Tax Rebate

My mom and dad told me this morning about the tax rebate that every family in the U.S. will be receiving for filing their taxes. (I'm a little out of the loop:) I couldn't believe that EVERY couple will be getting $1200 plus $300 per child!!!!!!!!!!! I'm not sure if I lived there whether or not I'd be so shocked--I'd probably just think "well thanks for giving us our hard earned money back":) but living here you realize how much money that is and how RICH America is. $1200 is more than what most people here make a year! What would it be like if every Indian got $1200--wow a major party:) Although I don't think the poor have to pay taxes here so they might not receive the "free gift".
We were talking to some of our Indian friends and they asked how much minimum wage was in the U.S. We told them and they said most executives don't make that salary here. Although things are cheaper here and it's really hard to live off $8 an hour in the U.S. still the economic contrast is so amazing.

Dell Foundation

Michael & Susan Dell (Dell Computers) are investors in the microfinance company Brian works for. Here's what they had to say about Ujjivan... http://www.msdf.org/Success_Stories/Family_Economic_Stability/Ujjivan.aspx

Random Notes

The other day we were at the pool along with a German woman (the only other white girl in our complex that i've seen) who was sitting outside the pool with a bikini and towel wrapped around her waist. A few minutes after we arrived an Indian lady who was walking around the complex came up to her and asked her to put her clothes on...she said that people were talking about her:) The German girl, seeing noone in sight, asked who?:) The Indian lady preceeded to tell her that she needed to be more modest because of kids and other women playing/walking in the vicinity. So she did. I didn't want her to be embarrassed so I told her that Indian women don't wear bathing suits and I had never seen any women swimming here. She said she knew that but didn't think anyone was around:) She told me there actually are bathing suits for women here--shorts and a t-shirt made of matching fabric. So different from the states huh?! It's kind of nice knowing we won't see any sights little boys shouldn't see!
Another random note...ice is a rare commodity here. You can't buy it at the store, it's not served in restaurants (thankfully they serve drinks cold) and I've never had it at someone's home--although you can buy icetrays. We've had ice one time in Pondicherry at a Pizza Hut that advertised icecubes in the Ice Tea and Green Apple Soda. It came with two small cubes each:) Personally we don't have ice b/c our freezer is the size of a shoebox:) We do own icetrays though:) We don't really miss ice but the next time I get to chew on some Sonic ice I will savor it!:)

Thank the Lord for Little Girls

In India ultrasounds are illegal to determine a baby's gender. So noone here knows what they are going to have prior to delivery. I haven't read up on the subject (which I probably should do before blogging about it) but this is what I gather...
The government strongly encourages couples to limit there family size to 2 children for conservation purposes. (Another reason our family of five is a freakshow here:) Gender identification is illegal so that parents will not abort the baby if they find out it's a girl. I've seen ads saying that girls are just as important as boys. I'm assuming the reasoning is that if you only get to have 2, the desire is to have boys to carry on the family name, support you when you're old (the eldest son is automatically responsible for this) and to not have to pay a huge wedding dowry (which is also supposed to be illegal but still exists). Really sad.
It was a shock to me when I saw signs posted at different clinics and hospitals about illegal ultrasounds. Mainly b/c in the states most people are happy no matter what gender they are having and it's fun to find out ahead of time (for some:). I definitely don't know the extent of the problem...i'm assuming that since there are plenty of girls here that most people are happy with either gender as well. But it is such a good thing they are protecting little girls. (This is also another reason it is much easier to adopt girls here.)
They do use ultrasounds for preventative care.

Kai Turns One!

Kai's birthday was on Easter Sunday. We celebrated with our small group from church when we got together for Good Friday Lunch. Kai took to eating cake instantly as you'll see:). But he didn't stand a chance against his two older brothers who took it upon themselves to blow out his candle:) That's what big brothers are for right?:) We are so thankful for this little guy. He's a charmer. There are 2 video clips and some pictures from the festivities below...

