It's really not that bad ( or simply a mental lapse)

OK - I must be dreaming - it's hard to live here - as in "it's not easy"... it's really not all that bad (really?!?)some reflection on last week's experiences...

- even though it is odd having "staff" - it sure is nice to have the clean, folded clothes and dishes washed & put away.
- finding the "groceries" you expect from one place.Funnny thing is I've pretty much figured out what to, kind of, expect from certain stores - gauranteed to change next week!!
- friends who return from exotic places bring you nice stuff... Reese's, candy canes & Starbucks coffee... and you are THRILLED
- "working" registration of after-school activities is actually fun and gives you something to do with friends (like I was bored and didn't really have anything to do!)
- travel back to Pondicherry in search of a furniture "place" to discover a neat little niche with tons of potential and all this with a friend!
- seeing electric tools with real electric plugs (rather than the stripped wires they just shove into the sockets)
- peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
- the little girl who gets up in the middle of the night to ask if she can go potty (or maybe it was a simple announcement)I was happy!
- gathering with friends for a Bible study and mom support group with a spiritual touch to it. ("Now is the time for a quiet voice.")
- being able to help a newbie to Chennai (ok - not with a lot but she got the heads up to buy lunches ahead of time - pretty important if you ask me!) oh, and I'm officially not THE newbie anymore!
- watching the sling-boxed Rose bowl game (when you are having tv withdrawal - it really doesn't matter who won, right?!)
- watching hubby go gaga over a peperoni pizza tv ad from the states - what a hoot!
- having one daughter happy to simply take cupcakes for her teacher's birthday and the other daughter asking about the "party".. no games?, no gifts?, no special clothes?!?!?!?!??
- having hubby be fine after a motorcycles rear-ended his car - evidently, hubby's driver "stopped too fast"!
- solving the "washer doesn't work" problem on your own... and getting the "staff" to fix the other water pipe problem... turns out the shower in our bathroom works after all... the pipes were just clogged and the gardener fixed the problem (only took 5 months to get that message through!)
- the son who wants to earn money for a special purchase... I've waved the staff off of some of their duties to give him room to earn ... all with the look of amused confusion.
- the fish smell is mellowing (or maybe I am getting used to it! Ha!)
- ordering pizza for delivery and the order appears at the door - and it is correct! Wow.


And the best bit of the week ... watching Anna and Alina play duck-duck-goose with only two people (& a host of imginary friends!!!).

Well, it's winter in Chennai - this crazy American lets her children go swimming while the locals are wearing earmuffs, sweaters and buying fleece blankets - it is in the upper 70's or 80's during the day anyway!! Here's hoping all my friends stateside stay warm...

more later...