Ready for Trick or Treating

I previously wrote a post about Halloween in India, but it unfortunately got deleted in an amazing display of stupidity on my part.  I don’t remember what I all said, but I’ll give you a brief rundown.

Halloween is not normally celebrated in India, but due to the large amount of expats here, we were fortunate to have both a Halloween party AND trick or treating to go to on Friday.  The lead-up to Halloween was definitely missing, but at least the actual holiday progressed pretty much as it would in the US, making us feel a little less homesick.

On Thursday, a friend and I got together and had our kids paint gourds (no actual pumpkins available), make crafts and decorate cupcakes.  The kids had a great time, and it went a long way toward putting us all in the holiday spirit.

Ender and Varun decorate cupcakes

The costumes were a bit of a stress for me, as I had no idea where to get the materials to make them.  Luckily, the kids made it easy by requesting a white tiger and a jaguar costume.  My creativity kicked in and I found that you can do amazing things with an old t-shirt, a needle and thread, some poster paint, and a headband.  The needle and thread were iffy there for a while, as no one seemed to know where I could get them, but luckily the little “provisional store” down the street had a baby food jar full of (used?) needles and wide array of thread, as long as you were happy with either black or white! I worked long into the night on Wednesday and Thursday, and think I did pretty well considering.

Little Jaguar (or leopard or cheetah...take your pick!)

Youtube taught me how to paint their faces, and I must say that I was quite happy with the results.  Let’s hear it for modern technology!

On the way to the party, we stopped off at Scott’s office so he could see them off.  He was happy to see them, and to show them off to everyone, and they were thrilled with the attention.  Its not every day you see two little wildcats walking through Hitech City!

Daddy loved seeing his little kitties at work!

The party was crowded but fun.  Ender lost his tail early on to the hands of another over-sugared party-goer, and Addie’s ears began to droop after my shoddy sewing job gave way, but they came through it all still looking pretty decent.

Trick Or Treat!

Trick or Treating was held at the neighboring colony.  While not very many houses participated, there were just enough for a fun hour and a decent-sized bag of candy.  The kids enjoyed themselves immensely, and the people had a great time watching the little ghouls and goblins carry out their strange expat custom.

The kittens change to mountain lions when they encounter some rocks

All in all, a pretty decent Halloween.  Next year when I’m more settled perhaps I can help make it even better…Haunted House, anyone?

Words cannot describe the pain that we are all feeling right now.  Your incredible journey through life was cut way too short, leaving an emptiness in our hearts that will never go away.

Though we had only known each other for a few years, the memories you have left with me will last a lifetime.  Your courage and strength are an inspiration, your positive outlook in the face of all adversity is something few will ever achieve.  I am awed by the amazing attitude that you displayed up the the very last moment, and am angry at your traitorous body that gave up the fight long before your beautiful mind would have ever allowed.

I will always appreciate your advice and guidance and will never forget all that you have taught me.  You have changed my life forever, and I, as well as each and every person whom you touched, will carry with us that spark that burned so brightly in you.  Thank you for all that you have given us.

Life will carry on, as it must, for those of us left behind, but a little piece of each of us died with you this day.

We love you, Kathryn.

You will never be forgotten.

Diwali is a holiday celebrated in the latter part of October by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs.  Called the “Festival of Lights”, it signifies the victory of good over evil in every human being.  The story goes that Lord Ram had been in exile in the forest for 14 years.  He was able to finally defeat evil Ravana, and was welcomed home by his people with rows of lit oil lamps.

Today, people celebrate Diwali with many pujas (prayers) at differing times throughout the festival, colored lights akin to the US Christmas, lit oil lamps (called diyas) and, of course, the fireworks.

Words cannot do justice to what we witnessed last night.  I can tell you that it was loud, I can tell you that it was colorful, I can tell you that I had a great time and was scared for our lives all at once, but I can never even begin to describe it all the way it deserves.

The fireworks were non-stop, and EVERYONE had them.  Many were the kind that would be illegal in the US:  Professional fireworks that you’d see at the community park on the 4th of July, and loud blasters that would be more suitable for use in a rock quarry than on the street in front of our house.  It seemed to me that each and every member of every family, old, young, man, woman, were all out there taking turns lighting them.

Though impatient celebrators were lighting fireworks throughout the day, the bulk of the noise began at around 6:30 when it got dark and ran on though the night.  The noise was deafening.  It sounded as if we were surrounded by bomb blasts and machine gun fire.  Rockets were flying in all directions, fountains and noisemakers and firecrackers everywhere.  You took your life in your hands just walking down the sidewalk.

