Today is the day. We will be leaving Kalimpong, so please pray for our safe journey. It is definitely going to be an interesting one. All day yesterday Mike was sick in bed and is still not feeling that great this morning. He has been the sickest he has ever been since we have lived here. What great timing, huh? Then yesterday Judah also threw up all over me, and has had diarrhea as well. So it should be an interesting day. Luckily we are only traveling to Delhi today and will make the rest of our trip on the 1st. Hopefully this will give them plenty of time to be well. So far Caleb and I are both doing great, so pray that this continues.
We love you all and miss you and I will post again once we are at our new destination.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Chaos Relieved
ok, so we have been having this strike going on and it was the most frustrating thing. It is really hard to describe, because I don't think anything like it would ever happen in the states. But basically you can't do much of anything, except stay at home, or walk to someone else's house to visit. Which is fine, when there is no rain. So, in the midst of all of this we have been trying to figure out how we are going to move our house and get down this mountain to the airport. Maybe we will wait until the cover of night and move our things up to our friends' house then....maybe we will hire some men to carry all of our things up the mountain...hmmm....how are we going to work this out?
Hallelujah!!!!!! We then find out a couple of days ago that they have lifted the strike! Yippee! No more sneaking around and worrying about when we are going to move our things, or how we will make it to the airport. For some reason they have decided to put the strike off until the 5th of July. So, although it is sad that our friends are going to have to endure more of the chaos, we will be out of here. Yeehaw! I am so relieved. So now we can move our things like normal people and not have to feel like we have to put on all black and sneak around in the night. (well, we wouldn't really do that...) But life is now a little more normal and we can go to the store if we need some milk, or take our jeep to town and get some things done....
Right now as I sit and write this email, Caleb is asleep on the bed next to me, Mike went to town with Judah and Anup to get a few last things done, and the smell of cinnamon rolls is filling our house. Cinnamon rolls are one Saroja and the boys' favorite desserts and one of their last requests of me, so we will go up to their house for dinner tonight and have "cinamini- rolls" as Pema calls them.
Anyway, only 2 more days left here in Kalimpong and then we are off for our big move. Yikes! So many things to do and so many new things ahead. I will be sure to keep everyone posted.
Hallelujah!!!!!! We then find out a couple of days ago that they have lifted the strike! Yippee! No more sneaking around and worrying about when we are going to move our things, or how we will make it to the airport. For some reason they have decided to put the strike off until the 5th of July. So, although it is sad that our friends are going to have to endure more of the chaos, we will be out of here. Yeehaw! I am so relieved. So now we can move our things like normal people and not have to feel like we have to put on all black and sneak around in the night. (well, we wouldn't really do that...) But life is now a little more normal and we can go to the store if we need some milk, or take our jeep to town and get some things done....
Right now as I sit and write this email, Caleb is asleep on the bed next to me, Mike went to town with Judah and Anup to get a few last things done, and the smell of cinnamon rolls is filling our house. Cinnamon rolls are one Saroja and the boys' favorite desserts and one of their last requests of me, so we will go up to their house for dinner tonight and have "cinamini- rolls" as Pema calls them.
Anyway, only 2 more days left here in Kalimpong and then we are off for our big move. Yikes! So many things to do and so many new things ahead. I will be sure to keep everyone posted.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Did you Say Safeway?
I got an email from the girl that has been helping us get our housing situated in the middle east and she was giving me directions to our place, so that we can meet someone and get the key. So, she tells us go here and then here and there is a big Safeway that you will meet at. Wait a minute......did I read that right? Did she say a Safeway? Are you serious? There will be a Safeway close to the apartment that we will be living in? Amazing!
Today I am sitting in our place in India, with our house a bit of a wreck while we are trying to pack. It has been raining for the past three days, and we have had the strike in effect since Tuesday, which means that we can't drive anywhere. So we have been cooped up in the house and are about to go crazy! We have had the idea to walk and visit someone, but since it has been raining nonstop, that is out of the question. So we sit, waiting for the rain to stop and trying not to go too stir crazy. It is hard to imagine that in a little over a week we will be sitting in another country with a Safeway right down the street. Oh my goodness!
