Thanks, Technology!

Without it, we wouldn't have been able to stay in India as long as we are. My job provides remote access to my computers back in Seattle via the Internet (i.e. no 3rd-party software like PCAnywhere to install), which allows me to work from here, or anywhere with Internet access, for that matter. Who would've thunk this ten years ago? So far this past week, it's worked out quite well...much better than I expected, despite locally-scheduled brownouts from 8am-10am. My in-laws set up a broadband-connected computer just 6 feet from our bed, so my "commute" is shorter than it's ever been.

Right now, however, something's amiss. Not on the India side, but rather on the Seattle side....both my computers are "offline", meaning they've likely been powered down for some reason. I'm guessing it may have something to do with major remodeling my employer is doing near my office. I've emailed them to look into it....hoping they'll come back online soon....

Berachah

We attended Berachah House of Worship this morning. We'd been here before in our last trip. One sad difference this time around was the absence of the pastor, who'd passed away suddenly more than a year ago. Despite this tragic loss, the church seemed as vibrant as before. Dad gave two sermons, talking about the suffering of Christ. As with last time, we took communion.

Folks continued to be taken by "B", some even taking cell phone pix of her. She even became a greeter of sorts, shaking hands with as many worshippers as your average pastor!

After church, we stopped by a nearby cart vendor to feast on some coconuts. The pulp in the juice clogged "B's" bottle, so she didn't savor much of it....

...but she did get to enjoy some delicious coconut meat. Yum!

"B" the "thief"

"B" is really becoming a "thief" of sorts....she's stealing hearts and attention! For example, we had a couples' Bible study this evening. "B" stumbled out from her nap into the middle of the study. Eyes followed her. After the study, a lot of people wanted to hold her. She willingly let them, which made her all the more endearing. It's so fun to see her interact and adapt to life in India. People have asked me whether it's worth bringing her so far if she won't remember anything about her time here. I tell them that our trip isn't so much for "B" as it is for our relatives and friends here in India. I'm really glad we came this far to share her with everyone...she brings smiles to a lot of faces. She doesn't take long to warm up with new people. Even with animals...one family we visited today owned an energetic dog (remember Cushy?)...."B" showed little fear of her. Lord willing, there'll be another time for us to return when she's old enough to have meaningful memories of her experiences.

Cool mats

This afternoon, I helped Dad make little hooks to hang up special mats made of special, thin, stringy roots. What for, you may ask? As India enters the hotter months, one way Dad and Mom keep cool around the house is to hang these 5'-6' mats all around the front patio and balconies. Water is then splashed on the mats. The mats supposedly absorb the heat of hot winds, allowing only cool air to come through (at least that's how I'm told it works). I tried googling for these mats, but found nothing. "L" explained this to me several times in the past, but seeing it for real helped me understand what she meant. Such a green, natural, energy-free home-air-conditioning system is an idea that might intrigue Al Gore.

Scary moments

"B" took her first ride on Dad's scooter, with Mom coddling her on her lap....leaving me freaking out a bit as they rode off. "L" was cool with it, since Mom carried her the same way as a baby. From a land of strict car-seat laws to a land where nothing of the such exists, it's quite the adjustment.

We walked back from a small, new grocery store that opened up nearby called "spencer's". The road on the way back was quite dark. So dark it was that Mom, while carrying a bag of groceries, tripped over some rocks protruding from the rugged pavement. She took a tumble and rolled a couple times. She was quite fine, tho', and it looked scarier than it really was....as it turns out, she intended to roll to break her fall. We joked that Mom should try out to be a Bollywood stuntwoman.

Back in India!

Hi all! We're back temporarily from our blogging hiatus. We've mainly been busy bringing and introducing our daughter "B" (now 14 months) to the world. She's a joy and a blessing from God!

Our last entry 20 months ago was an admittedly abrupt ending to our journey in Asia. We returned from China on July 1, 2005. Since then, besides having "B", we've moved 4 times, lived out of suitcases for 6 months, gotten new jobs, re-started our ministry at the apartment complex we live in, and bought a house. Really, amidst all that, who has time for blogging? Anyway, it seems "itsalip" has turned into our travel blog of sorts, so why bore anyone with the minutiae of day-to-day home life? :-) Now that we're back in India for a few weeks to visit relatives and in-laws who've never met "B", it seems appropo to bring some pucker back to "itsalip".

We touched down into Hyderabad earlier today around 1 am. After waiting more than an hour for our luggage, we finally unpacked at Mom and Dad's home around 3:30 am. From the cold of Seattle (near freezing) to the heat of Hyderabad (almost 100 F), it's a shock to the system. Even so, occasional cool breezes have done much to keep things comfortable. Although I didn't sleep much on the airplane, I didn't feel all that tired coming in. But I imagine jet lag will sock it to me soon. "B's" doing great (she was the only one who got decent sleep between the 3 of us) and the in-laws are really happy to see her. She's going to be a hit, no doubt.

sleepover

Last night a few of my former students came over and we had a little sleepover. They really liked the eggplant curry i'd made a couple days before (they had the left overs), so i made it again last night and they made some sweet papaya soup (it was good) and we just talked. One of the "girls" brought over her son...he was cute...but quite a handful as well.

I had a little left of my Mary Kay "Satin Hands" set, so we did that...once they got over having to put goo on their hands, they realized that it really did make their hands smooth. Then we painted nails while watching the end of "Back to the Future III" (which S. was really into), and got into the 5 hour version of Pride and Prejudice. We made "bets" on who would konk out first...only one girl made it through the entire movie...which ended at about 4 a.m. this morning. I was in and out, and finally snuck into bed very tired.

