E.'s Birthday Tinker
S.'s Birthday Tinker
Monday, February 27, 2012
Baby steps....
After a difficult day, tonight there were some treasured moments. At one point both girls were on my lap, and E was tickling S, and we were all laughing big belly laughs. Then S hugged me all on her own, it was a tight squeeze. She usually just leans in. Two great moments shining through the fog of adjustment.
It's harder than I thought...
I love my new daughter dearly. But it's hard to wrap my mind around the fact that I missed 5 and 1/2 years of her life. It's just not natural. I wish she was younger, and home, but I know that couldn't be, so I have to make peace with it any way I can.
Friday, February 24, 2012
I love this Chinese proverb...
An invisible red thread connects those destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but never break. -- Ancient Chinese Proverb
Language Explosion ...
A language explosion today. It sounded sort of like a toddler. "Mommy car!" "Mommy bus!" "Mommy airplane." "Mommy snow." "Mommy please." "Mommy help." "Mommy me." LOL. Now where's the off button. Just kidding. :)
When she was sick last night, she very much needed me for the first time, and I think that has put us in a different place. We shall see if it lasts. At least it is possible.
S. is still being very stand off ish to E. E. tries so hard to be a good big sister, and help her, and care for. And S. just gives her the stare down still. Ugh. Time will heal. God willing. All we need is time.
When she was sick last night, she very much needed me for the first time, and I think that has put us in a different place. We shall see if it lasts. At least it is possible.
S. is still being very stand off ish to E. E. tries so hard to be a good big sister, and help her, and care for. And S. just gives her the stare down still. Ugh. Time will heal. God willing. All we need is time.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Deeply troubled,,,
Little Miss. S was sick tonight. Sick to her stomach. I rubbed her back, and cleaned up after her. I gave her sprite, and crackers, and rocked her back to sleep, and tucked her into bed.
There are 160 million orphans in this world. Who is wiping their tears? Who is tucking them into bed at night?
I am deeply troubled by the orphan crisis. What can we do?
There are 160 million orphans in this world. Who is wiping their tears? Who is tucking them into bed at night?
I am deeply troubled by the orphan crisis. What can we do?
Today...
Part of the problem is she is trying her hardest not to sleep. But tonight, finally, she fell asleep, and stayed asleep. Yeah.
Today I heard a couple of sentences. One was, "Mommy, banana, please." Another was, "I love you." Another was, "Hi, gilly," to our fish. Ahhhh, progress. :)
Today I heard a couple of sentences. One was, "Mommy, banana, please." Another was, "I love you." Another was, "Hi, gilly," to our fish. Ahhhh, progress. :)
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Adopting a 5 and 1/2 year old, it's not for wimps, and sissys I tell ya.... :) ...
S. has night terrors. She screams out. It's a little disturbing.
She is also being very stubborn about learning English, and talking in general.
She makes me work for it ladies. But when I finally get a hug, or a smile, it's like gold.
Today she got 5 shots, and some blood drawn. She is holding a grudge. Even a $ 5 stuffed animal from Kohl's Cares For Kids didn't put me back in good graces.
I'm wondering how she will do at the dentist.
She is also being very stubborn about learning English, and talking in general.
She makes me work for it ladies. But when I finally get a hug, or a smile, it's like gold.
Today she got 5 shots, and some blood drawn. She is holding a grudge. Even a $ 5 stuffed animal from Kohl's Cares For Kids didn't put me back in good graces.
I'm wondering how she will do at the dentist.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Facial Expressions
E. said to me today, "Mom, some of the facial expression from India look like frowns, and angry faces." I said, "Honey, I think she is actually frowning at us, and giving us angry faces sometimes."
E. said, "oh." And we both laughed.
E. said, "oh." And we both laughed.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Odds, and Ends...
Let's see...
S. is completely obsessed with silverware. She had never seen it before. When I was at the orphanage, she ate lunch. They had a yellow pile of mush, a white pile of mush, a grey pile of mush, and a piece of round break to eat it with.
In India they eat lunch around 2, and dinner around 8. Everything is just a little later there.
Madhu told me when I was out to lunch with her that she prefers to write in English. She told me that she knows how to write in Hindi, but it is very difficult. Madhu also told me that her two boys do not write in Hindi at all, they only write in English.
At lunch, Madhu also stated that the taxi drivers in India are very naughty. She said they often misbehave, and they are not good drivers. I asked her if she thought that even about the prepaid taxies, and she said, yes.
When I went out to lunch with V.J. I asked her if they were missing S back at the orphanage. She said yes they were, but they don't have much time to miss her, because they already got more kids. She said that 4 new kids had arrived in the one day since S left.
I carried 10 large bottles of body spray over there, in my suit case, for the Aunties at the orphanage. V.J. looked through the bag. I said they are for the Aunties. V.J., said, this will do. I said there are 10. She said it will do. I thought that was a disappointing reaction. Oh, well.
There are all different colors and sizes of turbans all over India. I wonder what the different colors, and sizes mean. Some of the people in India dress in very traditional dress, and others dress very American, and modern. It's interesting.
There is no heat inside the homes in New Delhi, because it is so hot there. However, in the winter, when it is 75 degrees, they use space heaters.
All the men at the hotel loved me. They were all flirting with me. I know they just wanted a visa, but it was very flattering.
On the airplanes... Airplane bathrooms are so small, and so gross. Come on people, you can do better than that. :)
When they are doing the announcement on the airplane, and they say, "Welcome, and we would especially like to welcome our sky miles customers, and vip members." I think that is so annoying.
The meals and the vocabulary change on airplanes as you travel around the world. When we were closer to India, they served Indian food. When we were closer to Europe, we ate European food. When we were near Europe they came around for rubbage. When we were near America, they came around for garbage. I thought that was sort of interesting.
What's up with the Dutch language anyway? I am sorry but there is not an "sch", or a "u", a "v", or a "z" in every word. When we had Dutch stewardists, I just knew I was going to get spit on, when they were talking to me. :)
S. is completely obsessed with silverware. She had never seen it before. When I was at the orphanage, she ate lunch. They had a yellow pile of mush, a white pile of mush, a grey pile of mush, and a piece of round break to eat it with.
In India they eat lunch around 2, and dinner around 8. Everything is just a little later there.
Madhu told me when I was out to lunch with her that she prefers to write in English. She told me that she knows how to write in Hindi, but it is very difficult. Madhu also told me that her two boys do not write in Hindi at all, they only write in English.
At lunch, Madhu also stated that the taxi drivers in India are very naughty. She said they often misbehave, and they are not good drivers. I asked her if she thought that even about the prepaid taxies, and she said, yes.
When I went out to lunch with V.J. I asked her if they were missing S back at the orphanage. She said yes they were, but they don't have much time to miss her, because they already got more kids. She said that 4 new kids had arrived in the one day since S left.
I carried 10 large bottles of body spray over there, in my suit case, for the Aunties at the orphanage. V.J. looked through the bag. I said they are for the Aunties. V.J., said, this will do. I said there are 10. She said it will do. I thought that was a disappointing reaction. Oh, well.
There are all different colors and sizes of turbans all over India. I wonder what the different colors, and sizes mean. Some of the people in India dress in very traditional dress, and others dress very American, and modern. It's interesting.
There is no heat inside the homes in New Delhi, because it is so hot there. However, in the winter, when it is 75 degrees, they use space heaters.
All the men at the hotel loved me. They were all flirting with me. I know they just wanted a visa, but it was very flattering.
On the airplanes... Airplane bathrooms are so small, and so gross. Come on people, you can do better than that. :)
When they are doing the announcement on the airplane, and they say, "Welcome, and we would especially like to welcome our sky miles customers, and vip members." I think that is so annoying.
