Photos

Here are some photos from our first week in India!

https://picasaweb.google.com/105040088199373549983/India?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCIPywda_66jw1QE&feat=directlink

Henry

I have only cried once over living in India.  We needed to leave and I NEEDED a shower and the water wasn't heated yet and I took a freezing cold shower and I cried.  It only lasted about 30 seconds and I got out of there pretty quickly.  I have tried my best to look on the bright side of things and see everything as funny even if it's incredibly frustrating.

But then there's Henry...I have cried many many times over Henry.  I held up a picture of him to Oliver and asked him, "Who is this?" That was all it took.  We Skyped with Henry last night and the water works started again.  Saying goodbye to Henry broke my heart.  We had to leave a family member  behind and it didn't (still doesn't) seem fair.  True, he would never survive the flights or the quarantine but I wonder how he is rationalizing living at my father-in-law's without us.

There are hundreds of stray dogs around here, but rabies is quite prevalent so there is absolutely no contact to be had with them.  Oliver looks at them and I wonder if he is remembering our darling dog.  I take heart knowing that Henry is great company for Chuck and that he is being loved and cared for but I still can't help feeling he should be with us.  I miss his snuggles, his quirks, the way he was so protective of me and Oliver.  He would be going crazy over the monkeys and the constant visitors, but he would be with us...his family.  I hope he doesn't forget Oliver and is thrilled to see us upon return.  Until then, we will keep looking at his photos and talking to Oliver about him. I heard the head of school has a Golden Retriever.  I am going to see if we can have a doggie play date.  I don't want Oliver to forget about how great dogs are or become fearful of them while we are gone.

Oh, and the picture above is Henry about to eat a "Doggie Dish" (soft serve and milk bones) from a food stand in Maine last summer. xo

Traveler's you-know-what...

Here we are... all healthy and happy!

Monkeys!

On our way to the school today we encountered a large troupe of Rhesus monkeys.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhesus_Macaque

That was the opportunity Andy chose to tell me they are not afraid of women and that I should use my umbrella to protect me and Oliver.  Awesome.  They won't hurt us, they are just looking for food.  Every one of Andy's students has a story of how these monkey's have pushed them down and stollen what they were eating.  When Andy told them we don't have monkey's in America the whole class said: "You're so LUCKY!!!!" :)  These monkeys also got into the school office, ransacked it, and stole a bunch of food!

Yesterday Oliver and I were walking up our little mountain and came within about two meters (look who's using metric now!) of a Langur.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_langur Oliver was excited, kicking his legs and squealing and he sent the monkey scrambling back up the tree!  These are completely harmless and disinterested in us and so gorgeous as they swing in the trees through the mist.

Life here sure is wild! I will post some pics of our animal neighbors once I find my camera cords.  

xo,

Lindsey

First Impressions

Oliver and I created quite a stir in the Abu Dhabi airport.  If you ever want to feel like stares could bore a hole straight through you, nurse your baby in an Arabian country.  I was completely covered and in a corner but I felt we should have been hiding in a bathroom stall.  Once that was over, Oliver and I drew a crowd as he played on the floor.  Not only was he the fairest and youngest person on the flight, but he was the only person with blue eyes. Burka-ed women encircled us, speaking words I did not understand but in tones that were all baby-talk. His poor cheeks were red from all the pinching.  Oliver  had better prepare himself to be the star of the show wherever we go.  I have even had women we have encountered on the road lift his arms up out of the Ergo and shake and kiss his hands.  Boundaries with babies are not established here.

When we landed in Delhi, Andy picked us up with a driver.  We rode to the home of Vikram and Sonya, two parents with children at Woodstock.  I couldn't believe they would open their home up to complete strangers the way they did. They were so kind and fed us so well and gave us plenty of Whiskey.   Turns out, this is not uncommon in India.  We have been asked to dinner countless times and been brought dinner the past two nights.  I am wondering if I will ever cook here.  Indian hospitality seems limitless.

The next day we left for Woodstock with our driver. I am not joking when I say that there were several times when I thought we weren't going to make it.  People on the roads lay on the horn and pass each other within a centimeter (like how I am using metric now?) of their lives. The narrow, child/cow/biker filled roads did not seem to matter; HONK HONK move it or truly lose it! So happy we will not be driving or biking ourselves here, don't think my heart could take it. Indian concern for others when it comes to the roads seems non-existant.

I am still processing what exactly we are doing here and where Oliver and I fit in.  But my first impressions of this place make me think we are going to be just fine.  Especially if we keep getting Dal delivered to our door every night.

We made it!

What a long strange trip it's been...Oliver was the best traveling companion I could ever hope for.  He was such a trooper on our long LOOOOOONG flights.  We just got to our apartment in Mussoorie a couple of hours ago after staying in Delhi last night.  I am exhausted in my bones.  My hair is tired.  But we are together and it's fantastic.  More to come when I am clear-headed.

Keep calm and carry on

People like to come up to me these days, cock their head sympathetically and ask, "How ARE you?"  As if I may break down sobbing in front of them because my husband is in India.  The truth is, I am fine.  I truly am.  I am not great, not sad, not horrible...just fine.  I am handling things; getting things accomplished and taking care of Oliver.  I handled it when I dropped Andy off at the airport and had to drive back to the city. I handled it when I had to go back to our apartment and clean it out by myself.  I handled it when Oliver had a super-sonic blow out on the way to Madison that required a full strip-down of him and a complete disassembly of our car seat to clean it.  I handled it when my father in law came to pick up Henry and take him away.
I am going to handle a 20+ hour flight with my baby, subsequent over night stay in Delhi and 7 our car drive to the school, I promise.  There is no other option, I have to handle things. Trust me though, when I say that this is not terribly difficult to handle.  I have a great kid, supportive parents and the chance to live in India for a year.  Handling two weeks without Andy, while not ideal, is possible. I miss him terribly, but this is good for me, this challenge of parenting on my own, traveling on my own.  So no more cocked-heads...I've got this.  Really.