Tuesday, December 29, 2009

My Christmas Present


My Christmas Present that will last a lifetime!
Thank you God for a beautiful family!

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Chirstmas

The weather was supposed to get bad, so I headed to mom and dad's on Wednesday. I am so glad that I had. OKC had 14" of record breaking snow in a 24 hour period. Mom and dad didn't get that much snow 3" and it was just COLD.

We cooked way to much and ate way to much. The turkey was so much better than the turkey we had in India for Thanksgiving. Kati, Brandon and her kids came over and it was a good day.

I started home Saturday morning. Roads were fine until I got into the city. NW Expressway was 1 lane of slow traffic. An hour and a half trip turned into a 2 hour and a half trip. There was abandoned car's all the way home. Just stopped in the middle of the street, so the single lane of traffic thru the snow had to go around each abandoned car. It was a very interesting ride home


Arriving at home the parking lot was covered with drifts. I pulled in and stopped, but I decided that I needed to pull father into the lot. And there I stay. Stuck in the middle of my parking lot.

I tried to shovel the snow and see if I could get out, but I think it's going to have to thaw a little more before I can leave my parking lot. I am home and have plenty to do, so being at home a couple of days will not be a problem. I have plenty of leftovers from Christmas dinner.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Kati and me!


This is one proud "MOM" on the day that her daughter got her "Master of Education" at TCU on December 19th, 2009.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Kati's Graduation



It was a very PROUD day for me. Kati got her "Masters of Education". 10 am was the hooding. Which was the graduating students of Education. Then at 1 pm was the commencement ceremony.

Monday, December 14, 2009

SearchKing Techno Labs


This is the SearchKing Techno Labs crew in Ahmedabad, India

Christmas cooking

I've decided to bake this Christmas. So don't tell me miracles don't happen.

My house is filled with the sweet aroma of freshly-baked holiday treats.

YEP! those scented candles come in every fragrance you can think of.

==============

Have yourself a merry little Christmas. Just don't drag me into it!

Forgive me if I snap at you. I'm myself today.

Cade


PRICESLESS!

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Inspiring


The holiday season was meant to be the most inspired time of year. It's an idealistic season when the outer world sleeps so that the inner world can flourish.

The secret to making your holiday inspiring is actually quite simple. Be inspiring yourself. As with any change, you must be the change you want to see in others. But how does that come about? Here are some suggestions:

* Stop doing what never worked in the first place
* Don't blurt out hidden feelings
* Stay out of the box that others want to put you in
* Tolerate what is difficult; engage with what is simple
* Do one inspired thing, no matter what anyone else thinks

Friday, December 11, 2009

Last Night in Ahmedabad India

On Thursday night after all of our visitors left, Bob took off on his scooter.

He came home with this passion fruit cake. It was so sweet! He is so sweet! Thank you Bob for "Loving Me"

NYC

I arrived in NYC, it was very windy and cold.
Took a cab to hotel.
Called mom and dad.
Took a long HOT shower
and I am now eating "Lobster Bisque", a salad and NEW YORK CHEESE CAKE!

To all of my Expat friends. I got ice in my water without even asking, and REAL lettuce!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Leaving India

Getting ready to head back to India. Packed my bags, need to go and check again.

Pranav and Darshini with Praneet came to say good buy. Praneet wants to go to US with me. I told him that his grandmother would be really mad at me!

The electrician, Amish, delivery boy with my business cards came by. Called my mom and then Marsha called and we talked for a long time, then Bob took off on his scooter. He returned with a passion fruit cake that said "I Love You" on the top. It was so sweet. He is really going to miss me!

Even the house-wife and cleaning guy, really was questioning me going to US. They were both so cute, when I got out the suitcases. You can really get used to these people taking such good care of you. My house-wife would put my saree on, and I think that she would even dress me every day if I asked. She really wants to please. Wish I could talk to her without using sign language.

3 more hours before the driver "Gorark" comes to pick me up to take me to the airport. I travel from Ahmedabad to Doha, arriving there at 11:30 AM. Then I will have the long flight to NYC and that is the flight that I want to sleep through. I then will spend the night in NYC and fly out at 9 AM on Saturday morning.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

New Office in India

Bob standing at the front door coming down the hall on the 4th floor.

Amish and Nisha at the door to SearchKing TechnoLabs of India.


GOING AROUND THE ROOM FROM LEFT TO RIGHT




Bob and My Office

After putting the film on the windows of Bob and my office.

Conference Room



We moved the office from Bopal into Ahmedabad.

Days are going fast!

I can't believe that I just have 3 more days. I leave at 5 AM on the 11th of December. Staying the night in NYC and then arriving home at 6:30 PM. Sunday I will go to mom and dad's. Hair appointment on Tuesday then I will head to Texas to go to Kati's graduation. I am so very proud of her getting her masters. I know that it was very hard while pregnant. A JOB WELL DONE!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Last Weekend

My last weekend in India.

Friday we shopped for things for the apartment. I went to Davanshi's to pick up my saree. Friday night Gijsbert and Licia came over for dinner. Bill and Marsha joined us for dessert. Reasa and a new fellow Expat joined us for drinks. It was a very nice evening.

Saturday day we shopped for things for the apartment. Saturday night was Snehal. We went to old city and saw his mother, sister, aunt and uncles. Then we went to Torfi and Helga's.

Sunday we meet Torfi and Helga and went to old city and 10 acre mall. OH YA we shopped for things for our apartment. My and my housewife cooked super together. We cannot speak to each other, she knows a little English and I know NO Gujarati but the cooking was fun.

Can't believe that it's only 5 more days. This time next week I will be with my parents in Oklahoma.

Monday we are going to the office. It will be the first day in our new office building. Pranav's birthday is tomorrow. Monday night we have dinner at Chirag and Deepa's.

Tuesday we have a "Salad Master" demonstration, with the couple of Dallas, Victor and Vivian.

Wednesday is dinner at Bill and Marsha's.

Thursday is free at this moment. But I am sure that Marsha and I will do more shopping.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Living at the Signature....

Signature apartment. We live on the 3rd floor. Each tenant has the entire floor

Address:
Apartment #3, Signature
Near Das Bangla, Bulbai,
Ellisbridge
Ahmedabad 380006 India

It is really a nice apartment. It takes me about an hour to open all the windows but when I am finished there is a breeze that goes thru that is incredible. Getting used to a new house wife is a little hard when you don't speak Gujarati, but we are understanding each other. Got my laundry done for 24 Rupees which is 52 cents USD. The house wife costs us 1500 rupees a month which is $32.60. She comes twice a day she cleans dishes, laundry, floors and dusts, then returns to do dishes again in the evening. She will cook for us if we want her to.

Bob and I went out to pick up my glasses and a few other items for the apartment and then we went to Bopal to get the rest of our possession. I sit in the garden for a while, sure will miss the garden. The office will shift this weekend.


Last night 3 year old Praneet came up to visit (he brought his parents) then they invited us down for an Indian meal. It was so good! I could be vegeterian. Not all Indian food is spicy.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Christmas in India

Marsha and I went out looking for Christmas decorations. We were not lucky enough to find any. But we had a really good time. We went to a couple of new stores and just shopped. We had lunch at Curries.