The grass in the public garden down the road caught on fire early on.  A bucket brigade managed to put it out, but it was iffy there for a few minutes.

Imagine the noise and light of the grand finale of a fireworks show.  Now imagine that going on for 4 hours straight.  That’s Diwali.

At one point a rocket fell from the sky and hit me in the hand.  I managed to burn my thumb lighting a sparkler and our friend Rajesh managed to singe a good portion of his hand lighting something else.  Addie and Ender were desperate to light the fireworks like all the other kids were being allowed to do, but I have to have a little control left in my life and didn’t allow it.  IT was bad enough that they were lighting their own sparklers by the end using a candle, giving me fits in the process.

Unfortunately, Scott and Rajesh felt that it was wise to spend most of their money on noisemakers instead of pretty fountains, so we ended up with a bunch of very VERY loud fireworks that they were trying desperately to get rid of so it could just all be over.  We also had a plethora of sparklers, so the kids spent a good deal of time devising a sparkler forest on the grass in order to use them up all at once.  The small grass fire that ensued was easily put out with a bit of stomping.

The streets were covered with spent firework debris.  Some of the neighborhood kids busied themselves collecting the big stuff and creating quite a nice bonfire with it all.  Of course, a few dud fireworks got thrown into it now and then, so it really wasn’t too safe to get too close to it.  Guess we’d better pass on the s’mores.

I wish I could have taken a video, or at the very least recorded the sound of it all.  Let it just suffice to say that it was probably the most incredible celebration that I have witnessed, and we are certainly fortunate to have been a part of it.

The kids made Diyas at school. This one belongs to Ender.

Addie and Ender and their lit diyas

This group had a ton of fountains

Scott makes fire

Ender and a sparkler

Addie and a sparkler

Rajesh showing off his moves

Scott and a fountain

Setting up the sparkler grand finale. Notice Addie and her fistfull of sparklers.

Lighting about 30 sparklers at once. Who needs grass anyway, right?

The street, littered with spent fireworks.

Bonfire in the middle of the street - what better way to clean up?

We spent waaaaay too much time celebrating Diwali tonight, so I ran out of time to actually create my Diwali post.  Don’t worry, I have lots of pictures to share, and some great stories to go with them.

To tide you over, here is yet ANOTHER BLOG from a fellow expat living in Hyderabad.  Enjoy!

I’ll see you all tomorrow with our tales of Diwali.

Today we ventured to the Birla Planetarium and Science Museum with 4 other families.  The museum was ok, but not very well kept.  It had some neat science stuff for the kids, which they enjoyed.  It also had a dinosaur and an art museum attached.  The art museum was the best part…beautiful artwork and very well taken care of.  I would say the art museum is a must-see, for sure.

We were not allowed to take pictures of ANYTHING there, I even got yelled at for taking a picture while OUTSIDE the museum!  I am not certain what the reason is, but my guess would be that it has to do with increasing the salaries of the guards, who are certainly happy to pocket a few rupees to look the other way.  This is the way of all of Hyderabad, unfortunately, but I still have a hard time accepting it.

After the museum, our troop descended upon the KFC that recently opened in a brand new mall nearby.  We decided to really test their readiness for customers by bringing 10 kids in and sitting them down in a row at a very convenient 10-seat counter located right in the middle of the restaurant.

Of course, they weren’t ready for 15 people to converge on their restaurant all at once, and promptly ran out of chicken and french fries, causing a rather long wait for a couple of people in our party, and presumably for the rest of the incoming patrons.  We’ll teach them to be prepared!

The children did very well eating at the counter, while we very smart ladies located ourselves at a table as far away from them as possible.

We were seated as far from the kids as possible, right by a rather interesting picture...

Of course, the masses finished eating long before we did, and the very nice manager started handing out balloons to all of them.  I am certain that next time they are faced with this sort of thing, they will have learned their lesson and will remember to hand out the balloons ONLY when the children are on the way OUT of the establishment.

Of course, chaos insued.  Children running everywhere, balloons flying around, loud pops, crying, and an impromptu game of hide and seek among the tables.  It was at that point that we decided that we had tortured the poor employees and other patrons enough, and headed out the door.

Remarkably as we were all leaving, the manager caught one of the moms and invited all the kids to a free ice cream cone.  (ok, steep learning curve here, I guess)  So, after taking this picture:

There are only 9 here because one declined to have his photo taken

We all headed back inside for our Ice Cream.  In the process, the Ice Cream machine broke down 1X, but was quickly fixed.  After the 8th Ice Cream, it broke down again, never to be awakened.  Addie and Lexy were patiently waiting at the end of the line and had to settle for ice cream back at the house.  They took it well, luckily.  Others (and you all know the darling little boy that I mean…) would not have taken it nearly as well.

