Dhinka Libby Chika :)

I have been very busy lately. It hasn't been housework, tough. Thanks to my hard-working husband -and my God who obviously provides for everything we have- Carolinal is now helping me around the house. So I haven't been very busy cleaning the house anymore. I am busy anyway.

Busy with Libby and Enzo, hanging out with friends, and also reading and researching lots of things. These ideas come to my mind and I write them down. I write them down separately in one of the four notebooks I have bought for different things. One is for the budget; the other is for recipes and grocery shopping lists because I usually forget what it is that I bought stuff for. So if I keep the recipes attached, I remember the carrots were for this or that recipe, so I don't use them randomly. The third notebook is for BSF and Bible stuff, and the fourth is for my random thoughts and prayers.

Rock climbing

So far everything is mixed, especially the Bible and random notebooks. If a person comes to my mind I make a note to pray about this or that. Also ideas about books that I would like to write. So I am trying to write about my experiences as a mom. I would like to give hope to moms in some weird way. I don't know. I haven't decided the course of the book. But it won't be a what to expect kinda thing. I hope it will develop as I keep doing life in Chennai. It is kinda difficult to find time to do it right now with my two monkeys. But I've realized I do have the time.

Like the other day, I literally spent like three hours reading the Bhagavad Gita which are the Hindu Scriptures. There are many other stories, but basically, if you want to know what Hinduism teaches at its core, that's the book to read. At least that's what my friend Sugirda said. So I'm digging deep into that. It has definitely helped me to understand people in India. I don't really know if all Indian people have read it; but for what I've read so far,  even if they haven't, it's embedded in their culture. I'm only in Chapter 4 of 18, but a lot of things are making more sense now :)

I'm also reading the Quran to relate better to another friend who is a Muslim. We have had coffee with Enzo and her husband when Libby is at school. We pretty much joked around, and cleared the air of some misconceptions they had about Americans. I feel I am constantly defending a country which is not even my own... but it is my own -kind of.

CHENNAI ZOO

(Little to see, but we had a good workout carrying children on our backs when they got tired)

Walked a lot to see this baby :)

Another "baby"

 I lived there for the past seven years - my whole married life. My children were born there, and most of my best friends are Americans. Not all Americans are they way people over here they are. So of course, I have to defend ya'll. LOL!!

Well, I'm not an American, I told Irfan. 

Many people wrongly make assumptions based on what they see on TV. I have done it. And Hollywood doesn't help obviously. I also asked about their diet. It finally made sense what Kosher and Halal meant. They are really so easy to talk to. And they spoiled Enzo so much. They made us have breakfast because according to Faiza, I'm this boring mom who gives oatmeal with honey every single day to her children -which is true.

She asked me if all Westerners dated many people before getting married. Oh, boy, where to begin?, I said.  She was laughing so hard. I obviously had to ask about Muslims and bombs. Irfan is so calm and relaxed when he talks, that it is easy to ask these kind of things, you know?

Well, Irfan... You seem like a very nice guy. But for all I see in the media over there, right now you are carrying a bomb under your shirt, and are going to blow this place up while we are having the croissants you bought for us...  

He talked about Allah, and I acknowledged many things. Yes. The Only One God who created the world is All-knowing. He said his duty is to preach The Truth, but he cannot convince anybody to be a Muslim - only God can do that work in the heart of the people.

I agree, Irfan. Preach it. I'm all ears...

HAIRCUT

Getting ready

Such a good boy

Good customer service - holding the tablet :)

They recommended me the iQuran app for my iPhone and so I'm reading. Hence I had this other idea for another book. I speak a lot. A LOT. And when I write I feel I'm actually talking. Most importantly, all this time I knew following Jesus is a choice.

I was talking to my other neighbor, Yukiko, this morning on our walk. She asked me why I didn't celebrate Santa with my children. I told her that for us as a family, Christmas was about the birth of Jesus -the Son of God- our Savior. I also told her that every family chooses what is best for them, but that we had decided not to include Santa in our Christmas celebration. We focus on the actual reason for the Holiday. Santa is everywhere on the streets lately, so it's not like I wanna hide the guy. It's okay to pretend he comes, but my children know it is a fantasy. And if they want to have hope, and believe in something, God and His Son are much more real and powerful that Santa Claus.

My point is she had no idea Christmas was a Christian Holiday. She wanted to learn more about other cultures, and about other beliefs. I'm doing the same thing. I've been following Jesus all this time. But if I'm gonna keep on following, I might as well know the difference and the options out there, you know?

The more I read about other faiths, the more I'm in awe of the things that as a Christian I sometimes take for granted...

Isn't he a cutie?

IT'S A BOY!!

