DELHI BOUND

FLIPKART

2012-01-27T02:00:00.003+05:30

One of the constant frustrations in India is being used to online shopping, mega stores like Wal-Mart and Target, and then moving to a place where none of the above are available.

The same 5 items show up at every birthday party as gifts, because the same things are only available at all of the stores, and getting a recommendation for a specific book can sometimes mean MANY, MANY trips to a bookstore in hopes that you will find the same one, or in the slight possibility that the shop owner will order it for you.

Last week, the elementary school librarian shared a newly arrived book with Tony, called Tony Baloney. He was the first to check it out (even though the date stamp got a little happy and double stamped).

It's a precious book about a little penguin who is the middle child in a family, and talks about how he always feels left out, and is constantly in trouble and never gets to choose the activities for the afternoon.

Since I recently purchased a book titled Mia the Ballerina, I wanted to also source this newly found publication. Our very smart librarian suggested FlipKart and I am so glad she did!

Easy online ordering process, reasonable prices, free shipping and the best part?

Cash on delivery!

SAME, BUT DIFFERENT

2012-01-25T02:20:00.002+05:30

Just had to quickly share these with you.

We have Subways in Delhi. They are super good and you don't really notice much of a difference (except for some strange selections on the menu). Oh, that and the marigold clad statue of . . . (I can't tell who that is?) sitting next to the bags of Lays Chips.

Then, there's McDonalds . . .

TOUCHDOWN ??

2012-01-24T12:59:00.000+05:30

We are ALMOST there.

Remember when I blogged about being at the 15 yard line back in November.

Then I blogged about being almost at the 50 yard line.

Now, as of today ... my oldest child's 17 birthday, we have raised $11,310 out of the goal of $12,000.

I say WE because this has been a group effort ... and it is has been humbling

This is seriously amazing and really, really cool.

In that 15 yard line post, I shared several photos of Terran with Agnes' boys ... they are special children who deserve to have a better life. Agnes is providing for them like you would NOT believe (based on what resources she has at her disposal), but you can help ensure that they have simple things (that you and I take for granted) like ::

clean water
the ability to go to school

There are MANY, MANY more benefits, but these two strike me as the two MOST important.

You know what would MAKE my day? If we put this project OVER $12,000 by the time it hits midnight on January 24, 2012 CST (that's Omaha, Nebraska, United States - where Terran was born).

I've still got some aprons left for the top contributors ... who is going to get them?

Let's do Agnes and her boys proud, people!!

$690 !! That's all that is left ....

Click HERE for the various options for helping to see this project through to fruition ...

MLK

2012-01-24T08:37:00.000+05:30

MLK was a day that passed by us here in New Delhi, without any fanfare, except that I received a CNN Breaking News email that notified me that per Maya Angelou's suggestion, one of the quotes on the recently unveiled memorial was slated to be removed.

When you live in a country other than the United States, I think that holidays such as this one, DO go by unannounced. An entire country of people go about their business, unaware, of the impact that one man had, many years ago.

Patty Digh - who is an influential being in my atmosphere (wow, that sounded fluffy, yet heavy at the same time?) recently re-posted something from her archives. She originally wrote it in 2010, but the truth of her words still rings true.

Read the whole essay HERE.

Just in case you aren't feeling the need to click over to Patty's full essay, I'll leave you with some of my favorites from her post titled "Because I too, have a dream" ::

I have a dream that my children and your children will take the best of what we offer them and leave the rest behind.

I have a dream that teachers, nurses, and artists will finally be recognized for the national treasures they truly are.

I have a dream that teachers will make as much money as basketball  players and will use the excess funds to transform our educational  system into the one they long for, one that focuses on learning, and not  teaching or containing or testing.

I have a dream that we will all sit quietly and very still for just 10 minutes every day.

I have a dream that we will learn how to listen half as well as we judge.

I have a dream that every week we will provide at least one meal to someone who is hungry.

I have a dream that giving is our national pastime, not getting.

I have a dream that every lonely child will find a friend who loves her.

I have a dream that we are find commonality amidst a glorious celebration of difference.

I have a dream that we stop confusing noticing difference with making a judgment.

I have a dream that we will consider volunteering to help others less fortunate to be our birthright, not our punishment.

January 15, 2012 either happens to be the day we celebrate the amazing-ness of Martin Luther King, Jr., or the day that was simply the second Monday back to school in Delhi at the AES.

Do you have a dream?

I have a dream that giving and volunteering becomes like a second skin, and that putting others before ourselves is a obvious given and that making the choice to do ONE thing more than you did the day prior is part of a norm.

It's feasible, right?

GANAE OSORIO

2012-01-23T07:17:00.002+05:30

My brother and I have this thing where ... when it's early morning for him and late night for me ... we'll be on Facebook at the same time and we end up sharing cool new music that we've discovered, fallen in love with, and listened to on repeat WAY too many times.

I've got a new one for all of you that is just gorgeous.

Ganae is a friend of my biggest little ... and she has recently released her first single and it's available on iTunes!

Her voice is crystal, magical and sweet. I've purchased Devil's Storm and am hopeful that more will be coming soon!!

I'm such a music lover that I think I'll be sharing more new music (new to me, anyway!) on a more regular basis!

Share with me your favorite new find!

NOT ENOUGH TIME

2012-01-20T07:34:00.002+05:30

Part of the gift I have given myself as I recover from a recurrence of mono is that I am allowing myself to go to bed earlier, get more sleep, relax more, do less and say no more often.

It's really a great thing - turning down the covers at 8:30pm and waking up 9-10 hours later is an amazing feeling. Not having 30 things on your daily to-do list is refreshing.

But the downfall of it - at least for me - is that I have slipped into this lazy kind of apathetic habit of not dealing with my photos. At the same time I have a renewed energy to photograph that which is happening around me, I have a MUCH decreased desire to organize, blog, print and otherwise deal with my photos.

I have way too many photos from the sculpture installation we happened upon in Omaha, Nebraska over Christmas on the way home from the zoo.

I have the same number of photos waiting some kind of movement, an assignment to a purpose from a recent trip to Dilli Haat.

Then there's the photos that I took of various magazines that I read while on winter break. I didn't want to rip apart the publications, so instead I took photos of the ideas, inspiration and things that I wanted to try when we returned to reality.

