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.

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.

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.

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.

MasterChef USA

Starworld started showing MasterChef USA on Monday last week and it made me so happy that I had something to look forward to now at 9pm!

For the last 2 months after Bones, Amazing Race and MasterChef USA ended their run almost simultaneously, I had suffered telly withdrawal symptoms and had turned to watching drama serials online.

So, I was most happy that my telly routine is now back except that I was rather skeptical about Gordon Ramsay as one of the judges. He is the reason as to why I never liked watching Hell's Kitchen because there was just too much shouting and verbal abuse coming from him.

Ramsay is surprisingly rather toned down as compared to Hell's Kitchen. In fact, I couldn't believe it that he was sympathetic towards this contestant who couldn't bring herself to kill a live dungeoness crab!

  

This US version feels like a mad mad rush. It doesn't give you enough time to know the contestants, to see what they do at the house, what they are reading behind the scenes in order to be a better chef, who are friends with who, etc.

MasterChef Australia gives an entire hour to broadcast the different challenges like Invention Test and the Mystery Box but the US version only gives 30 mins for each. So after all the massive editing, I don't really get to see the contestants cooking. Seeing how each contestant cook shows not only their technique but it also gives you a glimpse of their style and personality. 

 But I think the worst thing they had done so far is to only show one judge's comment on each dish. I am sure that each of the judges would have different opinions and critique but sadly, most of that is missing. Thanks to all the editing, I also do not feel like I know the judges any better as a celebrity chefs. The other two judges - Joe Bastianich and Graham Elliot are just but new names to me.

Also missing from the US version are the Pressure Test, Celebrity Chef Challenge, Elimination and Masterclass. With so many missing elements, watching MasterChef USA is like drinking sachet mushroom soup, missing the cream and fresh mushrooms. It just does not deliver that kick and excitement that makes you want to watch more.

Conclusion, this US version with lots of drama and %$# words doesn't work for me. Bring me the Australia version anytime.

48 hours of Bandh

Definitation of Bandh according to Wiki:
Bandh (Hindi: बंद), originally a Hindi word meaning 'closed', is a form of protest used by political activists in some countries like India and Nepal. During a Bandh, a political party or a community declares a general strike.

Often Bandh means that the community or political party declaring a Bandh expect the general public to stay in their homes and strike work. The main affected are shopkeepers who are expected to keep their shops closed and the public transport operators of buses and cabs are supposed to stay off the road and not carry any passengers. There have been instances of large metro cities coming to a standstill.

Starting today, a 48 hour Bandh was declared in Hyderabad. This Telangana Bandh is 'called by Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) in support of their demand for early introduction of a bill for formation of a separate state'.

So, how does this impact day to day living?

For one, my cleaner didn't come today because there were no buses to take her into the city.
For the kids, schools have been declared closed for 2 days.

For transportation, there will hardly be any buses available and the autos who are defying the ban and plying the road will be charging extra. There will be road diversions leading to traffic jams as traffic will be prevented from going near key government buildings and places like the minister's house. Going to the airport might also prove challenging as the taxis are also on strike.

For basic necessities, people started stocking up on essentials like fresh food as the shops might not be open the next few days. Once I heard of the news, I had to call the company delivering our drinking water to make sure it will be sent. Cars were queuing at petrol pumps for hours to get filled.

In short, life of ordinary people who still have to go on with their daily activities becomes inconvenienced. Sadly, these protests will usually end without anything being resolved till the next time some group decide to take up the same cause again. So for a great majority, it is paying a price for nothing.

But for those who takes a personal interest towards the cause, they will take to the streets protesting and in some instances, clash with the police. Already from yesterday, university students who are pro-Telangana have been hurling stones and the police as a result had to use tear gas to disperse the crowd and make arrests. But largely, it has been considered a rather peaceful Bandh with just another one or two isolated incidences of buses and a railway station being damaged.

It is actually good that these are organised strikes as the government are informed beforehand and can then take the necessary precaution of road blocks and deploy extra police. At least there will be no surprises.

