The Other Mr. and Mrs. Luth Go to India

We're nearing the halfway mark of my parents near March-long visit to India. While we're not spending the entire time with them, the wife definitely deserves consideration for some sort of "daughter-in-law of the year" award for agreeing to a 28 day on-again-off-again visit. When all is said and done, they'll get a nice cross section of the country, including trips to Kerala, Agra, and Varanasi on their own and a quick tour through Rajasthan with Lindsay and myself that starts in the morning (Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Jaisalmer). In addition to the travel, we're also attempting to initiate them to our slightly ridiculous lives in Gurgaon.

Our cook Yashoda surprised them with a traditional 5-star hotel welcome.

My biggest worry about their visit was how quickly they might adapt and that they'd feel comfortable moving about Delhi and Gurgaon on their own. That worry has entirely subsided. Not only are they moving freely about the sites and markets of Delhi (with, of course, the assistance of my trusty driver Kailash, whom my mother has yet to pronounce his name the same way twice), but quotes (or slight paraphrases) I've heard include:

• "I could get pretty used to this driver thing."
• "This weather is just like San Diego!"
• "What do you mean we're not planning to go to brunch this Sunday?"
• "The driver helped bargain for fresh flowers!"
• "Thanks for the lunch recommendation but there were just too many tourists at the restaurant." (followed by them relocating on their own accord to the Imperial Hotel)
• "John, you guys are such great hosts, do you think Lindsay would mind if we extended two or three weeks?"
• "This bag of Dorito's cost ten dollars?!?"

Yep, they seem to have adapted to the expat lifestyle in India just fine.

The "good" Sunday (brunch at Set'z).