WED., AUG . 6 IN INDIA
I STAYED HOME TODAY, MAKING PHONE CALLS AND BLOGGING AND EMAILING. ELECTRICITY OUT MOST OF THE DAY BUT VERY COOL BREEZES. I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME INDIVIDUAL TIME WITH PEOPLE AND I AM GETTING IT. REBA AND I HAD A NICE CHAT. I WAS GOING TO MAKE CHICKEN FOR DINNER BUT I DID NOT KNOW HOW TO START THE COOK TOP WITHOUT THE ELECTRIC STARTER. SO ANDY LIT IT WITH A MATCH WHEN HE GOT HOME AND WE HAD CHICKEN AND PASTA. THERE ARE MONKEYS IN THE TREES AND VERY EXOTIC BIRDS IN THE TREES AROUND THE HOUSE. OF COURSE, THE ROOSTER IS CROWING MANY TIMES THROUGHOUT THE DAY, IT IS A REAL “HOOT” TO HEAR HIM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY. MANY OF THE HOTELS AND APARTMENT COMPLEXES HAVE CONCRETE WALLS A LITTLE SHORTER THAN ME, WITH AWFUL LOOKING SHARP PIECES OF GLASS STICKING OUT OF THE TOP OF THE WALL. I THOUGHT THAT THE GLASS WAS TO KEEP ROBBERS OUT, NOT SO. IT IS TO KEEP THE MONKEYS FROM SITTING THE THE WALLS AND POOPING. THEY ARE ALSO CAUSING TROUBLE WITH PEOPLE WALKING BY AND DISTRACTING THE DRIVERS. BELIEVE ME YOU DO NOT WANT TO DISTRACT ANYONE IN ANYTHING MOVING IN TRAFFIC. THERE ARE SOME VINES EVERYWHERE AROUND THE STREET WE LIVE ON. MGDRIVE (MAHAT MAGHANDI). THE FLOWERS ARE BRIGHT FUSHA AND PINK AND ANDY THINKS THEY ARE BOKENVILLIA(NOT SURE HOW TO SPELL THE NAME, BUT TRY IT SOUNDED OUT). I AM LOOKING FOR A BOOK ABOUT WILD LIFE AND BIRDS AND TREES AND PLANTS. AMID ALL THE GARBAGE AND DEBRIS ARE THE MOST AMAZING FLOWERS AND COLORFUL PLANTS. THERE IS A HEAVY ARMY PRESENCE ALL AROUND THE CITY. THERE WERE RECENT ELECTIONS AND A CHANGE IN GOVERNMENT. OFF THE PATIO ARE LARGE PALM TREES. COCANUTS ARE COMMON ALL ALONG THE STREETS FOR SALE. BANANAS ARE ALSO VERY COMMON STREET MARKET ITEMS. I LIKE VERY RIPE BANANAS, BUTMANY ARE VERY BROWN, I WOULD NOT BUY EVEN BANANAS WITH THICK PEALS OFF THE STREET—NOT SAFE. SO FAR NO MONKEYS HAVE JUMPED ON THE PORCH, AT LEAST NOT IN THE DAY TIME. YOU HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL PUTTING ANY CLOTHES OUT TO DRY AS THE MONKEYS STEAL THEM AND TAKE THEM INTO THE TREES. THERE ARE LITTLE GEIKOS THAT LIVE ALL OVER THE TREES AND GROUNDS, SOMETIMES THEY GET IN THE HOUSE BUT THEY EAT INSECTS SO ARE SORT OF WELCOMED. THAT’S NICE, BUT I DO NOT WANT THEM RESIDING WITH ME. THERE ARE MANY VARIETIES OF BUTTERFLIES, FLYING AROUND ALL THE FLOWERING TREES AND BUSHES. WHITE AND YELLOW AND ORANGE. NONE THAT I RECOGNIZED FROM MINNESOTA. N OW I NEED TO LOOK UP BUTTERFLIES. CONNECTED WITH PASTOR CLARENCE BY PHONE. HE IS IN ANOTHER CITY DOING RADIO BROADCASTS. HE PREACHED THREE MESSAGES AND HE WAS VERY EXCITED THAT THEY WILL GO OUT TO 130 DIFFERENT NATIONS. HE INVITED ME TO COME WHERE HE IS BY TRAIN, TRAVEL ALL NIGHT, BUT IT IS VERY HARD TRAVEL. OPEN SIDES, BENCH SEATS EVERYONE TOGETHER, NO AIR CONDITIONING AND ONE BATHROOM. I WOULD FLY IN AND DRIVE FOR ABOUT 2 HOURS, THAT SOUNDS LIKE A BETTER CHOICE. I HAVE CONTACTS HERE AND PLAN TO MEET PASTOR RUEBEN FRI AND MAKE PLANS HERE.
