echasseriaus on the go

At your door...

2012-02-08T08:03:00.000-08:00

One thing that I most appreciate in living where we do is that so much can be delivered or done at your house--groceries, take-out, hand-woven baskets, tailor, jeweler, carpet seller...you name it and whatever you want will find its way to your home.
And then, you know you're really part of the neighborhood when your son gets delivered...

(along with the food, of course!)

A voice...

2012-01-29T02:19:00.000-08:00

Before the holidays, I had the opportunity to visit an NGO called Goonj. I was not familiar with it and was accompanying a group of school kids that were making a donation of used clothes. It was such an interesting and a very cool organization. Nestled in a part of Delhi that I had not visited, we made our way back through the narrow walkway that connects the different rooms that make up the organization.

On one side there are people sorting clothes--what can be reused, what needs to be repaired, what can be transformed. Because Goonj lets no piece of cloth go to waste, everything is used. The NGO takes used clothing or cloth and redistributes it to those in need. But, it does so with an interest in the community. As our guide explained, they have a "work for cloth" program which gives clothes to those in need who help our their community. The example she gave was of a village needing a small bridge, the people who work on the project received clothes. This way, as she explained, there is a sense of dignity. Check out the website for more details and information: GOONJ

If you click on this photo, you can see the community work accomplished in "cloth for work":

One of two sorting rooms we visited:

My favorite, the room with the looms:

Absolutely nothing wasted. Here they use old denim and cloth to make a bag. See the strips above and below the rectangular pocket? Made of cloth woven with cassette tape...yes, cassette tape. We had to explain what the was to the school kids!

So, if you're in Delhi and you're going through your closets or getting rid of household linens, don't throw any of it away. Think about Goonj and what they can do with it.

Nehru Planetarium and Museum

2012-01-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

The Nehru Planetarium and Museum is on our daily path between schools so we drive by every single day. We've seen uniformed school kids making their way through the impressive main gates and crowds of tourist buses parked in front of the planetarium. During the school holiday, we decided to go for a visit.

Just inside the gate to the planetarium, just off the main road, is this huge rocket. To the boys' delighted surprise, they realized how often we've driven by it.

The planetarium museum is small but has interactive displays, which the boys loved.

Inside this space capsule is a photo of the first Indian astronaut in space. Arthur kept waving hello to him.

Space suit.

We had some time before the planetarium film started so we walked over to the Nehru Museum. It is a huge building where he lived as Prime Minister.

The back garden is just as large as impressive as the front side.

Of the many rooms (bedrooms, sitting rooms) Nehru's office:

There were also many displays of photos giving a timeline of his life and the historic events in India that led up to him being Prime Minister. Also, many kinds of objects on display. I liked this one--a golden key to the city of New York.

And, the boys liked the French cannon:

On the way back to the planetarium, we walked up the steep stairs:

At the top of this former hunting lodge, we had a great view of the surrounding trees.

The planetarium film on the stars and light pollution was (very loud but) interesting. We'll definitely go back to see the film on astronauts.

Visiting with a friend

2012-01-17T01:40:00.000-08:00

One of the great things about having a friend who works in the airline industry is that you never know when she'll send a text message saying she's coming in a few days. I saw her quite often when I was in Paris, not at all in New Caledonia or Reunion but... lucky me, I got to see her twice last month! It's a rare thing that she gets the flight to Delhi, so I couldn't have been happier. It was great timing, too, since we were all on school holiday. The sad part is that we only got to spend a day with her.

So, on our first day, we had a nice lunch out and walked around our neighborhood.

Checking out a construction site:

On her next day in Delhi, we ventured out to Deer Park. We were excited to see some deer but also the ruins of a 14th century reservoir.

Have you ever seen a peacock fly?

Finding the reservoir was harder than I had imagined. We walked all around Deer Park (the boys even played for a bit at a nice playground), saw lots of peacocks and deer eating...then finally we found it (after asking twice).

Oh, there's the sign...we came from the other side where there was no sign...

And, she took this photo of me and the boys with my parents (the only one I have of all of us from their visit):

Missing her so much already!

While out shopping...

2012-01-09T04:05:00.000-08:00

Last Monday happened to be my mom's last Monday in Delhi, so we decided spend an hour (or so) at Dilli Haat, one of my favorite shopping spots as seen here: Retail Therapy. It was the perfect time to go because it was as if all of the handicraft vendors I've ever seen and liked were there, my own personalized Dilli Haat. The event was called the Dasktari Haat Samiti and was very similar to the Dasktar Mela that I've gone to for the past two years, as seen here: Dasktar, with loads of beautifully crafted scarves, linens, housewares, clothing, decorations, jewelry and clothes intermingled with artisans showing how to make their beautiful crafts. The added bonus was an area dedicated to handicrafts from Africa. As my mom and I walked through their stalls, I stopped quickly and had to take a step back and catch my breath when I came across the South African stand. There in front of me were embroidered wall hangings and pillow covers I had seen when we were in Cape Town on vacation in 2007. This is the one we bought back then:

The photo's a bit dark but the embroidery is absolutely amazing. Seeing the similar hangings at Dilli Haat immediately transported me back four years...

Amazing spots:

And views of the cliffs and ocean:

Friendly people (yes, that's Dorian as a wee lad):

Beautiful parks:

Gorgeous jewelry at the Gold of Africa museum:

A fun city to walk around in:

And, Dorian's favorite:

Vineyard tours:

We didn't spend nearly enough time there and just saw a glimpse of the country but we have such good memories. Now, fast forward back to last Monday at Dilli Haat, I bought these two to go with our wall hanging:

I also had a nice chat with the woman selling them. When I got home I decided to look up more about the organization on their website: Kaross. Check it out, it's really cool and what they make is amazingly beautiful.

And, if you're in Delhi, Dasktari Haat Samiti is on at Dilli Haat until January 15th.

photo of the week...

2012-01-06T00:45:00.000-08:00

You just never know what you'll see from your car window when driving around Delhi. This, I just love:

Purana Qila

2011-12-30T21:30:00.000-08:00

Purana Qila is not far from our house, but we went there for the first time the other day. It was a very nice, sunny morning--perfect weather for visiting the large and pleasant grounds of the old fort. It was built in the 16th century, much of it by Sher Shah from 1540-45 but some of it had been constructed by Humayun in the 10 years prior to Sher Shah's rule. The fort is an impressively large area with huge gates, thick walls and buildings spread about the well-manicured lawns. Nestled among the trees and rooftops were our favorite green parakeets. The boys loved running around and climbing while the adults enjoyed reading about the history on the well-placed and informative signs. Overall, a lovely morning out!

Exploring Jantar Mantar...

2011-12-23T19:30:00.000-08:00

The other day while running an errand, we stopped by Jantar Mantar. It's a place I've been wanting to see but never managed to make time to visit. So, with the boys and my mom, we had a fun morning.

Jantar Mantar was built in 1725 by Jai Singh II, the ruler of Jaipur, as an open-air observatory of the sun, moon and stars. It was also used to calculate time. Apparently, it was pretty accurate.

The kids loved walking up and down the stairs and exploring the depths of these huge cement structures.

Arthur found a special spot.

Then some friends found him.

And, one by one they got a photo with the boys (all in all at least 10 different pics were taken).

Jantar Mantar is a fun place to visit and the boys did not want to leave! We will definitely be back soon.

Sanskriti revisited twice

2011-12-17T00:43:00.000-08:00

It's funny sometimes when you learn about something new or go to a new place and as soon as you have this new awareness, the new thing or place keeps popping up. That is how Sanskriti has been for us, as soon as our friend Sejal introduced us to it back in October, we have been back twice for two different events. And, it is always a haven of peacefulness and cleaner air when we go.

The weekend of November 26th Sanskriti hosted Bookaroo, a literary festival for children. It was fantastic. There were storytellers, authors and activities for kids aged 4-16. You can visit their website: BOOKAROO. If you're in Delhi next year around the same time and you have kids, I highly recommend going!

Jeeva Raghunath kicks off the day with a story:

Dorian enjoys:

Making a book with French author Malika Doray:

Hearing a story and song by John Dougherty:

Then, a few weeks after Bookaroo, the weekend of December 10th, Sanskriti hosted Potter's Haat. A two-day celebration of all things made from clay. There were demonstrations, kids activities and potters selling their beautiful wares.

