Mother Knows Best.

Back in the day, once upon a time and many moons ago - I was the voice of Savvy Source - Cleveland.  I wrote about great things in our corner of Ohio, told about must-sees and must-do's with other parents and did my best to share informative and important information with my neighbors.

I've often thought how neat it would be to start a website from one parent to another ... all about acclimating to this city, informing of the upcoming kid-friendly events, and featuring a "where to find" section!  Recently, I found out about Mummy Knows Best - a similar website written by 'mums' here in India!

Take a peek if you're curious.  It might not all be up your alley, or apply to the phase of parenting you're currently in, but is still worth checking out and spreading the word!

Unemployed.

I do not understand why some things here bother me ... and others do not make me bat an eye.

For some reason, the unemployed folks bother me.

On several occasions, I have made an effort to find someone to work in our home, and have witnessed what you see in the photo above.


[note : the picture is blurry because I took it on the fly with my phone, as I was very self-conscious and feeling awkward as I approached this group of people all hoping to land a job that day.]

I didn't know what to expect when I set out to visit the employment registry.

This group of people, most with families to support, most with something to offer if someone would give them a chance, and all in need of an income.

I spent three hours at the registry, poring over files and recommendation letters.  I spoke with tens of women, all hoping to land a job in my home as a cook/ayah.  I looked back through all of the files and recommendation letters.  Talked with some more women.

No one seemed to gel with me.  Some actually admitted they don't really like children.  Some required quarters for their entire family (some totaling 8!).  Some demanded a crazy high salary.

The majority of folks providing staff services work for pittance ... the average salary is between $100 - $250 USD per MONTH).  The normal hours are Monday through Saturday, and most work a ten hour day.  Sure, there are alot of national/religious holidays, but it's still a LOT of work for little money.

I am currently struggling with trying to find the PERFECT person (Mary Poppins, where are you?) for our home.  Someone to cook in the afternoons and help with Mia while I do the afternoon school pickup ... and someone to babysit for our kiddos for Husb and I's date nights.

I need someone who bonds with our littles and forms a relationship with them.  Someone who can cook and someone who works independently. Someone who will accept our quarters for what they are. Someone who will add to the existing calm and harmony that exists between our current staff members. Is that too much to ask?

Maybe what I need is a cross between "May-nan" (our babysitter back home), Mimi and the Grandmas, and "Nin'Thia"

* * *

On another employment related note ... there was recently an article in The Times of India about the work environment for those working construction for the 2010 Commonwealth Games being held in Delhi.  

"New Delhi, Oct 13 (IANS) It’s going to be one of the biggest sporting events to be held in India and preparations for the Commonwealth Games next year are going full swing. But for the thousands of construction workers at the Games sites, it is a story of woes – inadequate wages and no basic amenities like toilets and water. 

Jagbandhu, one of the construction workers at a Games site, complains he is not being paid the minimum wages for his work. He was one of the many workers who had gathered for a Jan Sunwai or public hearing on the condition of construction workers in the capital Tuesday. 

‘I have been working on various construction sites in Delhi for years, and am now employed at a Commonwealth Games site. During the 12 years that I have been here, I have not got the money that I deserve for my work. I get Rs.100 [$2.14] for work at a Games site, but the thekedar (manager) takes Rs.5 as commission,’ Jagbandhu said. 

‘I therefore get only Rs.95 in hand for working the whole day, for more than 12 hours. And leave? Forget about it. We get just two days off in a month,’ he added.

According to the Delhi government’s labour laws, an unskilled worker should be paid Rs.152 [$3.25] a day, a semi-skilled worker – Rs.158 [$3.38] and a skilled worker Rs.168 [$3.60].

Sheila Devi, another worker at a Games site, complained that one of the major problems that women workers face is the absence of toilets.

‘There are no toilets for women workers, which is a major problem for us. Also we women, despite putting in as much work as the men folk, get unequal wages which is not fair,’ Devi said.

Lack of electricity, water and health facilities, including creches for the babies, are other problems the workers face.

After listening to the workers, Syeda Hameed, member Planning Commission, said: ‘The woes of the people that I heard here are not very different from similar public hearings that I have been to in the rest of the country.’

‘I will try and take the people’s voices from here to those who can change things at the government level,’ she added.

According to a study by Building and Woodworkers International, an estimated 300,000 workers are 

required to be working for an event as big as the Commonwealth Games, over three years time. Among these 100,000 are unskilled construction workers of whom at least 5,000 are women."

