India 2012

 Saturday, May 19, 2012

I will try again.  Here I am again in India.  Different place; same people.  My trip here was not uneventful.  Bob took me to the airport.  So far so good.  United said they couldn't book me through to Kochi because Qatar Airlines wasn't in their alliance.  I found out later, however, that Qatar Airlines IS a partner.  SBN said they could put my luggage through to Kochi, but not me.  Ok.  I can deal with that.  In Chicago, I asked a United person if this was indeed true.  He said that sometimes they can book the person all the way through and sometimes not.  Still okay.  In Montreal I had to go through Customs where they took my apples!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Apparently don't travel with nuts either.  I couldn't find my way back to the Qatar counter so I flagged down an airport supervisor who said that I should have also picked up my luggage in Montreal.  She contacted Qatar counter and had them wait for me to check-in as they were ready to call it a night.  She had me running through airports, through another security checkpoint to the Qatar counter where they checked me in and started my luggage on the way to the airline.  The supervisor took me to the Boarding Gate where there was a man from Sudan in the same predicament as I.  He refused to get on the plane without his luggage receipt so they allowed me to follow suit.  Without him there I would have just gotten on the plane without the receipt.  Luckily, I followed his path because when I got to Kochi, my luggage didn't come in with me.  It was left in Doha due to problems with the plane's weight.  At Kochi, the people at Qatar were very helpful with all the paperwork, getting me through customs (twice) and out to my driver.  Fortunately he didn't give up and was still waiting.  Qatar needed a more precise address than I was able to give them. 

Wonder of wonders.  I left, came back, and could find my post from this morning.  The setup for blogspot has changed so there is no constant saving or a place where you can save until you update it.    To finish the luggage story, Qatar Airlines apparently didn't want to send someone 1 1/2 hours out to deliver one piece of luggage, but Babu took over, and the luggage arrived intact 36 hours after me.  It's been extremely hot and humid so I was glad to be able to wear something other than jeans and a long-sleeved shirt.

Anyway, for your edification:   Doha, Qatar has 80% of the population of Qatar residing in its boundaries.  I met a young guy on the plane from the University of Calgary who was going to Doha to be a student adviser for students attending the local University of Calgary.    He said that just outside the city there is an Education Center where several major universities like Georgetown have a branch.  Apparently people from Qatar solicited universities to come on over and bring their own professors with them.  I'm not sure how long they stay given that the stewardess who lives there says that the rest of the country is basically desert.  Several African countries are taking this route until their own people are qualified to teach; not to mention the fact that it looks good to have a diploma that says Georgetown.

If I come back in the morning and can find this post, I will let you all know it's up and running.

Love,
Mom/Peggy/ Granny

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

This will be my last post from this side of the pond. I leave today at 3:30 for the airport. Unable to check-in. Jet Airways doesn't even have Kochi or Cochin as a city they fly to. However, I am certain that they do as I flew in there on Jet Airways, and other people have as well.

Yesterday we went to Babu's college. Wow! I am impressed. In 2003 when the Indian government apparently said there could be private colleges, this one was just a gleam in a lot of peoples' eyes. It is very much larger than I expected. Beautiful main building. Open air hallways, computer classrooms, regular classrooms, machine shops of various kinds (engineering college), either two or three hostels and building another. Each hostel houses about 100. Three to a room, but the rooms are about one and a half size the ones in Read Center in Bloomington. They have to do their own laundry. No washers or dryers. Beating them on rocks to get them clean. I don't know if the guys have to do the same or not. Building an auditorium which will seat 1500. Doctorates and non-doctorates teaching. The Placement Director speaks excellent English. There aren't so many engineering jobs in Kerala, and other states speak different languages. He said that the students are resistant to going to other states for that reason. My response was that if they could speak Malayalum, they could learn any language.
But I also saw that in the jail. Even the Latinos who could speak some English wouldn't because they were afraid of being ridiculed by the Americans.
I was definitely impressed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The biggest problem facing the college is that the machines the students are learning on are about 20 years behind the West. And they do need to learn the basics and can do so with these machines. But newer ones are too pricey to put in for the number of students they have.

The mosquito and fly bites I have gotten this year last--and itch--for DAYS. It's awful. Didn't happen last year. Baji gave me some oil for the itching, and I keep reapplying it. It helps.

We passed some houses on the way to the college, some of which were twice the size of the rich house. Don't know if they were just the wealthy or they had been to the Gulf to earn their money. Have to wonder what will happen when all those Gulf men return to Kerala to live in their rich houses right across the road from poverty. The haves and the have-nots.

Although I love this part of India, it is the exception. As I mentioned before 90% or better of the population of Kerala is literate. But there is a dark side to India. Although there is poverty here, especially by our standards, it is nothing like what is in the big cities. Literacy is 45% at best. There are places where, if you read the newspaper, it seems like the wild, wild west. There are also areas where the Maoists are very present, bombing trains and buses, killing innocent people. Not a day goes by that a chief of police or several police aren't reported killed. Sixty-two years after achieving independence, 300 MILLION people do not get two square meals a day. They are tired of waiting for the good life to filter down to them. Hence, the violence. So, as progressive as some places are or seem to be, it certainly doesn't apply to everyone yet.

It's nearly time to go for treatment so I want to sign off thanking my children, my daughters-in-law, my sisters, and my grandchildren for all their love and support! Couldn't do it without you!

Love,
Mom/Peggy/Granny/NiNi

Monday, June 7, 2010

Monday, June 7, 2010

My fresher course is about to come to an end. I will certainly miss the wonderful fruit I have been privy to here. The pineapple juice yesterday was absolutely fantastic! And the orange juice today was equally super. Naturally sweet and no additives! The bananas, too, are naturally sweeter than most of the ones we get. Although maybe part of that is because I get them when they are one/half day short of banana bread ingredient. In other words, very ripe.

Being here has given me a timeout in which to refocus on what I want to do which is keep getting healthier at least on the inside. May not look it on the outside due to sagging, but that's ok. Focus on what's important which is continuing to getting and staying healthier.

I remember meeting a woman when David and I went to England to visit Kevin who traveled the world by herself. I was absolutely amazed. After my experience in Mumbai, I feel much more positive about maybe getting there. Amelia, too, could travel the world and be accepted anywhere just because of her personality and her interest in people.

As many of you are aware, winter and the nonavailability or expense of my favorite fruits provided a challenge. Vegetables are pretty much always available although the taste definitely changes. I have found that veggies like carrots and cucumbers definitely change taste depending on where they are grown. Spinach can change taste, too, although I only got my batch that was bitter. Apples last forever in the refrigerator as do oranges. Guess I'll just have to suck it up this winter or try alternatives. My plan is to use the cookbooks and try new things in the coming year. Maybe even eggplant and squash! Jenny has fixed those for me. Maybe I can also do it myself.