Kai's b-day Cake

Kai's Birthday Pics

Hot Water

We don't have hot/warm water in our kitchen sink. And I've only seen one dishwasher since I've lived here so ofcourse we don't have one of those:) So this is how we try to sanitize our dishes...we heat up the water in the bathroom (each bathroom has it's own individual water heater that you have to let warm up--if you live in a flat that doesn't have a water heater you take a cold shower--hence the cold water in the kitchen), fill up two buckets, put in some sanitizer, load them onto Haddon's scooter and roll them to the kitchen. Then the boys help me put all the dishes from the sink into the hot water. They soak for awhile and then get washed.

Thankfully our housekeeper washes the dishes so I don't have anything to complain about-- if I had to pick between hot water and my dishes being washed by someone other than me I will gladly take cold water!:)Bathtubs are very rare here too so this is what all the boys WANT to bath in:) I guess you can't really play with toys standing under the faucet:)

Clark Kent

Corban is in to Superman these days. He regulary wears his Superman outfit out into public (restaurants, the park, etc:) Now he's catching on to the other side of Superman--Clark Kent--here he is:)

The Cylinder Block House

Here's the post about the cylinder block house just down the street... There are houses like this all over the city, usually where a building is going up. This one is right across the street from the grocery store where I shop. The kids are usually playing outside on the sand hill. I took a picture of 3 of the children that live in this house but there are also two little babies plus the parents. I'm really not sure how many people live in this house. The babies don't wear diapers so they usually have bare bottoms. The few houses like this that I've gotten to take a peek into usually have a shrine set up to their household idol/gods, maybe a wall calendar, a shelf with a few things on it and maybe a burner to cook on if they have electricity. There was another cylinder block house on this lot before they dug the big hole and it had one hanging light bulb. They sleep on the floor, sit on the floor, eat on the floor...no furniture. I have to say that this house is much more protective from the elements than some of the tarp tents I see on the side of the road. It poured down raining Saturday night and I really don't know what the people in tents do during monsoon season. Not to mention mosquitos!

If I try to imagine myself living in this house I wonder if I would have joy? I think I depend so much on my comforts to make me happy and content--much more than I realize. I would only hope and pray that I could be content and joyful sleeping on the floor, taking a bath outside in well water that I had to walk a mile to get, or watching rich people shop at the grocery store across the street.

I hope these type of posts don't sound depressing--it's just real and and everywhere here so I want to share.

This is the house in front of the pink building

The big hole

This is where they dry their clothes--on these poles

Blog Change

My friend Desiree is my blog inspiration and she just updated her blog background. I'm so blog illiterate that I didn't know you could find different templates outside of Blogger. I basically just copy what my friends do on their blogs:) so here's to you Desiree! It'll take me awhile to get everything back in place--it's a work in progress.

Playgroup

Every Thursday we go to a playgroup with other foreigners. The playgroup is a branch of the Overseas Women's Club (which I'm not a member but they still let me come:). It has been a great outing every week. The boys are playing with other kids and other toys:) and I get to meet and talk to moms who are going through the same things I am living in a different country. Each week it is at a different home near us.
What is most fascinating to me is the huge contrast between the homes we have playgroup in and the people we see everyday out on the streets. Most of the ex-pats (foreigners) are in the IT business making American or European salaries. They've moved everything they own here by freight/cargo shipping and have luxerious houses or flats. They can afford to hire a full staff of people and live a plush life compared to living in their home country. The boys love playing with ALL the toys each week and I mean it's like Toy's R Us at most of these homes:)
I know in the states there are the rich, the poor and the inbetween but I guess because I see poverty everyday I am frequently reminded of the vast contrast between the rich and the poor here. My next post will be pictures of the family that lives 2 blocks down in a tiny cylinder block house while the dad does construction on a new building. So many of these construction families live in sheet metal homes probably 6 x 6 in size. They build long rows of these metal homes next to the building site which makes an instant community (or slum). They don't have running water, indoor plumbing and probably little electricity. When the building is complete they move on to the next site. It's amazing to me. What's even more amazing is you can get so used to seeing it that it doesn't bother you anymore--it's just a part of life here in India--and that's not good to become numb to it. I think the numbness is a coping method though--how can you face this everyday, not being able to do much to help--you have to "shut it off" sometimes. It's hard knowing you are in the "rich" category by Indian standards and have to see people living like this. OK, enough rambling.
All this to say we love playgroup:D