The meals and the vocabulary change on airplanes as you travel around the world. When we were closer to India, they served Indian food. When we were closer to Europe, we ate European food. When we were near Europe they came around for rubbage. When we were near America, they came around for garbage. I thought that was sort of interesting.
What's up with the Dutch language anyway? I am sorry but there is not an "sch", or a "u", a "v", or a "z" in every word. When we had Dutch stewardists, I just knew I was going to get spit on, when they were talking to me. :)
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
This is a little girl begging outside my car window. I had already given her some money, she was telling me she needed more. It was very sad.
This is the Lotus Temple, and gardens for the Bahai religion.
A market for buying Indian products.
She loved this statue.
I guess that's it for now. More later.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
The Carpet Children...
All the children in the orphanage sit or squat on this large oriental rug all day. They barely did anything except sit there all day together. Then they would eat, and go back to sitting on the carpet all day. They didn't have any toys, just their own minds to amuse them. Then there was one baby who had to stand in a basket most of the time. The lady their told me she was a very naughty baby, and so she had to stand in the basket.
Also, they told me they went to the park a couple times a year on special occasions.
In the winter, when it is 75 degrees, they wear winter hats, and warm coats, and are all freezing. And, they don't take the children outside in the winter, because it is too cold.
Also, they told me they went to the park a couple times a year on special occasions.
In the winter, when it is 75 degrees, they wear winter hats, and warm coats, and are all freezing. And, they don't take the children outside in the winter, because it is too cold.
Friday, February 10, 2012
A nightmare...
I was having a nightmare. It was awful. There was garbage everywhere. In some places it was piled up, and in other places scattered around like forgotten promises. The sidewalks were filled with thousands upon thousands of starving people with no place to go. And the streets were full with begging children. There were crippled and diseased people everywhere, with no one to help them, and no resources available. There were dogs with disease, and starving everywhere I looked. While I was dreaming, I kept thinking, "this isn't right, this can't be right." Finally after a couple of hourse of this, I woke up. Much to my relief, and delight I was in America.
Let's see what else....
I probably already wrote this but India is a day ahead of us. So, when you go there you lose a day, but when you come back, you gain a day. It's like back to the future or something. It's very strange.
I'm so glad to be home. I hope I stay this thankful forever. I should. There is no doubt about that.
Luckiest Mom ever.
Let's see. On my way to airport the early morning of Thursday Indian time, I was excited to be going home with my new little girl in tow.
When we arrived at the airport, Surrender got our bags out, and he told me that he is very happy for us. We said our good byes. He is a very good driver, and a good man.
At the door into the airport there are military guards. The one at the door I went through was huge, maybe 6'4''. He had on a turban, and a muted green uniform. He began to yell at me in Hindi immediately. About the only word in English was "Papers! Papers!" I got out our papers, and our electronic ticket. He continued to yell at me, and the riffle over his shoulder was swaying back and forth as he shouted, and flapped his arms. He said, "no! No! No!" "Name?" and he pointed at the electronic ticket. I pointed to my name, and to Sonjena's. He kept yelling, and shuffling through my electronic tickets. I just wanted in the doors so badly. He kept shaking his head no, and looking at me like I was committing some crime. I pointed to our names again, one at a time, and then to our names in our passports one at a time. He continued to shake his head. I lined the passports up with the e-ticket. After about 10 minutes of convincing him, he let us in. It felt like an hour.
Then we were in line at the ticket counter with all our bags, and an Indian lady siddles up along side me. I was so done with all of it at that point, I just kept thinking, keep siddling lady, you're not cutting in front of me TODAY, maybe some other day, but not today. Indian women maybe pushy, but so are American women, so look out. :)
Just kidding. The line attendant told her to get in line, but she wouldn't, she was practically right on top of me. Finally, the line attendant took her to another line. Thank goodness. A lot of people in India do not have a sense of personal space. It's obvious why, because of the over population, and how very crowded it is. Personal space is definitely something Sonjena has to learn about. (For example, on the plane once, and awhile she would hang over the arm of her chair into the next person. Or when we were getting off of planes, she was always practically under the feet of the person in front of us. Easy to see why, since she is coming from an orphanage.)
I got to the counter, they checked my documents. Then they wanted my adoption documents, so I took them out. The guy started photographing the adoption documents. I asked him why, and he said he had to have copies of adoption documents, and that is how he did it, with a camera. We checked our bag, and got our tickets. The ticket counter forgot to give me the slip you have to fill out to get through the visa officers. So, I waited in line to show them our paper work. We waited, and waited, and waited, and when we got to the front of the line, they told me I didn't have that paper. I went back to the ticket counter, waited in line, and got the paper. Then I filled it out, and I got back in line. We got up there, and apparently my last name was spelled wrong on Sanjana's passport. I was so afraid he wouldn't let me through, and I would be stuck in India, until it was fixed, but he let me through. Shhhoeww. But I thought, I'll never get through in Amsterdam, but I did, and the U.S.
Then we got to security, and I had to show the first guy our paperwork, then another guy. Then another crabby guy wanted my paperwork, and was yelling at me again. My stuff went through the scanners, and something was wrong. I was like, "what? What? What's going on?" So, they told me to open my bag, and go through it. I was so tired that I had forgotten you can't bring liquids on an airplane. I wasn't going to take my toiletries, because I didn't want my bags to be heavy again. At the last minute, I decided to take them, to save money on buying new ones back home, and because I was so tired, I forgot about the rule, and put them in my carry on. I had shampoo, mouse, hair spray, and contact solution in there. They pointed with their guns, and I said, "I know, I forgot about the rule, I am sorry, they are hair products. I don't care about them, take them." They made me wait, about 10 minutes, and then they told me they were keeping them, I said, "fine. I don't care about them, I just forgot the rule." There were Asian businessmen in line behind me, and they were laughing. I had showed our papers a total of 6 times by then.
Before we got on the plane, I had to show them 6 more times. Yes, that's 12 times, before we could leave the airport. The guy with the machine gun just before boarding the plane, like at the end of the boarding ramp, I was thinking, "holy sh**, are they ever going to stop checking my papers, holy crap." He was also very rude to me. He said, "is this your child?" and pointed to Sonjena. I said, "yes." He said, "are you Indian?" (I was thinking non of your darn business.) I said,"no." He said, "is your husband Indian?" I said, "no. adoption." He gave me a dirty look. Then he gave me my papers back. There was some sort of hold up, and while I was standing there waiting, he was telling the other guard something about me, I turned around, and looked at him, and he said,"get on the plane."
And I was like, "what?" And he said,"the plane is boarding. Get on." Nice guy.
In Amsterdam, they looked at my papers once. In Detroit, they looked at our papers once.
I'm so glad to be home. I hope I stay this thankful forever. I should. There is no doubt about that.
Luckiest Mom ever.
Let's see. On my way to airport the early morning of Thursday Indian time, I was excited to be going home with my new little girl in tow.
When we arrived at the airport, Surrender got our bags out, and he told me that he is very happy for us. We said our good byes. He is a very good driver, and a good man.
At the door into the airport there are military guards. The one at the door I went through was huge, maybe 6'4''. He had on a turban, and a muted green uniform. He began to yell at me in Hindi immediately. About the only word in English was "Papers! Papers!" I got out our papers, and our electronic ticket. He continued to yell at me, and the riffle over his shoulder was swaying back and forth as he shouted, and flapped his arms. He said, "no! No! No!" "Name?" and he pointed at the electronic ticket. I pointed to my name, and to Sonjena's. He kept yelling, and shuffling through my electronic tickets. I just wanted in the doors so badly. He kept shaking his head no, and looking at me like I was committing some crime. I pointed to our names again, one at a time, and then to our names in our passports one at a time. He continued to shake his head. I lined the passports up with the e-ticket. After about 10 minutes of convincing him, he let us in. It felt like an hour.