A Chance for YOU to Help

I recently joined the AWA Delhi (American Women's Association) and they are holding their annual mela on Sunday, November 15th.

One of the things AWA does is to offer local non-profit organizations (called NGOs - *NGOs, or Non-Governmental Organizations, are privately run charity groups that receive no government funding.) the chance to sell their wares and earn money for their group at this mela ... BUT they need help as they are short sponsorships this year.

I am going out on a limb and have committed to sponsoring Udyogini.  Udyogini provides vocational training and business enterprise support to village women in Rajasthan table.

The FUN of THIS sponsorship though is that it will be in the name of Delhi Bound!

Might you readers step up to the plate and consider a small donation of $5.00 to band together and sponsor a table?

Please read ::

Sponsor a NGO Vendor at the Mela!

There’s still time to sponsor one of the amazing NGOs that will be participating as a vendor. For Rs. 2500, (approximately $55.00 USD) you can cover the vendor registration fee for one of the NGOs, making it possible for them to put all of their sales earnings back into their program.

This year, 22 NGOs will be participating in the Mela as vendors. If you’ve been wondering how you can make a difference in someone’s life, here is an easy way to do it, while getting some holiday shopping done for your friends and family! 

The AWA Mela is a major marketing opportunity for these groups, and the money they earn from sales is vital to supporting their programs. 

ABOUT UDYOGINI (which means "woman entrepreneur") :: 

VISION ::  Udyogini's goal is to fully equip poor rural women with the skills and knowledge to increase and sustain their earning power. We aspire to become a nationally and internationally recognized agency specializing in business development services for NGOs and poor women.

MISSION :: Udyogini's mission is to provide quality and appropriate business development services for training and promotion of poor women as entrepreneurs

* * *

I am unsure of number of total daily readers here at Delhi Bound, but it will only take 11 of you to make this a success! 

Simply click below to donate ... and know that it is MUCH appreciated!  Any funds earned OVER the requested Rs. 2500 will be donated directly to Udygoini for the funds to be used as they see best. 

Psssstt .... are you going to be in Delhi on November 15th? Come to the Mela at the American Embassy School from 10am until 3:30p. Entrance is just Rs. 200 for anyone over 13. Over 100 vendors, food court, used book sale, and tons of fun stuff for the kids to do.

Plus, the proceeds go to support the AWA's outreach efforts in India. We provide resources so that local charitable organizations can help those who are suffering in Delhi. We hope to see you there!

I'll be working the library table and the thrift store table ... come say hello!

My little friend

On a recent trip to the playground near our house, Tony found this little friend to play soccer with.

It was precious watching them try to communicate and in a last ditch effort at "making up the rules" to their game, they finally just did what all kids do ... and JUST played.

Notice that Tony only has one shoe on ... he originally decided to only wear one because his little friend only had one on as well.

The last time we went back to the playground, Tony was sad to not see his pal ... and asked "can you call his mom to see if he can meet us here to play?"

There isn't a story with this photo, I only thought it was precious.

India Gate Playground

 

 

I think it's pretty cool that the kids got to play, with India Gate (the national monument of India) in the background!

Roll the Dice

I get such a kick out of this.  Daily, the guards and drivers join in an activity together.

You can  hear a pin drop while they play, save the clicking sound of the dice being shaken in their container.

When someone needs one of them, they all simply put the game on hold until everyone has rejoined the game table.

I think a couple of new board games would be a great Christmas gift for these guys ... any suggestions on your favorites?

Trekking the Hills of Garhwal

One of the extraordinary things that comes with attendance at the boys' school is a high school "mini course" trip in the fall.  All four grades of highschool attend, and their trip selection is based on a lottery system.

Terran drew "Hills of the Garhwal" and at first we were all kind of disappointed that he didn't get "Bike and Hike the Himalayas."  The latter sounded MUCH more up his alley.  Some of the trips were service oriented, and others more action oriented.

We packed up his rucksack and sent him on his way late one night last week.  We spent the week missing him and hoping he was having a great time (no texting or phone contact along the way).  Todd met him at the school near midnight on Thursday and we have had so much fun looking at photos, a video of him rafting and hearing the stories of his amazing trip.


View Larger Map

A quick version of their itinerary.

Day 1 :: Travel from New Delhi via train to the Haridwar Railway Station. Arrive at base camp on the Ganges River.

Raft from base camp to Rishikesh in the morning. Lunch, info briefing, dinner, overnight at camp.

