Weekend recap

As I mentioned, it was a big weekend for Target India last weekend - with our annual meeting and executive visits. After much preparation, all the PowerPoints ready, shoes polished, boards printed, speeches written, desks cleared...all that was left to do was stand and deliver so to speak. It was a fun weekend and all went well. Some highlights (sorry for the random order of the photos):

I had a one minute speech on Saturday (sounds easier than it is really) but it went well. Then, there was a lunch in the cafeteria, which was TOTALLY transformed for the execs (even the food was edible.)
I wore my first sari - with lots of help tying it from Stuti. Man is it great to have friends!! Here's a few of the best, Sanjana, me, Stuti and Tracy:
A full length view...
Saturday was western formal - and it was great to have such a hot date. Not to mention a little bit of new bling - some alexandrite Wade picked up in the market for me.
And I got to spend some time with Sunil, one of my great mentors from Minneapolis visiting.
So overall it was an amazing weekend - a great time to reflect on the accomplishments of the past year (even if I've only been here a couple months) and on what we are a part of for next year and for Target history. Even more than that, it was a great time to realize why we're all here - the amazing people, and the wonderful journey together.

Back to Basics; Our Native Village

With the Target Execs in town, Caden, Sarah and I (Wade) took the opportunity to skip out of town to a relatively new resort north of Bangalore, called Our Native Village, which justly boasts to be a true eco-friendly resort. After arriving, we took it easy with Sarah catching up on her journal, Caden catching up on a Dora video he had started at his friends house, and me on some sleep. Later in the afternoon, we took the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with our surroundings and neighbors;
There was a poultry research center nearby which exports chicks all over India for agriculture,the bullock which was kind enough to take us on a tour of the neighborhood,
and of course a tour of the resort. Caden's favorite part was the natural swimming pool which uses a natural filtration system to clean the water. Apparently, part of the natural filtration includes frogs, which we were only able to catch with the help of a staff member willing to chase one with a net.
Of course what resort wouldn't be complete without a calf along the side of the path to your room? Caden did pass on milking the little guys mom (the cows are behind the resort rooms).Other points of fun included; kite flying, pottery making and, of course eating (yes Ramkumar, the food was excellent!)

Wonder-La

Today we made a visit to the amusement park called Wonder-La. It is a nice park with one half traditional rides and the other half a water park. Lokesh had said that Caden should go there, so with Sarah in tow, we made the 2-hour trip out. After the first hour we started the "are we there yet?" and somehow the trip to Far Far Away started to feel a little ominous.
Once in the park we tried to go on our first ride, the log shoot, from which we were shooed away because Caden is not yet 140 cm tall. Okay, so there is always the Carousel, which we were able to ride (I had to convince the attendant that it was okay for me to stand next to Caden while on the ride). We tried a couple more rides, but although Caden could go on them, I was not allowed to join him. Unfortunately, with the grabbing and pushing from the ride attendants, Caden became frightened and would not go on any of the rides by himself, which meant that he went on no more rides.
So we tried the water park. The first hint that this may not work out well came when Sarah walked from the locker rooms fully dressed. Almost all the other women in the park were also fully dressed, or attired in very long 1920's swimming attire. Think of taking fully dressed Indian women and dumping buckets of water on them and you will get the image.
As the larger pool looked a little too violent for Caden (people dropping from different slides and elevations), we went toward the Kids/Ladies pool. But as Sarah was wearing a two-piece (very inappropriate for being in public in India) and I did not have the right parts to be in the pool (remember: Ladies pool), Caden had to go by himself. So, since Caden was doomed to have to do everything himself and could not be accompanied by either Sarah or me. The two hour drive was only for an hour and a half venture at the park (most of the time seemed to be in getting tickets and changing in the locker room). We will have to try the park when Caden is more than 140 cm tall or has a friend with him that he can go on the rides with.

Pictures from shopping

A picture from the successful stop - Hema, Nandini and Angela (Sarah taking the photo)... The choice for Mila (black border, red with teal and red jewels and gold embroidery)...
Hema modeling Janell's new outfit - bright pink and white jewels on teal silk. (sorry for the picture orientation)...
It was lots of fun - thanks to Hema and Nandini for being excellent shopping partners, and we really hope you like your new outfits Mila and Janell!!

Working or shopping?

