Cards with a Conscience

yes that´s what I bought at the Mela today. I liked them so much that I put them up on my white wall !

( even though it doesn´t look white here ..)

Aren´t they wonderful ?

Delhilicious Mela

I just got back from the Hyatt Regency hotel and Delhi Networks Delhilicious Mela that they arrange every spring.( Mela meaning bazaar with lots of different vendors.) I ´m so impressed by all these ladies that are so involved and do so many good things for others. Great job and I hope you all feel how appreciated your efforts are. 

Delhi network is an organisation for expats in Delhi. They arrange coffee mornings at the Hyatt Regency once a week. They also have a bunch of activities to choose from depending on what your interests are. If you want to know more just google Delhi Network. 

When you become a member you get this really good book with lots of good things to know.

So do you wonder if I bought something for a good cause? Of course I did !

This was a first and maybe a last

I just had to share this with all of you , especially everyone living outside of India. Some of you have seen this ( GC members ) When I got this mail it  was so surreal and it dawned on me that I´m not living in Sweden anymore.

Dear GC members
Does anyone know how to rent a Langur ?
We would like to get rid of the monkeys we have in our garden and in our pool !!!
Thanks for your help

Im sorry but first I read the mail one more time to be sure that I had really read it right and then I smiled and thought....this is a first and I wonder if I will ever get a mail like this again !

Of course I feel bad for the family with the problem....the thing is that I can´t help them.

Does everyone know what a langur is?

I guess the langur chases the other monkeys away. The others meaning the ones I took pictures of last month.

What would be the equivalent to the above in Sweden? I wonder........

I sure hope the family got their langur by the way !

Good food and good company

We just got back from a lunch at Dimsum Bros at Ambience Mall here in Gurgaon. Good food and really good company. Ted, it´s always nice to see you and when the food is as good as today life can´t be better. So a recommendation for all of you who have not tried it yet, do so. I can´t guarantee that you will have the same nice company as I had today though.

What did you all have for lunch ?

Our animals are doing fine

My mother asked about our animals and this morning I actually woke up early and I heard the peacock screaming like a cat ( yes it sounds like a cat, at least according to me). Picked up my camera and stepped out on the balcony ....

Some of the peacocks...last picture is a little blurry I know but.....remember I am on the balcony about 60 meters up trying to get some nice shots. Today I told my husband that I need to get another lens..

so that I can get better pictures from this far away....anyhow besides the birds there where water buffalos far awy and of course the pigs and dogs but also my friends with their stockings on.

This one had birds keeping him clean from ticks I guess..??? 

This guy was resting under the tree and you can see his socks sticking out !

I think this was one of the best mornings on the balcony with the camera in one hand and some swedish coffee in the other.

How was your morning ?

The workout ?

For those of you who don´t know me I better tell you that I used to be a competitive swimmer and have been a swimcoach for about 25 years ! Nowadays, meaning being an old lady I´m what you call a registered  Masters swimmer.( and no it has nothing to do with golf masters ) There are lots of registered masters swimmers all over the world and lots of competitions. At the moment I´m just working out for my health ! But if anybody is interested in my workout here goes:

5x200 meters free,back,pull,kick,IM

10x100 freestyle 10 sec. rest 

200-150-100-50 pull with paddles+pull buoy 

3x200 kick with fins 1lap esay-1lap hard

100 easy

8x25 max sprint with fins

200 easy warm down

that makes 3600 meters today !

ps.I didn´t drink enough water before and during the work out and that results in.....?

The King is here

well, at least the king of fruit is here. In todays Gurgaon Times I saw this article that I have to share with you all. I knew that mango is the national fruit of India but I didn´t know how many different kinds of mango there are. I guess these are just some of them. Axel and Elisabeth you have got to come back because we have lots more to try!!!Somewhere I read that there are over 1000 different kinds of mangos all over the world.Don´t know if I want to try them all at once !

(So that you can see all I have devided the picture into three pieces)

Doesn´t it look delicious ?

Guess which one I bought today ?

I´m off to

It´s saturday and I don´t have anything planned besides working out and today I thought I´d do a double. I´ll swim first and then later on today I will do some weights. 

Sounds good ? 

Since I get the chance why not promote Kunskapsskolan.....I have had some people ask me about my cap and now with Kunskapsskolan here in Gurgaon it´s a perfect opportunity to let them know more. Almost everyone is positively surprised when they learn that it´s the same name here and in Sweden.

So the brand is not only shown on all the roll ups all  over it´s also actually swimming around Gurgaon.

I´ll tell you later about my workout.

What kind of work out are you doing today ?

Cupcakes anyone

For the first time since moving to India I baked today ! I made some cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Haven´t tasted them yet so I hope they are ok. It´s something sweet for tonight. We have been so good with eating healthy and working out so once in a while you deserve a treat, don´t you think ?