Then we were in line at the ticket counter with all our bags, and an Indian lady siddles up along side me. I was so done with all of it at that point, I just kept thinking, keep siddling lady, you're not cutting in front of me TODAY, maybe some other day, but not today. Indian women maybe pushy, but so are American women, so look out. :)
Just kidding. The line attendant told her to get in line, but she wouldn't, she was practically right on top of me. Finally, the line attendant took her to another line. Thank goodness. A lot of people in India do not have a sense of personal space. It's obvious why, because of the over population, and how very crowded it is. Personal space is definitely something Sonjena has to learn about. (For example, on the plane once, and awhile she would hang over the arm of her chair into the next person. Or when we were getting off of planes, she was always practically under the feet of the person in front of us. Easy to see why, since she is coming from an orphanage.)
I got to the counter, they checked my documents. Then they wanted my adoption documents, so I took them out. The guy started photographing the adoption documents. I asked him why, and he said he had to have copies of adoption documents, and that is how he did it, with a camera. We checked our bag, and got our tickets. The ticket counter forgot to give me the slip you have to fill out to get through the visa officers. So, I waited in line to show them our paper work. We waited, and waited, and waited, and when we got to the front of the line, they told me I didn't have that paper. I went back to the ticket counter, waited in line, and got the paper. Then I filled it out, and I got back in line. We got up there, and apparently my last name was spelled wrong on Sanjana's passport. I was so afraid he wouldn't let me through, and I would be stuck in India, until it was fixed, but he let me through. Shhhoeww. But I thought, I'll never get through in Amsterdam, but I did, and the U.S.
Then we got to security, and I had to show the first guy our paperwork, then another guy. Then another crabby guy wanted my paperwork, and was yelling at me again. My stuff went through the scanners, and something was wrong. I was like, "what? What? What's going on?" So, they told me to open my bag, and go through it. I was so tired that I had forgotten you can't bring liquids on an airplane. I wasn't going to take my toiletries, because I didn't want my bags to be heavy again. At the last minute, I decided to take them, to save money on buying new ones back home, and because I was so tired, I forgot about the rule, and put them in my carry on. I had shampoo, mouse, hair spray, and contact solution in there. They pointed with their guns, and I said, "I know, I forgot about the rule, I am sorry, they are hair products. I don't care about them, take them." They made me wait, about 10 minutes, and then they told me they were keeping them, I said, "fine. I don't care about them, I just forgot the rule." There were Asian businessmen in line behind me, and they were laughing. I had showed our papers a total of 6 times by then.
Before we got on the plane, I had to show them 6 more times. Yes, that's 12 times, before we could leave the airport. The guy with the machine gun just before boarding the plane, like at the end of the boarding ramp, I was thinking, "holy sh**, are they ever going to stop checking my papers, holy crap." He was also very rude to me. He said, "is this your child?" and pointed to Sonjena. I said, "yes." He said, "are you Indian?" (I was thinking non of your darn business.) I said,"no." He said, "is your husband Indian?" I said, "no. adoption." He gave me a dirty look. Then he gave me my papers back. There was some sort of hold up, and while I was standing there waiting, he was telling the other guard something about me, I turned around, and looked at him, and he said,"get on the plane."
And I was like, "what?" And he said,"the plane is boarding. Get on." Nice guy.
In Amsterdam, they looked at my papers once. In Detroit, they looked at our papers once.
Everything is going well so far...
This is the first full day home. Everyone seems to be doing really well. So far so good.
Cutest 5 and 1/2 year old. :)
A woman, and her adorable baby begging at my car window, one of many.
This is the Lotus Temple, where the Bahai worship.
A monkey. :)
Part of this building is government offices, and the other part is the priminister's house.
Isn't this little boy cute?
This guy only has a riffle. A lot of the men in uniforms over there, have machine guns. I thought I had a better chance if I took a picture of one of the guys with the riffle rather than one with a machine gun.
One of the thousands of shanty houses along the side of the road.
There are many many men around in Delhi on bicycles with really large loads like this one. Although this wasn't the biggest load I saw on a bicycle. One guy I saw was pulling mattresses about 12 feet or more high. It was crazy. I think I already wrote about that.
Cutest 5 and 1/2 year old. :)
A woman, and her adorable baby begging at my car window, one of many.
This is the Lotus Temple, where the Bahai worship.
A monkey. :)
Part of this building is government offices, and the other part is the priminister's house.
Isn't this little boy cute?
This guy only has a riffle. A lot of the men in uniforms over there, have machine guns. I thought I had a better chance if I took a picture of one of the guys with the riffle rather than one with a machine gun.
One of the thousands of shanty houses along the side of the road.
There are many many men around in Delhi on bicycles with really large loads like this one. Although this wasn't the biggest load I saw on a bicycle. One guy I saw was pulling mattresses about 12 feet or more high. It was crazy. I think I already wrote about that.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
We are home!!! We are safe!!! God bless America!!!
We are home safe, and sound. Thank you God!!! I'm so happy, and so thankful to be here. Sonjena is doing well, and so is Emily. Sonjena and I are exhausted from traveling 24 hours to get home. But we are safe, and I have so much more to blog in a day or so when I feel up to it. Right now I am so thankful for my daughters, my entire family, my friends, my fellow Americans, America the beautiful. I am so thankful, so thankful. I'm surprised I did not kiss and hug everyone in the U.S. immigration office. I love America. It is the home of the free, and the brave. Much love, peace, happiness, and thankfulness to all my facebook friends. ;)
I just reposted what I on my facebook page right now, but I will be posting more soon. Right now I am exhausted. Peace.
I just reposted what I on my facebook page right now, but I will be posting more soon. Right now I am exhausted. Peace.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
I am leaving tonight...
I am leaving tonight in the middle of the night, I will have to post more from home. Our flight leaves at 1:50 a.m. on Thursday morning in Indian time. Can you imagine??? :)
I won't have wifi on the way home, or time to post either.
The only reason I did on the way here is because that business man invited me to go into the VIP lounge with him. There are free drinks, and food, free wifi. Then he fell asleep in a chair in there. I wanted to walk around in the airport. I did not know if I should wake him up, and tell him, thank you and good bye, or if I should just let him sleep. We were both going to India, I thought, so I could tell him thank you later. So, I went and walked around the Amsterdam airport. Then when I saw him on the flight to Delhi, I said, Hi, and was going to thank him, but he ignored me. I thought that was so weird. Anyway...
I won't be going to the VIP lounge with anyone one on the way back.
I can't wait to get home thursday afternoon, and see E, and the rest of the family. Love to all.
I won't have wifi on the way home, or time to post either.
The only reason I did on the way here is because that business man invited me to go into the VIP lounge with him. There are free drinks, and food, free wifi. Then he fell asleep in a chair in there. I wanted to walk around in the airport. I did not know if I should wake him up, and tell him, thank you and good bye, or if I should just let him sleep. We were both going to India, I thought, so I could tell him thank you later. So, I went and walked around the Amsterdam airport. Then when I saw him on the flight to Delhi, I said, Hi, and was going to thank him, but he ignored me. I thought that was so weird. Anyway...
I won't be going to the VIP lounge with anyone one on the way back.
I can't wait to get home thursday afternoon, and see E, and the rest of the family. Love to all.
Ahhhh. Nothing says welcome to the family like....
