Refrigerator/Freezer Appreciation Day

For all my fellow Americans with the large refrigerator and frost free freezer (that's everyone) and perhaps even another stand alone freezer in the garage/laundry room...please don't be jealous of our refrigerator...i know you will only wish you could fit every frozen food item into the size of a glove compartment:D lol:)

This is the average size of most fridges here. When I've been to the homes of expat's who have the "American" size--which you can get here for loads of money-- I think to myself "whoa, they must be super rich". What's funny is that in the u.s. we had a new fridge plus an extra freezer in the garage..."whoa, i must have been rich":) It's funny how perspective changes.

I would venture to say that the majority of people in India--those living in poverty--don't have a fridge or have one smaller than this. I've seen used ones for sale that maybe some could afford. They eat day-to-day...rice and veggies... which don't require refrigeration.

I have, over the past 5 months (it was unbelievable to me at first:), become grateful for my little fridgy, and thankful that there aren't that many frozen food items to buy to need a big freezer, and that ice cream is sold in tiny containers (that's one of the items in the picture:), and that the fridge continues to work even when the microwave and stove right next to it go out for hours at a time:)

Corban decided to decorate it yesterday:)

My 3 Sons

Balcony Picnic

The boys wanted to have a picnic on our balcony...here's some pics...

Church Picnic

Saturday brian had the day off for a national holiday--Republic Day. We were a little fuzzy on the history and meaning of this day but we were glad he got it off! Our church had its annual picnic on Saturday so we were excited to get to attend. There was a big tent set up that most of the woman and babies hung out under...also where the food was served. The men and boys played soccer, kickball, cricket, volleyball and flew kites in the big open field. It was great to get to know people better while there. We ate rice, chicken curry, yogurt with diced vegetables, potato curry and yummy cake. I'm including some pics but my friend Rachel, a much better photographer with a much better camera, got some great shots of individuals. If you are interested in seeing more please visit her web photo album at http://picasaweb.google.com/rachelwaldock/BethelBaptistChurchPicnic

Another Dr. Visit and other thoughts...

Corban saw a pediatric orthopedic this week to correct flat arches on his feet. I know that I've blogged about this many times before, and you may be tired of hearing it, but i am still in disbelief at the cost of health care here...his visit with the doctor cost $5! When Corban saw the same type of doctor in TX the visit was $130!! Today we went back and didn't have to pay for the2nd visit and he will be getting inserts for really cheap. Even after 4 doctor visits since arriving i just can't believe how little doctors charge. They don't take insurance either--maybe that's the catch.
Two more observations...
most restaurants here do not have smoking or non-smoking sections. you sit wherever you'd like (usually b/c we're the first ones there:) and if someone smokes next to you that's life.
Also, forming lines (also called que's--i didn't know that before here:) is not really an ingrained part of the culture. I was reading a friend's blog that talked about an Indian wedding. When the couple came out to greet all those attending there was no line, just a mob:) Thankfully in the grocery store and at the airport we are forced to have lines but i have had people cut in front of me:) I don't really blame them--i'm usually the one with the full basket--and they only have 2 things:D

Pancake Supper

Last night we had 13 men over for dinner from Brian's work. He has been wanting to have co-workers over for awhile--- but since there are so many that work with him in his department we had to split it up into 3 nights. So the next 2 tuesdays we will be having people over as well.
I've been lazy in my attempt to learn Indian cooking and with the limited resources for fixing mass quantities of food (i.e. ingredients and refrigerator space) we decided to make it easy and have a Pancake dinner. Now I can't exactly say that I would be ok feeding dinner guests in the states pancakes unless it was a group of children:) but we figured since they haven't ever eaten them and most of them are vegetarians they might think it a novelty. Well we aren't sure if they liked them or were just polite to eat them (most of them eating them by hand:). But nonetheless we dished out dozens of banana slapjacks with butter and imported syrup plus fruit salad. The boys had a blast playing with the big boys (all in their 20's) and like usual they posed for lots of pictures with them.
Next week will be all girls and we decided to order takeout so that we can visit more...i was flippin' pancakes most of the time and Brian was busy passing them out.
Afterwards Brian drove them (all piled into our car--true Indian style) to the bus stop where they rode their usual LONG bus ride home.

