A Traveling Weekend

For most people, a traveling weekend would mean that they were traveling. For us it means that travelers are coming and going to and from Bangalore. In addition, this Friday I moved from apartment B901 to B406. I was looking at an apartment for Nahum, arriving Friday night. I fell in love with the apartment they showed me. Real size refrigerator where I can even make ice. The perfect couch and chair. Lots of closets. Queen or king size bed in the spare room in case someone wants to visit. And the ugliest vase I ever saw. This woman has a ring in her nose. She's who you see when you walk into the apartment. AND I have a new house boy. I keep seeing Deepak, so he hasn't dropped from the face of the earth. But the new guy is great

We picked Nahum (from Chicago Tribune) up on Friday. Rob Rosenthal was coming in from Newsday on the same plane. Rob is the IT VP from Newsday Nahum was our guy, however. We whisked him back to the apartments and fed him tea and cookies while he came down from his flying high. It is such a long flight. It's good to come down slowly.

We spent the day around the apartments and KJ and I went to pick up her boss, Sophie, from the airport Saturday night. Sophie and I have been talking on the phone for a long time. KJ will be sharing an apartment until she leaves on Monday midnight. They got to yak until the cows went back to where ever they hang out.

Sunday we had brunch at the Leela Palace. Nahum and Sophie are leery about eating here. This is a good place to get over your fears. You've seen the pictures of miles of food. If you can't find a meal there, you aren't looking. This group was pretty stiff when I took the first picture, but I asked them to look like they liked each other. I really like this picture of them.

We came home and dealt with our cleaning people and naps. Tomorrow I get to pay for my new apartment. I think I'm going to tell Girish that when we ask for them not to clean, to go away until tomorrow, we really mean it. Sunday night we had dinner with Chandan and Rob and an IBM Sales Manager. It was at an Indian Restaurant at the Leela Palace and it was very good. Rob had had a quick tour and shopping trip in Bangalore in the morning. Because we are so many, we couldn't use Ramesh and his car. So Rob got him. I'm hoping Rob is feeling better about Nancy's arrangements here in Bangalore. I know he is feeling very comfortable with Ramesh and I think he is feeling comfortable with me and understands that Nancy will be among friends.

All-in-all, a good travel weekend. In will be sad to see KJ go, but we have to. If she doesn't go, the rest of us can't. Sort of a time-travel theory, we all have to leave when we're supposed to or the rest of us will get stuck. KJ's family is in Virginia. That's where I'm going sometime soon, so I may get to meet Steve. I hope so. Being stuck aloneish in Bangalore for 3 weeks will make fast friends of some people. I'm very happy she was the second person here. It set a great tone for the rest of our time in India and I really enjoyed her spirit and the time we spent together.