A lice treatment before bed, and one when you wake up. :) Poor baby. :)
Today our driver Surrender came and took us around. He took us to the Lotus Temple. This is a Baiha Temple. I went to see one in Chicago once too. Wennetka, outside of Chicago, I think. It was very beautiful. It was also very peaceful. I made Surrender come in with us. He said, "I park, you go." I said, "No, you come." He said, "Okay." :) We had to take off our shoes. There was a reflection pool outside, and there were school classes touring the place. The school kids were all around the reflection pond, and then the guard came, and smacked them all with a cane on the butt. He did. He ran after them, and smacked them. It was very strange to see. I was gasping, and Surrender was laughing. :)
I took tons of pictures. I had something like 500 pictures from my 3+ days here. They were all really cool. However, little miss Sonjena took a turn taking pictures out the window like Momma, and she accidentally deleted all 500+ pictures. Yeap. It's true. I was upset. It took me a minute to bounce back. Surrender doesn't speak very good English, or understand very well either, so I had to explain it to him, 3 times. I asked him to take me to a photo shop to buy a new memory card, so he did. I know that when I get back to the states someone can retrieve some of those pictures. So, I put that disk away, and starting snapping on the new one. Sonjena and I had a really smooth start. Even with all the lice treatments. She was really leaning on me, and looking to me, and bonding with me. This morning I said, "I love you Sonjena," and she said, "I love you Mommy." I could have cried, but VJ told me not to cry anymore while I am here, after the first night. She said, if I cry the child will not know what to think. :) After the pictures were delete, she did not talk to me for 2 hours, she just looked out the window. I kept talking to her, and talking to her. And she just looked out the window. Then I pulled her over to me, and put my arm around her, and was rubbing her arm, and she started crying. (I never even said anything to her. I just explained to Surrender why I needed a new memory card.) Then guess what it was time for, yeap, lunch with VJ, the director of the orphanage. Can you imagine? So, VJ took over, took Sonjena, had her sit by her, ordered for her, etc. Yeap. It was embarrassing. Then VJ gave me a lecture that children are not allowed to play with cameras, and that I should have taken it from her, she did not know. I told her I knew she didnot mean to, and I was not mad. (When Sonjena was taking pictures, I thought about taking the camera back, but then I thought, she looks really happy, and if the memory card gets full, I'll just delete one or two if I want to take more picures. I was looking out my window, while she was taking pictures out her window. The next time I looked, all the photos were gone. Oh, Owen's 2nd birthday was on there too.) I should have been loading them on to Shutterfly each night, but I didn't even think about it. That was all my fault. So, when you are on vacation or an adoption trip, load your pictures on your computer each night. Anyway, after lunch, Sonjena came around, and liked me again. Now she is taking a nap.
Surrender also took me to Delhi Haat, or it might have been Dilli Haat this morning. It's a market place. I bought a few more things for Sonjena. There was this huge gold statue of a god there, and Sonjena kept rubbing her face, and looking at her, and rubbing her cheeks. It was really cute. I asked a man the significance of this god, and he said, "I don't know about such things ma'am, I am only a slave." That's what he really said to me. It was so strange to hear.
Surrender also drove us by Gandhi's house, parliment, the priminister's house, and the Delhi gate. It was really cool. There were many children out begging today. Many of them came right up to my window, everywhere we went. They see an American, and they just run into the road towards you. At the first stop, I handed a girl, about the age of my girls, 10 rupees, and then a little boy about the same age, 10 rupees. Then tons of people came out into the street outside my window. We were stuck in a The beggers rushing the car was very sad, and scary. A business man in the next car rolled down his window, and told them to leave, but they wouldn't budge until the traffic started moving again. The traffic is always in a jam here. It takes a long time to get anywhere because of all the traffic.
Let's see, what else... Yesterday, when the embassy was closed for lunch, Madhu and I went to lunch. We went to a Chinese restaurant. It was very good. We sat there along time waiting for the Embassy to open, and we got comfortable, and talked. Madhu has two sons. Her sons, and their families live with her. She picked her son's wives. Her oldest son has two kids. They are 10 and 13. And her youngest has one son who is 1. She showed me pictures, they are, to my surprise, chubby, and very very very cute. She said her husband died very young serving in the military. He died on a plane. They were using very very very old war craft carriers, she said. She said they were planes no one else was using anymore. They were purchased from the U.S., because the U.S. did not use them anymore, but they were even older than that. She said many men died on these planes, but she did not think it would happen to her, and then it did. She was very young. Madhu said she was lucky, because her family was well enough off that they could help her, and her boys, plus she had friends who helped.
There are women walking around with red dots on their foreheads, and red paint in the part of their hair. I asked Madhu about this, she said it means they are married. At the end of the marriage ceremony, the husband puts red pant in the woman's part, and then she continues to do that for the rest of her life. Madhu was smiling very proudly when she told me this tradition.
Sonjena loves all the babies at the Children's home. She was so sweet and tender to them when we were there. She hugs them, and plays with them, and helps them. It's really sweet to watch.
On all my documents about Sonjena, it says, "baby Sonjena." They call her baby Sonjena on everything. It's very cute.
The Indian people that I have spent time with are very precious to me. You know that saying, once your eyes are open, they can never be closed again. I think it's true to a certain extent, I do. However, I think it is easy to forget, and easy to lose touch. Just like millionaires, and billionaires have no idea what it is like to be middle class anymore, even if they are friends with many people from the middle class, they just can't know. It is also true about people in wealthy countries like the U.S. not being able to relate to the street people of India. There is just know way we can understand. But now I know they are there in a different way than I knew before. What will I do now? .... ????
Today our driver Surrender came and took us around. He took us to the Lotus Temple. This is a Baiha Temple. I went to see one in Chicago once too. Wennetka, outside of Chicago, I think. It was very beautiful. It was also very peaceful. I made Surrender come in with us. He said, "I park, you go." I said, "No, you come." He said, "Okay." :) We had to take off our shoes. There was a reflection pool outside, and there were school classes touring the place. The school kids were all around the reflection pond, and then the guard came, and smacked them all with a cane on the butt. He did. He ran after them, and smacked them. It was very strange to see. I was gasping, and Surrender was laughing. :)
I took tons of pictures. I had something like 500 pictures from my 3+ days here. They were all really cool. However, little miss Sonjena took a turn taking pictures out the window like Momma, and she accidentally deleted all 500+ pictures. Yeap. It's true. I was upset. It took me a minute to bounce back. Surrender doesn't speak very good English, or understand very well either, so I had to explain it to him, 3 times. I asked him to take me to a photo shop to buy a new memory card, so he did. I know that when I get back to the states someone can retrieve some of those pictures. So, I put that disk away, and starting snapping on the new one. Sonjena and I had a really smooth start. Even with all the lice treatments. She was really leaning on me, and looking to me, and bonding with me. This morning I said, "I love you Sonjena," and she said, "I love you Mommy." I could have cried, but VJ told me not to cry anymore while I am here, after the first night. She said, if I cry the child will not know what to think. :) After the pictures were delete, she did not talk to me for 2 hours, she just looked out the window. I kept talking to her, and talking to her. And she just looked out the window. Then I pulled her over to me, and put my arm around her, and was rubbing her arm, and she started crying. (I never even said anything to her. I just explained to Surrender why I needed a new memory card.) Then guess what it was time for, yeap, lunch with VJ, the director of the orphanage. Can you imagine? So, VJ took over, took Sonjena, had her sit by her, ordered for her, etc. Yeap. It was embarrassing. Then VJ gave me a lecture that children are not allowed to play with cameras, and that I should have taken it from her, she did not know. I told her I knew she didnot mean to, and I was not mad. (When Sonjena was taking pictures, I thought about taking the camera back, but then I thought, she looks really happy, and if the memory card gets full, I'll just delete one or two if I want to take more picures. I was looking out my window, while she was taking pictures out her window. The next time I looked, all the photos were gone. Oh, Owen's 2nd birthday was on there too.) I should have been loading them on to Shutterfly each night, but I didn't even think about it. That was all my fault. So, when you are on vacation or an adoption trip, load your pictures on your computer each night. Anyway, after lunch, Sonjena came around, and liked me again. Now she is taking a nap.
