Sad News Today

I have tried to call a few different times since we last spoke in early January.  At that time she told me that she was responding to antibiotics and she even sounded happy.  I had sent a small package of a few things to her for her stay at the hospital.  Some magazines to read, some western style toilet paper, a few chocolates.  I knew she did not like chocolates but treats always helps with a stay in the hospital to get a little better nursing care.  My calls were not being answered, in fact the phone was not even on.  I had just tried again this past weekend but today I got a call.  Kalsang died today.
Kalsang was our first hired house manager.  She is the one who settled us in India.  When we met in December 2010 she had no experience with a family and we had no experience with house staff so we were perfect for each other.  She worked with us until her visa came through to return to Australia to be with her friend she had visited time and time again in Australia.  She left India in August with her hopes to never return.  Her visa in Australia ended along with the month of October.  She came back to New Delhi with her hopes deflated and what seemed to be a serious case of depression.  I talked to her once before she left for "south" where her family lives.  We only talked on the phone.  She explained to me why she would not come to see me.  She didn't want to bother me she said.  She explained that she left Australia crying and sad.  She knew she had to leave Australia but she never left her room and was sad at the house where she was visiting.  It sounded like many tears were cried as she was brought to the airport in Melbourne to return to India.  Her friend met her at the airport in New Delhi and from there Kalsang stayed in a hotel until she got a train ticket to go "south" to her parents.  We talked a couple more times on and off at odd times.  When it was hard for me to have a long conversation and when it was hard for her to have a long conversation.  Around Christmas I received word from a friend of a friend that Kalsang was ill and in the hospital.  I called, we talked, but she didn't want to talk about her illness.  I asked if I could send anything for her and she requested magazines.  After the package arrived we spoke again two more times but that was a month ago.  I really thought she was doing better but I guess she was just getting better at making me think what I wanted to think.  We miss you Kalsang and our love and gratitude for your friendship will forever burn in our hearts.

One FULL Saturday

For those who have never been to New Delhi or visited Dilli Haat, Surajkund Mela may be hard to imagine.  Have you ever gone to a craft fair?  Visited something similar to a church bazaar?  In all of these likenesses; Dilli Haat, craft fair, church bazaar, now imagine them on steroids and place them into the spatial likeness of a fair grounds.  It’s HUGE! Surajkund mela has many “zones” with crafts from all over India, and this 2013 year from all over the world.  It was decided last year to increase the foreign visitors to the event the organizers of the mela have now transformed this annual mela to Surajkund International Craft Mela.  These same vendors are found in likeness showing crafts that rotate through the Dilli Haat shopping areas in New Delhi (both locations).  For two weeks, February 1-15, visitors can shop for crafts from all over the world.  From what I saw it was mainly crafts from India, two or so from Africa and one from Pakistan selling marble vases and tables. The food court area becomes very busy from 1:30pm onwards, as does the mela itself after 1:00pm.  I attended the mela twice this year, once during the week and the other on Saturday and both days the mela was very crowded around 1:00pm.  I would suggest an early morning arrival.  There is a 50 rupees entrance fee and gates open at 9:30am but many vendors do not have their booths uncovered and selling until 10am or later.  It was sunny but not hot both days I attended and the colors were bright and cheerful. Entertainment spills out into the main street in the grounds and all walks of entertainment keeps visitors interested and looking for more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This particular Saturday, after the morning and a large part of my afternoon was spent at the mela I stopped at home long enough to change my shoes, bake a gluten free cake for a birthday girl (friend) and collect the family for a night out.  We didn’t go far, a simple drive to the American Community Support Association (ACSA), our local club we are members of.   Saturday’s dinner special was seafood which satisfies the majority of our family's taste buds except kid three who is far too picky for most menus.  Also the band, The Paisleys of New Delhi, was scheduled to play at 7:30pm and they are always a great show.  They had guest performances from some AES students.  Very well done!

The Paisleys Of New Delhi India

It was a fun and full Saturday of entertainment.  For those of you following our saga, we also have our new driver.  He has been employed with us for one full month now.  We hope he can stay working for us until we leave this summer.  Oh yeah, and we are planning to leave this summer.  We will not be returning to the state where we own our home but instead we will look for housing in the state where moms and dad are living. More to come in later posts, we will be adding “transitioning out of India” as a label. 

What to do?

