Headed to New Delhi
Okay, it's 8:40am on Wednesday morning. We leave for the airport in a little over an hour. I should be up in my room packing, but wanted to nip down to the computer station and send a quick update.
Nandini is really sick right now. She's been running over 100 temperature and has a bad cough and cold. We think she has a double ear infection, too, as she's been pulling at her ears and whining. We are REALLY dreading the flight to New Delhi. Fortunately, it's only 2 hours. Now, if the ear infection is not cleared up by our 28 hour journey home on Saturday then I'm thinking that Mom and I might just have to take advantage of the free alcohol they serve on the plane.
Just kidding.
Well, maybe.
Nandini didn't sleep well last nigt. We kept taking turns laying her on our chest and elevating her head. She's so small for a 3 year old. She's tall, but just seems so small. She's got the tiniest little face I've ever seen.
She finally went #2 in the potty. Poor girl had such a belly ache. She hadn't gone since Monday. Fortunately, Mom was helping her at the potty and had to deal with it. What a stink! How on earth can such a tiny little thing make such a stinky mess. Mom was gagging and I was doubled over with a giggle fit. Mom was having such a hard time - squatting on the floor holding Nandini over the potty while trying not to throw up at the smell. And, you know, it really doesn't matter what you're doing... toilets just don't smell good from that angle.
Poor Nandini. I hope we didn't add to her already fragile ego.
I really hope her cold clears up. She's so out of it right now - you know how you get when you're all congested. She's just in such a daze. But, boy, she looks pretty! :-). She cracks us up with her love for all things glittery. I think she's going to get some Disney Princess costumes for Christmas this year. :-)
Mom had her first meltdown yesterday. We took an auto rickshaw to Pune Central and it's a bit like a jeep in that there are no doors. It's open. Well, we stopped at a busy intersection (whatever image you have in your head... just erase it... unless you've been to India, there's no way to explain what a busy intersection looks like. It's unreal). Anyway, this little beggar girl came up and started tapping Mom on the leg. Then, she started doing backwalkovers and gymnastic tricks to get Mom to give her some money. Of course, I couldn't help myself. I gave the little beggar girl our taxi money and then had to beg money from Mom. Oh, the irony!
The thing that got us the most was that she just stared at Nandini. She looked at her leg braces and then at Nandini and then at us. The look on her face was indescribable. She knew exactly what was going on. And really, there is no difference between Nandini and that little girl. As horrible as this sounds, and I don't want it to be taken the wrong way, the only difference is that Nandini was fortunate enough to be placed in an orphanage (at BSSK). Her future was secured when she was cleared for adoption. And this little girl that lives on the streets will do this for the rest of her life. She will not go to school or get an education. Her future is already set. And that broke Mom's heart. Of course, it didn't help that a little boy came hobbling up to Mom and shoved his ampuated leg in her face and held out his fand for money. It just really set her off and she broke down. And then, going in to Pune Central, which is a fancy department store and seeing the prices and the designer clothes and furniture... when right outside the door are homeless street children. It was just too much for her to take.
She's doing much better today, though.
Okay, I need to run upstairs and back. The hotel here in Pune has been great. The food is cheap and great. Touch wood, we haven't gotten sick yet. Oh! And Nandini refuses to eat Indian food anymore. After tasting pizza for lunch yesterday, she's developed a taste for Western foods. Mom ordered a grilled chicken sandwich and potato chips, but I ordered Veg Thali for us, and Nandini literally turned her nose up at it, shook her head, and pushed it away. She then reached for Mom's sandwich and ate 1/2 of it. For breakfast this morning, she had a bowl of cornflakes, toast, and fresh fruit. She also doesn't want to drink out of a glass. She wants to drink out of the bottled water like we do. lol. She's a character, I tell ya.
Off to pack now. Not sure if the computer at the Sri Nanak will be up and running or not. Haven't been able to post pictures, but will see if the CT couple will take a picture and download it to their PC and I'll try to add it. Hopefully, we'll have some pictures posted by tomorrow night.
Wish us luck at the Embassy!