As I am home most time, life still goes on without the cleaner today and I might just skip gym tomorrow. The only other thing that bothers me really is the frequent loud siren of police vehicles on the road. Hm, now that sounds rather frivolous in light of the matter but it is how is it.

Adieu Pigeons And Please Do Not Return

Yes! It's you. So go away!!!

Finally, they did go away thanks to the people shooting at them enthusiastically yesterday morning. I should think that they came from some bird control department but who cares as long as the pigeons are gone? Hurray!!!

Let me tell you how pigeons became an irritant in my life.

1. One of them had died before in the open kitchen wash area. Thank goodness it was the cleaner who found the corpse and got rid of it.
2. These bold pigeons have walked into the house before on more than one occasion.
3. When we returned from our trip recently, the entire veranda floor was covered with pigeon poop.
4. It's ridiculous that I am shooing pigeons a few times a day and spending my time to plot against them.

More than the results of my plotting, it is God who answers prayers! Just a few days ago, I was praying that God will remove these pigeons somehow and He said that no problems are too small for Him to handle including pigeons! PTL! 

In any case, I hope they will take up home somewhere else and never find their way back to this area again.

An Unwelcomed Homecoming Present

On the third day of returning back to Hyderabad, I added one more first to my list of life experiences - Food Poisoning.

I highly suspect that this present came in the form of that innocent bottle of Bloody Mary Mix bought from the supermarket about a month back.

Yes, I had ate quite a few other things that evening like instant porridge, bak kwa and pineapple tarts but after a process of elimination and analysis, that sip of mix was most likely to be the culprit.

This is not just my first food poisoning experience in India but I mean ever in my whole life! What I thought was indigestion initially was becoming unsettling when I had to battle against that nausea feeling. Ranking number one on my list of things I hate is that I hate to puke. Of course, after the puking came the multiple toilet visits.

Finally, I can truly emphatise with friends who had suffered from food poisoning. Previously, the words of care and concern offered was of course genuine but I never knew how abused the stomach could feel during the episode.

Of course, then my next salute went to all the mummies who had gone through morning sickness.

Thank God, my case was mild and things were more or less back to normal the next day. Right now, am still nursing my less bruised tummy back to normal with no spicy food or dairy products.

Though there are loads of new foodstuff that I had stocked up from my trip back home, I don't think I will have the stomach to try out new items at least for now. Better safe than sorry!

Loss for word(s)

This picture sums up how I have been feeling since a week ago but is there that one word that can perfectly describe how I feel?

Starting last week, me and a friend who lives London have been texting each other about how we are going to see each other again soon (but not soon enough). We suspect no one else back home can truly understand how we are feeling. She drags herself to work and dreams of eating prata. I have no mood to cook and can only think of the tiny red dot island. 

Is there a word that can describe our longing of going home, anticipation, lack of focus and restlessness? I thought about it for awhile and I cannot find that elusive word.

I am no wordsmith but I try to get it right the best I can when it comes to using words. Many times, the meaning of words seem close but no two words mean exactly the same thing. This reminds me of the movie Pursuit of Happyness when Will Smith (Gardner) explains to his son:

Chris Gardner: Probably means there's a good chance. Possibly means we might or we might not.

Christopher: Okay.

Chris Gardner: So, what does probably mean?

Christopher: It means we have a good chance.

Chris Gardner: And what does possibly mean?

Christopher: I know what it means! It means we're not going to the game.

No doubt it is playing with words to his advantage but isn't that the fun of it all?

After spending time looking through online thesauruses and googling about being homesick, going home, etc, I hit the jackpot.

Impatient.

This is the root of all the feelings and behaviour that I am experiencing. The answer came when I saw the picture of those tapping fingers. So much for me thinking that it would be some bombastic four syllable unpronounceable word.

Feeling satisfied now that I don't have to word hunt anymore, this is what I am back to doing:

My first shot at SKII

My SKII starter kit


I have finally succumbed and decided to give SKII a try. Much has been said about this product by women and men who will attest to its miracle and benefits.

