Incredible India!

I am not sure if I would put those two words together this week or not. Unless, of course, you use a sarcastic tone. You see this used in many places, but I have to say that I am not feeling like it is incredible this week.

Since I last wrote, N and M have started soccer. They get up at 5:15a and get themselves ready and out the door. We are fortunate to have two other families to carpool with so our drivers do not have to do all the early mornings. They both seem to be enjoying it.

We went to Thailand. It was a nice break, but the weather was a damper some days. The day we arrived was beautiful. A wonderful breeze, and the hotel personnel meeting you with a necklace of flowers! Just like in the movies. One of the rooms was ready, so we freshened up before heading out to see the resort grounds. There is an absolutely breathtaking view of the sea from the resort. We inquired about excursions, and we booked two. The first was going to be a speedboat ride to a few different islands along with snorkeling. The other was an elephant ride in the rainforest. We did some shopping and relaxing a little at the pool.

For our speedboat ride we had good weather, but the water was choppy. When we finally made it to the lagoon, it was awesome. The water was so blue. The kids went swimming with Charles while I took pictures. We visited an island before heading to lunch. The island was nice, and N and I found some interesting sea shells. We went snorkeling. It was so cool. We saw a lot of Nemo fish, but the water was not clear because it was so choppy. The fish would just swim around you.

The day of the elephant excursion was rainy. We had to drive 2 hours from the resort to a National Park for our inflatable canoe ride. We bought rain jackets and left the cameras in the car. We saw some monkeys and a snake along the river. We also stopped and had a coffee break. After the canoe ride, we had an excellent Thai lunch. The weather cleared long enough for us to get a 45 minute ride into the rainforest on elephants. I also have a picture of the largest spider I have ever seen! The elephant ride was fun.

We did some shopping in town and relaxed by the pool. We ate at the Hard Rock Cafe as well. We left Phuket and went to Bangkok for 3 days. It was good to be able to just come out of our hotel and walk the streets sightseeing. We found Starbucks all around. We ate at the Outback and the Hard Rock Cafe while we were in Bangkok. The weather was not that great either, but we really enjoyed the cooler temperatures.

Well, since I started writing this a week ago, our life has gotten crazier. I did not think that was possible, but Incredible India is not disappointing us with all the twists and turns it throws at us. Let me share our last couple weeks. Please you may want to get a beverage and sit back. This is going to be fun!

When we came home, our pool looked liked the inside of a fish tank that has been sitting on a windowsill in the sunshine. Green and full of algae! Yuck! We immediately called the pool guy, and we were informed that he is not coming out to service the pool because he has not been paid. I thought we had already straightened this out before we left for Thailand. Apparently the landlord wanted us to pay for the pool service, but we were never presented a bill or even informed that we would be responsible. There were also some other issues between the pool service and the landlord, so we told them they had to work that out amongst themselves. We decided to get another pool service, so the kids would be able to swim again. Then the drama started - old pool guy is mad because we have a new pool guy. Old pool guy is accusing new pool guy of stealing his chemicals which we found out were being stored on the property. We just want the pool cleaned! Three weeks and counting. The pool is still cloudy, but it is our understanding that we can use it.

Okay, now for the best twist of all! WE HAVE TO MOVE! We found out, by accident, that our landlord has decided to build some new houses on the property. Charles noticed some poles on the side of the house, and our caretaker said that the landlord is building new houses. What?!? We were not even notified by the landlord. Charles called the homeowners and we were informed that there would be disruption to our lives. We would not even know it was happening. Okay, I know that I am naive, but I have lived in this country long enough to know that is not accurate. There has been construction going on behind us, and they wake up at 6a on Saturday mornings with power tools. Little did we know there were real building tools!

Charles did the managerial thing and called the Ford Representative. Charles told him that we would not be able to live here if this continued. The main reason is the security. There is no physical wall between us and the area they are going to be building on, so our property would be essentially open to all the foot traffic. There is only one access onto the property except for a small gate. This poses another problem as well as the street is too narrow and all the trucks will be blocking the road. Charles also called the landlord again, and a meeting was set up to discuss options. Here we go again, but this time, we know better. They speak English well, and they are able to understand us clearly.

