Arrived in Bangalore.
On May 31st, I moved.
I adjusted the weight to the maximum allowed by the company and shipped it by air freight in 10 boxes, weighing 190 kg.
If I had used sea freight, I could have packed more, but I couldn't wait two months.
The room was already in a state where it was difficult to live in, so I stayed at a hotel on the same day.
After checking in at the hotel, I went to the company, where I had a welcome party with a delicious beef meal at a yakiniku restaurant.
And then, to Bangalore.
I went to the check-in counter to use Singapore Airlines, and the combined weight of my suitcase and golf bag was about 30 kg, so I was worried about extra charges. However, the attendant who checked my luggage didn't say anything and provided silent service, so there were no extra charges. (According to the rules, golf bags are subject to a maximum of 6 kg, which could have resulted in an additional charge of about 20,000 yen, so I was worried.)
I packed a lot of electronic devices in my carry-on bag, and the suitcase I checked contained mostly clothes, so I think that's why I was able to keep the weight down.
Then, I went to Bangalore via Singapore, but there was a problem with the aircraft in Singapore, and we had to wait for about an hour while the engineers repaired it. However, I arrived safely in Bangalore.
The immigration process was fine, but there was a slight problem when I went to pick up my luggage.
The suitcase was partially open, and the belt that was originally inside was used as a rope to tie the suitcase. The belt was dirty and I didn't want to use it as a belt anymore, and the buckle was missing. This belt was made of elastic material, and I liked it, so I was a little upset.
So, I filed a complaint at the Singapore Airlines counter at the baggage claim in Bangalore, but they acknowledged the problem but said they could not provide compensation. They said they would report it to the head office. I will also contact the Singapore Airlines email address in Tokyo to confirm whether the above is the official response from the company. (I will do that later.)
The FoxFire elastic belt costs about 2,000 to 3,000 yen, but it is not sold very often, and I have one in stock at home, but I can't go get it for a while, so I will have to look for something here. It's not a problem now because the pants I'm wearing have a belt attached, but I will be in trouble if I want to wear the pants I brought.
The last test was whether my golf bag would be checked by customs, but I was able to pass through without any problems. (Some people are stopped here.) The golf bag was not in a recognizable form, and when I sent it to the airport via a golf bag delivery service, I paid for a special bag from the carrier, so the contents were not visible, which may have been a good thing.
Considering that I didn't have to pay extra for my luggage and that I passed customs without any problems, I can say that, overall, today was a positive experience.
When I went out through the gate, there were local people waiting for me, and they took me to the hotel.
I will take it easy tomorrow and adjust to the new environment. It's too late now.
I adjusted the weight to the maximum allowed by the company and shipped it by air freight in 10 boxes, weighing 190 kg.
If I had used sea freight, I could have packed more, but I couldn't wait two months.
The room was already in a state where it was difficult to live in, so I stayed at a hotel on the same day.
After checking in at the hotel, I went to the company, where I had a welcome party with a delicious beef meal at a yakiniku restaurant.
And then, to Bangalore.
I went to the check-in counter to use Singapore Airlines, and the combined weight of my suitcase and golf bag was about 30 kg, so I was worried about extra charges. However, the attendant who checked my luggage didn't say anything and provided silent service, so there were no extra charges. (According to the rules, golf bags are subject to a maximum of 6 kg, which could have resulted in an additional charge of about 20,000 yen, so I was worried.)
I packed a lot of electronic devices in my carry-on bag, and the suitcase I checked contained mostly clothes, so I think that's why I was able to keep the weight down.
Then, I went to Bangalore via Singapore, but there was a problem with the aircraft in Singapore, and we had to wait for about an hour while the engineers repaired it. However, I arrived safely in Bangalore.
The immigration process was fine, but there was a slight problem when I went to pick up my luggage.
The suitcase was partially open, and the belt that was originally inside was used as a rope to tie the suitcase. The belt was dirty and I didn't want to use it as a belt anymore, and the buckle was missing. This belt was made of elastic material, and I liked it, so I was a little upset.
So, I filed a complaint at the Singapore Airlines counter at the baggage claim in Bangalore, but they acknowledged the problem but said they could not provide compensation. They said they would report it to the head office. I will also contact the Singapore Airlines email address in Tokyo to confirm whether the above is the official response from the company. (I will do that later.)
The FoxFire elastic belt costs about 2,000 to 3,000 yen, but it is not sold very often, and I have one in stock at home, but I can't go get it for a while, so I will have to look for something here. It's not a problem now because the pants I'm wearing have a belt attached, but I will be in trouble if I want to wear the pants I brought.
The last test was whether my golf bag would be checked by customs, but I was able to pass through without any problems. (Some people are stopped here.) The golf bag was not in a recognizable form, and when I sent it to the airport via a golf bag delivery service, I paid for a special bag from the carrier, so the contents were not visible, which may have been a good thing.
Considering that I didn't have to pay extra for my luggage and that I passed customs without any problems, I can say that, overall, today was a positive experience.
When I went out through the gate, there were local people waiting for me, and they took me to the hotel.
I will take it easy tomorrow and adjust to the new environment. It's too late now.