There are friends around me who are walking adverts for this brand but somehow I had just been resistant for no particular reason. Maybe I just didn't want to be disappointed in case this does not work for me (which means my face got no hope!)

Anyway, after deciding that I will take the plunge, a dear friend got me this as my Christmas present. Thank you!

My present has just found its way to Hyderabad and today is the first day I am starting to use it. With abated breath, I am waiting to see if I will join the group of people who are walking testimonies (I want to be in this group!) or if this will be just another beauty product for me.

Stay tuned.

Gymming at Ozone Fitness

Going to the gym is one of the key social activity to my life here and I have been wanting to share what the gym here is like but as usual had no motivation to write this until now because I have a story to tell!

Saturday is when the gym is more crowded and I see different faces as compared to the usual ones on weekdays.

I was on the treadmill as usual, watching HBO with my earphones as I try finishing my usual run. Just so you know, I absolutely hate running on the treadmill but this is the only way I can get any running done here. So, I am very focused on finishing it up and get off the moving rubber.

At the corner of the room, I have my favourite treadmill machine as the television screen is the clearest. It is almost perfect except for that huge MacDonald's banner across the road telling me that I need to eat McNuggets. Trust me, that banner works.

Back to story. So that day, as I was looking at the distance tracker moving ever so slowly, someone came to use the treadmill beside me. I turned and glanced upon this lanky guy who picked this machine when all the other ones were available. In my head, I knew either that this so happened to be his favourite machine or this guy is out to impress. Come on, isn't there like a unspoken rule in the gym to try to space out?

But this guy provided me with more amusement for the next 10-15 mins than the television did. Firstly, from the corner of my eye, I saw him starting to do warm ups on the treadmill! I was so tickled that I tried very hard to not let the corner of my mouths twitch upwards.

Next, he started running and was trying to look at my monitor! This is another pet peeve of mine in gym. Why does anyone need to do this? My answer: Competitive or Show Off. Ok, I admit sometimes I have the urge to do so too but its quite hard for me because I don't have height advantage.

Anyway, my live entertainment ended in about 15 mins when he got off the treadmill. I decided to give him the benefit of doubt that he was just warming up.

So, what do I do at gym for almost half the afternoon if you are curious?
I work out in the weights/ training room with the trainer for about 30-45 mins, running for another 45mins and 20 mins using the steam room (my fav part!). Too bad they do not have a massage service.

Before I signed up, I was justifying to myself the membership price and now I think it was money well spent. The place is clean, personal trainers are with you each time you visit and they will change your exercise routine every 4-6 weeks, not crowded, near to my place, etc.

Here are some pics to share:

Reception Area on the ground floor

Machines in the Cardio Area

The McNugget advert that tempts my mind



More Cardio Machines



Shower Room

Happy 2011 everyone!

Is coming up with New Year resolutions suppose to be tough? I didn't think so until I had wanted to pen mine down. There are no light bulbs going off in my head!

Does this mean that I have no plans to achieve anything this year? Hm... that doesn't sound quite right too. >_<

There are some years when I knew exactly what is on the list. The likes of completing a marathon, changing a new job, etc but 2011 doesn't seem to be one of them.

Just 365 days ago, I didn't think that I would be married before the year ended, nor thought that I would be unemployed and living away in India of all places. Doing household chores on a almost daily basis was not anywhere on my radar at all.

So, 2011 became part of the year when me and the hubby will be living away from home. Before leaving, I had already designated it as a year of rest (read: lots of me-time) and also serving my "national service" of being domesticated. I hope I will pay my dues in this area once and for all!

Coming back to making New Year resolutions. Well, I am not going to force myself to have resolutions when I really seem to have none. But I have decided that though I do not have finite ones that I can put down on pen and paper, I will continue to enjoy the things and people around me and to go with the flow in this new year.

Though I have no clue as to what God has installed or will be throwing at me this year but I will continue to take it as it comes with a smile.

So, to those who are also like me this year with no resolutions, let's just continue to enjoy the present and count our blessings as they come. 

Happy New Year!