Well, Saturday came and we sat down for our meeting. We basically told them that we could not do this with construction. E is allergic to the dust, and the security is a concern. They told us that there would be no dust due to the large yellow tarp that has been put up all along the drive. They told us that there would be security at night. At the end, we could not agree. They were still going to build, and we are now moving!

Let me give you some background. Here in India, on construction sites, small huts go up to house the workers. This would mean many families living on the same property during the construction. Well, this brings India to our front yard, up front and visible. One of the main reasons for choosing this house was for the seclusion from our everyday life.

Construction has begun with the cutting down of the mango and coconut orchard. E is really upset, and N said, "Is Dad to going to take care of this?" We like our house and our pool, when it is clean. We also have to be concerned for Midnight. The workers have not been closing the gate and Midnight could get out. With the traffic and large number of street dogs, she could get hurt.

Well, that is Incredible India. Basically fend for yourself and hope you come out ahead. I get it, he (the landlord) needs to do what is right for him. I guess. What about consideration for others? Something that Charles and I have tried to instill in our children.

Okay, so we are moving. That is another long story in itself. I will share the moving story and the internet story next time.

Has It Been That Long?

Wow, time does fly when you are having fun!!!! Did I just say that I am having fun in India? I must have hit my head, just kidding. I just looked at the date of the last post, and it was September 10th. Charles thought that I would have an easier time staying up with blog, so he passed it along to me. I am not sure I am doing any better!

So let's find out what has been happening since my last entry. N went to Mumbai to compete in the swim meet. What a great time was had by all! There were quite a few parents from our school. That was nice since these trips can start to get a little pricey. We had to fly and get a hotel room for three nights. I made some posters, and the parents were in Raptor T-shirts (school mascot). We cheered. I yelled (only at N when I wanted him to race faster!). My vocal chords were out of practice, and by the last day I was beginning to lose my voice. Are you anxiously awaiting the results of the swim meet...Here they are: N - first place for 50 M freestyle, 1st place for 100 M freestyle, 1st place for 400 M freestyle relay, and 2nd place for 400 M medley relay. Needless to say, he was on cloud nine. Okay so he is still there. He broke all his personal best times as well as set new school records. He was angry that he did not beat the SAISA record for his age. He missed his flip turn and missed the record by just a second. Overall, it was a great time. He is now swimming after school to improve his other strokes. Above are a few snapshots of the weekend in Mumbai.



Mumbai is not so different from Chennai. There is still a lot of traffic, people everywhere, nice houses, and homeless people. One thing that is different is there is a Hard Rock Cafe. We had a nice meal the first night after the swim meet. Another difference is all the actors and actresses due to Bollywood. We stayed in a nice hotel, and while my mom and I were waiting for Charles do pay and check out of the hotel we could tell there was something that was going to be happening. Pretty soon, there was a scurry of hotel people and in walked a celebrity! I had so many thoughts running through my head, and by the time that I realized it was really the person that I thought it was, I was too late with the camera. He actually stopped and waved for people with cameras. It was John Travolta. Charles walked passed him and gave him the nod.

After we arrived home from collecting the girls from my friend's house, we headed home. We got to the end of the street, and it was blocked by large machinery and dirt piles. Our driver and Charles got out of the car to find out what was going on. They are putting large black tubes along the road possibly for some sort of water system. They happened to dig up the area right in front of our road and the only access to our road. After all, it is a Sunday night and who would need to come down the road! Well, after about 15 minutes they put the tube in the ground, covered it with dirt, and ran over the dirt a couple of times to pack down the dirt.

I have been taking a photography class with some friends. We are learning a lot, but oh it can be confusing. So many variables for taking good pictures. Luckily I have some good software to fix most of the glitches. I am enjoying the class and learning a lot. We will be testing my knowledge for sure when we are on vacation to Thailand!