Oh, and I can't forget the photos of a recent strawberry smoothie making morning, filled in with a digging-holes-in-the-garden afternoon, rounded off with with milkshakes in the bathtub day.

Oh, and I've completely blocked out the need to blog about our trip to the cemetery (we do it every time the family is together) and the amazing moments I had watching my children learn first hand about the after-effects of civil war and countries that do not get along.

I need to figure out - once and for all - how to get better about wisely using my time to best organize the captures of our lives. We want so badly to live fully, and I need to match the energy given to the actual living of the moments ... with the effort I give to the long-term storage of these memories.

What do YOU do? Do you upload photos once a week? Daily? Do you categorize and organize? Do you slough them all into one big file?

I could use some help!

ORGANIZING THE BOOKSHELVES

2012-01-19T04:27:00.001+05:30

Ok, this is wicked cool. Shared by Ms Tracy S. and now being passed all over the planet ... I HAD to share it with you also!

First, this couple organized their bookshelves ....

Then they took it to a bookstore!!

Cool, RIGHT?

What creative videos have you seen lately?

I would love to see Delhi Bound becoming a bit more interactive ... join in the discussion! I KNOW you're out there!

37 SECONDS, WELL USED, IS A LIFETIME.

2012-01-18T07:17:00.001+05:30

We recently watched Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium and because the movie insanely reminds me of my amazing late grandfather, it moves me to tears EVERY.SINGLE.TIME I watch it.

If you haven't seen it yet (I keep asking you to watch it! What's taken you so long?), it is about an owner of a magic store, and his journey through the last days of his life.

Halfway through the movie (I think?) Mr. Magorium says to the lead female character, who is grieving his unavoidable death :

When King Lear dies in act 5, do you guys know what Shakespeare had written? He's written "He dies".

That's all. Nothing more. No fanfare. No metaphor. No brilliant final words.

The culmination of the most influential works of dramatic literature is "He dies".

I think Shakespeare a genius, to come up with "He dies". And every time I read those two words, I find myself overwhelmed with anxiety. I know it's natural to be sad, but not because of the words "He dies", but because of the life we saw prior to the words, when someone has lived all five of the acts.

I am not saying that we must be happy when someone is gone. I am just saying we must just turn the page. And if someone asks what had happened to him/her, just tell with all its pride and glory, "He died."

Your life is an occasion, Rise to it.

We breathe. We pulse. We regenerate. Our hearts beat. Our minds create. Our souls ingest. 37 seconds, well used, is a lifetime.

Brings tears to my eyes ... every.single.time.

Britt recently wrote about thinking about your funeral. It's something that we actually talk a fair bit about in our family -- enough so that it isn't macabre or morbid. It's just a fact of life.

The theme of her post came about after this moment between her and her husband ::

"What do you want people to say at your funeral?" I asked Jared during a recent car ride. It is, I'm sure, an absolute joy to ride in the car with me.

"Why are we talking about this?" he asked.

"Because knowing what you want said at your funeral helps me know how you want to live your life."

After I read Britt's post, I commented :

Our family talks often about our funerals. Where they will be (happens when you have a mother who lives in Kenya), who will come, what music will be played.

Who will come is a conversation that sparks the biggest discussion. For me, I would love if whole hoards of people came to my funeral, and when asked why they came, were able to say "because she was kind to me" or "because she answered a silly question I had" or "because she inspired me to do better than I did the day before"

How do YOU want to live your life?

SAROJINI NAGAR MARKET

2012-01-16T08:26:00.002+05:30

One of the things I love about my new camera - that the Husb bought for me as a Christmas present - is that it has a video function. I've just about nailed the logistics of where to hold the camera while recording, so that no one thinks I'm recording ... kind of incognito and very much not obviously videotaping.

I've had it in mind to videotape some of our normal daily occurrences, and I will do that, if you all respond in the comments that this is something you readers would like to see. I tend to view our day-in-day-out as normal now ... but it hit me the other day, that unless you live (or have lived) here, it is definitely not in your normal spectrum!!

I bring you Sarojini Nagar Market.

Fondly referred to as Saroj (Sah-raj) or Sarojini (pronounced either Sah-row-ja-nee or Sa-rah-ja-nee), it is a big favorite to those who like a bargain!

In the hopes that you'll watch the whole video to get a bit of a taste of what it's like to shop at Sarojini, I won't tell you at which point you'll see the dog drinking milk out of a bag, or the auto rickshaw that almost ran over my foot, or me saying "No Thank You" three times in a row to the same vendor, or the nasty throat clearing that men seem to do ALL of the time here.

Actually, this video has nothing to do with the SHOPPING experience at Sarojini, and instead is simply walking down one of the many maze-like streets of the market!

I'll have to go back another day and stealthily video the SHOPPING (and bartering, and arguing, and bartering) process at Saroj!

SATURDAY SNIPPETS

2012-01-14T05:34:00.011+05:30

READ IT ::

From Kristof, his take on where you need to visit in 2012 to understand the world. I'm not sure I 100% agree with him, but it's an interesting article to read.

Glennon speaks my truth with this post on NOT having carpe diem as your daily motto as a mother.

THIS? I love. On why a back-talking teenager might have the brightest future. Now, this one, I 100% agree with.

Wait ... another from Glennon ... this one about how the little things count inside of a marraige.

Tell me you don't want to challenge your friends/co-workers to do a Phone Stack?

Man-Cans. Will someone PLEASE go buy one of these ... smell them and tell me how heavenly they are? This kid is amazing.

Scented candles for MEN. Grandpa's Pipe, Fresh Cut Grass, New York Style Pizza, Sawdust and Dirt!

Entrepreneur at heart!

EAT IT ::

I haven't made these yet, but as soon as I try out some pizza dough options for Mia's new gluten-free diet, we SO are making these babies!

Susan puts out one of my favorite weekly menus. Not all of the recipes end up being family favorites (and some of them, I can't source the ingredients), but with her weekly shopping list and the menus created FOR you, it doesn't hurt to try it! Check out the Week 40 recipes.

LISTEN TO IT ::

Big Jet Plane by Agnus and Julie Stone (love) is a great song ... not until I watched the video did I see another side to their lyrics.

Finally, from Mike at Blue Velvet Chair

29 WAYS TO STAY CREATIVE from TO-FU on Vimeo.

That's it for my snippets ... do you have anything to share with all of us?

