I’ve neglected this little blog for a few weeks, falling into the “if it can’t be great, why do it” trap where it feels like writing is too hard. My mom recently reminded me to put some of my experiences into writing – at least so that I can remember them. That is why I started this blog in the first place! So here we go… again.
Bryan left Bengaluru last night (Friday night) and I’ve gone back and forth a million times from being devastated that he is gone to being so grateful that he was here and for our time together. It was magical having him in Bengaluru, watching him experience India for the first time. I am so thankful that he made the 30+ hour journey, pushed through the jet lag, and kept a positive attitude the entire time. We also spent 6 days in the Maldives. More on that in my next post.
Bry arrived in Bengaluru in the early morning on Sunday Sept. 17. Mallappa and I went to the airport and waited for him outside of international arrivals. No one is allowed in the airport without a boarding pass so we had to wait outside but it was a nice night. I had decided to wear jean shorts because I figured there wouldn’t be many people around (I’m otherwise too modest to wear shorts in India. I’ve seen Indian women in shorts but it is rare and I feel like as much as I already stand out, I don’t also want to bear too much skin) and because I wanted to be a little cute for Bry – not just the joggers he always sees me in. The arrivals area was packed with people. I felt very exposed, out of place, and indecent in my shorts. Haha!
I hope to never forget seeing Bry come out of the airport. There were more white people than I expected, coming out of the airport at that time, but in his hat and orange (Vissla?) sweatshirt, I spotted him immediately. Of course my eye sight is shit and I’ve been known to mistake other people for him at a distance before so I kept my excitement under control until we were near each other. Mallappa caught a video and picture of the scene. It was really cool to see him and Mallappa meet.
We made it to the Grand Mercure, still in disbelief that he was actually IN INDIA. If I recall correctly, we got him settled in the apartment and fell asleep easily. We hadn’t fully decided whether to wake up in time for breakfast or sleep in a little more and make it to brunch but when the time came, sleep was the priority. When we woke up, we went downstairs to the hotel brunch. Apparently, “brunch” at the Grand Mercure is just lunch. No breakfast. We asked to see a menu and with confused looks, were pointed to the buffet while being told “but all of this food has been prepared for you!” This was the first of many instances where the staff was baffled by us wanting to order from the menu. The staff did acquiesce to my request for a waffle and brought us delicious welcome drinks (which I didn’t get when I first arrived; they loved Bryan so much!) and we had a good meal.
Then we went to a local spa for a couples massage. The Uber ride was one of the highlights of Bryan’s trip. I got to see the wonder in his eyes – the wonder in seeing India in motion. It is quite a scene, a lot to take in, and watching him watch it all with a big smile on his face was beautiful and very touching. The spa had been recommended to me by a colleague – I’ve started to question his standards now that I’ve taken a few recommendations. It was fine, just old and dingy. We both enjoyed the 90 minute massage and bathed the Ayurvedic oils off in the strangest plastic shower/ steam vestibule. It was hilarious and so weird.
If I recall correctly, for dinner that night we were given our second tour (my third) of the dinner buffet.
On Monday, we both woke up in major pain; him, his neck; me, my lower back. Made it down for breakfast where we were greeted excitedly (the staff was so happy to see and meet him!). The rest of the day was a wash since we were both in such pain! Had to be the massages.
On Tuesday, after breakfast at the hotel, we took a walk through the neighborhood to Starbucks. This was my first time to venture out on foot because I haven’t been comfortable going out alone and I haven’t yet joined the other secondees on any activities out in Bengaluru. It was really neat to have this first experience with Bryan. Of course I knew what to expect on the walk – the broken sidewalks, the rubble, the overgrown trees, the potentially-fatal task of crossing streets, the aromas, etc. – but it was still pretty wild for both of us. I love it. I love how different and exciting and interesting it all is.
And then, we got to Starbucks and just like that, we could’ve been anywhere in the US at any Starbucks. This dichotomy, the stark contrast between two Indias – one new and modern, the other old and run down – is something that I’ve felt and experienced but Bryan mentioned it and it was really nice to be able to talk about that with him.
Tuesday night, another highlight of Bryan’s time in India, we went with Mallappa and his girlfriend, Sonali, to a delicious Turkish dinner at a big, fancy mall/outdoor complex in Bengaluru that I hadn’t been to. We ate like kings and queens! Circassian Türkiye dumplings (veg), hummus, pita, Pepper Nazlik, Bamya, Kavurma Pilaf, and chicken kabobs. Sooooo delicious. I’ve never had the honor of ordering for the table before this dinner and I was thrilled. So many things looked good to me but I couldn’t choose one just for me! Getting to meet Sonali and share dinner with her, Bryan, and Mallappa was so special to me.
On Wednesday, after breakfast at the hotel (paratha, omelette, waffles, etc), Mallappa drove us back to the spa for pedicures. They were lovely. I don’t know why I was expecting the huge massaging chair contraptions that are common at US spas – they did not have those. Instead, big boxy chairs (not uncomfortable) and little white foot tubs. India does a really good job of conservation (more on that later) so I wasn’t too surprised that they didn’t fill the foot tub to the brim for foot soaking. Like with everything in India (ugh, I will not be able to explain this very well), I go in curious and open minded, ready to take it all in, but I definitely carry some assumptions with me. Mostly I tend to assume that things will be more similar to the US than winds up being the case. Still good – just different! And each time I am presented with a new way to look at things.
Mallappa and I had planned a trip for Bryan and I to Nandi Hills. It is a hill station about 1.5 hours from Bengaluru and sunrise is a must-see, apparently. We were going to leave around 4 am, hang out for the day, and then stop by Isha Foundation on the way back for a cool temple, statue, and light show. Needless to say, Bry was not up for a 4 am wake up + full day out. So we cut out Nandi Hills and opted for Isha Foundation in the evening. We had breakfast at the hotel (dosa, omelette, and waffles). To fill the day, we asked Mallappa to take us to a shopping mall I had heard about but not visited. It was fun to look around and feel normal (again, we could’ve been anywhere in the US).
On the way back to the hotel (quick rest for us while Mallappa switched cars), I started thinking we weren’t going to make it to Isha before sundown – I was right. We had lunch at the hotel – Chicken Chettinad for Bry, Peri Peri Chicken sandwich for me – both DELICIOUS. Mallappa called later, very upset that traffic was crazy and we weren’t going to make it in time. Totally fine with me and Bryan, Mallappa took us to a park near the hotel and we walked around there for a bit. Weather was beautiful.
On Friday, Mallappa drove us to the airport and we started our Maldivian vacation!
Emily in India 
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