I think I forgot to tell you about my reception here. Baji, Babu, and Francis all met the minivan. I think they were surprised, although I had been giving monthly updates, and somewhat overwhelmed. Great big smiles. It's one thing to read a figure and another to see it. I also think it did them some good to see the results. That the treatment really does work if you want it to and you are motivated. I've heard about the people who stay for a month of weight loss and leave with the words that "I'm going on a cruise, and I know I'm going to eat a lot." or, if they come again, bringing their full medication containers back with them. So I think it was very positive for them, too.

I had a question about what we get to drink here. Room temperature bottled water for the most part. Hot water at meals. Ich! There is coffee and I believe tea. E-mail the colonel if you need specifics. Or bring it. The worst they can say is 'I don't think so'. And they usually say it in the nicest way.

I didn't finish yesterday's thought on Zamorin's vs other places. Baji and Babu feel that their six evening/week visits compensate for lack of tourism. (Mind, body, spirituality?) In a government hospital, a doctor will see an average of 300 patients PER DAY. Private practice is virtually the same. There are no appointments. In order to keep your patients as a private practioner, you are on call 24/7. If someone comes to the door in the middle of the night or in the middle of dinner, you have no choice but to see them right then and there or people start talking about you not being available and you lose your practice. Once gossip gets started, there goes your practice. If you don't have any patients and another doctor has plenty, the one without continues to have no patients because people figure he is not a good doctor. I will have to ask if there are any women Ayurvedic doctors.

Time for treatment. This is the last day to ask questions while I'm still here.

Take care.

Love,
Mom/Peggy/Granny/NiNi

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Sunday, June 6, 2010

This time tomorrow night I hope to be able to print my boarding pass. Won't that be great? I've enjoyed myself. However, I am ready.

At 4:15 PM today, we went to the elephant preserve, the Arabian Sea, St. Thomas the Apostle museum, and, last but not least, the huge Hindu temple which I am not allowed to enter. I swear to you that the police don't show up until it looks like I am going to try to get in the temple, and then they show up in droves. In what little I could see from the outside, one whole wall and maybe more look to be prayer candles. Really pretty.
Krishna is not one to take a lazy stroll through the elephant preserve or probably anything else, but we did see all the elephants. People can donate elephants and provide for their care by setting up an annuity. There is a waiting list of people wanting to sponsor elephants. This is probably because elephants are very important here. No longer for work in Kerala, but for a lot of festivals.

Kerala has a 1:6 person to vehicle ratio while the rest of India has a 1:25 ratio. Food prices have gone up 16.5% since the first of the year countrywide, not just in Kerala.

Geckos can certainly make a lot of noise for as small as they are. I have a pet one in my room. He doesn't bother me, and I don't bother him.

When it rains here, it seldom rains for long, but it can be of the heavy downpour sort. I have yet to see a puddle anywhere but on the roads. The rice fields are damp, but there is no standing water. It just soaks right in. When I got here, I thought things looked kind of dry. There was a drought over a large part of the country last year so they are hoping and praying for a good monsoon season. I've come to decide that monsoon season is merely a rainy season. There don't seem to be any storms like hurricanes or typhoons or cyclones. That's good because the coconut trees have a very small root system so they blow over easily.

The other day I saw an earthmover--the small variety. He was as wide as the lane he was trying to go down with a concrete wall on one side and a 5 foot dropoff on the other. He couldn't get around the corner so he put his stabilizers down and moved the back end around that way.
I know. Sometimes it takes very little to entertain me.

The other night Baji asked Krishna why he chose Zamorin's after seeing so many others on websites. He told of one in Thissur that offered Ayurveda complete with activities when you aren't in treatment. Baji said that Zamorin's was here for cures not for touristing. Treatment and tourism do not go together. Krishna's reason for coming here was in communicating with Babu, he felt the warmth and welcome that we have experienced in working with Babu.

I think I partied too much this afternoon so I am going to bed.

Take care.

Love,
Mom/Peggy/Granny, NiNi

I have a string of wonderfully smelling jamine in my hair courtesy of Krishna.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Sunday, June 6, 2010

The internet situation is beginning to really irritate me. I tried to write last night, and everything went down again. Such is life in the jungle. I'm glad I have it at all. Otherwise, I would feel completely cut off from everyone I care about.

Anyway, as I was trying to say last night, I may have rushed to judgment about Krishna. Not the part about him being a very nice person. The part about knowing EVERYthing. In addition to all the positives I listed about him before, he has many interests and is passionate about them. Last night we talked about investing for instance. He prowls the grounds looking for herbs in leaves, seeds, and seed coverings. He showed me the seed that is ground into our nutmeg last night. It's amazing how in the past every part of a plant is used for something. The nutmeg has a flower, an outer part, and the seed in the middle, which, in addition to nutmeg, can be planted to make a new tree.
BTW: Mohanon made some dish of banana STEM ala the same stem we had last year as juice. I have to say the dish tasted better than the juice.

More questions to answer.

How I am feeling now vs. a year ago. Mentally and emotionally I feel good. This place is so restful and peaceful. I used visualization last year in order to relax and could actually put myself to sleep with it. Now--here--I can fully relax without visualization. Body and mind. The yoga has contributed to that although I had already learned to keep those thoughts that keep bombarding my mind not to enter my consciousness. Now I am better at it.
Since starting this last year, I have a new mission. No, it is not to stand on a soapbox because most people just blow me off. Really and truly, I plan to live to be at least 100 years old. Sorry about that for those of you who might be waiting for an estate distribution. (Kidding.) Better than that, I am determined not to spend the last years of my life watching television from a chair or a bed.

What really pushed me over the edge with regard to changing what I eat is that first I read In Defense of Food, in which the author convinced me that our food supply is pretty much devoid of nutritional value except for fruits and vegetables. Two rules that have stuck with me of the 10 he lists are 'Never buy anything with more than 5 ingredients.' and 'Never buy anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.' In addition, iceberg lettuce, for instance, as been mutated to taste better--and it definitely does--but it has about as much nutrition in it as 1000 heads of lettuce when our older generation was growing up. (kudos to Jeff's mother and In Defense of Food). Better to eat Romaine or Spinach or collard greens or something dark in color.
I also watched that Supersize me (may be the wrong title). But it's where the guy eats nothing but McDonalds for 30 days. After two weeks, I think, his doctors told him to stop, but he persisted much to his detriment. Very damaging diet for the body.
The last thing that convinced me was reading The China Study. This is not to say that I never have meat, or dairy, or eggs. I do. But not nearly as much. I concentrate on the fruits (easy) and vegetables (not so easy).


