day trip. Wednesday, January 5, 2011   Last week, during Judah’s Christmas break from preschool, we took a day trip to a city about three hours’ drive away.  This involved hiring a driver and a car from a travel agency nearby.  He picked us up at 7:00 am, chauffeured us around for the day, then dropped us back home at 8:30 that night. Something that is difficult about living here – that I’d never thought about much – is that being out and about, and especially travel, is so much more exhausting with young children.  There are no car seats here, and you never understand just what a break…

the palace. Wednesday, January 5, 2011 The city of M. and it’s surrounding area was actually a kingdom when the British ruled other parts of the country.  The king lived in this extravagant palace, which was completed in 1900.  We arrived late morning and met up with friends (including Jonathan’s brother, wife, and nephew who were visiting from Atlanta).  The palace is breathtaking, and the group of us hired a tour-guide.  Even though the grounds were packed with tourists, there was something soothing about being surrounded by old, beautiful things, away from the smell of exhaust fumes and auto rickshaw horns for a few hours.

the elephant. Wednesday, January 5, 2011 We got to ride this elephant twice.  Once with all four of us.  Then when our friends arrived we just had to do it again for pictures.  Since Amie wasn’t too keen on it, she stayed behind with Aunt Maggie.  Judah loved it! Everything we did at the palace we had to pay triple the price for, since we are foreigners (the people who took our money were not amused when David asked for tickets for four South Asians).  But it’s hard to complain since it is still extremely inexpensive ($5 for all four of us to take an elephant ride).  The other good…

  pizza and movie night. Monday, January 3, 2011     With three of Judah and Amie’s favorite people!  

One morning last week, David and I and Judah and Amelie took a bumpy, hour-long auto rickshaw ride across the city to a very busy road that boasts both a railway station and a bus station.  The auto driver dropped us off at the cracked sliver of sidewalk, and we waited, backs to an empty lot of rotting garbage and who knows what else, trying not to breathe too deeply or look too closely. The fifteen or so minutes until our friends Milton and Jebba came to meet us seemed like an eternity with huge buses jostling by and crowds of people staring openly at us.  No matter where we…

  the alley. Sunday, January 2, 2011      

  bangles. Tuesday, December 28, 2010     A South Asian friend gave all the little girls on our team their very first bangles for Christmas.  In Amelie, lover of jewelry and all things sparkly, she couldn’t have found a more grateful recipient.  Although Amie hasn’t quite gotten the “bangles” idea down yet, and prefers to wear just one and pitched the rest one by one across the room.  

  he says. Monday, December 27, 2010   Judah: “Bye, Nina!  I’ll text you when I need you.” Judah: “Can I keep you company, Mommy?” me: “Judah, you pushed Annie down, so you have to get a spanking.” Judah: (big fake yawn) “I so tired, Mommy.  I will just rest my eyes and put my head on your shoulder.” Judah: “Amie! No no, big girl!” Judah: (walking down a crowded street with David) “Look at all these bozos!”    

  multitude monday, #350 – 368.   Monday, December 27, 2010 first Christmas in South Asia … fun and special in its own way our whole family was healthy on Christmas day two new South Asian-authored books … which I’m already devouring Keli’s homemade cinnamon rolls Maggie’s homemade Christmas Tree bread Christmas in our own place … playing, reading, napping, sipping coffee friends to celebrate with Christmas night potluck dinner that was truly sumptuous scoring the turkey carcass to make my mother-in-law’s after-Christmas soup growing more confident in my new kitchen morning and evening cool breezes bright late-December sunlight Skype our new, wood bedside tables our apartment is taking on…

  christmas morning. Saturday, December 25, 2010