Today I am sitting in our place in India, with our house a bit of a wreck while we are trying to pack. It has been raining for the past three days, and we have had the strike in effect since Tuesday, which means that we can't drive anywhere. So we have been cooped up in the house and are about to go crazy! We have had the idea to walk and visit someone, but since it has been raining nonstop, that is out of the question. So we sit, waiting for the rain to stop and trying not to go too stir crazy. It is hard to imagine that in a little over a week we will be sitting in another country with a Safeway right down the street. Oh my goodness!
Thank you Tasha!
The other day, before the strikes started, I was able to get a package from my good friend Tasha. Once the strikes are in effect everything in the town is closed, so you can't do much of anything.
Thanks so much Tasha for all the goodies! How fun to get a package! Also please tell Kevin and Zach thanks so much for the stickers on behalf of the boys. Pema started to make them a card to say thank you, but I am not sure if it will ever make it there. The boys were SO excited to get the stickers, and I am sure that Pema especially will cherish them for awhile. Thanks SO much!
Friday, June 13, 2008
Welcome to India
Whenever we leave India and have to come back, there is always a little bit of adjusting that you have to do when you re-enter the country. India is just one of those countries that is hard to explain unless you have been here. People either love it or hate it. I used to love it, but after living here for awhile there are times that I hate it. Not all of it, but the inconveniences of it, for sure....
So, we flew back into Calcutta on the 11th, and then into Bagdogra later that day to make our journey home. (or so we thought) There have been strikes going on here in our area for some time. They have been on and off, but when they happen it means that everything closes and nobody drives anywhere. So, our friend Anup informs us that there is a strike and so we will have to stay in another hotel for the night. Ugh...we are so close to home, but still so far away. So we get our hotel room and stay for the night and Anup picks us up the next day. We have to hurry and go early because the town we are in, they are throwing rocks at cars passing by that are going to our area. It is a long story of why, which I will explain another time, but needless to say, we make it home safely. Now we are here and welcomed with one thing after another. India is such an unpredictable place. Please pray for safety in the area we live and that we will be able to make our flights on the 30th to the M.E.
History in the Making
I thought maybe to explain a little about what is going on in the area, so if you see it in the news or something. The area we live in, is a part of the state of West Bengal, but for some time they have wanted to become their own state called Gorkhaland. This would include Darjeeling, Kalimpong and part of Siliguri. So, there is a new party that is trying to get into office and get their own state, but the old party is fighting them, thus...there have been many strikes and so on. For the past several months there have been marches through our city, where people are shouting "Gorkhaland, Gorkhaland!!!! " Caleb will even shout it out every once and awhile because that is what he has witnessed here. It is funny! But since we have returned from Thailand things seem to be escalating and they have just given all the children 2 months break from school, and a strike is going to start on Saturday, the 14th. So, please pray for peace in this area, and that God will give us wisdom on what we should do. Thanks so much!
So, we flew back into Calcutta on the 11th, and then into Bagdogra later that day to make our journey home. (or so we thought) There have been strikes going on here in our area for some time. They have been on and off, but when they happen it means that everything closes and nobody drives anywhere. So, our friend Anup informs us that there is a strike and so we will have to stay in another hotel for the night. Ugh...we are so close to home, but still so far away. So we get our hotel room and stay for the night and Anup picks us up the next day. We have to hurry and go early because the town we are in, they are throwing rocks at cars passing by that are going to our area. It is a long story of why, which I will explain another time, but needless to say, we make it home safely. Now we are here and welcomed with one thing after another. India is such an unpredictable place. Please pray for safety in the area we live and that we will be able to make our flights on the 30th to the M.E.
History in the Making
I thought maybe to explain a little about what is going on in the area, so if you see it in the news or something. The area we live in, is a part of the state of West Bengal, but for some time they have wanted to become their own state called Gorkhaland. This would include Darjeeling, Kalimpong and part of Siliguri. So, there is a new party that is trying to get into office and get their own state, but the old party is fighting them, thus...there have been many strikes and so on. For the past several months there have been marches through our city, where people are shouting "Gorkhaland, Gorkhaland!!!! " Caleb will even shout it out every once and awhile because that is what he has witnessed here. It is funny! But since we have returned from Thailand things seem to be escalating and they have just given all the children 2 months break from school, and a strike is going to start on Saturday, the 14th. So, please pray for peace in this area, and that God will give us wisdom on what we should do. Thanks so much!
