I am moving!

Not a physical move but I am referring to my change of address in cyberspace. :)

It doesn't make sense to continue blogging under this title since my time in Hyderabad is over. I do hope that my blog has been a useful resource for some or had entertained you in your free time.

To the new friends I have made from this blog, thanks for reading.

For those who have time to spare or curious as to what I am doing now, do feel free to visit me at http://yesnoandmaybe.wordpress.com/

See you there!

Last 24 hours

The last day started out as a reminder of how we had started in the city.

In order to get our refund for the jerry cans that held our drinking bottle, we took an auto to a part of the city which was new to us.

“Where is your office? Address?”

“No address mam. BSNL office at Ameerpet. Go past the third gate and you see Sri Varawana apartment. Opposite apartment, there is pink building. Office is on the first floor”

When I first got here, my eyes would have stretched wide open and asked how could they have had no address? But becoming wiser with experience, I knew they had a address except that the address would have made no sense to someone looking for the office.

So I learnt not to question and just follow her directions. True enough, her directions got us to the office without difficulty and we got our money back.

Next stop, the bank. Considering the difficulty we faced opening an account, I had already prepared myself for a tough time. To my surprise, ending the relationship with them was much easier than starting one. Fill in a few forms, surrender items like ATM cards and cheque book, ink down your signature to confirm the decision and it’s done.

When we got home, we asked the watchman of the building to come up to our flat. We gave him our pillows, quilt and a bag of the hubby’s old shirts.

The watchman and his family live in a make shift room on the ground floor and during the colder months where temperature fall occasionally below 10 degrees, they are still sleeping on the floor. During summer months, they would move out to common area where there is more ventilation and maybe a slight summer breeze.

When we first took over the apartment, we had thrown away the old mattresses and bought new ones for ourselves. The landlord was exasperated that we threw the old mattresses away even though we were going to leave behind the new ones. Afterwards when we saw the living conditions of people like the watchman, we understood why. The mattresses though dirty, would have gone a long way for many people.

In total, I gave away three bags of clothes. I had brought old clothes to India knowing that I will not be bringing them back. A hoarder by nature, I felt very sorry for my clothes that I had to leave them in India. Maybe I should have donated them to Salvation Army in Singapore instead but I tried to console myself that these are the people who would need it more. But at the back of my head, I question the usefulness of my clothes because you do not see Indian women walking around in t-shirts and shorts/capris.

Our domestic help came for the last time today and I had given her plenty of home items and foodstuff. As a gesture, I had also given her the entire month’s pay though she was only working for half a month.

She is the only person besides the hubby whom I come into contact with almost on a daily basis. With her limited understanding and speech of English, I managed to communicate to her through simple words and actions the daily tasks which needs to be done. Occasionally, she will try to tell me more about her family. When she left, she wished both the hubby and myself well and left with the things I had given her.

What soured the day was that about 2 hours after, she called and asked me for money! I politely told her no and reminded her again that I had also given her extra pay for the month. She started saying that she needed help, that they were poor, please…

This is where I draw the line. I know her family is not well to do but they are definitely not in poverty. It is difficult to say no especially when I know the amount is not huge but they need to learn the value of earning their own keep and should not be begging. Bottom line, I was firm about my stand and she hung up after a couple of minutes.

On the way to the airport, the hubby and myself spoke about how different we view this place now as compared to when we first arrived. Buildings and surroundings that were looked foreign before is now so familiar.

Living in Hyderabad is indeed not easy and the one word I would like to say that I am wearing this experience now as a badge of honour.

Namaste.

Service Providers in Hyderabad

When moving to a new city, one of the first few things that needs to be done is to find all the necessary companies to give you your internet, water, gas, mobile, etc.

Finding the right one will make the stay here much easier while the wrong one can really drive you up the wall.

These are the service providers I used and what I think of them.

Reliance Internet
AVOID! There is no way I will recommend them to anyone. While there is not much issue with their internet connection or speed, it is their billing system and customer service that will have you hopping mad.

