Hodge Podge

This post will be a bit of a hodge podge of things. A lot has happened this week and I have not had time to fill you all in... so here goes.

First, the post massage.... ahhh.... I can't wait til she comes back this week. Who cares if she does not have teeth? Who cares if she is not a certified masseuse? Who cares about all that? All that matters is that she only charges $7.50 and she makes house calls!!

The week this was broken up because Wednesday was a holiday. It was 'Ganesh Festival' or Ganesh Chartuti. On Tuesday, leading up to the holiday, Manjula invited us to her house for dinner. It was her son's birthday. We went over to her house for a small party. It was so small that it was just us and her family!! It was very nice for her to invite us. They went all out to have us there. They bought fizzy juice for the kids, bottle water for us, and beer for Vim. These are all big things that they normally do not buy for themselves. The meal was great. They served us and treated us very nice. Mira and Milan enjoyed playing with their kids. It was a nice evening.

On Wednesday, our driver invited us to his sisters house to see the Ganesh Puja. We went on the other side of town to see this. Again, the hospitality was great!! They served some authentic South Indian food on a banana leaf. They totally made us feel so at home. To see people that don't have much go out of their way to welcome us into their houses. It is really touching. I hope to extend this same hospitality that has been extended to us, when we come back to MI. I don't think that we do enough of little things like this.

GOOD NEWS... Our sea shipment arrives really soon!! It landed in Chennai over a week ago, has made its way to Bangalore, and it should clear customs in the next few day.... so close... but yet so far!! Our sea shipment has all of the rest of our things in it. We have been surviving for the last 2 months on the things that we brought in our suitcases and in our air shipment. Most of the things are actually running out so the timing is perfect. Or maybe I should say, my packing was perfect... : ) The best thing that we packed in our air shipment.... the top on the list... the bikes for the kids!! They have put more miles on these bikes over the past 2 months that they have for the entire year!! Really!! They are all over on their bikes! Some other things that we are running out of (or have ran out of!)... peanut butter, pancake mix, syrup, toothpaste, shampoo, toilet paper (yes we packed it with us!), coffee creamer, oh, the list can go on. We tried to ration out the things... but with the sea shipment arriving soon, we will manage. I am now trying to figure out where we will put everything that is in our sea shipment! I think we have a lot of stuff coming!! How long do you think that it will take to unpack everything? I can't even remember what is coming... all I know is that there were some huge car loads of things being purchased at walmart, target and sams club the last few weeks in Mich!! It will be Christmas in September for the Patels!! Anyone want to come celebrate with us? Maybe help us unpack? We were lucky to have help with packing part (OK tagging). I think the unpacking will be more work!!

Oh, the other great news.... we are going to have a visitor from back at home.... it is one of the 2 people that the kids talk about missing the most.... it is my mom!! Yeah!! She is going to London for a family wedding and from there she will come to Bangalore. We have been emailing her with list of things that we need... OK, maybe not need, but want... and she has been busy shopping!!

So with sea shipment on its way, and my mom not to far behind... we have a lot to look forward to over the next few weeks!!

How is the new school year coming along back at home? Did all of the kids get the teachers they wanted?? Email me about the first week back! I want to hear all about it!