My mom has been with us for two weeks. We have been pretty busy, but she seems to be enjoying herself. She is telling us she will return in December.

We celebrated E's 10th birthday. We had a nice party at a place called Playhouse Kipling. They organized and did everything. I only made the invites and goodie bags! We had a treasure hunt, bounce house, Mehendi tattooing, arts and crafts, and great food. Earlier in the day we hosted the school swim team party. They were presented with their medals. It was a good time had by all!

My mom was able to experience one of our "usual" India days. The day of the parties the sun was shining brightly and it looked beautiful. Within a couple of hours we were in the middle of a thunderstorm and torrential downpour. We made the backup plans for the parties, but then the sun came back and it was very humid. We lost power and had to run the generator. Just some of the things that no longer really phase us, but it was good for Mom to see first hand some of the minor incidences that occur here.

We are getting ready for Thailand. It should be a great time!

Are You Ready For Some...

I know football season has begun in the U.S. This is the favorite time of the year for Charles and I, and we are really missing home now. Charles has yet again used his "powers", and we are able to watch some good ol' American Football.

We are ready for some football (Especially Favre getting tackled over and over and over again)...
We are ready for the cooler temperatures...
We are ready for hot showers...
We are ready for hours of uninterrupted power outages...
We are ready for our next R&R...

This week has had some mixed feelings. We have had some great times this past week with our dear friends here in India, but there has been usual "Oh, India" moments.

First, I need to update the swim meet results. N was able to push himself hard and improve his personal best times for his individual races. He even pushed hard enough to bring his team to a 2nd place finishing in a relay that his team was getting behind. He will be heading to Mumbai to represent the school. Congrats! I almost forgot. The school swim team needed just one more girl to enter another team in the freestyle relay. M was reluctant, but the coach was persuasive. She practiced just 10 minutes before the races started. She did a great job, and she also got a medal! Not bad for no practices and only swimming in one race. All three kids came home with medals. E loved it, and she is talking about working hard and getting some lessons to improve.

E is being her usual crazy, creative, wonderful, joyful self with a little "whine" here and there! I cleaned out my paper from scrapbooking and card making. She is loving it. She has started paper quilling again. I cannot wait to see the fantastic project she is working on in her class. Last year she made a fairy. It is fantastic. She has even made birthday cards.

M has been coming out of her shell more and more. She has joined MUN, which is a debate team/club. She is also in a group called Reaching Out. They are a group of kids that help in the community. They will raise money and do community service projects. She is also planning on participating in three sports this year!

It continues to be hot here. There are many days there is little if any breeze and very humid. We have had many days of rain since we came back in August. We have had some good thunderstorms as well. The rain does not really cool it off here, but if it is overcast the heat does not seem as intense.

We have had our share of cold showers inside the house this past week. Our water heater started acting a little temperamental, so we tried a couple of different things. It became apparent that our showers were not as warm as they had been. We called the plumber/electrician. Yes, he is a plumber and electrician. He came and fixed the thermostat, and he mentioned to turn it on just a few minutes before we want to take a shower. Well, that did not work, and we still had cold showers. Now, cold showers are okay for the Indians, but we, Americans, love our long hot showers. Our plumber got sick, he had a religious festival/holiday as he is Muslim, and then we was busy. Finally after 5 days of using the kids bathroom or taking a cold shower, he shows up and makes a fix. Unfortunately he does not have the right part, so the fix is only temporary. The fix concerns me as it leaves the wires outside of the heater and exposed. The water heater is just a few inches from the shower. I took pictures for evidence in case I am electrocuted in the shower. We are hoping for a fix today with the correct part.

We have woken many nights to consistent beeping from the under voltage we have been experiencing. Not sure of the reason for the under voltage. We also have had many outages lately as well. We just shrug and say, "Oh, India".

We are very anxious for our R&R trip to Thailand. It has been many weeks, and the constant living conditions start to wear on a person here. It is still about 4 weeks away, but my mom will be here in the meantime. We will also be going to Mumbai, but there is not much in Mumbai.