Firstly, the breakdown of their bill is difficult to understand and the monthly amount is sometimes different (always more and not less) even though it is the same plan that I have been subscribed to for months. Call up their hotline and their standard reply is "Our billing department will call you back in 48 hours". After three days, I am always the one calling them again, pleading for their billing department to call me back. As I do not want to default on the bill payment date and risk having the connection terminated, the only way is to chase them instead. Once, I called them like four to five times within two weeks and I never heard from the billing department.

Next, Customer Service. For the billing issue that took more than two weeks to resolve, I had asked to speak with their supervisor hoping for a speedier resolution but it only ended up with us raising our voices at each other. Yes, their supervisor raised his voice at me. I sent in a email feedback after that and never heard back from them.

Another time, someone else had called to do a survey. When I told her to speak slower because I had difficulty understanding, she hung up on me. That is their customer service.

Airtel Mobile
I use a prepaid card from them and never had any problems. Topping up the credit is a breeze as they have many mum-and-pop shops where it can be done instantly. Sometimes, they have promotions too where you top up RS350 and get RS50 free.

One SMS costs RS1 and the charges for calls are even cheaper. So, one top up can last me a pretty long time.

No complaints on this one!

Tata Sky Cable
Many thanks to the cable subscription here, I have been watching more television here in a year than maybe in the last 10 years combined! Channels I subscribed to ranges from news (CNN, BBC, etc) to entertainment (TLC, FOX, AXN, Star World, HBO, etc) and it has kept me well entertained throughout the year. I had caught many movies which I had missed out on before like "Julie and Julia" and also finally knew what "Gossip Girl" was all about. They were even showing the latest season of "Bones" before Singapore started screening it. All for no more than RS400 (around SGD12) a month! Now, I understand why they say cable is expensive in Singapore.

Anyway, it's easy to make payment online and their customer service hotline is usually able to handle most of my queries on the spot without having to call me back. That is what I call resolution.

Drinking Water
Water from the tap is not of drinking standard here, so you can either buy one of those Reverse Osmosis system or order drinking water which comes in 25L jerry cans that costs RS75.

I chose to order Kinley water (under the Coca-Cola brand) from their authorised distributor - Srikaa Aqua. So far, they have been reliable and will deliver the water within 24 hours except for this one time during summer when they were running low in supply. Only downside is they can't tell you what time (which is quite typical of delivery standards here), so you either are at home, leave instructions with your building watchman or miss the delivery.

Standard Chartered Bank

Had expected more from them since they are an international brand but it took almost a month for us to get our account opened. After we had changed our address, they were still sending mail to the old address and it took awhile again before they got it right.

The only bank branch was not impressive and gave the impression of being messy. Also, think they need to train their front line staff to be more professional when dealing with customers. If I were to do it a second time, I would instead try HSBC that is just down the road.

Security in the City

The bombings in Mumbai yesterday brought back memories of the last attack in 2008 when there were hostages held in two major hotels. I was glued to the television then, watching the event unfold.

Security alerts have since been also issued for major Indian cities including Hyderabad. In my head, I am thinking, what more measures can they put in place?

Currently, everyone is screened before entering major buildings. Everyone walks through a metal detector after which guys are frisked while females have their bags searched and are also frisked in a partitioned area. However, the metal detector is quite a joke because the security staff is not going to make you remove items and walk through the detector again until it stops beeping. Though it still acts as a deterrence for anyone with funny ideas but I question its effectiveness for anyone who is serious about becoming a threat. 

Screening of cars are more effective as they usually stop the car before it gets too close to the building. The boot of every car is then inspected and mirrors are used to screen the bottom of the chassis. It is accepted that there is always a queue entering the carpark because of these checks.

Initially, I was surprised at how seriously security is viewed in this country. I mean, can you imagine if Singapore decides to screen everyone before letting them into the shopping malls? I think most shoppers will be left queuing on the street on Orchard Road just to enter!

It is easier to spot something unusual like an unattended object if the environment is orderly but when a place is chaotic or messy (there is a difference between crowded and chaotic), how do you identify what is out of place or unusual?