A shopping mall near the hotel.
Yesterday, I arrived in Bangalore late at night, so today I dozed off until around 10 o'clock, and I slept so much that my head felt fuzzy.
After that, I went for a walk to a nearby mall.
Yesterday, I arrived in Bangalore late at night, so today I dozed off until around 10 o'clock, and I slept so much that my head felt fuzzy.
After that, I went for a walk to a nearby mall.
Yesterday, I arrived in Bangalore late at night, so today I dozed off until around 10 o'clock, and I slept so much that my head felt fuzzy.
After that, I went for a walk to a nearby mall.
Yesterday, I arrived in Bangalore late at night, so today I dozed off until around 10 o'clock, and I slept so much that my head felt fuzzy.
After that, I went for a walk to a nearby mall.
After that, I went for a walk to a nearby mall.
Yesterday, I arrived in Bangalore late at night, so today I dozed off until around 10 o'clock, and I slept so much that my head felt fuzzy.
After that, I went for a walk to a nearby mall.
Yesterday, I arrived in Bangalore late at night, so today I dozed off until around 10 o'clock, and I slept so much that my head felt fuzzy.
After that, I went for a walk to a nearby mall.
Yesterday, I arrived in Bangalore late at night, so today I dozed off until around 10 o'clock, and I slept so much that my head felt fuzzy.
After that, I went for a walk to a nearby mall.
First day of work & grocery shopping.
Today is my first day at the company. Since the work is not very busy yet, I decided to buy the necessary items for my home.
In the morning, there was a meeting for the project.
I wasn't feeling well, and I had stomach problems in the morning, but I suddenly felt better around lunchtime. I wonder if it was because I had been taking Biopharma, which I take when I feel sick.
For lunch, I ate at a cafeteria-like place (a so-called canteen) right next to the building where the company is located. Today, I had biryani, which is a spicy fried rice. It was surprisingly good.
In the afternoon, I went to the hotel to get my passport, and then, while carrying my golf bag from the hotel, I went to see the room. The room was being cleaned and was quite clean. There seems to be a problem with the water not coming out, but they said they would fix it.
After submitting my passport to the personnel department, I borrowed a driver and went shopping by car. I was recommended to go to two of the several supermarkets and malls, so I went to those two places.
The first place was a supermarket-style store with a good selection of groceries. It's a supermarket that sells meat and fish (there are also supermarkets that don't sell meat and fish!), so I'll probably use it a lot when the luggage arrives.
The other place was a huge mall with a larger supermarket, furniture, and electrical appliances. I got various things there.
I bought a kettle (1.7L) for 1200 rupees (about 2400 yen). I heard it would break anyway, so I chose a cheaper one.
Bed sheets, comforter, comforter cover, and pillow for a double bed for about 7900 rupees (about 16,000 yen). There were many items at half price, but I chose these because of the softness. It was surprisingly expensive. Probably the most expensive class in the store.
1 case of 2L water. I chose this because I've had it before. It seems a bit expensive, but I prioritized safety.
A few packs of orange juice. For nutritional supplements when I don't feel like eating.
Trash can (I think it was about 300 rupees, about 600 yen. There were cheaper ones, but I chose a design that was safe and not too cheap).
Laundry detergent. I forgot the price, but it felt surprisingly expensive. It's a little more than 1kg and costs 350 rupees, about 700 yen. In Japan, you can find 1kg for 200 yen (at places like 7-Eleven).
And at the other mall, I bought the following:
Frying pan: 600 rupees (about 1200 yen. I chose the cheapest one for now).
Pot (can also be used for stews): 1200 rupees, about 2400 yen. It's a Teflon-coated one.
Hand soap
Shampoo
Conditioner
And so on.
When I went to the room to put those things away, it was much cleaner. The water was also working, so they must have fixed it.
Then, I went back to the office and went home.
Even though I said that, I'm staying at the hotel tonight, and I don't have time to go out to eat, so I'm going to take out a burger set from Kentucky Fried Chicken and have dinner at the hotel.
Tomorrow, I will check out and finally move into the room.
The personnel department said that I could stay at the hotel for a day or two, but since the cleaning and water repair issues have been resolved, I decided to move into the room and make it livable as soon as possible.
Also, the more luggage I have, the less I can leave it at the hotel, and the more laundry I'll have, so I think it's better to organize the room quickly.
In the morning, there was a meeting for the project.
I wasn't feeling well, and I had stomach problems in the morning, but I suddenly felt better around lunchtime. I wonder if it was because I had been taking Biopharma, which I take when I feel sick.
For lunch, I ate at a cafeteria-like place (a so-called canteen) right next to the building where the company is located. Today, I had biryani, which is a spicy fried rice. It was surprisingly good.
In the afternoon, I went to the hotel to get my passport, and then, while carrying my golf bag from the hotel, I went to see the room. The room was being cleaned and was quite clean. There seems to be a problem with the water not coming out, but they said they would fix it.
After submitting my passport to the personnel department, I borrowed a driver and went shopping by car. I was recommended to go to two of the several supermarkets and malls, so I went to those two places.