We have been having some great times with our good friends. We have been watching the Michigan games on Sunday with another family. Our children get along great, so it makes it easy. We usually head out to brunch and then back to our house. I found Tostitos tortilla chips about three weeks ago. I gave in and purchased the overpriced bag of chips since they are my favorite. I could not believe how yummy and FRESH they were! These little things can really make your day.

I started a photography class last week. It is pretty good, and I am finally going to learn to take my camera off the automatic setting. I am excited to use some of the knowledge on our next trip.

One of the hardest parts of living here is the constant turnover of people. Ex-pats come and go all the time, and it can be really hard. This week I will be saying good-bye to a dear friend. Living here you can really come to depend on your friends to know just how to help you get through the day, week, or even month. The friends that we have made here have really helped our time here go as well as it has.

Well, it is official. We have been gone long enough to apply for our extension for Charles' visa and our residency papers! We managed to get through that without too much frustration although it was 3 hours of our life that we cannot really ever get back!

Yes, this is long. I am sorry, but I have not been able to get on the computer and get things into the blog with the crazy schedule and internet interruptions.

Just some thoughts

I have been thinking of what to post. I start and then I delete. I am not sure why I am having so much trouble, but it is driving me crazy. Maybe it is the 7,000 thoughts that keep going through my head about this country we are currently living in or the number of things that continue to baffle me when I am riding in the car.

I can at least start with a funny story. Our bedroom is on the second floor. There is a door right outside the bedroom door that leads to the roof. Midnight usually goes up to the bedroom with me in the morning when I am getting ready for the day. She has been going crazy lately. Looking out the window, pacing back and forth, and whining. I finally decided to just let her out the door. She ran outside and then stopped. Looked up, and she saw a black crow and a chipmunk on top of the hut. I call it a chipmunk, but the Indians call them squirrels. These things are small just like the chipmunks back home. As I am watching what Midnight will do, I hear noise like baby birds in the spring just after they have hatched. I had the thought that the crow had a nest in the hut and the chipmunk was invading the space. I soon noticed that the noise was not coming from the bird but from the chipmunk. Crazy, we have chirping chipmunks!

I am going to make a statement that may sound unkind, but I am not trying to be unkind in any way. "They just don't get it". I often find myself sharing this statement with my friends or Charles. Here is just one example. We went to a birthday party at a place called Fun City. It is similar to Chuck E. Cheese. They have arcade games, some rides, and a party room. This one is new, and it is a pretty nice place. They put it on the top floor with a glass roof. Guess what, I think Charles lost 15 pounds in sweat alone. Why would they even think that was a good idea when they built the building? Another story, E and I were in line to recharge her card. They give the kids swipe cards to play the games. I stepped out of the line, but I was still next to her. Promptly the two adult men behind her stepped in front of her. WHAT! She is a child, and they are adult men. I took her arm and put her back in front of them. They did not even have a reaction! Not a sorry, nothing!

Saturday is our local swim meet. It should be good. N has to wear a speedo (it is a longer one). He was cracking us up last night. He modeled it for us. Charles told him that he has chicken legs. The girls were just shaking their heads, and I am sure thinking about how crazy he is. He told us that his time will probably improve because it is tight.

I know our lives are richer (I do not mean financially) for having lived here, but I just have to shake my head some days - like why do you sweep a patch of dirt? They are sweeping it off the pavement. Why do you have signs all around the city about keeping our city clean and green when there is garbage everywhere and people throwing garbage out the windows all the time as they drive down the road?

Oh IndiA!

I capitalized the A in India on purpose. We were fortunate to have a couple of friends come and stay with us for about 4 days this week. It was really cool to have them here. Well, we were eating dinner one evening, and unfortunately a piece of dog hair had flown into someone's macaroni and cheese. I said, "Oh, I hate that. It is because we have to have to the fans on high, and it blows the dog hair everywhere." That is when Julie said, "Oh, India." It then became a little game that turned into a song. This is how it went:

Oh, IndiA (emphasis on the last syllable)
Dog hair in my food....Oh, IndiA
Humidity....Oh, IndiA
Power Outages....Oh, IndiA

We would go around the table and insert a line. She even played a little music with it. E has an instrument that we bought at India week last year. It is similar to a violin. Well, this became a fun little distraction over the next day.