It is indeed no fun to be the one in the dark when evil plans are being hatched against you. There is only so much preemptive measures that can be implemented but I think the key difference lies in the security personnel who needs to take their role seriously as being the last line of defence. We, who are not in the dark can only try.

So, next time before we complain about how these security measures inconveniences us, just think about what it could possibly prevent.

Letter to Mr Chetan - Author of 2 States

Dear Mr Chetan,

I have just finished reading your book 2 States and would like you to know that I had enjoyed the book very much.

Being a Singaporean Chinese who moved into Hyderabad about a year ago, both me and my spouse had experienced first hand the cultural difference. 

Thanks to your book, it showed me that even among Indians, cultural differences exists and that a North Indian will also go through the same cultural shock when coming into the southern part of India.

You had captured some of the key anecdotes about living in South India so well that at times of reading the book, you had me laughing out loud. 

Some foreigners might think that you are exaggerating when you write about Ananya's brother starting his day at 5am with tuition but I know it's true because it is happening to my neighbour's kid. In Singapore, most children are all too familiar with having tuition on top of attending school but to have tuition at such ungodly hours is unthinkable.

Some incidences which I had only heard of but yet to experience, I am living it through your writing. 

Not too sure how close this story is based on your life's story but the characters in the book - Krish and Ananya, has definitely lived up to the saying of love conquers all.

Down to a week

In less than a week's time, living in Hyderabad will become a memory for us.

Many have congratulated me for surviving the year and are more excited than me about leaving. Truth to be told, I think the fact that we are leaving has not sunk in for me. Every morning is still just another day where the hubby goes to work and I am just pottering around the house. I feel like being in auto pilot mode where I know we need to sell things, pack stuff, etc. but I am just going through the motion without the expected feelings of excitement or delight. Maybe my heart has long flown away and is waiting for me to catch up with it. 

Looking back in retrospect usually makes time seem to have passed by so fast. Even I would agree that one year is not a long time but the past year definitely felt like a stretched one.

Anyway, last week was a busy one. We had put ads up online to sell the household items that we have bought here and the landlord was also arranging prospective tenants to view the apartment.

I am now convinced that anything can be sold second hand here. Initially I thought that we would have to give away items like crockery and food storage containers (like lock lock) but surprisingly, there are people who are more than happy to buy them. 

Friends around had advised us to collect a deposit from the buyers to ensure that they will come back for the items. Else, there's a high chance of us being left with items unsold and only empty promises. So, that was what we did.

Well, as people start collecting the items this weekend and as I start filling up the suitcases, hopefully I will start feeling that what is happening is reality.

Eating Betel Leaf - Another New Experience

Over the weekend, the hubby’s colleague had invited us to his home for dinner together with two other couples.

The highlight of this dinner came after dessert when our hosts served “pan” – the Indian equivalent of after-dinner mint, to end the meal.

Pan is actually a Betel Leaf shaped into a cone that is about the size of your palm. Different regions have got different type of pans and some of these pans come with ingredients like tobacco and slaked lime.

The locals really love their pan as you can see crowded pan shops along many streets in the city.

The pan offered to us was a meetha (sweet) pan and it had rose petals, dried coconut, crushed spices, and other things amongst it. I wasn’t at all too keen about eating a Betel leaf with what sounded like dubious ingredients but the host had insisted that we must try it and I felt that it would have been rude to refuse again.


I was told to put the entire pan into my mouth and I was glad that I did because if not, I don’t think I could have taken a second bite.

All I tasted in the first two chews was the texture of leaf. After that, you start to crunch through the ingredients and all the flavours start to explode in your mouth. There is probably no one word to describe the taste but imagine strong mint coupled together with spices. It is overwhelming for a first timer and I could not disguise my expression while chewing through the rest of it. During that few minutes of chewing, I was focused only on one thought: I must not gag. For non Indians, to enjoy pan is definitely an acquired taste.

For the longest time, it was in my head that betel leaf must have a unique taste which is why people in places like Taiwan eat them a lot too. After eating it, it is how I had imagine a leaf to taste. There was no special taste or flavour about it.