Dorian enjoyed seeing the demonstrations:

And, I enjoyed buying some pots (view of the merchandise area):

All in all, our three outings to Sanskriti have been fun each in their own way. It's my new favorite place and any new event I hear about being hosted there will definitely make its way on our calendar!

Pushkar...the town

2011-11-26T08:37:00.001-08:00

We had a nice late afternoon trip into Pushkar town. Driving past all that was the camel fair, we walked through the small, shop-filled streets that all seemed to lead us to the lake. Pushkar seems to grow out from it. And, for good reason. The following is from my Rough Guide to India:

According to legend, Pushkar came into existence when Lord Brahma,the Creator, dropped a lotus flower (pushpa) to earth from his hand (kar). At the three spots where the petals landed, water magically appeared in midst of the desert to form three small blue lakes, and it was on the banks of the largest of these that Brahma subsequently convened a gathering of some 900,000 celestial beings -- the entire Hindu pantheon.

Needless to say the town is not only one of the oldest in India, but also one of the most important for Hindu pilgrims. In addition to the sacred lake, there is the Brahma temple, one of only a few in India. Here are some photos from our visit.

Puja (prayers) with priest:

The Brahma Temple (no photos allowed inside):

Dorian picking out some Rajasthani shoes (and some for Arthur, too) before heading back to the hotel:

Pushkar...the fair

2011-11-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

We absolutely loved visiting the fair....here are some highlights:

The first sign (literally) we saw from the car on the way from the train station to the hotel:

And here they are:

Water time:

All dressed up for a walk around the arena:

Horses:

Accessories:

The boys accessorize:

Check out these teeth:

Holy cow, really:

Negotiation:

A man and his horse:

Pushkar...camel carts

2011-11-20T06:15:00.001-08:00

Pushkar is one of the biggest camel fairs in the world (please read more here: Pushkar Fair), so what better way to get to the camel fair than a camel cart? In our few days there, we rode three different carts and saw countless others. One thing was clear, no two camel carts are the same.

In the morning these guys were waiting for us:

Comfortable ride:

Smaller and simpler:

For work:

And, finally, the row of the fanciest...we took the blue one on the right back to the hotel:

Oh my, how fancy...carpet and curtains:

But, despite the many options, some still prefer to go solo:

Pushkar...getting there

2011-11-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

The third place we visited during our 10-day holiday was Pushkar. Ever since touching down in India and hearing about the Pushkar Camel Fair two years and three months ago, I have wanted to go. Our first two years, I felt Arthur was a bit young to do or enjoy this type of trip. But, this year I informed the family that we were going (whether they wanted to or not!). My good friend, Sofie, and I started planning. She booked the hotel and I booked the train tickets. Then...we were off! Since the Pushkar trip was so rich, I will spread it out over several posts. This one is just our trip getting there by train (our first train in India!).

On the train...

The kids played with the ipad:

The papas (and Arthur) slept...

The kids did crafts:

Here's Dorian's envelope he made to store his crafts:

From the train we saw...

People waiting:

Cooking:

Packing themselves into other trains:

More waiting:

Moving things:

On the way there we were in A/C first class but on the way back we were in A/C chair car. The only real difference besides the ticket price was that the chairs in first class were bigger. Otherwise, both sections were nice. And, the service was amazing--snacks, meals (although we brought our own food), drinks and even ice cream. My favorite was this cup we got with our bottle of water:

Awesome!

Look up...

2011-11-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

Where the Tuilleries garden meets the Louvre, we looked up and saw this:

Such a nice surprise on a cloudy afternoon:

Bats for Halloween?

The boys loved watching:

Break time...again

2011-11-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

After our quick jaunt to Belgium, we were in Paris for four days. Not nearly long enough to see all the sights or all the people we wanted to see, but definitely long enough to do some important things...like catch up with our dear friends and their sweet son, get dressed up for Halloween, go trick or treating and run around the parks.

The flight commander with Darth:

The kitty waiting for his sweets:

Halloween crafts:

Arthur at the fence watching the big boys jump:

Messing around:

On the streets:

Break time...

2011-11-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

We recently took advantage of our big boy's school holiday and took off on a crazy amount of travel in a 10-day period. Plane from Delhi to Paris, train from Paris to Antwerp then back again, plane back to Delhi, train to Ajmer, car to Pushkar and camel cart to fair...then back again. It was well worth every single, but brief, minute we spent moving around catching up with the friends we were able to see.

Our first stop was a beautiful, tree-lined town just outside of Antwerp. There we found our good friends who we were so sad to see leave Delhi this summer. Now, they are adjusting to a new climate, language and all the good things Belgium has to offer. We, of course, loved seeing them and having the boys run around together again (even if we only got to see them for 2.5 days).

A walk near the local castle:

Fall leaves!!

The most interesting part of the zoo was the man installing a door in the ladies room:

Silly monkey:

Arthur with his twin:

Taken by Dorian at the train station:

An interesting thing...

2011-11-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

Coming back to Delhi after our summer holiday was more difficult than it has been in the past--was it coming back earlier than usual? Having one boy in school a month before the other? Did we just have too much fun on our vacation? Who knows, but I was lacking motivation, lacking inspiration. Luckily for me, two things collided--my friend Sejal had come to visit and we had an opportunity to hear Dr. Kiran Bedi speak.

Sejal is a great friend that has been present through many phases of my life. We have kept in touch over the years and, more rare, we have seen each other over the years. Living far away from friends and family is so hard to do so and it is so easy to lose touch. My story with Sejal began in Massachusetts, then moved on to Paris and now we have Delhi. It has ebbs and flows of correspondence, but it has endured and when we see each other after many years, it feels like no time has passed. We talk late into the night about everything. It is a gift of a friendship and one that I will miss when she goes back to her U.S. life. She is a writer and wrote a story in which I (was lucky to be) mentioned, it is about friendship and the different layers of it. Click here to read her work: Street Scene

A few days after Sejal's arrival, we were fortunate to hear Dr. Kiran Bedi speak. She has got to be one of the most inspiring people I have heard speak. After her talk, I felt motivated, I felt good, I felt like doing something. Here is a link to an article written about her: Bedi If you read about what she has accomplished, how can we not be inspired? She runs an NGO called India Vision Foundation (click: IVF). As a family, we have decided to get involved. This year is the year of giving for us.

Sanskriti Museums, inside visit

2011-10-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

While the grounds of Sanskriti are beautiful and expansive, it is definitely worth heading inside to see the Everyday Art Museum and the Textile Museum. So very nice:

My favorite from the Everyday Art Museum, this tiger holds all the tools necessary for sewing...I wish my everydays were this fancy!

Sanskriti Museums, outside visit

2011-10-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

My friend, Sejal, has been visiting India. There is nothing like having a visitor to allow you to "see" where you live in a new light, but also to introduce you to new things. She recently spent some time in residence at Sanskriti. It is a collection of museums, it is a place for artists and writers to stay and work, it is quite spectacular. Nestled off the busy MG Road to Gurgaon, it is a haven of tranquility. After passing through the gates, I understood fully why an artist would want to come here and work. At that moment, I wished I was an artist that had come there to work--except for, at that same moment, my two little ones starting running around, reminding me that we were in fact there to visit Sejal...

Here are some photos from our outside tour:

And no tour would be complete without a show:

Sanskriti Show

The man with ten heads...

2011-09-28T03:15:00.000-07:00

This week we headed back to one of our favorite kid spots--the Reading Caterpillar. We went to hear a story about Dussehra. We learned about Ram, Sita and Ravana and the conquering of good over evil. The story was well told and animated with lots of audience participation. The kids then got to make a 10-headed mask of Ravana. Fun!

Dorian was held captive:

Arthur stayed interested for a while, then found a toy:

But, he went straight for the painting:

While Dorian had other plans...

Finishing his mask with markers at home (full of 10 scary faces):

For more info on Dussehra, check out: dussehra

One good...

2011-09-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

Door boy...

