Update - warning long read. I performed quite a bit of research and the process for California residents is as follows: 1. Fill out form USDA/APHIS form PPQ-546, Post Entry Quarantine Permit. There is no cost to this form. It must be submitted to the CDFA (California Dept. of Food & Ag). The CDFA then contacts your local county agricultural dept. to perform a site inspection. There is no charge for this site inspection. The local county inspector signs off on the form and the CDFA then sends it to the USDA/APHIS. 2. CDFA has to perform 2 inspections of the plant material, once it arrives and at the end of the quarantine period of 2 years for mangos. I'm still not quite clear on this. There is a cost associated with these inspections that are performed by a CDFA pathologist. Furthermore, if anything unusual happens to the imported plant material, you have to report it and they have to come out for inspection again. Due to budget issues, the CDFA only has three service locations throughout CA. The closest one to us is Sacramento. Since I live in San Jose, the travel fee is $150 and the inspection cost is billed at $60hr. I'm attempting to get a more precise cost estimate but have been told it should take no more than a half hour to perform the site inspection since it is residential. So the cost for two inspections comes out to $420. If a plant dies or gets diseased, the cost will increase. Another issue is that all imported plant material has to be federally inspected also at PIS (plant inspection sites). There is one close to SFO, yet I cannot transport the plant material from the airport to the PIS. It has to be done by a customs bonded carrier. I do not know if there is a charge for the PIS inspections but most likely there is. And also do not understand why the CDFA has to inspect the material once the Feds have already initially done it. They suggested mailing the plant material directly to the PIS station in SFO as this is the typical course of action. So as you can see, this process is quite elaborate and I'm sure there are a few more details I have not come across yet. I don't mind all these little steps as I wasn't expecting any less being a current govt. employee, but feel the cost associated is a bit high. I was hoping it would be around $300 max. I have a friend at work who is an entomologist and heads the pest management department, he expained some of the barriers and overlap between the CDFA and USDA. I was hoping my local county could perform the inspections as they do have a working pathologist on site and he is going to see if he can help. I might have given him mango fever because he said he would split the cost with me but his total cost estimate was around $750. I don't mind paying the hourly cost, it's the travel distance cost that is quite high. Moreover, if I bring back 12 plants and have two die at separate times, that will prompt two additional inspections at an estimated $210 each. the PEQ program is meant for commercial nurseries/farm use and not us residents but will accomodate us crazed citizens. I'll continue to research more and will eventually decide if I want to go through with it. Cheers, Desimango

I'm mostly a lurker, but wanted to share my experience with a vendor in India. About ten years ago, I was admirinig my neighbor's new curtains. She said she got them custom-made from some guy in India. Got his number from her and talked to him. After seeing some samples, selected the fabrics I wanted (silk for the LR and bed covers, faux-silk for the DR and BRs, and drapery fabric for the kitchen cafe curtains and valances). Gave him as accurate measurements of every window as I could, chose the pleats and length, etc. in about thre weeks, they were all shipped to us. Not a thing I didn't want or expect. We had someone come hang everything up and it was simply beautiful. Every single item. It's been 9 years and I still have them up and they look just as beautiful. Ad the prices were relatively low. Have given his name to others who've seen my curtains and asked where I got them. I have been a member for over ten years and I'm not pulling for any vendor. Just wanted to share. I'd post pictures if I knew how, but will try when I have some time.

In possible defense of mom, I tend to agree that we should not all just buy in to this notion that everyone with crooked teeth "needs" braces. Yes, if they are bad enough to make it difficult to brush and floss, I can see the point. If it is primarily cosmetic, I really don't see how it's particularly different from a nose job or a boob job; a not-insignificant amount of pain for the purpose of making you physically closer to "perfect" in appearance. You may not agree, but accepting your physical "imperfections" as "having character" rather than "fixing" them is a perfectly legitimate value for a parent to try to impart to their teenage child. If it matters (judge my motivation as you will), yes I have crooked teeth, braces were financially not an option as a teenager although I really didn't want them anyway, I chose against them as an adult when they became financially an option, and I don't in the slightest regret not having them either time. All things being equal, sure I'd rather have straight teeth, but not badly enough to put myself through two years of braces in order to get them. And since I wouldn't do it to myself, I'd have a hard time justifying doing it to a child in my care who was saying she didn't want them.