Winter Chill

Hyderabad had just experienced its coldest winter in 5 years. Yesterday, the temperature had dropped to 9.8 degrees. Hey, no website ever told me that this place could be so cold during year end! Luckily, I somehow had squeezed in a fleece jacket in my packing and I thank myself for doing that everyday now.

I had been to many countries during winter, experienced temperatures as cold as -30 degrees and am convinced that I can deal with cold weather anytime. This is still true only if I was in a hotel room or a flat with heating!

In the morning, the hubby now appreciates his hot chocolate drink more than ever and steps out into the balcony to breathe in the cool crisp air before it gets polluted. For me, it is so difficult to resist toasting under the covers for another five more minutes.

In the kitchen, washing dishes has become more loathsome than it already is because of the cold water! Now, I really make an effort to prepare and cook using as little plates/ bowls as I can. One less used is one less for me to wash.

In the bathroom, showering is now done with military precision because of the draft caused by a missing window pane in the bathroom. I never thought much of it until now when the weather is cold. Staying in the hotel, the room is nice and warm when you step out of the shower. You can take your time to dry off, blow your hair and get dressed but here, all I want to do is to dry off and get my fleece jacket on.

One extra motivation to go to the gym these days is to use their shower facilities! I wash my hair there now so that I don't have to do it at home and because there is no draft, I can take my own sweet time.

During the daytime at home, I now wear my socks and put on my cardigan. It makes me realise that I still prefer piling on the layers than to be in Singapore where I perspire right after a shower.

So, I am not complaining at all about the cold except wishing that we had brought more variety of clothing for the cold weather. For now, I will be making the most out of it till mid Jan when the weather will start warming up.

Oh yes, eating the hot spicy Chinese style chicken curry for dinner in this temperature just makes it even more yums!

Hello Mr Postman!

When was the last time you had been to the post office? Even then, chances are that it was to run an errand, collecting your online shopping and not sending mail. For quite sometime now, Internet banking has replaced sending of cheques, letters has been replaced by emails, stamps can be bought from 7-11 or SAM machine, etc.

Last week, I had to go to the post office to send off cards which I am unsure if they would ever arrive at their final destination. For greeting cards, nothing beats one that comes with an envelope and stamp. So, I decided to put my faith in the local postal system and sent of a few cards (to minimise loss). 
First challenge now is to locate the post office but luckily, the landlord's driver took me there else I would have never found it.

The one nearest to me is located inside the Department of Irrigation and the building reminds me of a primary school that had never been maintained. The driver pointed to me what looks like a classroom door with a Western Union signage and left. The room had a musty smell and the tables were seriously the old school type.

After I bought my stamps, I asked where can I glue them and he points to this round table. That table was covered with many scrapes of paper and torn stamps that probably got stuck by senders who were careless or didn't know how to use the glue/ water. Looking at the rusty four pots on the table, I figured that the miserable amount of liquid in the bottom of those pots must either be glue or water but no way was I going to put my fingers in there!

But I really am not keen to make a trip here again just because I cannot affix the stamps! What do you think are my other options? Yes, the next thought was to use my tongue to make it work but I have no idea how the stamps had been kept or what it had come into contact with before, so the idea totally turned me off. Suddenly, I remembered that because I was going to the gym, I had my bottle with me that I just washed. Maybe, hopefully, thankfully, there was a bit of water in there.

Systematically, I stuck the stamps telling myself that the water is very precious because it looked like it was just enough for me to do the needed. I couldn't help beaming at myself too for the stroke of genius. Ha.
As I handed over the letters to the guy behind the counter, he handed it to the guy sitting behind him who handed over to another guy who brought it into the back room. Talk about job creation, a lesson or two can be learnt from India.

That night, I was still thinking of my post office experience and how I had taken the postal system back home for granted. I can only trust that if the Indians have made an art out of delivering tiffin lunches across different localities, they should be able to do the same with mail.

Too bad I could not take pictures to share with you as I didn't want to attract more attention to myself as the only fair skin Chinese woman around. Oops, it had just crossed my mind now that I did not ask if it was going to be air mail! Well, I guess I will find out soon with time.