Day 2 :: Trek 6 hours through mixed forest of rhododendron, pine and oak through a secluded part of the lower Himalaya. Picnic lunch en-route.

Arrive at the campsite on a high ridge with views of the snow capped Himalayan peaks of Garhwal, Kumaon and Nepal.

Camp overnight on the ridge in alpine tents.

Day 3 :: Rise early and walk to the Summit Hill (approx 400 ft above the campsite). Watch the sun rise over a 360 view of the best Garhwal Panoramas.

 Return to the campsite for breakfast. Pack and trek (mostly a level walk) through thick jungle (for approx 3-4 hrs) to the hill village of Ranakot.

Get a glimpse of a typical Garhwali village. Set up camp near the village.

Day 4 :: Rise early for breakfast. Descend through village to road head above Bhagirathi valley.

 [Ritu, their trekking guide]

Drive approx. 2 hrs to Devprayag to awaiting rafts. Safety briefing and allocation of rafting equipment. River journey on the Ganga begins. Mild rapids encountered. Camp on a secluded beach just before Kaudyala.

Day 5 ::  After breakfast, start rafting, past Kaudyala and onwards to HRR Base Camp.

[Ram, one of the guides]

Rapids like Daniel’s Dip and The Wall (grade IV). Arrive at HRR base camp for lunch. Camp activities such as volleyball, frisbee etc. Depart camp and drive to the Haridwar railway station to board the Dehradun Shatabdi train for return to New Delhi.

(Terran hiking back up to his group during an early morning sunrise)

"In these hills, nature's hospitality eclipses all man can ever do. The enchanting beauty of Himalayas, their bracing climate and the soothing green that envelopes you leaves nothing more to be desired."  

I am jealous, in awe, thankful, grateful and impressed.  I'm thrilled that Terran had this opportunity, as I know it will be one that remains in his heart forever.   I have to admit I was moved close to tears as I looked through his hundreds of photos, knowing that he is one of few who has had this great experience, at such a young age.

When ailments knock.

Yep ... that's what the lab tech looked like that came to collect a swab sample from Mia's mouth about a month ago.

She hasn't really felt good the entire time we've been here ... and there's a reason most of you don't know about the details. There isn't any reason to alarm you about our health ... and we are *basically* ok ... but Mia has had a hard time.

H1N1 recently made its rounds and seemed to knock on the doors of nearly every family at the school.

Mia has had difficulty breathing, many nights of fevers and constant ear pain.

After a pretty scary experience at a pediatrician's office (whereby she wanted to hospitalize her and ordered her to be nebulized for 30 minutes before being released) ...

... we were instructed to get a H1N1 test. The pediatrician insisted that we not go to a clinic, where everyone else would be going and Husb's assistant set up a home visit before we even reached back home.

The above-mentioned lab tech came and without belaboring the experience, spent nearly 40 minutes preparing himself in the hazmat getup ... only to spend 12 seconds swabbing her mouth and then running out the door.

We dubbed him "the moon guy" and got the results of her test 48 hours later, via their website (negative).

A couple of weeks later and after a recent weekend of much pain, labored breathing and sleepless nights, I took her to see an allergist. She is now on a nebulizer with three different meds (3 times a day), an oral steroid and we are awaiting blood tests to see if anything major is at play.

Husb and I often say that while we may be enjoying this experience, it will end the day we feel our health is in jeopardy. I don't think medical care is sub-par in any way compared to the States, but I definitely feel a bit uneasy when it comes to the care of my babies, mostly because of the language barrier.

Having said that, there are some great things about living here. The ability to stop by a chemist on the way home and simply purchase a nebulizer machine with a prescription ... and quite honestly, the ability to walk into a FULL allergy/asthma clinic waiting room and be seen instantly.

There aren't many occasions when I'll pull the trump card (which happens to either be based on the color of your skin or the amount of money you're willing to flash [in my experience]), but when ailments knock on MY door, you'd better believe that I'll do whatever it takes to make sure my babies get better.

For the love of books

We LOVED the library back home!  We often had our limit of 75 books checked out and I always carried my spare change with me in my purse specifically for our late fines.

Our librarians in the "snowglobe" knew us by name, and often held books for us that they thought might interest us.  I owe them a great big tray of muffins and fruits for all of their help in readying our family for India.  I think that leading up to our departure, every book in a six state radius was trucked into our little town for our family to devour, trying to get any and all information we could about India!

