to France, the biggest consideration before we accepted was if we could take Snowy with us!! We were lucky enough to find an awesome vet, who helped us through the process - the first thing was to get Snowy micro-chipped - yes, that means exactly what it sounds like - a tiny microchip with a number was inserted between her shoulder blades - and the number along with along her vaccination records was entered in a national pet registry.

When we finally got done with the paperwork, I had a file about an inch thick - I had any and all documents that Snowy might need to clear immigration. Then we heard that the Paris airport was really hard to pets flying in, so we changed our travel plans - to fly into Zurich, and then drive to Grenoble! And the microchip - well, apparently these are not standardized - and the European microchip readers would not be able to read Snowy's chip. Obviously, where there's a problem, there's an online solution - and we were able to rent an US microchip reader for a month to take with us!!

The rules have changed now - but 10 years ago, we were able to wheel Snowy's crate right to the check-in counter at O'Hare, like other checked baggage. Our hearts were in our mouths watching her crate being taken away, and before we boarded the flight, we had a flight attendant check at least 3 times that she had been loaded onto the plane. And it wasn't until we landed and saw her crate by the baggage claim, that Ajey and I were able to relax!! And Zurich airport was a breeze - a porter got us a trolley for the crate, and we walked out - not a single person looked at my impressive array of documents!!!

And stressed as we were, Snowy must have been scared out of her wits!! Outside the airport, we found a bench - imagine the scene - we had 6 large bags, a baby car seat and stroller (Manasi was only 10 months when we moved), and Snowy's crate. The minute we let Snowy out, she jumped on my lap - all 60 pounds of her - and sat there trembling like a leaf, while I tried to comfort her! Poor baby!! Anyway, we were soon on our way to the French border - we were sure we would be stopped for a document check at the border control - but here, too, we were waved in - no, really, the guards were actually waving at us as we drove past the security control!!! And there it was, our little puppy's first international flight!!!

Moving to India, we took the easy way out - we hired an agent to help us fly Snowy into Chennai!! Our agent helped us get an import authorization - but this was valid only for a particular day and a particular flight. As luck would have it, we missed our Paris-Chennai flight - yes, we have actually missed an international flight - considering the amount we travel, I'm surprised it has happened only once!! New flight meant getting new papers for Snowy - and despite half of Chennai being shut down because of the tsunami that year - our agent managed to get us new papers in time - and we all managed to get to Chennai safe and sound!!!

The next move - back to Peoria - an added complication, we were now flying 2 pets instead of 1 - we now had both Snowy and Sunny!! Sunny had to go through the whole micro-chipping process, and I spent half a day at the Department of Agriculture to get the export authorization. A lot of money, and many hours later I had all the necessary documentation!! And this time would be the first time that our pets would have to transfer in Europe - Chennai-Frankfurt-Chicago - with a layover of 6 hours in Frankfurt. More anxiety!!!

But Lufthansa did such a wonderful job!! Both Sunny and Snowy were clean, their crates lined with fresh new paper - and we found out later that not only had Snowy been walked in Frankfurt, but even Sunny had been let out into a cat room to stretch his legs!! A wonderful, wonderful experience!! Once again, at Chicago airport - the customs officer let us leave with only a cursory look at our pets and their papers. His actual words were - "Well, they don't look too rabid, I'll let them in!!" Um, thank you??!

Flying to China, we no longer had our beloved Snowy - and rather than deal with United's new PetSafe policy, I chose to bring Sunny into the cabin with me. Not only was it cheaper, but I could keep my eye on him through the flight!! He has always been a nervous traveller - he doesn't even like riding in the car - so it was no surprise that he meowed for 14 hours straight!!! And now, we're getting ready to fly back with him!! Poor little guy, he has no idea about the ordeal he's about to face!! Like India, we need export authorization to leave with him - and thanks to JM, I have a vet who will take care of the paperwork - so that's one thing off my list!!

Yes, flying with pets is incredibly stressful - both for them and us - but then, what other option do we have?? And things do really work out - as long as you spend the time getting all the paperwork in order!! So no regrets, absolutely none!!



