May 2013 108 ° Fahrenheit

The heat, jet lag, culture shock and the incredible heat of Rajasthan.  I confidently expected to adjust to as a volunteer in the village but now I must postpone involuntarily all work as my senses and my entire body are assaulted by the heat.  I simply cannot rise out of the uncomfortable bed and am left breathless and broken.

But I marvel at the people who labor everyday in the fields and cities of Rajasthan, dealing with a climate that would cause complete physical collapse to our American athletes, so well conditioned but often trained under the most perfect and comfortable of conditions.  Imagine the Olympics in Rajasthan.  Rajasthanis would win any game of endurance.

I am breaking but not yet broken.  Sam's assistant, Narendra fixes me breakfast and shows me his beautiful fiance on his phone while working feverishly on the computer in the volunteer room..  Sam -- Dr. Samvit Audichya -- takes me and the other, younger volunteers and visitors out to eat each evening, patient and positive.  We ride in his jeep, bumpy but safe and strong as we negotiate animals, motorcycles, tuk tuks, carts and weddings often in the middle of the street.  He gently takes us to beautiful areas outside of the touristy areas, often we are the only Westerners and the children run up to us and ask to trade a rupee for any American coins.  Sadly I left them on the table at the Hotel Saptagiri in Delhi, because their weight was so great.  

It's too darned hot!

I am in Udaipur for the third day and the heat continues to make Dante's Inferno seem like a ski holiday.  I am too hot to move, to blog, to do much of anything.  I am supposed to go shopping, but I don't see that happening either.  Tuesday it goes up to 108 degrees Fahrenheit.  Oh, god.

Day 1: I arrive in India

Well, I was pleasantly surprised when the flight from JFK to Delhi was on time.  Everything went smoothly until I arrived and went through customs.  No one was there from my hotel.  Meanwhile, Rick was getting calls from my travel agent saying they were looking for me.  I did not see a sign with my name on it, so we must have missed each other.  I just didn't feel like dealing with the touts.  Sure I was slightly ripped off by the price, but it was cheaper than a year ago, so it wasn't all bad.

The heat.  It was over  100 degrees Fahrenheit today, but it didn't feel like it, so I may have missed the worst of it today.  My hotel is a dusty, dirty place running along the conduit roads to from the airport.  The room itself is fine but three guys carried my luggage and tried for three separate tips.  I handed the tip to one and said split it.  The key had to be reprocessed to work, but now I am in my room hoping jet lag will not stress me too much tonight.  I got a bottle of water and a dreadful chai.  I will eat snacks until tomorrow.  Tomorrow I grab breakfast at Priyanka's place, with Praveer as well.  Thank god for facebook.  We got in touch that way. 

The street noise is loud, but I believe I can sleep through it. 

Cold and Smoky on Christimas Eve

Cold, cold, cold: an early winter. Smoky, because Husband hopes to keep oil costs down by using only the fireplace. Claiming it will be warmer, he kept the fireplace glass open and turned the blower full on. I disagree about whether an open glass and full tilt blower adds any warmth. I am certain it is a fire hazard and the dust scatters everywhere.

I look forward to adding an insert next year. Meanwhile . . . cough, cough, cough.

It's Christmas Eve. My daughter is an E.D. fifteen year old, crazed about getting presents, that, at her request, are cash or gift cards. My stepdaughter is also crazed, but about her boyfriend, who may be going to college with her this semester.

There are joys. Both canine. Buster, my ancient 15 year old (as of last month) french bulldog, sleeps happily. Our new (to us) french bulldog, Miss Avalon, thank you FBRN, has many spinal health concerns.
She sits in the exact pose of the girl in Wyeth's "Christina's World".

I will receive few gifts that I truly want or need, but for some strange reason, I am happy.

I have been taking writing classes with Ellen Schmidt.   After reading about the benefits of writing during crises, and being from Freeville, New York, I just knew that I needed to try.  I will be posting:

(1)  travels
(2) personal essays
(3) and personal interests.

I will accept comments and feedback, but please be kind. 

Lovetta Runs Away Again

My daughter ran away again.  From her temporary foster family.  Not us, for once.  She runs from the nightmares of Sierra Leone and Guinea, from stability, from love.  She may be (depending on the therapist, social worker or judge) ADHD, PTSD, Tourette's, bipolar, conduct disorder, etc. etc.  She has no impulse control and thus no cause and effect thinking.  She is highly manipulative like many adopted children.  My husband and I are sick and tired of the experts and parents who never have had a child with emotional and neurological problems who make it clear we do not how to parent.  Everyone has an opinion.  It is only since she has started the same behaviors with the fosters and authorities that we have felt anything like support.

She has a long, difficult road.  But so do we.  No one understands the mentally ill and personality disordered unless experienced firsthand.

Update:  At age 18, in her senior year, back with her previous foster family, she gave birth to a son and is after some mood stabilization post partum, has reverted to the same behaviors.  We are raising her son.

This is absolutely true...

Don't even try to tell me that it isn't:

From the Washington Post

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/school-turnaroundsreform/ha-funny-scary-education-conversation.html