My love of books started early, and I was reading by the age of three (or shortly after ... I'm sure mom will correct me?).  Stories are told that I carried a bag full of books everywhere I went, in case I found some spare time while waiting in a line, or during a car ride.

I devoured series of books and often wishes the author hadn't stopped at their last book. My first official job was AT a library, as a page ... and I loved every minute of that.

One of my fears when moving to Delhi was that our family would not have easy access to a library system that we were used to back in the States.

Pleasant surprise!

The kids' school has several great libraries on campus, although I haven't ventured into the middle school or high school libraries.  The checkout limit is a bit pathetic, at 5 books per family at a time, so we don't get much use out of it, except that the elementary school library houses a fantastic book selection and VERY willing and helpful librarians!

There is also the American Women's Association library, located on embassy property.  I have a special love for this library, as it smells like the library I used to work at.  Like BOOKS.  Like pages and pages of knowledge, information and new things to learn.

I am going to be volunteering my time there in the weeks to come, and I'm excited about that.  My children share in my love of books ... all three of them ... and I'm excited to bring home new books for them to devour, pore over and learn from.

The cool thing is that all embassy personnel (NOT just Americans) have access to this library, so the opportunity to rub shoulders with some locals is presented.  Something I've felt lacking so far in my experience of Delhi.

Bring on the books!

Gupta's Veggies

Little did I know that my bright and colorful Baggu bags would pale next to the display of my favorite vegetable vendor!

Gupta's Vegetables are amazing and I love shopping with them at Indira Market.  They know me by name (and did by my second visit) and know just what I want.

Dear Diary ... morning

(this may be b-o-r-i-n-g, but you've asked ... "since you have a full staff, what do you DO all morning?")

6:05 ~ My alarm goes off.  Just enough time to have a "moment" to myself before the day starts.

The guards are busy preparing for the day as well, usually as I'm stumbling to the kitchen to start the pot of coffee.  The metal gate screeches across the marble driveway and no matter if I'd wanted to sleep in at that point, apparently it is time to rise and shine.

7:00 ~ dictates the time to get the kids up, fed and ready for school.

7:30  ~ marks the time when both drivers arrive to begin their morning washing of "their cars", banging the interior mats out to shake the crumbs and dust out, and making sure that everything is in tip-top shape.

7:59 ~ We grab 4 water bottles.  One for each driver, one for the guard and one for our car.  We all traipse
down the stairs to the cars, lugging an assortment of bags. Backpacks, purses, bags with various deliveries to be made, karate uniforms, tennis shoes for soccer, activity bag in case we get stuck in traffic and another bag with treats/snacks in case momma forgets to eat lunch (a regular occurrence).


Kushal gets the littles loaded up, seatbelted in.  He starts the car, cranks the A/C.  One of the guards opens the car door for me and off we go.

8:12 ~ Dependent on traffic of course, we get to school in between 8-15 minutes. Terran inserts headphones, Tony plays Nintendo DS and Mia sings her way to school.  We pull up to Gate 5 with the hoards of other vehicles. Drivers patiently waiting (and other times NOT so patiently waiting) their turn in queue, children with varying degrees of expressions on their faces and parents.  Out go the boys with a "have a good day" call from me and Mia.  The boys escort themselves through the guarded gate and make their way to class.

8:20 ~ Next stop is dropping Mia.  Literally, just around the corner, I escort her into through "her gate" and off SHE goes.

8:42 ~ Depending on the day, I either go for a quick run (indoors on the treadmill just steps away from Mia's school), meet up with gals for coffee or head back home. 

9:10 ~ Sushila arrives for the day.  She is our housekeeper and is darling.  She is very sweet, quiet and meek.  She speaks VERY little English and giggles whenever I try to communicate with her.

9:12 ~ Just minutes after shutting the door and sitting down to catch up on emails, the doorbell rings.  It's one of the guards delivering the electric bill.  "Thank you" I say, and shut the door.

9:14 ~ I refill my coffee cup and sit down and I hear a "Ma'am?" ... it's Sushila holding up three pairs of folded (and pressed) underwear.  She's asking me to identify the owner of said underwear since there isn't any obvious difference between the Husb and Terran's.

9:17 ~ After identifying the proper owner of said underwear, and reminding Sushila that my pajama tops are NOT Mia's dresses, and asking her to PLEASE stop gathering Terran's dirty clothes from his floor for him, I return to my coffee cup and my office and sit ...