Our well-travelled pets!!





Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Shanghai running and Sports Day

Ok, dinner is done, dishes cleared away, kitchen counters wiped down, Manasi is in bed, Ajey is in a meeting - pretty standard for us this time of day! Perfect time to sit down with my computer, and get that new post rolling - but today, Sunny has a different idea. He's insisting on sitting on my lap, demanding to be cuddled, digging his claws into my jeans when I tried to push him off - I guess he's not moving anytime soon!! So while he purrs contentedly, I have my computer set at a weird angle, I'm typing with one hand - cats!!!

Last month, we had the opportunity to participate in a 5K fun race organized by Shanghai Running - well, I say 'we' - it was actually Manasi and Ajey who ran, I just went along for the ride! Our friend, CW runs about a zillion marathons a year - and he had signed up his younger daughter for the 5K kids race. He wasn't planning to compete - but just to accompany her along the course. That sounded like a great idea - and would be perfect for Manasi and Ajey!! So we registered online, and Manasi was ready for her first ever 5K!! A few of her friends were running as well - which made her quite amenable to the whole thing!!

The biggest drawback of any event in Shanghai - the very early start! To get to the race venue by 8am, we had to leave home by 5:45am - and since my 2 athletes needed a good breakfast, I had to set my alarm for an ungodly 4:50am - which meant that I didn't sleep a wink, worrying that the alarm wouldn't go off!! Luckily, our driver is never late - so that's one less thing to worry about, and we set off as planned, and made it to Gucun Park with time to spare!!

I had never even heard of Gucun Park - so was quite surprised to see this huge complex - we walked past what looked like a dinosaur themed amusement park, a large number of stalls busy with breakfast customers, even little cottages for rent - it was about 2km from the entrance to the registration desk! Quite the warm-up for the runners!! The registration desk, as we lined up for Manasi's T-shirt and number, was a bit of chaos - I think the organizers had not expected such a large number to turn up, and were a bit overwhelmed!!!



The event kicked-off with a warm-up session. Now this was not some gentle stretching as can be expected, but instead a rousing, full-blown aerobic work-out!! Manasi and her friends joined in with gusto - and so did Ajey - hope they have enough energy to actually run the race!!! The race itself was done quite quickly!! Manasi and her friend, SW came in at a decent time, with Ajey not too far behind - the real surprise was little AW who ran like the wind, and just missed out on a trophy!! Manasi was exhausted, but ecstatic that she had run her first 'marathon'!!!

Enjoying the aerobics!


And they're off!!

Finishing strong!!

Exhausted!!



Within a week, was Sports Day at school - and the successful 5K certainly put Manasi in the right frame of mind for the 800m race. This year, the format for Sports Day was different - unlike previous years, when kids were assigned specific events - this year, everyone would participate in everything - with a couple of exceptions - the 800m races, and the 4x100m relays. Now running is one thing that Manasi is good at - she has consistently won events both at earlier Sports Days and at Fobisia - so imagine my surprise when she came home, quite crestfallen, that she had been selected neither for the relays nor the 800m!!

In my opinion, Sports is like Maths - no grey area, you either got it or not - and I was so baffled by Manasi's exclusion, that I actually wrote to the Sports Teacher to ask for an explanation - something I've never done before! What I heard was even more confusing - Manasi's times were not good enough, and anyway it was too late to add her to the relay team, but they would still consider adding her to the 800m!!! Does that make any sense at all?? She just won a medal at the 800m at Fobisia in May - what timings were they looking at??!! And she has a perfect track record in the relays - last 3 years, every relay she has run, the team has won!!!

Anyway, she was finally added to the 800m event, and was quite excited about it. On the day, I had to leave home a little late, and as I walked to the stadium, I saw some kids running already - looks like the events have started. A little closer, I was startled to see Manasi running with another girl right behind her - almost missed it, this must be the 2nd lap of the 800m - oh no, don't see the other kids, Manasi is last!!! - and then I looked behind her, and saw the posse following her - she wasn't last, far from it, she was actually leading!!!

