The monsoon & INA market

Namasté!

Nothing in India is awaited more eagerly than the monsoon with annual rains: and songs and poems celebrate the months of Sawan and Bhadon (July and August), as a time of renewal and hope.

Now the monsoon is over and winter starts. It's the perfect season and the days begin to grow cooler. It's also the mot auspicious period in the Indian calender and ushers a number of festivals. The chill is at its worts  between mid December and mid-January and the temperatures often fall below 3C (37F). When the family visit New Delhi this year in January we were freezing in the evenings because we didn't bring enough warm clothes.

 I went to I N A market last week. It's such an adventure!! This is a large market that sells nearly everything you need for your household. Fresh stock comes in at the end of the day. I like India getting me nice and  fresh food.

These boys with a basket chase you to carry your items. It will only cost 1.50SEK/14pence.

Be prepared to wait as the animal is cut to order..........

,.................... and chops take time.

Shop & chop!

Some dead & some alive!

My butcher!

We are told to avoid seafood in the hotter months when safe transportation and storage is questionable.

I am looking forward to eat seafood next month!

The mango season is over and I am already looking forward to next year. I brought two boxes to Sweden.

When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds; your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be at greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be .
                                                                                                             - Patanjali 

Namasté!


Pictures again! Fun!Next Saturday I'll attend a photo course. Hope my pictures will be even better after that!

My own designed divan!

Our own designed sofas and desks!

Among the hardest to cope with is the begging children. For me it is important to treat them with the same respect as anyone else. Our son will be envolved in volunteer projets at school. Our driver is also involved as a social worker in a project. He is going to take us to a place where we can bring food to poor people. I still think that giving them money or food from the car will make them stay and live along the roads. It's not easy to see them and even harder for you to explain to your children about this issue.

Our stay here in India is difficult and lot's of things will be quite different from being a parent in your home country. You have more time with your child here becasue of all the help in your household. That is really good! You come closer to your child discussing deeper things in life, for example poverty.

The prolonged monsun season had made the dengue fever becoming worse than ever. My son had high fever last week so we took him for bloodtest , two times, to rule out dengue. It came out negative wich was a relief to us all. I had to tell you when we went to the doctor. We took bloodtest at 12.00 and had the result at17.00 online. Our doctor had the test faxed and could explain the result and outcome. In England  it took three days and then you had to call before you could come and collect it.  Sometimes India surprise me! That's nice! We are having a private doctor and they are very quick to sort out everything as soon as possible.

Thanks for having the opportunity in life living in India! 

Thanks you for reading my blog!

More festivals!

The Hindus celebrate the elephant god Ganesha. Tons of gift and -colorful Ganeshas drowns in any water you can find and also lot's of people which can't swim also drowns as there are trying to reach Ganisha in the rivers. The authorities try to convince people to use the adequate size Ganeshas in wood, without paint, or with green color, but no one listens.

The first group of "seven cities" has made ther first tour. They took us to Quat Minar minaret near New Delhi, India. One of the earliest Muslim monuments in India. It is 72,5 m high and the highest stone tower in the world. I am looking forward to next tour on Wednesday.

Sorry no pictures yet! I have to buy a new computer.
.....

Haircut

A haircut and a manicure cost me 93,50SEK/8,50GBP today! I was really nervous but it was OK. I miss my haridresser in Farnham but hopefully I will meet him spring 2011.

Eid-al Fitr

Namasté

Carl is having holiday on Friday because of Eid al Fitr. This is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. India is having lot's of "one day" holidays and as my husband is working for an Indian company I hope he will have some days off. Depending if there are some guests from over seas or not.

Arne's secretary told him that it might be holiday at the office on Friday. That would depend on how the moon look like on Thursday night. Fab India!

Unfortunate we have had some problems with our staff last week. Talking with other friends this is very common. I hope everything will be solved soon.

I started the aes parents choir this week. Lovely to sing Christmas songs in September again. I miss my choir from Örnsköldsvik and specially during Christmas.

It's been raining a lot since we arrived and it's very nice. The nature is green and beatiful now. It's still 30 degrees Celcius. I am looking forward to lower temperatures and our trip to Maldives in October.

We are having a busy weekend ahead of us. Friday there will be an "After work drink" with Swedish Chamber, Saturday dinner party at family Bogren, Sunday charity golf with lunch and a swim in the pool. Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend!

Read lot's of book with your children! American embassy school encourage parent's to read up to the age of 16!! Read about people who discovered a cause that they gave their live over to, people such as Benjamin Franklin, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr, Mother Teresa and Nelson Mandela. Discuss and talk about books and you will give your children a good start in life.

Busy life

Namaste!

Sorry, I haven t been writing for a long time.
First I enjoyed being with my daughter for three weeks and now I am getting our family organized with vaccine Hepatitis B and cervical cancer, insurance, flight tickets,more furnitures, paintings, and carpets. My computer has been to service and now I couldn't t get my pictures installed and the Swedish keyboard totally changed ( as you can see).

I will have more pictures but not today.

I joined a group of 40 people that will meet each week for 10 weeks exploring Delhi. We will team up in groups of four and study one specific part of Delhi.My group will lead a tour and present a piece of Delhi s past to the larger group. We also arrange a lunch for everybody. It so exciting and I am looking forward to these events. I can guide all my friends that will come and visit me.

I have also joined a yoga class. First I went a place where I was the only foreigner and the class was in Hindu. It was fun but it was too far away. You should have seen all the Indian ladies doing yoga. I felt very stiff!!!! In the end everybody was laughing on command three times.Today I went with some Swedish friend to another place very close to where I live. I like doing yoga. I get lot s of energy and stretching my body is necessary!

American embassy school is doing a lot to welcome you to the school. Transitioning to India, Coffeemornings, Parent s night out, Creative writing for your child, Get to know you with the teacher about your child and Children s litteratur are some of the events I have attended.

Thanks for all the comments!