The Hair Chop

About 2 weeks ago I went to get my haircut at a salon across the street from us. I couldn't really get any solid recommendations out of people for a decent salon (not good) so I decided to go for proximity. Now before I tell you about the chop let me just say that Brian gets his haircut for less than a dollar here! And it looks good. But I just can't bring myself to go to the barbershop and pay $1 for a haircut so...I went to this salon where a haircut is $10 (not bad). Being a girl of vanity I brought along a picture to show the stylist the "look" I was going for. It wasn't a whole lot different from what I had as far as length. Well she starts chopping away! Granted my hair was way overdue for a trim, but she cut about 4-6 inches off! She kept going around and around layering all over. She definitely had something in mind that she didn't tell me about. Yes I should have stopped her after the first go round but I was giving her the benefit of the doubt and I didn't want to hurt her feelings. SoI left feeling like I had half my haircut off. I was a bit shocked but then again how many white people come in there to get their haircut? Probably not too many.
So the kicker is that I was talking with some Indian friends telling them about the hairchopping experience and they told me that white people have to be careful b/c stylists will cut off 5 or 6 inches without asking and sell the hair to doll makers!! B/c the hair is a lighter color and a different texture it's in high demand. I am just hoping that is not what happened to my hair! Sick!
And speaking of hair, my mom said she has been seeing those ponytail hairpieces advertised in the states that say they're made of real Indian hair--which means really straight, shiny dark hair. I haven't heard about it but there are probably lots of Indian woman somewhere chopping off their long beautiful hair to to make money. Sad.

Adoption Day '08

We celebrated Haddon's 3rd Adoption Day last night! The first one was March 3, 2006. Even though Haddon was a Frazier when we left the hospital with him, in the state of TX you have to wait 6 months to "officially" adopt a child. We went before a judge who declared Haddon our son (even though he was since he was born). Now we celebrate that day each year. But on March 3rd we were sick as could be so sadly we had to postpone the celebration. Thankfully last night we got to go to a new mall near us and play all the arcade games (India's version of Chuck E Cheese minus the pizza) and then eat in the food court. Haddon had a blast riding a bumper car with daddy, riding a motorcycle video game, a race car and playing in the balls. He was so hungry he ate 2 hotdogs (chickendogs:) and lots of peanut butter and chocolate icecream!
He doesn't understand what Adoption Day means yet but he knows how much we love him and we thank the Lord that He gave us this son to love, take care of and watch him grow up into a little man. He is so precious.

BBA School

Hi everyone, this is Brian, and I wanted to take another opportunity to tell everyone about something that we think is pretty special. A family friend of ours runs a school here in Bangalore for orphaned children, children from poor families in neighboring villages, and any other children. The school's existence has relied on the profits of my friend's company and donations from friends. Beyond our church and friends, not too many people know about the school or the work that it does, so I thought I would begin the BBA marketing campaign by simply posting an email my friend sent to me about the school.
Keep in mind that this blog has to be sterilized to protect our friends. If you do take a sincere interest about what this school does, then email Colette or myself for more information on the school and how you can help.
*************
A brief history of how we started the school. In 1992 I quit my job because I had to do many things against my faith and belief . This was about the same time that we as a family had joined Bethel. I started a small scale factory & GOD blessed our factory. Since we had no church building of our own at Bethel , against the skepticism and odds we were able to contribute our might to the building of our church building. This really encouraged me to take bold steps for God. It was around that time 1993/1994 that the need of a good Christian school came up. We did spend much time in prayer and my sister quit her job as a water scientist at Eureka Forbes and devoted herself full time to the cause of the school.
We were in a situation that required someone to take up the project and run it. It then came upon my family to shoulder the project. So, we started a Public Charitable Trust to run the school.
The school began with 8 children, of which three were our children. God has been gracious and taken us through many ups and downs. The purchase of property (3 acres) was an amazing provision of God.
As we are new to this, we have no clue of how to raise funds. The factory has been the only steady source of funds and here again we are restricted in giving because of government regulations. However, we have survived thus far by the grace of God. Our desire is to reach families through their children and help the needy, deserving students who cannot afford the fees. As you have visited and seen the school you may have noticed that the building needs completion. The toilets and labs needed for the affiliation to the ICSE board of education is very much needed as many children leave because they cannot take exams from our school. This has become a great problem because we cannot get more paying children to help in defraying the cost. We are waiting on the Lord to open doors to finish the class rooms. We did budget this but the unexpected escalation of costs Eg: steel prices doubled, cement prices tripled, sand, which used to be available @ 2500 Rs a lorry load was sold @25,000 Rs, though the prices have now stabilized @ 7000 to 8000 Rs a load. The result - we have not completed the building. Parents who do desire to put their children are apprehensive as the child has to change school in grade IX . We are praying for God's direction and provision. Based on the profitability of the company and the surety given, banks have loaned money for the building project. The situation we now face is a downward trend in all industrial production in the country which directly affects us and the completion of the school. Please keep us in prayer especially the school and the factory.

