Sunday morning (29-August)

I arose early – lots to do… and the party continued. Though it wasn’t on the breakfast buffet, the team scrounged up a gulab jamon and brought to my table. Who would have ever thought Bangalore could be a little piece of Heaven?

I spent Sunday afternoon down on Commercial Street. A colleague from the States is here as well (his first trip to Bangalore) and was going to join me for some shopping. We decided that I’d go do my “power shopping” deep in the sidelanes and far from the main drag first and then he’d join me mid-afternoon for a more leisurely purchasing adventure. Being ‘on the clock’ put an element of pressure on attending to everything on the list – I totally blew it on getting some skirts altered and finding the fabrics Jules wanted me get her some kirtis made with (sorry, JMRH – I visited no less than 20 fabric shops but could not find it). Despite the disappointment on the ‘Stitching’ front, I managed to redeem myself with some one-gram success and a few ready-made blouses that should please the pals back home. All in all (though rushed) it was a good shopping afternoon and my feet still haven’t forgiven me for the abuse I’ve put them through in the last 36hrs (miles and miles @ the Shanghai airport on Saturday followed by pounding the pavement on Sunday).

We returned to the hotel for dinner. Sareen joined us and he and we enjoyed a fabulous lamb and prawn dinner along with another reunion with my Baluchi Boys. There was a ton of traffic at the hotel – for a birthday party for a two-year old! These people sure know how to entertain! There were over 400 people at this birthday party (hotel staff told me the party cost about three laks, around $6,000). There was a merry-go-round, magicians, face painting and much fanfare – all for a kid who probably would rather have had a cardboard box and a wooden spoon to play with…

After dinner we visited the office around 10pm to say hello to the ‘night shift’ crew. It was definitely a full day.