Update: Seemed like only 3 of my 6 cards arrived. Where are the others??? Oh, I received a Christmas Card on 7-Jan-2011!

Comfort Food

It has been at least 3 months since I ate instant noodles. Not that I am a instant noodle addict but this is something that both hubby and myself had been craving for. Of all the brands here, only maggi mee is familiar to us but sadly, the taste is far far from same. No springy chew at all. :( 

Even though the hubby has been bugging me to cook instant noodles, I refused because it is already not healthy stuff and if we were to eat the noodles, it had better taste good! Which the instant noodle here does not qualify.

So, when my friend gave me 2 packets of Myojo Mee Goreng and some Sri Lankan chili (similar to our sambal type), without doubt I knew that was going to be dinner last night! Knowing that the portion will not be enough,the noodles was topped up with fried egg and mutton kebab.

I could not stop thinking of dinner yesterday and kept willing in my mind for the hubby to come back earlier! Finally when it was dinner time, instant noodles had never tasted this good as I sank my teeth into it.

A taste of home.

Made in India

Take a closer look at things that we usually buy and chances are that it will be a "Made in China" tag.
Not surprising since everyone know that in a populous country, production costs can be kept very competitive.

Right here in Hyderabad, most things that we see are "Made in India". Refreshing change, I thought. I mean after all the news about China using inferior or unacceptable materials for toys or even milk, how worse can it get right?

When shopping here, most of the tags shows that the clothes are manufactured here. When a country is big, I can see how important it is to support your own domestic market. It creates jobs and when things are produced here, of course it is cheaper as compared to goods that have travelled on a plane/ ship.

I have not mentioned it before but if you shop here, you will see quite a few major brand's boutique. Nike, Adidas, Lacoste, Esprit, Mango, Aldo, Pepe Jeans, Tommy Hilfiger, etc. I was thrilled! There is actually shopping to be done!

Well, true and not true. I can go shopping for an entire day and not buy anything. Some of the things are cheaper than back in Singapore but the quality and design is totally different. Nike shoes were heavier and most designs totally not cool. Casual bags were of cheap material and even though I really need a bag (mine is peeling after arriving here), I could not bring myself to buy one.

Brands like Mango and Aldo has got a good mix of local and important products but the imported ones are so expensive! I reluctantly stepped into Charles and Keith to look at the bags after much persuasion from the hubby (I mean, to buy Charles and Keith outside Singapore?!?!) and found that the bags are more than SGD100!

Closer on the home front, my kettle just malfunctioned on me today. The hubby had mentioned that his morning drink tasted different and I told him that we had changed from choc Horlicks to the Cadbury brand. Since it is not nice, let's not buy it again.

Later in the morning, as I was having my breakfast, I did my morning routine of drinking warm water first and nearly choked. The water had the taste of something burnt. I smelt it and confirmed the same. I went to the electric kettle and that same burnt plastic smell was overwhelming. So, it wasn't the Cadbury.


Hubby had gone to buy a new one in the afternoon and we agreed no "Made in India" kettles. The price difference was great but what to do? When I bought my pots and pans, I had insisted on getting imported ones just in case if the coating of the pans was not of accepted standards. After searching high and low, we finally found Teflon (Made in France) and bought it.

We bought honey on one of our supermarket trips for me to make honey drink or to cook with but never got the chance to use it. A few days after as I was reading the papers, it was reported that most honey made in India had a higher level of antibiotics than normal and was not allowed for import into certain countries. They did not mention anything at all about what should local consumers do (how about a product recall and get a refund?) but I reckon that the same product in the domestic market is usually the same quality or worse.

Let me show you what happened to one of my plates one fine day after microwaving food on it.

Best! I first saw sauce leaking and I thought that the clingwrap was lousy. But when I started to take the plate, I was shocked to see that the veg remained in the microwave and I had a ring plate in my hands! But well, I honestly am not that surprised and thought it was quite funny even. And yes, these plates are sold as microwave safe.

