Our "Toilet" Kitchen

When we got booted from our old apartment the quick fix solution was to move to another brand new service apartment that is owned by the same company. The only minor detail is that the new apartment does not have a kitchenette like the old place. The managements solution was to convert a toilet (very gently used) down the hallway into a kitchen for our personal use. Seven steps out our front door is the kitchen that only we have a key for and only we use. It is really the strangest situation EVER! On one hand the 3 x 5 kitchen is really quite handy as everything is within reach, it has a mirror, and it has an exhaust fan for when the toaster oven fires up. The negative is that it is down the hall so I actually have to be looking respectable to make myself a cup of coffee in the mornings. I think the biggest downfall of all is that when they built the countertop they built it 30 inches off the floor so it comes right above my knee. Yesterday, I actually physically did dishes on my knees to save my back. It was very difficult to take pictures of the small space, but here they are for your enjoyment. A once in a lifetime opportunity really to cook in a bathroom. Who can say they have done that?

Life in India

I was back in the U.S. for most of January dealing with visa issues and the number one question I received was, "What exactly do you do all day?" My response is: good question! I know it is hard to imagine what an American woman who used to work 40+ hours a week would find to do with herself in a country where she is not working. Well, the truth is I stay quite busy. The reason is because I'm an easily entertained farm girl who was raised to believe that there is always something that needs to be done. There is no such thing as a typical day in India as life is changing every minute. One minute the electricity is out, the next you find yourself taking a cold shower, and the next you discover that Bold and the Beautiful reruns are on Star World at 3 pm everyday. Literally everyday is a new adventure. Most days I wake up around 8 am, iron Ben's shirt, and then we go downstairs for continental breakfast where we usually eat eggs & toast with a glass of mango or lychee juice. Once Ben is off for work at 9:30 am then I usually catch up with friends via hotmail or facebook. These days I'm taking two online graduate school classes through the University of South Dakota so I do 2-4 hours of homework each day. I usually do laundry two days a week which involves hauling the laundry to the basement, loading the two top load washers, coming back after 30 minutes and hauling the wet laundry to the 3rd floor private balcony and hanging it all out to dry for 4-5 hours. Nothing is done quickly in India! There are a lot of social opportunities for expat women here in Delhi so every Wednesday morning I go to the Crown Plaza for coffee, Thursday afternoons is Bible Study and Tuesday afternoon is Christianity/English lessons with two Japanese friends. A person could find a coffee hour every day of the week if they wanted to. The truth is that these coffee hours are really helpful in learning about where to find specific items, what doctors are the best, and the best place to eat dinner. It is my main social opportunities during the week and really helps mentally. India is a very frustrating place to live so time with expats is critical to a woman's success. In addition to social outings I try to go to the gym as much as possible. Working out is a wonderful stress reliever for me.
Ben usually gets home from work around 7 pm or sometimes later so by that time I try to have dinner made. Cooking is a very slow process here as produce needs to be preboiled before cooking and appliances are not the same as the US or Europe. This afternoon I spent 1 1/2 hours trying out a new French Baguette Recipe. Cooking, working out, studying, and visiting with woman from all over the world is what I enjoy here in India. Working in India is very stressful so I find it my job to try and make things as comfortable as possible for Ben when he is out of the office. I try to organize social outings, prepare home cooked meals, and lend an ear for stress relief. In cultural training we learned that friends and family back home will never be able to truly understand or relate to our living abroad experience. I found this to be true when I was back in the U.S. in January as no one can quite grasp India unless you have lived here or atleast visited. India is a developing country so nothing is organized or the way you want it to be. My only advice is that if you want to know what I do all day then come and spend a week with me in "Incredible India."