First Family Pet

We officially have our first family pet!! Maya (pronounced My-ya) the turtle. As the boys took their afternoon naps yesterday, Brian went to the pet shop and brought back a surprise--a baby tortuga. The boys, with the help of daddy and momma's think tank, named her.The top 6 name finalists, from a list of about 20, were Maya, Tiga, Sadie, Cienna, Tula and Lolly. Corban was pulling hard for Cienna but since he couldn't remember how to say it and the majority were pulling for Maya, he conceded:) He got to decide it was a girl--we don't really know what it is:D

She lives in a large glass bowl with sand, rocks, a plant and David, a Bible toy figure:D She's about 2 inches long from head to tail--pretty cute:)

Homeschool Freak

I never thought I'd see a country that was more serious about early education than the U.S. (ok, maybe Japan:). In the states, many people put their children in preschool for fun and socializing but here people put their children in school starting around 2 or 3 to actually prepare them to be able to get into kindergarten. Children start kindergarten ("lower kindergarten") at age 4 and upper kindergarten at 5. Some elite international schools have quite rigourous acceptance standards for these little minds.

Ofcourse, everyone asks if Corban is in school. A little background info...we had decided a few years ago that when the kids were old enough to start school we would homeschool them. We had lots of friends homeschooling and had a "community" to learn from. It's well accepted in the states...

So when I tell people here we are homeschooling Corban they just give me this blank look. It's unheard of here....not on the radar at all. I'm really not even sure if it's legal but as one person told me "everything is legal in India" and I figure if Ghandi homeschooled his kids we're ok:) Not long into the conversation the other person is insisting that i start researching and looking into schools. (It's really hard to get into some of the elite private schools here and hard to know what schools actually provide a good education. You usually have to put your child on a waiting list and pay fees for admission ahead of time). When I explain to them that homeschooling is "normal" in the states and that everyone I talk to here tells me I need to be looking for a school (another words, you are telling me what everyone tells me and it's not working:), they still continue to insist that he needs to go to a school:)

Some of you may be saying, "well Colette that's what we think about you here in the states too:)" but for all my Hommies (short for Homeschool Mommies as my friend Desiree has termed it) out there know, it's worth it even if you do get some strange looks in the states, but imagine everyone giving you a blank stare, you-are-crazy-don't-you-care-about-your-child's-future-and-life look:D Really it just makes me want to do it even more:D We have actually thought about sending him to a school for the cultural experience while here,but I'm a rebel at heart and the flame is being fueled:D We'll let you know what happens....school starts in June here.

Education really is a huge deal here. We're learning some of the thinking behind it...that it's the only way for a child to be successful (i think this stems from centuries of the caste system). There are rigourous exams and homework starting in 1st grade. And we are learning that this country, although it seems like a "we" country (family/community), for those who can afford education it is very much an "I/me" country. Your child needs to be the best, they have to succeed, have to achieve the end goal-wealth. I guess it doesn't sound much different from the u.s.

Updates...

