Revisiting Bachpan...!

One of the benefits of R2P is how little time the kids have been spending on "screen"...every chance they get, they run down in the society parking lot to play with their friends. Badminton, Cricket, Hide and Seek to name a few....Even when they play Wii, it is mainly for their new friends who haven't see some of the new games that are not released in India...

My lil Dhoni!

My Harbhajan!

The Indian culture mandates that If you are a boy and you didn't spend hours playing Galli Cricket, you aren't following the religion of cricket, which truly unites kids from all races and religions. Both Sid and Kanish have started practicing this religion and thoroughly enjoying the Galli Twenty 20s :-). I get demonstrations of how one is becoming a good "spinner" and one hit the car front light of a poor neighbor. Thankfully, nothing happened so all the kids told me "mum was the word"  I just let that one sly, as I have done worst things as a child myself :-))

Chasing frogs 

It's monsoon time and I simply love monsoons here (minus the mosquitoes and water ditches of course). Pune is simply green and luscious this time of the year and the smell of onion pakodas and tea with ginger n lemongrass is pure Bliss! But more than that, its being able to play out in the rain. In Portland, we hate when it rains and going out to play is out of question as it is freezing too..The first rain and I was out there with the boys. We ran after the little frogs and made paper boats and they also played cricket in rain..totally relived my childhood days...and rather than me writing more, these words from Jagjit Singh's Ghazal will do complete justice to our experience...

Ye Daulat Bhi Le Lo, Ye Shohrat Bhi Le Lo

Bhale Cheen Lo Mujhse Meri Jawaani

Magar Mujhko Lauta Do Bachchpan Ka Saawan,

Woh Kagaj Ki Kashti Woh Barish Ka pani....

Kabhi Re't Ke Oonche Tilon Pe Jaana

Gharonde Banana, Banaake Mitaana

Woh Massoom Chahat ki Tasveer Apni,

Wok Khwabon Khiono ke Jageer Apni.

Na Duniya ka Gham Tha Na Rishton Ke Bandhan

Badi Khubsoorat this woh Zindagani...

A Day at RTO

Eager to get my license done, I reached the RTO office with all the relevant documents forms etc. Long lines, stinky people around, mis-behaving college students and mostly a non-value added workflow for the officials, all too annoying!! but frankly, none of the DMV trips have been very quick either....!

Here is the process and experience at each step:

1. Document review: We wait outside an office in a super long line to have documents checked. After 45 minutes my name is called, the lady looking at my docs asked if I have temporarily come to Pune or moved here. After I told her we moved she didn't look at rest of my docs and said, "Are waa phar chan" with a big smile :-)). Blue Stamp of approval, relief that I cleared the first milestone and on to next counter...

2. Pay Fees: Go to counter 2 for paying money, the line system breaks at this counter, so managed to push my way thru' and got the payment receipt.

3. Get your picture taken: After showing the payment receipt, we were allowed to enter a huge room with benches along the walls and few fans keeping it relatively cool! We sat on the benches and moved along the walls as people were called in for finger prints and pictures. I was being somewhat arrogant and leaving a one person space between me and the guys next to me (u know why the arrogance, the smell!!!!)...Oh boy, did many eye that space!! To be precise, around 8 college kids (not targeting here :-), perhaps they were as eager to get their first time license) tried to come and grab that spot thinking they could just cut the line. But each time, I said with a blank face, "Line tikde mage suru hote" :-)) I wasn't going to give in. After a while I started to get some looks, but I ignored and continued to calculate time per person to get the picture done!

4. Computerized Test: After the pictures it was time to take computerized test. This is when it was challenging to be patient. It had been close to two hours already. I looked around the room and there were 50 people! I was thinking to myself, OMG, it's going to be another 3 hours before I get called for my test!...after 5 minutes the test room doors opened and they called all of us in...curiously I entered the room and there....a huge room with Kaun Banega Crorepati scene...50 chairs with handheld devices and a huge projector screen in the front. The multiple choice test was displayed on the screen and we had to make our selections on our individual handhelds. 10 questions, 10 seconds per question to answer and I was done!!! They displayed the failed person names in "red" on the screen, thank God my name wasn't on it :-) All that public humiliation...

.......Finally I was out of there thinking the 5 minutes computer test made it worth the 2 hour wait....I was impressed by the way they managed the test for the masses, only if they could extend that efficiency in steps 1,2 and 3......

Update on Pancard

So I finally received my Pan card in mail last week. Not only did I receive it in the promised time frame of two weeks but I was notified by SMS when it was approved and also when it was dispatched! But all this was a smooth sail only after I got the documents right...which wasn't easy. 


For Pancard processing you need to produce 1. Proof of Address and 2. Proof of Identity. I figured that's easy. For proof of address I have the Index-2, given by the builder constructing our house and proof of identity would be my passport. I took all the Xerox and originals to Pan card office and stood in line with many others. The sweat smell in that small office with one small fan was simply unbearable!!!. Won't it be nice if government of India handed out free Deodorant sticks to the public, especially the ones who cannot afford :-), maybe institute a "ration card" system for Deo's :-))). Anyways, when I finally pushed my way to get 2 minutes of the "document reviewer's time" he said he government does not accept Index-2, bummer!!!

