Tuesday May 5, 1998<\/p>\n
Dear Family,<\/p>\n
I hope you don’t mind reading my and\/or my family’s future memoirs in installments.\u00a0 Do you think they’ll ever amount to much?\u00a0 Maybe my wife and I will jointly write our memoirs and call it, possibly, Starting From Scratch<\/em>, or maybe, Now You See Us, Now You Don’t<\/em>.\u00a0 How about, Love Off The Cuff<\/em>?<\/p>\n I don’t think either of us has told you about our day at the races a few weeks back.\u00a0 One of the brass at work\u00a0 couldn’t attend so he passed his invitation to us.\u00a0 A large, local bank sponsored a trophy race and invited anybody who was anybody over to the track for a lovely outdoor buffet complete with sumptuous Indian food, plenty of libation, and a local band with an unbelievable Paul McCartney sound alike.\u00a0 We were with some neighbors, a couple from Britain.\u00a0 They are some of the nicest, most hospitable and gracious people we have met here.\u00a0 They were our race mentors.\u00a0 For example they told us what we should wear.\u00a0 During the cooler season, fancy dresses and suit and tie are required garb for the track.\u00a0 However when it gets so bloody hot, like now, polos and khakis for the gents, and designer shifts for the ladies are perfectly acceptable.<\/p>\n After we ate they showed us the ropes.\u00a0 Before each race you watch the horses be led around a little circular enclosure (the paddock), first by stable boys alone, then with jockeys on their (the horses, not the stable boys) backs.\u00a0 A screen lists the odds, plus serious gamblers refer to a booklet listing horses’ past records, predictions for this race, and even astrological information to help one make a good bet.\u00a0 Here’s how our friends decide which to back: she chooses the first horse to look her way or one with a colorfully attired jockey.\u00a0 He looks at the horse’s muscles, flanks, how it holds its head, how peppy the animal seems.\u00a0 After choosing which one you think will win, you place your bet.\u00a0 The lowest is ten rupees (about 25 cents).\u00a0 Over the course of five races my wife and I gambled a whopping $1.75 though won nothing.\u00a0 Our friend’s wife won the most using her method, and her biggest win was when she bet before she saw the horses.\u00a0 After placing bets you go to your seats and watch the race which is sort of exciting, though neither of us have any desire to attend regularly.\u00a0 After watching it live, you watch the replay on monitors so you can either be humiliated or gloat, according to our friend.\u00a0 Then the cycle starts again.\u00a0 Midway through the afternoon we had tea.\u00a0\u00a0 This part was hosted by the Americans (us).\u00a0 Tea for four plus some veggie Indian niblet crumpet snacky sorts of things cost us the equivalent of $1.50.\u00a0 Hurray for India!\u00a0 Throughout that fun day we were pinching ourselves and asking, what are we doing here?<\/p>\n The other day my wife and our oldest son went sailing in the bay.\u00a0 Call it Bombay Bay.\u00a0 In a war, would anybody ever bomb Bombay bay?\u00a0 One of my co workers\u00a0 invited any two members of our family to go with a friend of his who is a member of the yacht club, so we chose our oldest son and my wife.\u00a0\u00a0 Here’s what she had to say about it:<\/p>\n The water is not clean in the bay (to say the least) but the air sure felt cleaner and it was fun seeing the city from a different perspective.\u00a0 Sailing is very relaxing and after two hours in the sun we were ready for tea and sandwiches in the yacht club.\u00a0 Quite a British-feeling afternoon.\u00a0 At the yacht club restaurant (we were treated to lunch before going out to sail) there was a bell on each table.\u00a0 When you wanted one of your three waiters to come and serve, you just rang the bell.\u00a0 Quite handy.<\/em><\/p>\n A week or so ago, we went to a reception at the Israeli Consulate in honor of the 50th anniversary of Israel.\u00a0 It was the most secure event we have ever attended.\u00a0 We went through a metal detector and were required to show our invitations.\u00a0 I was aware of the pervading presence of handsome, strong-looking, young men with little things in their ears that looked like hearing aids.\u00a0 As usual for events like this, we met interesting people such as a consul from Poland, a nice couple from Chile, landed immigrants from Canada who have kids at the American School, some Indian business leaders, assorted Chinese, British, and Dutch diplomats, as well as some fellow Americans.\u00a0 We also ate Israeli food and drank some of the ever present alcohol that flows so freely at events we attend.\u00a0 We are amazed how much of the stuff is served and consumed.\u00a0 It would be easy to overdo it, something we guard against.\u00a0\u00a0 Sometimes I just get tonic and lime, no gin, please.\u00a0\u00a0 We heard the national anthem of India and Israel as well as some (thankfully) short speeches, and went back to nibbling and sipping and meeting memorable people.<\/p>\n Here’s my wife’s take on the party:\u00a0 The invitation came thanks to our oldest.\u00a0 His best friend is the son of an Israeli official and he was invited to the reception, so then we were too.\u00a0 Our son got to drive down there with his friend in the second car in their motorcade…bullet proof cars, lots of guards, red lights flashing so they wouldn’t have to stop at intersections.\u00a0 One thing about him having a friend like that is that he always has a body guard.\u00a0 It makes me feel better to know there is always an adult with them when they are out.\u00a0 But then again, should I be concerned that my son is with a possible target?\u00a0 We were proud to be at the reception and to point our son out to people we met…he looked GOOD in his sports coat and tie.<\/em><\/p>\n Speaking of sons, both of ours went to a rock concert to hear a group called Savage Garden.\u00a0 The tickets cost 350 rupees, about eight dollars, each.\u00a0 The police were there to make sure nobody committed any hugging or kissing.\u00a0 No kidding.\u00a0 We read an article in the paper the day before warning people that India’s standards for conduct would have to be followed or they would risk being thrown in jail.<\/p>\n We are in the process of taking pictures and videos.\u00a0 Some year we may get them on the Web or in envelopes, or somewhere other people can see them.<\/p>\n Take Care.\u00a0 We love you all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Tuesday May 5, 1998 Dear Family, I hope you don’t mind reading my and\/or my family’s future memoirs in installments.\u00a0 Do you think they’ll ever amount to much?\u00a0 Maybe my wife and I will jointly write our memoirs and call … Continue reading