Stark Reality

It's been an eventful past few days, and I should have known that volunteering for the Missionaries of Charity would have something to do with it.

I started my position as a volunteer English teacher of physically and mentally challenged kids at Shishu Bhavan on Friday. It's only a 3 1/2 hours per day, 3 days per week commitment, but it left me rather exhausted and hungry by lunchtime. When I got there to start my post the first day, I was rather unsure of exactly where to go. There was another Western couple who looked equally unsure of themselves, so I figured at least we can all look lost together. We struck up a conversation, and it turns out they are Italian. Both seemed pretty well eaten up by mosquitoes, and I quietly considered myself lucky that I hadn't had to deal with much of that. Eventually, we all figured out what was going on, and I was told to head upstairs to the handicapped kids' room.

It was a single, large room. There were perhaps 12 ceiling fans, but no air conditioning. It was a multi-purpose room. There were 2 rows of beds and 2 rows of cribs, about 25 in all. There were two eating areas, one for kids who couldn't sit up on their own while eating (either due to physical disability or age) and another for kids who could sit up. The classroom was a partitioned area in one corner. There were separate, yet connected, rooms for the bathrooms and the kitchen. While we were instructed to remove our shoes prior to entering, the floor somehow felt gritty, as though it hadn't been cleaned very well in a while. At some point, I realized that these kids spend pretty much their whole days here, and that if one kid gets sick, it's quite likely that it could spread rather quickly and affect everyone.

Eventually, I settled in (if you can call it settling in) and focused on the role I had with those kids. The class started at 9 with song after song, some in Bengali and some in English. Of course, I didn't know the Bengali songs, but they sounded fun. The kids were learning some English, and the sisters were glad to have an English teacher who was a native speaker, though the Bengali woman leading the class has good command of the language (and can translate the Bengali too). We broke for tea at 10, and I met a few other volunteers. There is a large number from Japan and most others are Spanish. There was another volunteer there from the US, and it was great to talk with another American. Most other volunteers are there for that purpose only, so they are only there for short-term, anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. I was the only long-term international volunteer.

When it was all over, I was really hungry and thankful that traffic wasn't so horrible for the ride home. Pratap was able to get me home in about 30 minutes or so. It was an exhausting morning.
That afternoon, I took the Little Guy to playgroup for about an hour. He tends to act aggressive when he's overstimulated, and he's not used to this playgroup. I felt like I spent pretty much the entire hour telling him not to hit other kids! Hopefully, he'll settle in to this new group soon, because I worry about him creating an issue.

Hubby and I had made plans to eat out that night, but our dinner reservation had to be postponed by 2 hours because of a power surge that destroyed our microwave and messed up the wiring circuit that powers our air conditioning, geysers, and OTG until we could get the part and get it fixed. So, here it was, 10 pm on Friday night and looking forward to spending a night in 30 Celcius (85 F) weather and no air conditioning. Fun! Luckily, we got the part and got it fixed the next afternoon.

On Monday, I went back to the volunteering. I met a really nice Hungarian woman, and we talked for a while. She teaches English language to adults, so she was in the classroom with me. She's only here for a week, since she's traveling around India and can only get a few weeks away from work, but it was really great to have someone to talk with.

I noticed when I got there that there are a huge number of supplies that they are lacking at Shushu Bhavan (the Children's Home). Lots of these things are easy to find in the States, but finding such items either in decent quality or at all is often impossible here in India. I decided to ask Sister where such items should be sent if I could find someone to donate, and she said she'd get back with me with the information and a list of items they need. When I get it from her, I'll post it here in case anyone here wants to help. Mother Theresa started a wonderful thing here, but it takes lots of continued support to run it.

There was a disturbing thing that happened right as I was leaving. (Please finish eating before you read any further unless you want to lose your lunch!) The children were finishing their lunch, and I noticed one of the older girls walking away from the table with food all over her face, so I went to wipe it with her bib. All of a sudden, huge amounts of snot started gushing out her nose! I was gagging for 5 minutes, not because I'm some princess wannabe who isn't used to bodily functions (I have a 2 year old, remember?), but because I felt sorry for the poor girl. I realized that it's just so easy for germs to spread here to make everyone sick.

