Sport's day, Camp and Pooja

Sport's day

Both the boys have had their sport's days but on different days.

The day starts off with a marching parade past the crowd with the best house winning and gaining points. There is also a horse parade, as the school offers horse riding as a sporting activity alongside football and swimming!
Max managed to win a medal and got to go on the podium as did Milo.
Both days were enjoyable but so unbearably hot even though we had a fancy shaded area provided.

The weather has suddenly changed from cooler mornings where it is nice and fresh to hot, hot, hot!

The mosquitoes, frogs and snakes are back too. This week alone 3 highly poisonous Cobras and a Russell's Viper have been found in our community and removed by the experts, but everyone is on guard!

Max getting his medal.

Milo was in the relay team.

Camp

It was Max's turn to go to camp and he went for the school week. He was not keen on the first night and we had a rather emotional call from him. In the background, as he face timed, we could see boys chasing each other with pillows, running, shouting and generally annoying their teachers but Max wanted to sit quietly!  I sent a message to one of the teacher's saying that he was anxious.

The next night, after a day of crawling through mud, building rafts and climbing huge poles, knowing he had been busy, we waited for his call.
 It was a bit like the "hello mudda hello fadduh (camp Granada) song  by Allan Sherman from the sixties. He was bright, breezy and shouting with the other boys.
Luckily, the new positive attitude continued every night, including the last night, where they had a bonfire, barbecue and a disco. He did ring us up, but spent the whole time talking to his friends and not us!

He came home exhausted and his clothes were covered in mud. He was rather proud that he had 3 showers without being asked. So some progress was made after all!

The idea of the camp is to promote leadership skills and to develop confidence.

Max and some of his pals .

Pooja

The boundary wall at the factory plot has been completed and the builders were ready to 'break the ground' to start the foundations. In India to do this you have to have a ceremony called a Pooja. On that day Max had an exam and Milo had practise for his Sport's day so we didn't take them with us which turned out to be rather a shame.

When we got there, there was another fancy tent with a few rows of covered seats ( like at a wedding) and a Hindu priest sat on the ground on a piece of blue tarpaulin. At the edge of the tarpaulin was a coconut draped in pretty flowers, a photo frame with 3 gods/goddesses in it, a few  breeze blocks with flowers, a pick axe with flowers on and several other building implements with decorations or flowers. There were also lots of offerings of food such as rice, bananas and strange nuts.
We thought we had come to watch the Pooja but we were so wrong. We had to take off our shoes and sit on the a small wooden seat and lead the auspicious Pooja ceremony ourselves.
It involved lots of holding of rice and flowers in our enclosed palms and then sprinkling them onto the coconut at the front while the priest chanted.

We also gave the coconut bananas and these nut things. I think the coconut was supposed to represent Mother Earth but I'm not quite sure on that part. The idea behind the Pooja is that you are saying sorry that you are going to interfere with nature by building on the bare earth.

After about 20 minutes all the offerings had been given and then we had to have a very heavy rod ( with flowers on again) we had to tap the earth 3 times and then use a solid small shovel to scrape away the earth 3 times. Each person present had to do this and this was the Ground Breaking part of the ceremony.

Then once we had all done this we were offered a sweet cake in celebration.

We started off wearing our building helmets but the site manager decided we needed to take them off as we were doing the Pooja.

The man in the pink shirt behind us told us what to do .

Breaking the ground 3 times

The Hindu priest who lead the ceremony

Scraping the earth 3 times

We then had an Indian breakfast and coffee with all the people present including the builders, architects and management team.

Arjun had gone with us onto the site and luckily he had managed to take lot of photos and some video clips.

The blessed breeze blocks will be put in the factory wall as the factory is being built.

There will be another Pooja for when the building is finished and we will make sure that we take the boys next time. We will make also sure by then that we have found out more details about what goes on and what the full ceremony means in detail.

Milo's performance,Grandma and Grandad, Christmas , The Taj Mahal and Jaipur

Milo's Performance.

