Kerala!

Some friends in our ward here in Bangalore invited us to their daughter's wedding.  It was happening during a holiday weekend and in an area we have been wanting to visit, so it was a no-brainer that we would go to Kerala for a few days and attend the wedding.

We left on India's Independence Day and, although we couldn't participate in the festivities, we enjoyed seeing some on our drive to the airport.

It was raining pretty good the next day so we had to change our plans a little bit, but we didn't let it stop us from exploring Kochi.  Our first stop was the Santa Cruz Cathedral.

Because of the rain, we stopped at the Indo-Portuguese Museum, but FYI--it wasn't worth the stop. So we tried the Maritime Museum, which would have been mediocre except for the employee that took us around on a tour.  He made the complicated history of India's coasts exciting and interesting.

Next we stopped at a beach to check out the view (the walkway was not in the best condition) and then went to the oldest church in Kochi, St. Francis.  The church was much prettier from the outside than within.

By then the rain had slowed down and we went to the coast to check out the Chinese fishing nets, which were actually really cool, and then walked around town a bit.

Next we went to see an Indian martial arts show.  Imagine a bunch of yoga ninjas and you've got it about right: kicking and fighting, but with some crazy stretches thrown in.  I was so enthralled that I didn't take any pictures until it was over.

Next we went to a performance of Kathakali--classical Indian dance--and although it was interesting, it was even better watching the performers get ready.

To make the beard, they glued strips of paper to his face, in varying sizes, 

and attached cloth strips to the sides to stabilize them until they were dry.

The next morning we drove down to Alappuzha to take a boat ride on the river back waters.  It was so interesting to see all the houses right on the banks of the rivers, many which had been flooded from the recent rains, and the people that lived there.  There were river ferries and people--and cows--waiting on docks to catch a ride.  There were neighbors calling to each other from across the river.  There were workers coming to and from the rice paddies.  It was an amazing way to see another part of this country.

 

After an amazing lunch at a restaurant inside a convenience store (the biryani was one of the best we've ever had), we went to the Kerala Folklore Museum.  I'm glad we came here after seeing the kathakali because all the artwork and pictures of the performers made a lot more sense.

Finally it was the wedding day! We drove to Mallappally to the Syrian Orthodox church where the wedding was held.  We took our shoes off at the door and someone kindly told us we could sit anywhere (although it became pretty clear once everyone else arrived that men and women were actually supposed to sit on opposite sides of the room).  We found another American couple from our ward in Bangalore, along with an Indian member, and we all sat together in the back of the room.

Since it was a Syrian Orthodox ceremony, there was a lot of standing and singing by the priest and chanting back in response.  But since this is India, the chanting back was done to a disco-esque soundtrack.  About an hour in, the priest said we could all sit down for awhile (we appreciated the few things he said in English so we knew what was going on), but then we all stood back up again.  The ceremony was long and the kids were pretty done by the time it was over.  I was glad we were sitting by friends that were understanding and willing to entertain CJ.

At the end of the ceremony, everyone left in a hurry to get to the reception center, although the father of the bride made sure to come over and say hello.  We chatted for a little while and several people--including the bishop who performed the ceremony--nicely introduced themselves.

We went to the reception center and had appetizers outside (samosas, chicken lollipops and freshly made juices) before going in.  Inside was a massive room full of tables, but most of them were already taken.  We tried to slip in near the back, but the ushers kept gesturing us forward until we were placed front and center next to the stage.

One of the bridesmaids was the MC and she introduced the family on stage and then we watch as the bride and groom cut the cake (complete with fireworks) and then played a shoe game.  The sister of the bride and another bridesmaid sang a duet, and then there was a dance number by members of the wedding party.  Pretty epic.