It's crazy. I feel so lucky that I grew up relatively privileged, even though I grew up in middle class America. I have my health, and we're financially stable. In India, we're considered "rich", though I hardly feel I deserve any of it. This girl, even as snot is pouring out her nose, probably feels lucky too -- at least lucky that she gets 3 meals per day, even if she hardly leaves that one room. She's luckier than the street kids who are tied up in criminal gangs who profit from begging. It really puts things in perspective.

There but by the grace of God go I!

Getting Involved

One of the best ways to overcome culture shock, I am told, is to get involved. When you're busy, there's very little time to brood. Today, I did two things to help with that.

The first thing I did today was enroll the Little Guy in nursery school. While he's only 2 1/2, he seemed to be getting pretty bored at home. There is one not far from our flat that was recommended by one of the Moms in the International Baby Club. I like that there's some outside playtime in the garden at the start of the session. (The Little Guy is active and needs his outside playtime before he can settle down.) The other thing I like is that they are flexible with easing him into a school setting. They're willing to let him go occasionally at first, and only for short periods of time until he's adjusted.

The other thing I did was to contact the Missionaries of Charity to inquire about volunteer opportunities. I signed up to help teach some kids a few mornings per week. Kolkata is a nice place, but the poverty can get overwhelming. I don't do as many tourists do and give money to beggars. Many of the beggars are professionals, and some make Rs 2,000 per month! It might not sound like much when you convert the funds to some other currencies, but it's close to what some working class people make here and is a modest living. Still, when faced with all this poverty, part of me thinks I can make a difference, even if it's a small one. Then again, maybe I'm just an optomist. I guess the only way to find out is to sign up.

I'll let you know how it goes.

On Gandhi and Soccer

Soccer is loved around the world. One of the reasons for this, I think, is that it's not high-tech and doesn't require a lot of expensive equipment. All you really need is a ball. The Little Guy, who is two-and-a-half, has grown to love soccer since we've been here in Kolkata. While he enjoyed kicking the ball around in the States, he now makes a habit of taking his soccer ball and wanting to go downstairs to play soccer with the drivers in the parking lot below. Last night, the eve of Muhatma Gandhi's birthday, was one of those times.

Sean wanted to go downstairs to play soccer again, so Philomeena got him dressed to play and took him down. I followed downstairs about 5 minutes later. It started with Sean and I kicking the ball to each other. When Sean got bored and wanted to play on the swings, Philomeena would take him and I would continue kicking the ball with whoever wanted to play. It didn't matter if the person playing was a security guard, a driver, a child who lived there, or one of the young guys who took out our morning garbage. If you could kick a ball, that's all that mattered. The game lasted a little over an hour, and by the time it was finished, about six of us were in a circle kicking the Little Guy's red soccer ball to each other.

Isn't that what Gandhi would have wanted?

Flood!

About a week ago, we had three straight days of hard rain. Between the high water table and the garbage on the street, the water had nowhere to go. So, until the trash could get cleared, many areas of the city were flooded with anywhere from a few inches to a few feet of water. I'm told this happens every year around monsoon time. Last Monday, I asked Pratap to drive me around so I could take some pictures of the Johdpur Park area, which was fairly hard-hit, but reasonably safe since we have an SUV. Also, Johdpur Park wasn't quite so bad as the Park Street area, which is at low elevation. Unfortunately, though, Park Street is where most of the shops are located, so it put a damper on trips to Pantaloons for a few days.

Setting Up House

I have all the respect in the world for our household help. Philomena, our ayah (nanny), and Pratap, our driver, have done a great job showing me the ropes while I set up house.