With regard to confidence level, I now know that when everything goes wrong that can go wrong in a foreign country, I will survive. A few tears in front of a man never hurts. Also, I didn't try this, but getting angry doesn't work anywhere when you are trying to get help.

I don't think I was having any problem with my self-esteem. I am happy with my life. I have great sons and daughters-in-law who are exceptionally supportive --even when they think I'm crazy. Babu says my sons are like Indian sons except they were born, raised, and live in America. I also have God's fabulous blessing of four super-duper grandchildren. Who could ask for anything more? I have my health and I have all these blessings.

Physically, I have quit fighting yoga. After all, having a personal yoga instructor who is a happy person, has a sense of humor, teaches me Malayalum, and speaks better English than most is pretty darn cool. Of course, it also helped that he hasn't made me do some of the stuff David was doing last year. I can get up and down much easier. The heat doesn't bother me as much.
I am anxious to getting back to where I can intersperse walking with swimming again. I think the swimming was a very positive thing. Not to mention wearing a smaller size swimsuit. BTW: all my workout shirts are about to relegated to sleep jammies. They are starting to look sloppy.

Other than weight, I didn't think there was anything wrong with my health. Having tried many times to lose weight, I had gotten to the point where I just accepted it. In addition, the psychological reason for keeping the weight was that it kept men away from me. I wasn't interested and this solved the problem. Not to worry. I'm not interested in women either.
Whoa. I'm really letting it all hang out, aren't I?

Overall fitness: I can walk more than 3 miles in an hour and swim 7/8 mile in an hour. I feel positive that I could walk a 5K in under 1 hour and 40 minutes with or without hills. Actually, I notice here that I no longer have to pause walking up even long hills nor do I slow down nor am I completely out of breath when I get to the top. Hooray for me!

I will try to write more later. After afternoon treatment we are going to the Elephant Preserve and the Arabian Sea and maybe the big Hindu temple where the police were going to make absolutely sure that no white American was going to enter.

Take care.

Love,
Mom/Peggy/Granny/NiNi

Friday, June 4, 2010

Friday, June 4, 2010

And that was as far as I got when the internet and the power went out. That was 2PM yesterday, and the internet was out for 24 hours.

As I was saying--more or less--We westerners are ending up dying from 'diseases of affluence'--meaning we don't eat the right stuff to prevent heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, etc.

Read the book and be sure to read it all the way to the References section. Among other things you will find out that our own government is killing us off because it (they) would rather be in bed with the food and drug industries than promote good health. For instance, are you aware that the National Institute of Health runs or pays for all of the initial research into drugs--at taxpayer expense. Only when a potential drug looks promising do the drug companies then take over. So we are taxed two ways. lst for the studies and then for the astronomical cost of new drugs. Our government does studies where many of the agencies and scientists are also on the payroll of various members of the food industry. They will not publish anything that says too much beef is bad because that could put the beef industry out of business, etc. ad finitum. It really is horrific.

Moving right along because I know there are believers and nonbelievers out there.

There have been questions asked. So...I have lost 6 kilos--13 pounds for those of you who didn't study in grade school. My cholesterol has dropped from 234 to 200 in three weeks. My sciatica started acting up yesterday--may be due to a couple of yoga moves.

Diet Coke. I haven't had any cravings (means no addiction), and I don't even miss it. But, of course, it isn't available here. In the US it is available everywhere. Hopefully, I will be able to stay away from it, but water does get boring even after three weeks. The added incentive is that it contains aspertame, a man-made chemical. I have been reading my Nutrition Actions here, and they are against virtually any kind of soft drink. As one grows older, one's kidneys tend to function less well so I suppose chemicals merely accelerate that. Good reason to stop.

As of Wednesday there is a new patient--a 60 year old man from Chennai. Owns his own company--Computer Access Private LTD. Wife is a research scientist and breeds German Shepherds. His daughter is married to a Stanford undergrad who is a cardiothoracic surgeon in Seattle. Son-in-law was born and raised in US. A son works for Johnson and Johnson in Belgium. Krishna knows a lot about the US. Was at Yosemite last year. Knew that IU was in Bloomington, etc. Very widely read. Very bright. Very widely traveled. Knows a lot about food, medications, etc.
Actually, he knows EVERYthing. Hopefully, Tuesday will come before I slap the s___ out of him. Other than the last little item, he is really very nice.
However, I think he would like to slap the s___ out of this particular American. He obviously is used to being waited on. The first time at the table, I'm sure my jaw must have dropped open when he called someone from the kitchen to come serve him from a platter right in front of him. Once in a great while, he will actually help himself. This afternoon after yoga he was down the stairs when he saw me rolling up my mat as I always do. He came back and rolled his up.
Quite frankly, there is a tension present at meals. I can feel it. And please remember I am a shrink and am used to feeling feelings that are present.

Did you know that you can feed 30 people on what it takes to fatten a calf for market????--courtesy of Krishna.

Eating the pineapple core is good for people with arthritis among other things.

BTW: Before I forget, the papers here are saying that the only reason the BP oil spill is getting any attention is because it affects the US. Apparently, there have been several, if not many, oil spills in Africa which have never been cleaned up.

Treatment changed this morning. Now I am getting a full hour of having medicinal coconut oil poured over my body. There are worse things let me tell you.

And with that, I will leave you to enjoy your Fridays.

Take care.

Love,
Mom/Peggy/Granny/NiNi

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Thursday, June 3, 2010

I was all set to blog this morning, and then the power went out and stayed out. Incredibly, it is actually after 1PM, and the internet is still working. Usually goes out about 1:10.

The royal father was also part of his very own royal family.

When they drive at ight, they don't use horns. They just flash lights. Saturday night when I went to the festival, there were lots of men congregating along the road in groups. A few women, but they were obviously with a particular man who had to be either husband, father, or brother. No other men allowed.

Baji has thrown some cold water on The China Study--look at me-Italics!--saying that good health is not just about nutrition, but also the integration of body, mind, and spirit. I don't have a problem with that, but right now I am most concerned with my body as I think my mind and spirit are in pretty good shape for the shape they're in. If you don't agree, please keep it to yourself. For those of you who haven't read it, read it for your own benefit and for those you love and care about. Lots of scientific studies which basically say that less protein (meat, including fish

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Back to the Hindu Snake Festival. That particular temple has 3 gods. A goddess; a great grandfather; and a young man. The spirit of the goddess has apparently never appeared to any temple member. If you remember I said that an older man got the spirit of the snake (He represented the spirit of the great grandfather god.). And the young man who got the spirit from the intruder represented the spirit of the young man. Above all the godesses and gods there is a supreme being God, which all peoples and all religions may or may not believe in. As Buddha opined, all religions are just different pathways to the same God.

