Happy B'day

Today is S. b'day. Fortunately we had the day off, so we could go into the city and explore a bit. We went to a Brazilian restaurant for lunch. The food is great and the price is quite reasonable - S. enjoyed it and it's one of my favorite places to eat out here.

After, we walked to a park commemorating martyrs. It was actually quite large and we weren't able to explore all of it, but it's definitely something to go back to and/or take friends. The park consisted of a children's play area, paths going everywhere, birds in cages, a lake with peddle boats, pavilions, memorials, and flowers, shrubs, and trees of all kinds. There were several people playing Chinese chess, cards, doing Tai-Chi, playing cards, reading, a couple people were being instructed in some kind of sword tai-chi performance and we even saw one person jogging. It was pretty fun, but we had to leave early since it was a bit cold (though not windy) and got dark rather quickly.

Happy Birthday, honey!

Thanks, sweetie!

A bit on the Martyrs' Memorial Gardens --- it cost rmb 3 each to enter. The gardens, I learned, commemorate the 5000 or so Communists who were killed by Nationalists on December 1927 during the failed Autumn Harvest Uprising. Many of the dead are buried under a large, grassy mound. The park consisted of a childrens play area, a roller rink, paths going everywhere, birds in cages, a lake with peddle boats, pavilions, memorials, and flowers, shrubs, and trees of all kinds. Elderly folks were everywhere playing Chinese chess, cards, or doing tai chi. A nice, tranquil place to bring the family. Still, to have it all found over the site of a massively bloody uprising was kinda weird, if one thought about it enough. Imagine, if you will, a roller rink on American Civil War memorial battlegrounds. The weather cooperated a bit, with no rain or wind, just overcast.

like-minded folks

This morning, we taxied over to the GICF, an international fellowship for ex-pat Christians. It's quite a colorful gathering, with people from Asia, North America, Europe, and Africa there. You'll find on their website what they're all about and even sermon outlines and recordings. After service, many of us gather for a buffet one floor below....a great deal at 20 rmb (about $2.25).

This evening we had dinner with several like-minded folks associated with our university. It was pretty cool. I'm sure it was much more fun (and comprehensible) for S. conversing in the native tongue, i was pretty much lost most of the time, despite the occassional interpretation. But it was still a good time of fellowship. We were meeting to discuss a time of regular fellowship.

We are also back in our flat on the other campus - back to reality... We've spent the last few days on the main campus because it's been freezing here and the power has been out in our flat for the entire week.

School is supposed to start tomorrow, but i have neither schedule nor textbooks - this should be fun...

Maybe some of you wonder what passes for TV entertainment here in China. Well, Guangzhou is lucky in that it gets "Pearl" and "ATV" from Hong Kong. This probably isn't so in provinces outside Guangdong. So we get to watch "Late Night with David Letterman" a lot. He comes on every night on ATV, but comes on twice on Saturday. They love him in Guangdong, apparently. We also get NBA basketball. It's pretty popular here, of course in large part to Yao Ming. They play a lot of Houston Rockets games on CCTV - Channel 5, a kind of ESPN for China. Non-Rocket games get aired as well. There are several other CCTV stations here as well, all with different types of programming. Much of Chinese TV consists of Chinese soap operas (modern and classical), game shows, variety shows, old opera, and sports.

Going bananas

So, day before yesterday we tried to buy some bananas. The banana lady was squatting up on a flower bed wall type thing, and when she saw us come up to her cart, she got off and climbed on the bike, that the cart was mounted on, and drove off. It was the strangest thing. And then the little "meat on a stick" guy next to her hopped on his bike and drove off quick and the phone card lady next to them got up and started gathering her things. Upon inquiry, she said something about the "restaurant police" and how it was time to get out of there. I guess they didn't like "vagabond" vendors. (Our phone card lady had been there over a year...but i guess she was vagabond) So, we lost our bananas...