2011-09-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

I was going through the massive amounts of photos on my blackberry the other day when I came across a series I had taken while on our trip to Chandigarh last year. We visited the Rock Garden: rock garden visit. It's funny what you remember over time. We arrived at the end of the day, it was cloudy and looked like it would rain any second. My big boy was fussy, no doubt because he had been in the car most of the day on our drive to and from Kasauli: kasauli but, I was determined that we would visit the famous Rock Garden and we would all enjoy it. Ha! My four and a half year old was good a proving me wrong. He was not happy at all to be walking through the maze of rock creations. And, even less so about all the people wanting to take photos of him. But, then something happened. I don't know if was because they were scaled to his size or he actually started enjoying the garden, but...I found this series of Dorian and the Doorways:

All slightly different, doors and poses that is, but all the same theme. It was like his own castle with doors just for him. Luckily, it changed his mood and he gave me this happy pose before leaving:

And then it poured down rain...

Mall art...

2011-09-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

I make it a point not to go to malls too often. I find them pretty overwhelming. But, doing a little shopping with a girlfriend of mine the other weekend, we found ourselves at one of south Delhi's big malls. And, I came to a full stop when we saw this:

I remembered hearing about a new contemporary art museum opening a branch at the mall and I wondered if this was part of it? That day I didn't have time to check out the museum, but will definitely do so another day. I did, however, check out the museum's website to see if there was any link to this huge inflatable work machine: KNMA. I didn't come across anything. And, when I did a search for Alan M. Eddison I found that he's the director of Green Earth Affairs in Zimbabwe. The mystery continues...is it modern art or a statement about ecology or both...?

A week of...

2011-09-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

Last week was quite a week. My big boy started kindergarten, the little one still heads of to school with a smile each day (thankfully), there was a bombing about 15 minutes from where we live followed by a late night earthquake, then topped off with massive rainfall and flooding. At least the week ended with a sunny day and some swimming. But, it was full of downs and ups and I feel quite shaken after such a week of unexpectedness. The newspapers say another bombing is likely for this week as well. So, what do we do? Just wait and hope for the best, I guess.

Some headlines:

earthquake

delhi blast

flooding

Here are some pics from our side of town:

front yard becomes a lake:

nearby streets:

these guys trying to move a massive, fallen tree:

Here we go!

2011-09-05T05:13:00.000-07:00

Fun with puppets...

2011-08-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

Friday afternoon the boys and I went to the Reading Caterpillar (www.readingcaterpillar.com). I had heard about it as a library for kids but we had never been there. When I heard that it was hosting a puppet performance of people (the Puppetarians from Mumbai) that have worked on Galli Galli Sim Sim, the Indian Sesame Street, I knew I had to take the boys. And, it was such fun! The boys were captivated as well as the parents...I think for about 20 minutes we were all children. After the show, the kids got to make sock puppets. It was a great afternoon and we will definitely go back to the library for the books next time.

The evening wouldn't have been complete without a puppet show at home:

It's raining rain

2011-08-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

I mentioned how damp it has been in our house. The rainy season is in full swing so we are spending lots of time indoors painting, baking and setting up the train tracks.

But, D did enjoy some time outside in the rain, washing his bike:

A not so much so while walking to his morning school:

Ewww...part 2

2011-08-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

A few months back I wrote about the black dust that had collected on the boys' toys (see: ewww). Now we're back after being away for a while this summer and the toys were not touched for that entire time. This is what we came home to:

Ewww, seriously. I was expecting dust but not mold. This mold was everywhere. Since we've been back, I've spent almost the whole time doing laundry and cleaning out shelves. It is amazing how damp it is here. I just can't wait for the rains to stop...

Fire Station

2011-08-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

Near my parents house is a fire station. The other day when I drove by all the doors were open and the fire engines could be seen in all their glory. I knew the boys would love to see them, so later that day we drove back by with my dad. We didn't want to just waltz in the the fire house so we rang the bell and the nicest fireman answered and let us in. He took us through the building and out back to the garage with all the trucks. So impressive! The boys were so happy and the fireman was so nice he let us climb in the big engine, open up the side compartments to see what was inside (shovels, brooms, axes) and showed us a super cool infrared camera that he uses to find people in emergency situations. It was one of our best and unexpected outings of the summer. Thank you fireman!

Checking out the engine:

Looking at the infrared camera:

Arthur's amazed:

Inside:

CA Signs...

2011-08-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

Some of my favorites from California:

The lesser known...

2011-08-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

San Francisco is a great city. There are tons of things to see and do. We have (maybe) pretty much done it all on our various trips throughout the years. Our favorites places for the boys are the Exploratorium and California Academy of Science. We also love the zoo, the museums and the beaches. If you're looking to escape the crowds at some of the big venues, try visiting these places: Cable Car Museum and Musée Mécanique.

These big wheels are what are turning the cable cars, impressive and loud:

This museum near Fisherman's Wharf is fun to walk around:

With old game machines:

The Cable Car Museum is fun to see and look at the machines and old photos of the city while the games museum is fun for pushing buttons. Great for kids and parents alike!

Great America and Giants

2011-08-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

The boys did two new things during our trip to California. We went to an amusement park and a baseball game. So much fun!

Arthur loved seeing Snoopy:

Dorian went for anything on four wheels:

The stadium was packed and it was sunny in San Fran:

Sadly, the Giants did not beat LA. But, we had a great time!

photo-op...

2011-08-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

My cousin Katie is an amazing photographer (she is also sweet and smart and funny and great with the boys). We had a chance to catch up with her and her camera recently and she so kindly took some photos. I was so happy because we have almost no family shots since I'm usually the one taking the photos. Here are some of my favorites from our time with her. Check out her website and call her if you're ever in the Bay area and want some photos taken: http://kmsphotos.weebly.com/

Blue skies, nothing but blue skies...

2011-07-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

One thing that I love about summers Stateside is gorgeous blue skies with no clouds in sight. I took this one on our recent trip to California. Just crossing the street on our way to the park, I happened to look up and see this:

Ranch time...

2011-07-03T12:00:00.000-07:00

Our weekend ranch time was all about horses, cows, rock tossing, eating a lot and six kids ages five and under running around and playing. Such a fun and exhausting weekend!

Dirt road to the ranch:

Looking at the dry river bed:

Someone's happy to see some water:

The horses came when we drove up:

They were hungry:

It was not hot enough to fry an egg:

Giving some love to the horses:

Rock tossing:

We were being watched:

On the road again...

2011-06-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

We have landed in the Lone Star State to spend some time with friends and family. This past weekend, the boys and I were lucky to get away to west Texas with some of our best friends. There is nothing like driving through the countryside--open space and big sky. I'm amazed by the flatness and beauty of it all. Here are some photos from our drive:

Cleaning house...

2011-06-27T19:13:00.000-07:00

We are lucky that our apartment in Delhi has air conditioning in the living room and bedrooms. I can't really imagine living there during the hot months without it. I (naively) thought they had to be serviced only every six months. How wrong I was! The a/c guys showed up, took one look at the filter in the living room unit and asked when I had it cleaned last....umm...I asked them how often I should have it clean....they said every three months...oops. No wonder we had been all coughing and unhealthy. Then, I saw what came out of the filter. I am definitely never forgetting to have the a/c serviced!

He was smiling before the cleaning started:

This is what came out the backside:

For the boys' room, they took the whole thing out of the wall and outside for a good washing:

Again, never forgetting the three-month cleaning...

Sunday outing...

2011-06-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

A very sweet friend of ours invited us out to a restaurant last Sunday. The rendez vous point was at a metro stop in another neighborhood, so logically we thought we'd take the metro. You may remember that D and X took the metro a few months ago: An outing, but I never had. There is a metro stop just near our neighborhood and although it's just about a 5 minutes walk, the heat was oppressive. Luckily, the metro cars are air-conditioned. Here are some things I noticed:
--the Delhi metro is completely modern and very clean
--for 3 of us to take it one-way, it cost 48 rupees ($1.07)
--you must pass through a metal detector (like at airports or any Delhi mall or hotel) before passing the turnstile to get to the trains
--there's a sign that says spitting is prohibited and if caught you'll get a 200 rupee fine
--there is a separate car on each train for women passengers
--we were the only westerners on the two lines we took, everyone stared
--so many of the signs were in Hindi only, this is yet another reason I'm starting Hindi classes when we get back from summer vacation

Memories and moving on...

