I have had much time to reflect and observe during the last year. Time to look at myself and our life, and see what works and doesn’t, and try to figure out what I want to do about that. Living here has certainly changed our family, in ways we did expect, and ways we didn’t. I am so grateful that we had the chance to come here, and that I didn’t chicken out!

We haven’t actually left yet, so I haven’t even begun to process the “big stuff”, the significant impacts that this has had on me. That will come, in time. I have made some small observations, things that surprised me, amused me, or changed how I approached life here:

– Rice really is filler for Indian cuisine. We rarely eat rice with our meals anymore, the gravies and the breads are more than enough. The exception to that is biriyani. I LOVE a good biriyani, now eaten with raita mixed in. I had never seen this before, and it makes it all the better!

-There are an alarming number of abandoned single shoes on the streets of Bangalore. I see at least one shoe every 20 – 30 feet when I am walking around. I suppose that a number of them are broken, or lost when people are riding two-wheelers (flip flops are CLEARLY not appropriate footwear for a two-wheeler)… but I wonder what these people do when the shoe is lost. I would stop and retrieve it, but plenty of people here don’t

– When I meet another person while walking, I now pass on the left. No more crazy zig when I should have zagged dance for me! Until next week, that is.

-I am brave enough to cross any street here, although it did take me a good six weeks to work up the courage to cross even a “calm” street on my own. Driving is still out of the question!

– The local language here is Kannada, which is pronounced very closely to how you say Canada. Of course now when people ask me where I am from I pronounce it “Kannada”. It’s a subtle difference, but I notice it and curse at myself everytime!

– I know more about Chhota Bheem than I care to admit, and definitely more than I know about any North American cartoon/character.

– Cricket is really not that complex. It’s kinda fun to watch, especially when it is just a group of lils, playing in the park or on the street.

– I frequently leave my shoes outside the door before entering, as is custom here. I am not sure how that is going to fly in Canada in January…

– The cuisine is really quite diverse across regions, and I can now identify some without being told. I have a better understanding of what I like and what I don’t.

– Confession time… I really don’t like having helpers. Yes, it is nice to always have a DD, have a fine Indian meal prepared, my garden weeded, and my laundry folded and sorted, but I would really rather do it myself. Except maybe clean the toilets!

– I don’t bobble… But Willy does!