Catching Up
I had written these entries about two weeks ago after my parents just visited and then I was having problems getting online and accessing the blog, so we left for Thailand and these got forgotten. Stuck in my computer....so here they are...a little late!
Hats Off to Dad!
As you know, my parents were just here for a visit and it was such a great time to see them and spend time together. The other night Mike and I were laying in bed recapping the good time we had and how well my parents did with our crazy household and we had to laugh at some of the things my poor dad had to endure. Most of you who know my parents, know that they are great people and they are a lot of fun to be around. But we were observing how they are also empty nester's who live alone and enjoy a nice peaceful house, which is definitely something our house is not. Ok, maybe for a few hours of the day when the boys are at school and Caleb and Judah are taking a nap, but otherwise it is constant action. But here is just a little picture of some of the things my dear dad endured. Dawa seemed to be very drawn to my dad and as he got a little more warmed up to him, he then began to grab his belly, another time he was rubbing my dad's beard, and on another occasion Kelden was rubbing the hair on my dad's legs. They also discovered that my dad was willing to play checkers with them, so they would play any chance they could get. Personal space is not something that is really a part of their culture, so they we definitely invading my dad's personal space and he handled it like a pro. So, thanks dad! Thanks so much mom and dad for making the long journey over here and for being such great sports. We had a great time!
The Wildlife Park
Not a very clear shot, but this was our elephant rides. We woke up at 5am for. Fun!
The two hippos we came across on our elephant ride.
The two hippos we came across on our elephant ride.One of the things we got to do while my parents were visiting was to visit a wildlife park, where you can see the animals in the wild. It is about a 3 ½ hour drive from where we live, so we loaded up the jeep and were off, not really knowing what to expect. We got to see some Rhino’s, and that was very cool, and a few other random animals. The one morning we got up about about 5:30 for our elephant ride. Well actually let me explain that better….our elephant ride was at 5:30, but they came and knocked on our door at 4 in the morning. When I heard the knock on the door, I was wondering what in the world was going on, “ Had I gotten the timing wrong or what?” But no, for some reason they thought we should be up an hour and a half earlier to get ready or something. Then another knock on the door at about 4:30 to bring us tea. Ugh….are they serious? I had my alarm set for 5:15. Surely that is enough time to get us all up and ready to ride the elephant. Apparently they didn’t think so. I was the only one to hear the door luckily though, so the kids all slept until we were ready to head out the door.
The lodge that we stayed in is on the premises of the park, so in the evening you can see some of the animals that come closer, which was pretty cool. Although the lodge in itself was hmmmm…..how do I put it? Maybe funky would be the best way to describe it. Maybe my toilet paper roll would explain it all. When we first arrived, the staff was trying to get everything just so for us and so the one man brought us in a roll of toilet paper, (because they don’t usually use it, and knowing we were foreigner’s and would need some) So when I went in to the bathroom to check it out, I noticed that it looked like something had taken a big bite out of our toilet paper roll. Yikes! I don’t think I want to know what it was that did it.
Another funny story while were staying there happened when Caleb was taking a nap. My mom, Judah and I decided to take a walk outside to see what was around. Across this little stream there was a Rhino grazing, so we decided to go over there and see. Well, an Indian family came over there and saw us and I guess we were much more interesting then the Rhino. First maybe the husband of the family came over to us, to admire Judah and try to get him to come to him, which I wasn’t really up for. Then maybe his wife came over. A heavier set lady in a red Sari, and didn’t make eye contact with me or anything, but just grabbed Judah from my arms. (Now, this probably sounds horrifying to many, but it is kind of common. Complete strangers want to come and take your child. I still haven’t quite figured it out, but I am much calmer about it then I used to be.) So anyway, Judah is squirming trying to get away from her, while she is directing the rest of her family to get together around us to take a picture. Her son, who was probably about 10 or so, tells my mom who was standing a little off to the side by now to get into the picture. So my mom and me are standing there amidst a group of Indian people who are smiling and taking pictures and rearranging themselves for more pictures. At one point I look across the way and the Rhino was much closer and in good view, and thinking I could maybe divert their attention I said, “Look at the Rhino!” They didn’t bat an eye, but kept posing for pictures, and my mom and I were cracking up at this point. I got Judah back from the lady and the 10 year old wanted to hold him for a photo, but I didn’t let him, so he just stood in front of me and leaned his head in on Judah and I. “Oh my goodness, I don’t get it…” At this point, I was done and just started walking away.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
The Good Old Days
My friend Tasha just recently wrote on her blog about how her and I used to get up at 6 am to go to swimming practice. Yikes! I can't believe we were crazy enough to do that and that our moms were cool enough to take us and pick us up. Wow, as an adult you realize all the sacrifices that your parents would make for you when you were a kid, but at the time you are mostly oblivious. Thanks so much Mom! Her mom would always show up with these wonderful breakfast burritos that tasted SO amazing after a hard swim. Thanks Debbie!
