How time flies!

It’s our last few hours in Delhi - 6 months is up, we head home tomorrow - (that’s providing Virgin have attached snow skis or snow shoes to the landing gear for our arrival at Heathrow airport ). We leave Delhi basking in 31degrees..... !!


For those of you who have read our weekly blogs - well done and thank you for supporting us and travelling with us - it has been a wonderful journey and experience, once again! We look forward to seeing lots of you and catching up with all your news too. 

We might be leaving Asha, but a large part of us remains here, (of course) ... all the friendships, lives and homes that have blessed us and that we’ve been apart of, will remain very special and hopefully one day, we will be reunited! Thank goodness for the ease of communication these days - we will keep in touch with you all!

Now for a few pictures of our last week’s farewell moments.

So it’s, “goodbye, Delhi” from me and it’s “goodbye, Delhi" from him.

A farewell meal at the flat with Ken’s students Durgesh, Monika and Shiv.

Picnic with Ken’s students in Ahinsa Sthal the Jain Temple Park -it was quiet and tranquil ( until we arrived!!) Lots of fun with the guys from Kusumpur.

Thank you Sonam and Neelam for inviting us into your home.

We have been able to supply boxes full of fun toys to all four Asha centres where I have been working with the toddlers and also skipping ropes, balls, parachutes and games equipment for the Bal Mandal children.

A selection of some of the puzzles, games and toys in the boxes.

Thank you Sweeta, Anita, Meera and Mooni for such a lovely day - we have wonderful memories of our time with ASHA in all the communities - will miss you all!! X

Fun and games continue...

The final big celebration evening for Asha took place at the Habitat Centre in Delhi last Saturday - a beautiful evening acknowledging the many contributions of selfless commitment to Asha, from doctors, surgeons, diplomats, businesses and other individuals supporting Asha’s work.

We were entertained by dance groups from the slums and students who bravely revealed their life stories.
We enjoyed a delicious meal afterwards and a chance to admire all the beautiful saris and the students, who were stunning! 

Not satisfied with all this fun, Sally and I shot off to Agra on Sunday for two days sightseeing -The Tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah (Baby Taj), The Red Fort and the Taj Mahal..... it doesn’t matter how many times you see the Taj Mahal, or how early in the morning.......it’s always magnificent! 

Sally flew home yesterday - it was lovely having her stay with us and such a help with all the preparations for craft work and teaching, not to mention the washing up etc.

 Ready for our special Saturday evening celebrations

 

Girls from the slums performed brilliantly

The Peeragarhi students performed a stunning Punjabi dance

Happy smiles and beautiful colours

Chandan and Dilip - our great MCs for the evening

The Baby Taj

Incredible detail of inlay marble work

The Taj - it never ceases to amaze

Beautiful, heart wrenching moment as the children hugged the teddy bears Heather was able to give on her last teaching morning at Zakhira slum colony.  Thank you to everyone who gave soft toys to bring out for the children.

It's Valentine's Day - someone has fallen in love with their first teddy bear 

Late postings!

Apologies for somehow failing to re-post a couple of Facebook posts to our blog.

I will catch up in this post. Next post I will be back to normal (well, my blogging, not me).

29th January 2018

Whether the weather be cold
Or whether the weather be hot,
We'll weather the weather,
Whatever the weather,
Whether we like it or not

This is a good poem for us in Delhi - as in ‘true British form’, we talk about the weather a lot and at the moment it’s COLD - it’s sunnier in the morning and like chameleons, everyone tries to soak up as much sun and warmth ready for the very cold evenings.... We said in September we’d never complain about being cold again.... whoops! Last week we even had thunder, lightning and rain!! Ok. Enough of that!!

The arrangements for celebrating Asha’s 30years during the week of 5th February are in full swing - with the hope of opening the new Preschool room (now called STARLIGHT ROOM) during that week. Walls need painting, furniture moved, equipment ordered and delivered and a 1000 other bits and pieces .... it will be wonderful (we hope) and I’m looking forward to posting some photos soon!

On Friday, Delhi celebrated the 69th Republic Day which honours the date on which the Constitution of India came into effect replacing the Government of India Act(1935) as the governing document of India. The Indian flag was raised and the national anthem sung at gatherings - everyone enjoyed a day off work and at Kussumpur Ken had the honour of hoisting the Indian flag - not quite as big as the one in Connaught Place which measures 90 x 60ft !! The largest flag in the world!

Off to cuddle a hot water bottle now and nurse a cold and cough with a hot Lemsip!! It’s the weather..

6th February 2018
 
A very quick catch up...
... Starlight Room (the new preschool) is beginning to sparkle with fresh paint, decorations and new equipment - very exciting to see it come together and to know how much of a blessing it will be to the young children, parents and Asha staff at Ekta Vihar slum community.
...Sally Mchutchon and Sari England are now staying with us and taking every opportunity to see the sites of Delhi as well as support us with our work.
...Many visitors are flying in to Delhi from all over the world to be part of the week’s events to honour ASHA for their 30yrs of service in the slums of Delhi! It’s going to be a very exciting and busy week.
We will have so much to tell you next week and loads of photos too!

