Bangalore Evangelical Free Church

Our final day (Sunday) in Bangalore was spent with friends at church. It was a good time. I was asked to speak, and delivered a talk about something I have a lot of experience with, ANGER!. God used the message to bless me and some others. After the service we had a nice meal together. The children sang some songs for us, and we had a chance to catch up with our friends. It was hard to leave.

Visiting Prakash and Family

As the AVP of ServiceMasterClean, Prakash taught me every thing I know about doing business in India while I was there, and we developed quite a liking and respect for each other. It was great to visit with him and his family at his home. His mother and father are living with him for a time, and of course his wife Roopa, and sons Pratyush and Prajval. Roopa made a wonderful dinner, and we got a chance to play with the boys.

The Diamond District & Pastor's Home

While in Bangalore we stayed at the same place we lived at before, 'The Diamond District'. There were many of the employees that still remembered us, it was like 'going home'.

Our pastor, Jaichand invited us to have dinner with his family, wife Saritha, daughter Chetana, and new baby son Chiraag. He cooked the dinner, and it was excellent!

Back to Bangalore

After a couple of days in New Delhi at the wedding, we traveled to Bangalore to work with ServiceMasterClean India. I helped with a couple of days of training, and we had a celebration dinner with the managers. It was great to get back and visit old & 'young' friends. India is known as the land of contrasts, and hopefully these pictures show that.

Abhishek & Bharti's Wedding

One of the primary reasons that we visited India was to attend Abhishek's wedding. It was a spectacular event. We were welcomed as honored guests, and got a chance to meet all of the family. Abhishek is the nephew of RK and Mrs. Sinha who own SIS, the company that I worked for in India. He and I lived together for a few months while I was there. The weddings are quite a production with a parade through the streets and all.

Off Road Buggy Riding!!!!

I would like to report that this was all Nickies idea, but I cannot tell a lie. haha I just thought that since Nickie loves nature so much i would let her be in it. We had a great time! As you can see from the pictures, we ran through a stream rather quickly (we are hidden by all of the water). Our buggy which was a one speed beater stopped running, so we got to drive the 4 speed leader's buggy back to the X-treme headquarters. His drove like a dream!

Chiang Mai - Night Market

Chiang Mai is famous for it's Night Market. We went to check it out and do a little shopping. We had a super cheap dinner, 15 baht/each and a 10 baht bottle of water. that is a total of less than $ 1.50. Nickie got a full 1 hour massage (so that she could learn more about how to massage me) for 140 Baht ($ 4.50). We bought some Lazer lights for Josh's friends, and some tea and shoes. We rode a Tuk-Tuk back to the hotel for $ 2.00. All in all a cheap but nice evening.

Thai Cooking Class - A Great Time

Today (AT MY SUGGESTION) Nickie and I attended a cooking class taught by a great Thai Chef. We had a great time, and learned a lot. The dishes that we made (11) were excellent! We were taught how to shop for the best vegetables, what spices to use, how to slice the veggies for the best presentation and flavor, and when to put the various ingredients into the mix for the best texture and taste. We were with a couple from Portugal, and three folks from Canada. We all really enjoyed it and stuffed ourselves on some great Thai food. When you visit, Nickie and I can make you some.

Wood Carving Museum

One of the places we visited was a wood carving museum where one man collected a couple of acres of intricate wood carvings. The grounds were very interesting, and the carvings were very lifelike. Enjoy the shots.

Our host's Home ( P'Dang & P'Phat)

Nickies aunt P'Dang and her husband P'Phat live in a very nice home on the outskirts of Chaing Mai. We visited there and was able to hook them up with MagicJack service so that they can use the phone to talk to their son in California. They have really taken good care of us and taken us to see some great places here.

Great Hotel - RainForest Boutique

Here are a few shots of the hotel that we are staying at for $ 20.00 per night including breakfast (made to order)!!!!!

First Day in Chaing Mai

We traveled to northern Thailand to the city of Chaing Mai where Nickie just happens to have another Aunt. They met us at the airport, and immediately we started siteseeing and learning. We went to one of the local museums, and then toured an umbrella factory where we saw how the umbrellas are hand made. I saw the covered bike,and just had to post a picture for those of you that care. At the end of the first day we went to a resturant next to a lake up in the hills on the outskirts of town. Food was good as usual. To look at our pictures you'd think all we do is eat.