Like my swedish tray? - Josef Frank from Swedish Tenn-Svenska Tenn.

Different beauty ideals

meaning what´s regarded as beautiful and fresh in one country can be regarded as not so in another. Ever since I arrived here in India I have been stunned by all the commercials about whitening products. When I see all the whitening products in the stores it amazes me and has had me thinking about how beauty ideals differ all over the world. In scandinavia instant tanning products sell. People go to tanning parlors or spray tanning parlors because that´s the beauty ideal. Here it´s totally the other way around.

There´s one thing in common though...someone is making big bucks on all of this. 

I´m not the one to judge about different beauty ideals that´s just a fact ! I just want everyone to be happy and pleased with who they are - we are all unique. Isn´t that beautiful in itself ?

By the way..if you haven´t seen the episode of "Friends" where Ross is trying to get a spray tan....you must see it...it´s so funny !

the house of Susanna

this is a before and after...no no not of me...that would be great though.( that´s an idea)...no it´s after about a week here and at the moment. As I told you when I started this blog we arrived with 3 suitcases, that´s all. I´m a big fan of interior design and all that but most blogs , at least in Sweden, are all the same. It´s white,shabby chic and all that and I think a lot of the places look the same.( I´m not saying that I´m any expert of interior design and I don´t mean to offend anybody) So while living here it´s fun to find new things....the only worry is " what if we want to bring some of the stuff back to sweden "when we leave? I´m not going to worry about that today because we´re not leaving for a while. I have learned that it takes time to make a new place a home - But the big question for all us expats is :What really makes a new place a home? and When does it feel like home? Is it what you put in it, is it what you bring from home, is it pictures, or the people living there or what ? I could go on and on about this but I won´t, at least nor for now ......

So here goes before ( after 1-2 weeks )of our living-dining room

and after, that is what it looks like today...

From the balcony looking in 

Smallest little writing desk I have ever found.

My holy cow pillow !

Found some really genuine Indian furnitures - pieces that I love

The dining table we actually bought already in october since Mats moved in in nov-12.

So what do you think ? Want to see more ? or do you wonder about anything you´ve seen ?

Khan Market

The other day I asked the driver to take me to Khan Market in Delhi. I have read so much about it and on all travel sights about Delhi it says it´s one of the best. It´s actually ranked as the 21 most expensive market in he whole world! 

I don´t know if I would say it´s a must ...but anyhow here goes

This store has a fun sign....

Lots of choices when it comes to accessories....as on all markets here in India.

I have seen stuff from this store in magazines so I had to look. I must admit they have some nice stuff.

You have to walk up some really steep stairs to get there though.

You can´t miss this store on the corner. I mean it really stands out. I love their things but I like the bigger store at Select City Walk mall in Saket better.

I´m told that there are some nice places to eat ...maybe someone can recommend one of the restaurants?

Goa planer

sorry all english readers the header is so much better in swedish so....

after my workout today I picked up the paper and guess what ? they had all these ads about holiday trips and just yesterday we talked about it....so guess where we are planning on going!

Finally I got my elephant

and I almost missed it because the camera died and I was fumbling around to get my iPhone .....

I know.. not a very good picture but still I got

to see this beauty in action. The traffic got really intense because she was holding it up. Everybody was trying to get around her in a good way. She was strolling along with her food in her mouth. Walking and eating... as you might see she was decorated with blue paint.

She wasn´t really big but Indian elephants aren´t so....I sure hope she´s treated well. They are majestic animals.....a couple of minutes later I saw another one

but this one is in front of a store. Freshly painted because yesterday he/she was white.

It´s really amazing what you see just sitting in the car ....a while later I found myself sitting right next to these guys

a small calf on it´s own...so white and so cute....

it still amazes me with all these animals on the road, in gardens, well all over where they can find food and water actually. Did you hear about the leopard that wandered into Delhi and unfortunately got hurt on a big fence ?

Horn please !!??

There is one thing I will never ever get used to and that is all the horns and the honking. Some days it feels like I´m going crazy.

Here in India they honk to pass,to warn,if you don´t move in the exact second the light changes , etc etc etc. In the beginning I tried to figure out some kind of pattern or so but I gave up. Honk for the honk of it!! it seems like. 

Back of some trucks.....( actually these are table mats from Purple Jungle another little store in Hauz Khas that you need to visit)

Our driver got instructions about the honking from the moment we stepped into the car and he´s doing really well. The other day he said " mam look "

"you´re favorite words on a sticker" !! 

He is a funny guy !

I haven´t seen any other car with that sticker actually. 

I guess you have to visit and experience all the horns yourself to know what I´m talking about.

This is India.