9:18 ~ .... never mind, the doorbell is ringing again.  It's Shakuntella, our "dhobi."  She comes three times a week to do laundry, fold and iron clothes.  She is also so sweet, meek and gracious.  A gentle "namaste ma'am" and off she goes to discreetly do her work for the day.

9:20 ~ I've given up on the coffee as it's getting cold and am instead going to opt for getting in some water for the day.  Only the water bottles didn't get refilled last night AND the filter hasn't been properly readied for the day ...

9:30 ~ Discussion of the evening meal with the cook .... doling out of money for the market.  Realize I don't have enough for what she needs and promise that I'll get more before it's time for her to go.

10:00 ~ Maybe now I can respond to some emails or work on some Cub Scout stuff?  Two emails in, and I realize that I need to pay the phone bill.

10:20 ~ Twenty minutes spent looking for the checkbook because sweet Sushila has decided it should be kept somewhere besides where I last left it.  She speaks so little English that it is impossible to simply ask "Where is my checkbook" ...

10:21 ~ Write the check for the phone bill and go outside to ask Kushal to go pay the bill.

10:22 ~ Doorbell once again.  It's the exterminator guys ready to drill and spray for termites.

10:24 ~ "Ma'am?"  It's Sushila to quietly ask for more cleaning supplies, lysol and the like.

10:28 ~ "Ma'am?"  This time it is the exterminator guys inquiring as to the exact location of the termite sighting. Again, very little English so the pantomiming and attempts at communication takes AGES.

10:47 ~ SMS received from Mr. Bilbir, the carpenter advising that he is on his way to provide an estimate.  "Mr. Bilbir, you need to come no later than 11:15?"  "Oh yes ma'am. Not a problem, ma'am."

10:51 ~ Doorbell.  It's the newspaper man presenting his bill for the month.

11:15 ~ Have successfully gotten some "work" done and realizing the time, scoot out the door quickly to hit the ATM at Vasant Lok for the cook to go to the market that afternoon for dinner.

11:47 ~ Quick stop back at home to drop off the money, racing BACK out the door when the carpenter arrives, along with the locksmith who is on his fourth trip to the house after malfunctioning keys.  After explaining I no longer have time to meet with them, we race to school to pick up Mia by noon!

(Will post a version of my afternoons ... and my evenings, soon!)

Color, Creativity and Comfort

We recently moved Mia to a new school and the change in her and in our mornings is amazing.

There is nothing wrong with - per se - her first school ... we've simply discovered that her new school fits our family ... and HER needs much better.

I can't say enough of about the director and the teacher's ingenuity, creativity and soulful caring for these little ones.

She skips to school every morning, and gets SO frustrated on weekend days when "school is closed."

A recent session about the ocean ::

and a recent parent's morning ... forgive the photos.  I was trying to NOT use flash and my "shoot in manual" skills are LACKING when I'm pushed for time!

They are amazing at using recycled materials to have the kids create the most beautiful and treasured works of art.  There is scads of color on the walls, the floors, their art.

Mia sings the songs ALL day long that Miss Sarah has taught her and thoroughly enjoys eating lunch after school with her friends a couple of times a week.

Am so happy for our littlest little ... that she's truly enjoying school ... and getting a great headstart on learning!

Meal Planning, Delhi Style

I love to cook.

I love to meal plan.

I don't love all things that come with having a cook in Delhi.

The last year we were in Ohio, I did a regular meal plan. I pared down the rigors of cooking for a family of 5 and the horrors of the grocery shopping that went along with it and got organized. Right before we skipped town, friends participated in Dinner, Delivered (whereby we each cooked once a week, for three other families.  Three other days that week, THEY would for US!).

When I arrived here, I thought "oooh, how quaint that I'll no longer have to worry about that and can MAYBE ... just MAYBE enjoy my dinner and eat at the same time as my family!"

The latter portion of that statement happens to be true.  What no one can really explain to you, prior to arriving, is that it's not all glitz and glamour.

Take your typical Shepherd's Pie.  I can make this in my sleep.  One morning, during my daily rundown with the cook of her day's chores, I whipped out my cookbook and pointed to the recipe for Shepherds Pie.

"Oh" she says "where will we get beef bullion cubes?"

Nonchalantly, I say "No worries, I'll pick some up at the market when I go out."

(never mind you that I soon found out that beef bullion cubes are impossible to find ... at least in my experience.  Vegetable cubes?  NO problem.  Chicken cubes?  NO problem.  Beef cubes?  NADA.  Note to self :: add to the list of things Husb brings back next from the United States!)

