A Full Week of New Foods/People/Places

Well, the food here so far has been amazing! Alan has a list of 5 star hotels and other places we are eating at for the next three weeks. IKES. The places so far have been amazing! For Indian food retraunts we have been able to eat lots of chicken dishes and vegetarian dishes and yummy naan breads and dipping sauces and chutneys. At this rate i will not be losing the weight i want no matter how hot it is here :) just kidding. I think we still will. We went for a long walk around the city (our neighborhood really) and learned a lot. We had to go buy groceries and soap and shampoo at some market. It was good to know where we could find good cholocate ice cream, cheeses, mac and cheese, peanut butter, chocolate, and various other Western (American) NECESSITIES!!!! yes, they even had Kraft mac and cheese! Alan says there is something about that stuff that is addicting(the processed cheese stuff) He said that when you are missing home to eat that and other things from this market -that it helps. Good to know! I even found M&M's. Fruits and vegetables are practically free here. That will be nice to get used to!

We had dinner at the Farm a couple of nights ago. It is this restaurant about an hour away that is well off the beaten path. It is in the middle of bloody no where! But the drive was nice. The inter city would make anyone cry. It is a lot like Mexico. It reminded me a lot of our trip there actually. Lots of poor people with nothing just staring at us who are being carted around like royalty with our own staff. It was ridiculous actually. And you should see our house. Marble floors, and tile kitchens and bathrooms. I mean, nothing super fancy to speak of…but for India this is as good as it gets and we are grateful! We really are treated like royalty. It is something Alan says he is still not used to after a year...i believe it. Regardless of that, back to the Farm. This restaurant is an outdoor pavilion tent—surrounded by nets for walls to keep the mosquitoes out. (Side note: they are just coming out now because it has been too hot for them—good thing.) Anyways, it is a wood fire pizza place and traditional Indian food restaurant, and all outdoors. There are various beds everywhere too for laying on and eating. it was so beautiful! This night was a special dinner in our honor. Various expats and contacts that Alan has made here get together regularly and share experiences and tales of home and travels. It was so fun. We met some amazing people and that was really fun because after Alan leaves it is good to have a network of other Americans, and other people (even Indians) who will be there as friends to socialize with and all. I guess often they take trips together. one guy, Scott, from Boston MA, (just moved here 2 months ago) just went on a trip with this clan to Kalcutta. I have always wanted to go there so this might be a fun way to not just meet others and make friends, but also see other parts of the world at group rates with safe people. :) all good things!

The food was fabulous too. We had more than we could eat as it was and order to share with the table kind of place. Kabobs galore, pizzas, bruchettas , Indian dishes i cannot even begin to [pronounce let alone spell, but my favorite tonight—above all else was this toasted bread that had traditional potato salad on top of it...like bruchetta but it was filled with garlic too...oh my word. it was the weirdest sounding combo but it was Heavenly for sure!

Our cook Raja had made some food this week and put it in the fridge for later. It was sort of naan bread (flat bread) that you dip Dahl and then steamed rice with a curry potatoes and green pepper dish. It would have been fabulous but three glasses of milk later and my mouth was still on fire. Alan likes really spicy foods....me not so much. Miles says his food was almost too much for him, so that is really hot!!!!!! We changed Raja's hours too as we share him with Scott- the guy we met the other night from Boston. Raju will only be here 3 days a week, to cook, and clean. That works well with us and Scott so it worked out great.

Jason De Kock (our boss from Logos) is here with us and helping with the transition and we have eaten many times with him and Alan. Our favorite place so far is about one minute away from our apartment. It is one of the 5 star hotel restraunts called the Raintree. We have eaten twice now there at the one on the rooftop and are served Flilet Mignon. It was incredible and who knew you could get steak in India!!!

Down our street is a Korean Restraunt and a wonderful Thai place. Not too far away is Sparkys Diner, which has eveything under the sun, and another favorite is Tuscana—an Italian place. Another favorite Alan took us this week to Sandy's cholocate laboratory which has the best dark chocloate milkshakes I have ever tasted. I suppose if we are sick of Indian food ever or it just makes our tummys too upset we have so many other choices in this big city. Praise the Lord!

We got cell phones this week, and have been discovering different parks, and touristy places, markets, and beaches, and tiny little towns. We have even been to the local mall. It is a lot to take in, and there are just so many people here it is overwhelming but I think we are going to like it here. I think our new home (city wise) is fascinating and incredibly large. There is just so much to do.