TIBETAN VILLAGE

2012-01-09T06:00:00.114+05:30

In another installment of Piyush's amazing tours, Pam and I headed out to explore the Tibetan Village Settlement while my mom was in town.

Piyush is the founder of Indomania Culture Tours, and I've written before about the Pottery Village tour (here, here, here, here and here).

On this trip, we set out to help Piyush with a bit of a trial tour, to give him feedback on what should be changed, etc. His bio and info page on the tour and settlement itself can be found on his Facebook Page.

The entrance to the colony is quite non-descript and if you were to drive by it, in passing, I am willing to bet you would not notice it.

As we walked through the pathways and sauntered down the alleys, we were all struck by the vivid and vibrant blues and greens of the walls. My kind of color scheme!

The acting secretary of the Tibetan Youth Congress (forgive me for not having written down his name!!) led us on our tour and was quite delightful. He was engaging, knowledgeable and informative. Plus, his hair was wicked cool!

[Edited with an update from Piyush :: Hey Naomi... Thanks for sharing this. And the cool dude is called Lobsang Dorje :) ]

The prayer wheels were possibly my favorites. The concept is enchanting and really special, the more I learned about them.

Prayer wheels are cylinder-shaped wheels made of brass and copper, and filled with a Buddhist mantra known as "Om Mani Padme Hum" written on paper and placed inside.

Outside of the entrance to the temple, was this HUGE prayer wheel.

At the end of each rotation (made while you physically walked in a circle, while holding on to the wheel), a bell rang.

Worth noting? The Dalai Lama has declared that animated GIFs, internet based prayer wheels AND apps are viable options for prayer wheels! One app, called A Poetic Universe offers wisdoms when the prayer wheel has been turned three times, but only when you go in a clockwise direction!!

All along our walk in the settlement, we saw prayer flags displayed from all of the buildings and rooftops. Prayer flags are found all over the Himalayas and are used to bless the mountains, countryside and people.

Prayer flags come in five different colors, representing the elements the the "Pure Lights." Flags are arranged in order, blue, white, red, green and yellow.

Blue symbolizes sky/space, white symbolizes air/wind, red symbolizes fire, green symbolizes water, and yellow symbolizes earth.

Prayer flags are meant to promote wisdom, strength, peace and compassion. Instead of believing that the flags carry prayers directly to gods, they feel that the mantras and blessings will be blown by the wind and spread to all those around. The Lung ta (horizontal prayer flags) when hung in high places - carries the blessings, prayers and mantras to all those who come in contact with the wind that has passed over the surface of the flags.

She was delightfully and methodically counting her prayer beads. 108 in all, her fingers were gracefully flipping through each one, bead by bead, as she hummed her mantra

Just outside of the colony, lies an area that almost feels like a suburb of the Tibetan Settlement. It is a quiet area that houses local Indians who have set up homes and shops on the land between the river and the Tibetan colony, so as to form a sort of collaboration with the Tibetans.

Whether it be the castoffs and waste that the Tibetans offer free to the Indians as recyclables, or the produce and greens that the Indians offer to the Tibetans, they are constantly working together.

This guy was hard at work. He looked to be digging a trench. He was so proud to show his smile and pose for a bit before setting back to his task at hand.

I'll write later this month about the school that is housed inside the colony. It was a special experience, but Piyush thinks that he will not include it on future tours, so as not to distract the children/students.

It was something to share though. Keep an eye out for that post!

STRAWBERRY SEASON IN DELHI

2012-01-07T08:19:00.000+05:30

This picture of my kitchen is not just a picture of my kitchen. See anything special?

Nope, not the pile of gluten free and healthy eating items that I picked up from the market.

YES! The strawberries!

It's strawberry season in Delhi!!

Thanks to Miss Janet, I was reminded of this very important fact, and we set off to find some.

Well, to be specific, Terran and Surrender set off to find some.

(That white bottle with the blue cap is very important in this post. It's a bottle of Steriliq, the bleach that we use to wash our fruits and veggies before consuming them. Yep, we pre-wash our food with bleach!)

We got 30 punnets (which Miss Janet (from Australia) says is the basket that holds fruit). Learn something new every day! Because there is no telling how long strawberry season will last, I wanted to get lots so that we could freeze some for enjoyment in February, April and even May!

If memory serves me correctly, last year strawberries were available for about 3 weeks ... and then just as magically as they appeared, they will vanish.

You can typically only purchase and source fruits and vegetables DURING their fresh season.

Dunk those babies in a mix of filtered water and Steriliq and soak for about 30 minutes. Rinse with more filtered water and then set to work cutting off the tops/leaves. Thank goodness I had a little helper!

All trimmed up, placed on a sheet of tin foil (again Miss Janet to the rescue with the tips/hints on how to freeze!), and into the freezer. Once they are frozen, they will be transferred into freezer-friendly ziploc bags for safe keeping!

Next up in our strawberry adventure, trying to find seeds or seedlings so we can attempt to grow our own strawberries!

A STUDY ON JET LAG

2012-01-06T05:59:00.002+05:30

3:00 am - Night #1 (or Morning #1?)

I'm slowly unpacking our four suitcases into a DoubleTree Guest Suite and making it feel a bit like home.

We are borrowing a Christmas tree from Grandma Mary, complete with ornaments from generations past.

The littles are snoring in their REALLY crappy bed, which doubles as the couch during the day. I'm saying, this thing is HORRID. The springs are literally visible through the mattress.

Tomorrow, maybe I'll try to rectify that for them, but for now, they are sleeping soundly and I promise you, won't feel a thing.

* *

6:38 pm - Night #2

We have perfect yellow bananas and shiny green apples. Cheese sticks!! and Doritos that haven't been crushed and haven't yet expired.

We have these things because this morning, at approximately 4:01 am, we entered the Super Wal-Mart, as the only shoppers and spent two hours walking each and every aisle.

We are breathing clean air, hoping and dreaming for snow to fall and anxiously awaiting the arrival of Daddy, with all of the other relatives.

I'm listening to the footsteps of children on the floor above us, and am three steps of my own away from walking outside to ask them to be quiet, when I realize that it's only 6:38 pm, local time. It's just my children that are messed up from having flown halfway across the world.

You should have seen them when we crossed the North Pole, at about 1:57 am. Shrieks and hollering as they tried to tell fellow classmates, seated one row up and three chairs over, that we were flying RIGHT over the North Pole. The other passengers were NOT amused!