NIKI, OUR HOUSEMATE IS SO BRAVE. THE COMPANY HERE IS BIG ON TEAM BUILDING AND THEY PLAN ALL KINDS OF ACTIVITIES. THE LATEST FOR H.R. IS TO GO OUT IN THE BOONIES TO JUNGLE SIGHT CAMPING FOR 2 DAYS. NO BATHROOM(TAKE A SHOVEL) NO HOUSE, SLEEPING IN A HAMMOCK. NOT SURE ABOUT FOOD, DRIVE 4-5 HOURS ON A BUS. YEOW!!!!!!!! SHE TOOK LOTS OF MOSQUITO REPELLANT AND SUN SCREEN. SHE IS IN HER 60’S AND GAME FOR ANYTHING. SHE HAS BEEN HERE A YEAR AND HAS TRAVELED ALL OVER AND LOVED IT ALL. ANDY AND I ARE NOT CONVINCED THAT THIS IS A GOOD TEAM BLDG. EVENT, FOR THE AMERICANS.
IT IS CRAZY, I WAS JUST WATCHING FRIENDS ON TV. THE PROGRAM IS SPOKEN IN HINDI WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. THE NEWS IS ON SOME FORM OR OTHER 24 HOURS A DAY IN EVERY LANGUAGE IMAGINABLE. MOST OF THE MOVIES ARE VERY OLD BUT NEW TO THEM. THE ADVERTISEMENTS ARE MUCH LONGER, MAKING A TWO HOUR MOVIE LAST 3 OR MORE HOURS. THEY ARE FUN TO WATCH AND TRY TO GUESS WHAT THEY ARE SAYING, AS MOST ARE IN HINDE, EVEN ON ENGLISH TV.
MY CAMERA BATTERIES ARE DEAD AGAIN---I MAY JUST BY 20 DISPOSABLE CAMERAS AND USE THEM. I WANTED TO GO OUT, BUT I DO NOT HAVE A DOOR KEY AND DON’T WANT TO ACCIDENTALLY BE LOCKED OUT. MAYBE I AM BEING KEPT SAFE. THE RESTAURANTS DO NOT OPEN UNTIL 7PM TO SERVE DINNER. MOST OF THE TIME ANDY AND THE GROUP WORK UNTIL 6 AND GET HOME 7-7:30, THEN THEY HAVE CALLS FROM THE US UNTIL 8 OR 9 AND THEN HAVE FOOD. THERE ARE A FEW DELIVERY PLACES BUT THEY DON’T COME IF IT IS RAINING, THEY ARE USUALLY ON MOPEDS BALANCING THE FOOD. EVEN THOUGH THERE IS CONSTANT ACTIVITY LIFE IS AT A MUCH SLOWER PACE. WE ATE DINNER FOR OVER 3 HOURS AND I MUST ADMIT I WAS GETTING KIND OF FIDGITY . THE LATEST MOVIE IN THEATERS IS BATMAN, THEY DO NOT START UNTIL 10PM AND THAT ONE LASTS FOR 2HRS 40 MIN. ONE THEATER SHOWS IT IN ENGLISH ANOTHER IN HINDI AND ANOTHER IN A DIFFERENT DIALECT, ALL IN SUBTITLES.
CLOSING FOR TODAY