We packed a lot into a few short days, but I think they have a good idea of how things are here in India. It took us many hours to just shop at a couple of stores and have lunch.

E and N are swimming every morning. They get up at 5:15a, get dressed, eat, and head out the door. This is M-F. They will also sometimes swim after school. E will not be able to be on the swim team because she is too young, but if Noah has good times, he should make the team. We will have a local meet which all the kids that are meeting the practice requirements will be allowed to swim. The kids who make the team will be traveling to Mumbai.

M has decided to join MUN - a debate club. I am not sure of the details, but she seems pretty excited about it. She really is into debating everything right now, so I am sure this will be a great activity for her. I feel most days that we are in court - she is the prosecutor and I am the defense attorney. Back and forth, on everything! I am sure this is an asset to her personality, but it is tiring for me.

Charles is just working of course. I have been doing some papercrafting projects, printing pictures, and will be showing another person around this weekend. Seems funny that I am now on the other end of that. I am no longer the new person.

We are starting to get some rain as the monsoon season will start soon. I guess it is in the north right now, but we really had a good storm Tuesday night. The streets were flooded, and it smelled bad from all the garbage. We may need a raft to get to school when the Monsoons start! I did not buy rain boots since they were too heavy and took up too much room, but they sure would be handy on the days that it rains. There were also some huge frogs when it rained.

I cannot disappoint all of you who like my bug stories, so here is another one. Wednesday night, I needed put some of the recycling outside. I opened the door to the back where we keep the box, and noticed a pretty big bug. It was on its back and still moving. It could not turn over, so I knew I was okay. The next day we noticed a lot of little flying bugs on the front porch and out the back door. The large bug was still there as well. Wahid told me that some people eat the large bugs. I made a nasty face and he just laughed. I am not sure how anyone could eat something like that.

One more story. We went to pick up Charles from his training on Wednesday. We entered the parking lot, but we had to wait. There was a line. I was looking out the window, and there was a ditch with some wires and garbage next to a little restaurant. Pretty soon I noticed a large rat looking for food. Oh that is so gross!

Have a great day everyone!

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Back to India...Back to Reality

Back to India...Back to Reality

We have been back in India for about 5 days. Our last few days in Michigan were hectic with last minute shopping and cramming in visits with our friends for 5 - 10 minutes.

I think this post will be a little different than the others. Living in India has given me a whole new perspective on life. I kept thinking what a great experience this would be for the kids. They would realize all the things that they are blessed with each and every day. They would see first hand children without clean clothes, no shoes, and very little to eat if anything. They would realize that our world in Hartland, Michigan, is sheltered from so much of the real world. Guess what! I have changed as well.

I went into Meijer to do some shopping, and I wanted to get some Dr. Pepper and Diet Coke. I went into the beverage section of the store, and it was literally twice the size of the stores that I shop in for all my groceries. I was amazed at the selection and cleanliness. Here in India, I get just a few choices of soda - Coke, 7-up, Mirinda, or Pepsi. They are not sold in the case but in individual bottles. The carts in India are just a little bigger than the kids shopping carts that Farmer Jack used to have. Just maneuvering down the aisles of the Meijer store made me think of how fortunate I am.

Another strange realization for me was when the power went out in the cabin we were in in Tennessee. I awoke to the fans turning off, and the rain coming down hard. I thought I wonder if Morgesh knows that the power is out. I wonder if he will get the generator turned on soon, so I can go back to sleep. Guess what! There is no one to jump up and turn on the generator if there is even a generator. We lose power frequently here in India. In fact, we had the generator running most of the weekend. There were no storms, but we had no power.