The first place was a supermarket-style store with a good selection of groceries. It's a supermarket that sells meat and fish (there are also supermarkets that don't sell meat and fish!), so I'll probably use it a lot when the luggage arrives.
The other place was a huge mall with a larger supermarket, furniture, and electrical appliances. I got various things there.
I bought a kettle (1.7L) for 1200 rupees (about 2400 yen). I heard it would break anyway, so I chose a cheaper one.
Bed sheets, comforter, comforter cover, and pillow for a double bed for about 7900 rupees (about 16,000 yen). There were many items at half price, but I chose these because of the softness. It was surprisingly expensive. Probably the most expensive class in the store.
1 case of 2L water. I chose this because I've had it before. It seems a bit expensive, but I prioritized safety.
A few packs of orange juice. For nutritional supplements when I don't feel like eating.
Trash can (I think it was about 300 rupees, about 600 yen. There were cheaper ones, but I chose a design that was safe and not too cheap).
Laundry detergent. I forgot the price, but it felt surprisingly expensive. It's a little more than 1kg and costs 350 rupees, about 700 yen. In Japan, you can find 1kg for 200 yen (at places like 7-Eleven).
And at the other mall, I bought the following:
Frying pan: 600 rupees (about 1200 yen. I chose the cheapest one for now).
Pot (can also be used for stews): 1200 rupees, about 2400 yen. It's a Teflon-coated one.
Hand soap
Shampoo
Conditioner
And so on.
When I went to the room to put those things away, it was much cleaner. The water was also working, so they must have fixed it.
Then, I went back to the office and went home.
Even though I said that, I'm staying at the hotel tonight, and I don't have time to go out to eat, so I'm going to take out a burger set from Kentucky Fried Chicken and have dinner at the hotel.
Tomorrow, I will check out and finally move into the room.
The personnel department said that I could stay at the hotel for a day or two, but since the cleaning and water repair issues have been resolved, I decided to move into the room and make it livable as soon as possible.
Also, the more luggage I have, the less I can leave it at the hotel, and the more laundry I'll have, so I think it's better to organize the room quickly.
One week has passed.
After a week has passed, my body is starting to get used to things.
My stomach is still not stable, but I haven't had any abdominal pain severe enough to make me bedridden.
For a week, abdominal pain and feeling energetic alternated, but it seems the frequency of the abdominal pain is decreasing.
I ate biryani, a spicy fried rice, and parotta, something like a relative of naan, with Indian-style chicken curry. I also ate a burger at KFC, instant ramen, cup noodles, and made and ate fried eggs.
Next week, a package from Japan is scheduled to arrive at my room by air. It seems to be going through customs right now. I can't cook anything without the hangers, seasonings, and kitchenware that are in the package, and doing laundry is difficult, but the built-in drum-style washing machine actually has a drying function, so I'm doing laundry little by little. It seems to be a relatively high-end model because it dries without damaging the fabric.
Tomorrow, I plan to prioritize resting and go for a walk to the nearby mall to watch a movie.
My stomach is still not stable, but I haven't had any abdominal pain severe enough to make me bedridden.
For a week, abdominal pain and feeling energetic alternated, but it seems the frequency of the abdominal pain is decreasing.
I ate biryani, a spicy fried rice, and parotta, something like a relative of naan, with Indian-style chicken curry. I also ate a burger at KFC, instant ramen, cup noodles, and made and ate fried eggs.
Next week, a package from Japan is scheduled to arrive at my room by air. It seems to be going through customs right now. I can't cook anything without the hangers, seasonings, and kitchenware that are in the package, and doing laundry is difficult, but the built-in drum-style washing machine actually has a drying function, so I'm doing laundry little by little. It seems to be a relatively high-end model because it dries without damaging the fabric.
Tomorrow, I plan to prioritize resting and go for a walk to the nearby mall to watch a movie.
After Earth.
Today (Saturday), I went for a walk to the nearby mall and watched "After Earth."
This movie theater has different languages depending on the screen, including Hindi, English, and another language that I'm not sure about (possibly Tamil).
This is the second weekend in a row that I've watched an English movie.
There are various types of movies, but Hollywood movies are easier to understand in English, so it's fine to watch them in English. (British English, like Harry Potter, is difficult to understand because of the phrasing.)
I didn't particularly want to see this movie, but there aren't many movie options, and there aren't many other forms of entertainment, so it was just a way to pass the time. It cost 170 rupees (about 340 yen) because it was morning. It would probably be a little more expensive in the evening.
The content is like a coming-of-age story of a child. I thought, "This is okay too."
There wasn't much depiction of the world, and I didn't understand the situation in the world, but I think the creators probably wanted to depict the boy's feelings rather than the world.
Personally, I like the world-building of something like Star Trek, but there wasn't much of that here.
Then I had a quick meal at KFC, did some shopping, and came home.
The mall has a BODY SHOP, but the prices are about the same as in Japan.
For products that are sold at BODY SHOP, you can generally substitute them with items from the supermarket, but I used to occasionally use some clever products when I was in Japan, so I'll use them a little here too. I don't really know what's good at the supermarkets here, but I used to buy things at BODY SHOP sometimes, so I kind of know.