Hello! Angela again here... it's been a while! Work has been a little busy, but exciting with lots of visitors (ok, every executive at Target in town). We're gearing up for the annual team meeting and lots of presentation moments. So... I could blog about working, or about the shopping, er, preparation to get ready. I pick shopping!
So two weekends ago was the first outing, guided by a friend from Tracy's team to get sarees, and blouses stiched, and petticoats, and jewelry and shoes. Last weekend was another fun outing with two of the most stylish girls from my team and our new visitor, Sarah. Our primary mission was outfits for a couple of the nicest ladies in Minneapolis (and anything else we might find along the way)! We started at Bangalore central and found some nice things, but our Hema and Nandini insisted what we were looking for was better on Commercial Street, and better prices too. So we headed over there and into several small shops (starting with jewelry). Our local friends poured over ever bead and stitch, scrutinized every stone, and bargained for every rupee! It was super fun, not to mention successful!We got a great outfit for Janell with tons of beading on raw silk, and (I think) a perfect outfit for Mila with just the right stitching over a beautiful red crepe. Oh, and a couple bedspreads in silk, and a table runner, and a jewelry set, and a blue topaz ring shaped like a butterfly...well, we can't work all the time!! But I do need to work early tomorrow... so have a good night!

Christmas in May

We have our first visitor with us for the next few weeks. Sarah arrived early Friday (4:15 am), but without bags. Those arrived Saturday morning.

I mention the bags, because Caden had been prepped by his Grandma on the presents arriving with Sarah in a care package. His eyes lit up when the British Airways people showed up with the bags and he did not take his eyes off them (except when he had to hug Sarah and bat his eyes at her asking, "can I help you open the bags?"). With all the charm he could muster, Sarah finally caved in:

Our cook was also in preparation mode for having a visitor (this seems to be common with cooks here: the portions suddenly sky-rocket and the variety expands significantly). What is nice is that I finally got Lasagna (my first pan in months and months and months); even though it didn't last long. Besides the cooking, we are also looking forward to a number of adventures over the next month and are even tasking Sarah with taking the lead on the final trip planning.

Although there is much happening beween now and the end of the month, these few days have been mostly spent in allowing Sarah to acclimate and to give Angela the rest in preparation of the events for the coming weekend, which will involve her wearing, for the first time ever, a saree.

On dumb decisions

Before you all start to think Wade is taking over blogging responsibility entirely (and doing a fine job at it)...a quick blog about bad hair cuts. Yes, they happen all over the world. Unfortunately, I can't blame India (the whole country) for this one... I think I own it. Having gone three months without a haircut, let alone a highlight to cover the mounting grey, I decided it was time. Besides, the executives are all coming for a visit next weekend, and I wanted to look respectable. I should definitely get my hair cut... NOW, I decide.
To refresh, we live out in the 'burbs. Going into town takes a serious battle with traffic most days and a discussion with a driver. A walk to the club house takes... five minutes. Having fixed on getting myself a hair cut, I ignore the fact that Caden's hair looks like it was cut by Edward Scissorhands for four seconds before he tired and forgot about the other half. I make myself an appointment with the same place. (Yes, friends, hind sight is a nice thing to have.)
I show up relaxed after a two hour massage (that was a good decision but left me perhaps off-guard) and settle into my chair. A fresh-faced 14-year-old (we'll call him Ed) comes up behind me, runs his fingers through my hair quizzically and says:
Ed: Shall I cut it straight?
Ang: (Thinking, what are my other options? Crooked? Curly? Maybe I should run...) I was thinking the same shape, just an inch shorter?
Ed: hmmm (more running fingers through hair, exploring this "shape")
Ang: Have you done this before? (Yes seriously I did say that out loud)
Ed: Yeah ma'am. (Picks up scissors)
Ang: (thinking, how bad could it be?)
Cutting ensues furiously.
Ed: Ok ma'am
Ang: Uh, perhaps we could taper this four inch cliff between the new bangs and the hair in back? (motioning to the left side of my new mullet)
Ed: hmmm (Cuts off another three inches) Yeah ma'am.
Ang: Perhaps we could do the same thing on the right side too?
Ed: Hmmmm (off with another four inches) Yeah ma'am
Ang: Ok, looks good (thinking please just make it stop)
Ed: See, I've cut fine hair before (proudly)

Anyhow, Wade helped straighten it out a little this morning with a few more snips. He even tried to make me feel better by soliciting Caden for some affirmation ("Don't you like mommy's haircut?). Caden responded with "I like it a little more longer." Nice.