As I read more about eating betel leaf, its anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties are bring touted everywhere. What goes together with the betel leaf is the deciding factor of making it a good or bad habit.

For most food, one mouthful leaves me wanting for more but when it comes to eating pan, this one bite is surely more than enough.

*was not able to take pictures so these pics are from google.

Our Golden Triangle Trip - Agra (2)

A road sign at the start of the highway had shown the distance to Agra as 184km and I was thinking why did our driver say that the journey would take 4-4.5 hrs? If we travel at a conservative speed of 90km/h, it should take like 2 hours tops.

The answer?
What we understand as a highway does not apply here. This highway is not a dedicated road with marked exits at regulated distances. It's more like a two lane road that passes through townships and industrial areas.

As we approach the townships, the car speed drops to around 30km/h and other times, the car is more likely to be trailing behind large container trucks who cannot keep left. Most times, the car was travelling around 60-70km/h.

Second Stop: Agra
Main attraction of Agra is of course the Taj Mahal. Before the trip, I often wondered if this is worth the long car ride from Delhi and if my expectations of it would be too high having read and heard so much about it. Well, I can tell you now that it is all worth it!

Nothing can really prepare you for the sight. No matter how many pictures you might have seen before of this place, to see it for yourself is really a visual feast. The marble white building set against a clear sky and the symmetry of the Taj really is awesome. I am not sure if a person can get tired of looking at it. 

We were lucky that there was no queue that day and we were able to just walk inside Taj Mahal. Our guide tells us that on some days, the wait can be three hours long. I didn't think much about the interior and it didn't help that it is very crowded around the tomb. Having been inside, I will say that it is not worth the 3 hour queue if there is one and I would much rather spend that time admiring the exterior of the Taj.

Take note that it is closed on Friday and because of that Thursdays and Saturdays are usually very crowded.

Akbar's tomb

First view of the Taj Mahal

No pictures can show the grandeur of it all

Agra Fort

View of Taj Mahal from Agra Fort

Our Golden Triangle Trip - New Delhi (1)

On a whim, the hubby and myself had decided to visit Taj Mahal about 3 weeks ago and we left the next day.

Thanks to myself who had done homework before about the place, it was not too difficult deciding on the tour itinerary. We decided to do the Golden Triangle tour where we would cover New Delhi, Agra and Jaipur in 4D3N.

First Stop: New Delhi

Delhi gave us our first feel of summer at around 40 degrees and we had only about 5-6 hours to see the sights of the city. From the architecture of the buildings, it is clear that this city was previously ruled by the British and that added to the charm of the city.

Coming from Hyderabad where potholes are everywhere on the road, we were impressed with the road quality of Delhi and wonder why the standards are so gaping. The streets in Delhi are lined with trees which I believe would look very pretty in autumn while you can hardly find a decent pavement in Hyderabad!

Of course, New Delhi being the capital of India has a certain standard to keep to and I believe that the recent Commonwealth Games had also a hand in sprucing up the city.

As for tourist attractions, here's what we saw:

India Gate

King's Way - Road linking India Gate and the Parliament House

Secretariet buildings flanking King's Way

Parliament House

 

Hamayun's Tomb

Qutb Minar - Victory Tower

When the temperature hits 43 Degrees Celcius

1. My brains are in a permanent siesta mode, hence explaining the lack of new blog entries.
2. Forget about taking cool showers in the afternoon because the water from the tap is so hot that I cant even wash dishes.
3. Summer is here and it is mango season. Yeah!
4. The entire day is spent sitting under the fan, in the aircon room with blackout curtains drawn or both.
5. You will perspire anywhere and everywhere.
6. Fashion at home is strictly limited to dri-fit tops and shorts.
7. With humidity levels between 20-40%, lip balm is a necessity throughout the day and moisturizer at night. It's a bother!
8. Drinking cold drinks is a must to bring body temperature down by one or two degrees. Ice is a must have in the fridge.
9. In the kitchen, forget about cooking curry or soup. It's just too hot for all that stuff.
10. Eat your chocolates fast! m&m tag line line of "Melt in your mouth not in your hands" is not applicable here.

