Update from India - August 6, 2007

Update from India: August 6, 2007

Kids started school today. Farid went with driver to drop them off. Felt weird not taking them to school but they insisted they didn’t “need” me! I was surprised they got up and went like it was just another day, but I think the orientation helped a lot and they saw there were some good kids and teachers there and realized there were many new students just like them. It’s been a little stressful living out of suitcases and going between the apartment and the beach all week---beach was probably not worth it for the time it took each day to get there. Kids didn’t do much swimming because by the time we got back there each night, we were all wiped out.

It’s hard to explain how draining it is just to drive anywhere. The streets are filthy and swarming with people, cars, motorcycles, buses and bikes and a constant honking and beeping going on. Sometimes you just have to shut your eyes and take a break. Zach zones out with his ipod and Emma usually ends of falling asleep which is just as well. Yesterday we went to Farid’s office( which is in a mall complex) to pick up kids packbacks and get a few groceries. Farid said he had never seen the mall that crowded and we had to carry several bags down 4 flights (escalators) and out to car. Everytime you go to store you have to buy several large bottled waters. However, that will change when we get into house. We’ll have big floor water dispensers that will be filled every week. One for kitchen and for every bathroom.

I’m very anxious to get into the house---hopefully by Wed or Thursday and get a routine going instead of every time I turn around, I’m asking “What do I do about this or that?” But I guess that’s just part of any moving process, it’s just more intense here. Thankfully Farid seems to be on top of everything and is more acclimated than we are so that’s making it less stressful too.

I’m being picked up at 2:30 to go get kids from school and we’ll see how their first day went.