Nice New Bubble

A friend bought a new apartment in Bangalore. We were invited for the house-warming puja. Vivian and Evan ran around like crazy and made everyone a bit nervous because the balcony doors were open and it was on the 8th floor. Then Evan had a boxing match with Bagchi (see his little fisted hand coming around for a round house below). The kids settled down when Jo set up a Backyardigans DVD for them to watch (they are going to be amazed when they find out TV screens come in sizes bigger than 9 inches). Part of the puja involved boiling a pot of milk and letting it boil over - a sign of prosperity.

This is the view from the balcony of the master bedroom. It shows about one quarter of the development. It looks like a model. We took the kids downstairs to play in the parks. The entire area is vehicle free - there are two levels of streets and parking under the buildings. This is the kind of place where you can live in India and get away from it at the same time. No power cuts and water shortages and dirt and traffic and mess. A friend in Delhi who lives in an similar development estimates that all of his children's friends and 80% of his own socializing happens inside the development. A nice bubble. It's like staying in Disney but being able to visit Theme Park India when ever you want.