This morning I woke up (S. was still sleeping) and made some oatmeal for the girls. We spent some time teasing one of the girls about a boy and just talked. It was really fun...but once they left, i konked out from sheer exhaustion... I had a horrible headache that still hasn't completely quit...

S. was lovely in putting up with all that estrogen around.

visit to a mosque

While L. was at her last two classes, I decided to check out a mosque I'd seen earlier. It's called the Huaisheng Mosque, reported to be one of the oldest in China. I asked to visit the mosque around 10:30 am, but I was not allowed. After walking around and getting a plate of noodles, I found the mosque open for Friday prayers. The mosque greeter allowed me to go through. In Muslim tradition, I took off my shoes and sat on a matted area off to the side near a wall. Men were streaming in throughout the service. A few women walked by, most in scarves, but some were not. Only one was in an abaya. The women would disappear into a W.C. (written in Chinese and Arabic) where they would wash up before going into a separate room behind the men to pray and listen to the service. Most of the worshippers were Chinese, but quite a number were of other ethnicities (Middle East, Africa, etc.). Many men wore white robes (mainly the non-Chinese) and white caps, but many also looked just like the average Chinese student or businessman on the street, dressed in slacks, polo shirts, jeans, t-shirts. The muezzin gave the call to prayer through a microphone and speaker. I couldn't see where the muezzin was, but it didn't appear to be coming from the minaret itself. At times during the call the muezzin would break up in tears. After that, an imam gave the sermon in mandarin Chinese, which some Arabic phrases sprinkled through. It lasted about 10-15 minutes. In my section of the compound, many were talking and even chatting on a cellphone, not paying much attention to the sermon. Given a significant portion present probably didn't understand Chinese well, that was understandable. I only understood parts that talked of Muslims being brothers and neighbors to one another. Then came another talk in Arabic. It sounded like a different person. People seemed more quiet and attentive during this time, although I'd moved to another part of the compound. I noticed one building, the largest one on the compound and presumably the mosque itself (it had a Chinese-temple design) filled with more worshippers than any other part. Signs by its door read, "Admission for Muslims Only". After the Arabic talk, the prayer was conducted. It went much like the ones in Seattle, except here they face west during prayer (they face north in Seattle). After the prayer, the congregants dismissed. I took a few pictures and walked outside.

Outside, many beggars gathered around the mosque entrance. They walked through the crowds of Muslims asking for money. These beggars were quite grossly deformed. I saw a few folks give, but most were ignored. One Muslim was handing out rather large bills...before he knew it, he was completely swarmed and had to make a dash for it, tossing the bills over his shoulder as he ran. I gave to a few. The beggars in this area are quite aggressive. It's interesting that they know to hang out by churches and mosques to get what little they need.

I was able to come back home for a couple hours before we headed out to a final international teacher dinner, hosted by the university. (L. was given a university umbrella as a farewell gift). We sat with two families - the C's, who are also a part of JHF and the G's - a family from Spain. L. and Mr. G. got into a spirited discussion about the merits of bull-fighting (something that Mr. G is very passionate about), adoption (Mr. G. believes one should have one's own children), and giving birth to boys over girls (which Mr. G. thinks is better). I think what shocked L. and I more than anything was our assumption that being from Spain and thereby Europe, Mr. G. would be more liberal in his opinions. We found quite the opposite. L. felt Mr. G. might do quite well in India.

best dishwasher yet

L. and I spent most of the afternoon preparing dinner. The C's came after a while, and we enjoyed an Indian dinner masterfully cooked by L. After they left around 10 pm, I took all the dishes (a lot of them) into the bathroom to wash them there. It's not as bad as it might sound, because we'd been dishwashing all along in a tiny sink tucked awkwardly in a moldy corner of our kitchen with nothing but cold water trickling out of a small faucet. It was hard on our backs, and the dishes were not being properly sanitized with only trickling cold water. But in our bathroom, with the movable sprayer, gas-heated hot water with temperatures we could control, and the ability to wash standing, sitting, or kneeling, dishwashing large loads became a LOT more comfortable, faster, and cleaner. A great idea which I wish I'd thought of earlier.

BTW, most bathrooms here aren't like in the U.S., where the bathtub/shower is separated from the rest of the bathroom and you don't dare get water outside or you ruin the linoleum. No, in our bathroom, the whole room is the shower. You can spray over the toilet, sink, etc. and the water just goes down a drain in the middle of the tile floor. The bathrooms in India are similar. Personally, I like that....very efficient. I wish I could remake our bathrooms back in the U.S. like the ones here in Asia.

adjusting grades

L. is on her last week of class. She struggled again with discomfort last night and actually threw up a bit. It didn't take the discomfort away completely, although we did learn that toast with a little butter is something she feels ok eating. I made some spaghetti, which she managed to hang on to.

One of L's former students (K) with a current student (G), visited us to talk about G's grades. She failed because she never attended class. She produced two letters written by her and signed by school administrators essentially exempting her from attending class, which she thought woudl convince L. to give her a passing grade. L. didn't budge. She and I talked later about making sense of an educational system that bases passing on standardized tests independent of what teachers give, yet is unsure of whether teacher's grades on students is required until near the end of the semester and is unclear how important they are for graduation.

GICF recently began posting audios of its Sunday sermons. I listened to a few. Check them out when you get a chance. Stuff still gets censored on the Net here in China (e.g. blogspot.com and geocities.com), but there's a lot that doesn't that one would think would. It's tough denying the great strides China's made over the past 30 years.