The royal mother's husband died at the age of 60 of a heart attack here at the palace 33 years ago. Her children ranged in age at that time from 12 to 35. Interestingly, the royal palace and grounds are on HER side of the family. Since we only marry within our own caste, he most likely came from similar circumstances. But I don't know.

Pakistan used to be part of India. Because that area is 100% Moslem, the Indian government allowed them to break off to form their own country. In retrospect, this is often seen as a big mistake. I agree, but what do I know. Anyway, Pakistan thinks that Kashmir should be part of Pakistan, but India disagrees. That is what the major part of their disagreements are about. And why there is always an Indian military presence in Kashmir. Although there is some agreement in place, the Pakistanis continually violate the agreement and cross into Kashmir creating problems.
Francis spent a portion of his 30 years in the Army in Kashmir where the winters are apparently more like ours with lots of snow and cold. After five or six hours of snowfall, they would have to go outside and brush the snow off their tents.

Speaking of Francis. Thirty years in the Army gets him a lifetime pension equal to as if he had found a full time job as well as health benefits and commissary benefits. When he dies, his wife will continue getting benefits until she dies. That's a pretty good deal unless, of course, you die while you are in the service. I don't know if the family receives any benefits in that case.

A hardback English to Malayalum dictionary is$85 on Amazon. Don't want to pursue the language that much!!!!!!!!!!

It turns out that the Vaccine study equating vaccines with autism--the one the media picked up on leading parents to freak--has been retracted. It was a VERY flawed study. It only involved 12 children (much too small a sample of the population) and misrepresented the facts. "For example, 5 children exhibited Autism Syndrome Disorder symptoms BEFORE vaccination, yet were described as developmentally normal. Hospital pathology reports also provided NO documentation of gastrointestinal abnormalities. Mainstream experts long ago refuted the study. Consensus existsthat childhood vaccines do not pose excessive risk."--Harvard Mental Health Letter, April, 2010. Now tell me, where else can you get day-to-day Indian information AND info from Harvard?????????????????????

Treatment seems to be having a different effect on me this time. I can actually feel changes going on. For instance, in the first two weeks of treatment, during the massage, my muscles would feel a little bit sore. But not at any other time. Now we're doing joint pain medicine, and some of my joints are telling me that. Certainly not in a bad way, but in a way that reminds me this isn't just a vacation from cares and woes.

Signing off. Hope everyone is well and happy. Heard the weather in Indiana, anyway, was beautiful over Memorial Day.

Take care.

Love,
Mom/Peggy/Granny/NiNi

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Have you ever read the word 'perambulating' in a newspaper in the States?????????????? They really use some big words in The Hindu sometimes.

Got out the whiffle ball and bat again today. I think the ladies are enjoying it! Took pictures.

Simbeon came by today. One of David's two massage therapists. He was quite delighted by my use of Malayalum. There is supposed to be a man coming on Wednesday so maybe Simbeon will be around now.

I explored some more today. There are little villages all over the place. There is also a humongous farm attached to this place where all the herbs and roots for medicines are grown. Also banana trees and coconut trees. It's huge and surrounded by a cement wall. The size is quite impressive. Kathy keeps pointing out plants used for medicine. Does seem like everything planted here is for that purpose.

Apparently India achieved independence from Britain with pure and simple pacifism via Mahatma Ghandi. There were those who wanted to use violence, but 99% of the people didn't want to use violence. Those who did went to talk with Hitler and with whomever it was in Japan and actually fought with them against the British in Burma. Hence, the award as a Freedom Fighter posthumously, I think, to the royal father.

Sundays are slow days when you are encouraged to email me. Obviously, out of sight out of mind.

Oh, I forgot I was going to tell you about my hectic mornings.
Normal Schedule:
6:00 AM Medicine
6:15-7:30 walking
7:30-7:45 shower
7:45-8:05 breakfast
8:05-8:50 usually blog
8:50-9:00 get ready for treatment
9:00-10:30 treatment
10:30-11:30 relax. Treatment is hardwork.
11:30-12:30 yoga
12:30-1:00 lunch with Francis and royal mother
1:00-3:15 relax; read newspaper; read books
3:15-3:30 get ready for treatment
3:30-5:00 treatment
5:00-7:00 Baji and Babu
7:00-7:15 get ready for dinner
7:15-7:45 dinner
7:45---- computer
RELAX

It's a tough life.

Power has already gone out once since I started this so arrivederci.

Love,
Mom/Peggy/Granny/NiNi

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Saturday, May 29, 2010

The oil on the forehead yesterday made me nod off once, but not today. I did, however, sleep the best last night that I have slept since the day after I got here.

I think VNJ is smoking pot right outside the door. It doesn't smell like what I smelled in Harvard Square years ago, but I've been told he does smoke it.

Anil's 40th birthday is tomorrow, but he didn't want me to tell anyone. He has a 3 year old daughter. He's also been wearing his mundi (skirt) the last two days, something he didn't do at all last year.

Baji told me they are trying to market Zamorin's. He has a tour director in Germany gathering up people who will hopefully put together enough money for he or Babu to go tell them about Zamorin's. He says they get referrals from many places--probably people like me. Apparently there are 14,000 websites for Ayurveda. How do you know which one is best or at least good?
(After all, I have gotten three people to sign up.)

Education:
In Kerala, all children 6 and over are to go to school. There are government schools and private ($$$$) schools. The children go to government school for free up until they complete what we would call 10th grade. All this time they are being taught in Malayalum language. Then 11th and 12th, you have to pay. This is where you learn English. All colleges teach in English so it is imperative to learn English. Baji didn't learn English until 11th and 12th. Babu learned English from first grade on.
As a side note, the Indians are very worried about China getting all the outsourcing. Babu was told that the advantage is NOW and the advantage is that educated Indians know English.

Babu gave me a folder about the college he is affiliated with. He's apparently in charge of admissions. I was very impressed with the engineering courses offered. They have a couple that are affiliated with a state university in Calcutta i.e., study here for two years (cheaper) and then go to Calcutta. The college has buses to pick up and drop off students for classes.
They also have an affiliation with a university in NYC with the same idea. These students will receive a US Bachelor of Science in Engineering.
He is interested in pursuing an extension or satellite of a good engineering school where, say Michigan or Purdue, would basically move into the infrastructure (which is very nice) and run a Bachelor's program--similar to IUSB for IU. The university would bring in their own profs, syllabi, etc. so it would be a US degree.