I tried to find my phone to get a picture of the screen showing our location, but my legs were so cramped up that I was afraid to move them too quickly!

* * *

8:26 pm - Night #4

I can't stay up any longer. The littles got up at 3:15am and they are NOT adjusting very quickly. The only time I can catch up on email, wrap presents and download pictures is after they crash at 6:00pm, and after washing dishes, scooping up laundry, hanging up wet towels and laying out clothes for the next day.

I thought it was supposed to be easier going West?

* * *

One of the negatives to jet lag (not that there are positives, mind you) is that when you are responsible for an Elf (and his habitual repositioning each night), it can become complicated when you are so tired you can no longer stand up straight, let alone remember to put Shiver the Elf in a new location.

* * *

Night #5 - 9 were mimics and repeats of the earlier days. I jumped with jubilation when the kids stayed up past 7pm. I drank way too much coffee at very strange times of the night/day in an effort to kick start my energy level.

The last night of our time in Nebraska, I was sick to my stomach, just thinking about the jet lag that waited for us once we arrived back in Delhi.

Now on the other end of jet lag, I am here to tell you, there is just nothing fun about it! I'm barely able to keep my eyes open at 2:05pm and it feels like there is concrete in my fingers and lead in my eyelids.

I'm mindlessly listening to Kid vs Kat on the tv (annoying!) and am desperately craving caffeine. As much as my body wants it though, I am forcing myself to instead drink green tea and chamomile.

Mia is passed out on the couch and the boys are zombies in front of various electronic gadgets. Last night, thanks to melatonin, everyone was able to zonk out just before midnight, but we still woke up at 5:30am.

The experts say that it takes one day for every time zone that is crossed, which means from December 17th - January 11th, we will have spent 18 days recovering from jet lag. Which leaves 6 "good days" to enjoy family and friends.

However, when you're able to make memories that are captured in a photo like this,

... marking the first time in 5 years that all four siblings and mom were in the same place at the same time, it is worth it.

ON FAILING YOUR CHILD

2012-01-04T05:18:00.000+05:30

I'm sitting at the hotel pool somewhere in Nebraska, watching my two youngest children swim happily.

It is cold outside. The kind of cold that makes the snot in your nose freeze and causes the tips of your fingers to go numb. Inside this cocoon though, it is warm. The waterfall feature in the pool almost resembles a tropical location.

It's not snowing here, and the disappointment in their eyes is massive. The only thing that will make amends for the lack of precipitation is the promise that we will go to a playground on Christmas Day so Mia can show us how good she is at the monkey bars.

While I sit and watch them swim, I'm thankful that they are occupied. Thankful that they are busy enough playing so that they are unaware that I am crying behind my laptop screen.

The feeling that you have as a mother when an ENT (Ear/Nose/Throat) specialist tells you that your daughter has significant hearing loss and needs yet another set of tubes (grommets) is disheartening. The feeling when he tells you that the current level of fluid causing said hearing loss has obviously been present for at least 9 months is crushing.

I am not an overly protective mother. I'm not a helicopter parent by any means and I can't think of anyone who would describe me as a hypochondriac. I look after them, I wipe away tears, I apply bandages and dose the antiobiotics. I kiss skinned knees, and tell them to go back to playing. I say "suck it up" too often, I'm sure and probably could stand to be a bit more loving and caring when it comes to illness and sickness.

I also closely consider whether a visit to the doctor is warranted. The Husb tends to be pretty intent on calling the doctor at the first sign of sniffles. I tend to operate in the opposite manner because I feel that too often a visit to the pediatrician means a prescription for too many meds, injections or sometimes just wasted time.

The littlest little has had issues with ear infections since she was just a wee little one. In fact, I can't remember a time when she did NOT have issues with her ears.

She has had numerous tubes placed in both ears and her adenoids were removed a year ago. She has been on the sum total of 100s of bottles of antibiotics, been rushed to the Urgent Care offices and Emergency Rooms more times than I can count because she wouldn't stop screaming due to the pressure and pain in her ears being too much to bear.

She has been attending speech therapy with Miss Eva for over a year now because she couldn't properly hear during the development months of her speech. The first 18 months of our time in Delhi, few people could understand her speech patterns and would often turn to me for interpretation.

For our little princess, a common cold turns promptly into an ear infection, which develops fluid in the ears, which means hearing loss. Here lately, unless she is looking right at you, you have to either raise your voice or lower the tone so that she can hear you. She has gotten REALLY good at reading lips!!

We have found a fantastic ENT in Delhi, and an amazing audiologist. We schedule routine checkups and "do the needful."

The past 6 months or so, Husb and I have been increasingly concerned about her hearing, and after she developed a fever that wouldn't go away, we visited our ENT. He was again shocked at the seriousness of yet another double ear infection and prescribed antibiotics.

He advised that instead of putting tubes in again, she should just attempt to "grow out of it" and sent us to the audiologist for a check to find out just how severe her current hearing loss was.

That visit yielded "normal for both ears" on the report.

* * *

Fast forward to landing in my hometown. One of our first stops was a visit to a General Practitioner to inquire about Mia's ears. Just a check up.

She took one look and said "Um, I think she needs to see an ENT"

I spent the afternoon today with several doctors and audiologists and my precious Mia who volunteered this information to the nurse :

"My mom brought me to you because I can't hear her very well ... and then she has to yell so I can hear and she doesn't like to yell at me because she isn't really mad at me."

The results of today's tests?

Mia has no current infections, but her hearing loss is "drastic and profound".

His words, not mine.

He said that her ears have been at that level for at least 9 months.

He also said that I needed to understand how bad her hearing was. He asked me to put cotton in my ears. Then he asked me to put my fingers in my ears, to close them. Then he cupped his hands and covered mine. Then he spoke.

He asked what I was able to hear.

I felt like I had been drawn into a Charlie Brown comic strip. The one where the teacher talks "mwah mwah mwah mwahmwahmwahmwah." Either that, or that I was tumbling under water, in the middle of a huge wave.

My poor baby really cannot hear.

She needs tubes again. That part of the story is really not a big deal, as the process of putting in tubes is 20 minutes max and is a pretty simple procedure.

That's not the point of this post. There are mothers out there dealing with MUCH bigger medical problems than this ... and there are children going through daily and chronic pain ... and I respect and understand that.