Coming home made me really appreciate all that I am living without at the moment. I am not complaining, but I am praising God for giving me this opportunity. I loved sitting in church service and worshipping with my church family. I am missing that while I am living here. I loved driving down the road and just marveling in the beauty of America. It is dusty, dry, and dirty here.

We had an absolutely wonderful time being home. It was weird being on vacation in your own country, but I enjoyed my time tremendously. Unfortunately we were not able to visit with everyone....please accept my apologies.

One more observation...we purchased silly bands, an American Dictionary, t-shirt, and a frisbee for the caretaker's family. These were just little things to us, but they meant to much to them. The college age girl can use the dictionary for school. Her studies are in English and the professors speak in English. The little boy did not know how to throw a frisbee, so we had to teach them. These are very minor things for us, but to them it meant so much. Most of us have a dictionary in our home, and we know what a frisbee is.

We left Detroit late, missed our connection in Chicago, got a new flight plan with a different airline, connected in London with just enough time to get a candy bar and drink, arrived in Chennai, and discovered that all 8 eight pieces of luggage were missing.

I came back to a baby lizard hanging out in my craft room. I came back to honking of motor vehicles, congested streets, and a lot of heat, but I am grateful that God has provided our family this opportunity. We have a new stock of food, magazines (another Ford family remembered that I missed magazines, so they packed them in their shipment), and appreciation for life. Life is not easy, but if allow God to direct us, he will provide.

When Charles gets home, I will have him include a link to our pictures. I took almost 700 pictures, so you better pop some popcorn,sit back and relax. We have already started planning our next trip...Thailand.

We are almost over our jet lag, and the kids have started school!

Pure Michigan

I keep seeing signs and t.v. commercials for "Pure Michigan"! It is this year's way of promoting the Great Lakes State. Charles and I differ on the opinion of Michigan. He hates the cold, winter months. I appreciate the fact that the bugs are not pestering me during those months. Well, we have been enjoying Pure Michigan! Drinking coffee while watching the ducks on the lake is so relaxing. Driving myself around on uncrowded streets is fantastic. Listening to the radio blaring when a great song is on just makes me happy!

It has been a lot of visiting and reconnecting with friends and family. I love to visit my Grandma. She is in the middle stages of her dementia, and she cannot always remember that I am living in another country. Well, she is quite the funny little lady. We keep our visits short, but I always leave with a smile.

We will be moving out of our temporary residence in Howell, and we will be moving in with my parents. My mom and I have been planning some activities while we are in Tennessee. I think it will be a lot of fun, and it will be a great way to finish our home visit.

I still have a lot of shopping to do and visiting also. Charles is leaving for India on Sunday.

So Much Fun!

Everyone is asking, "Is it nice to be back?" I keep saying "YES!" with a big smile. The weather was unbelievable for many of the days so far. It would get very cool at night. The kind of weather where you put on a sweatshirt or climb under a nice comforter. The view of the lake in the morning is spectacular.

Charles' parents were able to come up for a couple of weeks. Grandpa Marshall likes to fish, so we rented a boat. He was out there many mornings before I was even up! He often took the kids out as well. N prefers to fish from the dock, but you cannot always catch much there. Grandma Marshall had a blast riding in the paddle boat with the kids. Yes, we have video. Grandma Marshall took the girls shopping for clothes. E has really gotten into shopping, so it was a trip to remember. The kids to not get to see them much, so it was good to have them here to visit and make some lasting memories.

We often see Charles' Aunt and Uncle in the summer when they are back to visit. Since Charles' Dad was here, they visited a little more often. It was really nice to see them and listen to their stories. Aunt Jerrine can keep us entertained for hours with all her stories.

There are no shortage of critters to keep me on my toes. We are enjoying the house, but so are the earwigs. I have to kill a few a day, and they can get into the craziest places. I opened up the coffee filter holder to put in a fresh coffee filter and one was there. A little surprise, but I really do not want that with my coffee. I find them in the washing machine, around the doors, etc. At least the chipmunks understand that they need to stay outside. There are many of those running around. There is also a family of rabbits/bunnies living in the bushes here. We have seen turtles, ducks, and swans on the lake as well.