Surrender also took me to Delhi Haat, or it might have been Dilli Haat this morning. It's a market place. I bought a few more things for Sonjena. There was this huge gold statue of a god there, and Sonjena kept rubbing her face, and looking at her, and rubbing her cheeks. It was really cute. I asked a man the significance of this god, and he said, "I don't know about such things ma'am, I am only a slave." That's what he really said to me. It was so strange to hear.
Surrender also drove us by Gandhi's house, parliment, the priminister's house, and the Delhi gate. It was really cool. There were many children out begging today. Many of them came right up to my window, everywhere we went. They see an American, and they just run into the road towards you. At the first stop, I handed a girl, about the age of my girls, 10 rupees, and then a little boy about the same age, 10 rupees. Then tons of people came out into the street outside my window. We were stuck in a The beggers rushing the car was very sad, and scary. A business man in the next car rolled down his window, and told them to leave, but they wouldn't budge until the traffic started moving again. The traffic is always in a jam here. It takes a long time to get anywhere because of all the traffic.
Let's see, what else... Yesterday, when the embassy was closed for lunch, Madhu and I went to lunch. We went to a Chinese restaurant. It was very good. We sat there along time waiting for the Embassy to open, and we got comfortable, and talked. Madhu has two sons. Her sons, and their families live with her. She picked her son's wives. Her oldest son has two kids. They are 10 and 13. And her youngest has one son who is 1. She showed me pictures, they are, to my surprise, chubby, and very very very cute. She said her husband died very young serving in the military. He died on a plane. They were using very very very old war craft carriers, she said. She said they were planes no one else was using anymore. They were purchased from the U.S., because the U.S. did not use them anymore, but they were even older than that. She said many men died on these planes, but she did not think it would happen to her, and then it did. She was very young. Madhu said she was lucky, because her family was well enough off that they could help her, and her boys, plus she had friends who helped.
There are women walking around with red dots on their foreheads, and red paint in the part of their hair. I asked Madhu about this, she said it means they are married. At the end of the marriage ceremony, the husband puts red pant in the woman's part, and then she continues to do that for the rest of her life. Madhu was smiling very proudly when she told me this tradition.
Sonjena loves all the babies at the Children's home. She was so sweet and tender to them when we were there. She hugs them, and plays with them, and helps them. It's really sweet to watch.
On all my documents about Sonjena, it says, "baby Sonjena." They call her baby Sonjena on everything. It's very cute.
The Indian people that I have spent time with are very precious to me. You know that saying, once your eyes are open, they can never be closed again. I think it's true to a certain extent, I do. However, I think it is easy to forget, and easy to lose touch. Just like millionaires, and billionaires have no idea what it is like to be middle class anymore, even if they are friends with many people from the middle class, they just can't know. It is also true about people in wealthy countries like the U.S. not being able to relate to the street people of India. There is just know way we can understand. But now I know they are there in a different way than I knew before. What will I do now? .... ????
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
An amazing day!!!
Today I went to pick Sonjena up forever. Yes!!! Today is her Gotcha day!!! :) :) :) I brought her one of Emily's old Christmas dresses, because I thought she would think it was a princess dress. It was a good thing that I brought it, because they expected her to wear a dress to the American Embassy. They told me to wear a dress too, but I don't own one anymore, and didn't have the money to run out and buy one. Anyway, I looked as good as I could for the occasion. :) So, I set off for the orphanage at about 8:30 a.m. here. India is a very big place, and very very busy. There are many many cars, many motorcycles, and many people everywhere. So, it took a half an hour to get to the Children's home. (The kids there are sooooo adorable, but I can't post pictures of them.) I was so happy to see Sonjena. She looked adorable in her dress. She looked so proud and happy.
This is her in the dress. She had to wear a sweater, because it is 75 degrees here, and all of the Indian people are freezing. :) That was the only sweater I brought. It doesn't match, but she still looks cute. :)
Then Madhu was supposed to come to the Children's Home, and meet me, and take me to the Embassy. I went downstairs to the street, and she was not there. I went back up, and had the head "Dee Dee" call. (Dee Dee is their word for big sister, at least that is what it sounds like to me.) Madhu said, "I'm downstairs waiting. I went down, she was not there. I wasn't going to wait on the street with my daughter, or by myself for that matter. I went back up, and asked them to call again. They start talking about me in Hindi.
(The night before Madhu had called me. I had to pay her, of course, and pay for the driver, of course. But she said she couldn't come, and get me, because it was out of the way. I told her I did not have Sonjena, and we had to go get her in the morning. She was a little stern about that. Many of the women here seem a little stern, or bossy, maybe pushy to me. I could say many of them are abrupt, and straight forward. I told her the Children's Home director told me to bring her back for the night, so I did. Then she said sternly, "I do not know this place, how will I find this place?"
I said, "I don't know my way around India." She said to me again, "Jennyfer, I do nowt know dis place?" :) I'm trying to write the Indian accent, it is so cute. And I love the little side to side head shake for agreement, or listening.
I had a brilliant idea to get the address off of one of my documents, so I did. She still did not know where it was. I told her to call V.J. the director, and she would tell her (well, she did not). She told me to meet her there with yet another driver that I paid for, because she could not pick me up, it was too far out of the way, so I did.)
The head Dee Dee gets back on the phone. They are talking very loudly, and emphatically in Hindi. Then she gets off the phone, and tells the second in charge about it. They are both laughing. They have 3 different Children's Homes, the address on my documents was a different one. They all think I am ridiculous. They are laughing, and laughing. I laughed too.
Then Madhu and the driver finally get there a half an hour later. The driver comes up, and is talking to all the Dee Dees, and everyone is laughing. I looked at him, and said, "are you making fun of me?" The driver said, "Yes," and we all laughed again.
So, we were late to the Embassy. There were maybe 200+ Indian people waiting in line for Visas. (Madhu said it was a very slow day.) We go right to the front of the line. It's different for me, because I am an American. Also, adoption cases are different.
As we are sitting there waiting, I can hear an American Embassy worker being stern with an Indian person. He said, "you have given me two different names, and two different passports sir. Now, I know that you are probably desperate to get into the United States, but you can either take these, and turn around, or I can enter them, and you can be charged with misrepresenting yourself." The Indian man continued to fight, and tell him why he had two names. He was there with a wife, and a baby. The American man did not let down either. It went on for quite sometime, and finally the Indian man left without a Visa.
Then a woman who had been in America for a long time wanted to get back in. Her husband had died, and her only family, her daughter, was in America. The woman talking to her was stern as well. She said, "if you have been back in India for four years, it will be very difficult. You have to start the process over."
The woman said, "but that will take so long. I am here all by myself." I didn't hear how that one ended.
Then an American girl came in. She had sort of a hippie style about her. She was maybe in her early twenties. She was telling them that she had to get out of here. That she had to get back home, because of the circumstances (which I did not hear). Then they told her what she had to do and sent her away. She was missing some paperwork. And there were more stories like these. All of them are sad.
Meanwhile, Sonjena did get her Visa. Yeah!!! Sonjena. It took us until 2:30. They close down for lunch completely from 1 until 2. Actually, 2:15. UGH. We waited, and waited, and waited.
Oh, and I brought color books, and a magnadoodle for Sonjena. She had to go potty, and we went in the bathroom of the American Embassy, right, and it is a squatty potty, yes, a hole in the ground, basically. Yikes. I looked at a lady in there, and I was like, "does she," and before I could get the words out, Sonjena was doing it "squatty potty" style. LOL. Too funny.