This movie theater has different languages depending on the screen, including Hindi, English, and another language that I'm not sure about (possibly Tamil).
This is the second weekend in a row that I've watched an English movie.
There are various types of movies, but Hollywood movies are easier to understand in English, so it's fine to watch them in English. (British English, like Harry Potter, is difficult to understand because of the phrasing.)
I didn't particularly want to see this movie, but there aren't many movie options, and there aren't many other forms of entertainment, so it was just a way to pass the time. It cost 170 rupees (about 340 yen) because it was morning. It would probably be a little more expensive in the evening.
The content is like a coming-of-age story of a child. I thought, "This is okay too."
There wasn't much depiction of the world, and I didn't understand the situation in the world, but I think the creators probably wanted to depict the boy's feelings rather than the world.
Personally, I like the world-building of something like Star Trek, but there wasn't much of that here.
Then I had a quick meal at KFC, did some shopping, and came home.
The mall has a BODY SHOP, but the prices are about the same as in Japan.
For products that are sold at BODY SHOP, you can generally substitute them with items from the supermarket, but I used to occasionally use some clever products when I was in Japan, so I'll use them a little here too. I don't really know what's good at the supermarkets here, but I used to buy things at BODY SHOP sometimes, so I kind of know.
Japanese association gathering.
I went to a gathering of the Japanese association, which was held at a hotel in the Taj group.
I went to a gathering of the Japanese association, which was held at a hotel in the Taj group.
I went to a gathering of the Japanese association, which was held at a hotel in the Taj group.
Freeze-dried miso soup, tea, etc.
The package arrived the other day, and I immediately unpacked it.
The clothes were put in the closet, and the kitchenware was put in the kitchen, as they should be. Since my house doesn't have a bookshelf, I'm putting the books in the empty closet. Anything that doesn't have a designated place is temporarily placed on the unused bed.
In addition, the food items also arrived. There are 24 packs of retort rice and dozens of retort curries, so I had curry for breakfast today. However, I was worried because my body felt unwell, and I didn't feel hungry. I think there might be something in the food I bought here. Perhaps the fried eggs weren't cooked enough?
Also, I brought about a year's worth (360 pieces) of freeze-dried miso soup. The freeze-dried soup that contains real spinach and even the shells and meat of clams is amazing. With this, I can enjoy miso soup of a considerable level even in India. It's an amazing time.
I also brought tea. Drinking tea brewed in a teapot is a special experience after a long time. I'm happy.
I also set up a mugicha (barley tea) maker in the refrigerator, so I can finally move away from a life of juice and drinks (orange juice, cider, etc.).
The problem is the lack of variety, but I'm thinking of trying to cook some dishes when things settle down a bit.
The clothes were put in the closet, and the kitchenware was put in the kitchen, as they should be. Since my house doesn't have a bookshelf, I'm putting the books in the empty closet. Anything that doesn't have a designated place is temporarily placed on the unused bed.
In addition, the food items also arrived. There are 24 packs of retort rice and dozens of retort curries, so I had curry for breakfast today. However, I was worried because my body felt unwell, and I didn't feel hungry. I think there might be something in the food I bought here. Perhaps the fried eggs weren't cooked enough?
Also, I brought about a year's worth (360 pieces) of freeze-dried miso soup. The freeze-dried soup that contains real spinach and even the shells and meat of clams is amazing. With this, I can enjoy miso soup of a considerable level even in India. It's an amazing time.
I also brought tea. Drinking tea brewed in a teapot is a special experience after a long time. I'm happy.
I also set up a mugicha (barley tea) maker in the refrigerator, so I can finally move away from a life of juice and drinks (orange juice, cider, etc.).
The problem is the lack of variety, but I'm thinking of trying to cook some dishes when things settle down a bit.
Bangalore's Akihabara, Sadar Patrappa Road (SP Road).
I went to SP Road in Bangalore, which is like Akihabara, combining it with a walk around the town.
When I searched on Google Maps, searching for "Sadar Patrappa Road" showed results for the outskirts of the district, while searching for "SP Road" showed roads running north-south. However, it seems that the area that is actually thriving is along the roads that run east-west.
I went to SP Road in Bangalore, which is like Akihabara, combining it with a walk around the town.
When I searched on Google Maps, searching for "Sadar Patrappa Road" showed results for the outskirts of the district, while searching for "SP Road" showed roads running north-south. However, it seems that the area that is actually thriving is along the roads that run east-west.
When I searched on Google Maps, searching for "Sadar Patrappa Road" showed results for the outskirts of the district, while searching for "SP Road" showed roads running north-south. However, it seems that the area that is actually thriving is along the roads that run east-west.
I went to SP Road in Bangalore, which is like Akihabara, combining it with a walk around the town.
When I searched on Google Maps, searching for "Sadar Patrappa Road" showed results for the outskirts of the district, while searching for "SP Road" showed roads running north-south. However, it seems that the area that is actually thriving is along the roads that run east-west.
Fried chicken and tea.
I brought fried chicken flour from Japan, so I decided to make fried chicken using chicken meat sold at the supermarket. Because I have the seasonings, the taste was not much different from Japan (I forgot to take a picture).