I was so excited that I almost forgot to go to the finish line - almost missed seeing her power her way to gold - what a sweet, sweet win!!! She was just happy to win, I was happy for a whole another reason - my reaction not really good sportsmanship, but hey, couldn't help but feel that I was justify this one time!!! Way to go, Manasi - seriously, I've never been more proud of her!!! The rest of Sports Day was a blur - she went on to win a bunch of other events - the 100m, 60m, 3-springs jump - but the 800m win, was the absolute high point of the day for me!!




For the school, too, the new format worked really well! Yes, the transitions took a little longer than expected, and things could have been a little more streamlined - but parents were happy to see their kids on the field, watching them compete rather than just sitting in the tents!! A lot of Manasi's friends won ribbons too, and the icing on the cake was Manasi's house - Shackleton - winning the House Cup!!

Go Shackelton!!

Another last - Sports Day at Dulwich!! Glad to go out on a high!! Well done, Manasi!!



Monday, November 16, 2015

5 dining tables!!!

At this moment, in my house, I have 5 dining tables - and, let me see, 30 chairs. No, I'm not kidding, not even a little bit!! And why do we need so many? - well, that's the thing - we really don't!! There's 3 of us - 4 if you count Sunny, but he prefers the couch, anyway - so 3 people, 30 chairs - something doesn't add up there, does it?? Definitely a story waiting to be told here!!!

So, way back when, we bought our first furniture together as a newly-married couple, and a charming little dining table was one of the first things we picked out. Yes, the one Ajey was dismantling to pack in our air shipment. It was more of a dinette set really - 4 chairs, a metal framework, and a rectangular glass top with scimitar sharp edges that I had permanent bruising - what, I'm clumsy, I bump into things, and sharp edges leave bruises!! This was our main dining table in our Grenoble house as well, and Manasi, being apparently more well co-ordinated than me, managed not to have any serious run-ins with the table top!!

In Grenoble, we had a beautiful backyard, with a spectacular view of the Alps - we spent a lot of time outside, and a patio table was essential. So that was our 2nd table - and we upgraded to 6 chairs this time. We did have a lot of family and friends visit us here, and the weather was mild enough in our little valley, that we could use this patio table almost year round!! This one was glass top too, but no sharp edges!! So when we moved from Grenoble to Chennai, the count was - 2 tables, 10 chairs!!

Chennai was where Ajey and I bought our 'grown-up' furniture - actually, most of the furniture we have right now, all came from Chennai!! The arrival of our magnificent, Burma teak dining table relegated our little dinette to an upstairs sitting area, where it languished in a corner for almost 3 years!! The latest addition to our table family - an intricately carved solid wood base, and a thick glass top, with fancy etching and curved corners - 8 chairs for this one!! Anyone keeping count?? We're upto 3 tables, 18 chairs!!

I was ready to sell the little dinette set in Chennai - we didn't really use it, plus the upholstery on the chairs was faded and worn-out, and the sharp edges were still a menace!! But this was India, and anything and everything can be fixed or modified!! So the treacherous rectangle was transformed into a graceful oval, new fabric and a fresh coat of paint refreshed the chairs - and voila, our little dinette had metamorphosed into an elegant breakfast table!! And our next 2 houses - in Peoria and Suzhou - both had a separate formal dining area and a breakfast nook, and a patio - so all 3 of our tables had their own spot, and were used quite regularly!!

And that would have probably been the end of our dining table story - except that ever since we moved to China, Ajey has had a hankering for a round Chinese style dining table, with one of those revolving Lazy-Susans in the middle. And I have been dead against it - no, I have nothing against round tables, but seriously, didn't we have enough tables already??!! Still, Ajey has been looking into furniture shops, and trying to talk me into it - and every time he came back from a company dinner with those huge round tables, he was even more convinced that we needed a round table!!