We continued walking toward the taxi stand, when we heard a voice behind us...it was the banana lady again! In hurried gestures, she motioned us over and pointed to the bananas, all the time making furtive glances over our shoulders to see if the "police" would emerge. I looked at S. with the "well, how many illegal bananas do we want?" look. I didn't have time to make up my mind, because the "police" must have showed up. Before i could react, right there, in the middle of another "banana-money" exchange she grabbed the bananas from my hand and darted off...

There are banana vendors everywhere, we just never know which ones carry the "legit" bananas and which are just a cart ready to escape at the sign of "restaurant police".

PS: The next day, the banana lady was back at her original post as if nothing had happened. She smiled at us as we walked by...we looked around for any moving vehicles in the vicinity. With amazing subtlety and speed, the bananas were picked, weighed and the money exchanged. They tasted good...we'll be back...

...same bat channel

Continued from the last entry...

[LAST PARAGRAPH - The power was turned on early the next morning (2:00 a.m.) which delighted us (it doesn't take much) only to be turned off again by 8 a.m. and lasting the rest of the day. It was pretty miserable that morning...we tried to get things done, but with no heat whatsoever and whatever candles availble being used at a pretty quck rate, we had no choice but to quit and...]

...call for help. Which we did - to the international office on the main campus. I must have sounded pretty pathetic, i know i looked it, so they took pity on us and put us up at some guest flats they have on the main campus. Hooray!!! We were very excited (me mostly) since we'd heard that there'd been heating there, and it was confirmed by other teachers.

So, that night...be turned the aircon on to the "heating" option, only to learn that the guestrooms didn't have that available. It was once again a miserable night! I couldn't get the chills to leave my body and i lay there for hours, just shaking, while poor S. tried desperately to do everything in his power to keep me warm. It was a very long night...

Things are a bit better now. The weather did warm up for a couple days, although it's a bit colder again. We've bought several hot water bottles and are wearing a few layers of clothing. We'll have to leave the "guestroom" tomorrow and return to our flat. We still have all that unpacking and cleaning to do, but we're off to a good start. (We went back a couple days ago and cleaned the balcony - it looked lovely when we left it) We're pondering swapping flats to one downstairs, haven't fully decided yet. We're to take a look at it sometime next week, so we'll see...

Classes start Monday. I had a meeting with my department to get the textbooks and schedules...it was a short meeting, since they had neither. Ahhh...it's good to be back =D So, i'm supposed to start day after tomorrow, but i don't know where, when and how...

Tune in to find out how i pulled it off, or IF i did...

in Guangzhou

Well, we've finally made it to Guangzhou and found an internet cafe here...

Hope you've enjoyed our updates so far, especially S' experiences and perspectives thereunto in India.

We were hoping to spend this week unpacking and cleaning up our flat, but that is all on hold right now. It's been absolutely frigid this week, from the time we arrived into Guangzhou until now. Unpacking was been pretty awful, since every few minutes i'd have to go stand by the glorified blowdryer we were given, to thaw out my toes and fingers. S. was lovely during the whole thing...he lit all the candles that were available and tried to keep things as warm as possible. I was freezing, of course. A few days later, our power was shut off and has been shut off since. We still have no clear idea why, but have received several theories...none of which are encouraging as to when we'll get the power back.

We were able to barely endure one day...and spent most of it in front of a candle trying to warm our hands or heating water over the stove for the couple hot water bottles that we had. After about 5 p.m. it got pretty dark, so we had the added burden of providing light as well...needless to day we went to bed fairly early the first night (around 7:30) with nothing else to do.

The power was turned on early the next morning (2:00 a.m.) which delighted us (it doesn't take much) only to be turned off again by 8 a.m. and lasting the rest of the day. It was pretty miserable that morning...we tried to get things done, but with no heat whatsoever and whatever candles availble being used at a pretty quck rate, we had no choice but to quit and...

Oops...have to go...

If you want to know more...check at the same bat channel, same bat time???

Farewell, India

Our last day in India. :-( How time flies!

We spent the morning packing everything up, while watching the final episode of "The Amazing Race".