On Sunday, I fixed the Little Guy some lunch of Easy Mac while we waited for the workers to install our window treatments. (They didn't show up as promised.) The trouble was, I didn't have any dish soap for the dirty bowl and spoon. I wasn't thrilled, but I left it on the counter dirty anyway. That's a big mistake in India! I found out how big a mistake that was the next day when Philomena, the Little Guy and I came to the flat. I went to the kitchen and noticed a swarm of tiny ants all over the dish. Of course, I freaked out and Philomena came to my rescue by drowning the ants in water. We quickly decided it was time to go to the fixed-price food market for some household supplies.

While at the market, Philomena was terrific. While I was intimidated shopping for necessities where shopkeep generally have little command of proper English, she managed the Little Guy while translating my needs into Bengali and introducing me to local brand names.

Meanwhile, Pratap was equally great in his own way. It was Pratap who immediately got on the phone with the window treatment people to figure out what happened and how to fix it. He managed to get them to install the curtains at 7:00 Monday evening.

Today, Tuesday, Pratap got people to come to install our phone. When they got to the flat at 1:00, they told us that we would need a phone to install, which we didn't have. No problem. Pratap negotiated and they agreed to return at 4:00, assuming we had a phone by then. Pratap then drove me to a store that had the right phone. (Apparently, in India the land line phone you buy must correspond with the phone company who provides your service.) There was a small problem on my end, though. The store was cash only, and I was running too low on cash! Pratap came to my rescue and drove me to an ATM.

Thank goodness Philomena was back at the flat watching the Little Guy so I didn't have to drag him on our little wild goose chase.

In a country where nothing is handed to you, our help had no problem negotiating well enough to get what we need at a decent price. I'd like to think of myself as independent, but I really do depend on these two amazing people.

Travel Abroad vs. Living Abroad

While intellectually I knew they were different, I'm starting to learn from experience that traveling abroad and living abroad are not the same animal. Sure there are some similarities. I still had the jet lag. I'm learning about India at a greater depth than I ever thought I'd care about in my younger years. We struggled with a two-year old who got his days and nights mixed up. (You can't explain time to the Little Guy, let alone time zones and jet lag.) We went endless rounds of "Finding Nemo", "Blues Clues", and "Curious George" thanks to our portable DVD player. You get all of that when you travel long distances with a young child.

The major difference between the two, is that living abroad isn't a vacation, it's living. It's moving on a grander scale, complete with culture shock. With a vacation, you don't sweat the details too much because you know you'll be home in a week or two, if that. When you move abroad, you are home. There's no butler service at our flat like there is at the Taj hotel that you can call in case anything goes wrong. I have to figure out how to set up our flat in a place where the rules are all different. I think I'm playing Monopoly while everyone else is playing the Mad Magazine Game. Plus, Hubby is off to another city on a business trip, so it's all on me.

I'm not saying it's all bad. It's just harder our honeymoon we took in Ipanema.

The Little Guy did have some fun this morning. We were waiting to meet some people on Chowringhee Road when some teenage boys walked by. One of them was carrying a soccer ball. Well, the Little Guy loves soccer, and is pretty good at it, too. He decided he wanted to play a little ball, right there on the sidewalk. Of course, those boys couldn't resist a fair-haired toddler, especially if he could kick a ball, and were happy to oblige. Suddenly, a huge crowd gathered around to watch those boys playing ball with the Little Guy. It all went great until some salesperson tried to sell the Little Guy a soccer ball, and the Little Guy threw a tantrum over it. Still, he had fun while it lasted.

Gypsy Life

We've finally all moved out of our house in Bethlehem. By Thursday morning, all of our furniture in the POD was being hauled out of our driveway and was en route to their warehouse. By Thursday afternoon at 3, our junk was all gone. Also Thursday morning, I disassembled the Little Guy's crib so that it could be sold via Craigs List for $50. (I told the Little Guy that he was a Big Boy now, so we were giving his crib to a newborn little girl who needed one.) On Friday morning, the movers came.

In short, our house was emptying before our very eyes. Meanwhile, the Little Guy was starting to freak out a little.

