Wine, Mama’s Cookin’ or Organic? What Makes Lunch Special in Spain, India and America!

I’ve learned the fun way (through extensive stays in each city) that culinary distinctions are just the tip of the business lunch iceberg that you need to look out for when it comes to the basics of dining with work mates in Barcelona, Bangalore and San Francisco. It turns out that to truly navigate this area like a native and fit in it’s pretty easy…if you are up for changing your habits almost 100% at times and goin’ with the flow! (more…)

What’s Up with All the Spitting in China?

Spring is here and it is a real pleasure to take the 15’ish minute walk from my flat to work now that I’m not freezing my ass off in Beijing. This week I was happily walking along, reflecting on the number of weeks I’ve been here and thinking how AWESOME it was that I hadn’t seen a single man whip out his willy and pee right in front of me in all this time – something that I would have witnessed at least 10 times a day on my way into work in India. Then, almost on cue – as if to remind me that every city has its good and bad points – a woman walking towards me projectile spat in my direction! (more…)

Nude MAXIM India Magazine Cover: The Double-Standard For Women

********UPDATE 1am Jan 22, 2013********* The MAXIM Magazine cover for Janaury’s 7th Anniversary Issue will not feature the original cover, the magazine announced tonight. (more…)

Funky First Jobs: Indians Miss Out On Tons ‘O Fun

In middle class America, most teenage kids look forward to starting our first “real jobs” when we turn 16 (the legal age for employment in the U.S.). (more…)

Confessions From A Wedding Reception In India

Recently I went to a wedding reception in Mysore. An Indian friend of mine had just married his lovely Iranian bride and they invited hundreds of friends and family to celebrate. There were massive outdoor tents and romantic twinkle lights, men and women dressed in stunning gowns and suits and sarees. (more…)

Dress Code Double Standard for Men and Women in India

It’s official! In a few days I will have lived in Bangalore for one year. I’ve tried hard to surround myself with Indian friends so that my experience in India is as real as possible. (more…)

Valentine’s Day is Not a Welcome Holiday in India For Most

A friend of mine from Los Angeles turned me on to the TV show Outsourced after he read my Facebook post last March about my daughter and I moving to India. (more…)

Booze, Bars and Judgement – India’s Drinking Culture is Opposite the U.S. and EU

I had been living in Bangalore less than two weeks the first time I truly understood how different my experiences in life are when compared to many of my work mates. (more…)

My Blessed, Bangalorean….Laptop? Pujas Bless More Than Buildings!

When I heard that my new work laptop had finally arrived at the office I was like a kid in a candy store, super excited to start using it. (more…)

An American’s View on Working with Indian Men in Bangalore

I had been living in Spain for 7+ years when I was laid off from my job along with my entire team (save one) and…

An American’s View on Working with Indian Women

I still remember my first day at work in Bangalore like it was yesterday. My new job started – as they should for some reason – on a Monday and I had moved to the country with three suitcases and into a hotel only the day before. (more…)

Why Indians Drink Without Touching Lips to the Cup or Bottle

The first time I actually saw someone doing it, it looked strange but I didn’t think too much about it. I just assumed it was…

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