Yes. Finally. Enzo got a haircut. Everybody thought he was a girl. All the time. Even the guys at the haircut place didn't want to cut his hair. It was until Kannadasan explained that he was a boy, that they stopped questioning Emerson about telling them to cut it very short!

Washing his hair is so easy, and he doesn't get as hot as before, and feels more comfortable. He looks older, tough. When I ask if he misses his hair he says yes. So we might give another go once we go back to the US. Not here. The weather is nice right now. But they say it's awful in May, or any other month except December. Will see. 

My Boy

My Girl

WORLD FEST AT VAEL'S BILLABONG

In other late news there was this world festival at school. Libby brought an invitation, and she personally told her daddy she wanted him to come. The invitation said parents were allowed to visit the stands from 9 am until 2 pm. I misunderstood the flyer. So I showed up with Emerson to visit the world stands and eat some food, but the children were to visit the fair only with their teachers. Parents were not allowed to do so with their children, except the kindergarteners.

To make matters worse, Emerson was getting upset. He had to cancel a meeting since his girl had invited him to the thing. So I had a choice: either tell him to leave an apologize for me not being proactive and asking more questions OR do my best so that Libby can actually go around the world with us. So between me talking to the secretary outside and other people, I finally got to sign a paper slip so they would excuse Libby from class. That way Libby could go around the thing with Daddy, and play. The only drawback was that she couldn't get back to class anymore with her friends. 

Fine, I can live with that, I told Matma ma'am.

Playground for themselves

Finally when she gets out, I'm so psyched, you know?? Ready to buy he food or stuff, but she hears all the noise and sees all the people, and tells Emerson she just wants to leave, and play outside on her own! Like Father like daughter. I was upset, but what can I say? Emerson kept his word, because he was there for her like he had said. I spent the best time with them at the playground because they had it all for themselves. She was so excited about it, because there are a lot of children playing when school is out. 

That's it. Oh, I bought two balloons that were destroyed that same evening. Also, I took many photos and videos of some girls dancing to Dhinka Chika, and Emerson made a video for Libby :)

We had anticipated our future in the post Libby is pooping in the toilet. But I'll show you the video I posted back then again...

Open Up

This is our own Mexican-American version...

Dhinka Libby Chika 

Mika Singh

RAILWAY MUSEUM

We also visited the railway museum. It's nice. Before that we visited a train station for Enzo to look at the trains. He is such a boy. He loves cars, planes and trains. I'm learning to be with him. He doesn't really like doing anything with me, at least that's what I feel. He listens to what I say, but refuses to read books or do stuff that I used to do with Libby. But he loves coloring with me, and watching videos all the time about trains, and cars and planes that go SUPER FAST, MOMMY!! 

Train station

He is also into Bob the Builder. We visited a toy store yesterday while Libby was at school. We saw many toy cars. So I'm thinking I might buy him some for Christmas, and we'll see what else for Libby. We are buying a very small Christmas tree, and some ornaments for them to decorate it. But I don't think is worth it to buy a whole big tree, and then having to take it back to the US. 

Do not read wrong. Christmas is worth it, but not the tree. 

Monkey

I explained that already to them the other night as we were singing songs before going to bed. Christmas will come, with big tree or small tree, even with no tree. And there will be singing and joy. Tree or no tree. Cookies or no cookies. Christmas in Chennai will come this year. And I didn't say it, of course. The Grinch realized how silly he had been for trying to steal Christmas from the Whos. So if Dr. Seuss said it, it must be true.

How the Grinch stole Christmas

by Dr. Seuss

Wisdom in a book :)

All aboard!

Bye, bye, Daddy!

We took a ride, and ate some snacks at the museum. The children also played at the playground. I'm still surprised -thankful- that they haven't gotten sick. They were sliding down the slides, and there was bird poop on them, and all kinds of nastiness. The whole place smelled like dead dog. Actually Emerson and Kannadasan were looking for it. The poop was dry, but it's still poop. And their hands and feet are always filthy, as much as I try to wash them. I do believe God is protecting them all the time from everything ;)

Libby showing Daddy

My sweet boy

India finally caught up with him

Scale model

Rust

Trains

Watching the scale models

Michael Scott comes naturally to me as you will see...

Michael Scott

Train ride

You wanted fast, right?

Ticket

Ticket with a smile

DATE NIGHT

Emerson took Libby on a date. They had so much fun. I made an exception for her and let her wear nail polish. She couldn't believe it! She was eagerly waiting for her daddy to be ready. She was ready two hours before the actual time Daddy had told her they would leave.

They had dinner here. I thought they would have some dessert. But the little lady had a croissant, some macaroons, and three slices of pizza. That's Daddy's girl :)

Beautiful :)

So happy to leave with her love :)