Dad and I scootered to a gift shop near "5th Avenue Bakery" to pick up 3 roses and a card for Mom and "L", being Valentine's Day and all.

At home, Dad prayed for "L", My sister, and I. We bid everyone good-bye and climbed into the city cab, which was 15 minutes late, making for some anxious moments.

The city cab took us on our last ride through Hyderabad. "L" argued about the driver asking for Rs. 3 extra for the bags, saying he was late, which should cancel it out. We didn't win.

At the terminal, the computer systems were down, so all airlines were processing boarding passes manually.

Dad and Mom waited for us in the designated waiting area, for which they paid Rs. 50 each to be there. The door to the outside pickup/dropoff curb was all that separated them from the waiting area, which showed how little those Rs. 50 got them. To boot, a waist-high metal rectangle barrier kept us from them and from being together. We could only talk from across the 10 or so feet separating us. We were allowed to step through the 10-feet-or-so space via a little pathway, but were still divided by the fence itself. I was rather put off by what appeared to be a shameless, pathetic way to make profit off parting people's emotions at the airport. Even so, we made the most of our last few minutes together.

We boarded the airplane, heading for Sri Lanka. It was a short 1.5 hour flight. It took much less time for us to get through the airport, after the bus carrying the deplaning passengers dropped us off at the terminal. The terminal was absent the tsunami relief activity that prevailed on our journey in. It took hardly any time to get our assignments at Blue Oceanic Hotel. The hotel van drove 20 minutes to the hotel. The same staff that met us there before were there to greet us again. They remembered us. I gave the bellhop a Rs. 100 tip (makeup for not giving him one the first time), after he led us to our room. After settling in, "L" and I went down to the beach. It was dark, save a few lights. The stars and night sky created an almost-canopy effect. A beached catamaran silhouetted itself against the faint, eerie glow of the ocean waves. It was beautiful.

Belated Merry Christmas, Hyderabad!

We arrived in Kuceguda (sp?) train station around 5:30 am. We got off the train and entered a sea of taxi drivers clamoring for our business (mainly to me, since I apparently stood out as the clueless foreigner in distress). Dad bargained for an Ambassador taxi for Rs. 250.

We got home, took bath, and got ready for church. My sister called. She is coming to church and to our home to spend the night.

Dad and I scootered ahead to SBF. We were one of the first there. We got ready for Sunday School. After a while, I went downstairs to wait for my sister, who was being dropped off by her hosts and had just come in from Ahmedbad. "L" and Mom arrived later by city cab with the computer and projector. My sister came shortly after.

Dad gave a sermon on Song of Solomon and on love. "L" gave a Powerpoint presentation on our work with the university.

In the afternoon, Dad, my sister, and I took a city cab to a church in the outskirts. Called "Sharon Church", it housed a group of 150 children waiting for gifts from Samaritan Purse. They were evenly split by gender, crammed in the small sanctuary. Most, if not all, were from poor backgrounds. The kids were quite well-behaved, in no small part to a few adults hovering over them with a long, wooden rod used to tap or intimidate kids into submission. A commissioner for customs was at hand to ensure the gifts were being given away. This was required since GMI (Gospel Mission for India) was exempted from paying millions of rupees in excise fees for the gifts because folks higher up were able to persuade customs that they would be given away and not sold. My sister and I gave short speeches, along with Dad and the commissioner. We took turns giving away the gifts to the children, ranging in ages 5-14. Only children whose parents gave written permission to receive the gifts were allowed in. The church had to close its gates to prevent unregistered children from coming in. This was done to ensure that the church was only giving to those who wanted it and wasn't forcing the gifts or the faith associated with it on its recipients (a sensitive issue in India). The kids were quite well-mannered throughout, even tho' the adults in charge wanted them to be more quiet. They sang loudly and enthusiastically, gave polite applause, and cheered/waved as we left.