It was a fun day for everyone, and we look forward to another outing together soon.  Restaurant managers, say the word.  We’ll separate the mice from the men!

To celebrate the upcoming holiday, Diwali, Scott’s office was holding “traditional dress” day.  His co-worker, Venkat, was nice enough to bring over something for him to wear.  I’m not sure it’s his color, but I think he looks good regardless.

I am looking forward to getting th kids some traditional clothes like Scott brought them on his first visit.  I figured I could get them each a really nice outfit to wear when we come back to the states for Christmas.

I’m not sure about me though….I’m not thinking I could pull off a saree all that well. 

Those of you who know Scott well will be happy to find out that in India he can still participate in one of the greatest joys of his life.  The one thing that Scott looks forward to all year long and takes great pride in displaying for anyone lucky (or unlucky) enough to be in the vicinity.  It may not be on the same day that we are used to, but the necessary materials are still available.  In fact, the available goods to be used on this day seem to be far superior in the noise and power category than those that we could buy (legally) in the US.  Yes, in India, they don’t care if you blow your hand off with…FIREWORKS!

The upcoming holiday, Diwali, is the “Festival of Lights”.  Its apparently the festival of thunderous booms and ceaseless pops and bangs too.  Fireworks stands have sprung up everywhere, and Scott and our friend Rajesh decided to partake.

While the actual festival is Monday-Tuesday, that has not stopped many merry-makers from lighting fireworks at all hours of the night for at least the past week, causing poor Beauty no end of suffering as she tries to cower in corners because her lampshade collar won’t allow her to get under the bed.  The fact that it is not quite time yet also did not stop Scott and Ender and our houseboy Sudhaker from trying a few out today themselves.  Check out the MEGA-Snake!

I have forbidden the very loud ones until the day of the festival.  Apparently, they are the crazy-loud ones that have long-since been banned in the US.  I think on Tuesday I’ll take Beauty’s lampshade off and cower with her underneath Addie’s bed.

The Taj sits 204 Kilometers from Delhi, or 126 miles.  Yet, due to the very crowded, poor quality roads, the trip took us somewhere between 4 and 5 hours, which included a stop for lunch. We journeyed through small towns and saw lots of brick factories, which consist of a single tall smokestack in the middle of a field.  We saw some trained monkeys, and we nodded off more than once on the way.

Monkey holding baby and climbing a stick (yes, it disturbed me too)

One of the 4 towers, or minarets that surround the main tomb

Due to the effects of diesel fumes on the coloration of the Taj, you must park your vehicle and take a “green” bus or horse drawn vehicle up to the gates.  On the way, you are accosted by every sort of vendor imaginable, most of them imploring you to “come to my shop when you are done!”.  “No” doesn’t seem to work for these guys, and as we left the building Scott had to issue an extremely angry and loud “MOVE!” when they crowded around him, stepping on the kids and refusing to get out of the way.  They scattered like mice from a burning building, and left him alone for the rest of the walk back to the car.

Security is crazy there.  You are allowed to take NOTHING in with you.  Our friends had their son’s goldfish crackers confiscated!  Oh, the dangers of little crunchy smiling fish!  They tried to take Addie’s Children’s Guide to India away, but I put up such a fit that they let my friend shove it in her diaper bag and we were able to take it inside.  I can understand the dangers of food and drink and pens and such, but the banning of all guidebooks except the ones they sell is just greed, pure and simple.  Still, if any other expats are reading this and planning to go, make sure, if you have one of those books, that you just make a photocopy of the Taj pages and slip it in your back pocket in case you are unwilling to make a scene like I was and don’t have a friend with a diaper bag along.

Gateway into Taj

The Taj sits among a large complex of buildings, surrounded by lush, well-kept gardens and fountains.  The fountains, however, weren’t running at the time.  We were told by our guide that they only turn them on when someone famous is coming to visit.

The Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan as a memorial to his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal.  Construction began in 1631 and was completed 22 years later.  The architecture is stunning, and the craftsmanship unequaled.  Much of the marble structure is inlaid with gems in beautiful floral patterns, and intricate carved patterns adorn the walls both inside and out.  It is a sight to behold, to be sure, an incredible display of a king’s love for his queen.

