We're about a month away from our departure date. All transitions should be clean and no-sense so as to reduce the amount of stress of those going through them. They never are. Uncertainty around my job when we return is causing some anxiety though I'm trying to remain upbeat about it. This is making it difficult to book a final vacation and tickets home. (Problems that are good ones to have.)
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| Nick's 35th |
As the blog posts document, we've followed the typical trajectory of homesickness. We're in a final phase that has been (in part) fueled by our birthdays. (Hooray for middle age! It's finally here! We've awaited your arrival breathlessly for as long as we could remember!) We've been relishing what we love about living in India AND permitting ourselves to do some profligate customary tourist shopping (pashminas, madubhani artwork, more Hyderabadi pearls, etc...)
Yesterday was a classic Saturday in reveling. Our wonderful cook, Saraswati (her name is for the Hindu goddess of knowledge, learning, and books), made the most wonderful South Indian lunch for us. Pudina dosas with masala and fresh coconut chutney with a side of sambar. Translation: fermented lentil pancakes filled with fresh mint chutney and a mashed potato-curry concoction. You dip these in delicious savory coconut chutney and eat a watery slightly-sweet dal on the side.
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| Now that's coconut chutney! |
If I haven't expressed my gratitude to Saraswati in these blog posts yet - let me do so now. Every Saturday she makes us a delicious lunchtime feast (which is usually followed by a leisurely afternoon nap that I am slightly ashamed to fess up to. When we awaken, the house is clean, dinner is made, and tea is served.) On the weekdays, I get home exhausted and drained to find a nutritious and humble meal laid out on the table. Nick has been freed from the bondage of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches during the weekdays when he's home writing. Saraswati embodies, in short, everything we will miss about our life here. I'm looking forward to sending her off with all of the kitchen supplies we purchased to make her cooking more efficient (a modern rice cooker, a food processor/blender, some pots, and china). I advised her to start a catering business, but she just laughed. The catering model may never make its way to India with the longstanding servitude of the Indian housewife and low labor costs.
After Violet's final Spanish lesson (her tutor is moving to Mumbai to attend a graduate program) we went out on one of our exploration/shopping trips. Nick and Violet were delighted to find our Guru (who lately is missing a front tooth) Yoga Master's advertisement in front of his mythical Yoga & Meditation Centre. We visited our favorite local Kashmiri handicraft store, and then pulled over on the side of the road to have tea at a "local place" with our driver, Nayeem. (I'm mercifully omitting the hour-long massage I had at a local spa with my employee discount!)
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| Violet pays tribute to our Master |
We got happy news last week that it looks like one of my buddy's from California will be our final visitor. She just began working at a start-up whose offices she'll be visiting in Bangalore. We're looking forward to reconnecting with all of you next month!