My Singapore Dream that I forgot

It is one week to polling day and I am counting down to watch polling day action online through Channel News Asia.

During polling day in 2006, I was away from Singapore for work and did not vote. This year, as India is not a designated overseas voting station, I will again not be able to vote.

However, I have stronger feelings now about not being able to vote as compared to five years ago. Then, I even thought that being away was a good thing as it would save me from queuing under the sun for hours.

This year, I am convinced that every vote counts and have been urging people around to think seriously about where their vote is going.

Why the change in my attitude?

The answer became clearer as I spent time thinking about it. It is because I once had my Singapore Dream.

While growing up, I truly believed that one day we will be a “tropical Switzerland” where people will be cultured and Singapore will be a country where foreigners will no longer think that it is a place in China.

Campaigns were something I took seriously as a kid because I felt then that it must be the way to becoming a country of Switzerland standard. Not that I had visited Switzerland then but I believed what I was told. Do this and you will get that.


Remember the Clean and Green Campaign lead by Captain Frog? Good citizens do not litter, we must keep our street clean.

Of course, there was Singa the Courtesy Lion who would help turn us into a gracious society where we will be cultured citizens just like the developed countries.




Fast forward 20 years and I realize that my then simplistic dream as a kid would not be materialized.

I have been well trained to throw litter only in dustbins but people around me are not doing the same. These days, it’s impossible to find dustbins in MRT stations and the rubbish have evolved from tissue paper to food packaging. What happened to obeying rules and showing basic civic mindedness? It has definitely gone for a toss.

Forget about courtesy when it is about public transport. There is no queue system at bus stops and if you do not push to get on the feeder bus, you can wait another 15-20 mins to get to the train station and be late for work. After a work day in the CBD area, forget about getting on a crowded train during peak period unless there is shoving involved.

Welcome to my world as an adult.

This was not what I had envisioned while growing up. I had played my part in preparing to be the gracious citizen but there is no “tropical Switzerland” waiting for me.

It is disappointing to see that my dream had not made it to reality and I dare to say that it is by no fault of mine.

So what have changed and why?

As a 11-year old, I will always remember the trip to Los Angeles where locals are impressed with my English ability and ask where we are visiting from. Proudly, I will tell them Singapore but very often I will need to explain that it is not in China but we are a small island south of Malaysia.

Now, it is no longer necessary to give that small geographical explanation as most people now know Singapore but I have lost that pride in telling them that I am Singaporean.

By and large I believe that Singaporeans are still gracious people but the influx of foreigners (not all of them) had brought with them their civic mindedness at a level where we were 20 years ago.

Also, when infrastructure is unable to cope, people are forced to do what is needed to get by and it is often not a gracious side.

This election reminded me that I had a Singapore dream which I had buried and forgotten but with change, maybe there is still a chance of it becoming reality.

Suzie's Eulogy

Hubby’s Version
*or rather what I think he would have written

She started appearing about two to three months ago. I hardly noticed her at first but as time passed and as we bumped into each other more often, there was a sense of familiarity. Though we never talked, it seemed like we had acknowledged each other’s presence. I gave her a name – Suzie.

Most things are generally okay until the wife notices and reached her threshold of tolerance. That day came last week and I had to put this to an end.

It's true that in the next day or two, I couldn’t help thinking about where she is now. However, that tinge of attachment that I felt during our infrequent sightings was probably imagined as I didn’t miss Suzie at all after.

To Suzie: Wherever you are now, I hope you are well.


My Version

The hubby noticed her before I did and seem to do so more frequently than me. Some call it affinity, I call it coincidence.

Soon, I established her routine of appearing in the evenings. Sometimes, I would see her from the corner of my eyes but there are days when I would not spot her. Many things around us form our environment and that was what she was to me. Until, she decided to become a threat.