2011-06-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

After having my mobile phone for almost 2 years, I finally figured out that I had a cord to hook up to my computer to quickly upload photos. Before I had been emailing them. But with this easy upload, it was like reliving the past 2 years in a few minutes' time as I watched the photos appear on the computer screen. Talk about walking down memory lane, lots of photos from our first days here. And, I came across a few photos that I had completely forgotten, like an October afternoon of duck-feeding and playing in Lodi garden with some good friends:

Now, these good friends are moving on from Delhi and shifting to a new life in a new city. I'm so thankful for these memories of good times spent with them and, while I'm excited that they are off to new experiences, I know that Delhi just won't be the same without them. We will miss them terribly!

Street scenes...

2011-06-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

School, home, play date, pool, market, home...this is how we spend our day, in the car from place to place. And, here are some photos of what we see along the way:

Front bumper fire extinguishers, side-attached red shovel...jeep firetruck?

Buses loading up goods and passengers:

Drying clothes:

Back ends:

Cows:

I just don't know what this is:

Bad picture, but it says "my car is safe cat":

Ewww...

2011-05-29T07:18:00.000-07:00

I may have previously mentioned that Delhi can be a pretty dusty city. The boys and I have been a bit under the weather lately and it had been a while since I had taken a good look at their toy shelves...well I did the other morning and there was a thick layer of dust. Ewww. I immediately took everything off the shelves, wiped down the shelves and organized the toys.

Double ewww:

No wonder we're all sick.

Luckily, Dorian loves cleaning so he was a big help. But, I give it a day until all order and cleanliness disappear.

There's something about May...

2011-05-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

Last May I posted this: summer season not good season and, now that we're back in the month of May, I feel like we've come full circle. For the past week, I've been taking care of a sick Arthur boy. It started innocently enough with some mandatory vaccines last week that brought on a fever. Then, he picked up a horrible cough and runny nose. Now he's exhausted. But, somewhere in the middle of all of that my curious toddler managed to eat some food from a stray cat's bowl sitting in front of a friend's house. I immediately called the pediatrician who said to bring him in for rabies vaccine. We can't be sure and rabies is not something you wait out. I could not do the vaccine on him when we first got here because he was too young. This was a big reminder for me--on one hand to stay on top of vaccines and on the other to stay on top of watching a small toddler. We are so lucky to have a great doctor nearby. But, I'm starting to think that next year we need to start our summer holidays sooner...not sure what next May will have in store for us!

On a side note, being curious about rabies I found this article (click here to read more, it's really interesting: rabies in India) that said in India " A person is bitten every 2 seconds, and someone dies from rabies every 30 minutes."

Definitely scary.

Check mate...

2011-05-15T21:57:00.000-07:00

There was this giant chess game at the hotel in Goa. I've seen this type of thing before at another hotel and asked myself the same question, do people really play giant games? While I didn't see a chess game played, I did see this:

Goa, pool time...

2011-05-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Other than digging in the sand at the beach, the boys spent a lot of time in the hotel pool. It was the perfect pool for the whole family--very shallow end for the littlest, slightly deeper shallow end for the bigger boy, then lots of space for swimming adults and a pool bar. Oh...and the slide!

Goa, beach time...

2011-05-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

We managed to get away for a long weekend recently and it was great. Delhi is getting hotter by the minute so we happily hopped a plane for Goa. Sandy beaches, big pool and nothing to do for three days--perfect weekend away.

Here are some photos of the beach. There was practically no one else there...this is the perfect time to go to Goa.

The boys head to the beach:

So much space, let the digging begin:

Arthur's first haircut...

2011-05-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

Arthur got his first haircut a few weeks ago. I took him to a barber shop with one of his school friends and they were so cute sitting in the big chairs.

He's such a big boy now!

Swimming

2011-05-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

It is hot in Delhi. So, now the kids and I spend a lot of time at the pool. Before the swimming season started, Dorian and I talked a lot about swim lessons. He has always been hesitant around water, but he was excited to try. When the day came for his first lesson, however, he wasn't too sure. But, he did get in the pool and try. With lesson two, he wouldn't even get in the water. Hmm...what to do? I hesitated then decided to back off. Then a few days ago, he put on his floaties and jumped right in. Well, not exactly. He cautiously slipped himself into the pool. But, once he was in the took off. It was great to see, especially when he and his friend started doing laps--back and forth and back and forth. They wouldn't come out of the pool. Here is something from his first floatie swimming experience:

Products

2011-04-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased two new products. Well, new to me. The first came about because I had to get some white eggs for Easter egg dyeing. The local shop delivered these:

I was so curious about these "odourless" eggs that I sat down to read the double-sided full page insert that explained anything and everything you'd want to know about herbal odorless eggs. And, I'm still not sure how I feel about them. But, as written they were truly completely odorless.

Another new purchase was this:

Okay, I just really love the name. But, they are the perfect replacement for the pull-ups Dorian sleeps in that I brought back from the States and have run out of. Like it says, "for good sleep"...who can argue with that?

An outing...

2011-04-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago, Dorian got his wish. His papa took him on the metro. We have a metro stop near us that opened about six months ago and, ever since Dorian saw the bright lights celebrating its opening, he's been wanting to go for a ride. So, off they went one Sunday afternoon. I gave Dorian my camera and told him he could take as many photos as he wanted. I was just so curious to see the metro and to see how Dorian would see the metro. So here are some of the photos he took:

Connaught Place:

Okay, I think his papa took this one:

Middle of Connaught Place:

Never have I seen such empty grassy spaces:

Hmm...

Driving...

2011-04-22T00:19:00.000-07:00

One of the things about living in Delhi that is hardest to convey but part of everyday life is driving. My recent post about the auto rickshaw mentioned bumping along and rear view mirrors that don't actually show the driver the street. Even though we don't drive here we do hit the roads every day and experience some interesting things...please, please, please click on the link below to my friend Naomi's recent post about driving in India. She found the perfect description for driving here.

driving in india aka frogger

Fun in a Rickshaw

2011-04-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

You may possibly remember that I'm not a fan of the auto rickshaw, as I wrote something here Not Recommended about an experience shortly after moving to Delhi. But, time has passed and we wanted to go out on a Sunday when our driver is off, so off we went to the other side of town bumping along... It was less scary or perhaps I'm just more used to the ebb and flow of all things that make their way to the streets of Delhi. It was a bright and sunny day, so I got out my camera and started snapping.

Big rumbling bus pulls up next to us:

The boys like waving to other rickshaw passengers:

Mirror, mirror:

Seriously, the driver can only see us in the rearview mirrors, not the traffic behind us:

Dorian's Five...

2011-04-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

Once again, I can't believe another year has passed and that my baby boy is now five years old. After the Rajastani puppet show at Arthur's birthday and at India week recently at school, Dorian wanted one at his party. And, of course, the tattoo guy and loads of balloons. The good thing is that party planning here in Delhi is super easy. Go to the toy shop, ask to see their book and pick out what you want. From elephants and camels to bouncy castles and mini trains, the options are limitless. Fortunately, there were no requests for large animals! I think Dorian had a fun time and, with his ever-increasing interest in musical instruments, I surprised him with a guitar-shaped birthday cake.

The garden is ready for arts and crafts (the clay pots I picked up on my recent pottery tour):

Puppets are ready for dancing:

And the cake:

Super What?

2011-04-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

The latest news flash that has really caught my attention is the Delhi Superbug. Apparently, it's some strain of bacteria that is completely immune to all known antibiotics. Is it for real? Is it as bad as some say? Or, not?

Here are a few articles I found:

Super Bug in Water

Delhi-superbug

Pottery Tour, part III hands getting dirty...

2011-04-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

The last part of the pottery tour was sitting down and talking with one family. They showed us photos from a trip to Australia where the father went to teach his craft. Then, they gave us the opportunity to try our hand at the wheel. So, there I went...

First attempt not so successful:

Slightly better:

But, it was fun and in the end she gave me a piggy bank:

Such a fun excursion! I would recommend this tour to anyone visiting or living in Delhi. It's a break from the ordinary with a real personal touch.

Pottery Tour, part II beautiful faces...

2011-04-05T02:16:00.000-07:00

These sweet, smiling friendly faces followed us throughout our pottery tour. They were the young people from the village and definitely gave the tour its warmth.

Pottery Tour, part I pots and potters...

