Saturday, August 12, 2006

A day in Bangalore

It is hard to say what a day in Bangalore is because each day changes due to a variety of circumstances, however I will attempt to describe what we hope our typical day will be.
Tracy and I wake everyday at 6:15. It is rather interesting in that we do not as of yet own an alarm clock. The reason we are awoken is because Kay has taken it upon her self to get up at 6:15 and wake us up, isn’t she just a doll.
Tray than goes up to the health club to work out and Kay and I have coffee.
Kay than has her first of her three breakfasts of the day. Billy wakes up around 7:00 and joins Kay and I. Tracy returns home around and starts to get ready for work. I than have more coffee and fire up the mechanical winch we installed at the end of Jimmy’s bed to help me get him out.
At this point we are all downstairs having breakfast Kay on her second, which consist of what ever is the most inconvenient thing to make.
Tracy and I than have to determine if this is a black shoe or a white shoe day for Jimmy. The school that Jimmy goes to has a uniform, which consist of khaki shorts, white polo type shirt and black or white shoes. The white shoes are canvas and the black ones are, well, black patent leather. Booth are of the lace up variety however the school playground is mostly red clay and sand making me wonder how many pairs of shoes we are going to go through, I digress back to home.
Our driver Saravnan shows up around 8:00 and Tracy is off to work and Jimmy is off to school.
Kay than begins her third breakfasts of the day, which is what ever I have decided to have. Kay, Billy and I than get dressed and watch a video and wait for Saravnan to return and our cook and maid to arrive. In the meantime Chinnapa our gardener arrives. Now we never actually hired a gardener and for the first week did not know whom this old guy who rode is bike to our house wearing is flip-flops was. After consulting with Saravan we found out he was indeed our gardener. It appears that the people who lived here before us told him to just keep showing up and who ever moves ion will pay you!!!
Saravana returns around 10:00 and Kay, Bill and I leave to take Kay to school.
Raj and Florence our cook and maid are usually here just when we are leaving and I have to talk with Raj as to the meals schedule. That conversation is usually one sided with him telling me what we are going to have and me just nodding yes. I give him however much money Saravanna tells me to for fresh groceries and it is off to school. I never know what is for lunch but you have to love surprises her in Bangalore
Kay basically enjoys school however she cries as soon as we pull up to the school and I have to pry her off my shoulder and hand her to Gladis, her teacher and leave feeling awful.
We then head back home and Billy and Saravnan watch Shriek2, while I head up to the club and workout.
At 12:00 we are off again to pick up the e kids from school. Jimmy is usually waiting at the gate for me while Kay is always the last kid out off the school. Gladis basically pries her off her shoulder and hands her to me and leaves wishing it were Friday>!
Kay tells me that today she did not even cry!!
We head home for lunch and then around 2:00 Kay and Bill go down for naps. Raj and Florence head next store to clean our neighbor’s house. Jimmy gets on line and plays games, surfs the web and g-mails Tracy at work to check in.!
The kids get up from their naps around 4-4:30 we have snack and head up to the playground, game room, park or where we can get them some exercise.
Raj has dinner done around 5:00 and he and Florence leave. We return around 6:00 and have dinner.
Tracy usually is home by 7:30 and plays with the kids, ect. We get them to bed around 8:30-9:00.
Then we get to have whatever surprise Raj has cooked up. Being that he has worked as a chief before we are eating like Kings, that being said I did have to talk with him in regards to portion control.
Than it is off to bed because we know that we have a very reliable alarm and the whole process will start over again at 6:30.

We have a spare room so please come and remember, expect surprise in Bangalore!!
Love,
The Loud Americans