Around last week, she broke her routine and started appearing more frequently. Not only that, she had also started to stop and stare at me too. This went on for a few days until I decided to ask the hubby to take action.

So, in order for me not to be harmed, we went on the offensive. We gave her poison and when it didn’t seem to be enough, we plunged her four floors below.

Till today, we cannot be sure if she died as she is not human like us. We had not seen the corpse of this dead lizard but neither has she come back to haunt me.

Dear Suzie, things could have remained status quo but by breaking your routine, you broke the rules of engagement.

Bus (no) Stop

A few things I observed about bus transportation when we got here:
1. There are plenty of buses on the roads but where are the bus stops?
2. Most traffic deaths in the newspaper seem to involve buses. School bus, public bus, etc.

And my conclusion:
1. Try to avoid buses on the roads
2. NEVER cross the road near a bus

Well, I will not know for sure if buses could be the statistically highest killer on the roads here but I think I have found out why there are no bus stops.

Reason being: The buses generally do not stop!

I am not trying to be funny here. Serious.
Let me help you set your imagination straight here first before I continue. The buses here are not air-conditioned. Both the front and back doors are always kept open. There is definitely black exhaust coming out from the exhuast pipe.

What I have observed is that when you see a large group of people gathering beside the road, they are waiting for the bus. When the bus approaches, keep your eyes glued to the doors because that is when the magic happens. Without the bus stopping, people are getting on and off the bus.

How? Before approaching the group of people, the bus will slow down about 3-5m before and people will start jumping off the bus.
As the bus approaches the group waiting, people will start running alongside the bus, trying to get the right speed and then jump up through the doors. Just like comrades, those on the bus extends a hand to pull the new passenger up.

Though this is the usual scene that I see, there are also those rare moments where I see the buses stopping. But till now, I still have not quite figured out if they are required to stop at certain places.

I would love to put a video up for viewing but it is quite difficult though I am still looking out for opportunities to record it. In the meantime, you can put your visualisation skills to good use.

Oh, by the way, bus stops are actually called bus shelters here.

Visiting Lumbini Park

We were planning on a quiet Sunday and thought that we should go check out this mall called Prasad along Necklace Road that houses the only IMAX theatre in Hyderabad.

Sad to say, the mall had nothing to retain our attention so we decided to head off after grabbing some lunch. The question of where to go next came up and since we were so near the floating Buddha Statue at Hussain Sagar Lake, we decided to visit it impromptu. This is one of the tourist attractions that was on our list to visit anyway. 

What we didn't know is that we needed to get into Lumbini Park to go see the statue.  The Hubby was not happy that he didn't have his camera with him and though my LX-5 was with me, I had left the memory card in my lappy!

But the LX-5 never fails me including today because it has its own internal memory!

There was an entrance fee of Rs10 (SGD 0.30) into the garden which is really affordable for the locals and the boat ride to the floating Buddha will cost another Rs30 (SGD 0.90) person.

Don't be fooled into thinking that this is a natural lake because it is not! This 24 sq km lake is entire man made eons long ago in 1562. I have no idea however how long did it take!

We enjoyed the trip as the park was not overcrowded and its a change to be surrounded by greenery. Am not sure if we will revisit again but for anyone visiting Hyderabad, you definitely should drop by.

Welcome to Lumbini Park

Woman selling corn at park entrance

Another street vendor

Children cooling off in the heat

Favourite past time here

Front view of the the 18m statue

Upclose in its original colour

A ride in the park that will give you a vantage view

India - Champions of Cricket World Cup 2011

India last won the Cricket World Cup in 1983. Hence, you can imagine the excitement that has been building up since their win over Pakistan during the semi finals.
Today the hubby and myself decided to watch our first cricket match at Hard Rock Cafe. I mean what are the odds to be in a country where the home team could win the world cup in just another 4 hours?

We were there at around 7pm, about 5 hours after the match started but it didn't matter. When we stepped in, we knew that it was the right place to be. Some waiters decked their heads with the India flags and others wearing the India jersey.