We came back, and called our new friends from Chicago, Tamara, and baby Taila. We got a driver from our hotel, and we all went shopping. Our driver was amazing. He drove us around showing us monuments, and telling us about them. He took us to a few shops, and we kept telling him they were too expensive. Things are very expensive here because they are real silk, or silver, or ivory. He took us down this back alley. I looked at Tamara, and she looked at me. People were crammed in this alley everywhere. There were stray dogs everywhere. There were people with things piled up 12 feet on bicycles. There were monkeys running between the dogs taunting them. Yes, monkeys. It was a scary alley. I would have never went there without Rajeev. So, I said to him, "you are going in with us, right?" Rajeev said, yes. As soon as we got out, he shoed away the beggers.
Then we went in, and we found a beautiful little shop. It was definitely a diamond in the rough. It had everything we were looking for, and more, at prices we could afford. I even haggled a little. I got both my girls traditional Indian outfits. I got both of them little purses, and little carved elephants. Sonjena wanted a mini statue of the God of mischief. Yeap. Then I saw why tonight, there is a very strange cartoon about him that is popular here.
On the way back to the hotel, poor little Sonjena fell asleep. Then we got back, and ate in the hotel dining room. The bathroom attendant gave Sonjena an unnecessary lesson on Western toilets, because her orphanage had them. Oh, well.
Then back to the room for a shower, and some lice treatments. I gave her a shower, and washed her hair. I then did the lice treatment. I had to leave it in for ten minutes. I wrapped her in tons of towels, but she was shivering, poor little thing. Then I rinsed, and used the lice comb. Oh yes, those nasty little buggers were in there. UGH. So gross. I had never dealt with that before, and I thought I was going to freak out, but I didn't. Yes, I'm such a good mom. I will redo it tomorrow. My sister said if we bring back lice she will kill me. So, I better make sure it's gone. I put footy pajamas on her, and she was warm at last, but she was laughing, and kept pointing to the feet. I think she thinks they are for babies. :) But she is warm, and asleep. I put her on the couch, and told her to go to sleep, and she did. :) She's a good girl. She doesn't know any English. But I am teaching her, and she is learning fast. She's very smart, but she has never been to school, even though they were telling me she had been.
The class system is alive and well here. There are servants everywhere. The head Dee Dee at the orphanage said to me, "you do not have servants in the United States? You do everything yourself? It must be very hard?"
And she will not lift a finger. She tells the servants to bring me tea, and to take it away. She tells them what to clean, and do, and they do it.
Also, I'm getting very used to the people at this hotel treating us like we are some sort of royalty. Always calling me ma'am, and holding the door open, and doing everything the second that I ask, as fast as they can. It's crazy.
(On the way to the orphanage this morning, I said to my driver, "have you ever been to America?" He chuckled very sweetly, and said very sweetly, "only in my dreams Miss. Only in my dreams." And then he smiled at me. I could have cried right then and there.)
Today I saw a man crawling across the street on his nubs. No arms, or legs, just nubs, and in rags. It was very sad. I saw a woman calapsed on the road. That was also hard to see. And again today, there were many many children begging on the streets.
Let's see, what else. I talked to a man on the plane ride over from Amsterdam to India. He said to me, "you know why the plane is so full of Indians?" I said, "no," but I was thinking, because we are on our way to India perhaps. :) He said, "because it is wedding season in India. These are families coming from all over to go to family weddings." There were tons of families, and tons of kids on the plane. It was really cool.
In the Amsterdam airport, I talked to a woman at a shop. She told me that most of the people in Europe can speak 3 or 4 languages. I did not know that. But I think it is very cool. And, so can the people in India. Well, the educated ones anyway.
A really beautiful government building.
That's all for today. Night night from India. :)
My driver said that this is the Indian gate. It is a monument for all of the Indian soldiers who died in WW I. He said, 90,000 Indians died in WW I.
Tamara, and 2 year old Taila.
This is her in the dress. She had to wear a sweater, because it is 75 degrees here, and all of the Indian people are freezing. :) That was the only sweater I brought. It doesn't match, but she still looks cute. :)
Then Madhu was supposed to come to the Children's Home, and meet me, and take me to the Embassy. I went downstairs to the street, and she was not there. I went back up, and had the head "Dee Dee" call. (Dee Dee is their word for big sister, at least that is what it sounds like to me.) Madhu said, "I'm downstairs waiting. I went down, she was not there. I wasn't going to wait on the street with my daughter, or by myself for that matter. I went back up, and asked them to call again. They start talking about me in Hindi.
(The night before Madhu had called me. I had to pay her, of course, and pay for the driver, of course. But she said she couldn't come, and get me, because it was out of the way. I told her I did not have Sonjena, and we had to go get her in the morning. She was a little stern about that. Many of the women here seem a little stern, or bossy, maybe pushy to me. I could say many of them are abrupt, and straight forward. I told her the Children's Home director told me to bring her back for the night, so I did. Then she said sternly, "I do not know this place, how will I find this place?"
I said, "I don't know my way around India." She said to me again, "Jennyfer, I do nowt know dis place?" :) I'm trying to write the Indian accent, it is so cute. And I love the little side to side head shake for agreement, or listening.
I had a brilliant idea to get the address off of one of my documents, so I did. She still did not know where it was. I told her to call V.J. the director, and she would tell her (well, she did not). She told me to meet her there with yet another driver that I paid for, because she could not pick me up, it was too far out of the way, so I did.)
The head Dee Dee gets back on the phone. They are talking very loudly, and emphatically in Hindi. Then she gets off the phone, and tells the second in charge about it. They are both laughing. They have 3 different Children's Homes, the address on my documents was a different one. They all think I am ridiculous. They are laughing, and laughing. I laughed too.
Then Madhu and the driver finally get there a half an hour later. The driver comes up, and is talking to all the Dee Dees, and everyone is laughing. I looked at him, and said, "are you making fun of me?" The driver said, "Yes," and we all laughed again.
So, we were late to the Embassy. There were maybe 200+ Indian people waiting in line for Visas. (Madhu said it was a very slow day.) We go right to the front of the line. It's different for me, because I am an American. Also, adoption cases are different.
As we are sitting there waiting, I can hear an American Embassy worker being stern with an Indian person. He said, "you have given me two different names, and two different passports sir. Now, I know that you are probably desperate to get into the United States, but you can either take these, and turn around, or I can enter them, and you can be charged with misrepresenting yourself." The Indian man continued to fight, and tell him why he had two names. He was there with a wife, and a baby. The American man did not let down either. It went on for quite sometime, and finally the Indian man left without a Visa.
Then a woman who had been in America for a long time wanted to get back in. Her husband had died, and her only family, her daughter, was in America. The woman talking to her was stern as well. She said, "if you have been back in India for four years, it will be very difficult. You have to start the process over."
The woman said, "but that will take so long. I am here all by myself." I didn't hear how that one ended.
Then an American girl came in. She had sort of a hippie style about her. She was maybe in her early twenties. She was telling them that she had to get out of here. That she had to get back home, because of the circumstances (which I did not hear). Then they told her what she had to do and sent her away. She was missing some paperwork. And there were more stories like these. All of them are sad.
Meanwhile, Sonjena did get her Visa. Yeah!!! Sonjena. It took us until 2:30. They close down for lunch completely from 1 until 2. Actually, 2:15. UGH. We waited, and waited, and waited.
Oh, and I brought color books, and a magnadoodle for Sonjena. She had to go potty, and we went in the bathroom of the American Embassy, right, and it is a squatty potty, yes, a hole in the ground, basically. Yikes. I looked at a lady in there, and I was like, "does she," and before I could get the words out, Sonjena was doing it "squatty potty" style. LOL. Too funny.
We came back, and called our new friends from Chicago, Tamara, and baby Taila. We got a driver from our hotel, and we all went shopping. Our driver was amazing. He drove us around showing us monuments, and telling us about them. He took us to a few shops, and we kept telling him they were too expensive. Things are very expensive here because they are real silk, or silver, or ivory. He took us down this back alley. I looked at Tamara, and she looked at me. People were crammed in this alley everywhere. There were stray dogs everywhere. There were people with things piled up 12 feet on bicycles. There were monkeys running between the dogs taunting them. Yes, monkeys. It was a scary alley. I would have never went there without Rajeev. So, I said to him, "you are going in with us, right?" Rajeev said, yes. As soon as we got out, he shoed away the beggers.