It's very strange to own one house and have a lease for another apartment, yet have nowhere to go. I felt more at home at the Residence Inn we had reserved for Thursday and Friday nights.

Hubby's driver came to pick him up at 5:15 Friday night. I didn't think I'd get overly emotional, but I surprised myself by having to hold back tears as the car pulled out of the driveway. I'm a pretty independent person, but 3+ weeks is a long time to be separated! It'll be good to see him when he returns 8 Aug, and I'm sure he feels the same way. I hope that time passes quickly for all of us.

On Saturday morning, the only thing I had to do was wait around for the mail, which had possibly already begun being forwarded since I personally handed the change of address card to our regular carrier on Friday. The car was packed to the gills, with valuables such as my laptop and the Little Guy's portable DVD player. Plus, the Little Guy had fallen asleep in the car. I really didn't feel like waiting around for the mail when I had no place to go to except an empty house. So, I decided to take off for my in-law's apartment mid-morning. We got there by lunchtime.

It felt good to not feel like a wandering Gypsy anymore.

A Quick Update on Us

Because it's been a little while since my last post, I'll give you an update on what is happening with us. As you can imagine from the lack of frequent postings, I've been rather busy!

I've been asked what I think about our pending move to Kolkata. The best answer I can give, because it's the most honest, is that I really have been too busy to process any emotion, or even realize that Hubby will be officially starting his post there in one week. Among the irons in my fire are selling various items on Craigslist, selling my car to the CarMax dealer near my parents' house, giving away items via Freecycle, opening bank accounts at banks that have branches both in the U.S. and in Kolkata, getting our house rented, and packing. Needless to say, I've been to busy to process much beyond task management.

I suppose the house is starting to come together. At least our wall hangings have been removed and closets emptied. We also miraculously found a tenant! I was amazed that we had a rental agreement signed within a week of it being put on the market.

We've got a PODS (Portable On-Demand Storage) unit sitting in our driveway. We need to have it filled with any furniture that won't fit up the stairs to the attic by Thursday because we're supposed to have it taken away by then. Also on Thursday, we scheduled junk haulers to come to our house. On Friday, the movers are coming. Hubby leaves for India late Friday afternoon.

Maybe by then I'll have time to process emotion.

Some Pictures of Kolkata

I was fascinated at how women in Punjabi suits would ride side-saddle on the backs of motorcycles, sometimes while they carried their babies.

Child watching the action from inside the van

This is typical Kolkata traffic. Trucks share the road with autorickshaws, taxis, and motorcycles. (Check out the bunch of guys sitting on top of the truck up ahead!)

We're Back!

We're back from our trip to Kolkata! Now that we've more or less recovered, I've got so much to share.

The night before we left was insane. We were late getting our immunizations and did them at a walk-in travel clinic in the area at 4:30 pm or so. Of course, it took about 2 hours, so we didn't get back until after 6:30. When I walked in the house, with my arms sore from getting four shots in my arms, I noticed a wasp-like thing inside the house on the window. (I hate bees.) I ran out to the garage to get the bug spray, but when I came back inside I noticed that there were in fact no fewer than ten of those buggers in my living room! Apparently, they came in through the chimney. We quickly called our insect-control service to have them send out a technician right away. The problem was solved by 8:30. Talk about drama right before the Little Guy's bedtime!

We left on Thursday, 24 May on a British Airways "sleeper flight" from JFK to Heathrow. The Little Guy slept for maybe one or two hours on the flight, so we were pretty much exhausted when we finally got to the Heathrow Marriott hotel the next morning. Fortunately, we had planned to stay about 24 hours in London before catching our connecting flight the next morning to Kolkata. We needed the rest! The Little Guy was a little cranky at dinnertime and didn't want to sit still to wait for food, so Hubby and I took turns walking with him around the hotel lobby. The Little Guy was fascinated with the elevators, and had a blast riding from the lobby to the first floor.