This college is amazing. They've only been in operation since 2003. It was originally funded by expatriots, who have money and want to give back to India. They take in nearly 400 students each year (100 of these are the disadvantaged. The main object is to give opportunity to disadvantaged students--both boys and girls. Babu goes to government schools in the district when the prospective students are in 9th grade and asks the principal for the top 10 financially needy students. They then follow them, making sure there is a need, and continue to do so until time for college (tutoring, getting them into a school for 11th and 12th to learn English, I guess). Then there are all different levels from full scholarship down to 10% and then there's full pay.
No government money involved. I will bring the folder home so you can judge for yourselves.
Amazing what they are doing!

The children are now coming out of the woodwork. One watched me do yoga today. Guess they were scared of me. Whatever. I also received two flowers on my walk yesterday.

Time for bed. I have a rather hectic schedule tomorrow as it is Sunday.

Take care and be good to each other.

Love,
Mom/Peggy/Granny/NiNi

Friday, May 28, 2010

Friday, May 28, 2010

Last night was the best night of sleeping I've had since I've been here! Maybe I should go shopping more often! NOT!!!

This morning I walked for 82 minutes. I am sure that I have shaved at least 20 minutes off my Turkey Trot time for November. Except for when it's raining or going to rain--remember I'm not supposed to walk in the rain--I consistently walk more than an hour. Otherwise, it's been 30 minutes and 50 minutes. I was walking 3 miles in an hour on the treadmill at Knollwood. Actually I was walking 3.2 mph, but backed off because my hip would start bothering me. The flies this morning were awful. (I take that to mean their is rain coming today. I had tokeep batting them off, and that took a lot of energy. Met a couple of people who new Zamorin's. 'George' was one. When they go by Christian first names, it apparently means they are Catholic.

BTW: Since I didn't even think of bringing Afterbite (not having a problem at all last year), and mosquito and fly bites last a long time on me here, glasses lens cleaner helps with the itch. So, if you're ever on Jeopardy...

OK. Tradition says that all sons return to their parents' home after marriage. That's why Babu's home had 22 people in it. When it gets to crowded, then the men start talking about building an adjacent building, etc., and who should move into it. Then the wives start working on the husbands (subtlely) jokeying for what they think their position should be. Like if they think they should get the new building.

Sometimes, like in Baji's case, the older brothers move into separate houses. Baji's brother lives in Calcutta for instance.

I guess I was right about the flies. It's raining, and the sun is shining. I'll go look for a rainbow when it quits.

Back to tradition. You know about the arranged marriages. After the wedding ceremony, the couple return to the girl's home for 10 days of getting to know each other. The women have coached the bride on what is going to happen, what they should do, feminine wiles, etc.
When I said that that must be hard on the father, Babu was taken back. He said, "Why? She is starting a family! Her father is very happy for her." So, after a couple of days, they start taking walks, maybe shopping, just getting to know each other. This way the girl has the support of her mother and the other women in the household.

When the girl gets pregnant, which is usually right away, there is great celebration. At the sixth or seventh month, the girl returns to her family home. Husband visits, but doesn't stay. Bride's family bears the expense of the baby. The new motherand the baby stay in her parents' home until the baby is three or four months old. Husband's family visits and sees the baby.
Kathy told me that a 3 k --6.6 pounds--baby is about the biggest natural birth possible. After that, it's C-section.

Most families near here seem to limit the number of kids to 2 or 3, but the national statistic is 2.86 per woman. No wonder there are 1.2 billion Indians in country!

Oh, dear. Time for another massage er I mean treatment.

Take care.

Love,
Mom/Peggy/Granny/NiNi

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Thursday, May 27, 2010

I went shopping tonight after treatment, and, quite frankly, I am exhausted.

New treatment starts tomorrow. The old oil on the forehead.

Will try to write in the morning.

Love,
Mom/Peggy/Granny/NiNi

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

I'm a little disappointed by the monsoon. Last night it poured for about 10 minutes, and that was all she wrote. The forecast was for heavy rain yesterday and today. Uh, huh.

Did you know that there are at least 3 tours being offered for foreigners who want to experience the monsoon season? And to think, it's part of the package here.

Have to catch up a bit.

Last Thursday, I found out that I can get Comcast Infinity, and they would have the latest episode of Grey's Anatomy. So I'm thinking, fabulous! I can watch the two episodes I missed when there is nothing else to do on Sunday. Imagine my consternation when they wouldn't let me see it because it looked like I was in a foreign country. Something about international rules or copyrights. Can't imagine that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is a search engine called ask.com where you can ask a question, and they provide an answer. So I asked them what the Fahrenheit temperature would be for 45 degrees C. The first answer I received? "Very hot for an outside temperature. Tried to send a message back to this character appreciating his sense of humor, but it didn't work. The third answer down told me it is 113 degrees, and, I have to say, that is indeed very hot. Northern India is having really high temperatures. There was someplace yesterday with 118F.

Did you know that in the US any produce certified as organic cannot be genetically modified? That's good news!

RE: the well being inside. I found the one they used to use here outside. It is clearly NOT used for anything other than watering the plants and trees. There's a hose down to the water, and I have to say that someone must have an awfully strong sucker to siphon that water up. The water is at least 15 feet down.

The huge pile of coconut shells in the building behind the Royal Palace is used for fires. Waste not; want not.

The Royal Mother made it clear to me that she was the one who arranged her eldest son's marriage. The son lives in Highland, California (anywhere near you, Kevin?--She said it's 3 hours west of Las Vegas.), and has been marketing director for Roche Pharmaceuticals for 25 years. Wife also works, but she didn't remember the name of the place.

Good help is getting harder and harder to find. They refurbished the outdoor stage? and the men who did it came by. Babu said that there are very few people who do that kind of work anymore.
The same can be said for people who climb coconut trees to hack off the coconuts so they don't hit someone on the head. There have been an increasing number of people getting hit on the head, including a three-month old baby during a religious ceremony for the baby.

Our NTSB is on it's way to help with the Air India crash. They did find the black box. There is some speculation that there was a communication failure between the Serbian pilot and the control tower. One survivor said they touched down, and then she felt an attempt at taking off again. It went off the runway, down a mountain, into some trees. One man lost 16 family members.

Can honey or agave syrup be counted as added sugar?????????????????? It seems to me that it is a natural carbohydrate.

Shopping tomorrow.

Take care.

When I get back, I have to find out how to access other blogs and people on Facebook.