Flat Stanley

Brian's cousin Leta lives in Austin and has a son, Tyler, in Kindergarten. His class read a book about Flat Stanley, a boy who flattens himself to travel the world (I think it goes something like this). So each child in the class mails a copy of Flat Stanley to someone they know to take him on an adventure, take a picture with him and send the photo and story back to the class. The class is keeping a map of all Stanley's adventures. We were lucky enough to receive Tyler's Stanley! We went on a little field trip Sunday afternoon to find some camera action for Stanley. Corban got to "drive" a rickshaw with Stanley and Haddon (who didn't want to join Stanley in the rickshaw at first) took his picture in front of a street vendor selling fruit with some other children. Not much of an adventure for Stanley but anything in India looks different from Austin:) Thought I'd post the pics for you. Thanks Tyler for choosing Haddon and Corban to take Stanley on an adventure!!

Mosquito Terminator

Imagine a place that has worse mosquitoes than Texas, Louisiana and Minnesota combined (the 3 other places we've lived in our lives that all had mosquitoes--we can't escape them!!) I call it "the PLAGUE" although thankfully we're not dying from them. They are always here. At least in the states you get a rest from them for a few months after a freeze but it doesn't freeze here. And from what I hear April and May are the worst months. The apt. complex sprays twice a week and you'd never know it...that is unless they didn't spray...then it would be an all-out invasion. They are smart suckers too. Much more so than in the states. They are super quick and know how to hide. It's amazing how you think you got one in b/w your hands yet meanwhile they've escaped into oblivion. The boys all sleep with mosquito nets and we tried to for about a week but they were in the net with us!!--biting all night. We figured it's better to get bitten without the net than to be trapped in there with them.

Then we invested in a MOSQUITO TERMINATOR! We've seen them sold by street people since we moved here but never went for it. Then I found one at the grocery store. It looks like a tennis racket but has metal wires for the netting. You just press the trigger, swing at the insect and listen to it crackle!:) It's now our new toy and our most pleasurable hobby--electrocuting mosquitoes!!! It is so satisfying to hear them sizzle:) We still don't find them all, but every night you can see mosquito carcases all over the floors. The kids can't use it but we let Corban pose with it in one of the pictures:) I'm not sure if these exist in the states...maybe at Walgreen's in the infomercial section:)...if they do you should get one just for fun!

Having fun in the elevator

Out of Commission Continues...

On Friday little Kai man caught the bug. It was a sad day filled with lots of messes:) One good thing about it was he was very cuddly--not his usual busy self:) On Saturday we went to the pediatrician just to make sure everything was ok. We'll see how long it runs its course. Today is Sunday and although we stayed home from church to spare everyone there from our cooties, we are feeling much better and got out for an afternoon drive. We all still have the D-word so we're not in the clear--this is a stubborn little bug. It wants to hang around for awhile!

Out of Commission Continues...

