This is our 50th blog!

Hey, hey we're the Monkeys - people say we're monkeying around... (whoops, showing my age now!!)
It is quite enchanting and so unusual for us to see so many monkeys, everywhere!! I have to grab my camera every time!! 

The same goes for the views of Mussoorie and Landour - they change with the weather and are always spectacular - God's creation so beautifully spread out in front of our door (another dash for the camera as clouds and mist open the view- wow!)

Last Sunday we went along to a 'house church' which was starting up again after Woodstock School's summer holiday - it was lovely to meet lots of families and become part of this group for the few weeks we are here. Amazingly, many have links with people we know in St. Stephens, Fulwell and Morden!! It's a small world!

We've just finished our second week of Hindi lessons and walked home in torrential rain, or as I like to call it 'monsoonal' rain (my new word!).

The rain, typical for this time of year, has caused many landslides causing roads to be blocked or covered in hillside mud, rocks and debris which cars and motorbikes swerve to avoid - our little paths become rivers, and power cuts are frequent - makes for a very different experience of living.

We are SO glad it's Friday! The Hindi lessons are great, fast pace and very hard work (long suffering teachers). Progress is slow for some of us 😓- Ken's racing ahead!!! 😇 but as the rain keeps us inside we have no excuse for dodging the homework! Back to the books, or perhaps another cup of chai!!

Enjoy the pictures, they tell more of the story.

Thinking of you all,

Heather and Ken xx

Yet another beautiful view over Mussoorie

Yet another...over Woodstock School

Our flat is the one with the monkeys on the roof

Looking back at our home peeping out from the trees

Ken's on his way around the hill to take our wet washing to our kind neighbour who has a very warm attic room. Thanks, Kaaren so much

Umbrella drill...! Attention! (with Mark and Annie, who are thankfully as silly as we are)

A little song and dance and a quick twirl of the brollies

Showing off now! Mark's a natural

We always seem to find a motor bike to sit on - how many can you get on a bike?

The girls leaving the language school as we arrive

Nursing time for the babies. Smile for the camera.

Monkeying around on our path - as usual

Rivers of "monsoonal" rain rush down the hillside bringing soil and stones onto the road

This was dry earlier in the morning, but now...

Asha's students' poster showing all their achievements

It says it all. We have to remember this in our Hindi lessons.

Love this from FB this week -reminds us to pray for the UK

Landour 2 - Sun and Rain

"I can see clearly now the rain has gone... I can see.." - No I can't it's POURING, AGAIN!!

We've been shopping - two industrial sized umbrellas, fan heater and wet weather shoes! Very necessary (+ freshly made warm banana bread - essential for morale!!)

We've actually been very lucky with the weather as it hasn't rained as much this week and when it has, we've either been in our Hindi class or made it home in time.

We had a brilliant day visiting Woodstock School - thank you Mark and Annie for taking us around and for lunch and tea - it was interesting to see this famous boarding school as pupils were settling in for the beginning of their term. The Early Years classroom (not for boarders) was fascinating for me - I can't help being excited by such a learning environment and drawn to those little chairs! Ken found our visit has given him some thoughts about boarding schools to think through, having been a boarder himself (not at Woodstock).

We've lept into our Hindi lessons with full 'monsoon' force and although a bit overwhelming, progress is being made - TGIF!! 

The photos will tell you more.

Love and best wishes.

Heather and Ken xx

8.30 am and about to leave our home for our Hindi class

Views as we walk up the hill

Small villages perched on a hillside

It's a clear day but the clouds are coming!

When you see the ferns on the trees you know the monsoon is coming

A langur is watching us carefully as we pass by

Our Hindi classroom

After our lessons a walk down into the town for some shopping

The street is always busy but today there was a school class and women all demonstrating against pollution

The tailor works and five friends watch - quite usual

Back home - there's a power cut - it will have to be the guitar for entertainment tonight

The clouds and views never fail to amaze us

'Up the airy mountain down the rushy glen, we daren't go a-hunting for fear of'... very, very large monkeys!!!

We got a bit lost today in the forest and met some very large monkeys blocking our path! 

We arrived here in Mussoorie on Wednesday in a full torrential monsoon downpour! We knew it would be cooler and rainy - wow, does it rain!

Finding Maple Cottage Annex was quite an adventure. The lovely old Ambassador taxi from the station in Dehradun could take us only so far and then we had to get our rucksacks, suitcase and guitar down a long and very wet gravel path. 

Maple Cottage Annex probably hasn't been used for a long while - (read between the lines) - so we threw open the windows, pulled sheets and blankets from the cupboard and began to make 'home' (quite good fun really!). Ken gasped as I began pulling chairs and tables and a chest of drawers around (he was remembering the re-organisation of our lounge at home every year for the Christmas tree - it always ends up in the same place!). Anyway, it had to be done and now we are beginning to feel 'at home' again. 

