Mostly motorbikes...

 Flashes of lightning, sounds of thunder rolling around the hills - power-cuts are imminent, time to rush out and bring in washing and duvets that have been airing in the morning sun!! There have been some lovely sunny days here but it's obvious that although the ferns on the trees are beginning to go brown, the monsoon has a few more raindrops to refresh us with!!

This has been another busy week of Hindi lessons. Ken has added some very helpful conversation practice with a local teacher in the village to his day, and is making good progress.

I have stopped my formal lessons now and am going to continue learning and practicing Hindi at home with the cd's and Internet resources we have. 

We have just two weeks left here and I want to have time to prepare the work I will be doing when back in Delhi. I will have a very different job for the next three months with Asha which needs some thinking about and planning! More about that later, but I am glad to have these next few days to give some thought to it all.

We are in a 'writers' paradise with the quietness, views and natures inspiration on our doorstep - I want to make the most of our time here to do some 'creative' writing about our travels, experiences - perhaps even some song writing too.

Yesterday, our Hindu friends were celebrating the birthday of Krishna, the eighth son of Devaki and Vasudeva.

Hindus celebrate Janmashtami by fasting, worshipping Krishna and staying up until midnight, and offering prayers. Images of Krishna's infancy are placed in swings and cradles in temples and homes. At midnight, devotees gather around for devotional songs, dance and exchange gifts. Some temples also conduct readings of the Hindu religious scriptures from the Bhagavad Gita.

Our small village of Landour was decorated and lit from beginning to end with colourful lights and sparkly garlands. Families came together, the Temples played loud music and as always, many, many sweets were eaten!!

Travelling anywhere in Asia is 'an experience' - especially on the roads!
Our photos this week include some from our travels of our encounters with motor bikes/scooters - it has to be the most useful form of transport - however, all safety laws seem to be ignored - frightening!!!

Love


Heather and Ken xx

Lights and decorations in our town to celebrate Krishna's birthday.

Lights can turn a rather shabby street into something quite 'charming'!

Dahi Handi is the spectacular tradition where a group of young men makes a human pyramid. The person on top of the pyramid tries to break the hanging handi (clay pot) filled with buttermilk. He usually uses a nariyal (coconut) as it symbolizes purity. The buttermilk pours down on the pyramid.
Yesterday in the paper, there was an article saying that the High Court had banned 'human pyramid towers' higher than 20ft, as they are scary and dangerous!!

Quality bike!

Vietnam: children travel freely on motor scooters!

India: glad the adults have their helmets on!!

It's very usual to see families together on motorbikes - often there is a baby being held as well!

More Vietnam: notice all the helmets!!!

Rush hour! Somehow it all works!!

We all had such fun on our bikes!!

A quick catch up......

Life in Landour continues with monkeys, rain, Hindi learning and the realisation that this is a very special time of preparation and a moment of peace and 'space' before our next 3 months of an exciting new programme of work with Asha and reconnecting again with students we taught last September.

Monday was Independence Day - celebrated at the Language school with our teachers and other students with the raising of the Indian flag, singing the National Anthem together, listening to speeches, and then sharing samosas, cakes and very sticky, sweet Gulab Jammon with delicious chai masala.

There have been beautiful sunny days (great for trying to get washing dry) and also moments where the rain has just fallen from the sky flooding roads and washing paths away - in seconds, waterfalls appear and rain pours down the hills! But with the clearing of the mist there have been stunning views of the snowy capped Himalayas.

A big turn-out to say 'happy anniversary'!

Making our way back up what should be, a ONE WAY hill, with loads of traffic in every direction doing the same.....

Clouds swirl up covering the village

Views of Landour

Views of the Himalayas and their snowy peaks

Clear views from the top

The raising of the flag

Our beautiful teachers on Independence Day

The Language School Staff singing together

We can't really complain about facilities in our schools in the UK

Raindrops keep falling on my head...

The monsoon has certainly been felt in Mussoorie this week - we've paddled our way up the hill to our language classes - been overtaken by 3 men on a motor scooter with umbrella and decided it's quite refreshing to indulge in a free foot spa and at least we have very clean feet!!

We are always thankful that we have a warm, dry home to return to - not everyone in Mussoorie is as fortunate as you will see in our photos.