We were cheering and clapping for everything until we realized that we were about the only table that was making any kind of noise.  But it didn't take long to figure out why: everyone else was eating!  Creamy fish curry, spicy chicken, puffy rice, a selection of chutneys and rolls (and a vegetarian menu served on the upper level) and later some gulab jamun and ice cream for dessert.  And the reason behind the lack of applause became pretty clear once we started eating ourselves: no utensils.  It's pretty hard to clap when you have food on your fingers!  The kids were surprisingly not very excited about eating with their hands, but the photographers thought it was great, and kept taking pictures while I tried to eat gracefully.  Luckily, the ice cream was served with a spoon and the servers kept us well supplied with napkins.  And, in typical fashion, we all washed our hands as soon as we were done eating.  We paid our respects to the bride and groom and just like that, the reception was over.

On our way back, we stopped for one last adventure: a suspension bridge in the middle of the jungle.

It was a great end to a great trip!

First Day of School 2019

Summer was over much too soon and it was time to think about school again.  After hanging out with CJ last school year, it was clear that she needed some friends her age, but we definitely didn't want her to have to travel on the bus like the other two have to do.  We decided on a preschool only 20 minutes from our apartment that goes through first grade so, in theory, she would be able to stay at the same school the entire time we're here. 

With our other kids, we first did some at-home preschool with friends, then did part-time preschool at a school, and then maybe a full-time preschool.  Since we moved to Moscow when CJ was two, we didn't do any of that with her.  So this was going to be her first time going to school, and it would be everyday, all day.

CJ's orientation was kind of a mixed bag.  There were snacks while we listened to the school director, but it went a little long.  Then we met with CJ's teachers in her classroom, but by this time, she was feeling done.  She wasn't interested in coloring or playing on the playground and fussed non-stop while the teachers talked until she finally just fell asleep in my arms. 

So when CJ started school a few days later, I wasn't really sure how it would go.  We decided Brandon would take her to school on his way to work and I'd pick her up in the afternoons.  So I said goodbye to CJ at the apartment and kept saying goodbye as I watched her go in the elevator with Brandon.  But Brandon said she knew right where her classroom was, dismissed him with a short goodbye and was on her way.  When I picked her up at the end of the day, she was full of stories of playing, making new friends, painting and lunchtime.  So far, so good!

The other two didn't start school until the following week.  The 6 am wake up comes awfully early, but I snagged some pictures of the kids as they were leaving and we still managed to make it to the bus on time. 

Here's to a great school year!

Kid Day 2019

Kid Day!  If you are unfamiliar with this tradition, it's pretty simple: the kids pick all activities and foods for one day, usually the week before school begins.  They don't have to do any chores or even get dressed if they don't want to, it's all up to them. The only caveat is that it has to be planned out beforehand (so we can grocery shop, etc.) and the kids have to all agree.  This is our third year doing it and it's something they look forward to all summer. (Check out 2017 and 2018.)

We had to be a little strategic about when we were going to do Kid Day this year since CJ started school a week before the other two, but it worked out.  I gave a few activity suggestions, but they shot them down pretty quickly when they realized it required travelling downtown.  Instead, they had a sibling meeting where they hashed it out together and came back with a full-day plan.

First up: breakfast.  They decided they wanted a smoothie from Dad (he is the official smoothie maker around here) and pancakes from Mom.  Afterwords they watched TV until lunch time when we drove to a nearby mall to eat.  We shared some Thai food and had Coldstone ice cream for dessert.  

Then we walked across the parking lot to another mall where there is a nice grocery store with a lot of imported treats.  I spent the big bucks for the kids to each pick one out to share (I can't remember the exact prices, but they were probably about $6-$10 each).

On the way home, CJ fell asleep in the car so the older two watched a show while she snoozed.

Once she woke up we all went to our community pool.  It was a little chilly to be outside for long, so eventually we moved to the pool iniside.

Once the kids were all dried out they each picked a game to play while we waited for our pizza delivery.  CJ picked Memory and H and E picked Cover Your Assets.  After Brandon came home from work we all watched a few new episodes of She-Ra together before the kids went to bed.

Our third annual Kid Day was a success!