We have our new tickets and are set to fly to New Delhi via Newark, NJ on Monday, December 8th... We are both excited and rather anxious, but are looking forward to the adventure - especially after a week of living out of suitcases in our own home.
Just as a reminder, if you have been trying to get in touch with us, our only working phone is our home phone - only set up for local calls at this point. Email is the best way to reach us until we have a phone and permanent address established in Noida (hopefully by the end of December). Snail mail addressed to our US address will not be forwarded to India by the postal service.
Our renter/house-sitter moves in with us this weekend for a crash-course in care-taking the 'homestead' here in Austin. I think she will enjoy the home and our neighborhood and we will be able to communicate easily with her through work email.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Visas!
We finally received word today from the Indian Cosulate that all of our visas have been approved. The next step will be re-scheduling our flights to Delhi. Hoping the new departure date will be Friday or Saturday... In the meantime we have continued to clean the house and yard, gotten some last minute shopping done and been able to get out some holiday cards.
Since the kids are not enrolled in school now, we have been learning about India. Made a map and a flag of India today. We have also been studing the difference between Celsius and Fahrenheit and started learning about the metric system to prepare for life outside of the US.
Since the kids are not enrolled in school now, we have been learning about India. Made a map and a flag of India today. We have also been studing the difference between Celsius and Fahrenheit and started learning about the metric system to prepare for life outside of the US.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Waiting for India
Traveling to India requires 2 essential documents: a passport and a current visa. My wife and I had our passports renewed and received new ones for the kids earlier this year, but we have been waiting for updated visas.
About 2 weeks ago we were notified that the visas were due to be processed and released on November 28th (according to the Indian Consulate in Houston, TX). This was cutting it very close for a Dec 1 departure date, but we were reassured that all was on track..
As timing, luck and/or fate would have it, the bombings in Mumbai (Bombay) occurred on November 26... sending the Houston Consulate into a frenzy. The consulate staff was suddenly overwhelmed with local requests from Indian Ex-patriots trying to check on loved ones back home. Subsequently, no visas were issued by the Indian government to travelers on Friday. Several friends joked and reminded us that waiting is also an essential part of travel and life abroad.
The good news is that this delay will give India a chance to settle down a bit, and give our family a chance to finish properly packing. As soon as we have a new departure date I will post it here.
About 2 weeks ago we were notified that the visas were due to be processed and released on November 28th (according to the Indian Consulate in Houston, TX). This was cutting it very close for a Dec 1 departure date, but we were reassured that all was on track..
As timing, luck and/or fate would have it, the bombings in Mumbai (Bombay) occurred on November 26... sending the Houston Consulate into a frenzy. The consulate staff was suddenly overwhelmed with local requests from Indian Ex-patriots trying to check on loved ones back home. Subsequently, no visas were issued by the Indian government to travelers on Friday. Several friends joked and reminded us that waiting is also an essential part of travel and life abroad.
The good news is that this delay will give India a chance to settle down a bit, and give our family a chance to finish properly packing. As soon as we have a new departure date I will post it here.
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