I finally agreed to look at tables with him - only after we knew we would be moving soon. I did want to buy a piece of 'Chinese' furniture, and the table seemed to be a good option - on one condition, I would sell the little dinette!! And it seemed almost preordained - after days of turning up my nose at every table that Ajey suggested - a couple of months ago as we were browsing in Suzhou's gigantic Furniture Town, Ajey and I both converged on this table at the same time - hey, this could actually work!! The decision to buy was instant - and table number 4 was ours, with 6 chairs to go with it!!

The Chinese table!!

And so much for selling the first table - not only did I have zero buyers, our sentimentally kicked in - so we decided to keep that one as well. Our patio table, on the other hand,  has braved the inclement weather and pollution in China, and is way beyond all hopes of salvage. But we do need a patio table - my good friend, MW, the Queen of Taobao to the rescue - and we had a brand-new wicker patio set delivered in 2 days!! Table 5 - bringing up the chair count to 30!!! But we will definitely leave our old patio table behind - so by the time we move, we'll be down to only 4 tables and a mere 24 chairs!!!

We're looking forward to entertaining friends and family at our new house, quite soon!! And wherever we may live, one thing is certain - we'll never be short of seats for our guests, and there will always be a place at the table(s) for unexpected company!! Cheers!!!


Sunday, November 15, 2015

Happy Diwali, folks!!

It's becoming a tradition now - Diwali celebrations at the new Ganesh!! 2 years in a row - and I'm only sad that we won't be here to celebrate another Diwali, Suzhou style!! I do hope, though, that this tradition keeps getting bigger and better, always bringing together the Indian community here in Suzhou!!

Happy Diwali from Suzhou!!

It took a bit of time juggling for all 3 of us to get to the party. Manasi had a birthday party to attend that evening - missing out on that was undoubtedly out of the question!! But she also really wanted to go to the Diwali party - luckily I had the car and driver that day, which made the to and froing a bit easier. So, 5pm, I took Manasi to Ligongdi for her Karaoke party. Came back home, got dressed and drove back to pick her up - with her Indian clothes. Ajey and I caused quite the stir as we walked through the KTV to find Manasi!! Quick change, and then finally we were on our way!!


Like last year, our Diwali celebrations were at the new Ganesh. Over this year, quite a few of our close friends have moved out of Suzhou - so we were missing some familiar faces!! What remains constant, however, is the spirit of Diwali, the camaraderie of celebrating together, the shared laughter and togetherness. A good dinner, followed by fireworks and the lanterns - lots of fun, with great company!! The Ganesh is a beautiful location, and was breathtaking to set off the lanterns over the canals and the lighted bridges! I'm sure everyone had an amazing time!!



Signing off then, until tomorrow!! Happy Diwali, folks!!

Counting loose change...

I knew this was going to happen!! Day 4 and I'm already lagging behind - although, technically it is still the 14th somewhere in the world, isn't it??!!! I think the more sensible option would be to tweak my words - let's do a blog-almost-every-day for the next 40 - should never forget to write in loopholes!! This way, I won't be drowning in guilt if I ever miss a day - which, of course, I never ever will!!

We are rapidly(!) checking things off our to-do list - Ajey being home on weekends certainly throws things in a higher gear!! We're concentrating right now on sorting out our air shipment - the absolute essentials we will need once we land in Peoria, which we cannot carry with us. Blankets and comforters - all that we can spare, TV and DVD player, clothes, a few kitchen things - space is limited, so we have to make careful choices!!

And in all our previous moves, we have flown out the day after our shipment left. Not so in China - customs officials need Ajey's passport for a week after we have packed - so including the days of packing, we will need to be here in this house, without any of our things, for at least 10 days!! We had blithely assumed that the landlord would give us his furniture for those days - just like he had when we moved in - only to find out that he had sold all the furniture from this house, and we were scrambling for a Plan B!!

So now we had to plan for 4 sets - the air shipment, our suitcases, the all-encompassing sea shipment - and then, the stuff we'll need to use here, which would be then discarded when we leave. Hmmm. What do I own that I can leave behind without too many qualms??!! Well, there's our old patio set for one - we've had it for ages, and the outdoors has not been too kind to the table or the chairs. That could double as our living and dining room furniture!! And mattresses - we have at least 3 that have reached end-of-life!! So perfect - that's all settled then!!