Hi Jules, We ended up using Amber Tours, based in Delhi, and they were excellent. I basically planned the itinerary, and the hotels, but they had someone with us every moment we were in India. A local guide, our driver and his assistant. It was better than 5 star service. Exceeded my expectations (as did the entire trip). I don't usually like or want my hand held, but India may not be a good DIY destination especially with a family and if one likes creature comforts. You of course balance creature comforts against "authentic" experiences, but I felt pleased with the balance for us. I chose them over Greaves because they are based in India. The pricing was very similar (no bargains anywhere for sure). We flew into and out of Mumbai, but only to get free flights (for five people in flat beds over spring break, not easy). The only way I could use my frequent flyer miles was by taking that route, so that was pretty compelling (the seats would have cost 10-12k each). I would not suggest Mumbai otherwise. I didn't go to Delhi because I had been on business before and I generally didn't want big cities. But at least Delhi makes sense geographically if you want to see Agra and Rajasthan. Once I get over the jet lag, I am tempted to go back. We didn't see the Himalayas, or the South at all (many recommend river cruises in Kerala). We were not interested in any safari-type destinations, BTDT, but many seem to like those too. Our itinerary within India was: Mumbai, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaiselmer, Jaipur, Alwar, Agra, Varanasi We stayed at a the Oberoi Mumbai, Oberoi, Udaivilas, Umaid Bhiwan Palace, The Serai, Oberoi Rajvilas, Amanbagh, Oberoi Amarvial and the Nadesar Palace. As far as itineraries go, Mumbai is interesting but I wouldn't have gone there if we hadn't landed there. I would also take Jaiselmer and Varanasi off the itinerary, and maybe even Alwar (where the Aman is). The rest of the cities are musts, and we loved visiting them. India is such a beautiful place. Mumbai is mostly just a big modern city. There were some interesting temples, the market, the laundry, a house where Ghandi lived, but .. ehh. Jaiselmer had intrigued me for the sand dune camel rides and the 14th century fort, near the Pakistan border. The fort was kind of honky tonk, plus you will see soooo many forts. The camel rides were fun, but you can do those elsewhere, and people say the dunes are even better outside Jodhpur. The best thing about it was the hotel, where we stayed in luxury tents that were fab. we had never done the luxe tent before and I thought the kids would love it; they did. But it is a long way to go! We rented a plane to get us from Jaisemler because otherwise it was 10hr on the road. Not worth it. Alwar is where the Aman is. And not a whole lot else. There is a fort and a temple, like just about everywhere, and the property is gorgeous, just a show stopper ... but TBVH I don't think it is worth a detour in the context of a once-in-a-lifetime trip to India. We had a wonderful stay at the Aman (big fan of the brand) but the Oberois "-vilas" brand is every bit as good as Aman, if not better (heresy!). I do not think it is hyperbole to declare Oberoi -vilas the best hotel brand in the world. Since the Aman is out of the way, I would take it off the list, if that allowed me to visit say, the Himalayas, or Kerala. We knew Varanasi was a "challenging" place to take a family. I'm glad I went but not sure I would recommend it, esp, since, like Jaiselmer, it is out of the way. It is a crazy circus of a place, like Time Sq New Years eve and Coney Island, times ten, with lots of cows, bulls, dogs, incessant horns, rickshaws, tuks tuks, and motorcycles thrown in, and incredible layers of dirt and stench and the infrastructure of a war zone. It was important to me to visit the Ganges, even if it would probably be a Superfund site here at home. I think we will always remember it, I will say that. Some people think it is the most important site in India. Maybe if you are very spiritual (certainly if one is devout Hindu). I thought the Aarti ceremony with fire was interesting but not worth the trip itself. The cremations are interesting but I didn't feel it was a terribly moving expereince, YMMV. The holy men, covered in white ash and dredlocks and wearing loincloths, seemed like something out of a NatGeo film. As far as hotels, they were superb. I would make only one change. In Jodhpur, everyone favors the Umaid Palace. Look at the room photos online. For some reason it makes me think of 70s Moscow. I found it depressing. The common areas are TDF and it is cool that the Mararaja lives there, but I would choose the hip Raas downtown. We lunched there. In Varanasi, another former palace, the Nadesar was cool (Reza Pahlavi slept in our room once -- sp?) but a tad rundown. That said, it is the best in Varanasi. The service and food (both Western and Indian) at all of these hotels was more than 5 star. But, as you know, the prices are Western. I was told even domestic travellers pay those prices, and I can believe it; there is tremendous wealth there alongside the poverty. Eye-popping wealth. We took Ciproflaxin with us and ate everything, including foods offered to us by locals in a few cases. Three of us got sick over out trip but within hours the Cipro cured it, and we all just took one each day from then on. I was very surprised at the quality and hipness of the Western fare, we also tried a lot of Indian dishes, did a cooking demo, and gained new favorites. The people are very warm, and it seemed, genuine. They truly seem to have a light, as corny as that sounds. We drove for hours through many small towns, deserts and farms and saw shepherds and farmers and women in saris carrying things on their head. They wave and smile and say hello. We saw very very little begging, and at no time did we ever see anyone who appeared malnourished, to my great surprise. I was told that Rajasthan, where most of our touring was, is one of the wealthier states. Flights within India were fine (usually only one class of service), but Air India is just ok where as Indigo is a great airline (seems identical to Jetblue). HTH! I will post pictures soon but I still have a laptop issue with Iphoto and it is a long saga to fix.