I also prepared freeze-dried miso soup and retort rice for dinner.
I made tea with a kyusu (Japanese teapot), and I felt like I was in Japan... but this is India.
The recipe is simple:
Recipe name: Chicken fried chicken made with Japanese fried chicken flour.
1. Cut the chicken.
2. Coat with Japanese fried chicken flour.
3. Fry in oil.
Since I don't have a deep-frying pot like the ones you often see in Japan, I bought a deep pot today. If the oil splatters, it spreads all over the room, which is annoying. I don't know what kind of oil it is, so I bought a brand called "Sundrop," but it seems to be working fine so far. (You can't transport flammable materials like this from Japan, so I had to buy it here.)
By the way, here's a simple note on how to make tea:
1. Heat water.
2. Put tea leaves in the kyusu.
3. Pour hot water into a cup (this will cool the water slightly. It also warms the cup).
4. Pour the hot water from the cup into the kyusu. Make sure to pour all the water from the cup into the kyusu. Don't leave any water in the kyusu.
5. When drinking the second cup, repeat from step 3.
If you pour hot water directly into the kyusu, it will scorch and taste strange. That's the purpose of step 3.
If you leave water in the kyusu, the flavor will be extracted, and the second cup of tea will taste strange. That's the purpose of step 4.
With this little effort, the tea becomes surprisingly delicious.
Some people go to great lengths, but this is enough for me.
The problem is how to get Japanese tea... I guess I have to ship it from Japan. They sell it here at a cheaper price, but I prefer the ones that cost around 1000 yen for 100g because they taste better.
I also prepared freeze-dried miso soup and retort rice for dinner.
I made tea with a kyusu (Japanese teapot), and I felt like I was in Japan... but this is India.
The recipe is simple:
Recipe name: Chicken fried chicken made with Japanese fried chicken flour.
1. Cut the chicken.
2. Coat with Japanese fried chicken flour.
3. Fry in oil.
Since I don't have a deep-frying pot like the ones you often see in Japan, I bought a deep pot today. If the oil splatters, it spreads all over the room, which is annoying. I don't know what kind of oil it is, so I bought a brand called "Sundrop," but it seems to be working fine so far. (You can't transport flammable materials like this from Japan, so I had to buy it here.)
By the way, here's a simple note on how to make tea:
1. Heat water.
2. Put tea leaves in the kyusu.
3. Pour hot water into a cup (this will cool the water slightly. It also warms the cup).
4. Pour the hot water from the cup into the kyusu. Make sure to pour all the water from the cup into the kyusu. Don't leave any water in the kyusu.
5. When drinking the second cup, repeat from step 3.
If you pour hot water directly into the kyusu, it will scorch and taste strange. That's the purpose of step 3.
If you leave water in the kyusu, the flavor will be extracted, and the second cup of tea will taste strange. That's the purpose of step 4.
With this little effort, the tea becomes surprisingly delicious.
Some people go to great lengths, but this is enough for me.
The problem is how to get Japanese tea... I guess I have to ship it from Japan. They sell it here at a cheaper price, but I prefer the ones that cost around 1000 yen for 100g because they taste better.
India mobile SIM (Airtel) and smartphone (SAMSUNG S Duo).
I went to the FRRO to register as a foreigner, and after getting my PAN card (tax ID), I signed up for a mobile SIM card. My colleagues and the driver recommended Airtel, so I went with them. The SIM cards are prepaid, costing around 100 rupees (about 200 yen) for the SIM itself, and you can add credit as needed. I'm not sure of the exact price, but I think 3G with 1GB of data (valid for 30 days) cost around 2 to 300 rupees. It wasn't a significant amount of money. Based on my previous experiences with traveling and renting Wi-Fi, I thought 1GB would be enough for the speed of mobile data in India.
The documents required were:
- A copy of the first page (face page) and the last page of my passport.
- A copy of my PAN card.
- A copy of the document issued after completing the foreigner registration at the FRRO.
- One passport-sized photo.
The driver took copies of the documents at various places when he realized they were needed. There must be copy shops around the Airtel store.
Since I signed up on a weekend, the actual activation would happen on Monday. I need to call a specific number in three days and provide registration information such as my father's name and address.
The next day, I went to a Croma store, which is a TATA-affiliated supermarket, to look for a smartphone.
My goal was to find a dual SIM phone, so I could use both my company-provided SIM and my personal SIM in one device.
I don't want to carry two phones. It would be too cumbersome to manage.
Last week, I visited several shops and was almost decided on the SAMSUNG S Duo (around 12,000 rupees, about 24,000 yen), but the salespeople kept trying to sell me HTC phones, making it difficult to buy. I just wanted to say that I was going to buy it, but it seemed that the salespeople were either from LG, HTC, or an unknown Indian smartphone company. There didn't seem to be any salespeople from SAMSUNG. Since they weren't actively trying to sell me anything, I decided to go to a different store.
Then, the salesperson I had been talking to rushed over and said, "Oh oh, weren't you going to buy it?" I ignored him. I was tired of it.
This was the situation on Saturday.