We are hosting visitors over the holiday season.  Our oldest, Kid One, has returned to our India home for the holidays and she has brought with her Grandma Mister.  We are so glad to have both of these beautiful women in our home.  If you read my previous post, the trouble with visitors at this time is that we are without a driver.  You picked a fine time to leave me Lucile. 
So far we have managed each day with a temporary driver and an extended out of Delhi trip booked with a driver and bus.  Temporary drivers are easier to find this time of year.  Many expat families leave India and/or go on extended vacations over the long holiday break from school.  Leaving many of their drivers eager to pick up some extra money while the employer family is away.  It’s a way for the driver to earn twice the pay.  The drivers that are willing to accept extra work over the break generally are hardworking individuals.  Instead of sitting around and getting paid to do so by their employer family they choose to take on extra work knowing the pay is that much greater coming from two sources.  If only we could find a hard working reliable driver like we had experienced over the break to hire as our full time driver…life would be so good.
Trying to chase away the no driver blues in an effort to get out and see the area I booked a trip with Indomania Tours www.indomaniatours.com/pottery.html to the pottery village for Mom, Kid Middle and myself.  With a tour group we did not need our car and driver for the activity and we had a chance to get out of the house and explore another side of Delhi, the west side of Delhi.  It was a very full day.  We left from our meeting spot at 10am and did not return until 3pm but it was loads of fun and an opportunity to snap many photos.  Here is a photo tour of the pottery village.

Indomania offers these tours in association with South Asia Foundation, a non profit that works with the village.  Tour fees help pay for things like the development of a community center that will house a community kiln.  This tour offered a walk through the village, an opportunity to purchase from the wholesalers and a pleasant reminder.  Just keep smiling.

Another One Bites the Dust

And another one gone, and another one gone, another one bites the dust. We are back in the market for another driver yet again. Drivers have proven to be an issue for us during our entire existence in New Delhi. We have yet to find a person to drive our family that is really suitable to our needs. Our most recent hire conveniently waited for our family to be away on holiday to return all his driver belongings to our house manager and announce he is leaving our job. All of this of course falls on the heels of visitors being here from the US. Just when a reliable driver is most needed, to make everyone most comfortable in India we are searching for the reliable driver. My pessimism is punchy right now and I feel reliable driver here is an oxymoron. He tried to explain to me when I saw him upon my return to New Delhi but in my defense I did not ask many questions. I have become very frustrated when I ask questions to people. It seems natural for most people to try to gauge what answer would please me the most and tell me that selected answer instead of search in their soul to find what I would call the “truth”. I need to step back, take a deep breath and accept that “truth” is subjective. In our search for another driver we do not have a long two years left to our stay in India which makes us undesirable to work for in most cases. As is with anyone looking for employment, drivers want to know you will be here a long time so they will not be looking for another job in six months time. So for now I am collecting bios and resumes this week and sifting through what could be a suitable fit. “Where do you live?” “How do you commute?” “What hours can you work?” “Do you have a record?” and I hum.

He walks warily down the street, With the brim pulled way down low. Ain't no sound but the sound of his feet. Another one bites the dust.-Queen

We went to the Camel Fair

The song, although slightly altered, has been in my head since our visit.  "We went to the camel fair.  The birds and the beasts were there."  When I think of a fair I think of the auditorium for events, the rides, livestock animals and of course the food. Like most things we have experienced in India our perception of Pushkar Fair was the same as most fairs we had experienced but very different.

Wikipedia.com states:    

Pushkar is a town in the Ajmer district in the Indian state of Rajashan.  Pushkar is one of the oldest cities of India.  An annual fair held in Pushkar is Pushkar Fair.  According to the Hindu calendar Pushkar Fair commences in Nawami (ninth day of fortnightly phases of moon) and ends in Purnima (Full Moon) in the month of Kartika (October or November according to the lunar calendar). In Pushkar, one of the biggest Cattle Fair is also held for trading purposes and the best cattle in all categories are awarded.  Pushkar fair continues for five days and these five days are a period of relaxation and merry-making for the villagers. This fair time is the busiest time for them, as this is one of the largest cattle fairs in the country. Animals, including over 50,000 camels, are brought from miles around to be traded and sold. Trading is brisk as several thousand heads of cattle exchange hands. All the camels are cleaned, washed, adorned, some are interestingly shorn to form patterns, and special stalls are set up selling finery and jewelry for the camels. Camels at the Pushkar fair are decorated with great care. They wear jewelry of silver and beads. There are silver bells and bangles around their ankles that jangle when they walk. An interesting ritual is the piercing of a camel's nose.

A photo recap or our experience follows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The End

for Pushkar 2012