We went home and got ready to go to the "A" family's home. "L", My sister, and I walked there. We had dinner and chatted. I had a good chat with Uncle "A". Responding to my questions about it, Uncle "A" explained how anti-conversion laws in India only prevented people of faith (mainly Christians) from forcing someone to convert, but it does not prevent an individual from choosing on their own to convert, so long as they sign a government document stating they are officially changing religions (usually done at baptism). He also explained that a law stating foreigners are not permitted to address a public gathering pertained mainly to proselytizing, and even then, it could be could be circumvented by getting special clearance (as in the case of Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyer, and Hillsong). Many misperceptions clarified. Uncle "A" may know some contacts in Pakistan that might be able to help Dreamhouse Grammar School get under an umbrella of accountability.

Afterwards, the women went out to another woman's home down the street to have henna done on their hands (me, I just watched --- it's not something men have done). Henna, or mehandi, is a tradition for Indian women, especially during weddings. Or on days like today, just for fun.

Summary of Goa Trip

The train made a number of stops at various village and town stations. One of them had signs proclaiming that Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism are all the same. Dad explained that this was part of the religious movement called Sai Baba, a liberal, ecumenical offshoot of Hinduism that mimics Bahai (Islam) and New Age/Unitarianism (Christianity).

We arrived at the Vasco De Gama train station around 8 pm on February 8th. Captain "Mo" and his wife (who made the housing arrangements for us in Goa) met us there. Vasco De Gama is a major city in the state of Goa. From there, an Ambassador taxi drove us 45 km to our hotel, the Calangute Residency. The taxi ride cost a flat Rs. 500 (note: if we had known to pay for a round-trip taxi fare from train station to hotel, it would've costed Rs. 700). The rooms, which were A/C, each cost Rs. 1000 per night. We got two.

We ate breakfast at a nearby vegetarian restaurant. The meals never ran more than Rs. 150 for all four of us. Lunch and dinner tended to run more, around Rs. 450-550. We once bought lunch and drinks from a beach shack. Sandy was our waiter, who was quite helpful in many ways and not so pushy. I liked his service and tipped him Rs. 80, which he considered quite generous. "I'll never forget it", he said at one point.

Beautiful sunsets....body surfing the waves of the Arabian Sea....watching parasailing couples....soaking up the sun on reclining chairs....watching people, mostly European tourists and Indian vendors....cow crossing the beach....

I made a phone call to my sister in Portland from a small phone-call business. Charge was only Rs. 4.65/minute (about USD 10 cents/minute). Not bad!

Mom and Dad told us they saw a parasailing couple float into the ocean by accident. The power boat pulling them evidently ran out of power or gas, causing the parasail to go into the water. Rescue boats went out to rescue the couple trapped under the parasail in the water. Everyone was reported to be okay, but Mom decided going parasailing for us (only Rs. 1000 per couple) was out of the question after what happened. "L" felt that way, too. I wasn't too sure about it myself.

Dad mentioned he shared the gospel with a fruit vendor he'd been buying fruit from. It was one of the few times Dad had ever shared in Hindi. Dad said the vendor did accept Christ then and there. The vendor was a Hindu.

On the day we left, we re-hired the same taxi driver that brought us to Calangute to bring us back to Vasco. Along the way, we stopped at several points of interest. Among them, we visited the Bom Jesus Basilica, where the body of St. Francis Xavier is entombed in a glass case situated high above the ground. Every once in a long while, Xavier's glass casket is lowered to the ground for public viewing. We bought some items from a few street vendors, but steered clear of the guy selling peacock-feathered fans (deemed illegal apparently by the state, since it involved poaching peacocks, India's national bird).

Dad and I met two railway employees, Gopalkrishna and Vijaykumar, at our 2-hour stop for train change at Guntankal (sp?). Dad chatted with them and discovered that they are Christians. We noticed that there were color portraits of Ganepiti (Hindu human-elephant god), the kaaba of Islam, and Jesus. This is part of the Sai Baba religion. Dad encouraged them to stay strong in their faith and be witnesses to the people around them. Dad and I prayed for them there in the railway station.

Going To Goa

An auto-rickshaw motored by carrying about 10 schoolchildren! As they drove past, I could see their backpacks hanging out the windows, one on top of the other.