I'm not sure what is worse--being sick or seeing your child sick (and cleaning up the mess:). Poor Haddon got sick yesterday afternoon with the stomach bug and Brian came home with it too. Brian seems to have the less debilitating version--he got up and went to work-- but Haddon is very lethargic and somber with his eyes half open. So sad. Thankfully I have energy to take care of him. We have been thru a lot of toilet paper this week!:D Please pray for little Haddon, Brian and that Kai won't get it! Corban is feeling better too.
On the Lighter Side...
As Aunt Kristin (Tia) pointed out, little Haddon is a brave boy for closing the door on the roach:) I don't think he is afraid of roaches yet. When my hero arrived home he fought the ugly flying roach in the bathroom and won!
Kai has reached the ago of "NO". He now does things that shouldn't be done--and intentionally repeats after being told no over and over. I knew it was coming but it's always such a shock when your sweet, precious baby suddenly turns into another person! He's even throwing tantrums...isn't that supposed to happen later?:D He still flashes that sweet smile though.
Brian had his first train experience this week. He took the overnight train on a business trip to Chennai. They left at 11:30pm and arrived around 5am both ways. He said he slept great. Although he sleeps great anywhere:) His cabin had 3 levels of seating...two beds one on top of the other (bunk bed) and seats under the beds. It was an a/c cabin. I think there are different priced tickets...seats (no bed), beds with no a/c, beds with a/c and probably deluxe accommodations. He was able to visit with a friend/professor from Texas A&M who is teaching Microfinance in Chennai for 6 months while there.
In non-significant updates...i've discovered text messaging:) I am quite technologically lagging as stated in previous posts. But I really love this! You can "talk" without talking--perfect:) I just need to become a little more proficient on the shorthand. I think it's really cheap to text here--lets hope!:)

Out of Commission

I've been away from the computer for a few days due to a stomach flu that Corban and I caught Monday after lunch. We must have gotten it from something we ate. This has happened to us quite a few times since living here but this was definitely the hardest hit. The worst part was that Brian was out of town the night it first hit. I thought that I might have to drive me and all the kids to the hospital in the middle of the night:) but I prayed that the Lord would get me through and He did. 48 hours later I managed to take a shower and sit at the computer. It's amazing how those "bugs" really are either exactly 24 or 48 hours. By lunch time today I felt so much better. My two dear friends from church...Sini and Marie...are servants and are making us dinner for 2 nights. That's great because I don't think I could bring myself to cook anything right now!
The other sigh of relief today came about an hour after spotting a flying cock roach in our house. When I first saw it scurry across the kitchen floor I wasn't sure if it was a roach or a mouse. When it entered the living room I was atleast thankful it wasn't a mouse! This is only the 2nd one I've seen in our house which is pretty good for 6 months. But I am deathly afraid of them and don't recall ever being able to kill one on my own from fear of hearing it crunch!:) (I am a self-admitted WHIMP) So as I was "watching my back" for an hour I spotted it inside the bathroom. I had Haddon close the door real fast while I stood by with the broom (and his motorcycle helmet on my head:D I think if it flew on my head I would pass out:). I put a towel at the bottom of the door to make sure it doesn't escape. Brian will have a present when he gets home:) He's my brave husband.

Potty Training...

Haddon (and momma) have been potty training for the past 6 months! About a month ago I reached the point of bribary/reward:D We did it with Corban who was 3 1/2 before he made the commitment to be diaperless!! I figured I'd try it a little earlier this time:) We set out to find an outstanding toy to put on the shelf to motivate and put some tangibility on this dream. We drove 45 minutes to the "toy castle" store (it looks like a huge castle outside) only to find that it had closed in January....a sad day. So later daddy stopped at a roadside vendor and bought a motorcycle helmet. Both Corban and Haddon have been in awe of all the helmets we see out on the roads. So it sat on top of the tv for a month as the "prize" for wearing big boy underwear and going to the bathroom.

This friday was the helmet ceremony! All week Haddon has been telling me when he needed to go to the bathroom and had no accidents! So he got the "prize". Corban was promised that when Haddon achieved his goal he would also get his helmet. So they are now officially "astronauts"--the real reason these little boys want motorcycle helmets:)