Cat Genius (Or, I have created a monster) PLUS bonus footage of Indian children yelling at us

This will not seem as awesome when I come home to a flooded apartment.





AND, as an update to my vacation post, this is what happens when you buy a postcard in Agra;

Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (sorta)

One of my favorite things about living in an undeveloped country is the relative disregard for trademarks and copyright, as compared to the U.S. For instance, a tour of any neighborhood in Bangalore will take you past several bootleg dvd vendors, and usually a bootleg book seller, too. In my neighborhood, though, there also seems to be a curious number of misappropriated celebrity images! Especially on beauty parlor signs. It's weird to be walking down the street and to look up and see Zac Efron or Kate Hudson smiling down, luring Indian patrons in with the promise of their white Western good looks. I am basically the only white lady in these parts, and yet, there is not one beauty parlor nearby that has a picture of an Indian lady outside of it! I went walking through my 'hood today with the express purpose of photographing these celeb images for my blog. But, of course, there were a lot of other interesting sights to capture as well, so this is just a mix of shit I saw today while walking around.



Kate Hudson?




Resume booster or resume killer? I'm thinking of asking for a course catalogue.....





There is also a "European Fried Chicken" KFC rip-off further away.




Baby cutting?!?!




Excessively fly-covered cow friend number one



Posh Spice?



Zac Efron...I'm ashamed to admit that I actually know who he is.




Bunny and chicken friends waiting to become someone's dinner. Sad times.




Even sadder times!! Deformed ox-like something or other being led around by beggar. I gave the guy money because I felt sorry for the animal, but I'm kinda thinking the guy made the poor thing look like that to begin with. Ugh.





Very proud and somewhat hostile cow friend number two



This guy isn't a Western celeb, but damn, he should be!



Goat friend



Hot.




David Beckham




Jared Leto and gunshots! This is where Tim gets his beard trimmed, so maybe the only one of these places that actually has a white customer.



We asked that guy if those big hangy things were testicles. He said they were not, then grabbed the testicles of that goat carcass and kept pointing at them and saying "balls, balls, you want?" He was really disappointed we didn't buy any.






Charlize Theron?



Cow friend number three




The Happy Shoppy! It's the place to go for all of your hideous pink stuffed animal/plastic flower needs.





Yum.






Mariah, Heather, and Jenny. Jenny's features "sheep foetus extract."

New Apartment (Same Building)

So we moved last week - up to the "penthouse" of the Nehal Residency. You can't see it very well, but our apartment is sort of on the roof. Not only does the penthouse come with two large balconies, it's got a glamorous chandelier, a glass curio cabinet housing a lop-sided taj mahal replica, white silk couches(not for long), heavy window treatments, and several vases filled with plastic flowers. I hid the fake flowers as soon as we got up here, but I'm loving the rest of the over-the-top decor. It's like living in a crazy Indian grandma's wet dream. The balconies are definitely the apartment's best feature. We need to buy furniture for the empty front patio, but on the back side of the apartment, we have a small table, chairs, and a swing, so we have been spending a lot more time outdoors. Gulabi is a huge fan of being able to roll around in the dirt. Of course, we are all sad that Esteban has been missing since I went on vacation - now that we are on the top floor, he won't be able to find or reach us if he ever comes back. If you want to find us, slightly different address than before:

The Nehal Residency
4th Floor Penthouse
#807 8th Main, 4th B Cross, 1st Blk
HRBR Layout, Kalyan Nagar
Bangalore, India 560 043

Taco Fight (or, me continuing to be a negative asshole)

From: Debra S. Tucker [mailto:debra.tucker@clutchgroup.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2010 1:59 PM
To: Feedback TBIndia
Subject: Taco Bell in India is a HUGE disappointment

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to express my deep disappointment with the menu options at the newly opened Taco Bell in Bangalore. As an American ex-pat who has been living in Bangalore for nearly a year, I was extremely excited when I heard about Taco Bell coming to India. Tacos are something I miss very much from home. And Taco Bell, with its convenient and vegetarian-friendly menu has always been my go-to for fast food. Aside from waiting in painful anticipation for months, I made sure to tell all of my coworkers about Taco Bell so that they too would be excited, and would want to try what is normally a delicious food item. Unfortunately for all of us, they will never have the opportunity to have a taste of the Taco Bell I know, or be able to discover what tacos are supposed to be.