We spent the afternoon packing for the trip to Goa. We boarded the train at around 7 pm. The tickets cost around Rs. 2400 round-trip, much more than the Rs. 500 round trip to Vizag. But that's because we were traveling in air-conditioned cars, 2nd class. We had a section all to ourselves, divided by curtains, with our own fan. A train employee named Abdul Ramen gave us blankets, bedsheets, and pillows (a real treat). The A/C was running comfortably. No beggars or vendors came through. Access to this car was blocked from other cars. It was definitely a grade up from the sleeper cars we took to Vizag. But Dad felt it lacked some personality and intrigue, even though it was more comfortable. Still, we enjoyed what was meant to be a trip for relaxation.

Day At "Berachah House"

"L", Dad, and I took a city cab to Berachah House of Worship in Hyderabad. Dad was scheduled to speak at their morning service. We started out at 9:30 am and arrived 40 minutes later, but apparently, they started at 9:30 am, so they were worried that Dad might not show up. Dad was asked to speak as soon as we stepped into the church. Apparently, they were "stalling" for him. Dad spoke in English while someone translated. He spoke twice, but he later said they usually have the preacher speak 3 times in a service.

Most women in the church covered their heads. Men had our shoes off. Men and women sat separately on the floor. There were many more women than men, almost 3 women to 1 man. The adults sang together, while the children sang different songs in another room. It was a happy, meaningful mixture of praise in the air. I heard the children sing "If You're Happy And You Know It". After Dad finished speaking the first time, the women lead corporate singing and prayer. All of it was in Telugu. We didn't sit on the floor, but rather in chairs in a hallway outside the main sanctuary. We watched through a metal grating.

We also took Communion, using crumbly cake and a community cup of juice.

To my surprise, the pastor asked me to come up and say a few words after the last sermon. The pastor translated while I simply shared greetings from brothers and sisters in the U.S. and how I enjoyed their singing.

I stepped out a couple of times to take some pix of buffalo munching on a pile of garbage next to the church. I also chatted with a man named "Logsgrem" (sp?) with his 1.5 year-old daughter Sivitah, snapping photos of them. They didn't speak much English, but we were able to enjoy each other a bit.

After church, we went to the home of the pastor of Berachah House of Worship. His wife and their son fed us a great lunch of biryani (quite spicy!). "L" and I spent the afternoon preparing for our talk with the BHW young adult group.

We auto-rickshawed back to the church. "L" gave a talk on boy-girl relationships, while one of the leaders translated. I shared a bit about what attracted me to "L" (similarities and differences) as well as hearing God's voice in culture and language. We showed some pictures of the wedding and of China. We fielded some questions about China as well.

The BHW pastor and his son accompanied us to catch a bus home. On the way to catch the bus, we saw a couple of camels walk in front of us. They're used for novelty rides, much like the horse-drawn carriage in the States.

The bus was fairly empty. It costs Rs. 7 a piece to ride it. Once at the station, we waded through an amazing wave of people, buses, cars, and auto-rickshaws. Every motor vehicle rarely came to a slow when it came upon a group of people....it expected most people to get out of the way first. I have to say that I have not seen traffic anywhere in the world so far that compares to India's.

Gift Delivery Hits Snags, Telephone Wires, Tree Branches....

Happy birthday, Dad!!!!

Dad and I scootered out to the training center. The container shipment with the Samaritan's Purse gifts arrived and were being delivered. We spotted the container and truck. It was the size of a regular semi-tractor-trailer (which I haven't seen any of around India yet). It was huge! Too big, in fact, for the neighborhood it was trying to navigate. It took down a few telephone and cable lines, as well as numerous tree branches. The truck driver was inching his way through, while his partner used a loooong wooden "fork" to push power lines and tree branches out of the way. It was painstaking, but eventually it made it to the training center. The truck backed up over a vacant lot next to a very nice mansion (across the street from the training center and the colonel's home).