Brian has been officially added to the Leadership Team with his company. You can see his pic on this website...http://www.ujjivan.com/about_leadteam.html...you have to scroll down til you get to the first (and lone) white boy:)
The company also eclipsed 50,000 customers this month! In July, when Brian started, they had just passed 30,000...they've only been open 2 years...the latest goal is 100,000 by June. They are growing superfast! And supporting many Indian woman working to better their lives and their family's lives.
Kai has been busy the past two weeks...he started sitting up from the lying down position (working out those abs:), clapping (fanatically) and our latest surprise was finding him standing up in his crib--laughing:) This morning when I went in to get him he was in a "cage" with the mosquito net on top of his head. Maybe that's how we'll keep him from climbing out:)

Aerospace Musuem

Brian had Saturday off--hurray! We went to the Aerospace Musuem (which had more aero than space)...the boys loved it...they are big airplane fans these days. It was a beautiful day...although it is "winter" here the day starts out around 55 degrees with a high of around 80 degrees. The musuem had beautiful landscaping. We looked at the planes and helicopters outside, more inside, visited the "control tower" that actually looks out onto the Bangalore Intn'l Airport runway, and the boys each got to pick out an airplane from the souvenir shop that had quite the assortment of planes for a steal $$. Afterwards we went to eat at one of our favorite restaurants with open air, roof top dining to enjoy the beautiful day. We went to church on Sunday and included some pics from there too. Hope you had a great weekend!

Dental Work Anyone?

I had to go to the dentist this week to have a crown put on my tooth. This clinic is at a local hospital and from what I hear is pretty new. It was very clean, spacious and even had a seperate waiting area. I've devised a plan for anyone in need of dental work and would like to come and visit us in India while you're at it...

Dental work, like doctor visits are dirt cheap here compared to the states. For example, I paid $7.70 for the office visit and $100 for the crown. A crown in the u.s. ranges anywhere from $500-$3000, an office visit around $50-$100, plus x-rays $50..

So here's my plan...roundtrip airfare to India is about $1200. You can come to visit India plus have your dental work done all for the same low price you would have paid in the u.s.!! You can even get an appointment the next day at this place--you'll be in and out in no time! Same goes for doctor visits, surgeries, etc--they're a steal here--so why not make a trip out of it?:D

Sound good?:)

Half Way Thru Book Review

Last week was a challenge...leaving our family and friends behind in one "world", trying to transition back to our other "world", being sleep deprived and having kiddies waking up at all hours of the night. It called for quite the deserving pity party I thought. But thankfully the Lord had a better plan...

I had ordered a stack of used books from Amazon to arrive in the U.S. to take back to India. Most of the books are about people with great faith. I'd previously read two books while here (about Corrie ten Boom and Brother Andrew) and they really put my life (that I was moaning and groaning about) into perspective for me--I have it soooo easy and my faith is so weak. I really need to read these types of books to help focus on the Kindgdom picture, not my microscopic, self-absorbed little world.

I had heard of Amy Carmichael, the single missionary who lived a hundred years ago. I've heard quotes and hymns by her, but when I bought the book I had no idea she was a missionary to India and had lived in Bangalore for part of that time!!! It's so amazing that the Lord had me buy this book that I really didn't know much about and use it to get me out of my pitty pit! This lady was so tough, her faith so strong, her standards so high. She fell ill numerous times, lived with all kinds of creepy crawly animals:), laughed at danger and mockery, witnessed to anyone who breathed, withstood hostile and angry crowds surrounding her home (tent), lived with the people, rescued little girls from a lifetime of service to temple gods, suffered the loss of many children in her care from disease, lost many loved ones, didn't take a furlough for 53 years, didn't see her family for that long as well, was disliked by fellow missionaries, seemed never to be shaken no matter how powerful the blow, and loved India...i'm sure there's more but i'm only half way through the book.

If you ever need to be inspired, lifted up, become un-self-absorbed, see what a life of rock solid faith looks like or realize how easy your life really is...please read A Chance to Die by Elisabeth Elliot. You'll be revived!

"You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that I may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!" Psalm 30:11-12

Red Dirt

Another little observation about Bangalore is the red dirt, which creates red dust. I'm not sure if it is too expensive to plant and maintain grass here but there's not much to be found and therefore the dust abounds. I think that's why most people here have housekeepers b/c sweeping and mopping are a daily "must".