She replies, "And ma'am, the beef?"

"Hmmmmmmm," I say (this was before I discovered 'the meat man' that brings "beef" [that tastes a whole lot more like buffalo] so of course I wasn't prepared) ... "since we've had chicken for the last 9 meals straight, maybe we'll just make it a vegetarian version?"

To which she responds, "No ma'am, I'll use mutton"

YUCK.  Sorry, no lamb for this family.

Back to the recipe.

"So Rosy ... we need corn and carrots and green peppers and ...."

"Ma'am ... green peppers?"

"Yes, green peppers"

"But you don't like spicy?"

"Oh" (with a little giggle) "green peppers aren't spicy"

"So not chili peppers?  Can you show me green peppers?"

So off I trot to get my iPhone and google 'image of green pepper' to which she exclaims "OH ... ma'am, that is capsicum or shimla mirch"

"Cool!" I respond and then return to the recipe. "So, we'll need corn"

"Ma'am ... you will not like the corn here.  It is chewy and only good over the coals"

Deep breathing at this point as we've now been at this for 20 minutes.

"Rosy, let's just try the corn and see how it is?  Anyway ...... we also need celery and worcestershire sauce"

"Ma'am ... the celery is not in season now.  It is limp and not good for this family."

"Ok that is no problem.  Let's just use the corn, carrots, capsicum and .... um ... peas!  Let's use PEAS!"

"But ma'am, there is not enough time to sterilize the peas AND shell them."

"FINE, forget the peas.  Please get capsicum, corn, worcestershire sauce ...."

She interrupts to say "what does that sauce look like?"

Major internal battles going on at this point.  I want to scrap the entire project and instead order Dominos.

We forge ahead and make it through the end of the recipe ... I write out the condensed version of the shopping list and present it to Rosy, along with Rs. 200 (the equivalent of $4.29) and say "we'll be ready to eat dinner at 6:00"

To which she responds "Ma'am, I'll need a driver for the market. I do not know what markets are nearby."

"Rosy, I don't have a driver that you can use today ... you'll have to take an auto rickshaw or just walk ... there is Indira and Moti Bagh markets nearby?"

I'll spare you the rest of the details.  Just know this ... we ate Shepherd's Pie (Delhi Style) that night.  Or rather, we took a bite or two ... chose to simply scoop and devour the yummy mashed potatoes and packaged the rest up for the gardener's family.

The corn was indeed chewy, the worcestershire sauce never made it into the recipe because one bottle was priced at Rs. 920 (gulp ... $19.74), and her attempt at making "beef broth" produced 3 inches of liquid at the bottom of the pan.

So I can hear you say ... oh suck it up Naomi.

It can't be that bad ... and you're right.  Most days we uneventfully end up with dinner on our table, and full bellies with very little effort from me.

I have control issues and have a hard time giving up the shopping/market responsibility.  I have a difficult time handing someone the responsibility to nourish my family when I can't touch the produce and see that it's fresh.  When I can't look at the expiration date on the can, I get nervous.

I also am not used to the required 20-40 minutes of time it takes to get my intentions for that night's dinner across in the mornings when I've just started my two hours of peace and quiet without the kids at home.  I also am not a gal who tends to care much for anyone challenging me on things such as "but ma'am, your children need to eat more spicy food.  It is good for them."

The perfect scenario would be to scrap my hopes for continuing our 'western food' menu and instead just feed the kiddos typical indian fare.  The reality of this though is that I will continue to push forward to a possible resolve, and in an attempt to appease Rosy, we will "order" indian food once a week - hold the spice.

UPDATE :: As of the posting of this, we are again cook-less ... after two Rosys.  For different reasons, and the same reasons all at the same time, they just didn't work out.  Want to see what we eat for dinner when we are Rosy-less?

I have no words.

I want to share these photos with you, but don't have an accompanying slew of words to accompany each image, so ....

Men at Dilli Haat playing along for a puppet show.  These guys "do" birthday parties.  Fun!

These vehicles are spotted nearly everywhere ... what exactly they would do in case of a riot is beyond me, as usually there are only 3-5 lazy eyed uniformed men inside the trucks.

This is actually a SMALL trash pile.  It's everywhere. If you're finished with your plate of food, just toss it.  If you open a bag of chips and deplete it, just toss it.  The odd thing to me is that the streets are filled with "sweepers" ... folks who earn their living by sweeping up this trash.

Sittin' pretty on the boys' school campus

Stringing lights for the month of festivals