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...

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...

From April 24th until 4th May Lucy and I travelled to China. This opportunity was borne out of our last School, BBIS in Germany, when we hosted a 13 year old Chinese Girl, also Lucy! Our Lucy wanted to honor the other half of the exchange whereby 15 children from BBIS travelled en masse to meet their exchange partners in Shanghai and live in their homes for a week, attend school, eat with the family etc. So as Lucy's chaperone and a volunteer to support the whole group I got to travel along too. We met the group in Beijing and where guided through the major sights and sounds and smells of this truly historic, first world city by a wonderful guide and enthusiastic host. He chose our food, arranged great seats at Kung Fu and Acrobatic Performances for us and had us tobogganing off the Great Wall of China - everyone should have a guide like that! I was so taken by China and all the trip has entailed for me that I believe it will be caught in my mind, body and soul for a...

Can you imagine spending the whole morning going to and from the supermarket (actually the only full scale one in Mumbai) just to do trolley load of shopping? The absolute surrender this exercise takes is still just beyond my reach hence blogging in the car. After all it was only just over two months ago that I could walk to Lidl, Aldi and my local Bio Markt, all within ten minutes max, do a load of shopping and walk home all before the kettle boiled. Here there is some totally beyond me thing where every item is scanned then the price is checked by the operator on the screen, on the package and on the screen again...before being shipped off to the packer boy who is still half asleep. No recycled bags here these boys use heavy duty plastic, the kind that could be used as a rain coat through monsoon. Nothing like the Lidl girl shoving my groceries along and expecting me to have them Packed ready to pay so she can process the next person. Daily life can also mean a walk out...

So last weekend we experienced our first Holi. Holi is one of too many to count festivals that stop India in her tracks and brings people together through mayhem and colour (literally with this one). Water and powdered colour are thrown on people, dogs and cars. Some of the colours stain and are toxic and som e are not! It was fun and I must say Chris looks good with purple and red hair! Ada had a ball being doused in buckets of Mumbai tap water and doing the dirty on others and Lucy went to a crazy loud party in South Mumbai that turned her hair green for a day. I think we all got our first taste of the heart within Mumbai.

OK OK clearly no contest but the diffences are still so geat for me that i just have to blog about it and get it off my chest...after all that is what a blog is all about ...true... an outlet...like a friendly ear. So yesterday I found out from my driver that in India to get a license (a learners permit) you just go down to tthe RTI (roads authority) show your face and your papers so they can check "you look about 18" then you get your learners. You drive for about a month wih someone else in the car, who may have a licence, and then you have a test. For the test you simply drive an RTI person around for about ten minutes and bingo.... Drivers Licence. No laws to learn... Maybe one or two if you are unlucky! My experience in Germamy could not have been more different....firstly I had to complete a first aid course, in German, then take an eye test, then have some driving lessons, as well as sit for a complete written learners permit exam. That experience will remain with...

Shopping for basics ...no that is not me... Having a shave... Flower street near Crawford Markets - an essential for decorating ones car... Some street food...looks enticing doesn't it? ha ha to you who dares... And more scenes from Crawford Markets...