Below a reclining Ender, you can see the intricate carvings that encircle the whole structure

For me, the gem inlays were the most impressive part.  Each tiny area had to be hollowed out by hand and set with gems pre-cut into the proper shape.  Each and every panel must have taken weeks to prepare, and the whole place is chock-full of them.  I try to imagine the craftsmen who made them, toiling day after day to contribute a very small section of marble to an overwhelmingly huge work of art.  It took 20,000 people to build it.

Our pictures are of the outside of the buildings.  I don’t really have anything of the inside because flash photography is prohibited and it was so darn crowded that you couldn’t get a good picture anyway.  However, THIS SITE has a photo gallery and a great deal of information on the Taj, so you can see more there.

I must say, the kids didn’t really enjoy the Taj all that much.  With the long drive, the crowds, and the lack of exploring that was allowed, it really was not a favorite of our family.  It is beautiful, to be sure, and should definitely be witnessed once in a lifetime, but I don’t see us making a second journey there.

Addie examines some of the carvings. On the bottom you can see some of the gemstone inlays

Another view of the Gateway

Sitting on the Princess Seat, where Lady Di would sit when she visited the Taj

Those of you who have been following along with the pool saga know that my last pool post ended with me stating that I had faith that the pool would soon be swimmable.  Recent events have shattered that faith into a million tiny unchlorinated little droplets.

The pool was empty, then the pool was filled, but the water was green.  Now, the pool is half empty again.  It seems that before they could fully chlorinate it, the water mysteriously went away.  It happened quite quickly, in a matter of days.  Where did it go, you ask?  Well, out through an apparent hole, location unknown.  Yes, the pool has a leak.

All of the complaining and nasty letter writing I did to get the pool filled in the first place has just gone up in smoke.  (or out in a steady trickle, whatever the case may be). 

So, I am back at square 1.  In fact, I’m actually back at -1, because we were worse off than before.  So, tomorrow I have to start again.  Take a pen, walk to the clubhouse, grab the complaint book, and write:

Please Fix the Leak in the pool.

After several months of this, the pool might actually be fixed, in which case, I can again start writing:

Please Fill the pool.

Which will, of course, need to be followed by:

Please Chlorinate the pool so its not green anymore.

I wonder if I have enough pens.

Our dog, Beauty, has been bedeviled by problems since the day we got her.  You name it, she’s had it. Fleas, dewormings, more fleas, more dewormings….she’s generally a mess at all times.  Our current problem began way back before Scott brought her here, but got bad in recent days.  She has had issues with ear infections and mites, beginning, of course, when she used to swim in our pond back in Florida.  We’ve been treating it forever, and it always seems to come back.  In the past month things have taken a turn for the worse, and the antibiotic ointment we got from Florida no longer was working.  Things got out of hand, and it was not a pretty sight.

So, obviously, something had to be done.  I have found only 1 vet since we arrived, so this morning that is where I headed for.  Appointments aren’t made here in India, from what I can tell after taking Ender in (more on that another day), so Mujeeb just arrived at 8am and we loaded Beauty in the car and drove over there (quite close to the children’s school).

We were the first ones there and were therefore taken first, luckily.  The veterinarian was gentle and kind, and she looked her over thoroughly.  The ear, of course, was the first concern, but she was also deemed to have a skin rash that needed some intensive treatment.

Beauty was poked and prodded and injected and wiped, and then the BIG BATH.  An all-over bath with some horrible, sticky, brownish, antibiotic paste.  It left her sticky and stinky (even stinkier than before!), and made her almost unbearable to drive home with.

I’m sure that if Beauty could talk, though, she would tell us that the worst part is the indignity that she is currently suffering.  Due to her constant scratching of her severely inflamed ear with her rather sharp nails, she has to wear “THE COLLAR”.

Beauty is not handling this well thus far.  Attempts to put it on her at the vet’s office were met with absolute terror on her part, so I saved it until we got home.  At home, I got it on her ok, but then she proceeded to walk forward, bump headfirst into a wall, and then stand there whining pitifully because she didn’t realize that she had to back up to get out of her predicament.  I managed to get her up the stairs, but it was quite a chore, as the “collar” kept hitting on each step as she walked up, stopping her in her tracks. She got stuck on the wall several more times getting into Addie’s room, and I had to lead her around by the top of the collar to get her where I wanted her to go.

I put her in the “cat room”, gave her a blanket and her food and water, and blocked the door, so that she wouldn’t be sleeping with her sticky, stinky fur on all the beds.  The cats came to watch, and stood on top of the kennel jeering and laughing.

I now have a course of antibiotics and treatments and baths that I have to try to keep up.  That, coupled with the treatments for Ender (like I said, more on that later) is going to keep me busy the next few days.