Bangalore, Day 10
Feb. 9th, 2012 11:41 amToday is another day of light activities. Work continues to roll along: I'm tackling my usual stack of maintenance work tickets from California, attending a few conference calls and generally writing, writing and more writing. Each day has become more routine as the novelty of being in Bangalore fades and I get into a new work habit.
This evening, I went shopping again specifically to look for t-shirts or sweatshirts for my guys back home. All I want is something which is distinctly India, something moderately special, something which one wouldn't normally find in DC.
Such is not to be had around here.
American fashion, brands and logos completely dominate the shopping & commercial district around me. I can find t-shirts & sweatshirts for sports teams in North Carolina, but I can't find a one for a cricket team in Karnataka.
As it stands, I've been here 10 days and am still empty-handed when it comes to gifts for![[profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kent4str. He'll probably change the locks before I get home if I don't have something to offer. *sigh*
I ordered chicken biriyani from room service tonight: that particular dish was strongly endorsed on Foursquare so I thought I'd give it a try. Yup, just as good as it was described but the servings are huge, large enough for two adults. I wish I had some sort of container I could use to take the leftovers with me to work tomorrow as lunch.
I had mentioned previously my guest room's key card activation: once you unlock the door, you place the key card into a slot by the door and thereby activate all of the outlets, lights & appliances. Remove the key card when you leave and everything powers down. It's a brilliant way of ensuring electrical conservation when no one is in, although my room's configuration has one major flaw: all outlets shut down when I leave, including the refrigerator. This means trouble for anyone with, say, medication which must remain refrigerated and, as I was reminded this evening, trouble for any laptop with a processing job that will take longer than the machine's battery life. Oops.
This afternoon, I made arrangements through the hotel travel desk for a car & driver for Saturday, 6:30am. My plan is to see the temples of Mysore, an ancient temple ruins site nearby and possibly a bird sanctuary if daylight is still available. The cost is reasonable, about 12 rupees per kilometer of travel and 200 rupees per hour for the driver, with an extra 200 rupee/hour surcharge after ten hours. That said, I have absolutely no idea how many kilometers this trip will be in total. I'll let you know how it works out.
I'm spending the rest of the evening curled up in bed with an ebook. I'm reading about the 1920s in America in the lead-up to the great depression. I love a happy ending.
This evening, I went shopping again specifically to look for t-shirts or sweatshirts for my guys back home. All I want is something which is distinctly India, something moderately special, something which one wouldn't normally find in DC.
Such is not to be had around here.
American fashion, brands and logos completely dominate the shopping & commercial district around me. I can find t-shirts & sweatshirts for sports teams in North Carolina, but I can't find a one for a cricket team in Karnataka.
As it stands, I've been here 10 days and am still empty-handed when it comes to gifts for
kent4str. He'll probably change the locks before I get home if I don't have something to offer. *sigh*I ordered chicken biriyani from room service tonight: that particular dish was strongly endorsed on Foursquare so I thought I'd give it a try. Yup, just as good as it was described but the servings are huge, large enough for two adults. I wish I had some sort of container I could use to take the leftovers with me to work tomorrow as lunch.
I had mentioned previously my guest room's key card activation: once you unlock the door, you place the key card into a slot by the door and thereby activate all of the outlets, lights & appliances. Remove the key card when you leave and everything powers down. It's a brilliant way of ensuring electrical conservation when no one is in, although my room's configuration has one major flaw: all outlets shut down when I leave, including the refrigerator. This means trouble for anyone with, say, medication which must remain refrigerated and, as I was reminded this evening, trouble for any laptop with a processing job that will take longer than the machine's battery life. Oops.
This afternoon, I made arrangements through the hotel travel desk for a car & driver for Saturday, 6:30am. My plan is to see the temples of Mysore, an ancient temple ruins site nearby and possibly a bird sanctuary if daylight is still available. The cost is reasonable, about 12 rupees per kilometer of travel and 200 rupees per hour for the driver, with an extra 200 rupee/hour surcharge after ten hours. That said, I have absolutely no idea how many kilometers this trip will be in total. I'll let you know how it works out.
I'm spending the rest of the evening curled up in bed with an ebook. I'm reading about the 1920s in America in the lead-up to the great depression. I love a happy ending.