Take care again.

Love,
Mom

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

CAUTION: Anything I say about what the people here have or don't have--like televisions--applies ONLY to Kerala, which is the richest and most progressive state in India. There is poverty here, but it doesn't begin to compare with other parts of India, especially in the cities.
On the outskirts of the Mumbai airport, there is a shantytown, but it is just a small one. Whatever the people could cobble together for shelter.
In Kerala, there is a rice program for the poor. By the end of the year, everyone in Kerala will own property, including the 13,000 plus families who are being bailed out who signed their deeds over to someone else to pay their debts.
Kerala, if you remember, is run by the communists, but not in the same terms we think of where there are mass executions or people who disagree with you are thrown in jail. Still, I have a problem with the 13,000 plus--kind of like foreclosures and bankruptcy for credit cards.

In other parts of India, three men got life in prison for raping a Japanese tourist, and one guy got life in prison for sexually molesting and killing a three year old. Hopefully, he will also get the treatment from other inmates that our child molesters get. Trust me when I say you do not want to be in ANY foreign prison, much less here.

On to happier things.

Anil (Yoga Master), who is also helping me learn the language, absolutely could not believe that there are such people as stay-at-home dads. That was just more than he could grasp.

Speaking of Anil, my yoga experience this time has been much more positive. He's not asking me to do the impossible. In fact, he cautions against it. AND, they don't even have to come get me for yoga, which is saying something.

BTW: VNJ always comes to tell me when it's time for a meal; Vineesh brings my medicine to me; someone does my laundry; Mohanon fixes my meals; Gisha cleans my room. Kathy comes to get me for treatment and brings me back. What's NOT to like about this place?

Items of Interest:

Virtually every home has a well, which is outside, usually covered with netting to keep the birds out. It's six to eight feet across, and water is pulled up in containers on a rope. Several of the wells that I have checked have been dry. (Only now has the little pond beside the hammock got some water in it.) Learning that, of course, it's well water here, I wanted to see if it was the same kind of well others had, just hidden. Fortunately, that is not the case. The well here is inside. Babu (He's begun calling me Peggy so I think it's ok to call him Babu.) told us last year that the water is safe, but he didn't want us to drink it. We get bottled water. But I brush my teeth in this water. Haven't swallowed it. Haven't gotten sick.

Two days after my flight from Mumbai, there was a bomb scare on a Kingfisher plane. Mumbai wasn't my idea of where I wanted to spend a lot of time anyway. Speaking of which, Babu told me yesterday that I would definitely not have the freedom to move around walking the way I do here in other places. In a city, I wouldn't be able to walk 10 feet without ten beggars approaching me. People carry their money in pockets sewed inside their pockets. So, the stories you hear from others who have been to India are probably right on. Fortunately, that is not the case here. Actually, people seem to be friendly this year. Even the men. The children have always been friendly, and that has been encouraged by the parents. (With the exception of the three year old down the street, who was scared to death the first time he saw me.) Today he saw me coming from the end of the lane and started saying, 'hi'.

I have seen a rooster chase a cat. There are several roosters, and there is one which obviously rules the roost so to speak.

People here are convinced there is global warming.

I need to find out how to convert Centigrade to Fahrenheit while the internet is still up so I'll sign off for now.

Hope everyone is doing fine. I am truly having a great time.

Love,
Mom/Peggy/Granny/NiNi

Sunday, May 23 Blog 2

Sunday, May 23, 2010, Blog #2

Did you know that spinach is 14% fat? Or that antioxidants cause the color of fruits and vegetables? Well, now you do!

Ayurveda gets curiouser and curiouser. The other day when I walked in a drizzle Baji said I should be using an umbrella or at least utilizing a head covering while I'm in treatment due to the immune system issue. Coincidentally enough, after walking in the drizzle, I did have a somewhat sore throat by noon. Apparently due to walking in the drizzle. I can't use an umbrella because my shoulder muscles are strong enough to support an umbrella--especially one with a wooden handle--for an hour. I only use an umbrella at home if I absolutely have to do so.

My medications this time consist of two absolutely gross-tasting liquids at six o'clock and 5 o'clock. Sometimes I have to talk my stomach into keeping one of them down. But I have learned that exhaling before drinking it is better than holding my breath. After breakfast and after dinner, I get 3 pills (Thank you, Baji) and one liquid, which is nothing to write home to mom about. I think this may have been the Nestle's Quik one last year, but it is liquified this year. Tasted better last year. I knew there was a reason I should have gone ahead and brought my honey with me.

With regard to food, I am really eating too much. Plenty of fruits--pineapple every day, apples, watermelon, oranges, bananas. Rice and fruits and vegetables every day for lunch. I have finally figured out that mixing the cooked vegetables with the rice makes the vegetables more palatable. Ditto for the chipotle every night. Green beans, cauliflower, and several local favorites.

BTW: I have to go back on the nonspiced food. The royal mother enjoys her spiced food so I am the only one with the weak stomach.

The Malayalum language has 56 characters; English has 26. Probably explains why so many of their words are so long. They have to use all 56. Baji told me that the Malayalum word for candy is so long--about 4 feet--that even when they are writing in their own language, they use the English term "sweets" instead of writing out their longer word.

The phonetic spelling for the word 'yes' is 'shitty'--phonetically, that is.

Hindi is India's national language. Comes from Sanskrit. However, less than half the people in Kerala speak/know it. They just use Malayalum.

Everything is going well. I'm not bored at all. Conversation with the royal mother is somewhat limited due to her hearing and being unable to use hand signals because of her sight. She did tell me that her grandson is graduating from medical school tomorrow. He has a sister who is a lawyer. All her progeny seem to go on for graduate training--quite a legacy for her. All the grandchildren were born and raised in the US. Mam's children call her everyday. They want her in the States, but she isn't giving in at this point.

Have fun, be healthy, take care.

Love,
Mom/Peggy/Granny/NiNI

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Today may be your lucky day. There may be TWO blogs--depending on the Internet and my motivation. I am way behind on things to share.

Last night I went to a Hindu temple festival. I'm really not sure how to describe it, but I'll try. I didn't take my camera because it was a religious ceremony so no pictures.

First, Kathy dressed me up in a sari which I had to keep nice until time to go to the temple four hours later. Fortunately, I have a king-size bed and books to read. Still, the sari got kind of wrinkly. (Ducomini checked me out before I got in the taxi. She is Mam's helper. ) I didn't spill anything on it at dinner. Left at 9 PM--David will tell you that normally no patient is still up at 9 PM. Vineesh (medicine man) went with me in the taxi and Babu met me there. The couple who take care of his temple were there and were helping with the ceremony. Had to take our shoes off at the door. Mud floor with lots of little pebbles so it was not exactly comfortable walking in.