I am sure that this will not be the end of my "Made In India" story. Ask me the next time you see me and see what else. 

Tummy Troubles

Oops. It had finally hit us on Day 5. Or to be more specific, it had hit the hubby.
After the dinner at Hyderabad House on Friday night, the hubby had woken up in the morning to a spat of visits to the toilet. What we had for dinner that night: Lamb curry, vegetable curry and naan.


Though he had no appetite for breakfast, he had forced himself to eat half a slice of bread so that he could self medicate on anti-diarrhoea pills and oral rehydration salts. We lazed around in the morning doing our research on things like power inverters if we were to move into an unfurnished apartment.


As he spoke to the staff at the service apartment, he found out that food at the Hyderabad House where we had dinner were pre-heated food. This chain of restaurant does not cook on the spot but instead reheats the food that had been sent to them from a central kitchen. But seriously, as visitors, how would we ever know if the food is being re-heated or freshly cooked?!?!?
Of course, that will be the last time we will be stepping into that place.


Lunch was a 'parcel' or takeaway from Thai Express. He had tang hoon soup which he finished but I know he really doesnt fancy such bland foodstuff. While waiting for the food, we had grabbed bottles of 100-Plus for him to drink through the day. Wished so much that I had a kitchen where I could have just prepared a simple fare of porridge for lunch.


After lunch, his energy level just went down and he rested most of the afternoon. Think he was also running a slight temperature and thankfully it went away after his nap.


Worst case scenario is of course to go on drip at the hospital which is something we are trying to avoid at all costs. We were even kidding over dinner that we should have brought our own syringes to use when necessary.


With low energy level, rapid pulse and him feeling faint, praying hard that he will recover soon!

Moving House!

We are finally moving into our permanent place today! Our agent - Vinay had found the place for us about a week ago but was not able to move in as the tenants were only moving out on the 15th.

During the last few days, the hubby and myself had been going on shopping sprees. It is not the usual shopping spree that I would usually do but its great fun! Items that we have been buying are household items like pots, pans, pails, crockery, etc. I know it sure doesn't sound like anything close to glamourous but its fun doing it together. Its like playing house - setting up your own place and buying what you want in the house. We now have many big bags of shopping sitting in the room waiting to be moved on top of our luggage from Singapore. Can we make it in one trip? Hm... we will find out later.


Today will be a long day moving things, then cleaning up the new place. The cable tv guy from Tata Sky and delivery of other items like washing machine will come in tomorrow. Hopefully the broadband guy from Reliance will also call us back today so that we can arrange for internet access at the new place soon.


One interesting thing to note about services here. The business is not set up for customers to do a walk in to their shops or to call the company's hotline. What most consumers do here is to leave their names and contact number on their website and wait for them to call you back. When they call back, they will send guys down to your house in the next one to two days to do the necessary. Even travellers cheques can be exchanged this way where the company staff will come to your house with the cash and required documentation! Guess the million dollar question here is: When do those people call you back? So far, as we are setting up new accounts, they have been quite prompt and will call back within 24 hours. But in forums when there are issues with the products and services, the companies almost seem to like never return calls.


Alright, guess we will not be having internet access for the next few days as we are getting the new place set up. Will update everyone again once we get settled in and hopefully post some pictures too. Wish us luck!

Sunshine after the Rain

Nope. The title has got nothing to do with the song by 98 Degrees but it does correctly express my feelings now.


Sunday marked our first complete week here and it was also the day which we both felt lowest in spirits since we arrived. The hubby was still recovering from diarrhoea but as we had wanted to view one more apartment, we made our way out. The apartment, as expected did not wow us but it was a clean place with lots of sunshine. Following our usual protocol of walking around the area after viewing, it was immediately stuck off our list as there were quite a few beggars in the vicinity and that made it difficult to walk around.


With beggars, my rule of thumb is never to look at them in the eye. This was one good lesson learnt from a senior crew during my flying days. I remember clearly it was at San Francisco, in the evening when we were heading out to dinner because the beggars come out in the streets after dark. Once these homeless wanderers catches your gaze of sympathy, they will be heading in your direction. But yesterday, I caught the eye of this female beggar and the look on her elderly face made my heart chill. It was a look of lost hope and desperation.


