Lifes a little slower

So the pace of life is somewhat slower down here. The days are hot and seem longer but I am lapping up the chance to be still and rest.

It sounds crazy that we are living among 62 other girls plus staff and that things feel quieter. We have times of extra kids in our house but times when they are all in school. Usually everyone is outside playing or studying and our kids go join the play which leaves us with a very quiet household. We are no longer living under one anothers feet.

It has taken (S3)Son 3 some time to get used to so many doting girls. He does not like being picked up and cuddled and having swarms of girls in his space. The last few days he has been better but seems to have chosen just a few girls who he allows to get close to him. The others get fended off and told where to go. Charming :)

The other boys are just loving the space and have both learned to ride a bike now since being here, They are so pleased with themselves.

The girls have been amazing. They seem to have balanced having their own space and spending time with the girls here. There is a lot of letter writing that goes on between them all. it's very sweet to see. Some really good friendships are forming.

As for us.... we are learning where to find things in town and find our way around.
Not as many people understand English here so it has spurred me on to learn Kannada (the local language) We are managing through limited words and sign language at the moment but to speak the lingo would be great value.

As we walk through the streets we hear people muttering "New Zealand" to each other. Obviously word has got out that we are kiwis. Word spreads rapidly in a small town. We are the only foreigners here so we stand out a bit.

We attended church on our first Sunday but it is all in Kannada so not really sure what was said :) I did pick out a few words he said in his preach so little by little it will get better.

We now have our Internet up and running and enjoying some music in the house again.. the kids are back to dancing in the evening to all sorts of different styles of music.

Tonight we will have our evening meal with the girls at the home. It usually consists of rice, Ragi, vegetable dish and some form of lentil/daal. Occasionally there is also a meat dish. We are eating 4 out of 7 nights and the other nights I cook at home. Out come the spuds and more kiwi dishes on those nights, however it's not that easy to find the ingredients always.

To the Girls Home

Our registration came through on the Thursday and due to another girl needing to be taken to Kollegal, we decided to take the opportunity to hitch a ride with R & L and also B & V took a car for us so we could all get down here.

We arrived to a serene atmosphere of birds, sun, heat and a house that was now ours and full of own boxes. I looked at the boxes wondering where we would start but little by little mean’t that by evening we all had a bed to sleep in and a lounge to sit in. David even managed to build me a kitchen bench out of two bench seats and some bricks…. this equaled our first cup of tea in our new home. Ahhh… bliss.

We were greeted in the afternoon by many happy smiley faces of girls returning from school and our kids were quick to get out and play. The freedom of running, climbing, jumping and riding was one thing they had missed in Bangalore. There is no shortage of that here.

In the evening we joined the girls for our evening meal. It consisted of vegetarian dishes and rice, very tasty. To top it off we get a glass of freshly milked cows milk just boiled. 

It was great to spend time with our new extended family and to begin the process of learning 62 names. We are not doing too badly actually. The girls ask us every time we see them, “What’s my name Auntie?” It is so important to know the girls names and they not just be one of the girls in the girls home. The girls are lovely and crave physical affection. There is usually one or more attached to mine or the girls arms when we come anywhere near the home. It can be a little overwhelming at times, especially when it is 36 Deg. but it is one way we can give a bit of much needed love and attention.

So our first impressions of being here are that it is a double blessing. We are doing something we have wanted to do for a long time and we are also in this fantastic, slower paced life with plenty of room for the kids to go wild. We can see the stars, blue sky and smell the fresh although sometimes smokey air and we can hear the birds chirping in the trees. It is just wonderful.

Now to find how we fit in and how we can contribute. We shall ease in bit by bit.

Farewel NZ and Namasted India

The goodbyes have been and gone, the tears have flowed, the hours of travel have past and we are now back in Bangalore. It feels so good to be back. The smells of India once again invade my nostrils, the dust crusts my hair and I am happy.

You should have seen the looks of horror on the faces of the 20 something guys in Malaysia that we were going to be sharing a dorm room with. We arrived with No6 screaming. I assured them that he would settle down and he did but the kids time clocks were still on NZ time and so they have been waking at about 4am. Never mind... it will sort out soon.

So obviously we got our visa to return, We were give a 1yr employment visa again with the ability to renew it each year from within India if we meet all the requirements.

It was a fantastic time of catching up with family and friends and at times it was overwhelming and tiring. We ate well, slept well, got totally spoiled and blessed. We are so grateful to everyone who made our time in NZ so pleasurable.

Before we left we visited some friends and just chatted about what we are about to do back here in India. They are really keen to be  partner with us and be a part of what we are doing. We never once discussed finances with them but as we were leaving they handed us an envelope. We climbed in the car and as we drove off I opened it up to find a cheque for $5000. I was totally blown away as it was the exact amount we needed to pay off the final amount from our airfares. I had been praying and asking God about this and there it was.... a direct answer to prayer. God is amazing.

This year feels good, it feels like a whole new beginning. Things are flowing and falling into place. Phase two is now in motion and I feel excited and a little scared at the same time. This year holds a whole new lot of firsts and newness and learning.

We have not yet moved to Kollegal as we need to get registered here in Bangalore first. Once that is done we will begin our Yatra down to this next chapter in our lives. I am so excited to be doing this with my wonderful family.... what a privilege.