2011-03-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

The other day, I went with a few ladies on a tour of a pottery village on the outskirts of Delhi. It's in an area called Vikas Nagar and took about 45 minutes to an hour to get there from central Delhi. In this neighborhood hundreds of families have settled, coming from Rajastan, and continue their craft of pottery-making. It was very impressive. Here are lots of photos I took:

The tour was organized by a group called Indomania cultural tours--check out the website: www.indomaniatours.com. The tour itself helps support the potters and their families by giving the village a large portion of the tour fee. It was amazing to be able to walk into these families' homes and work spaces. They were warm and welcoming. More photos to come...

Friday night date night...

2011-03-28T08:01:00.000-07:00

Every Friday evening, the boys and I have a night out on the town. Okay, we don't really. But, we do meet up with some good friends for a little play time and dinner. It's a great way to end the school week and for us mamas to enjoy a little wine.

More on Holi

2011-03-24T07:12:00.000-07:00

While we so enjoyed Holi in our little garden in this part of the world, check out the link below to see some amazing photos of people from all over celebrating this fun festival:

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/03/holi_festival_of_colors.html

Thanks to my brother for emailing the link. Seriously, click on it. Great stuff.

Color and Water...

2011-03-20T08:48:00.000-07:00

Today was Holi, the festival of color. We were away last year and missed out on it so this was our first Holi. And, what fun!

Holi is a Hindu festival. Here are some things I have read about the origins of Holi:

According to legend, the name Holi comes from Holika, sister of the kind Hiranyakashipu. The king demanded people to worship him. His son, Prahlad, refused to worship him and worshipped Vishnu instead. The king asked Holika to kill his son. Possessing the power to walk through fire, she picked up Prahlad and took him to the fire. But, Prahlad's devotion to Vishnu saved him and Holika was killed by the fire.

Another related legend says that Holi is signifies the end of winter. There was a ritual of burning wood and leaves on the full moon night to celebrate the coming of spring. Old wood and leaves that had fallen were burnt to signify that it is time for new leaves and flowers. Later, people smeared their bodies with ash.

And, another legend says that Holi celebrates the immortal love of Lord Krishna and Radha. Young Krishna complained to his mother about Radha being fair while he was so dark. His mother told him to put color on Radha's face to change her complexion.

So, to celebrate Holi, people buy colored powder to throw and then spray with water. It's fun and enjoyed by everyone. In our neighborhood we heard, music, laughter and people shouting with joy. We stayed in our garden with some friends and threw color and water until we turned various shades of pinkish orange. The kids absolutely loved it and, as adults, we felt like kids again.

Some photos:

The kids, dressed in white and oiled up (coconut oil so the color doesn't stain their hair or skin):

Ready, set go!

Just an ordinary day...

2011-03-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

The weekend before last it was a gorgeous and sunny, warm day. Perfect for a mid-morning walk in the neighborhood, so that's exactly what we did. Dorian decorated his bike and we set out. Only to immediate notice the beautiful flowery decorations of our neighbors. Or, our soon-to-be neighbors. Yes, the construction on the house next to us has finally come to an end, after almost a year, and our neighbors arrived shortly after having been married. They are a high profile couple so four or five police had been standing outside all morning then about ten more joined them as the couple arrived. We were asked to move our car. Life is always interesting in Delhi and I have a feeling it will be more interesting still.

Dorian's fancy bike:

Fancy decorations next door (with all the police out front, had to be sneaky, so you can't see the mass amounts of flowers hanging in the front):

Parade of Colors...

2011-03-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

Every year at Dorian's school they have a Carnival where the the kids dress up, a marching band plays and everyone parades around. This year the Carnival coincided with India Week at his school, which equaled lots of color and fun costumes.

All week there have been puppeteers from Rajasthan, weavers with beautiful fabrics, books for kids and pottery-makers that gave each child a clay, painted bracelet:

Here comes the band:

Dorian's class followed the peacock:

There he is:

Back in Delhi

2011-03-08T00:09:00.000-08:00

We've been back in Delhi for about a week now, finally getting over jet lag and the weather is gorgeous. Flowers in bloom, blue sky and the warm sun shining. This photo I took from the car recently seems appropriate:

Some happy moments...

2011-03-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

While our trip to California was for a very sad reason, we did have some happy moments while there. Being around family was such a solace and great for the kids to get to know their little cousins better. They also got to to some things they don't normally get to do. Some photos...

Watching sting rays and sharks from above:

Having a bath AND being able to not worry about the water getting in Arthur's mouth:

Dorian, the leaf blower:

Seeing this poor, cold chimp at the zoo:

Shopping!

Or, not...

When something happens...

2011-03-02T03:40:00.000-08:00

You want to be there, but living far from family and friends you can't. About three weeks ago we lost our Gramma Vi. I wasn't sure if we should make the big trip or not. My husband said go, my friends here said go, my mom said she'd understand if we couldn't go. So we went. The boys and I arrived just in time to say good-bye. It was so nice to be able to be there because as with all family gatherings, whether for happy or sad occasions, it was really great to be able to spend time with my parents, my brother and sister-in-law, uncles, aunts and all the cousins. The boys absolutely loved playing with all their little cousins. And, that is one thing that I'm sure my Gramma would have loved--having all of us together.

The morning of the day we left for California, I went to my yoga class. The teacher, a wise and wonderful woman, asked us to define human wealth. After a few minutes of reflection, the responses included: love, compassion and awareness. She said that human wealth is satisfaction. Of course she had been on my mind, but I immediately thought of my Gramma. I thought of her always being upbeat and positive, in essence, satisfied. Through every conversation and communication, she was interested and excited in what we were doing, even if it meant moving further and further away. She gave confidence, compassion and love. She passed her satisfaction on and for that she she lived the wealthiest of lives. And, for those of us who knew her we are all the more richer.

Gandhi Smriti

2011-02-23T00:00:00.001-08:00

My friend, Naomi, and I finally made it to Gandhi Smriti on an oddly cool and rainy day last week. I'm so glad we went. It is an amazing place and I recommend all who come to Delhi to visit. Here is some history of the place, taken directly from the site: http://gandhismriti.gov.in/indexb.asp:

Gandhi Smriti, housed in the Old Birla House on 5, Tees January Marg, New Delhi, is the sacred place where Mahatma Gandhi's epic Life ended on 30 January 1948. Mahatma Gandhi had lived in this house from 9 September 1947 to 30 January 1948. Thus, the hallowed house treasures many memories of the last 144 days of his life. The Old Birla House was acquired by the Government of India in 1971 and was converted into a National Memorial of the Father of the Nation and was opened to the public on August 15, 1973.

The preserves include the room where Mahatma Gandhi lived and the prayer ground where he held a mass congregation every evening. It was here where assassin’s bullets felled Gandhiji. The building and the landscape have been preserved as they were in those days.

The Memorial consists of: (a) Visual Aspects to perpetuate the memory of Mahatma Gandhi and the noble ideals he represented, (b) Educative Aspects to focus concentrated attention on certain values of life that made Gandhi a Mahatma, and (c) Service Aspects to introduce activities in order to subserve certain felt needs.

On display in the Museum are photographs, sculptures, paintings, frescos, inscriptions on rocks and relics pertaining to the years Mahatma Gandhi spent here. The meagre personal effects of Gandhiji too are carefully preserved.

A larger than life statue of Mahatma Gandhi, with a boy and a girl holding a dove in their hands standing on either side, emerging out of the globe, symbolising his universal concern for the poor and the deprived, welcomes the visitor at the main entrance of the Gandhi Smriti. It is the work of the renowned sculptor Sri Ram Sutar. The legend at the base of the sculpture says, "My Life is My Message".

A Martyr's Column stands at the spot where the Father of the Nation was assassinated, commemorating the Martyrdom of Mahatma Gandhi as the embodiment of all the sufferings and sacrifices that characterised the long struggle for India's Freedom.

The above quote is an excellent description of what you'll see when you visit. But, make sure you go upstairs where the exhibits are interactive via touch with lights and sounds...a really great experience and wonderful way to commemorate such an important human being.

Some (a lot of) photos from our visit:

The front entrance:

Upstairs, so many very cool interactive exhibits. This one you touch and and the wall displays information about Gandhi's work.