It’s all about CAKE

Have you noticed that nowadays birthdays last longer than a day. This week saw Ken’s birthday (13th January); with celebrations starting on 11th January - a surprise party at Kusumpur Pahardi and ending on Friday 19th January with a surprise cake party at Chanderpuri – (thanks Pinki!).

Birthday celebrations have interrupted lessons a bit this week as we’ve had lots of fun playing Charades (in Hindi!). Thank you to all my students for all the surprises.

It was also a week when lots of students at both Kusumpur Pahardi and Chanderpuri received certificates for their continuing attendance at my classes. Attendance is very good at both! There is a selection of photos below.

On Saturday Heather and I went off to Saket Select City Mall to have a birthday meal and to see ‘All the money in the world’ at the PVR cinema. It was my first experience of the cinema in India. A very pleasant experience, although the sudden 20 minute ‘Intermission’ just as armed Italian Police were about to catch the bad guys was a bit of a surprise!

The week continued with a hair cut from my barber (also former student) Sadam Hussain, more birthday cake and momos and a visit to Madhuri’s home where her father very kindly gave me a Rajasthani turban for my birthday! A lovely present!

So, it’s been a busy week of eating cake and fun!

We have also done some work! In fact a lot of work.....

Ken at Madhuri's home, where her father gave Ken a Rajasthani turban

Istiyak, Rakhi, Madhuri and Sadab see Ken off home in a tuk tuk 

A joint birthday: Ken, Ashok, Deepak and Rahul

Another joint birthday: Ken and Suman

Well done Gulafsha

Rumana receiving her certificate of attendance

More students at Kusumpur getting certificates (Anjali, Ashok, and Priti) with Pushpar

Shiv, Monika and Durgesh celebrating Ken's birthday with dhokla and gajaar halwa

KEN & HEATHER’S 2017 CHRISTMAS CARD.

Christmas is a time when lots of us find ourselves experiencing many different feelings and emotions. Looking back on these 3 months with ASHA in Delhi we feel that we have been ‘ living ‘ the word
CHRISTMAS
C compassion -
H hope
R reality
I injustice
S simplicity
T touch
M mercy
A anger
S service

What would be your list for the word CHRISTMAS?

We have been telling the children the Christmas story and have seen Jesus, born in very poor surroundings, far away from his home town, about to start life as a refugee, with a loving mum and dad who wanted to keep him safe - not so unlike all the children we are with each day - they could clearly identify with this story.
Being a slum child at Christmas you might think is difficult and sad, but poverty does not seem to be a barrier to laughter, dancing, expressions of love, kindness, sharing and joy - in fact this experience has given us a new motto:

He who has the least, enjoys the most!!

What a wonderful blessing we have received!

Have a great CHRISTMAS and NEW YEAR

Love

Ken and Heather x

‘‘Twas the week before Christmas and .......

 Heather’s still trying to think up fun crafts for the toddlers and kids groups and Ken’s students are busy with their college exams.

So, hanging the decorations, pop up Santa games and party hats caused lots of excitement. Sometimes all the preparations and ‘looking forward’ can be as exciting as the actual event.

The children in our classes have all now heard the Christmas Story - we’ve had some interesting discussions about where they think Jesus was born, the colour of his skin and what language he spoke - 99% thought he was western, white and spoke English!! Interesting!

We’re looking forward to this next week as not only will we be partying with all our students, but Matt and Stacey arrive on Monday morning to stay with us for a week and then on Saturday we all fly to Goa to meet Sophie and have Christmas together and some holiday time. It will be a warm, sunny, beach and sea Christmas - can’t wait!

Pop up Santa’s were a success - hurray (got to think of another idea for this week!!!!!)

Fun singing a song about 10 little angels....

Rani made a large bowl of Kheer to share with all the Bal Mandal Children (35) celebrating her son’s birthday - really delicious!! Hemlatha wanted to make sure Rani had some too!

A Christmas tree at Saket Select City Mall with a difference - you can walk under this one and see the lights from inside ....

Forecast: Snow in London - Sunshine in Delhi......

We are enjoying mornings of warm sunny weather - evenings much chillier and there is definitely a winter chill (no chance of snow tho!). Time to get out the fluffy slippers, jumpers and hot-water bottles.

The change in weather has given Ken a nasty cold and cough (luckily we have a whiskey shop 100yds away -so the hot lemon and honey has been replaced - a hot toddy is the answer!!)

This week we’ve been busy telling the Christmas story to all our classes - making decorations and hanging them in the various Asha centres in preparation for parties.

Taking advantage of the sunny weather this morning, we met up with Ken’s students from Chanderpuri and had fun in the Ahinsa Sthal Gardens - picnic/snacks, frisbee games and a visit to the Mahavira statue.

Picnic time with Ken’s students from Chanderpuri -we had to move into the shade, it was too hot.

Somehow we always manage to attract others -seems like a school party of boys landed on us!!

The Mahavira in Ahinsa Sthal Gardens.Mahavir was the twenty-fourth and the last Tirthankara of the Jain religion. According to Jain philosophy, all Tirthankaras were born as human beings but they have attained a state of perfection or enlightenment ..(in this case it looks like he has attained ‘marbleness’).....

A white knuckle ride home in the tuk tuk - but perhaps we’re safer than this baby 😳