The following morning, we caught our British Airways flight to Kolkata. Again, we got very little sleep. The Little Guy amused himself by watching the DVDs that we brought from home and by running up and down the length of the plane. This activity seemed to annoy some of the flight attendants, but the Indians on board seemed quite amused and would smile at my three-foot blur dashing by at full speed.

The first thing that struck me when we landed was the combined heat and humidity as we walked off the plane. It felt like a steam bath and was enough to make my glasses fog up! I also noticed that people there don't seem to run the air conditioners that much. The Kolkata airport is rather small, but it's not easy to navigate since there are a lot of stairs and no elevators or escalators. That's not a problem unless you're carrying a toddler, roller luggage, a handbag, and a backpack to customs like we were. It could have been worse, though, since we checked the stroller and the car seat along with two other wheeled suitcases.

Passport control went otherwise smoothly.

When we collected our checked bags prior to going through customs, I noticed that the humidity was so high that beads of water had collected on our luggage. The stroller and car seat felt a little wet and grimy to handle, as if they had enjoyed their own steam bath. After customs, we met our porter who took us outside to meet our driver which was arranged by the Taj Bengal hotel where we were staying.

While we waited outside for the driver, I noticed a few children begging in the area where the taxis picked up new arrivals. They must've been about 8 or 10 years old or so. There was also a group of a few men, also waiting for their rides, who seemed enamored with my red-headed Little Guy. They also seemed fascinated with and amused by the car seat we had brought.

Soon enough, our driver, Kalim, pulled up. Since car seats are not often used in India, the porter seemed to not know what to do with it exactly and proceeded to put it in the trunk with our luggage. (I soon found that to be a common occurrence.) Along our way to the hotel, I chatted with Kalim and took a few photos while he gave us a brief orientation, pointing out the sights.

Two women behind the front desk dressed in sari uniforms checked us into the hotel. The service was friendly and efficient, and they assured us that our requested crib was already in our room. The lobby was beautifully decorated, if a little warm, as if they conserved energy by not air conditioning the hallways. At our room, we were greeted by a butler carrying two water goblets full of juice, one mango and one coconut. I picked the coconut, since it reminded me of sipping fresh coconut juice on the beach during our honeymoon in Rio de Janeiro. It was good but not chilled. Having hardly slept on the plane, Hubby and the Little Guy both crashed immediately. I rested for a short while, but found myself restless and eager to venture out before long. So, I went downstairs to get another copy of the hotel key card and to get something to eat at Sonargaon

Wrapping My Head Around It All

Last night was my first night in a while trying to sleep without Ambien. It went remarkably well, considering we leave in two days. I still woke up a few times, but managed to go back to sleep pretty quickly.

There is just so much to think about, and I'm only now starting to wrap my head around it all.

There's just so much to do! The property managers came by today. In preparation for that, Hubby suggested that the Little Guy and I head to my parents' house for the weekend while he cleaned and got rid of some clutter. In the process, he discovered just how much clutter managed to accumulate in the closets, the attic, and the basement. It's amazing how it multiplies, and we've only lived there for five years. I have a feeling many things will be donated or stored. He also tidied up the lawn, shampooed the family room carpet, and strategically rearranged furniture to cover stains. There's still so much to do, and I have no idea how we'll manage considering our time here is limited.

Now that our property managers have seen our house, there are a few new items added to the to-do list. In addition to emptying our house of personal effects, we also need to get our kitchen painted and consult a roofer about water-stained cracks on the kitchen ceiling by the skylight. High-end renters are picky, we're told, so it's best to fix obvious problems without breaking the budget. I did make it clear that the less we have to manage ourselves the better since we're going to be busy enough as it is.

I'm starting to wonder if I'll crash into massive culture shock once the frenzy has slowed.