Meanwhile, the container truck was drawing a lot of negative attention. Several neighbors, including the woman residing in the "very nice mansion" complained loudly. Some were wondering what was being transported. Dad didn't give them any specific details about the container or the training center's purpose. He told me later that he was worried that the neighbors (most were Hindu) would turn the situation into a religious feud and use that reason to shut down the training center. Eventually, officials from the Sainikpuri compound drove up asking Dad to come to the compound office. Dad and I went to the office. The main official gave Dad a firm, but gentle reprimand and request that he repair the lines that went down.

We scootered to several places looking for linemen who would attend to the downed lines, but we found none. We went back to the training center, hearing that the ashram staff felt less nervous with Dad around. The ashram staff hired some men (mainly Hindus) to move the boxes from the container into the training center.

Tough way to start out a birthday, but Dad and I went back home in time for a lunch-time birthday celebration with neighbors, friends, and colleagues that met him there. Lots of food, cake, and a good time had by all.

Dad and I scootered out to meet "Y", Isaac, Paul, and the truck drivers to exchange paperwork, take pictures, and pray. I don't think the truck drivers are Christians, but they prayed along with us anyway.

Some linemen had stopped by, hearing that Dad was looking for them. Dad said they'd agreed to help out and not to worry about the work. Dad had given them some gifts from the Samaritan Purse in the past, so their rapport was quite good.

On TV that night, we watched "Discovery Channel", showing a colorized version of WW2 and a feature on terror sleeper cells in the U.S.

A Blissful Snooze In The Middle Of The Street

On the way from visiting the "A" family, I encountered a herd of buffaloes and a pack of barking dogs crossing in front of me. Incense burned at a small Hindu roadside altar. Right behind me, I heard the voices of women singing from a small house that had the words "Believers' Church" and a worship schedule in Telugu on the side. Straight ahead, the Soviet hammar-and-sickle flag flapped in the wind, marking the site of the Maoist community. Taking it all in, the scene was quite....surreal and jagged. It was about 12:40 pm. Wonder what the gathering in the church was about.

On the way, we saw 5 stray dogs curled up and sleeping in the middle of the road. Peace amidst chaos, indeed. I can hardly walk in the middle of the crazy road, much less sleep on it. But these dogs seemed conditioned to expect an undisturbed snooze and not worry about getting run over or hit by a car or motorcycle or lorry. And the drivers are apparently willing to let them have it. Amazing!

We also passed by a home that was conducting "puja", or Hindu worship. A man was ringing a small bell and lighting incense while a woman silently prayed. It could be heard all around the home and neighboring houses.

I went online to search for the "svchost" and "svohost" error messages that kept popping up on my computer. I learned I had the "Backdoor.Nibu.G" virus! Pretty nasty....it copies keystrokes and clipboarded text into logfiles for later delivery to an email address in who-knows-where! I followed instructions on how to remove it. Chances are I got it from one of Dad's computers while networking to it. Better get some anti-virus software soon myself. If you're reading this, you might want to check for it yourselves.

Bob Saget "Speaks" Hindi (But Still Not Funny)

Dad made calls re: our upcoming Goa trip. The hotel booking is finalized.

The ad for "L's" name change is running into problems. Seems the newspapers have a different system than before for processing such requests. Still checking into it. We made copies of the marriage certificate to give to the newspaper.

"L", Dad, and Mom are all a bit under the weather. "L's" just starting out a cold....Dad and Mom seem to be getting over one (although Mom's cough is still quite nasty).

Containers carrying 9000 gifts from Samaritan's Purse for area children will be coming into the Sram Ashram training center this Saturday.

"America's Funniest Home Videos", circa 1990. Yes, Bob Saget was "speaking" Hindi. "L" says he didn't sound any funnier than when he was speaking English. "Ripley's Believe It Or Not" was a bit more enjoyable (not just because it was in English)....learned that the Aghoris of Varanasi, India eat the flesh off of dead bodies burned by Hindus. Yum. :-P

"Buy A Book About Me....Please!"