I am so thankful though for those days and my friends that I used to hang out with and have fun with. We had such good times laughing until our sides hurt, or most likely I would pee my pants. Here's to the girls! I love you guys and hate that I am a world away from you, but always cherish the times we get to spend together. Oh and Vicki, I completely understand the bathroom story. It seems that just when I want to go to the bathroom one or both of my kids need me. Oh the life of a mother. But it seems that my mom never let on that she was stressed or needed a break. How did she do it?
I am so thankful though for those days and my friends that I used to hang out with and have fun with. We had such good times laughing until our sides hurt, or most likely I would pee my pants. Here's to the girls! I love you guys and hate that I am a world away from you, but always cherish the times we get to spend together. Oh and Vicki, I completely understand the bathroom story. It seems that just when I want to go to the bathroom one or both of my kids need me. Oh the life of a mother. But it seems that my mom never let on that she was stressed or needed a break. How did she do it?
Saturday, June 7, 2008
anything but normal
Well, I dont know what really is normal, but our life definitely seems not to be. I guess I think of a normal life similar to how life was when I grew up, where we lived in one house and my mom and dad worked and my sister and I went to school. You know the usual. Instead we have this crazy life where we travel around and live in different people's homes and experience different cultures. I often wonder what my boys lives will be like when they are older.
Right now we are in Thailand and we have been here for the past week or so to visit our friends who have just adopted a little Thai girl. We will move at the end of the month to the Middle East, so we wanted to get one last trip in before we are farther away and it wont be as easy to see them. We just celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary, so this was kind of a gift to one another as well. (THANK YOU SO MUCH APRIL AND ERIC FOR MAKING IT POSSIBLE) So, here we are in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The city that Judah was born and we are experiencing and soaking in the Thai culture and food and loving it. It has been amazing how Caleb has picked up a few Thai words here and there. I imagine he will learn Arabic with ease and probably be helping us out. Crazy!
So, we leave here the 11th of June, back to India to pack up all of our things and say goodbye to friends and then we are off. Thankfully we have a place to go to and stay when we get there. A Korean family living there sold us all of their stuff and we will have their apartment for 2 months, while we get a feel for the city and we can decide if we want to stay in their place or find another. What a life!!!!
So, I will keep you updated on what is coming. I have been without internet for the past week or so here, so I will try and be better at keeping everyone posted.
Right now we are in Thailand and we have been here for the past week or so to visit our friends who have just adopted a little Thai girl. We will move at the end of the month to the Middle East, so we wanted to get one last trip in before we are farther away and it wont be as easy to see them. We just celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary, so this was kind of a gift to one another as well. (THANK YOU SO MUCH APRIL AND ERIC FOR MAKING IT POSSIBLE) So, here we are in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The city that Judah was born and we are experiencing and soaking in the Thai culture and food and loving it. It has been amazing how Caleb has picked up a few Thai words here and there. I imagine he will learn Arabic with ease and probably be helping us out. Crazy!
So, we leave here the 11th of June, back to India to pack up all of our things and say goodbye to friends and then we are off. Thankfully we have a place to go to and stay when we get there. A Korean family living there sold us all of their stuff and we will have their apartment for 2 months, while we get a feel for the city and we can decide if we want to stay in their place or find another. What a life!!!!
So, I will keep you updated on what is coming. I have been without internet for the past week or so here, so I will try and be better at keeping everyone posted.
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