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 😳

Countdown to Christmas

Friday 1st December - Countdown to Christmas begins.....

‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’, playing on the radio, reminded us of the 12 Asha Values of life - perhaps they are more helpful for us to spend time thinking about.

Compassion, Dignity, Generosity, Simplicity, Justice, Love, Non
Violence, Power of Touch, Optimism, Joy, Empowerment, Gratitude.

Each one demands a response, so it’s worth taking a little time during December to ponder how we are demonstrating these values in our lives. 

Every day these values are so evident as we work and meet with Asha staff and students in the slums of Delhi.

A weekend in Amritsar visiting the Golden Temple.

So much gold!!

Couldn’t resist.......

All day, every day, thousands of people are fed... hundreds volunteer to serve..... this is an incredible demonstration of ‘compassion’.

And then there’s the washing up .....

The noise is deafening, but it has to be done!

India v Pakistan at the Wagah border -

Amazing display of marching techniques ( Monty Python style).

The headdresses we’re an inspiration (Heather was wondering what to make with the toddlers this week)

Wow - so proud of his crown!

Everyone had fun....

Even the staff had to have a ‘selfie’..... (good that we don’t grow up!!)

Saturday morning in the garden of the Australian High Commission.

A winter Charity fair..... 25 degrees, no chance of rain or snow!!

We were there to support Asha who were selling Christmas cards made by the children and gift bags and boxes. 

1st December - advent calendars to begin the countdown.

A lovely end to the weekend with Sweeta and her family. Thank you!

Tuk Tukking around Delhi 😬 (white knuckle rides!)

We’ve been enjoying a much needed rest this week - recharging batteries and finding time to discover a little more of the Delhi we haven’t seen before.

Amanda gave us a fabulous book called ‘111 Places in New Delhi That You Must Not Miss’ - so this week we’ve been exploring in the warm winter sunshine.

We found, new parks, the Lanes of Shahpur Jat with all the the haut couturier shops, Khoj Art Studios, Sultan Garhi’s Mausoleum, the Ahinsa Sthal Park with Metcalfe’s Folly and the statue of Lord Mahavira seated in Padmasna pose on a Lotus flower. We enjoyed a recommended ‘mutton stew’ at The Pot Belly, having climbed up 5 flights of stairs to the restaurant! 

We’ve just been to see the ‘Coms’ team at Bhikaji to wish Ayesha a happy birthday - took her a Fridge cake having had such a ‘cake’ disaster last week!! 

Taking a quick flight to Amritsar tomorrow to see the Golden Temple and Wagah Ceremony..... we need to go back to work for a rest!!

The Pot Belly restaurant (worth the climb up 5 flights of stairs).

Khada and Litti Mutton - delicious!! - they also had Phish Phingers on the menu (tempted, but went for the Mutton).

One of the Lanes of Shahpur Jat - described as an open air street art gallery.

This is our little stationers ‘shop’ it’s a bit of den but somehow ‘Mr Mole’ burrows away and finds what I need.

My shoe needed mending, so the shoe wallah (mochee) who sits and works on the pavement near our flat did an amazing job for 50p.

The 14ft tall Lord Mahavira statue, installed by Jain worshippers in the mid 1980’s

The ‘backside’ (Indian terminology) of the statue (with Metcalfe’s Folly and Qutb Minar in background).

Metcalfe’s Folly - Sir Thomas Metcalfe was appointed by the East India Company to deal with the last of the Mughal emperors, Bahadur Shah Zafar, and to oversea civil matters in Delhi.

The Ahinsa Sthal Park. Nice to see open space and ‘green’.

Children’s Day celebrations

Ken and I work in the Chanderpuri community on Tuesdays (it’s nice to be able to travel once a week together). This Tuesday was CHILDREN’S DAY and so we were there to join in their celebrations. 

Guests from the local community were invited, speeches made, songs sung and finally 4 beautiful dancers entertained us with folk dances.

Many of the children proudly wore their new polo shirts that were donated by St Mary’s and St Peter’s School in Teddington. Thank you Allison, Deidre and Christine for adding them to your luggage!!!

We’ve also been meeting Amanda and Victoria as they visit all the communities collecting recipes, life stories and tasting various dishes (we’ve been in on the tastings too - big bonus!!)

Thankfully our ‘monkey visitor’ from last week has not reappeared - however I would have been quite happy for him to take my attempt at a microwave chocolate cake...... it didn’t turn out quite as expected..... 

Today is the beginning of our week’s (half term) holiday - a much needed rest and time to look ahead and prepare for the next 3 months. 

We’re looking forward to travelling to Amritsar to see the Golden Temple and the Pakistan/India Wagah Attari Border Ceremony.

Wagah is a village situated on the Golden Trunk Road between Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan and Amritsar, India. It serves as a goods transit terminal and a railway station between Pakistan and India.

Children wearing their new polo shirts and waiting for the celebrations to begin.

A special folk dance performed by four girls from Chanderpuri.

Great attention to detail!!

Children and visitors gather to celebrate 'Children’s Day'.

Fun counting games with Incy Wincy Spider....

Mums and Toddlers have fun with catching games......

“Come back monkey, look in the microwave .... time for cake?”

A very important moment as Rani shares the secrets of her Shahi Paneer recipe.... one to definitely buy the book for!!

Ken saw the fumigation lorry arrive at Chanderpuri yesterday.....

Results ......... hopefully it did some good?