Today is a Muslim holiday, Eid-Mubarak. I believe it's the celebration of the end of Hajj.
We spent the morning relaxing, talking, and having breakfast with Uncle Mamaya, Mom, and Dad. We talked about Uncle Mamaya's life in Oman. He invited us to come sometime. Muscat is apparently very modern, clean, and orderly, almost like any Western city, which explains why ex-pats growing up there may not want to leave.
We watched "American Idol" together. I've never watched this show, except once on someone's video tape. To think I had to come to India to see it for the first time.
Pastor "E" from SBF (a local church) dropped by for a chat. Dad and Uncle Mamaya talked about life as pastors. Pastor "E" has done some work with Ravi Zacharias. Actually, he kinda sounds like him. Later Uncle "R" (from Vizag....Mom's cousin who also married Mom's youngest sister) and Uncle from NZ dropped by. Listening to them talk about the faith community in India and abroad was fascinating to say the least. Pastor "E" said a prayer before he left.
"L" and I took a walk around. Small, A-frame squatter shacks dot the neighborhood. Barefoot children played outside in the shadow of small stores, farms, and a couple of Hindu temples. Two girls and a boy dressed in kung fu outfits practiced on a dirt field, perhaps awaiting their instructor (a sign off the road said kung fu lessons would be held there). The usual cows, chickens, stray dogs, stray cats, and pigs, of course. The sun was large, red, and soft. We took a few pix on the terrace.