Dad and I set out for Uncle "W's" apartment on the scooter. I was carrying my laptop. Dad went hard over a speed bump just one block from home and bent the muffler up against the back wheel, which we had to fix before motoring on. Along the way, we came close to hitting a lorry head on and a Honda sedan who pulled out not seeing us. Sca-ree!!!

We attended the memorial service for Pedemma again at Uncle "W's" apartment. Today is the 2nd-year anniversary of her death. Tho' the service was supposed to start at 11 am, it hadn't started when we arrived at 1:30 pm. Everyone was waiting for a pastor from a Baptist church that Uncle "W"s and his family attended while they were in Hyderabad. The pastor from this church and several of his staff finally arrived around 2 pm. He gave a sermon in English while one of his staff (his son-in-law, I think) translated in Telugu. We had a nice meal afterwards, served to us by Uncle "W"s' relatives. About 20 people were in attendance. During that time, I slipped into the bedroom to go online and work on Sram Ashram's website.

Mom, "L", Auntie "R", and I then boarded a series of auto-rickshaws and "7-seater taxis" to "R's" home in Kukatpally. Along the way, I saw a lot of squatter tents lining the main highway. They often bunched together in groups of 10 or 20. We'd see them lined up side by side for blocks. A whole line of them were set up by the Nehru Technological Institute, a very nice complex....the contrast was stark. Many of the squatter tents served as family businesses, selling colorful Hindu idols of all sizes that they made. Packs of honking cars, buses, scooters, motorcycles, bikes, taxis, auto-rickshaws, etc. whizzed by them in clouds of dust, noise, and fumes.

We hung out at Auntie "R's" until 9 pm. During that time, I worked on Sram Ashram's website. "R's" husband came home between that time. I had a good, controversial chat with him (Uncle "L") about politics, China, Taiwan, U.S., India relations, etc. He's a big fan of China. Not so towards the U.S. He thinks Taiwan will be taken over by China. He quoted Lenin, saying Lenin foresaw the demise of various Western nations, like the U.S., Britain, and Germany. It was interesting....it had me wondering if Uncle "L" had leanings to Maoist philosophies. After he left, we had dinner and boarded a city cab back home. The fare was over Rs. 350. Mom and Dad took issue with the driver for not showing up on time, causing the fare to go up (it increases 1.5 times the daytime fare after 10 pm). Though we'd called for a cab at 8:15 pm, he didn't show up until 9:40 pm, leading us to suspect he did so on purpose to get the increased fare.

At home, Mom, Dad, and "L" discussed the memorial service. They felt the pastor was inconsiderate in not showing up on time. They felt he was into self-promotion more than anything. He brought books on his life, sermons, and ministry to sell after the service, which seemed tacky. He acknowledged primarily the men in the immediate family (including me, who had never met Pedemma), whereas the women seemed left out. Mom and "L" expressed their dissatisfaction and disappointment with the whole affair. I kept quiet, but I could understand what they were feeling. "L" felt it was just bad business. "L" and I talked a bit more about it before going to bed.

"Chandrika"

A young woman named "Chandrika" dropped by to chat. She lives around the corner. She came to our reception on the 26th and gave us a little swan she knitted over a light bulb. She came by to give us another one. "Chandrika" was recently baptized as a Christian. Her family is Hindu. When she told them of her decision to be baptized, they told her to leave the home. Right now, she wants to stay with her aunt, who is Christian. This aunt is staying with her grandmother, who is Hindu. They live about 4 hours away from Hyderabad. A difficult situation, indeed. We lifted "Chandrika" up in prayer. Mom sensed "Chandrika" was hiding her sad feelings about the situation.

"L" and I took a walk to the grocery store. We passed through the Maoist community across the street. Wet, colorful clothes hung on the barbed wire fence along the road to dry in the sun. Chickens and children scurried to and fro along the way.

Dad and I scootered to the train-ticket purchasing office. We bought four RT fares from Hyderabad to Goa on 2nd-class with AC for Rs. 10,000. That's about US $250. We'll be leaving Feb. 7 and returning Feb. 13.