Lunch was at the Pizza Hut around the corner. This place is usually on the hubby's list of top 5 fav places to eat but yesterday, he commented that he can't help thinking of army rations while eating it! Think of red bean soup, mee goreng, etc. It strucked me that though we are at the same Pizza Hut with red chairs, we will NEVER be able to order a Hawaiian or Pepperoni pizza here.


While looking through the classifieds yesterday during lunch, my first pang of homesickness hit me. It was because I missed my Sunday Times! Couldn't believe that I am that much of a creature of habit. But I did miss my weekly Sunday reading about what food places Wong Ah Yoke is reviewing this week, Colin Goh and his yakuza baby, etc. Think for this post, The Straits Times should send me a hardcopy weekly!


Anyway, to top the day off, we visited this new area called Hitech City where tech companies like IBM, Google, Microsoft has set up base. It is where new developments have come up and they have a huge mall called Inorbit Mall. True that they had your Mark and Spencers, Body Shop, Lacoste, Lush but it is nothing at all exciting. This area is where supposedly the expats are staying but they were definitely not at the mall yesterday. Dinner was even worse than lunch and not worth mentioning. I did not finish my fried rice and the hubby's tummy acted up again. And so the day ended with the uneventful trip to the mall and me having a headache from the bumpy ride home. Bleah.


So where's the sunshine?
Today - 9th Aug - Singapore's National Day!


We had finally viewed an apartment that we both like, meeting all our criteria. In fact, exceeding it. Details should be finalised tomorrow and we are looking to move in around 15-Aug when the current tenant vacates. FINALLY!!! I am so looking forward to setting up home and the kitchen!!


Also, the hubby had met up with his colleagues today and will start work once we have settled into the new place.
We have been looking forward to reaching this stage so that some form of normalcy and routine will finally return. No more living out of suitcases!

Weather in this city

Today's weather: 29°C - Sunny Intervals - Min: 24°C / Max 29°C - Humidity at 57%


The sun is out again today which is great as since Thurs night, it has been drizzling continuously. We always have our trusty brollys and I always think of Jen when I open mine cos it was her christmas present to me! To think that it was actually put to good use only in India.


What I have seen on the streets on a rainy day - most people do not open umbrellas. In fact, they move around as if there was no rain. Most motorists would wear windbreakers and some others would be wearing ponchos. If you ask me, I think ponchos are the way to go plus a pair of really chic wellies!


Weather in this place has pleasantly surprised me with its low humidity level. Turns out that this city is generally cool especially during mornings and evenings because of its elevation.


While going out, I have not been perspiring at all and I think outdoor sports would just really be great here. Too bad running outdoors here is out of the question due to the pollution near the roads and of course, safety.


In Singapore, we only get to around 29°C on rainy days but still with high humidity. On thurs night when we were heading back from dinner, I was actually feeling cold with the wind chill from sitting in the open auto. 
Through the last week, I have been thinking quite several times that this is the weather that Singapore needs!


Going out in the day is comfortable with T-shirt and jeans - bearing in mind that I almost never wear jeans in Singapore. Ever since I stopped travelling often, my jeans have remained nicely packed in a corner of my cupboard. Now I regret not bringing over more than 1 pair!
Also, I should have packed long sleeve tops along with me. But that's ok, cos it gives me a reason to go shopping! But more than temperature reasons, wearing long sleeves would also help combat the mosquitoes.


On the average, I have had more than 5 mozzie bites a day. :( These mozzies may look small and harmless but I tell you, they are commando trained. One day, I killed one in a vehicle after I felt the itch on my legs. It was one bloody mosquito cos it had already left me with 4-5 love bites in that short time. Now, bringing insect repellent and mopiko when going out is a MUST for me.


We are still in the monsoon period and the rainy spells will end somewhere in early October. I am sure I will have a different story to tell when the next summer approaches but for now, I am enjoying this.