The next day (Sunday), I bought the same smartphone at a SAMSUNG store (official store?) located inside the FORUM mall in the center of Bangalore. This time, it came with a hands-free headset, even though the price was the same. It was a better deal. However, I probably wouldn't use it for a while before returning to Japan, so I gave it to the driver.
Today is Sunday, and the roads are clear... I realized that there was a cricket match starting at 3 PM. It's India vs. England. A classic rivalry. The driver seems eager to go home (laughs).
I finished shopping at 2:30 PM, and even though it's usually more crowded, I arrived home around 3 PM. The popularity of cricket is amazing. I heard that employees sometimes don't come to work when there's a cricket match, so it's essential to check the cricket match schedule. I had a chance to experience that firsthand.
When I got home, I added a sports channel to my TV subscription and watched the cricket match. But I don't really understand it (laughs). Well, I'll probably figure it out eventually.
Supplement 1:
With smartphones from overseas, Japanese is usually available by default. There are software like "more locale2" that can change the display language to Japanese, but I couldn't use that method on this phone (my company-provided Galaxy Y allowed me to select Japanese using that method).
So, the display is still in English, but I installed Atok (Google Japanese Input would probably also work) and set the default input method to Atok, which is working fine so far. I read on a Galaxy S4 blog that you can change the settings by installing the Android SDK, but I don't mind the English menus for now, so I'll do it when I have time. I'm familiar with the Android SDK, so I can do it anytime. It's easier to wait for an Android Play tool to appear or for "more locale2" to support this kind of situation.
The menus are fine, but I'm a little worried about the possibility of characters getting garbled in folders if I don't change the locale like you would with Windows. But so far, it seems to be okay. I'll just keep an eye on it. If there are no such problems, I'll stick with this setup for a while.
Supplement 2:
I was thinking, "This will never work..." when I received a notification on my driver's phone that my application had been rejected. I applied on Saturday, and today is Thursday, so it took quite a while to receive the notification. The reason was that the address was not written, and according to the driver, it was because the address field on the back of my passport was not filled in. The address is written on the FRRO registration documents, and I was wondering if that could be the reason... I hand-wrote the address on the back of my passport, made a copy, and went to the same Airtel office. The same staff member was there, checked the documents, and rewrote the application form. The staff member was asking, "Where is the address?" and communicating with the driver, but in the end, the copy of the address on the back of my passport that I brought was not used. Huh? Does it really need the address on the back of the passport? While watching the staff member rewrite the application form, it seemed like they were writing my Indian address in the place where they had drawn a thick line and written nothing before. Furthermore, all the copied documents that I brought today were returned, saying that they were not needed. ...Does that mean the staff member just made a mistake when writing the application form? Oh dear. I really wish that wasn't the case. I was just going back and forth between the office and my home, feeling a little careless, but this is still India. However, I suppose not many foreigners buy SIM cards, so maybe they have a little sympathy. If everything goes well, it should be activated by Saturday. Let's see what happens.
Supplement 3:
The application was rejected again. Apparently, they don't accept FRRO documents. The company needs to issue a document proving that I have a house contract. I received the documents on Monday and brought them with me, so it seems like the SIM will be activated after Tuesday.
Supplement 4:
I attached a document with the company's letterhead and signature, as well as a copy of the address field on the back of my passport, but it was rejected again. I checked the website, and it seems like they need something like a utility bill. In the end, I decided to use the Vodafone 2G (GSM) plan that my company has a contract with. It's a plan that allows you to use 2GB normally, and then it's limited to 40kbps, and it costs 199 rupees per month. After applying, it started working quickly. Since I mainly use email and Google Maps, this is enough. Airtel is 3G, but it's also relatively expensive, so it seems like this one was actually a better fit for me. I took a roundabout way (laugh).
The documents required were:
- A copy of the first page (face page) and the last page of my passport.
- A copy of my PAN card.
- A copy of the document issued after completing the foreigner registration at the FRRO.
- One passport-sized photo.
The driver took copies of the documents at various places when he realized they were needed. There must be copy shops around the Airtel store.
Since I signed up on a weekend, the actual activation would happen on Monday. I need to call a specific number in three days and provide registration information such as my father's name and address.
The next day, I went to a Croma store, which is a TATA-affiliated supermarket, to look for a smartphone.
My goal was to find a dual SIM phone, so I could use both my company-provided SIM and my personal SIM in one device.
I don't want to carry two phones. It would be too cumbersome to manage.
Last week, I visited several shops and was almost decided on the SAMSUNG S Duo (around 12,000 rupees, about 24,000 yen), but the salespeople kept trying to sell me HTC phones, making it difficult to buy. I just wanted to say that I was going to buy it, but it seemed that the salespeople were either from LG, HTC, or an unknown Indian smartphone company. There didn't seem to be any salespeople from SAMSUNG. Since they weren't actively trying to sell me anything, I decided to go to a different store.
Then, the salesperson I had been talking to rushed over and said, "Oh oh, weren't you going to buy it?" I ignored him. I was tired of it.
This was the situation on Saturday.