We had a BBQ and enjoyed relaxing and spending time with family and friends. We saw some fireworks on the lake and made a bonfire. Smores all around!

The weather turned hot! Of course, we made plans to go to the Detroit Tigers game as well as Cedar Point on the two hottest days since we have been here. The Tigers won. Cedar Point was fun. M is fearless. I could not even stomach to ride some of the newer ones. E is fearless, but she met her match with the Magnum. Charles said that she looked terrified in the picture that they take while you are on the ride. She did manage to ride a few more. She was not big enough for all of them. N rode some of the rides. He loved the Gemini which is one of my favorites. M gets to go back next week. She really wants to ride the dragster. That just looks too crazy for me!

We are enjoying having my parents around again. My mom has even stayed a couple of nights to watch the kids. Just like old times.

Being in Michigan feels like a really long vacation with everything that we are doing. I never thought that I would be vacationing in Michigan for 6 weeks! We do miss Midnight. I hope she is staying cool in India.

So Soon?

I know I just posted something yesterday, but I thought I would do another quick post.

Wednesday night on the way home from church, Charles told me that his dad called and mentioned that there is a mouse in the house. Of course, I am not too happy with this news. I thought I had left the house that had all the critters. I have not seen it, and I am just fine with that.

E has turned into a little shopper. We have been doing a lot of shopping, and she is enjoying trying on all sorts of outfits. I will be in trouble in a couple of years. M is just getting older. She picked out a beautiful dress. They have dances at their school. She looked beautiful and older. N is just happy with me bringing stuff home.

It is great just browsing in clean stores. I do not feel like I have to put hand sanitizer on when I pick up something to look at it. Driving has been awesome. I think I scared my friend the day we went to the mall, but I have not done that since.

We are enjoying cooler weather and lots of sunshine. I love just putting a sweatshirt on in the morning and drinking my coffee with the local news on in the background. This is the life.

What is the first thing you will do/will eat?

The last few days before we left Chennai, we were asking each other and friends, "What is the first thing you will eat?" I was really enjoying listening to the kids responses. M told everyone that her Grandma promised her a donut. Grandma and Grandpa met us at the car rental facility with donuts in hand! The kids were so excited!

We have been enjoying catching up with our family and friends. The kids have been at sleepovers, and their grandparents from Florida are staying with us for awhile. Our nephews from Florida have also been able to sleepover for a few nights.

We are staying at a house on a lake. I have been enjoying the peacefulness and beauty the lake has to offer early in the morning. The kids have been having fun fishing with Grandpa or going out in a paddle boat with Grandma.

So far the weather has really cooperated with our trip back. We have had some thunderstorms, but it has been mostly sunny and cool. It is supposed to get hot in a couple of days.

It is funny how some things will remind you a story in India. Some times when I am driving, I think, "Our driver would just pull out and go." In India, the cars will slow down and veer around you. Here, you will get hit! We are not being woke up early in the morning to the obnoxious crows, but instead we hear birds chirping. Lovely!

We have enjoyed Frankenmuth Chicken, Outback Steak, hot dogs, cheesy potatoes and ambrosia (my Grandma's special salad). It has been great doing laundry in less than 2 hours (that is washing and drying). Our showers last longer than 7 minutes, and it does not take 2 hours to get to a mall. When we go out to dinner, they want to take your order right away and give your check soon after the plates are cleared.

Next week is the Detroit Tigers game and Cedar Point! Stay tuned!

Days before the U.S.

Hey Friends! We have successfully arrived in Michigan, but we made a short stop in London and Paris!

The kids and I managed to maneuver another trip out of the Chennai airport. N was excited to have two of his teachers on the flight with us as well as another school staff member.

It was funny. There was quite a bit of turbulence, and at one point a few passengers starting screaming. The kids looked at me, and we just shrugged. It was a lot like being on a roller coaster. After a 10 hour flight to London, we made it through customs and found Charles. London was beautiful. The buildings are amazing, and the weather was good.