Then we went in, and we found a beautiful little shop. It was definitely a diamond in the rough. It had everything we were looking for, and more, at prices we could afford. I even haggled a little. I got both my girls traditional Indian outfits. I got both of them little purses, and little carved elephants. Sonjena wanted a mini statue of the God of mischief. Yeap. Then I saw why tonight, there is a very strange cartoon about him that is popular here.
On the way back to the hotel, poor little Sonjena fell asleep. Then we got back, and ate in the hotel dining room. The bathroom attendant gave Sonjena an unnecessary lesson on Western toilets, because her orphanage had them. Oh, well.
Then back to the room for a shower, and some lice treatments. I gave her a shower, and washed her hair. I then did the lice treatment. I had to leave it in for ten minutes. I wrapped her in tons of towels, but she was shivering, poor little thing. Then I rinsed, and used the lice comb. Oh yes, those nasty little buggers were in there. UGH. So gross. I had never dealt with that before, and I thought I was going to freak out, but I didn't. Yes, I'm such a good mom. I will redo it tomorrow. My sister said if we bring back lice she will kill me. So, I better make sure it's gone. I put footy pajamas on her, and she was warm at last, but she was laughing, and kept pointing to the feet. I think she thinks they are for babies. :) But she is warm, and asleep. I put her on the couch, and told her to go to sleep, and she did. :) She's a good girl. She doesn't know any English. But I am teaching her, and she is learning fast. She's very smart, but she has never been to school, even though they were telling me she had been.
The class system is alive and well here. There are servants everywhere. The head Dee Dee at the orphanage said to me, "you do not have servants in the United States? You do everything yourself? It must be very hard?"
And she will not lift a finger. She tells the servants to bring me tea, and to take it away. She tells them what to clean, and do, and they do it.
Also, I'm getting very used to the people at this hotel treating us like we are some sort of royalty. Always calling me ma'am, and holding the door open, and doing everything the second that I ask, as fast as they can. It's crazy.
(On the way to the orphanage this morning, I said to my driver, "have you ever been to America?" He chuckled very sweetly, and said very sweetly, "only in my dreams Miss. Only in my dreams." And then he smiled at me. I could have cried right then and there.)
Today I saw a man crawling across the street on his nubs. No arms, or legs, just nubs, and in rags. It was very sad. I saw a woman calapsed on the road. That was also hard to see. And again today, there were many many children begging on the streets.
Let's see, what else. I talked to a man on the plane ride over from Amsterdam to India. He said to me, "you know why the plane is so full of Indians?" I said, "no," but I was thinking, because we are on our way to India perhaps. :) He said, "because it is wedding season in India. These are families coming from all over to go to family weddings." There were tons of families, and tons of kids on the plane. It was really cool.
In the Amsterdam airport, I talked to a woman at a shop. She told me that most of the people in Europe can speak 3 or 4 languages. I did not know that. But I think it is very cool. And, so can the people in India. Well, the educated ones anyway.
A really beautiful government building.
That's all for today. Night night from India. :)
My driver said that this is the Indian gate. It is a monument for all of the Indian soldiers who died in WW I. He said, 90,000 Indians died in WW I.
Tamara, and 2 year old Taila.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Some Pictures For you...
The social worker at the orphanage asked me not to post the pictures of the children, so I can't, but OMG are they adorable. They were all very cute. I asked her if they all had families coming, and she said, "yes." And, I hope it's true. I'm going to choose to believe that it is. :)
This is a food stand on the side of the road. There are many.
There are men all around sweeping in the dirt with wicker brooms. I don't know why.
Also, there are men all over just peeing on the side of the road. So, that's different.
There are tons of motorcycles everywhere. Today I saw a whole family on a motorcycle, a mom, a dad, and a baby. Then there are these little teeny three wheeled cabs everywhere too.
Sonjena and I at the Hard Rock Cafe. That's right. My stomach is so upset, I could barely eat there. Then Sonjena eating her ice cream. She probably had a stomach ache when I brought her back, poor kid.
Tomorrow is the American Embassy. I can't take photos there, but there will be more pictures to come. :)
Night Night from India. :)
This is a food stand on the side of the road. There are many.
There are men all around sweeping in the dirt with wicker brooms. I don't know why.
Also, there are men all over just peeing on the side of the road. So, that's different.
There are tons of motorcycles everywhere. Today I saw a whole family on a motorcycle, a mom, a dad, and a baby. Then there are these little teeny three wheeled cabs everywhere too.
Sonjena and I at the Hard Rock Cafe. That's right. My stomach is so upset, I could barely eat there. Then Sonjena eating her ice cream. She probably had a stomach ache when I brought her back, poor kid.
Tomorrow is the American Embassy. I can't take photos there, but there will be more pictures to come. :)
Night Night from India. :)
Today was a new day....:)
I met my new daughter, Sonjena, and she is a love. As I posted on facebook, somehow we all get the children that were meant to be ours. And, I am the luckiest mom in the world. Seeing Sonjena, made all of the adventure, or "danger" worth it, more than worth it. I love her so much already.
Also, a little about India, well, first of all, I probably won't tell you everything until I get home, and I may never be able to convey in words what I have seen. Here are somethings.
You are never far from a man,or woman in uniform with a gun. Not the same uniform, or the same gun, but they are everywhere. You have to go through security to get in everywhere, nice restaurants, hotels, shopping malls. They not only put you through that beeping door way thing, they also swipe the wand over you, and search your purse. It's very different.
You are never far from a pack of wild dogs with mange, or dogs with disease. They are just running around the city all infected, and strange looking.
There are little teeny kids everywhere begging for money. My driver had to tell me not to roll down the window after I handed one girl money.
There is rubble, and garbage, everywhere, and I mean everywhere. Everything looks like it's under construction, or there has just been a war here.
There will be more posts later.
On the other hand, most of the people I have met have been very nice. There are people from all over the world here, including other Americans. There are a lot of Asian people living here. Like maybe 25% of the people are Asian. When I was out with Sonjena today, most of the people were very positive towards us. At least as far as I know. I was afraid they might be saying something in Hindi I didn't want her to hear, but hopefully not.
I had my driver today, and he was very very very nice, and a very good safe driver. :)
On the plane to Detroit, I met a stewardist. She was sitting next to me. She told me all the secrets to not getting jet lag. I think they worked pretty much too. She said to drink lots of water on the plane, which I did. She told me to have my seat moved to as close to the front of the plane as possible, so I did. And she said to sleep, which I did a little anyway. :) (Also, my arm with no lymphnodes has not swollen up at all. :)
Then the next flight from Motor City to Amsterdam, I met a businessman, about the age of my parents. He seemed really nice, and helpful on the plane, but also was showing off a little, talking himself up a lot. Anyway, he was okay.
Then on my way to India, I sat next to a woman who is from Montreal, and who is a writer, and an actress. On the plane she was editing her first novel to be published. It is a mystery novel. Then she told me she was going to India to go around doing plays on sanitation, because India doesn't have much, if any. She said it's because there are just sooooo many many people here. So, she was cool to sit next to too.
More later. :)
Also, a little about India, well, first of all, I probably won't tell you everything until I get home, and I may never be able to convey in words what I have seen. Here are somethings.
You are never far from a man,or woman in uniform with a gun. Not the same uniform, or the same gun, but they are everywhere. You have to go through security to get in everywhere, nice restaurants, hotels, shopping malls. They not only put you through that beeping door way thing, they also swipe the wand over you, and search your purse. It's very different.