The next day (Sunday), I bought the same smartphone at a SAMSUNG store (official store?) located inside the FORUM mall in the center of Bangalore. This time, it came with a hands-free headset, even though the price was the same. It was a better deal. However, I probably wouldn't use it for a while before returning to Japan, so I gave it to the driver.
Today is Sunday, and the roads are clear... I realized that there was a cricket match starting at 3 PM. It's India vs. England. A classic rivalry. The driver seems eager to go home (laughs).
I finished shopping at 2:30 PM, and even though it's usually more crowded, I arrived home around 3 PM. The popularity of cricket is amazing. I heard that employees sometimes don't come to work when there's a cricket match, so it's essential to check the cricket match schedule. I had a chance to experience that firsthand.
When I got home, I added a sports channel to my TV subscription and watched the cricket match. But I don't really understand it (laughs). Well, I'll probably figure it out eventually.
Supplement 1:
With smartphones from overseas, Japanese is usually available by default. There are software like "more locale2" that can change the display language to Japanese, but I couldn't use that method on this phone (my company-provided Galaxy Y allowed me to select Japanese using that method).
So, the display is still in English, but I installed Atok (Google Japanese Input would probably also work) and set the default input method to Atok, which is working fine so far. I read on a Galaxy S4 blog that you can change the settings by installing the Android SDK, but I don't mind the English menus for now, so I'll do it when I have time. I'm familiar with the Android SDK, so I can do it anytime. It's easier to wait for an Android Play tool to appear or for "more locale2" to support this kind of situation.
The menus are fine, but I'm a little worried about the possibility of characters getting garbled in folders if I don't change the locale like you would with Windows. But so far, it seems to be okay. I'll just keep an eye on it. If there are no such problems, I'll stick with this setup for a while.
Supplement 2:
I was thinking, "This will never work..." when I received a notification on my driver's phone that my application had been rejected. I applied on Saturday, and today is Thursday, so it took quite a while to receive the notification. The reason was that the address was not written, and according to the driver, it was because the address field on the back of my passport was not filled in. The address is written on the FRRO registration documents, and I was wondering if that could be the reason... I hand-wrote the address on the back of my passport, made a copy, and went to the same Airtel office. The same staff member was there, checked the documents, and rewrote the application form. The staff member was asking, "Where is the address?" and communicating with the driver, but in the end, the copy of the address on the back of my passport that I brought was not used. Huh? Does it really need the address on the back of the passport? While watching the staff member rewrite the application form, it seemed like they were writing my Indian address in the place where they had drawn a thick line and written nothing before. Furthermore, all the copied documents that I brought today were returned, saying that they were not needed. ...Does that mean the staff member just made a mistake when writing the application form? Oh dear. I really wish that wasn't the case. I was just going back and forth between the office and my home, feeling a little careless, but this is still India. However, I suppose not many foreigners buy SIM cards, so maybe they have a little sympathy. If everything goes well, it should be activated by Saturday. Let's see what happens.
Supplement 3:
The application was rejected again. Apparently, they don't accept FRRO documents. The company needs to issue a document proving that I have a house contract. I received the documents on Monday and brought them with me, so it seems like the SIM will be activated after Tuesday.
Supplement 4:
I attached a document with the company's letterhead and signature, as well as a copy of the address field on the back of my passport, but it was rejected again. I checked the website, and it seems like they need something like a utility bill. In the end, I decided to use the Vodafone 2G (GSM) plan that my company has a contract with. It's a plan that allows you to use 2GB normally, and then it's limited to 40kbps, and it costs 199 rupees per month. After applying, it started working quickly. Since I mainly use email and Google Maps, this is enough. Airtel is 3G, but it's also relatively expensive, so it seems like this one was actually a better fit for me. I took a roundabout way (laugh).
A contract with a maid.
A couple of weeks ago, a former maid who used to work at this house came to me twice, asking to be re-hired. I interviewed her, and she was supposed to start this weekend, but yesterday, she didn't contact me and didn't show up. The HR person who helped with the interview contacted her on my behalf, and she said she would come today (Sunday), but again, she didn't contact me and didn't show up.
I thought, "Well, I guess that's how it is..." Then, in the evening, a different maid came. I wondered what was going on... It turns out there were a lot of things going on behind the scenes. Anyway, this new maid cleaned the house today.
I was wondering what would happen next, and after she lightly swept the floor, she sprayed water with a mop and finished. She doesn't seem to wipe things dry. Hmm. I didn't say anything because I don't understand her language and I don't know the situation.
She was supposed to clean the bathroom, but she didn't seem to do anything. There was hair left in the drain. I pointed it out, and she only removed that hair.
She also didn't put the mop back in its place, but left it in a different bathroom. She seems to think that the bathrooms that are not in use are not to be cleaned, so she didn't do anything there. They are still dry.
The inside of the toilet bowl doesn't seem to have been cleaned at all. Hmm.
It took about 15 minutes in total.
I had asked the original maid to hang up the laundry, but it seems like she's not going to do that.
When I called HR, they said they only asked her to do the floor cleaning.
They said they would explain the details tomorrow. (Maybe she's busy watching an important cricket match today?)
Regardless, this older maid has a strong body odor. Please, I wish she wouldn't.
