One Year on........

Hi, Jo here, it’s been a while since I added anything to this blog (mainly because we’ve had no internet access at home since we got back from the UK in July) so now, just over a year since we arrived in India, seems as good a time as any for an update. Our ‘anniversary’ prompted us to do a bit of reflection on the past year. Although it has been hard at times and there is a touch of relief that we did it and survived (!), we are glad we came and glad that we are still here! We’ve learnt so much about the country, the culture, people and language and also about ourselves.

Some highlights:

-Arriving in India, finally, after months of preparation, packing and goodbyes. Coming out of the airport and remembering what we loved about India

-Settling in to our own flat and making it home and, in March, settling into our new, improved flat which has made life so much easier.

-Shopping. Learning how and where to shop and what we could and couldn’t buy.

-The fruit and vegetables, which are fantastic and fantastically cheap. We will struggle to part with our cash when we return to the UK after such luxuries as a box of 24 mangoes for 2.50!

-One month in Mussoorie in Oct/Nov studying Hindi. Walking to ‘school’ everyday looking at the snow-capped Himalayas was something we will never forget. It has been great putting our Hindi into practice and becoming, slowly, more confident. Folk are always pleased, and often surprised when we talk to them in Hindi.

-The animals, which you both love and hate. A trip anywhere generally includes pigs (a family of which live on the rubbish tip in our street), chickens, lots of dogs, a goat or two, cows and the odd elephant thrown in for good measure! For all that I worry about what the children miss out on, experiences like this are unique and great for language development!

-Speaking of language development, Alistair’s expanding Hindi repertoire delights and amuses us. He has really adopted the ‘Indian way’ with the head wobble, hand movements, intonation and ‘Hinglish’ grammar! I love the fact that he and Freya are absorbing a different culture which will hopefully broaden their views of the world and make them more tolerant and versatile in years to come.

-Being out in the early-late evening and experiencing the buzz on the streets as everyone emerges from the heat to buy, sell, play, chat, walk…. Watching the wee man ride ably along on his bike with 20 trays of eggs tied precariously onto to the back, or the 2 men on their scooter carrying a huge pane of glass while chatting on their mobiles.

-Driving! I never thought I would drive a car in India! There is actually a bizarre logic to the chaos once you get used to it and learn never to stop or give way to anything!

-Adam’s family visiting us for Christmas, and New Year’s Eve spent with them in Mumbai. We brought in 2006 in a rooftop restaurant looking out over the harbour with the Gateway of India in full view.

-Freya’s arrival on the 15th January has to be a highlight for all of us. I certainly won’t forget the experience (!). It’s hard to believe that a year ago we were here and she wasn’t when now she is such a part of our family.

-My parent’s coming to visit when Freya was 3 weeks old. It was really special to be able to share our excitement with close family.

-Adam’s sister and friends coming in July/August.

-All the other visitors that we’ve had. It’s as though we’ve got to know more people and more people better by being here than if we’d been in the UK!

-Our anniversary weekend at a posh hotel, complete with big red love heart balloons!

-Of course our work here which you can, if you haven’t already, read about in more detail in previous entries.

I could go on but won’t, except to say that we are looking forward to the next 2 years. Now that we’ve already hit the one year mark, we realize how quickly our time in India will go and want to make the most of our experience and roles here.