It was obvious which players were crowd favourites and who were public enemies. There was this Sri Lankan player whom I call Goldilocks that was booed everytime he came out to throw.

When the advertisements were played or when India batted beautifully, there were roaring shouts of "India, India!" Trust me, that patriotism is super infectious.

Of course, I am not going to give you a commentary of how the match played out but I must say that the winning hit was just brilliant!
I think in cricket terminology, they call it a six widget. It is what a home run is in a baseball game and it was that shot that led India to clinch the victory.

People jumped from their seats, started hugging each other, giving hi-fives and running all over the place chanting "India, India!". We suddenly realised that we were the only people still sitting on chairs but that didn't last long.

Guys from the next table came over, hi-fived us and pulled my hubby out of his chair wanting to give a celebratory hug. Soon, we were up on our feet taking pictures and joining the crowd in celebration.

En route home, you could see people on bikes holding the India flag zooming down the road shouting "India" at the top of their voice. Groups were walking down the road shouting and celebrating the win. Drivers on the road also added to the noise by honking. Along the road, people were lighting fire crackers and fireworks. Suddenly, it was like Diwali all over again.

Sports can really bond a nation. For that few hours, because of a common goal, differences are set aside for another day. All that matters now is to enjoy that cup that has eluded India for 28 years.

For myself, I am going shopping tomorrow for a India jersey to keep as a momento.

Where all the action is

Drinking out of plastic cup because no glasses allowed for today!

Watching the match

The India team after winning the game

A fan celebrating the win

Celebrating India's win

India! India!

India flag paraded on the road by bikers

Radio Silence

Yes, I have been procrastinating again when it comes to blogging. It is still not in my DNA to update people about my activities through the internet but since I had decided to start this to keep you folks updated, I will continue to endeavour.

My reminder for me to pen down (maybe this will soon be a obsolete phrase since no one uses a pen much anymore it seems) the days of March came while watching House last night.

The episode was about a female blogger who started blogging as a form of communication but has developed to be so dependent on her online community that the very minute when she faces a question, she blogs about it to get opinion. Her boyfriend was against her asking her online community if she should undergo surgery as he wanted to maintain their privacy.

He told her that her belief of "no one will need to be alone again with the internet" has turned into one where it is an obsession for more "eyeballs" (i.e. clicks/ visits) and it has turned their lives into entertainment for others.

This is the reason why I am a late adopter towards blogging. I cannot draw a clear line between what is too private and what is not. Will my friends like to be named/ identified? Will the pictures that I post be held against me in public opinion one day? For now, think Kate Spade and a 27 year old gal and I believe you understand my hesitation.

But I also believe that blogging can help friends to stay closer in touch because though Facebook is de rigueur, how much can you share in that short status update?

Because of the internet, I have benefited much from strangers' blogs about their experiences on travelling, product review and more. 

There are many people out there who are happy to share step by step photos on how to cook a certain dish, resolving a computer glitch, why you should wait for ipad3, etc. Forget about the dummy guide books.  

Hence, this love-hate relationship causes me to resist clicking "New Post" because each time, there is that battle in my head about where to draw the line of privacy. 

Of course, this becomes easier with each post published but the question of this too too much never goes away.

Guess I will be practising drawing the line while working on all those March posts that are still in draft.

Ah Lim Chicken Rice

This is what I cook when craving for food that has a taste of home.
Thanks to the discovery of Chng Kee's Chicken Rice Mix!

Last Night at Chateau Marmont

This book was on loan to me from a friend when I ran out of books to buy. It was the perfect book because I wanted an easy read after finishing The Millennium Series.

Nothing to rave about this book but it acquired a piece of general knowledge for me. Ok, trivial general knowledge. 

This place actually exists!

Located in Hollywood where celebrities treat it as their home away from home, I would have never imagined if I had not read about Eva Longoria organising Victoria Beckham's baby shower at Chateau Marmont.

My mind took a double take when reading about Eva Longoria and suddenly it clicked in my head that the place in the book was not fiction. Never had I thought that it was based on a actual place.