Meanwhile, for our air shipment, Ajey had a brilliant idea - why not take our itty bitty dinette set with 4 chairs - other than the glass table top, it dismantles completely, and it would be perfect for our temporary apartment in Peoria!! So, there's a project for the morning then - dismantling the chairs and the table. But to be honest, even dismantled, the set is actually quite large - we'll have to make a judgement call on the day of packing - will it really go on the air shipment or not!!


The other big chore we got done today - sorting out our loose change!! We have a green pottery jug, and all our loose change goes in there - and we do dip into it quite often - coins for the bus, or to buy bread from Yumway. But still, 3 years makes for a lot of coins - and Ajey made Manasi an offer - sort out the coins, count them, and she could then have all that money to spend on snacks in Yumway!! She readily agreed to that - although about halfway through, she counted out 20 rmb, and said that was all she was needed, and could she now go?? Doesn't work that way, Manasi - you only get the money if you finish all the coins!! And it ended up being quite a lot - almost 100 rmb - and this is only what was in the jar - I still have to turn out all my pockets and purses!!


So that's it for this one - I'm going to have to hustle to put out the next one!! Do hope that I can keep up - fingers crossed!!

Friday, November 13, 2015

Last time as a FoD volunteer??

It makes me really, really sad to write the words 'last time'. And there are so many of those already - and many more to come before we finally leave China! Just 2 days ago, on what normally is a very happy time of the year for me, on Diwali night - I got very emotional because this Laxmipuja was the last puja I would have in this house. Crazy? Maybe a little - but isn't that part of saying goodbye, part of starting to let go - recognizing and cherishing these 'last times'??

Anyway, today was probably the last time that I was in school as a FoD volunteer. This year, our school is hosting the U15 Fobisia games, and like with all sporting events, FoD has a stall to sell drinks and healthy (ahem!) snacks to the kids and the visiting parents. I've lost count how many times in the past 2 years I've done this - in all kinds of weather, for all kinds of tournaments - I have to say that I've always enjoyed these selling stints!! And today, I'm done - no more hauling Gatorade and water bottles, soda cans, bags of chips, and the ever popular gummy hamburgers! No more cash boxes, petty cash - no more exasperation when a customer hands over a 100 rmb note to buy a 5 rmb soda!! Oh, I'm going to miss this so much!!

Of course, selling drinks and chips is not all what FoD is about - and although there have been plenty of ups and downs, there has never been a dull moment in the 18 months or so that I have been on the FoD Executive Committee. I've really enjoyed being the Secretary - and I would like to take a moment to point out that there is a world of difference between being the Secretary of an organization and a secretary as in a personal assistant - ok, feels good to set that record straight!! And although it was incredibly stressful, I also enjoyed my very short stint as Treasurer!!

Like all volunteer organizations, FoD has its drawbacks - the cliques, personal whims, strong personalities, even stronger egos - but at the end of the day, what matters is the amount of money that is being raised for charity. The glitzy parties and the spectacular event all go towards supporting a child with need of medical aid or pay for a library in a village school - and that is what makes everything worthwhile, what made working on FoD so fulfilling for me!!

So, this is it - the last day of FoD. Ok, I really don't know how to end this on an upbeat note - so I should stop. Thanks for the memories, all you lovely FoD ladies, and keep up the good work!! I am going to really miss being a part of this team!!




Thursday, November 12, 2015

Making the decision

The last 10 years, our family has lived in 4 different countries. This wasn't really on the agenda when I first moved to the US - we fell into this expat life quite unexpectedly. And while I'm incredibly grateful for every moment of this wonderful experience, I do sometimes wonder how our lives would have turned out if we had just stayed in the US, never moved out of Peoria. No doubt, we would still be happy, claiming our little piece of the American Dream, content to be a part of the growing Indian diaspora!!