The point of this post and what I needed to get out of my system is that it is crushing to have the feeling that you have failed your child. That even though you did what you felt was right at the time, that it wasn't enough.

The feeling of trusting your child's health with someone who is supposed to know what they are doing, and then to find out that the information they gave you was only halfway accurate.

She has spent too much of her little life not experiencing the magic of sounds around her. She watches movies on my laptop with headphones so that the audio is as close to her ears as possible. She holds her little music player up to her ear in a mini-boom-box style. She cocks her head the opposite direction if you happen to be speaking to her right ear (the "bad" ear) so that your voice is focused towards the left side.

It's time to let her experience her love of music, in the way that I know it. It's time to start fussing with doctors who say they know best.

In the end, mama knows best. This mama needed a reminder of that. I needed a reminder to trust my gut and instinct, and question medical professionals.

Always.

* *

We are back in Delhi now, Mia's tube insertion went smashingly well and she could hear INSTANTLY after the surgery. So instantly and so amazingly well that she covers her ears now when toilets flush, when the music is up too high and when we landed in Delhi, she said "why is everyone honking SO loud?"

GIFTS THAT COST NOTHING!

2011-12-19T05:30:00.002+05:30

A long time ago, a somewhat casual acquaintance shared this with me ... and while I am not lending my personal opinion to the words that will follow, I wanted to share it with you.

The concept behind the article is to share gifts that don't necessarily cost a dime ... but are worth their weight in gold.

THE GIFTS OF WAITING

Standing in line, waiting for the doctor, sitting in traffic do not sound like presents, but if we look closely at them we can see the gifts that waiting gives to us.

THE GIFT OF DOWNTIME

We complain that we have no downtime, but every time we wait in a line is an opportunity to slow down for a little while, to take a breather. No one is expecting anything from you at the moment. Often though, we are not relaxed in line. We complain, look at our watch, and think nasty thoughts about the people ahead of us in line. We have no control over how fast the line will move or traffic will go.

The great thing is-we do control our attitude. We can make waiting a time of rest or a waste of time just by what we concentrate on.

Anna C. Brackett wrote about waiting in her book The Technique of Rest in 1892. "When you are waiting for a train, don’t keep perpetually looking to see if it is coming. The time of its arrival is the business of the conductor, not yours. It will not come any sooner for all your nervous glances and your impatient pacing, and you will save strength if you will keep quiet. After we discover that the people who sit still on a long railroad journey reach that journey’s end at precisely the same time as those who "fuss" continually, we have a valuable piece of information which we should not fail to put to practical use."

In line you can daydream. Visualize your goals. Picture a vacation. Let your mind wander. Pray. Or just breathe awhile.

THE GIFT OF PATIENCE

In our fast-paced society we all need a little practice in patience. Everyone is in such a hurry and no one is willing to wait for anything. Fast food, ATM’s, and the microwave provide things faster than ever and we don’t even want to wait for them.

One definition of patience is: Accepting a difficult situation without giving a deadline to remove it. If we practice patience in little things like being on hold, maybe we can be more patient waiting for our dreams to fall into place.

In order to be more patient in waiting times, it helps to leave early. It’s easier to wait if you are not going to be late. Leaving 10 minutes early for everything gives you the extra time in case something comes up. And something always comes up.

"No greater thing is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me that you desire a fig, I answer you that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen." –Epictetus

THE GIFT OF THE PRESENT MOMENT

The grocery store line was huge right before dinner. People all around me were complaining about not having time for this and I was starting to get annoyed. My 10-year old son was with me. He started talking and we had a whole conversation where I was able to concentrate solely on him. I had nothing else to do since I was waiting in a line. I felt so connected to my son at that moment, I was almost sorry when we got to the checkout counter.

Sometimes we can be in such a hurry to get where we want to be, that we forget how wonderful here is. Next time you are waiting, take a look around. There is always something interesting to look at or discover- paintings, fascinating people, things to read, or animals.

With kids, it seems I am waiting for hours a day. Children dawdle because they are so connected to the world around them. As adults in a hurry, we often miss what they see. If we slow down we can get that childlike spark back. Waiting is the perfect time to notice life.

"Life is a succession of moments. To live each one is to succeed." –Coreta Kent

THE GIFT OF COMPASSION AND HUMILITY

In waiting we are always dealing with other people. What we think of those whom we are waiting behind is rarely compassionate. We need to change our attitude. You know the one- what we have to do is more important than what anyone else has to do. Road rage is an example -driving like a maniac, cutting people off, risking other drivers because where we are going is more “important” then where someone else is going. Being perpetually in a hurry and annoyed at being kept waiting is a sign that we are doing more than we need to. That’s the time to start cutting things out of our to do list. I love people watching.

Standing in line at the bank I see a young woman with her 3-yr-old as she tries desperately to hold on to everything. I ask if I can hold something and she thankfully gives me her bag. When you look around you with compassion you are in a position to help others. Plus, you will feel great afterwards and the wait won’t seem as long.

You also meet captivating people while waiting. Talking with others keeps you both from being fed up and you never know what you will learn. I got some fantastic Christmas gift ideas yesterday at the grocery store from the lady next to me.

"Humility is attentive patience." –Simone Weil

It is in the small moments of life that we show who we are. How do you want to wait?

Take Action:

1. Decide from now on when you have to wait you will be in control of your attitude.

2. Be patient with yourself when you find yourself acting out of impatience.

3. Change your thinking the minute you start feeling impatient.

4. Be patient with those around you and look for ways to help others.

5. Drive the speed limit and sing in the car when you get stuck in traffic.

6. Leave 10 minutes early for everything.

What do you guys think? Is this practical?

Does it matter from what country you've come from, where you experienced your upbringing and cultural training?

SATURDAY SNIPPETS

2011-12-17T05:00:00.016+05:30

It's been a LONG time since I've done a Saturday Snippets. Partially because I haven't been reading the blogs of others lately, and partially because I have been VERY unorganized with how I manage my computer time.

Anyway ... I bring you this weekend's Saturday Snippet ...

On living an uncluttered life.

A quote I love because it encourages us to give that constant effort ...

“Constant effort and frequent mistakes are the stepping stones of genius.” ― Elbert Hubbard

On the Expat Hierarchy.

