Taste of India

Welcome to India! This is Matthew and he'll be your tour guide during this short duration. In India, the British presence dates back to the early part of the seventeenth century and most signs are written in English and Hindi. English is the language of the government. The statue is of the deity Shiva Nataraj's dance that represents both the destruction and the creation of the universe and reveals the cycles of death, birth and rebirth. His Dance of Bliss is for the welfare of the world.

This is one of the most popular Indian restaurants - Burhara. Below was a simple meal of paneer (fried cheese with spices), prawns ( four to six inches long), dal (beans) and butter nan (flat bread). Matt said it was fantastic!

The cardinal rule of dining is to always use the right hand when eating or receiving food and never the left. The left hand is considered unclean.(Normally the left hand is used for cleaning oneself.)

Entering an embassy taxi is more challenging than it seems. Every car has a deity (GOD) placed on the front dashboard. The cars are small and despite the lines for three lanes of traffic, they make six lanes themselves continuously honking horns and merging into oncoming traffic. Thus, why they pray to their deities so frequently.

A woman carrying goods wearing a traditional sari.

The small car is called a rickshaw. There are motorized and bicycle rickshaws, which are quite useful when traveling short distances. Many areas have local grocers who get their carts and sell their goods through the neighborhoods daily.

These are some of the shanties. Because of the environment, the buildings fall into disrepair. These are homes and businesses of people who are fortunate. Many families live under a tarp and move as needed. Because of the recent floodings, many people are displaced and living on side of busy highways.

These are local schoolgirls wearing academy uniforms. Being able to attend school is a luxury for most children. Matt thinks the store in the background sells doors. He said there were nothing but used doors all around the building.

The Mughals brought with them a love for gardens, fountains and water. The Humayun's Tomb is the first mature example of Mughal architecture in India, Humayun's Tomb was built by the emperor's grieving widow, Haji Begum, in 1565 AD. Constructed with red sandstone and ornamented marks the beginning of a new tradition of ornate style. It shows a marked shift from the Persian tradition of using coloured tiles for ornamentation. The dome stands 140 feet from the base of the terrace and is topped with a copper pinnacle. In addition to the remains of Humayun, the complex also houses the grave of many other distinguished members of the Mughal dynasty.
This was just a taste of India, there will be more coming in May 2011.

First taste of India

The first taste of India. Matt is there on a conference right now and I thought I'd share a paragraph from the email he sent:
"Just as we got to Frankfurt my nose started running a little, this got worse and worse, with my throat starting to hurt. I am fine though, only got 4 hours of sleep last night because we have to get moving on the conference stuff this morning. Delhi is very humid, it is raining right now and very overcast. It was 80 degrees when we arrived last night, and I suppose it will stay between 80-90 degrees the whole time we are here. Right now i am writing to you from a luxurious very well appointed room, with a tissue stuffed up my nose, looking out over a ridiculously impoverished landscape of shanti homes, apartments, and greenery. Amazing because we are in the diplomatic district were all the rich live...this is very interesting and I cant wait to get out and see some of the town."

Gizdich Ranch

We headed out to Gizdich Ranch for an apple picking good time. Evan and I had a great time with his pre-school class. Lilly and Bob gave us a warm welcome. They sang and played the guitar for the kids. One little boy went up to Bob and asked if he was German (noted for his short stocky features with blue eyes). We had a good laugh because kids aren't afraid to tell you what's on their mind. We had a nice picnic with a play area of hay tunnels, mazes and farm equiptment. Each child picked a bucket of apples (twisting not pulling). They were able to see where the apples were washed, rode the convayer belt, placed in the hammer (for chopping), down to the press placed on "pillows" to squeeze the juice, through the ultraviolet lights to kill the bacteria and bottled. Bob asked the group what they thought the most important step was (correct answer: ultraviolet step) and a child said the most important was the bottle so he could drink the juice. We couldn't leave there with out getting a few pies. I have to tell you that the Olallieberry pie was out of this world. (Olallieberry is a cross between black, logan and young berry from Oregon) Amazing and I think I'll make another trip soon.

Connor starting Kindergarten

My little Connor started kindergarten this month. We spent the day before making banana bread for his class. His first day of school they made Lavender wands to use in his classroom. Not only does it smell good, it helps keep the pain away from the "ouwees". The evening held a meeting of the teachers. Each teacher dressed up in costume and did an improv of what their plans were for the upcoming year. Waldorf schools are so inspiring.

Rodeo

We went to the rodeo in Mesquite, TX our last night. We started the night with a big BQ dinner. The little boys rode ponys and Logan was able to enter a contest of catch the calf. (He's in the green shirt in the middle. Can't you see him? LOL) They released two calves with ribbons on their tails and the kids were suppose to remove the ribbon for a prize. He caught the calf but didn't get the ribbon. They also had "mutton bustin'" for young children to hold on to a sheep and ride as long as possible. Next time we go, Evan and Connor want to try. The night was a huge success with clowns, barrel racing, horse and bull riding. It was a adventure we hope to do again.

Aquarena Center in San Marcos, TX

We visited the Aquarena Center in San Marcos, TX. We spendt the morning walking around wonders found at the Wetlands in San Marcos River and Spring Lake. There was a small aquarium at the center and were able to see the Endangered Species Exhibit. There was an old submarine where scuba divers were in training. We finished up our morning on a elegant, handmade, glass-bottom boat. We toured areas 30 feet deep of crystal clear water. It appeared the silt was fizzling as tiny bubbles escaped the aquifer floor. The children were mesmerized by the turtles and different fish meandering about.