Milo loves dancing and was chosen to be in the school performance. He was in the production of the Wizard of Oz and did a dance involving girls and boys.
The whole performance was in the amphitheatre outside on a lovely evening. The had arranged for a small film company to film it, there were professional photographers and musicians. It was a rather swish event and very very good.
All the children had a part if they wanted but I must say Milo was so good and we were so proud. He enjoyed it very much except for having make up put on him. Apparently, he and his mates went in the toilets to kiss the wall to get rid of their lipstick ! Yuk!

Milo also had been on a school trip for a few days to build his leadership skills. He spent his time crawling through mud, water and playing team games. He stopped over night in a hut and had a fantastic time. He came home with soaking wet clothes stuffed in his case ( he was quite intelligent though and put them into a carrier bag, so another proud moment !)

Grandma and Grandad

Andrew's parents arrived and were really pleased to be in the warm weather. They managed to bring sausages from the butchers in Spilsby. The sausages were packed in a box and surrounded by ice blocks and put in their suitcase. We were really surprised that the sausages were still cold when they arrived. Max and Milo were so pleased and couldn't wait to eat them. 

We went to the land where the factory is being built.

We went to the new posh cinema nearby.

We tried the new pizza restaurant 

Andrew took his mum out on the motorbike, I think he went a bit too fast.

Christmas

Christmas was spent in Palm Meadows in the morning, opening presents and then we went to a hotel for Christmas dinner which included the most enormous buffet ( roast turkey etc was available ). There was a good band playing and everyone was dancing in the sunshine. Santa made a visit and Milo was happy because there was a bouncy castle.

The Taj Mahal and Jaipur.

We took the two and a half hour flight to Delhi and spent the night there in a hotel that suited Milo's5 star requirements!. Delhi was really green and the roads were much cleaner. It needs more investigation we think.

We got up early (5) to catch the fast train to Agra. It was the first time that we had been cold since being in India (5 degrees!) and we were pleased that we had taken our coats.
 It was rather chaotic at the station and we managed to some porters to carry all the bags to the correct platform. The train was clean and comfortable, there was even a choice of food. It took 90 minutes instead of 5 hours in a car so we were pleased with the train choice.

The transfer was swift from the train station to the hotel. We had booked a company that provided a small bus for us and an excellent guide ( any one out there who wants to go to The Taj , just ask us for his number, it was so good)
After quick rest we set off in the bus for the Baby Taj Mahal, which not many people are aware of. It was amazing , the detail of the hand carvings was out of this word and so detailed, even the boys were impressed.
Then we went to the river opposite the real Taj Mahal and sat on a wall and calmly watched the sun set over the Taj Mahal. It was magical.

The next day we arrived the big Taj Mahal about 9 which is early. It was too foggy to go at dawn. But by 9 it was clearing. It was still cool but the temperature gradually climbed and we had to shed our layers.
The Taj Mahal was even more impressive  close up and although we were aware of its significance, to actually see it is something everyone should do if they visit India. Our guide Ramesh was so good at spotting opportunities for photos that he took most of them on our phones.

We then visited the Red fort in Agra in the afternoon which was spectacular. 

 New's Year Eve was a bit of a disappointment as they were not allowed fireworks due to the local pollution and we were puffed out from all the walking !

Jaipur

The next day we set off in car organised by Ramesh's company and had a 5 hour journey to Jaipur. luckily the road was smooth and straight, there were toilet stops on the way and a good restaurant. 

We had rooms over looking a lake with a palace in the middle so it was very pretty. 

After a good night's sleep ,we set off for the fort in Jaipur. It was fascinating to see all the elephants(130) who ferry people up the path to the fort. We didn't do this but went in the car instead. The fort was interesting but by now Milo was overcome with information and was complaining of a headache. 

We got in the car to go back to the hotel but on the way back decided to stop for a photograph. In the car park there were two snake charmers. Milo and I stayed in the car as we don't like snakes and the others go out. Fascinated by the cobra dancing out of its basket, Christine got too close and the charmers invited her to sit down with them. One of them, then got the cobra and put it round her neck. She did look rather surprised. Meanwhile Milo and I were squirming in the car and locked the doors! The snake removed , Christine bought a charming flute and was rather pleased with her achievement .