Mathru School for the Differently-Abled
Bangalore, India
Sunday 12/15/3013
Considering that everything is supposed to shut down on Sunday there's a lot going on today. Muktha came over this morning and made us a fabulous breakfast with puri (a fried thin puffy bread) to scoop up a tangy mixed vegetable dish that had green beans, carrots, onions, cabbage and other good things. I would have been happy to forego breakfast -- to forego all meals today, in fact -- but this really was delicious and I ate a few more bites than my stomach really wanted.
And now, workers are pouring concrete to even out the top step to my doorway. Andy's watching and subtlety supervising. He and Harish, the main Mr. Fix-It on the premises, are kindred spirits and enjoying working together. I overheard Andy telling him about how "in the U.S., there is regulation, can make only so high between steps."
Andy just told me Harish has invited us to his home for a lunch feast. His wife has prepared a special goat dish and they want us to join them. I would usually be delighted, even if I'm not hungry, but I really don't feel well and I need a low-key day today. I can't shake this headache and my throat is sore. And I simply can't handle a big meal. So reluctantly I begged off, but Andy's going to go.
He's taking some of his dark chocolate-almond-dried cherry candies as a gift, wrapped up in some of the red cellophane and curling ribbon he insisted on packing. I have to admit now it really was a great idea to pack the wrapping paper, and I'm sure Harish and his family will love it. Harish told us he has two girls, I think 10 and 8 years old, and a baby son. The candy will be a special treat for the girls.
In addition to the five pounds of chocolates, we also brought pecans, walnuts and almonds, which are prized here, hard to get and expensive. Muktha and Kamashi, the cook, were very pleased. We're keeping the chocolates in our room and Andy's been handing them out as special little treats when we have visitors. I also have a big zip lock bag full of special little gifts that Chris's mom Msgda mada, little useful things that I'm saving to bring out at the right time.
Kamashi came in shortly after Andy left and asked when I would like lunch. The wonderful breakfast Muktha made us this morning is enough to see me through until tomorrow. I told Kamashi I don't feel well and only want hot tea with no milk or sugar. She brought that to me, along with a mandarin orange to peel and eat later. That is perfect, just the kind of thing I may want to have later. I am going to start asking for only tea and fruit for breakfast.
Andy and I were talking this morning about how Christmas seems so unreal to us here. I got a nice long letter from Andrea telling me about her baking and getting ready for Christmas, and going to little Elsie's Christmas concert. It was a lovely read, but even so, Andy and I still do not feel the least bit in the holiday way.
We see (and hear) much here of daily religious rites and customs, but nothing that indicates there are Christians in the world or that there is a holiday such as Christmas. This doesn't bother us, it's just that we are so immersed in this completely different land and culture that Christmas is the last thing on our minds.
In contrast, Christmas is a big deal in Singapore. There were Christmas trees everywhere, and even I could see the holiday street and store lighting along the road during our late night ride from Changi Airport to our hotel. Andy said Christmas music was playing on our Singapore Airlines flight from San Francisco to Singapore, and we were the only non-Asians on that flight. Little India itself did not display Christmas awareness but there was a huge Christmas tree in the court in from of our hotel, which was right next to Little India. We did some shopping for gifts, but even then it was hard to feel "Christmassy" in hot sticky 95-plus percent humidity weather. Still we are looking forward to presenting our gifts as a kind of "Christmas on the Ides of March" celebration after I'm back home.
I am beginning to truly appreciate how Mayu must have felt in our college days. She was such a good sport and so gracious about respecting and joining us in all our religious customs and traditional holidays that most of the time it never occurred to us how she may have felt being immersed in such a different culture. I strive to be as gracious and easy to be with here as she was for us at Santa Clara University.
Mayu's in Mumbai now, and I'm looking forward to getting together with her at some point while I'm here. No idea how we're going to work that out yet, but it will happen.