The Sister with the Traveling Pants

One of the more superficial things that has been a concern was my wardrobe. Call me crazy, but I like to try to fit in when I travel! Maybe it's a hangover from my childhood days when we'd wear Hawaiian shirts and Bermuda shorts during our summer vacations, and I feel that I somehow still have to prove to the world that I'm not a dork. So, when my Mom bought be the linen drawstring capris from Talbots for my birthday, I was thrilled! I put them on with a longer top from New York & Company, and when Hubby came home he said I looked "very Indian".

Having an inappropriate wardrobe is brilliant justification for going way overboard with clothes shopping. At least now I'll have something to wear with all those fitted "Favorite" t-shirts that I have from the Gap and Old Navy. (You'll have to ask Hubby how much "overboard" is because I'm not telling!)

Thanks, Mom, for the pants. They are just perfect!

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We've gotten our travel plans for the flat-hunting trip figured out. We decided that flying from New York to Kolkata via Heathrow is just too grueling if you try to do it all in one day, and we're taking the Little Guy with us. We're going to spend an extra night in London just to recuperate both on our way there and on our way back. It's tough enough flying with a toddler, so anything we can do to make it easier is worth it. Besides, Hubby's company is paying for it!

We found out some new details regarding the apartment in Alipur that will be coming available. It's not one unit per floor like we were originally told, or at least it doesn't appear that way from the way units are numbered. They are fairly large, though, since they are 3 bedroom units. We've been told that the other expat's unit will be converted to the company guest house, so it's not actually available for us to use. However, there are other vacant units in the same building. Hubby and I would still like to consider it, since it's close to his office and people we know, but we'll look at other flats to lease in addition.

I'm looking forward to that trip! I think lots of my questions will be answered then, and I'll get a feel for what our new surroundings will be.

That's all for now!

Emotionally Drained

Moving, especially moving overseas, can be all-consuming. It's no wonder that it nearly tops the list of major stressors. Not that it's necessarily bad stress, but it can be draining if it's not managed.

When I first tell acquaintances that I'm moving, I usually get a reaction akin to, "That's cool!" While I appreciate such comments, it's usually uttered by someone who has no idea what really goes into implementing this kind of change. Those people might think they want to be me, but probably they would gladly stay put when they find out what it's really like. You don't want to be me right now. I'm exhausted all the time!

Yet, I still have trouble sleeping. My mind is always racing, and I have to take an Ambien CR every night just to get some much-needed shuteye. Even then, I'm up 7 hours later.

It's really a myriad of thoughts and emotions that run through my head. I wonder what our flat will be like. I worry that I won't be able to get along with the household help or the nanny. I worry that the other expats will hate me after a while. I worry that my son will dart into traffic and get hit by a car. (We're not used to city life.) Most of all, I hate leaving friends and family behind, even though I know I'll make new ones. I want to just be able to enjoy the moments we have and not waste time being maudlin while I'm still here.

I did have a wonderful lunch with a friend yesterday. We took our kids had a nice time chatting over food. When I talk about appreciating the time we have, those are the kinds of things I'm talking about. It was really refreshing to not have to think so much and just enjoy ourselves.

It's not all negative thoughts. I'm also curious about what it's really like over there. I'm excited to be taking on this new adventure. Reading about India is fun, but it isn't the same as actually being there.

Speaking of books, I'm really getting into Sarah MacDonald's Holy Cow. She's got such a way with words! The book is by an Australian author and tells about her experiences while living in Dehli. I highly recommend it! Of course, it's really helpful as a guidebook if you're going through a similar experience, but it's also just plain fun reading if you're not.

I must go for now. There will be more later!

Pre-Settling In Efforts

It seems my husband made some progress in the settling-in department while he was on his last business trip to India. Apparently, there's a colleague of his who will be moving, and therefore vacating his apartment, at the end of the month. From his description, it seems like it's a nice place, at least by India's standards. The electric needs upgraded, though, as light bulbs blow out with some regularity. Luckily, they'll have a month to do some work.

The apartment (flat) is on the fourth floor in the Alipur neighborhood, and is company-owned. There are four floors and four units, so it's one unit per floor. According to my husband's colleague, the higher up you go, the fewer mosquitoes. That's good to know! (One might also assume that there's also less pollution, smog, and road noise, but those specifics weren't mentioned.)