I LOVE this rendition of "Hallelujah" -- because they've request that embedding be disabled, you'll have to click the link to hear the song. It's gorgeous.

and this one ?? Rachel Platten? You HAVE to respect the vibe and mojo she has with her fans ....

I'll hush up and leave you with this one :: Are you overwhelmed? Get outside of yourself and realize that the more you give ... the more that comes back around!!

WE GIVE BOOKS

2011-12-12T05:30:00.004+05:30

It's the holiday season. I know you KNOW that, but it doesn't hurt to remind you of a really easy option for giving this December.

I was turned on to We Give Books by our littlest little's Kindergarten teacher. It's a brilliant concept.

We Give Books lets YOU help raise awareness about the importance of literacy worldwide. You now also have full access to one of the best children’s libraries available online, with award-winning books that you can read anytime, anywhere, for free.

What's even better? When YOU read a book, you GIVE a book.

Ready?

Log onto We Give Books and visit the home page. Sign up. From there, simply choose the campaign partner you want to read for and then select the books you’d like to read.

For each free book you read online, we donate a book on your behalf to the campaign partner you choose.

This is from an email I recently received from We Give Books ... how exciting and HOW easy!

Dear Friends,

Asante Sana! That means “thank you very much” in Swahili. With your support, we have reached our goal!

Thanks to you and more than 1,800 other online readers, we have reached the We Give Books goal to donate 20,000 books to teachers and students across East Africa. Because you took the time to read a book and give a book, the Pearson/Tinga Tinga Tales Early Childhood Development Programme will continue to thrive, training teachers and supplying books to students in East Africa.

This donation will enable the Pearson/Tinga Tinga Tales Early Childhood Development Programme to host more than 350 teachers in literacy training courses with experienced educators. During these sessions, teachers gain valuable insight into engaging young learners around literacy and cognitive skills. Once a teacher has gone through the training, he or she will be given a classroom set of Tinga Tinga Tales books. These newly trained teachers will then go back to their own schools and train up to five other teachers, who will also receive classroom sets of books.

You can see how your involvement will help; one of the program’s Kenyan teachers, Irene Ombasa, has a special message for you about how the training affected her teaching skills. http://www.wegivebooks.org/campaigns/tinga-tinga-tales

A big lion’s roar of thanks to you, and keep reading!

What we've found at our house is when my littles log on to the website, the middle little reads to the littlest! So easy to GIVE books!

LANGAR HALL

2011-12-09T10:00:00.002+05:30

When I was growing up, we often volunteered at a local homeless shelter during the holidays. I have vague memories of what exactly we did, but I seem to remember that we did some serving of food, spent some time playing with the children. We brought donations of clothes, toys, books and even more importantly, brought our time.

Those memories all flooded back when I recently visited the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib on two separate occasions. One with my friend Pam, and one with Miss Pauline from Classy Chaos.

My first post was about the main area of the Gurudwara, including the pond and the temple, and this post will be about Langar Hall.

Langar is the Punjabi word for "free kitchen." Each and every Sikh temple, has a Langar Hall, where all people, regardless of skin color or religion or gender, is allowed to eat. It is a place where anyone and everyone is welcome to volunteer and share their time.

This place is amazing.

There is never any meat served (so that literally everyone may eat there regardless of dietary or religious requirements). They never turn anyone away.

Every day, chapati and a lentil dal is served to approximately 500 people every 15-20 minutes.

They serve from noon to 4:00pm. Do the math. That's an amazing number of people that are served a nourishing and hot meal, EVERY day of the year.

This guy was happy to share a bit of the process with us. There are paid staff that work the langar, as well as volunteers.

We somehow missed getting to see the process of washing the dishes, but the rest of it was simply amazing.

The chopping, the boiling, the rolling and pounding of chapatis,

. . . the ladling of dal with huge spoons, the passing of the food down the lines.

Amazing.

The Langar receives funding from wealthier members of the community and through small donations at the temple. Farmers also donate vegetables!

At the end of our tour and impromptu photo shoot, we were invited to sit down and eat.

The peacefulness, resourcefulness and sense of community at this Langar Hall was bar none. Religion takes a back seat to humanity at the Gurudwara and the hospitality shown, given and required inside of the confines of the kitchen was awe-inspiring.

WHAT IS AMERICAN FOOD?

2011-12-07T10:00:00.004+05:30

What do you get when you combine eight women (all of which - by the way - have VERY strong personalities!) ... and a job description of "source and create food from your country to represent at the International Food Fair" ??

You get a HUGE variety of suggestions, opinions, deep-seeded love for ones' roots and recipes galore!!!!

The first time our team met, we discussed the fact that in past years, hamburgers had been sold (a VERY popular item here in Delhi!!) but because we were getting a bit of a late start, and because we could never honor the memory of those that previously led the hamburger front (those that went before us!), we should start anew.

Cool! We all agreed on that.

So ... American Food. Easy.

What will we serve?

Enchiladas! (nope - the Mexico table will serve that!, someone said)

Spaghetti and Garlic Bread? (um, Italy?)

Biscuits and Gravy? (too random)

Fried Chicken and Corn on the Cob? (too hard to keep warm!)

Tex-Mex? (Betcha South America does that!)

Chili? (still not sure how we ventured away from this ... would have been GREAT, although not necessarily popular!)

In the end, I'm glad that we were able to narrow it down to our choices of BBQ Pulled Pork, Coleslaw (tasted JUST like KFC coleslaw!), Macaroni n Cheese and Rice Krispie Treats.

It does beg the question though ...

What IS American food?

What is quintessential food from the United States?

It cannot be french fries. It can't be fried chicken.

What IS it?

After touring the MANY country tables, mom and Mia enjoyed the amazing musicians ... their favorites being the bluegrass/folk artists and the dancers from Korea. Little Miss was tapping those cowgirl boots on the seat of her chair!

Don't tell anyone, but I still think that next year? The United States table TOTALLY needs to do an All-American diner theme!!

That would put a smile on anyone's face!!

By the way? Team USA raised approximately $800 in three short hours!!!

Huge shout-outs to the American community at the school for donating over $700 worth of products for the raffled hamper baskets.

Thank you also to the AWA for sponsoring the entire cost of the food sold at our table!

All proceeds benefit the Outreach/Community/Enrichment Funds at the school.

THANK YOU!!!

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT IN INDIA

2011-12-05T22:21:00.000+05:30

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday.