There have been three main highlights this week

1.     Joyia's very special baptism on Sunday (in a paddling pool - pani pani hai- Hindi for, water is water!! Who cares what it's in! ) Many friends and neighbours gathered to witness this special occasion.

2.    Having Abigail and Andrew to our place for supper - Andrew has been craving his mum's cauliflower cheese so we were able to help out.

3.    Today is our 10th wedding anniversary.  We began our celebrations with our Hindi teachers practising the Indian National Anthem that we will sing on Monday during the 'raising of the flag' ceremony for Independence Day, and then shared the very, very sweet Indian sweets we bought for them all to enjoy with a cup of chai.

Now after a two hour taxi journey zigzagging down the narrow hill roads we arrived at a lovely hotel in Dehradun in the brilliant hot sunshine ready to enjoy a relaxing weekend together! 

We praise God for these years we've had together (and that we're still best friends after 11 months of travelling and working together - miracles do happen!).

Oh dear, the sunshine is disappearing and our friends the clouds, seem to have tracked us down - sounds of thunder and power cuts signal the coming rains.......and probably the end of wifi so I will post this quickly! 

Love

Heather and Ken xx

Stress in the classroom (I'm going to be so patient with slow learners when I next teach) 

Joyia's baptism - not the usual baptismal pool, but it did the job

Many people live in a very challenging way on the hillside of Mussoorie

Who has priority? The car or the cow? Obviously, the cow!

The sabzi walla is not looking too keen as his next customer arrives.

"Just checking to make sure you're still following me."

Large inquisitive langur decided to have a good look into our cabin

Andrew and Abigail about to enjoy cauliflower cheese etc.

A lovely welcome to our weekend away for our anniversary.

Time to put our feet up (and our Hindi books away)

'Still crazy after all these years...'

Amazing to think we've just come from the hills in the background

Looking forward to relaxing in the pool tomorrow

Oh dear, the clouds have found us.

The skies have cleared!

Last week was our 50th blog. Thanks so much to everyone who reads all these and for your comments - they mean so much - we are loving being here but missing you all.

Today as we arrived at the language school there was a definite buzz of excitement as our (female) teachers photographed each other in their beautiful new clothes and waited for the henna to dry on their hands!   

Tomorrow is the Hariyali Teej Festival - Teej is one of the most sacred Hindu festivals observed in India. It is observed in different parts of the country by the womenfolk to seek blessings for marital happiness and long life for their husbands. Teej honours the devotion of Ma Parvati who underwent penance for years to become the consort of Shiva. Women seek her blessings for a happy married life and unmarried girls fast to attain an exemplary husband like Shiva.

There are many customs but usually the women apply ‘mehendi’ (floral patterns made with henna paste) on their hands and feet and wear beautiful saris with matching bangles and ornaments.

Usually, green is the more favoured colour especially during ‘Hariyali Teej’. Those observing Teej get cosmetic items and jewellery for ‘Shringara’ by their parents. Women offer decorated coconut to their relatives. They visit their maternal homes and seek the blessings of the elderly and enjoy a get together with friends and family members.

We've had more of a sunny week so far (photos reflect this) - and as the mist and clouds have disappeared we've been surprised at the vistas that have opened up of distant plains and mountains.  The trees have been full of singing birds and mischievous monkeys - some of the tiny ones were enjoying a swing on the branches and then found our towels to sit on - thanks, just when you think you can hang things out to get them dry!!!

It's Friday!! Hooray - time to unscramble our 'Hindi' brains!

Have a great weekend.

Love Heather and Ken xx

Proof that we are at school

Our lovely teachers looking gorgeous in their festival clothes

The early morning mehendi workshop as hands are decorated

Jaswinder's hands

Heather's hands

It's so lovely to see into the villages in the hills

More monkey pics...they can be so cute

Rascals waiting for someone to pass with shopping or a rubbish bag to put in the bin - they ransack the bins...

One monkey jumped out at us as we were carrying some food shopping - they know a white bag when they see one. Made us jump and even run. I expect the others just sat and laughed.

Clear skies and mountains appear

Sadly there has been a huge landslide which has blocked the road

Our view from 7,000 feet up

Walking home today we met the andawalla on his way up to the village - had to buy some eggs (and take his picture)

Some say, "The writing's on the wall",... Ken said, 'It's in moss code' - ha ha - oh dear it must be Friday!