five on friday

This week was marked by a few "first-time" happenings-- of course, that shouldn't surprise me. India is full of new things!

1. We had our first injury in India this week. Jack pushed the huge metal gate a little too hard, and it slammed into his forehead. Luckily it didn't require stitches, but it offered a little excitement in our day!

2. Yesterday, I heard Jason and Max outside and I went out to find this:

Evidently, Jason spotted an injured bird in the grass. Our house helper didn't think looking at it was enough. She grabbed that blessed bird from the grass and brought it upstairs. The boys just looked at first.

But Jason couldn't leave it at that. Despite the fact that this animal was probably suffering from some awful disease, Jason had to touch it.

And somehow he convinced Max to reach out and pet the poor bird.

Touching him wasn't enough. Jason had to hold him.

After all the drama was over, I went back in to cook supper. From what I hear, Jack went out to take part. While he was holding the bird, he somehow managed to take flight and was gone. Here's hoping you survived, little birdie! Thanks for the entertainment.

3. I've had the opportunity to take several new forms of transportation since arriving in India. Our main mode is an "auto."

We also occasionally take the "vikram." This is a public mode that is much cheaper than an auto.

But this week, I tried my hand at a scooter. It's the most popular "vehicle" around here. Our language helper, Sara, took me riding.

The boys took a turn, too.

I'd definitely get one when we get settled. It was really fun. Not to worry though-- I'll be investing in four of these!

(Apparently we broke open the red kool-aid on the day this picture was taken!)

4. We also went to a new park this week. It was called "Deer Park." From what we understood, they had a playground and live animals. Both were true. There were deer, birds, and several other animals.

I found it ironic that this little guy was locked up. Right above him, there were families of monkeys swinging freely in the trees. These things are EVERYWHERE in this city. Bless him! The good news is no one will steal his bamboo pole.

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) would be sadly disappointed in this place! :)

Jack spotted the large pool when we first arrived. He couldn't wait to see the "hippos." I had to break the news to him that the only living organism in that stagnant water were millions of mosquitoes carrying encephalitis!

The boys had a great time on the playground after we looked at the animals. The equipment is OLD-- reminds me of what I grew up with, but the boys didn't seem to mind. They even had a few pieces of equipment that were new to us.

5. Other random tidbits from the week:

• We found out we are moving to Bhopal at the end of this month. We are looking forward to getting our own home!
• My househelper finally convinced me to let her give me a massage. Turns out India really means "full body massage." I'll spare you the details, but before we do the massage thing again, I'm going to brush up on my Hindi and learn to say: "Back, legs, and arms ONLY!" :)
• I was a little bummed that all of my US friends were off for Labor Day until I realized we had a three day holiday this week. I'm not sure why we had a holiday, but I'm not complaining!
• When we get to Bhopal, we've promised the boys a dog. We've been researching possible breeds. We want a small, inside dog, that doesn't shed too much, doesn't bark too much, and is kid friendly. The dog doesn't need to be too small--- I don't want the kids to kill it! Any suggestions???
• I'm dying for a caramel cake. Anyone have a recipe that they've tried and know is good that they'd be willing to share?
• It's been almost 3 weeks, and we still have 5 fish. I think I'm beginning to figure this fish thing out!
• This morning while skyping with a friend, I saw something walk up our stairs out of the corner of my eye. Being more interested in my conversation, I didn't stop to look at it. A few minutes later, that "something" came back down my stairs. The "something" was a very large MALE monkey. Thankfully, he scurried off pretty quickly. In the future I'll take note of strange things moving up my stairs!
• If you don't have one of these, I'd highly suggest you purchase one! Eagle's Nest Hammock