Slide the screen and you follow the timeline of Gandhi's life:

Touch the hands and the lights appear:

Gandhi's instrument:

Photo op with statues of Gandhi and his wife:

The screen inside this train traces the path he took throughout India:

Not sure what this one was for, but very cool:

Open the boxes to see the tiny screens:

Huge kaleidoscope depicting scenes from his life:

School kids taking a tour:

Follow the cement footprints to the backside of the building where Gandhi stood for the last time:

Retail Therapy

2011-02-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

Everyone needs a little retail therapy once in a while and I had some recently. I hadn't planned on it and didn't know how much I needed it. One of my good friends and I had planned to go to Gandhi Smriti (where Gandhi lived the last year of his life and was assassinated, more to come on that soon). We had actually been trying to go for two weeks in a row. The first week I wasn't well and then when we did show up one day it was closed (fyi, don't go on Monday). I know, you'd think one of us would have looked it up, but no. So we sat there for a few minutes trying to decide where to go until we had to be back for school pick up. Dilli Haat, that was it. Dilli Haat is an open air market space that rotates its vendors about every two weeks. It's full of handicrafts, shoes, jewelry, clothes, and more scarves than you can imagine. It's the one market I know of here in Delhi that you have to pay (15 rupees about 30 cents) to get in. It's fun to walk around and check out the goods. Both my friend and I didn't have anything specific in mind and we both walked away with some super cute clothes and bangles. It's amazing how a few hours with a good friend and a few purchases can brighten your day.

Train Museum

2011-02-12T19:36:00.000-08:00

Like most little boys, my boys love trains. Luckily for us, India is a country with a lots of trains. One of my first outings with the boys when we moved here was to the train museum. Now a year and a half later, we've finally made it back. I don't know why we didn't go sooner. It's a great place to walk around, explore, climb and ride a little train. We went recently with some of our friends and had a fun morning.

A few hours of art...

2011-02-06T01:07:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, and after a week of being a single mom while X was away on business, I was able to escape for a few hours during the weekend. Leaving the boys behind, I headed for Pragati Maidan a fair ground of sorts to visit the India Art Summit (www.indiaartsummit.com). Focusing primarily on contemporary Indian artists, there were over 80 galleries from India and worldwide exhibiting artists that they represent. It was amazing. There was photography, video, painting, sculpture, everyday objects put together in new and different ways along with curatorial talks, panel discussions and gallery tours. Even though it was crowded, it was like a breath of fresh air for me to walk looking at art. And, it was great to see the big turnout. Here are some photos I snapped with my phone.

Let's go fly a kite!

2011-01-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

Last fall while I was at the Dasktar Mela, I saw a man selling handmade paper kites. I, of course, had to buy one. Dorian was thrilled. But, we put it in a safe place to wait for a windy day. Last Sunday, it was windy, or at least there was more wind than usual. So, to get the kids out of the house in the afternoon, we grabbed the kite and walked to the public garden in front of our house. There were boys playing cricket. We pretty much handed Dorian the kite, told him to throw it up when the wind came and run. It was funny. He was trying so hard. Then the kite started to rip. A nice boy came by and helped us tape it up. Then another boy came and showed Dorian how to fly the kite. And, there is a true technique that I have never known or mastered. Dorian helped out by holding the string, letting it out and bringing it in when necessary. It was great to see all the kids working together to fly the kite. Then, it got stuck in a tree and ripped. I looked at Dorian to see if there were tears or sadness...but he just took his broken kite, looked at me and said, "Mama, I'm going to to make another one..."

And he's off...

The repairs begin:

Teamwork, three boys holding the string:

Playing chase:

Money changers

2011-01-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

On my parents' recent trip to Delhi they found themselves in a money predicament. My mom, having arrived before my papa, quickly discovered that her debit card was not working. Upon checking with their bank, they were informed that the bank ceased all card transactions in India because of fraud issues. Okay, so we've been here about a year and a half and have never had a problem (knock on wood, fingers crossed). But, imagine my mom's surprise when she found this out even after she had let the bank know that they would be traveling to India. Anyway, when my father arrived he brought traveler's checks. I know! I haven't used traveler's checks in over a decade!! With the checks in hand, we set out to find a place to change them. I looked online and realized that among the five or so places recommended by American Express, there was one just near us...at the United Nations...? We thought we'd give it a try. The security guards were nice and let me speak to the person at the money changing office. And, he nicely gave us permission to enter with visitors' badges. Another very nice person directed to the office. The man at the money changing office said that normally he doesn't do this for non-UN people, so I guess it was our lucky day. Plus, he gave us a good exchange rate and wished us a Merry Christmas. All in all our money changing trip to the UN made a our boring task much more exciting.

A Second in India

2011-01-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

A year has already gone by since Arthur's first birthday in India. And, just the other day my little baby turned two. He is no longer a baby so in proper big boy fashion, we had a party for him. Some of Arthur's school friends and their parents joined us for a brunch and puppet show. The kids loved it! And, luckily the weather has warmed and we could all enjoy being outside without coats on.

Arthur's still not sure what this whole cake thing with candles is...but I think by next year, he'll get it!

Kasauli and the Himalayan foothills

2011-01-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

Sixty kilometers up the Himalayan foothills from Chandigarh is a tiny village called Kasauli. I was told is was a nice place to visit and see a bit of the mountains. I was told it would take one hour then, when asked at the hotel in Chandigarh, was told it could take up to one and a half hours. It took us a good two hours. Once you leave the outskirts of Chandigarh and start making your way up the mountainous road, the road becomes so small you wonder how it can be for those coming and going. And, then when you turn off the main road, the road that takes you to Kasauli for the final 12 km is even tinier. Luckily, no one was carsick and we made it there and back in one piece. Kasauli was not as charming as I had hoped and/or envisioned, but it was a huge breath of fresh mountain air and a beautiful view of the Himalayas. We even saw one snow-capped mountain, which was very exciting since my boys have never really experienced snow.

At the market:

She wanted my mom to stay and knit a design with her, but the boys stomachs were rumbling for lunch:

This was an exciting part of our journey back...never have we seen so many sheep!

The Rock Garden

2011-01-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

The Rock Garden in Chandigarh is an amazing maze of broken plates, ceramic pots, old bits of bangles and any other pieces its creator, Nek Chand, came across during his lifelong job as a road inspector. He began construction of the garden illegally in 1973 and when the city found out, incredibly, they started giving Mr. Chand a salary so he could continue his work. It is now 25 acres.

Le Corbusier in Chandigarh

2011-01-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

When I was finishing up my Masters many, many years ago, I decided for fun to do a course in architecture. I love architecture and architectural history. And, I like Le Corbusier. Form follows function, what can be better than than?

The history of Le Corbusier and Chandigarh is very interesting and I don't have the time or space to write it here, but you can read about it here: http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5082/

We visited the main buildings--the Secretariat, the Legislative Assembly and the High Court. The buildings are huge and impressive and a big change from more traditional forms of Indian architecture that we've seen. Unfortunately, these buildings, like most, require a certain amount of upkeep that seemed to be lacking in our visit. And, the buildings have vast public spaces surrounding them that have been left to the dogs--quite literally.

The road to Chandigarh is very good. When people say it takes four hours, it really does:

And, halfway between Delhi and Chandigarh is a MacDonalds. I never ever thought I'd be a parent taking may kids there...but...they had this cool train:

Now before visiting any of the buildings, you must go to the department of tourism and get a special permit. It's free, but bring your passport and a little patience. It took us a little under an hour.

The Legislative building:

Inside the Legislative building, well, we weren't allowed to take photos inside. But, we were fortunate to have the Haryana Assembly chamber unlocked for us to visit. It is an amazing space with patterned skylights and modern tapestries decorating the wall.

Outside the Legislative building:

Back side, public space, now home to stray dogs:

View of Secretariat:

The Open Hand monument near the High Court:

High Court:

I've heard that the buildings and city planning are a source of pride for the people of Chandigarh, but I've also heard the opposite. In any case, having studied this many years ago, for me it is a privilege to be in India and to be able to visit Chandigarh.

Do over...

2011-01-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

I don't usually let myself regret anything. My thinking is either things happen for a reason and/or we learn from what happens and it betters us for the future. That said, I do have one regret of 2010. I wish I could do over Christmas night...