Christmas comes a close second, but there is so much less stress/pressure that comes with Thanksgiving. No need to buy presents. No need to find Shiver (the Elf on a Shelf) who was strategically hidden away the year prior. No need to come up with useful, yet teensy items for the stocking gifts. No need to cook up a storm for several days -- especially the way I used to do it by ordering "Dinner-in-a-Box" from the grocery store and only have to warm up the food!)

Our first "winter" in India,we spent Christmas in Kerala. A down-home, back-water, laid-back kind of place ... we lit candles, decorated our little cabin accommodations and the kids freaked OUT about how Santa was ever going to figure out that they had moved to India (let alone the fact that we weren't even AT our new home in Delhi!)

Soon after we returned from Christmas break in Kerala, the Husb sent us back to the States (just 5 months after we arrived) because he was a smidge worried about how well we were adjusting.

It was a bit hard to adjust to Christmas when the temperatures were still a balmy 85 degrees and the only sight of a snowman was rangoli designs at school.

The beauty of returning home though that December (even for a brief couple of weeks) was getting to frolic in the snow, spend time with our lovely friends and reset our energy levels a bit!

Our second Christmas in India, we ended up in a sort of "deportation" situation with visa issues and although we did end up back in Delhi on Christmas Eve, 2010 was a bit of a strange Christmas. As far as Christmas-es go, you know?

We DID love spending the festive weeks leading up to Christmas in New York - because who wouldn't want to spend December in Rockefeller Plaza?

Now we find ourselves about to celebrate our Third Christmas in India and we have decided to head home for the holidays.

I could not be more excited to see everyone, as the majority of my family will be all together, the Husb's parents will fly up/over and my brother-in-law's family will also be in attendance!

Leading up to our departure though, I have really gotten into the spirit this year and we have added a new tree, more decorations and the stockings have definitely been hung up with care - just not by the chimney.

We listen to Christmas music EVERY minute that my family will put up with it.

We light the awesome pine tree candle that Miss Pam bought for us every morning. The Christmas plates are out, and the place mats grace the coffee table.

Since it is 'tis the season, I am finding my favorite blogs being sweetly graced with all things bells, holly, shimmering lights and memories.

Some of my recent favorites?

Sweet and resourceful Advent Calendar

Oh my gosh, Mike's Advent Calendar. Goodness!

And please tell me you've seen Kelle's RIDICULOUS North Pole Party?

I can't help though but be a smidge frustrated. I love going to Michaels with my 50% coupon and searching for fun new things to add to the Christmas decor and I've heard the snow has started falling back home.

I made the stupid decision to leave all of our Christmas decorations at home.

The carefully selected ornaments that represent nearly every moment and location that we have celebrated together as a family. The trees, our original stockings, special candles, etc.

The reasoning behind that decision lays somewhere in between "pack lightly" and "make sure nothing really really special gets broken during the move." As a result, we have two Charlie Brown Christmas trees that contain um, the damn best Christmas ornaments one can find.

BUT, we also introduced to the family this year that new and gorgeous 6 foot tree, with teal and red ornaments. It's my new favorite and I have a feeling this tree will become the be all and end all as long as we're living abroad.

Whenever it is that we return to fetch the items from our 10x10 storage unit in Ohio, we will resurrect the plastic tubs that contain the memories from the first stage of life ... when we had Christmas Spirit in the United States.

We will set up our big tree that I got on clearance at Home Depot 6 years ago.

We will make hot chocolate that wasn't hoarded in a suitcase, with candy canes that aren't stale, and will pour wine into glasses that didn't cost a fortune.

And I'm pretty sure that we will then reach into the OTHER plastic tub ... and add in ornaments that represent our Christmas Spirit in India and make one heck of a beautiful Christmas tree!

EXPAT PHOTO COMPETITION

2011-12-05T10:10:00.000+05:30

Culture is empowering!!!

Recently, I submitted 5 photos to the Global Adjustments Expat Photo Competition and then attended the awards ceremony, along with a book launch. It was the first time I'd ever submitted photos to a competition, and quickly found three of my favorite "one color" photos, along with a couple more.

Global Adjustments is India's leading cross-cultural communication company, and one that combines multi-national expertise with an amazing personal touch.

Ranjini Manian is the brilliance behind the company, and has recently added a division called "Culture!". Under this new branch of the business, events, programs and courses are conducted at the India Immersion Centre, located in Chennai.

Indians and expats alike can join together to learn more about each other, about our countries and about our lifestyles.

Some of the programs include Taste of India – A journey through the heart of India engaging all five senses leaving you with a sixth sense of wonder! Ideal for anyone who wants a bird’s eye view of Indian culture. In addition, they provide workshops on Indian music, dance appreciation, festivals, saree draping and temple visits.

Part of the awards ceremony evening included the launch of Ranjini's new book, Upwardly Mobile, with an introduction and forward by Dr. Shashi Tharoor followed by an interesting exchange of ideas and thoughts on cultural empowerment between Andrew Levermore, COO Bharti Retail(Walmart) and Ranjini.

I was tickled pink to win quite a few awards (surprised and taken aback, really!)

BLUE

(not a winner, but my personal favorite!)

HOLI
First Place - Culture & Festivals

GURUDWARA
Second Place - Old Meets New

ORANGE
Second Place - Faces

RED
Overall Best!!

One of the prizes I won is for a photo workshop/class, and I'm excited to get back into photography classes. It has always been a passion of mine, and India is definitely a location that revives and peaks that interest!!

UN DAY EMAIL CONVERSATION

2011-12-02T08:00:00.005+05:30

Email from Mia's Kindergarten Teacher ::

Dear Parents,

After sharing your comments with the KG team, and discussing the issue further, we have decided to attend the UN day assembly on November 11.

At AES our children are so lucky to have the opportunity to experience being part of a larger community, and sharing common experiences with older students. I know that as a former international school student myself, the experiences that stuck with me were those that involved the larger school community.

Celebrating unity in diversity is a theme that will recur throughout our international lives. It is a concept that these Kindergartners can easily relate to. They are so proud to share their cultural identity with their peers, and even more proud to proclaim themselves to be global citizens. I think that this assembly will spark many rich, meaningful discussions :-)

I wanted to give you early notice that your child will need to dress in their national costume for the assembly. Just like our Diwali celebration, you can decide whether your child will come to school in this costume, or change into it later. I will be sure to take many photos, including a class photo, and will post them on the blog (where you can download them).