You are never far from a pack of wild dogs with mange, or dogs with disease. They are just running around the city all infected, and strange looking.
There are little teeny kids everywhere begging for money. My driver had to tell me not to roll down the window after I handed one girl money.
There is rubble, and garbage, everywhere, and I mean everywhere. Everything looks like it's under construction, or there has just been a war here.
There will be more posts later.
On the other hand, most of the people I have met have been very nice. There are people from all over the world here, including other Americans. There are a lot of Asian people living here. Like maybe 25% of the people are Asian. When I was out with Sonjena today, most of the people were very positive towards us. At least as far as I know. I was afraid they might be saying something in Hindi I didn't want her to hear, but hopefully not.
I had my driver today, and he was very very very nice, and a very good safe driver. :)
On the plane to Detroit, I met a stewardist. She was sitting next to me. She told me all the secrets to not getting jet lag. I think they worked pretty much too. She said to drink lots of water on the plane, which I did. She told me to have my seat moved to as close to the front of the plane as possible, so I did. And she said to sleep, which I did a little anyway. :) (Also, my arm with no lymphnodes has not swollen up at all. :)
Then the next flight from Motor City to Amsterdam, I met a businessman, about the age of my parents. He seemed really nice, and helpful on the plane, but also was showing off a little, talking himself up a lot. Anyway, he was okay.
Then on my way to India, I sat next to a woman who is from Montreal, and who is a writer, and an actress. On the plane she was editing her first novel to be published. It is a mystery novel. Then she told me she was going to India to go around doing plays on sanitation, because India doesn't have much, if any. She said it's because there are just sooooo many many people here. So, she was cool to sit next to too.
More later. :)
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Taxi Cabs....
On my flight into India, I was thinking, I can do this. Maybe I am a world traveler. :) LOL. I had been to two international airports. They are much like really great malls, with top security. LOL.
My taxi ride to the hotel was death defying. There are lines on the roads, but I don't know why. No one really uses them. They drive really fast, and all over.
There are little shanty towns along side the road. That's a group of make shift tents that people live in.
My taxi driver did not know where he was going, and he almost turned down a dirt road, heavily lined with shanty houses. I said, "NOOO, where are you going?" He turned around quickly, and got to my hotel soon after that.
It's very muggy here. We came into India in a lot of fog. They have little tv's in the planes now, and you can watch your travel route. It's interesting. We flew over all the places that have been in the news recently.
Anyway, the air was thick with fog when we landed, and it was dark, so it was really dark. It's like high 70's. The people who live here are wearing winter jackets. :)
More later.
My taxi ride to the hotel was death defying. There are lines on the roads, but I don't know why. No one really uses them. They drive really fast, and all over.
There are little shanty towns along side the road. That's a group of make shift tents that people live in.
My taxi driver did not know where he was going, and he almost turned down a dirt road, heavily lined with shanty houses. I said, "NOOO, where are you going?" He turned around quickly, and got to my hotel soon after that.
It's very muggy here. We came into India in a lot of fog. They have little tv's in the planes now, and you can watch your travel route. It's interesting. We flew over all the places that have been in the news recently.
Anyway, the air was thick with fog when we landed, and it was dark, so it was really dark. It's like high 70's. The people who live here are wearing winter jackets. :)
More later.
I have a lot to post...
I wanted my friends to know that I told my students they could follow this if they want to, so if you see English teacher stuff, that's why. I'm talking to my students. Hi guys from India. I sure do miss all of you, my friends, my students, and especially my family, and my daughter.
I have a lot to write about, but it is 2 a.m. here. And I get to meet little miss Sonjena tomorrow. So, I better get set up, and off to bed. I am safe, and sound. More later. Miss you all. Love to E. Miss you so so so so so so much.
I have a lot to write about, but it is 2 a.m. here. And I get to meet little miss Sonjena tomorrow. So, I better get set up, and off to bed. I am safe, and sound. More later. Miss you all. Love to E. Miss you so so so so so so much.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Amsterdam...
I'm in Amsterdam. It's 6 a.m. here. This airport is huge and beautiful. I've been told by a million people (hyperbole) that it's one of the best airports in the world. Everything is closed because of the time. It is 11 below here, and there is snow on the gound. I noticed on the way in that all of their streets are very well lined with street lights, and it looks like they have rivers, or dykes to travel in too. I love taking off or landing, and looking at all of the little teeny tiny houses, and everything looks like a giant monopoly board. (simile) :)
I wanted to talk about perfume. A lot of people wear way too much of it, it reminds me of the halls at school. :) :) :) Some women must not have any sense of smell with the amount of Hugo Boss, and Channel they wear. WOW.
Also, there are a lot of nose pickers in the world. An unbelievable number as a matter of fact. Do these people think that just because they are out of their country, they are invisible? (rhetorical question) Get your fingers out of your noses people, and grab a tissue.
I had two movie moments. When I got to the airport in our town. The man behind the counter was typing,and typing, and typing, and typing. He wasn't looking up, and he wasn't saying anything. I thought it was like the scene in Meet the Fockers when Greg is trying to get a flight back. It's like, "what are they typing?"
In the Detroit airport there is now a tram inside it. Crazy. It's also huge.
Then another movie scene I kept thinking of all day was from Last Holiday. The scene when Queen Latifia is complaining about how close the seats on the airplane are together. Then she upgrades to first class. First class sure does look nice, and comfy.
I miss everyone, and everything back home. Especially family.
It's very very interesting to watch all the different people from all over the world. It's amazing actually. I love people watching. I also love listening to all the different languages. It's very cool
I guess that's all for now...
Oh, wait. P.S. I'm carrying around a pink Kung Fu Panda back pack, full of toys for Sonjena. I've gotten some very strange looks. LOL.
Look up a fact about Amsterdam. Google it or something. I bet it will be interesting. :)
I think I'm going to walk around a bit now, see what I can see. More from India. :)
I wanted to talk about perfume. A lot of people wear way too much of it, it reminds me of the halls at school. :) :) :) Some women must not have any sense of smell with the amount of Hugo Boss, and Channel they wear. WOW.
Also, there are a lot of nose pickers in the world. An unbelievable number as a matter of fact. Do these people think that just because they are out of their country, they are invisible? (rhetorical question) Get your fingers out of your noses people, and grab a tissue.
I had two movie moments. When I got to the airport in our town. The man behind the counter was typing,and typing, and typing, and typing. He wasn't looking up, and he wasn't saying anything. I thought it was like the scene in Meet the Fockers when Greg is trying to get a flight back. It's like, "what are they typing?"
In the Detroit airport there is now a tram inside it. Crazy. It's also huge.
Then another movie scene I kept thinking of all day was from Last Holiday. The scene when Queen Latifia is complaining about how close the seats on the airplane are together. Then she upgrades to first class. First class sure does look nice, and comfy.
I miss everyone, and everything back home. Especially family.
It's very very interesting to watch all the different people from all over the world. It's amazing actually. I love people watching. I also love listening to all the different languages. It's very cool
I guess that's all for now...
Oh, wait. P.S. I'm carrying around a pink Kung Fu Panda back pack, full of toys for Sonjena. I've gotten some very strange looks. LOL.
Look up a fact about Amsterdam. Google it or something. I bet it will be interesting. :)
I think I'm going to walk around a bit now, see what I can see. More from India. :)
Friday, February 3, 2012
TODAY, well, it was yesterday now, technically...
I got a flu shot, and I'm having some sort of allergic reaction. My arm is puffy, and red. I went to the bank, and got money out. I picked up some baggage tags, and locks. I got my oil changed, and filled up the gas tank for my sister, who will be using my car. I did laundry. I packed E. I packed my stuff. I cleaned the house. It took all day. I'm nervous, and tired. :)
Thursday, February 2, 2012
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