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Being a crazy dog owner, I had to comment on pets and dogs in particular in India. Its a topic near and dear to my heart. In India, unlike America, there don't seem to be many breeds of dog. I recently posted a picture of coco on facebook and really, all dogs look almost exactly like him. Long nose, thin body and small to medium sized. You don't see the mixed breeds we have in the U.S. and almost no one know what a pit bull is! The wealthier families do have pure bred dogs such as sheppards, labs, pugs etc. People walking their dogs around the society but on the streets of every town we've been, there is also a huge stray dog population. You almost can't get out of the car without walking by ... read more

Today was another wonderful day in Pune! We headed out this morning and did some shopping and visited Ranjit's school. It was so beautiful...trees everywhere, a pool and lots of open space for kids to play. Really was a special place and it was really neat to hear the memories Ranjit had of being in school, very sweet. Since I know about three Hindi songs on the radio, it is always very special when I recognize something playing. We were in a small store in pune and suddently I realize I am singing along in my head to a song....but wait...it's in Hindi....how can I possibly know the words? It was...wait for it...Fergalicious by Fergie being sung in Hindi....I fell out laughing. I asked Ranjit if anyone even knows who Fergie is....he said no. Hahaha. I ... read more

This is a repost of a previously posted blog, I got word that some people had trouble reading...enjoy! We left Jaipur for Bombay yesterday and it was possibly worse than our flight from Pune to Delhi. Security at the airport is kinda crazy. They scan all your checked bags in security and then you go through another screening for yourself and your carry ons. When you yourself go throught security, they split you in to men and women. Women head behind a screen and are frisked/metal detectored. It is the same at a lot of the monuments and hotels as well, after the Mumbai attack, security is tight. They tag your carry ons and ask for your boarding pass before and after you land. So you think with all of that that you'd not be able ... read more

Hello From Delhi! We left yesterday on Spice Jet Air for Delhi. The experience in the airport alone was worth writing about. Upon entering the airport, you go through a bunch of "security" bags get marked and stamped. We had trouble getting our carry ons on the plane because they were too heavy...so Ranjit removed his laptop and I removed my camera, then we went through security and put them back in...ugggh! Men go through one security screening and women because of the large skirts etc are scanned individually behind a curtain. The airport we left from (Pune airport) shares the airport with the military. So when the military is launching planes, all others have to wait behind. Our plane was of course delayed. Once we landed in Delhi we taxied for over 15 minutes to ... read more

Finally getting sleep and feeling normal :) Yesterday was a big day here...last day of Diwali. We woke up to the sound of firecrackers and went to bed to the same. Ranjit, Kumar (our driver) and I went out on the town yesterday. First we visited Aga Kahn Palace which is where Gandhi was imprisoned and where is ashes are kept. His wife died during that time. It is a museum now and artifacts from their stay are still there. Such a beautiful place to find yourself imprisoned. Here, if you are a foreigner, you are charged more to visit monuments. We laughed since as soon as they saw me, the cost of entrance went up...next time I wait in the car while Jeet buys tickets I guess! haha. Next we walked in a shopping district ... read more