We have spectacular views (so far through the mist and rain) over the forest and down to the valley. This afternoon about 30 monkeys decided to have fun and games on our corrugated iron roof - sounded like a thunderstorm was happening but very entertaining as they chased each other around our balcony, looking in the windows and leaping into the trees. There are lots of 'trails' and pathways leading through the forest so looking forward to some time to go exploring.

Before we left Delhi, we had a wonderful party with the kids and students at Ekta Vihar. It was lovely to see them all again and be back dancing!! Thank you, Shalini, for organising it. 

Many of the uni students have been offered internships and are getting the experience of working in business and speaking English - we met up with Pankaj, Sunny and Sandeep and heard how valuable they are finding this experience. 

It was also very special to spend the evening at Pankaj's home with his family and enjoy a Rajasthani meal his mum and sister had prepared. Thank you so much for your kind welcome and hospitality. 

So now, back to Mussoorie - today we enrolled at the Landour Language School to learn Hindi - we start our lessons on Monday - 2hrs a day!! Hoping to make some good progress! 

We are thrilled to tell you that the 'mountain' of books donated by St. Mary's and St. Peter's School in Teddington has now been boxed and is being shipped to Delhi. Simon and Katie have done a wonderful job in sorting this out within the budget of the donations we received. Thank you for helping to get these books to the children in the slums - they will so enjoy them. We expect the books to arrive in September and we should be back working with Asha again by then and able to help distribute them. 

With no TV, or radio, Ken's going to be so glad I packed the cards and scrabble!!! We'll also have time to do our Hindi homework! (Sigh of relief - we managed to get wifi today!!!).

More news next week if we don't get lost on the mountain! 

Love Ken and Heather XX

It was great to see our students again and celebrate their achievements

The Bal Mandal - just as lovely and as lively

A well needed haircut for Ken from Sadab (one of his students off to Uni this month)

A special evening spent with Pankaj and his family in their home

Two mums together

Maple Cottage Annex - we have the top half

Views over Mussoorie from our home 

The mist clears as the evening draws in on our first night  

On our walk down to Landour to do some shopping 

The Kellogg’s Memorial Church is a Presbyterian church that was built in 1903. The church was named after Rev. Dr. Samuel H. Kellogg. He ran the Landour Language School where the British were taught Hindi - (hopefully two more British will learn Hindi in the next 2 months!!).

Think of us as you eat your cornflakes.

Just 2 of the 30 or so of the monkeys that were running over our roof

Can you see the joy on Simon's face as he packs up the books ready for shipping

Happily handing over all the boxes to be shipped to Delhi

Just making sure they are all on the van! Thank you Simon and Katie for storing them and finding a way to transport them too. Thank you to everyone who gave books and to everyone who paid for their shipment. 

'Back home again' ...

"So perhaps home isn’t about where you live, it’s about where you feel valued… where you feel loved… and where you want to come back to". 

 These words were taken from the last 'blog' Jane Cacouris posted about their time in Rio.

The whole concept of 'home' has been travelling with us since we left 'our home' last September.

We've now been in 7 countries and apart from Vietnam and Cambodia where we were on a tour and in hotels, we have been in homes or rented places and 'made home' many times.

We arrived back in Delhi last Monday, and felt like we were coming 'home'! It's great to be back in our 'Asha' flat (all painted and looking nice and clean and smart - thanks Freddie) and particularly wonderful to see our friends here again - even the stall holders in our road were pleased to see us and gave us such a sense of belonging!

We are here for a few days to catch up with Asha, meet the students and celebrate with them their wonderful successes of Uni places and internships - the news of their achievements and their stories on the Asha website are totally admirable and humbling!!

We also need to repack and get ready to leave on Wednesday for Landour, Mussoorie in the foothills of the Himalayas where it will be cooler and probably wetter too!

We have a small flat there, 'Maple Annex' in the grounds of Woodstock School, which we are renting for the next couple of months. Looking on Google at where it is and what's around, we can see that we will have a great time exploring, hiking and enjoying the natural beauty and views.

There is a language school in the town, originally started by Rev Dr Samuel Kellogg to teach Hindi to the British - we' re hoping to find an intensive course to join!! HELP!!!

There could be a chance for us to teach as well - we will see what opportunities open to us.

We will also have time to think, pray, plan and prepare for our next term with Asha in September.
So today we are back 'home' in Delhi and off again to make a new 'home' in Landour ...

Last memories of the West coast

A beautiful scene of the horses enjoying the sea and beach

Sunset on Negombo beach

I could have bought everything in this shop!

Ideas for some art projects perhaps?

We were warned! Sometimes the touts tell you the office has burnt down!

Not sure what this is about. But I like it.

We visited a mall with Eric in January and saw this 'pin craft' picture of Gandhi start.

Yesterday we went back to the mall and it's finished!

The tuk tuk says it again!

Yep!

 Love

Ken and Heather xx