Mixed Blessings & Bathroom Blog

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Good Evening, All! It is Saturday morning on your side of the world, but I'm writing you from a brisk evening at a vacation "hill station." It is wonderful here! It is like a European village...I can hardly believe I'm in India...it isn't like the India I've seen anywhere else...wait til you see the pics! Anyway, we don't want to leave, but we have tonight, tomorrow and tomorrow night, and then we're off to the tsunami devastated area...which I know will be amazing in whole other ways.

Yesterday, on the scale of 1 (love this place, don't ever want to leave) to 10 (get me the hell outta here!) I was at a 9.5. We presented at a combined Rotary Club meeting in a little town yesterday. The meeting was outside under bright lights with swarms of bugs...they were flying into every crevice...we were breathing them in and they were flying into our food...and it was dusty and dirty, and the meeting was disorganized, and the food was scarey, etc. And then I had to go to the bathroom, which I'll share about in a few minutes (you may want to log out now!). Anyway, I was beyond done...not that it matters, cuz I'm still gracious and here for two more weeks! 😉

Then, this morning my host mom made this amazing breakfast feast...we took food over to Deb's host family's home and the two homes combined served us this amazing meal...pretty close to the best thing I've had since I've been here. It was a mix of Indian and Continental (American/European style) foods. My host mom worked for weeks to plan cakes, custards and these wonderful finger sandwhichs that looked like the Indian flag (no kidding!)

The funny thing is that last night our schedule changed and they (big bosses) told us we had to be out of town by 7:30, well they (little town host families) had planned for 9:00 am, and they kept us til then anyway. We were pretty much kidnapped...much to Mike's dismay...he kept calling...and they kept diverting him. The Indians have this polite way of pretty much being a "screw you." Not that Deb and I were complaining because we were feasting on yummy food that we didn't have to worry about killing us...so in the midst of the great food and the funny circumstances (which we all laughed long and hard about once we were in the van and on our way), I got over the dispair (I'm so dramatic, huh?) of last night.

By the way, Ryan's host family kidnapped him even longer than Deb and my families...it was a riot. They were upset that they only got us for one day on the schedule...and they were going to keep us...I suppose we're lucky we got out in the morning at all! (They can speak to each other in Tamil, rather than English...and we have no idea what's happening!) I just love the cultural nuances of it all...they so politely go about getting their own way!

Okay...I'm going to tell you about the bathroom next, but first I'm going to send this blog...I can't refrain any longer...to be continued...

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Photos

Kumbakonam Host Family
This is my wonderful host family who made the amazing breakfast feast (described in my attached blog) and fortunately kidnapped me long enough to eat it. They are standing in their garden in front of a collum-art created with chalk dust on sidewalks and entryways for holidays, celebrations and to welcome special guests--like me!

Kodakanal Waterfall
This is a beautiful waterfall at the hill station.

Rotary Meeting
This is the bug infested Rotary Meeting that I mention in the attached email. Along with the bugs, we are surrounded by the dancers from a local school who performed that evening.