Alipur is in the trendy part of town. According to my husband, the streets are tree-lined and wider, and it's not far from the Tollygunge Club and lots of shopping. I can live with that!

We also made arrangements to be introduced to some other expats in the city. There aren't many, but it's a tight-knit community. There's also an international "baby club" for expat moms of preschool-aged children. It'll be good to get a head-start on social networks before we go. One of my biggest fears is of being lonely. I'm already starting to miss my MOMS Club and playgroup friends, and I haven't even left yet! Here, I'm a member of two different mom's groups, so it's safe to say that I like to keep socially active.

Another good thing that came from my husband's colleague is that we get to hire his cook and driver. At least the driver speaks "acceptable" English. I didn't ask about the cook. Unfortunately, their nanny, or ayah, was already hired elsewhere, so we'll have to look for our own.

We also found out about nursery schools. There's a place called Kangaroo Kids that seems pretty good, from what we've been told and from what I can tell on their website. It's locally-run, so we'll have to see when we get there what it's really like and what language they hold classes in. I'd hate for the little guy to be "behind" because he doesn't speak Hindi or Bengali!

That's enough rambling for now.

A Short Introduction

I guess I should explain why I decided to create this blog.

My husband works for a global company in the industrial gases industry. In a nutshell, he sells large industrial gases plants to customers in the steel industry. Because steel has grown so much in Asia, and particularly in India, my husband has traveled to India about 20 times in the last 2 years on business. Frankly, the travel gets old! I miss my husband, and my husband misses his family, including our 2 year old son. So, when an opportunity arose in April for us to relocate our family there, we jumped on it. Since then, we've been scrambling to get our affairs in order since the post begins in early July.

While there seems to be large expat communities in cities like Mumbai and Bangalore, that's not at all the case in Kolkata. In fact, the American consulate there reports about 10 or 20 expat families, and they are only now opening an international school which begins this August. (It'll be Kindergarten through second grade with two teachers and 10 students. That's not a bad student-teacher ratio!) I figure with such a small number of "peers" in that environment, it might make for interesting fodder for a blog. I'm sure there will be lots of stories to tell.

We are slated to go on our apartment-hunting trip in late May and should be back in early June. In my opinion, since we couldn't bear to leave our young son behind, the flight over should be an adventure in itself. Fortunately, we plan to spend an extra day in London both on the flight over and on the return to make things easier on the little guy. Otherwise, the flights are grueling!

The stress of getting ready is taking its toll on me. I've been resorting to "retail therapy" to cope with the stress. Besides, at least according to my husband, buying the entire National Library of India, I've also been clothes shopping. With that, I've been running into lots of headaches as it seems that most Western clothes are either too casual or too low-cut for what you see on the streets of Calcutta. I've been searching high and low at trendy, yet more sophisticated, clothing retailers, and have only found a handful of outfits that are appropriate for the style and climate. Even these push the boundaries of acceptable. I may have to buy local. (As if I'll have the time.)

For now, I need to take my Ambien and go to bed. It's getting late! More rambling later. Happy (early) Mother's Day!

Books, books, and more books

I think I cope with the stress of moving to a new country by buying a million travel books. At least, that fact was evident from the number of guidebooks on the shelf under my bay window. My husband, just returning home from a ten-day business trip to India, was shocked at the pile. (I noticed this morning that he had them neatly stacked upright as if they were on a proper bookshelf.) Among them were Lonely Planet's India, DK Publishing's Eyewitness Travel India, Lonely Planet's India Food Guide, Holy Cow by Sarah MacDonald, and City of Joy by Dominique Lapierre. That list is only the location-specific list. Since my husband and I have a two-year-old, I also bought two books about parenting abroad, Raising Global Nomads by Robin Pascoe and Third Culture Kids by David C. Pollack.

Is this obsession? You decide. I've got to get busy reading!