The Shifting Sands

Jammu and Kashmir represents everything that is both right and wrong in India. It is s State that is beautiful and extreme in its physical and ethnic diversity but it torn by national and religious conflicts. The Vale of Kashmir and its capital Srinagar is the 'jewel in the crown of India'. A verdant valley with a series of lakes at the heart surrounded by snow capped peaks. A predominantly muslim population that is ethnically aligned with Pakistan and a burning desire to separate from India and form an independent Kashmir even though the Indian occupation was in response to a request from the reigning Kashmir prince as a result of an invasion of north Kashmir by Pakistan. Dividing the Indian and Pakistani Kashmir is the Hotly contested Line of Control over which wars have been fought and artillery duels are exchange. With two nuclear powers, Bill Clinton called Kashmir the 'most dangerous place in the world. The semi autonomous region of Ladakh and its capital

A lot can happen in three months, the length of time since my last post, and even then not much changes, at least on the surface of where we live. It seems that living in India teaches one more about what is on the inside rather than an outside in approach to learning. We have been back home in India for two weeks, after almost two months in Australia, Thailand and Singapore. It is Monsoon time here and the Girls summer holidays so Mumbai was not the place to be. Getting back to school has been great. We were all immediately busy and engaged in our worlds of friendships and education. I am the Parent Technology Representative at the school now which is an evolving feast but thus far more social than anything. Chris has been in the northern state of Ladakh for the week. He is climbing a mountain there with a some ponies, a cook and a guide. We have not heard from him which I take as a good thing. So I promise that I will restart my blogging but now instead of long stories a