Vennakkam!
I was trying to think of something clever to call today's post, but either I am too tired or I've just lost my creative edge for the week. It has been a long week, but feeling pretty productive. Savannah is enrolled to start school. We began the Indian immigration process yesterday and made it to "round 2" so will go back Monday afternoon, hoping we are approved and that is the last step. She will begin school on Tuesday, even though in south India (where we are), Tuesday is considered an inauspicious day to begin a new journey. This is according to some the ladies in the office and searching google it appears to be linked to the Hindu religion. Fortunately for us, we are Christian and she can get out of my hair on Tuesday and not have to wait until Wednesday LOL. We thought we had a good feeling about an apartment we viewed earlier in the week, but after a second run through last night, decided it needed more work that we originally thought and are now looking at others. Please keep the house hunt in your prayers. I need to get into the office and start working next week, so really needing to move forward with the home and in-home help - the person to stay with Savannah over nights while I work. We have spent a lot of time with our admin host, Gideon, from the ML office. He is a Chennai native and has been extremely warm and helpful. He enjoys Savannah's humor and has gone out of his way to make sure we are comfortable and acclimating well. We ate lunch at places suited to "her" taste (that might be mine, too, shhh) like Marrybrown, Don Pepe MEXICAN!, Subway and Pizza Hut. Savannah has been quite pleased with these choices. Today, though, Gideon has half threatened/half promised Savannah that she will try Indian food. I am not sure if she is up for the challenge, but I figure we better give it a whirl now as we will surely immerse ourselves over the next 2 years. Hmm what else? I signed up for the local bank. They actually came to the office for me and the other expat from NAM, Tom, and we had to sign a zillion forms but we have an official Indian checking/savings account and a debit/visa card to be spending all our rupees. Oh and yesterday after we visited the immigration office - I was pleased there was AC for that trip! - we drove by the Baltic Sea coast, which is very near, and then stopped at the Express Avenue mall. It's quite high end and we won't be going there very often, unless Mommy needs some Mac make up. haha
I will end with a note that there have been times when I look around at the dirty streets, cows and goats in the road, crazy drivers (understatement of the year!) and the overall different world we are in, I am overwhelmed with homesickness and wonder why I am here. That happened a couple times yesterday on the drive to and from the immigration office. And each time, almost as quickly as I thought about it, something beautiful would come into my vision. A lovely lush area with trees and the most fabulous orange flowers I have ever seen. A beautiful toddler dancing around her young mother as they walk down the street. A courtyard adjacent to a women's university that offers hope to a desolate area. A cathedral so beautiful and detailed that it can only be by God's design. He is reminding me of the beauty I am overlooking. I literally laughed out loud yesterday about the third time He showed me. There is a reason we are here. I will find the beauty and share it with the world as I reaffirm it to myself.
We are about to head into the office again and do some apartment hunting with Savannah and Gideon. And I am guessing some Indian food for our late lunch :) Should be fun.
I was trying to think of something clever to call today's post, but either I am too tired or I've just lost my creative edge for the week. It has been a long week, but feeling pretty productive. Savannah is enrolled to start school. We began the Indian immigration process yesterday and made it to "round 2" so will go back Monday afternoon, hoping we are approved and that is the last step. She will begin school on Tuesday, even though in south India (where we are), Tuesday is considered an inauspicious day to begin a new journey. This is according to some the ladies in the office and searching google it appears to be linked to the Hindu religion. Fortunately for us, we are Christian and she can get out of my hair on Tuesday and not have to wait until Wednesday LOL. We thought we had a good feeling about an apartment we viewed earlier in the week, but after a second run through last night, decided it needed more work that we originally thought and are now looking at others. Please keep the house hunt in your prayers. I need to get into the office and start working next week, so really needing to move forward with the home and in-home help - the person to stay with Savannah over nights while I work. We have spent a lot of time with our admin host, Gideon, from the ML office. He is a Chennai native and has been extremely warm and helpful. He enjoys Savannah's humor and has gone out of his way to make sure we are comfortable and acclimating well. We ate lunch at places suited to "her" taste (that might be mine, too, shhh) like Marrybrown, Don Pepe MEXICAN!, Subway and Pizza Hut. Savannah has been quite pleased with these choices. Today, though, Gideon has half threatened/half promised Savannah that she will try Indian food. I am not sure if she is up for the challenge, but I figure we better give it a whirl now as we will surely immerse ourselves over the next 2 years. Hmm what else? I signed up for the local bank. They actually came to the office for me and the other expat from NAM, Tom, and we had to sign a zillion forms but we have an official Indian checking/savings account and a debit/visa card to be spending all our rupees. Oh and yesterday after we visited the immigration office - I was pleased there was AC for that trip! - we drove by the Baltic Sea coast, which is very near, and then stopped at the Express Avenue mall. It's quite high end and we won't be going there very often, unless Mommy needs some Mac make up. haha
I will end with a note that there have been times when I look around at the dirty streets, cows and goats in the road, crazy drivers (understatement of the year!) and the overall different world we are in, I am overwhelmed with homesickness and wonder why I am here. That happened a couple times yesterday on the drive to and from the immigration office. And each time, almost as quickly as I thought about it, something beautiful would come into my vision. A lovely lush area with trees and the most fabulous orange flowers I have ever seen. A beautiful toddler dancing around her young mother as they walk down the street. A courtyard adjacent to a women's university that offers hope to a desolate area. A cathedral so beautiful and detailed that it can only be by God's design. He is reminding me of the beauty I am overlooking. I literally laughed out loud yesterday about the third time He showed me. There is a reason we are here. I will find the beauty and share it with the world as I reaffirm it to myself.
We are about to head into the office again and do some apartment hunting with Savannah and Gideon. And I am guessing some Indian food for our late lunch :) Should be fun.
Ya see Angela it will all be ok! The madness of the last month will pass once you have your own place, move your own things in and then you will have peace! Now please go eat some indian food! Take pictures!
ReplyDeleteThanks, LP!
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