(As best as I can describe the jist of this is that this temple has three snake gods. Remember I told you that Hindus believe that everyone and everything is a god with a 'supreme' god over all in the same way we think of God. So, this temple has three snake gods. In this ceremony, there musical instruments--a pot used as a drum, some kind of string tied to a toe that makes music, clappers like very small cymbals, and probably the first version of violin-sort of like a lute--singing, and a very impressive and energetic fire dance. All of this is done in preparation for the 3 snake spirits to come down and inhabit the bodies of the three women chosen. The snake spirit doesn't have to choose any of the three, can choose one of the three (one spirit to a body) or can actually choose someone in the audience. Sometimes the spirit doesn't come down at all.

The setting is open air with a roof covering. There is a huge (by our standards) well inside on one side of the space. Taking up a large part of the rest of the main space is an intricately drawn design of geometric patterns laid out in a circle, all hand-drawn and filled in with natural colors ie., the yellow is tumeric, the black is, I think, burnt rice chaff, etc. Beautiful and so intricate. There is a four-posted structure on which are hung strands of the tender part of a palm leaf as well as hanging items, in some cases reminding me of a mobile. There are candles all around and different religious artifacts used in the ceremony. The three women are sitting on a slightly raised stage waiting to be called down.

Vineesh went with me, and Col. Babu met me there.
When we got there, the procession into the temple had already occurred. It starts about a kilometer away. And the three women follow a path down the road lighted by others. They have already been educated as to how to proceed. One is a teenager; one is in her 20s; and the 3rd appears to be in her 30s. They are dressed in regular saris. Nothing special in their dress.

There is already a woman who is not one of the three exhibiting a trance-like state in which a snake spirit has overtaken her body. Throughout the evening she dances, screams out, makes swaying motions with her hands and body. The leader tries to tell the snake spirit that it is too early, that he must go away until later. Obviously this doesn't work, but it does calm the woman down. At one point, she picks a young man out of the audience, touches his head several times, and apparently imbues him with a spirit as well as he is having movements and sounds similar to an epileptic seizure although he remains standing. Three men protect him until he comes out of the trance.

Anyway, there are two to four singers/chanters and instrumentalists, depending on the stage of the ceremony. There is an additional man doing a ceremony around the structure and the drawing. Then comes the fire dance. After the fire dance the man passes the plate so to speak and receives donations of rupees and many, many mundis--the traditional mail dress they wear around the waist and can either wear knee length or drop it down to above the feet.

Then some more spiritual singing/chanting. Meanwhile, the lady in blue imbued with the spirit continues. The leader calms her down one more time. She appears to go in and out of the trance quite quickly and easily at times. She doesn't run into anything--people or candle stands or anything. Also, everyone involved makes it a point not to step on the drawing. If they have to reach something on the structure, they will place a leaf down to step on and then reach for what they need. There is also a man setting up things for the man doing the ceremony around the structure. Finally, the three ladies are called down outside of the structure where they are given 18" long brushes and herbs or flowers are placed on their heads. They sit inside the structure. Then they move to in front of the musicians. The spirits are called down and enter all three of the women who then go into a trance, weaving, swaying, etc. And then they start moving in a seated position brushing away this fabulous drawing which is both inside and outside the structure. They get so deeply into the trance that people have to protect them from hitting their head against the poles of the structure. Finally, when the drawing is all brushed out, they fall out on the floor unconscious. They are attended by others until they come to.
There is also another man who is imbued by the spirit, but his doesn't last very long.

When they come to, the ceremony is over and everyone goes home. Although, the drawing is recreated, but only inside the structure, and another ceremony takes place later. This goes on for five days and nights.

During the ceremony some of the children practiced their English with me. They said they were glad I tried to use some of my Malayalum. I think I mentioned last year that this part of India broke off from Africa. None of these people have the African features of big lips and big flat noses, however. They are quite attractive and these girls were no exception.

Col. Babu apparently carries A LOT of weight as tourists do not go to these ceremonies. Everyone, of course, noticed me, but there was no apparent ill feeling towards me. Mam and Kathy both asked me if it was at Babu's house and seemed surprised that it was at the Hindu temple.

I'm a little light-headed so I will go for now. I think the light-headedness is from sitting.

Love,
Mom/Granny/Peggy/NiNi

Friday, May 21, 2010

Friday, May 21, 2010 Day 9

The blog I did yesterday didn't save or post so...

Items of interest:
The ladies love my blue toenails.
They now have speed bumps in triplicate. Didn't have any before. Don't know if that
points to the increase in traffic or the recklessness of the drivers. It does, however,
slow everyone down.
Houses have mortgages, cars have loans, and there are now educational loans. On the
educational loans, the parents must sign. If the parents don't want you to study what you
want to study, they don't sign. You don't get the loan. And there will be no help from
home. Students here do not work and go to school. So without the loan and/or the
parents' help, you get no education. Most of the colleges appear to be government run,
but there are private ones. Where there used to be only one engineering school in all
of Kerala, there are now too many to count. Some of these, like the one where Col. Baby
is, have been started by a group of successful engineers who want to give back.
*****Engineers in this country make more than medical doctors.
I saw a brand new rich house for sale this morning. Had I had a pen and paper, I would have
written down the number and asked Col. Babu to call for a price.
My first wild animals were two days ago. Had a body with shape and coloring like a
chipmunk but a tail like a squirrel. Scarrrrrrrrrrrrrrry! This morning I saw a chipmunk
so I think there must be some hanky-panky going on.
Wild dogs. There are some. There are also dogs connected with houses which might as well
be wild dogs. So far, either starring them down or picking up a rock seems to do the
trick. I really don't want to mess with them especially if there is more than one.
I tried some of my Malayalum on folks this morning. Apparently I am saying the words
correctly, but my accent throws them. Good for a laugh on both sides.
Mortgages. The reason for mortgages and car loans as I understand it is 1) Say you earn
$10,000 and put it in the bank and use it. 2) If you only spend $8000, you get taxed
40% on the $2000 left in the bank. (I don't know if it has to just be the bank or
whether that means under the mattress as well.) At any rate, there is no incentive to
save.
Dr. Baji said that Indians who go to the US never send money home because they will never
return here to live. Men in the Gulf send all their money back because they can't
stay in the Gulf--not allowed to stay. All I can say is that there must be a heck of a
lot of Kerala men in the Gulf. I don't have the impression that the same can be said for
other parts of India. Seems to be Kerala-specific.
I asked if Dr. Baji and Col. Babu were using their laptops. Dr. Baji said yes, and Col. Babu
changed the subject. Don't know what that means. Haven't followed up.
Hindu temples are family temples specific to a particular extended family only. Many
homes like this one have a small temple indoors or I have see small temples next door
to a house.