* * * * * *

Email from me ... to the other American parents in Mia's classroom :

Hmmm -- I can't wait to have the discussion about what "National Dress" is for the U.S. with Mia!

Cowboy boots and a bandana? :)

* * * * * *

Email BACK from one of the American parents :

don't joke - I guess we're doing flannel pajamas, a hat, mitts and scarf

* * * * * *

Another email from an American parent :

As long as it's not t-shirt, sweats and flip flops. :-). Seriously, was just thinking the same when I read it.

* * * * * *

Another response :

Thats a good question!!

* * * * * *

The final response :

Can we just put them in red, white and blue?

* * * * * *

As it turns out, Mia was sick that day, and missed it all together, BUT she was appropriately decked out soon after in red, white and blue!

This photo was taken during the International Food Fair held just after the UN Day Assembly.

What you can't see is that she had red leggings on, and really WAS excited to dress "American." !!

If I thought that it was difficult to "dress American" for the UN Day, wait until I share about choosing what "American Food" was for the International Food Fair at school! I'll post that next week ...

FRIEDMAN, NILEKANI & YARDLEY

2011-12-01T08:00:00.002+05:30

The Husb and I recently attended a launch event for India Ink, a New York Times subsidiary website offering news and articles about politics, culture, lifestyle, sports, business and more. The website is edited by the International Herald Tribune (global publisher of the New York Times) and headed by Heather Timmons, a news correspondent for the New York Times who is based here in Delhi.

Our friend Jim Yardley (whose own book will be out soon!) introduced and moderated the discussion between Thomas Friedman and Nandan Nilekani.

Nilekani was named one of the top 100 list of the 'World's Most Influential People' in 2009 by Time Magazine and Friedman, three time Pulitzer Prize winner, writes a twice-weekly column in the New York Times.

Fun fact about Jim? He and his dad (Jonathan Yardley) are one of only TWO father and son Pulitzer Prize winning teams!

There was a whole lot of political banter, a lot of marketing of Friedman's new book, That Used to Be Us, and quite a bit of upstaging (only when it came time for questions from those in the audience), but the one main thing that stuck in my head from the evening, was when Friedman talked about some bits of advice that he would lend to those entering college or pursuing dreams ::

Think like an immigrant. Pursue each day with more attention and vigor than anyone else. Always be hungry.

Think like an artisan. They produce everything individually. Do your job as if everyday you'd have to carve your initials into it at the end if the day. Always take pride in your work.

Think like a waitress at Perkins. They don't control much, but what they DO control, to that, they add their extra.

(side note : the story that Friedman told of the waitress at Perkins revolved around her making a breakfast stop special in that she cared to pay attention to her customers)

If only that advice could be imprinted on every high school student's brain.

Each and every part of it!

While I frantically typed out Friedman's words onto my notes app of my iPhone, I wondered which piece of it would stick more solidly with me. But as I re-read the advice after the event, I realize that each one of those words rings true and has a huge validity in today's society.

When you go after something with abandon, passion and true heart/soul, you are reaching for that dream with a gutso that no one else has to give. It is your dream to capture, and yours alone.

When you do your daily work with the intention, beauty and attention that it deserves (whether you are writing books, raising children, making soaps or flying airplanes), magic happens.

The waitress anecdote resonates with me --- too often I hear excuses from friends that sound an awful lot like "I can't" or "I'm not important enough" or "No on listens to me"

Do what you were set out to do ... and do it with some extra flair, some feathers, some glitter and some care given to the fact that we are all just sharing this journey with others on the same planet! If you get up every morning with purpose, intention and some attitude, just think of what you could accomplish!

There were a lot of angles this post could have taken ... during this evening, we were in the presence of some seriously intelligent people. We were given about 60 minutes of discussion and topics on world peace, technology, the current state of affairs in the United States vs. India. We were challenged to think outside of the box and absorb some interesting concepts on globalization, climate change, and the general condition of the country that I call home.

In the middle of it though, quietly shared and segued, was some simple advice :

Do what you love. Do it well. Simply do it.

Make a Difference. Make a Change.

LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID!

2011-11-29T22:49:00.000+05:30

I read recently, with interest, an article by Nicholas D. Kristof : Just Look at What You Did. (read it --- it's fascinating!)

For Mother's Day this year, he had suggested that readers commemorate the day not only with flowers but also with a donation to lift up women around the world.

Readers showered one group that Kristof had mentioned, Mothers' Day Movement, with more than $135,000 that was forwarded to a slum empowerment group in Kenya.

AMAZING!!!

See what the power of PEOPLE can do?

You've likely already read about my mom's Acres for Agnes project ... and I'm proud to report that we are A-L-M-O-S-T at the 50 yard line. I had hoped we would be over that this week, but patience is a virtue!

What this DOES mean is that .... we are ALMOST at the 50 yard line!

LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID!!!!

Amazing.

I wrote about it here .... if you have an extra five minutes, won't you share it on Facebook, Twitter, etc? I don't ask much of my readers, but this request is close to my heart.

We can do something JUST like what Kristof's readers did. We can lift up one woman ... across the ocean ... and in turn touch the lives of her boys, her village, her community, her corner of the world.

Won't you help me make the difference and get us even closer to the total needed to complete the project?

Mom has committed to leaving this project open until December 31st. We have just under 30 days to raise the remaining $7,000. That number seems HUGE until you break it down into a manageable thought process. $233 raised per day.

That's 77 of you NOT buying a Starbuck or Dunkin' Donut coffee.
That's 46 of you NOT buying a McDonalds Meal.
That's 155 of you NOT buying the New York Times for one day.

I don't know about you, but I'm feeling like there is more we can do!

Between now and December 15th, every Delhi Bound - a Book For Kids that is sold via PayPal, 50% of the sale proceeds will be donated to Acres for Agnes.

Purchase HERE.

MOVE TO DELHI!!

2011-11-28T05:00:00.003+05:30

So many of my readers are folks that are soon-to-be new residents of Delhi. I wanted to share a great resource with you ... and offer the contact info of two ladies who have put their knowledge and know-how together to offer an amazing opportunity for people who are moving to Delhi.

The great thing is that Maura and Catriona are able to help PRIOR to your move (so very important!) and long after you arrive - for however long you need!!