I intended to find internet, get a map, etc etc, but I felt a little feverish and a lot fatigued while making the lunch run (if you sweat in an air conditioned department store but not on the humid street, something is probably not right). On my way out of the complex, I took a brief tour of the Club House, which has a skimpy-but-acceptable fitness room, squash courts, a table tennis room, and a large gymnasium for shuttlecock (that one is for you, Dre). I'll get set up with a membership card once Liz arrives. Overall, the facilities are nice, but they definitely have the look of a property at teh start of its decline.
I checked for household items (washcloths, a kettle, pots, dishware, new pillows) at the department store close to the condo, but the price/quality/salary ratio made most of the items on par with what I would have spent for the same thing in Seattle [side note: I can hear a midi-quality version of Fur Elise coming from the outside. I suspect it's the reverse warning on a truck]. When Liz gets back, we'll make a market trip and haggle for more interesting, less expensive items.
Dad, I Think I've Turned into Ray
The grocery, FabMart, is across the street from the towers. There's also a small fruit market at the entry gate (which I didn't notice until after I had already bought my wee bananas at the grocery). I'm leading a pretty sad bachelor(ette) lifestyle. I empathize with those among you who cannot cook, and I offer you lessons upon my return. I can cook, having started at about 7 years old. However, given that I have nothing in which to cook food, I'm a little pathetic.
The store had a wide variety of grains, oils and spices, plus a bunch of ready-made dishes that I looked at a little stupidly and then moved away. The low point was when I found myself in front of ramen packets and realized I couldn't even make the most base of meals. I had to look for self-contained victuals: bread, yoghurt, fruit, and the ever-popular frozen pizza. I'm actually fine with eating very simply for a while, though. All my previous meals have been heavy and "ghee-licious."
Today's Lesson: Just Because the Picture Looks Like a Microwave...
It turned out that the "electric oven" instructions on the frozen pizza were for, um, an electric oven. We don't have anything but a microwave and a gas range, so I had to improvise. Microwaved par-baked pizza cooked directly on the micro glass tastes fine, though you can't get any kind of a crispy crust. I ate off a rather pitiful combination of a leftover clean airline napkin and the pizza box. At least I ate at the dining room table?
The one tea mug in the house turned out to be ceramic instead of plastic, so I have been able to boil water for my Assamese tea, which is great. It's peppercorn-sized balls of unspiced tea instead of tea leaves. The ceramic factor also means I can now cook [sic] ramen. BTW--Huge Peter can tell you where to get good spiced tea (chai) in Seattle.
"Plumber, Madam"
I spent the rest of the day cleaning, resting, and organizing. I feel much better having wiped everything down with a harsh chemical mixture. I also discovered that the sink leaks. Another call to Sophia resulted in the maintenance man showing up within the hour. Instead of a big toolbox/giant van of equipment, he had a couple crescent wrenches. That's it. He found the block, cleared it, asked me to verify it, and left. The sink now leaks significantly less than it did before (I didn't catch it during verification).
From the World of The Neat: I just received an SMS from the Bangalore city police, indicating that "Heavy rains have resulted in traffic congestion. Please use the roads only if it is very necessary." I also get SMSpam and some random phone calls, but I love the idea that most of the city just got a text.
More Home Logistics
Sophia called to make sure the plumber had taken care of things and gave me the "intercom" numbers for services (maintenance, Security, pharmacy, FabMart delivery: 100 Rs minimum, no delivery charges), and explained the Move-in fee, extra keys, and said that she would again check on internet (~1000 Rs/month, though I could have gotten slower speed for 660 Rs). I hooked up the gas for the stove, took some pictures of the unintentionally kitschy decor, and found places for all my belongings
Settled
I feel more settled, though lack of internet and limited phone makes is a little frustrating. The sty on my right eye appears to have subsided somewhat, and I should get a hot shower tonight, since the water heater has been on for several hours this time. I felt better after reading Britten's List [link to be added later!]. Tonight I'll do as much work as possible without internet, which should not be too bad, since I can run Mifos locally. Tomorrow, I *will* find Internet [make sure you say that like _____ in the end of TLOTM]. Our rental agent, Raj, offered to take me to see some of the Lord Ganesha festivals, though I don't know how much energy/time I will have for sightseeing (or for Raj, for that matter), though my sore throat is gone and I don't feel feverish anymore.
One interesting thing I find is that while spending so much time alone, I end up blogging in my head. The upside is that writing the entries takes less time; the downside is that it's halfway to talking to myself. I suspect you could Google "Ex-pat Bangalore" and find near-identical entries to this one, but at least you know where to buy good Indian chai mix in Seattle.
3 years ago
