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Good to hear from so many observant, knowledgeable and self critical desis (purely for want of a better simple word) and others((?)-sans self critical). Have'nt been in the midst of so much discussion on Indian cooking since landing here. Never with my neighbours. Guess my vegetarian cooking, though done with spices is not of the 'outstanding' variety, odourwise.
AC, frankness is not universal at home. PC abounds most of the time, atleast where I come from. I think you must have come across an especially forceful specimen.
I quite enjoy the differences from home as it would be boring otherwise. Though I must say for me the differences are mainly the climate and good roads, more than anything else. Have been to 5 states in the US and driven around quite a bit in most of them. Catskills were a treat to be in. So far CT feels the closest to home, though folks in CA would aver otherwise.
Like andthentherewere3 said, have loved keeping the windows open all day during last week. The seasons are so distinct in CT! Summer was part hot/part pleasant and Fall was beautiful. Snow wasn't bad either, as we didn't need to go out much - grocery store within walking distance, no schools and work-from-home option. Though this year is supposedly one of the worst as regards snowfall, having never lived in the midst of snow except as tourists, for us our first snow season is what we will compare everything against.
I am sure you will like it here in CT, purplesque, especially if you decide on living in one of the towns/cities in the southwest region. Welcome.
Like andthentherewere3 said, have loved keeping the windows open all day during last week. The seasons are so distinct in CT! Summer was part hot/part pleasant and Fall was beautiful. Snow wasn't bad either, as we didn't need to go out much - grocery store within walking distance, no schools and work-from-home option. Though this year is supposedly one of the worst as regards snowfall, having never lived in the midst of snow except as tourists, for us our first snow season is what we will compare everything against.
I am sure you will like it here in CT, purplesque, especially if you decide on living in one of the towns/cities in the southwest region. Welcome.
Distinct seasons are good!
Thanks, b2f10. We're moving to the New Haven neighborhood and will probably end up living in Hamden/Milford/Woodbridge area. We're both excited about our new jobs.
If you're ever in the Middletown area, try the Udupi Bhavan if you like S Indian food- it reminded me of Saravana Bhavan.
Milford area has plenty of shops though haven't yet looked at the residential areas there. Orange is nice. Will check out Udupi Bhavan.
You also have Coromandel in Milford. It is an okay place. Their appetisers are good and are served with yummy chutney dips. Not a great fan of their other fare (only talking about veg.) Kolam in Newtown seems to be pretty popular among the locals though haven't been there yet.
The thin crust pizzas at Colony Grill, Fairfield are good. Fairfield has plenty of good restaurants - Barcelona, Barcelona, some Hibachi places .. still discovering.
Have heard good things about this dosa cart at Washington Square Park in Manhattan. Wonder if anyone here has visited it.
Oo..thanks for the food recs! We're big foodies; always looking for new vegetarian options. We ate at a bunch of places in New Haven, but have been saving the pizza for the last.
We ate at the dosa cart! While pretty good, I think the hype is more because its a bit of an exception. The Saravana Bhavan on Lexington Ave, though..Oh God. Like being back in Connaught Place.
I keep seeing posts referring to spice smells in "American" homes on this thread. Previously I stated we once lived next door to an Indian family, and there was frequently the smell of curry in the air that would get into our house---we actually lived in England, not the U.S., had hardwood floors like many also do in the U.S., etc. So it's not an issue specific to the U.S. Just curious, what are kitchens like in India? Do you typically have "industrial-strength exhaust fans"? Surely not everyone cooks outside, and don't you have nearby neighbors in your cities?
In the house where I grew up, I had to cross some coconut trees, then a thick compound and more crotons/garden plants before getting to the neighbour
Compare that to my situation here, I drill a little hole in my wall and can actually get to see the next place's living room or worse, something else
Oo..thanks for the food recs! We're big foodies; always looking for new vegetarian options.
As for grocery stores, Bharat Bazaar on Boston Post Road in Milford should meet most of your needs. You also have TJs and Whole Foods closeby. There is another store - Indus in Bridgeport, but it is very cramped. There is virtually no parking unlike Bharat Bazaar.
Good to hear from so many observant, knowledgeable and self critical desis (purely for want of a better simple word) and others((?)-sans self critical). Have'nt been in the midst of so much discussion on Indian cooking since landing here. Never with my neighbours. Guess my vegetarian cooking, though done with spices is not of the 'outstanding' variety, odourwise.
AC, frankness is not universal at home. PC abounds most of the time, atleast where I come from. I think you must have come across an especially forceful specimen.
I quite enjoy the differences from home as it would be boring otherwise. Though I must say for me the differences are mainly the climate and good roads, more than anything else. Have been to 5 states in the US and driven around quite a bit in most of them. Catskills were a treat to be in. So far CT feels the closest to home, though folks in CA would aver otherwise.
Like andthentherewere3 said, have loved keeping the windows open all day during last week. The seasons are so distinct in CT! Summer was part hot/part pleasant and Fall was beautiful. Snow wasn't bad either, as we didn't need to go out much - grocery store within walking distance, no schools and work-from-home option. Though this year is supposedly one of the worst as regards snowfall, having never lived in the midst of snow except as tourists, for us our first snow season is what we will compare everything against.
I am sure you will like it here in CT, purplesque, especially if you decide on living in one of the towns/cities in the southwest region. Welcome.
Are you from Bangalore?? I'm from Pondicherry and also worked in Madras in my youth. Tamils folks are more cutthroat
A simple bus trip through Madras is exhilarating
Anyway, at this point I am disillusioned with CT too. NC is the only state I love in America. I am simply putting up with CT becoz of the job situation and the fair commute to the city, and it's much better than Jersey or NY state.
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