But for now, I'm gonna go take some Tylenol and catch a nap
Bangalore, India
Sunday 12/15/3013
Considering that everything is supposed to shut down on Sunday there's a lot going on today. Muktha came over this morning and made us a fabulous breakfast with puri (a fried thin puffy bread) to scoop up a tangy mixed vegetable dish that had green beans, carrots, onions, cabbage and other good things. I would have been happy to forego breakfast -- to forego all meals today, in fact -- but this really was delicious and I ate a few more bites than my stomach really wanted.
And now, workers are pouring concrete to even out the top step to my doorway. Andy's watching and subtlety supervising. He and Harish, the main Mr. Fix-It on the premises, are kindred spirits and enjoying working together. I overheard Andy telling him about how "in the U.S., there is regulation, can make only so high between steps."
Andy just told me Harish has invited us to his home for a lunch feast. His wife has prepared a special goat dish and they want us to join them. I would usually be delighted, even if I'm not hungry, but I really don't feel well and I need a low-key day today. I can't shake this headache and my throat is sore. And I simply can't handle a big meal. So reluctantly I begged off, but Andy's going to go.
He's taking some of his dark chocolate-almond-dried cherry candies as a gift, wrapped up in some of the red cellophane and curling ribbon he insisted on packing. I have to admit now it really was a great idea to pack the wrapping paper, and I'm sure Harish and his family will love it. Harish told us he has two girls, I think 10 and 8 years old, and a baby son. The candy will be a special treat for the girls.
In addition to the five pounds of chocolates, we also brought pecans, walnuts and almonds, which are prized here, hard to get and expensive. Muktha and Kamashi, the cook, were very pleased. We're keeping the chocolates in our room and Andy's been handing them out as special little treats when we have visitors. I also have a big zip lock bag full of special little gifts that Chris's mom Msgda mada, little useful things that I'm saving to bring out at the right time.
Kamashi came in shortly after Andy left and asked when I would like lunch. The wonderful breakfast Muktha made us this morning is enough to see me through until tomorrow. I told Kamashi I don't feel well and only want hot tea with no milk or sugar. She brought that to me, along with a mandarin orange to peel and eat later. That is perfect, just the kind of thing I may want to have later. I am going to start asking for only tea and fruit for breakfast.
Andy and I were talking this morning about how Christmas seems so unreal to us here. I got a nice long letter from Andrea telling me about her baking and getting ready for Christmas, and going to little Elsie's Christmas concert. It was a lovely read, but even so, Andy and I still do not feel the least bit in the holiday way.
We see (and hear) much here of daily religious rites and customs, but nothing that indicates there are Christians in the world or that there is a holiday such as Christmas. This doesn't bother us, it's just that we are so immersed in this completely different land and culture that Christmas is the last thing on our minds.
In contrast, Christmas is a big deal in Singapore. There were Christmas trees everywhere, and even I could see the holiday street and store lighting along the road during our late night ride from Changi Airport to our hotel. Andy said Christmas music was playing on our Singapore Airlines flight from San Francisco to Singapore, and we were the only non-Asians on that flight. Little India itself did not display Christmas awareness but there was a huge Christmas tree in the court in from of our hotel, which was right next to Little India. We did some shopping for gifts, but even then it was hard to feel "Christmassy" in hot sticky 95-plus percent humidity weather. Still we are looking forward to presenting our gifts as a kind of "Christmas on the Ides of March" celebration after I'm back home.
I am beginning to truly appreciate how Mayu must have felt in our college days. She was such a good sport and so gracious about respecting and joining us in all our religious customs and traditional holidays that most of the time it never occurred to us how she may have felt being immersed in such a different culture. I strive to be as gracious and easy to be with here as she was for us at Santa Clara University.
Mayu's in Mumbai now, and I'm looking forward to getting together with her at some point while I'm here. No idea how we're going to work that out yet, but it will happen.
But for now, I'm gonna go take some Tylenol and catch a nap
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