I was in a real fix as I had no other way to produce proof of address. No electricity/phone bills, nor is my name included on my Aai's house etc...So advice to readers (especially one's with US citizenship), maybe a good idea to have your name added to your parent's property before you have apply for your Pancard. For those of you with Indian passports, your residence address in on your passport which can be used for POA.

I made that one phone call to my cousin Satish Dada (Mr. Knows it all and helps them All). He gave me a fantastic suggestion. "Apparently a nationalized bank passbook qualifies as POA". I do have NRI accounts, but they are no good. I walked into Bank of Maharashtra with my Sis. They let me open a bank account based on the same Index-2 the same document, Pan card officers wouldn't accept as POA!!! :-)))...I deposited some minimal amount, got a passbook. Made Xerox copies of the same, submitted to the PanCard office and Wolla..!!!!

I found it ridiculously strange that they accepted a daughter document (Bank passbook) but not mother document (Index-2). Unfortunately, In India, one needs to know the loop holes to get around the systems which is sad but did the magic for me.

I hope this helps those of you wanting to get your Pan Cards....

Regrets? Not yet!

It has been two weeks and thus far I have no regrets about the decision to move back. It has been a mixed bag of experiences...some pleasant and some very frustrating but all in all I feel good about doing this at this stage of our lives. 

Pune has changed so much....from once being a "pure Marathi" speaking community to an " English Speaking" community...except for Bhajiwalas and Rickshawalas pretty much everywhere I went so far I was able to get by with English. Not that I cannot speak Marathi, but am just testing the waters for my darling husband who has no clue of Marathi and from my experience thus far, I think he can get around just fine...

Speaking of rickshaw guys, the arrogance has only gotten worst!. A couple of days ago, I came by auto with three kids. After getting down he returned change deducting Rs. 20 for the extra seat in (my nine year old is one petite kid)..I don't have problem paying but I expected him to tell me upfront not just take my Rs 20 !! After a mild discussion and his refusal to return the money, I told him "You didn't tell me upfront, so until you return my amount I will not get down from the rickshaw"..5 minutes of power struggle later...full of "Bh" language by him...I got down with my Rs. 20 :-)

The school has started and the kids have lot of stories to share when they come home...they are amused by many things...The school bus Tai apparently screams, " mage ja, mage ja...mandiwar ghya bagaa" was amusing to them! I must say that on the first day, the sounds of Santoor and a special welcome to each child by applying Chandan on their forehead was very warm and inviting. They have liked their teachers and feel they are very friendly. So far the kids have been excited about the school but a little unhappy with the bus as there is no A/C :-)

Dealing with systems continues to be difficult...in general people are decent about following a process but there is huge lack of training and hence anytime they have to deal with a request slightly outside the box, they tend to makeup stuff and create more headache...The localities know "how and when to scream and shout" to get things done. This is surely a skill I need to polish...everyone gets the benefit of doubt once, but if they don't keep their promise, I too will have to be "part of the system" and just yell and scream to get things done :-)

At the end of the day "aaple te sone"  feelings prevail...I guess embracing our imperfections is what makes us unique! 

** (Aaple te sone - what belongs to us is gold!)

Young Adult speaks - Day 1 of SSRVM school

I could not believe how different school in India would really be!

First off the obvious is that we have to wear specific school clothes and shoes even to the extent of a school belt and socks! Another different thing was every day before class we have prayers (I knew all of them thanks to mom and Saksham) and Sudarshan Kriya. Sudarshann Kriya is basically breathing exercise. I found the way it was preformed quite interesting. Today, I made lots of friends. I met a nice boy named Atharva. He told me lot about the school and introduced me to all his friends and I ended up with two more friends! Like me he came from America (Michigan) and this is his second year at Shri Shri Ravishankar so I guess its not that bad after all.

Classes are similar to America only the teachers come to our home classroom. Speaking of teachers I met all my teachers today and they gave us a short speech on what their teaching expectations are and so on. My class teacher (teaching English) is really funny and cool, and he has a guitar which he played for us! 

We also met the Taekwondo teacher and he was also funny. He asked what we did over holidays and I said I came here from America and he didn't seem surprised. The same with my other teachers....

So thats how i spent my half-day at school

 -- Sid

An Ode to Gulmohar

After dropping the kids at the bus stop in the morning, I went for a morning walk across the DP road...on the way back it got quite hot and I decided to take the by-lanes back. For those of you who know Karvenagar well, these small lanes are dotted by huge Gulmohar trees...The vibrant colors are simply gorgeous! I had to stop and take some pictures of this tree.

I realized how growing up, I never took any notice of this tree, the abundant bright red orange colour flowers, the symmetry in its small green leaves almost like a green carpet and the shade it provides....it was so cooling to walk in its shade and feel sheltered...

I hear in fall the leaves change color which I never noticed as a kid, but now am looking forward to it....

Gulmohar Tree