When I saw the menu at the new Taco Bell here, I was shocked and outraged. I understand that tacos here in India would not have beef. As a life-long vegetarian, this is something that doesn’t concern me. In the U.S., all items are offered with refried beans instead of meat. Crunchy Tacos with beans, Bean Burritos, Bean Crunch Wraps, Bean Mexican Pizza, Bean Gordita, Bean Chalupa, Bean Nachos. The list goes on. Here, in a country with an ABUNDANCE of beans, you have failed to offer a single bean item beyond the burrito. Why is this?

Some have argued that the reason for omitting beans from MEXICAN food is because Indian people like Indianized food. They like spicy potato everything. That’s fine. But a potato taco should not be the only veg option. Potato tacos do not exist. They do not exist in Mexico, they do not exist at Taco Bell in the US. Furthermore, they are extremely unhealthy, mixing starchy potatoes with a fried corn shell? And no protein? Good luck avoiding the diabetes and obesity that are plaguing this nation already. People who are closed minded and do not want to actually taste anything but the same Indian food they have eaten their whole lives, who want to remain ignorant on the cuisines of other cultures, can order the potato taco. But the rest of us, people who value variety, who respect each culture’s unique culinary heritage, why should we have to suffer?

I am urging you to please add some more authentic Mexican-American items from Taco Bell’s real menu in the states. Offer beans as a filling in your tacos and other items. Give people a chance to discover how great Taco Bell can really be.

Thank you,
Debra Tucker



From: Chopra, Aparna [mailto:Aparna.Chopra@yum.com]
Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2010 12:47 PM
To: Debra S. Tucker
Subject: Your feedback to Taco Bell

Dear Ms. Tucker,

Many thanks for your feedback to Taco Bell. We really value every customer’s feedback and appreciate the fact that you took our time to share this with us.

On your specific issues, while we have made a note of these and shared them with the concerned people, I am taking a crack at answering some of them:

1. Beans Tacos: While we don’t have them on the menu, we are happy to customize for any customer who wants them, just like in the US. If you go to the counter and ask, it can certainly be done for you as well as any customer who asks for it. Taco Bell is happy to customize tacos and other menu items based on customer requests.
2. Beans in other menu items: We are happy to customize for any customer who requests for the same. Please go to the counter and ask.
3. Replacing potatoes: As you correctly mentioned, most Indians love potatoes; its clearly the preferred vegetarian filling in India. This is the reason why we have a potato taco. In fact, the US Taco Bells also sell potato tacos now. In case you don’t like potatoes, you could request our crew to replace them with beans and they will be happy to do that for you.
4. Other vegetarian proteins: We can do a paneer (cottage cheese) taco for you if you ask for it at the counter.

Customisation is core to the Taco Bell brand and we are committed to offer that in India as well. Our menu boards today need to detail a whole of information on each product (these being ‘alien’ to many Indian consumers) and hence we are not communicating customization at this stage. Since you are already familiar with the menu, its much easier for you.

Many thanks again for your feedback and we hope to see you again at Taco Bell enjoying bean tacos!

Regards,
Aparna

Aparna Chopra l Head Marketing, Taco Bell India I YUM Restaurants International I 12th Floor, Tower D, Global Business Park l Gurgaon
Direct: 0124- 4025174
Email: aparna.chopra@yum.com




Can someone please tell me if they actually offer potato tacos at Taco Bell in the US? I think Taco Bell is lying. P.S. - Edison, New Jersey (aka Little India)Taco Bells do not count.