Being a typical woman I moved here with 14 pairs of shoes (that's after giving lots of shoes away before moving:) I wear just 2 pair of flip flops (one of which i bought here) and haven't touched the others due to the dirt. It just really doesn't matter which shoes you have on, they are going to get dirty so why bother?:D

Again, I hope it doesn't sound like i'm complaining...i really just like sharing with you a taste of what it looks like here in the "Garden City" (Bangalore's nickname).

The Teeth

When my sister-in-law saw Kai's teeth in TX she couldn't believe I hadn't blogged about it to show everyone his new choppers:) But actually the lower two teeth are not that much different from most baby teeth. The upper two are a different story. The first top tooth was coming out as we flew over the Atlantic ocean going to the states (maybe that's why he didn't sleep for 16 hours:) and the second top one was emerging as we flew back over the ocean to Bangalore:) Both daddy and momma had big buck teeth as children so the child can't espcape it:D They just add a little more character to those chubby cheeks and big belly:)

Cravings

As I reflect on our trip to the states, i thought i'd share a little insignificant information that made us happy (besides seeing family and friends:)...that is food:) We do sometimes long for and dream of foods that we can't get here. We had a list of places we were craving and had to consume while there...here's what we accomplished...

Whataburger (Brian's #1) (this was his first and last meal there:)
Taco Bell (twice)
Mom's cooking!!! yum yum
Fried Shrimp Po-boys (from Louisiana)
Sonic
Papacito's Mexican Food (Colette's #1)
Freebird's Burritos (this was a weekly dining experience for us when we lived in Houston) We also got Ben and Jerry's ice cream on this outing--thanks Jarrad and Chrissy!
Double Dave's pizza rolls (thanks to our old D.D. dining buddies--the Van Essens!)
Domino's (twice) (with meat toppings!)
Chic-fil-a
Frozen waffles every morning for breakfast (boys' #1)
Lots of good home cooked food (thanks Mom, Dad, Joni, Grandpa and Grandmother B, Carlisa, Candice and Ryan)

Maybe all this junk food will hold us over for awhile:)

Glitch in the System

As I was sitting here typing the previous post, the electricity went out and caused the post to take 3 times longer than it should have. It reminded me that I don't recall sharing about the daily outages here. Most days the electricity "flickers" on and off about 6 times for a period of about 10-15 minutes. Usually this happens more than once a day. I'm so thankful that it doesn't stay off for long periods at a time which I've heard happens in some residences. It does tend to interrupt some things like the computer, which "unplugs" hardware devices in ways the computer doesn't appreciate, causes the internet to act up, etc. Most times when it does come back on it fails to restart one fuse which supplies power to the washer, dryer, microwave and stovetop. So if we are washing or cooking it takes a little time before those things come back on--sometimes til the next power outage:) Pretty much every building in Bangalore has a back-up generator due to the unreliable power. I know some third world cities around the world probably experience power outages for days at a time so I'm not complaining--just thought I'd share:)
And while I'm on glitches I'll go ahead and mention the internet and cable...we are really blessed to have DSL, but in Bangalore that means you'll only to get to use it about 1/2 of the time. The other time it's won't connect. (We haven't been able to access CNN this week...we think it's possibly being blocked due to the crisis in Pakistan.) The same daily occurance happens with cable(which we are also blessed to have for free!!)
Compared to those living around us who have none of these amenities, these are only minor glitches in ones day! But after just being in the states it reminded me of one more thing I take for granted there--power:)

Four Wheeler Babies

Every time we visit my parents house the tradtion for the boys and PawPaw is to ride around the lawn on his red four wheeler. My dad takes them around in circles (very slowly:). They LOVE it! Kai had his first riding experience this last visit so I decided to look for pictures of the other boys' first rides. I found this one of Haddon but couldn't find any of Corban as a baby. I soon remembered that, as with most first babies, the video camera was pulled out for the "monumental":) first event and we have no less than 30 minutes of riding around the yard over and over:) so I can't include his:)