Quick News

Ok... this is going to be brief... I have a few minutes to kill so here is a quick summary of what has been happening.

• We are just back from 10 days in Hong Kong. We had to leave India to renew our visas. The kids had a great time at Disneyland and Ocean Park. I saw my first Panda... soo cute!
• Sam and Hunter were pulled out of the audience to participate in the High school Musical show at Disney... Sam was not impressed.
• While we were away Abeeda (one of the ashram women) had her baby. She had a little girl weighing just 2kgs. Just as she was delivered there was a blackout at the hospital and they were literally standing their holding the newly delivered baby in the dark until the lights came back on. The baby does not have a name yet. For more info have a squiz at Ruth's blog http://www.thedailydhal.blogspot.com/
• Ray's front tooth fell out while he was chowing down on some fried crab in Hong Kong. He gets his new ceramic tooth fitted on Thursday for a meagre $100 would have cost thousands in Australia. The root canal specialist was not impressed by the dodgy job performed by the Australian dentist (sorry Sarah).
• Ray contributed to India's car accident stats the other day when he ran up the back of another car. The other guys car had major rear damage and the rear windscreen popped out and shattered on the bonnet. The accident was not reported to the police as they would want a slice of the monetary action. Rather ray had to pay 1000RS ($250) and the damage and problem disappeared. In Australia the damage would have run into the thousands.
• Ray was pulled over for speeding the other week. Asked for proof that he was speeding before paying the fine. Said he would rather take it to court than pay the fine on the spot. All too hard so they let him go. Oh... the fine for speeding is only $10.
• We are back living on the ashram again. Much better than the 6 weeks we lived here in July with the intense heat. I quite like living here. Ray and Sam not so much. Starting to sleep through the 4.30am hoohaa coming from the Sikh Gurdwara up the road.
• Have been invited to a couple of weddings... very excited as I now have to purchase a sari. One of them is in Kerela at the end of December...may do a train trip for that one.
• Hunter has finished baseball for the season and is now looking forward to soccer. Sam has a few weeks left to go. He had a great game on the weekend. Caught one guy out from the out field and made it home twice.
• Bit over Indian food but loving Tibetan food. We often eat at the tibetan colony as we can feed the whole family including drinks for $10. Oh and they have beef on the menu! (not that I care but Ray and Sam order it every time).
• Participated in the American Women's Association Christmas Mela (market) on the weekend. Sold some ashram made jewelry and lanterns there. Have the German Embassy Mela coming up early December.
• Had a desperately needed haircut the other day. Now have shoulder length hair and a chunky fringe... pic on fb. Wash cut and blow dry at a 'nice' salon only $12.50. Would have been even less up the road in Narela.
• Sam is averaging 250 text messages a week... luckily you can buy 200 texts for $1. Apparently his Aussie friends back home are racking up bills in the hundreds. Good life stage for Sam to be in India I think.
• As I speak Ray is having a massage... one of our current patients was a massage therapist in his pre ashram life.
• Have been asked to write a third 'lost for words' with Kathy. Delivery mid next year.

Thats it for now...

L