My Introduction to Stieg Larsson

If someone was to call me a book junkie, I wouldn't object though I have always seen myself more of a book junkie wannabe. 

I love to read, though it is difficult when going through the daily 9 to 5 grind. So, when I am in a land where books are considerably cheaper and more importantly armed with the luxury of time, I am closer to shedding the wannabe title.

When it comes to selecting the books to read, there is no particular genre that I prefer but it is  the topic that matters. In any case, I rarely pick up crime novels when buying books. There isn't any particular reason why but when I found out that the flight was delayed by 2 hours and there was no wifi at the airport, I bought one of the thickest book available and that was how I got introduced to Stieg Larsson.

Initially, I was put off by all those Swedish names and locations which was difficult to absorb. I am familiar with Grand Central Park or Madison Avenue but names like Hornsgatan and Södermalmstor? Really? How do you even pronounce them? But thanks to Larsson, tourists in Stockholm are now looking for the buildings written in the book or join a Millennium tour.

It also didn't help that because I was reading the last book of the series, I had no knowledge of the past events that had happened to the character when mentioned.

In order not to spoil the fun for those of you planning to read the book, I will not go into the details of the story. Overall, I enjoyed his book for a few reasons.

The main protagonists in Larsson's book has characters quite different from your usual American/ British profile and I liked the change. I mean when was the last time there was a husband who didn't mind his wife having an affair with her best friend? How about the journalist who has strong work ethics, so likable as a person but have commitment issues? And of course, there is the main character who is so misunderstood by people around but yet is such a genius in cyberspace.

Though the story of the main protagonist is unravelled through three books, each book has a crime theme that is intriguing on its own.

First the mystery of a missing girl of a wealthy family, followed by the story of corruption and organised crimes and the last was the uncovering of a secret government unit (think KGB type).

Be warned though that at certain parts of the books, you will find detailed graphical description of events that won't be everybody's cup of tea.

Finally, it definitely was the unexpected twists and development that got me reading into ungodly hours on some nights. This was definitely not one of those books where you would already know who the culprit was or how it would all end before you are even midway through. But then again, I am not a seasoned reader of crime novels so maybe I need to sharpen my "investigative intuition".

After finishing all three books, I felt like I could finally catch my breath. Though there are times when I felt like giving up because each book is a good 500+ pages, I am glad that I finished it as the author had taken much effort to round up all the events and plots. The gratification of closure just like when watching dramas.

Time to breathe now.

Update: I had watched "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" on HBO and it was pretty disappointing as compared to the book. Many details which made the book a real suspense was left out (as always when the movie is based on a novel) but I did enjoy seeing the actual places that the book was describing.

Visiting Shilparamam

We decided to be touristy over the weekend and to visit one of the tourist attractions -  Shilparamam, a arts and craft cultural village in Hyderabad.

Their website had given us a good idea of what to expect and so it was a pleasant 1.5 hours spent on a late Sunday afternoon.

Located over 65 acres (sounds big but its about 0.26km² ) of land, it actually feels more like a walk in a big park. It was fun walking through the market to see how much pottery and craft there is on sale. If you are looking to decorate your home, there is probably something here for you to buy.

One other area that I liked had huge swings constructed amongst trees. You can see parents pushing their children on those swings or the men swinging their loved ones. Am not sure if they had meant for all the trees to be withered but the colour and made it brilliant for a photo opportunity.

While walking through, you will realise that this is a popular place amongst couples as they are many corners where you can sit. It could be along a water feature, outside a village looking hut or simple under the tree. The maintenance of the place could be better but at the cost of Rs 25 per adult, it is definitely worth it to give this place a visit.

A good way to end this visit is to go to Inorbit Mall for the aircon and to chill out at one of the cafes with a ice cold drink. Feeling dehydrated after the walk, we had gone to Chili's for its unlimited Pepsi refills and Margaritas! 

Entrance of the village



Am sure they meant per head 



Boys having fun in the water



Crafts on sale



Bronze Elephants

Pottery on sale

Replicas of village huts

Statues of "villagers working"

People swinging away



Huge elephant on display