Furthermore, after she finished cleaning, I thought she was saying something in a language I don't understand, using body language that seemed to mean, "I'll do the dishes, so give me more money," but I ignored it.
I'll definitely ask HR about the situation tomorrow.
Based on her work today, I think this older maid is a bit of a no-go, depending on the price.
I thought, "Well, I guess that's how it is..." Then, in the evening, a different maid came. I wondered what was going on... It turns out there were a lot of things going on behind the scenes. Anyway, this new maid cleaned the house today.
I was wondering what would happen next, and after she lightly swept the floor, she sprayed water with a mop and finished. She doesn't seem to wipe things dry. Hmm. I didn't say anything because I don't understand her language and I don't know the situation.
She was supposed to clean the bathroom, but she didn't seem to do anything. There was hair left in the drain. I pointed it out, and she only removed that hair.
She also didn't put the mop back in its place, but left it in a different bathroom. She seems to think that the bathrooms that are not in use are not to be cleaned, so she didn't do anything there. They are still dry.
The inside of the toilet bowl doesn't seem to have been cleaned at all. Hmm.
It took about 15 minutes in total.
I had asked the original maid to hang up the laundry, but it seems like she's not going to do that.
When I called HR, they said they only asked her to do the floor cleaning.
They said they would explain the details tomorrow. (Maybe she's busy watching an important cricket match today?)
Regardless, this older maid has a strong body odor. Please, I wish she wouldn't.
Furthermore, after she finished cleaning, I thought she was saying something in a language I don't understand, using body language that seemed to mean, "I'll do the dishes, so give me more money," but I ignored it.
I'll definitely ask HR about the situation tomorrow.
Based on her work today, I think this older maid is a bit of a no-go, depending on the price.
All-purpose flour (Maida) and beef.
Today, while on my way home, I explored a certain supermarket (mall) and discovered something that looked like a pancake mix section. I didn't know the word "MAIDA," so I bought it and looked it up later. It turns out it's a type of flour. I also got eggs and milk. There was something that looked like baking powder, but I already brought some from Japan, so I didn't buy it. Also, I have some honey left over from someone who returned to Japan, so all I have to do is mix it, and the pancakes should be ready... or at least, that's the plan. I think I'll have them for breakfast.
Also, despite being in India, they were selling beef, so I got about 500g. It looks like muscle, so I probably won't have high expectations for the taste. I think I'll try to make something with it sometime this weekend.
Also, despite being in India, they were selling beef, so I got about 500g. It looks like muscle, so I probably won't have high expectations for the taste. I think I'll try to make something with it sometime this weekend.
Breakfast: First attempt at making pancakes.
I made pancakes for breakfast using the ingredients I purchased recently.
This pancake recipe was recommended to me by a girl in the same department when I was in Japan. It's easy to make, so it's good for breakfast. You can also make a lot of them and freeze them.
This is the first time I've made pancakes from scratch at home since I left my hometown (family home).
The ingredients are:
- All-purpose flour, about 200g
- Baking powder, a heaping teaspoon
- 1 egg
- Milk, about 200g
- Sugar, a few tens of grams
... or something like that. I referred to Cookpad. I wanted to open a new bag of salt and put it in, but the rubber band to close the bag was broken, so I decided to skip the salt this time.
First, put the ingredients above in a bowl and mix them.
I forgot to buy a whisk, but I was able to mix it without any problems using a spatula.
And then I baked it in a frying pan.
I thought about how to flip it, but this Teflon-coated frying pan is so slippery that I could slide the frying pan and it somehow worked with one rotation in the air. It jumped a little.
And then, plate it, add honey, and it's done.
The taste is, well, average. I feel that if you put in this much effort, this is a satisfactory result. It might become a staple for breakfast.
Supplement:
Later, I tried making it with salt, and it seemed to increase the sweetness. It feels like the version with salt is less dry and more delicious. (Of course, there are also factors like the proportions of ingredients and the baking method.)
This pancake recipe was recommended to me by a girl in the same department when I was in Japan. It's easy to make, so it's good for breakfast. You can also make a lot of them and freeze them.
This is the first time I've made pancakes from scratch at home since I left my hometown (family home).
The ingredients are:
- All-purpose flour, about 200g
- Baking powder, a heaping teaspoon
- 1 egg
- Milk, about 200g
- Sugar, a few tens of grams
... or something like that. I referred to Cookpad. I wanted to open a new bag of salt and put it in, but the rubber band to close the bag was broken, so I decided to skip the salt this time.
First, put the ingredients above in a bowl and mix them.
I forgot to buy a whisk, but I was able to mix it without any problems using a spatula.
And then I baked it in a frying pan.
I thought about how to flip it, but this Teflon-coated frying pan is so slippery that I could slide the frying pan and it somehow worked with one rotation in the air. It jumped a little.
And then, plate it, add honey, and it's done.
The taste is, well, average. I feel that if you put in this much effort, this is a satisfactory result. It might become a staple for breakfast.
Supplement:
Later, I tried making it with salt, and it seemed to increase the sweetness. It feels like the version with salt is less dry and more delicious. (Of course, there are also factors like the proportions of ingredients and the baking method.)