But even then, back before this nomadic lifestyle, Ajey and I still dreamt of eventually moving back to India, to live in our own country, be close to our culture, and our families. 3 years of living in Chennai showed us that this was not an impossible dream, that we could eventually make it happen. And staying on in India at that time would have probably been the best - except the China carrot that was offered to us - come back to US for a year, and then 3 years in China! Another international assignment - no way were we turning that down!! So that move to Peoria didn't really hit us that hard!!

This time around, it's different. This time, wherever we go, it will be for the long haul. So what were the options, if any?? We would have loved to stay on in China. Except for the pollution - and that really is a huge issue - our life here is pretty great. Good school, great friends - and it is so easy to fly home to India! Except that we always knew this was a short-term assignment!!

The default option is back to Peoria, back to the US. And that's what it came down to in the end - move back to India for good, or back to the US. Which one, which one?? This is probably the first time in my life, that I've faced such a dilemma - no easy decision here! So we did what all sensible engineers do - drew up a Pugh matrix, and spent 6 intense hours weighing the options - Ajey, me and a white board to hash it out!!

Soo...India - with the emotional pull, our home, our country. We would be close to our parents, Manasi would get to be around her grandparents, our Indian culture. And Peoria....so very far from India, with the bitterly cold winters, getting sucked up into complacency - but with better standards of living. The considerations are many - emotional, financial, social, education, health, it's endless!! Back and forth we went - until finally, we had a decision.

After all these years of wanting to go back to India, ultimately our decision is now taking us back to the US. I do believe that right now, all things considered, this is the best direction for us to move in. Right or wrong - only time will tell. Either way - que sera, sera - whatever will be, will be!!






Wednesday, November 11, 2015

The countdown begins - last 40 days!!

Well, here it is - the announcement, finally!! Our time in China is coming to an end, and we are headed back to Peoria - flying out in exactly 40 days from today!! Why 40 - no reason, really! Sounds portentous, though, doesn't it? Last 40 days in Suzhou - chills, goosebumps!! This post also means that I'm officially over my denial phase, and starting to accept that whether I like it or not, this move is really happening!!

Not that I wasn't prepared - our 3 years were up last summer - but we came back to Suzhou in August, and I think all 3 of us were hoping that we would get to stay 1 more year, if not more! And I am so not looking forward to moving in winter - not to mention the middle of the school year, which will make it lot harder for our youngest repatriate - who, unsurprisingly, is having a really hard time with the move to begin with!!

So, what next?? Once the move is announced, things move pretty much at break-neck speed. A hundred forms to fill out, assessment by the movers, setting dates, sorting out our stuff, booking airline tickets, making arrangements for temporary living, looking for a new house, new school, new cars, figuring out the pet stuff - whew! My head is already spinning!! And this is, what, our 5th international move? You would think it would get easier - but believe me, it really doesn't!!

Even as we are finishing up all the formalities, getting all the must-do stuff out of the way - there's also this whole other lot of activities. Getting ready to say goodbye to all our friends, trying to fit in 1 last dinner or lunch with people that have meant so much to us - and of course, the mad dash to buy up every last thing that's been on my list for the last 3 years, to go see places that we would probably never go to again!!

The craziest thing is - in the midst of this whirlwind, the house needs to run as usual, on the old familiar routines. Homework to be done, uniforms to be washed, meals at regular times, lunch boxes to be packed, yes, even festivals to be celebrated - soccer games, music recitals, late night meetings, FoD activities - it's quite the surprise to find out that the world doesn't stop just because you're moving!! I think it's the hardest to dredge up enthusiasm for these everyday things when mentally, you're already checked out!!

And the blog?? Once the Kulkarnis leave China, what happens to 'Coolkarnis in China'?? Honestly, I haven't thought that far ahead right now. For these last 40 days, I would like to do something special - a blog-a-day countdown, until we leave. Not that all posts will be move related - as always, I have a ton of catch-up posts, lot of things I've wanted to write about - so should be an interesting ride!! The countdown begins today...so stay tuned!!