Leslie (will forgo the whole Noah's Mom thing, as it's just not PC anymore, is it? lol)
Nandini is really sick right now. She's been running over 100 temperature and has a bad cough and cold. We think she has a double ear infection, too, as she's been pulling at her ears and whining. We are REALLY dreading the flight to New Delhi. Fortunately, it's only 2 hours. Now, if the ear infection is not cleared up by our 28 hour journey home on Saturday then I'm thinking that Mom and I might just have to take advantage of the free alcohol they serve on the plane.
Just kidding.
Well, maybe.
Nandini didn't sleep well last nigt. We kept taking turns laying her on our chest and elevating her head. She's so small for a 3 year old. She's tall, but just seems so small. She's got the tiniest little face I've ever seen.
She finally went #2 in the potty. Poor girl had such a belly ache. She hadn't gone since Monday. Fortunately, Mom was helping her at the potty and had to deal with it. What a stink! How on earth can such a tiny little thing make such a stinky mess. Mom was gagging and I was doubled over with a giggle fit. Mom was having such a hard time - squatting on the floor holding Nandini over the potty while trying not to throw up at the smell. And, you know, it really doesn't matter what you're doing... toilets just don't smell good from that angle.
Poor Nandini. I hope we didn't add to her already fragile ego.
I really hope her cold clears up. She's so out of it right now - you know how you get when you're all congested. She's just in such a daze. But, boy, she looks pretty! :-). She cracks us up with her love for all things glittery. I think she's going to get some Disney Princess costumes for Christmas this year. :-)
Mom had her first meltdown yesterday. We took an auto rickshaw to Pune Central and it's a bit like a jeep in that there are no doors. It's open. Well, we stopped at a busy intersection (whatever image you have in your head... just erase it... unless you've been to India, there's no way to explain what a busy intersection looks like. It's unreal). Anyway, this little beggar girl came up and started tapping Mom on the leg. Then, she started doing backwalkovers and gymnastic tricks to get Mom to give her some money. Of course, I couldn't help myself. I gave the little beggar girl our taxi money and then had to beg money from Mom. Oh, the irony!
The thing that got us the most was that she just stared at Nandini. She looked at her leg braces and then at Nandini and then at us. The look on her face was indescribable. She knew exactly what was going on. And really, there is no difference between Nandini and that little girl. As horrible as this sounds, and I don't want it to be taken the wrong way, the only difference is that Nandini was fortunate enough to be placed in an orphanage (at BSSK). Her future was secured when she was cleared for adoption. And this little girl that lives on the streets will do this for the rest of her life. She will not go to school or get an education. Her future is already set. And that broke Mom's heart. Of course, it didn't help that a little boy came hobbling up to Mom and shoved his ampuated leg in her face and held out his fand for money. It just really set her off and she broke down. And then, going in to Pune Central, which is a fancy department store and seeing the prices and the designer clothes and furniture... when right outside the door are homeless street children. It was just too much for her to take.
She's doing much better today, though.
Okay, I need to run upstairs and back. The hotel here in Pune has been great. The food is cheap and great. Touch wood, we haven't gotten sick yet. Oh! And Nandini refuses to eat Indian food anymore. After tasting pizza for lunch yesterday, she's developed a taste for Western foods. Mom ordered a grilled chicken sandwich and potato chips, but I ordered Veg Thali for us, and Nandini literally turned her nose up at it, shook her head, and pushed it away. She then reached for Mom's sandwich and ate 1/2 of it. For breakfast this morning, she had a bowl of cornflakes, toast, and fresh fruit. She also doesn't want to drink out of a glass. She wants to drink out of the bottled water like we do. lol. She's a character, I tell ya.
Off to pack now. Not sure if the computer at the Sri Nanak will be up and running or not. Haven't been able to post pictures, but will see if the CT couple will take a picture and download it to their PC and I'll try to add it. Hopefully, we'll have some pictures posted by tomorrow night.
Wish us luck at the Embassy!
Leslie (will forgo the whole Noah's Mom thing, as it's just not PC anymore, is it? lol)
Comments
Can't wait to see the pictures!
Nicole