You see, a few weeks ago, we were very kindly invited to an Indian wedding. I was so surprised and honored. And, very happy because since arriving here 16 months ago I have heard so many things about weddings in India and I was so wanting to take part in such an amazing event. So, Christmas night we got all dressed up (even my parents were invited once our friends found out they were in town) minus X because he offered to stay home with poor sick boy Arthur. And, I thought it'd be a good idea for Dorian to come--he was specifically invited and I had it in my head that this would be a great experience for him, plus he really wanted to go, too. As for myself, I had even debated staying home with my sick little one (maternal heartstrings being pulled) but in the end decided that I'd only stay for a bit and just couldn't miss out--especially, when the white horse showed up to take the groom to the wedding then the drummers arrived followed by the fire shooters. We were told by several people to take our time getting there because most people arrive a bit late and things take a while to get started. We arrived about forty minutes after the time on the invitation and, apparently, we missed out on something. The wedding couple was standing on the stage wearing their garlands greeting people and having photos taken. Maybe we missed the ceremony? We did see a beautifully decorated space filled with gorgeously dressed people. Unfortunately, with a sick boy at home and with a 4.5 year old in tow who is usually asleep by 8pm, we didn't stay too long.

I wish we could have seen what happens after the photos and the dinner (I've been told more ceremonies and dancing). And, in talking with the groom's mother a few days after the wedding, I found out that the Prime Minister was in attendance as well as some well known ministers....oh boy, do I wish I could go back to that night! I would have left my boy at home where he could have slept and stayed warm, brought a warm wrap for myself because wearing a silk sari on a cold winter's night even with outdoor heaters is freezing (!) and stayed to enjoy all the wedding festivities.

I guess I can't let myself regret this too much. If we are ever fortunate once more and, at some unexpected moment, receive another wedding invitation, at least I'll know to leave the kids at home and show up on time and bring a wrap!

Decorations

2011-01-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

In the time leading up to Christmas, Dorian was most excited about putting up decorations. He loved drawing Christmas trees with stockings and presents and putting them up all over the house. Then one afternoon I came home to to see what Dorian had been working on with his papa:

I do love how lights look on the outside of houses during the holiday season, but if you saw our electrical wiring, like me, you wouldn't dare add to the chaos of wires inside our fuse box--especially after having lost electricity the previous week and the electrician offering to "borrow" some electricity, which we kindly refused. So, inspired by our recent trip to the flower market, we put strands of flowers up:

And, the final touch was Dorian's flower path leading to our door to make sure Santa would know which way to go:

The next day, we woke in amazement to see this beautiful decoration outside, in honor of the neighbor's upcoming wedding:

It's not the usual holiday lights we're so used to, but was beautiful, saved electricity and put us all in the holiday spirit.

At the NGMA

2011-01-01T08:48:00.000-08:00

I had seen the posters around town advertising for the Anish Kapoor exhibit at the National Gallery of Modern Art. And, I knew that my parents were both fans of his work. Not being too familiar with his art, I was looking forward to going to the exhibition during my parents' visit. And, we were not disappointed! Even the boys enjoyed seeing his amazing art creations. It's on through January, so if you're in Delhi, check it out. You can read more here: http://ngmaindia.gov.in/ce_anish-kapoor-exh.asp

Also, a visit to the New Wing is definitely worth it. There were so many paintings of all subjects and styles and it was hard to see them all since the empty galleries were perfect for two little boys to explore...at a running pace!

Flower market

2010-12-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

Knowing my mom would be here and that she likes markets and flowers, I asked our driver if he knew of a good flower market. I have heard of the Mehrauli flower market and asked him about it, too, but he said he knew of a better one up by Connaught Place. So, early one morning we set off.

We saw this on the way and knew we were headed in the right direction:

Flowers everywhere:

150 roses for 200 rupees ($4), too bad I don't have enough vases...

Christmas in Delhi

2010-12-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

Like people all over the world who celebrate Christmas, we have been busy this past week in preparation for the big day!

Decorating the tree:

Making cookies:

And, the boys recently had a chance to see Santa, security was tight:

I hope Arthur's not scarred for life:

Dorian made a drawing for Santa:

Happy Holidays to you!!

A street transformed...

2010-12-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

You never know what you will come across on the streets of Delhi. I always say expect the unexpected and this was truly the case last week. Our neighbor and then later our driver told us about a festival and procession that would be taking place on the street bordering our neighborhood to the south. We drove by in the morning and saw men setting up their food stands and huge caldron-like pots to prepare the food. Then in the afternoon, my mom, the boys and I walked with our driver to check out the festivities.

This procession, in honor of the mourning of Muharram, commemorates the death of Hussain, the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

These beautifully decorated funeral biers were buried in the graveyard just on the other side of the street after the procession.

Apparently, flagellation is usually part of this commemoration but luckily for us, especially my boys, we only saw these sweet faces:

School outing to the zoo

2010-12-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

Arthur's school recently had a trip to the zoo. It was so fun! We road in electric cars all around the zoo, hopping on and off to get a closer look. We were amazed when we stopped in front of the giraffes and elephants that they came up to get a closer look at us. And, when the zebra peeked out of his little house and we cheered, he ran up to the fence doing a little dance. I'd never seen that before and, of course, didn't have my camera ready to get a shot of the dancing zebra. We were serenaded by singing monkeys and awed by the white tiger. Here are some photos of the animals, okay two animal photos, and much more:

Hello there!

Love these signs:

Electric car:

Cute school kids:

The white tiger:

Beautiful Old Fort overlooking the zoo:

Which way is the way out?

Snack time!

A week of new things...

2010-12-17T00:00:00.000-08:00

Seeing a president and his first lady:

An invitation to an Indian wedding:

And, of course, tea time i.e. they are actually getting along:

Nana's here!

2010-12-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

A mere five days after returning from our fun trip away at Jim Corbett, my mom aka nana arrived. The build up has been going on for weeks and she could not get here soon enough. It's just too bad that it takes about ten days to get over the jet lag because the boys are always ready to go, Go, GO!!!

These two photos are the only times the boys have sat still since she arrived...

Village walk

2010-12-12T06:44:00.000-08:00

Our last evening at our hotel near the Jim Corbett reserve, we opted for the village walk instead of the forest one. I figured that, even if we might see a tiger, I didn't want to push our luck i.e. safety being on foot with our little boys. And, with all the beautiful, happy faces we saw mixed with the cows and other animals along the way, I think we made the right choice.

Dorian insists that he is the guide (with the guide):

Sorting rice:

Making cheese:

Beautiful ending to a lovely walk:

Jeep Safari at Jim Corbett

2010-12-09T07:42:00.000-08:00

No, we did not see any tigers. But, we had a great time in the reserve with the wind in our hair (even if it was cold), the fresh air filling our lungs, beautiful scenery and a few animals.

Nature Walk

2010-12-02T01:13:00.000-08:00

Stepping out of the car after our long ride to Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve from Delhi was like a breath of fresh air, no it was a breath of fresh air. We were greeted by friendly hotel staff, taken to our family cottage then served a nice warm lunch. We explored the grounds--rabbits and roosters for the kids to see--then went for a foot safari in the nearby forest. I was a bit leery doing this nature walk with possible tigers with my little boys...but, I figured our guide would know how to protect them, right? Some highlights...

The rabbits:

Our wonderful nature walk guide:

Our very first tiger paw print:

Arthur tries to make tracks with his friend:

Checking out tiger claw marks:

Hurrying back across the riverbed (where we had previously spied some jackals) to the hotel before nightfall:

A long and bumpy road...

2010-11-28T07:24:00.000-08:00

We recently set off for a Thanksgiving weekend road trip. A mere 300km trip from point A to point B that took a good seven hours because of bumpy roads and traffic in all shapes and sizes. The journey was not dull, here are some scenes:

Ready, set, go!!

Stuck behind a truck load of cows:

Stuck behind a horse and carriage:

Another truck load of cows:

Crossing the Ganges:

A wedding celebrations begins:

This looks like trash but it's actually a massive area where plastics are pulled for recycling, by hand:

A woman carrying a pile of cow patties:

And our reward...a beautiful sunset among eucalyptus, teak and banyan trees at our hotel near the Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve in the state of Uttarakhand.

A happy...