Something I wouldn't know had I not asked: My water at the table is pink as is that of
Francis and imam. Why? It has medicine in it. I will have to ask what kind of ]
we all are getting.

What is high humidity? High humidity is when the toilet seat feels like someone has peed on
it right before you got there. The women will understand this analogy if the women don't.

Time to get ready for massage. I know. But someone's got to do it.

Much love to all of mine.

Love,
Mom/Peggy/Granny/NiNi

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KEAGAN.

I must have been smoking something when I thought I would have plenty of time to research walking/biking tours and an EFIS lawsuit. It has now taken me 25 minutes to actually get this far. Microsoft Internet hasn't been very reliable. I have tried Mozilla--sometimes I can do one or two emails before it poops out (good thing I'm not getting very many emails--hint, hint), netscape, and whatever else is in the list. Currently it is telling me that it(????) cannot contact Blogger. com. Saving and publishing may fail. Retrying. Good thing this is the only totally frustrating thing in my life.
And so.

Tim Roemer, formerly our Congressman--back when a few of them had integrity--IS, indeed, the US Ambassador to India. I tried to email him the other day to see if he wanted to come visit, but they wanted some information about 'server' and nothing I put in was the solution to the problem so I don't think it went through. I also sent it to myself and didn't get it.

Apparently the rash I have is indeed heat rash--something I haven't had since I was a baby. However, I decided Dr. Baji was correct when I went for a walk yesterday and was itching under a particular article of clothing. So now I have prickly heat powder. Also a change in the oil. The two together are working.
Everyday Kathy puts jasmine flowers in my hair. It smells soooooooo good!
It rained Monday night--thunderstorm--and was quite pleasant yesterday morning. It also rained this morning. As it was raining, I haven't walked yet today. I have consistently been doing over an hour every morning.
Found some children yesterday and tried my very limited knowledge of Malayalum on them. I was supposed to see them again this morning. Trust me when I say that their English was far better than my Malayalum. I have graduated to simple phrases for Good Morning and How are you. I know the word for hot water and one for cold water. And thank you. That's pretty much it.
David, if I ever manage to be able to contact Facebook, Francis and Salini (lady in blue) may ask for a confirmation. People the world over are on Facebook. Amelia is also on Facebook.
I gave Francis Amelia's email, and they both are apparently delighted to be in touch with each other. Amelia apparently is in Germany for that treatment I may or may not have told you about--two weeks in a hospital run by a surgeon/oncologist to boost her immune system as well as conduct what sounded like heat therapy on her right lung. Yet she continues to be interested in others and in tackling new things. An amazing person!
YOGA. I don't think I've mentioned that Anil is still the Yoga Master. As I am the only patient now--as well as for the foreseeable future--I have to go. But he has been cool. Not expecting me to do the things David was able to do. At the end, when he sits crosslegged and tells me to bend over and touch the floor with my forehead, I have to laugh because I just don't bend anywhere near that far. I must be thinking it's okay--don't want to go so far as to say 'enjoyable'--but I have been thinking of looking in on the Indian who does one of the Yoga classes at Knollwood.

You have no idea how much my mood has come up just being able to share this much. Hopefully, I will be able to publish before Explorer goes out again. It's been off and on while I've been typing.
Ice water is not good for you. The body has it's own temperature regulator, and we shouldn't be interferring with it. Whatever. What I would give for some ice water.

'Til we meet again.
Love,
Mom/Peggy/Granny/NiNi

Wednesday, May 18, 8:00 AM

Monday, May 17, 2010

Monday, May 17, 2010

I have been gone a week now. When I first got here, I just wanted to turn around and go back. But now that I've settled in, I may stay forever.

Kerala is suffering from prosperity. New rich houses are all over the place. That's not the suffering part. Many times there will be a rich house on a lane behind the house facing the street. Or there might be two rich houses one behind the other. Wages are rising because so many of the men are continuing to work/go to the Gulf. Men used to get paid 150 -200 rupees per day (roughly $3 to $4) to work in construction or in the rice fields. Pay has doubled to 400 rupees ($8 per day) so everything has gotten more expensive. The price of food in Kerala has risen over 16% since the first of the year. Construction has gotten more expensive so although I've seen a number of huge rich houses, I've also seen smaller rich houses. It looks like the plan might be to add another floor. I have to ask if this is pay up front or whether mortgages can be had. Because labor is so expensive, there is only one rice planting per year instead of two or three. The rice paddies are being filled in with dirt so people can build houses. Land is becoming scarce. Last year, Dr. Baji told us that many of the swimming holes he used as a child have been filled in so houses could be built. A block from here, they are digging out the soil and putting it in the rice paddies. So far there is only one rich house being constructed at that site although there is room for several more.
Kerala has the 2nd highest rate of childhood obesity right behind the good old USA. It's all about prosperity. I saw a teenager --chubby--riding a motorcycle out of a rich house this morning on his way to school. His dad was on a similar bike following him.

EVERYone has asked about David. I think some of them would have preferred it was he returning. Francis, Dr. Baji, and Col. Babu were all here to meet me when I arrived. There is a new Chef. The other one decided to try his fortunes in the Gulf. His house is padlocked so I don't know what happened with his mother. The older man David had is still here. He must also tend the garden, which I think is a whole lot bigger than I originally thought. I haven't seen Simeon, but Kathy says he is still here. Girish has gone back home, and I have the 'Medicine Man' who was out last year for an ear operation. Nice enough, but I do miss Girish's smile.
The new chef is a lot less spice-intensive than the previous one. There are still things I can't eat, but I am trying to try everything he makes. David: I had beet juice yesterday. Yum.
My therapit, Kathy, is still here, but Gita isn't here. She is pregnant and will be moving to her husband's family house. She has been married for two years without getting pregnant, and I understand this causes problems with recriminations among the couple and the families. So now all is well. Gita came by yesterday so I have been able to see her before she leaves.
I don't know where all the children have gone. Maybe they are hiding until they get more used to me. The one family which had three tiny ones on the front stoop every morning isn't there--at least right now.
I am an Honorary complete with bindi (dot on forehead). Kathy has been putting Jasmine flowers in my hair every morning. It smells so good.

I'm going to try to get to the email before the internet goes down (I tried four times yesterday with no luck) so I will go now.

Hope everyone is well and happy.

Love,
Mom/Peggy/Granny