2010-11-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

So I took a visiting friend to Dilli Haat. I really like Dilli Haat. It's an outdoor handicrafts market that rotates its vendors every two weeks or so. It often has a special theme revolving around a specific state's handicrafts or, as we discovered on Friday, to promote awareness for a social cause. The cause was for the welfare of children and women. There were the usual vendors of scarves, shoes, beautiful embroidered tops, jackets and linens. What was new were the woolens--sweaters, hats, scarves, the cutest little slippers--and the conference area where there were tons of teenagers discussing and listening to lectures. But, the thing that caught my eye and stopped me in my tracks was

It was positioned just next to the exit and when we walked by a young woman was sitting in front of the sign taking notes. I wonder how many other people stopped to read the sign before leaving.

Peacock family

2010-11-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

On the lawn surrounding X's office, there are many things...an old tennis court that nobody uses, a huge pile of leaves with an old bicycle or two thrown in, wide open grass, flowers and big shady trees. There is also a peacock family that I spied briefly the other day.

I was so excited to see the papa with his beautiful blue neck:

Than a little further away, I saw this mama with her two babies:

Such a nice surprise. Can you imagine such beautiful creatures at your place of work?

'Tis the season...

2010-11-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

Around this time of year in Delhi the melas begin. Melas usually have handicrafts of all shapes, sizes and varieties from clothes to art to decorations to carpets to jewelry. At the end of October I went to the Dastkar Mela. It was amazing. It was overwhelming. It was....well, I'm just planning on saving all my pennies for next year. In addition to all the beautiful clothes and crafts, there was food to eat, music and dance to watch and even some art activities for the kids. This is one mela that should not be missed (and, if I understood correctly, I think all proceeds benefit charitable organizations and/or the workers themselves). I arrived not in the mood to shop and left because I ran out of money...

This was just one small part:

Kids doing some crafts:

Saturday outing

2010-11-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

We have been in Delhi for 15 months now and I still feel like we're setting up house. We have the basics, but we need to make it feel like home--a few personal touches, a few photos and a few more pieces of furniture. I was intrigued by a friend who told me about a place she went just outside Delhi where there were huge rooms filled with all kinds of furniture and decoration. I convinced X to go, so we left Saturday morning for a furniture hunting adventure. Our driver knew exactly where it was so it didn't take too long to get there. There were at least three huge, warehouse size rooms like this:

and these are just a tiny view...

Then there were these light fixtures:

And cool decorations:

Dorian found something for his room...

And, Arthur found a doggie to love:

We did not buy the chair for Dorian or the doggie for Arthur, but I think we found some nice and unique pieces of furniture for our house-soon-to-be home.

A few moments...

2010-11-12T04:45:00.000-08:00

For me as a mother, there are a few moments that are so important and precious that not only define my experience as a mother but are also the hightlights of this whole journey in motherhood. The day my sons were born and when each of them first said "mama" or walked for the first time are the obvious landmark moments, but sometimes it's the little unexpected things that make just as big an impression. The other day I was carrying Arthur down the hall to his room when he wrapped his little arms around my neck and gave me the biggest squeeze and a wet sloppery kiss. And, then there's yesterday when Dorian, who has been busy these past weeks writing his name over and over again on paper, showed me this:

He wrote me name for the first time! I know it's not really a big deal but I thought it was just so sweet...then he decorated it:

And, nothing warms my heart more than seeing them doing an activity together...in peace:

I think after over a year of being here, the boys are in a good place--enjoying school, enjoying the neighborhood and sometimes enjoying each other. Things take time!

A Diwali walk...

2010-11-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

As the booms and cracks exploded around us, we set our diyas out and lit them.The boys could hardly contain their excitement.

So, we decided to go for a walk to look at the lights:

The workers of this building put candles out making a construction site look quite nice:

Wow:

Visiting our friend's house, rangoli and sparklers:

And a spinning sparkler:

Back home, finishing off the evening with the guards and a spinning sparkler of our own:

Diwali prep...

2010-11-05T05:15:00.000-07:00

If you could here the firecrackers exploding throughout the neighborhood, and no doubt all of Delhi, you would know it's Diwali, the festival of lights. It's one of the most important holidays in India. Yesterday the neighbor was out in the morning decorating the entry and walkway with paint in colors of red, green, white and yellow. Dorian even recognized the painted diyas, the candles lit at night to represent the triumph of good over evil. Then, later the same day, the boys and I were outside playing but they were quickly distracted and stood watching as more decorations were being laid out -- this time rangoli.

I asked what they used to put in the stensil and the man told me it was ground wood chips that were dyed different colors.

The boys were fascinated.

I love this, the footprint of Lakshmi, to bring wealth and prosperity into the house.

The finished rangoli.

Happy Diwali!

Boo!

2010-11-01T09:48:00.000-07:00

Having fond memories of Halloween when I was young, I always wanted my children to have the opportunity to dress up in costume and eat loads of candy. But, living in France, or rather in overseas France, these past few years we never really had an opportunity. Last year, our first Halloween in Delhi, we were very lucky to be invited to a friend's neighborhood for some trick or treating, which was great fun once Dorian understood the whole concept. He didn't even really want to dress up but he did like getting the goods. This year, however, was very different. We had a plethora of activity and mulitple costume changes for Dorian. As you may have noticed with my previous post, we bought 30 pumpkins for a Halloween costume and crafts party. It was great fun--lots of kids in costumes, lots of pumpkin painting,ghost and bat-making and pumpkin mask-making and Dorian went as a policeman.

Ghost scaring ghost with his friend:

Then there was the trick or treating with Arthur's school. Dorian was lucky to be invited along since his school was on holiday.

Black cat and astronaut:

Finally, Saturday evening Dorian and I went to a huge Halloween bash at hosted by one of the schools. There were games, music and food to be had but his favorite was the bouncy castle.

Or was it the elephant:

He's not squinting, but winking. He's been practicing all week and has it down!

Looking for pumpkins...

2010-10-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

I've been helping organize a Halloween costume and crafts party for the little ones and my most recent mission has been to find pumpkins. Mini pumpkins. I had a tip that there were some at Moti Bagh market:

We found some pumpkins but they were not mini enough (you can see them on the ground behind the bicycle). And so we headed for another market and when I told our driver that we'd need about thirty of them, he took us straight to Okhla fruit and vegetable market where you can buy things in bulk. It was quite an experience, especially with Arthur and Dorian in tow:

Potatoes across the floor:

A truck load of oranges:

Working our way through the narrow paths of the market with our driver and Arthur taking the lead:

Stopping to see a man make paan:

(here's a quick and simplified description of paan: a mix of shredded nut, a red paste called katha, part of lime called chuna, sweet spices called mitha masala and chewing tabacco called zarda. paan is kept on the inside of the cheek and chewed slowly and the juice is often spit out)

Stopping to see the cows eating leftovers:

And, finally the pumpkins:

They were mini enough--about 2 kilos per pumpkin--and Dorian had had enough:

But Arthur made a friend:

Rickshaw Driver...

2010-10-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

The boys and I went with some friends to our neighborhood playground. One of our friends didn't want to walk, so Dorian put him on the back of his bike and they were off...halfway there, Dorian turns to me with a big smile and says "mama, I'm a rickshaw driver!!" I doubt he would have had this thought if we were living anywhere else but India. I love that.

Monkey about town...

2010-10-20T21:44:00.001-07:00

Why is it that I never ever get tired of seeing the monkeys that live in Delhi? This one was particularly road savvy:

Water Filter...

2010-10-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

In my opinion, this is quite possibly the most important thing in our house, a reverse osmosis water purifier with ultra filtration process. It is the only direct source of filtered water, other than buying bottled water, that we have for drinking, cooking with and bathing Arthur (since he's too young to understand not to put water in his mouth). Yes, he has a bath/shower in the kitchen sink. We have it cleaned every three months, as we're supposed to, but suddenly about a month ago it stopped working. Frustration. I called the company to send a technician who showed up within 24 hours. It worked for a few hours then stopped again...this happened two more times then we left for France. When we came back, of course, it was still not working. I bought a box of bottled water then called the company again to send the technician. By this time our warranty had run out and all the parts needed to be replaced. All in all it's not that big of a deal, just a hassle for what is so important and for what I no longer take for granted.

Empty Streets

2010-10-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

I never ever thought I'd see the day when we were one of the only cars on a Delhi street. But, on the last day of the Commonwealth Games when all the shops, schools (except Dorian's school, of course!), mall, cinemas and restaurants were closed as were many major streets, we had Delhi to ourselves. Because of all the closures, I only left the house to pick up Dorian from school and this is what I saw:

Amazing!