London is vast. There is so much to see and do. We started off just shopping and of course eating. We rode the London Eye, went to Big Ben and Westminster Abbey, and Houses of Parliament. We saw Wicked the Musical. It was great, and the kids already knew the songs thanks to their Aunt B. We went to the Natural History and Science Museum and the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. We could have spent many more days, but we had to leave for Paris.

What is so fun about traveling is learning the best way to get around for the best price! Especially with a lot of luggage and a big family (by European and Asian standards). We have to always get two rooms, and M and N are for the most part adult prices. We left the airport and rode a train to get a cab to our hotel. For Paris, we had a van take us to the train station to catch the Eurostar. We really enjoyed that. Once off the Eurostar, we took a bus to the hotel. We also look the subway system in Paris a lot. I have to say that it was great to have had Charles bring back a suitcase of stuff to the U.S. that we did not need to lug around Europe. N can be a help, but the girls are just not big enough to really do the quick loading of the luggage.

Once in Paris, we settled into our hotel room. Funny the things you start to expect to be in the hotel rooms when you start traveling. Our room was a little cramped, but we managed. We freshened up and headed to the Disney Village. A lot of Disney stores and restaurants! We went into the city on two of our days. How beautiful! The weather was little cooler, but it was good all the same. We went to Notre Dame Cathedral, The Louvre, The Eiffel Tower (even N rode up), Arc de Triomphe, and just walking around. It rained and got cooler, but we managed to stay dry. Disney was fun, but E was not big enough to ride Space Mountain. That did not go over well. E was hilarious with her Hard Rock gear, Disney bag from Eurostar, and her map. Yes, she is quite the tourist.

We enjoyed the time in both these cities even though there is so much more we could have seen. There may be another opportunity to visit.

We made it back to London, got a taxi, and managed to get checked in and up to our room in a reasonable time. The next morning we went to the airport for the final leg of our destination. A long flight to Chicago, and then a short hop to Detroit. It was a relatively smooth. When we landed in Chicago and made it through customs, we found a Chili's restaurant. Yummy! I think N was a little concerned about the small plane that would be taking us to Michigan, but he did well. E jumped right in line and gave her ticket to the staff. The guy in front of me said that we may want to go with her. I think is knows what to do now, and she was ready to get to Michigan.

My parents met us at the car rental place and as promised brought donuts to the kids. They have really missed Grandma and Grandpa.

We got checked settled in at the house and visited for awhile with my parents before they headed home.

It is good to be back in Michigan! I will try to post some things every few days to keep everyone updated. It is funny, but our driver emails Charles to give him updates about the house in India, the work that needs to be completed while we are here, and of course Midnight. I have 400 pictures and a movie to share with everyone!

I have thought about posting something at least a half a dozen times, but then life gets in the way. Okay maybe I should say that India gets in the way.

Well, Charles left for the U.S. Saturday night/Sunday morning. Since he has left, EVERYTHING THAT CAN GO WRONG, WILL! I just have to laugh. Here is the scoop:

*Sunday - I opened up the cupboard door to get out the pan and a large spider came crawling out. Of course I screamed and all the kids came running. I told them that there was a large spider. They all looked at it and said in unison, "Oh, that is a big spider!"

*Monday - Noah discovers a rather large bug crawling across the floor being chased my Midnight! He said, "Wait Mom, I have to do something, where is Dad's sandal?" That meant that there was a bug. He killed it, and we put it in a ziploc bag for the bug exterminator. I showed our bug exterminator who by the way is doubling as our night guard while Charles is away. He speaks English well, and we need someone here at night that can do that. He said, "No worry Madame, this bug only lives outside. It is not a bug inside." I told him that I do not like bugs especially big ones, and he again assured me that it only lives outside. He said, "It is black and this is a garden slight pause "cockroach". He knew to pause. He assured me the brown ones live inside. Double YUCK!

*Tuesday - Noah discovers one more of the "garden cockroaches". My driver is concerned that spraying for bugs is bad for people because of the chemicals, so he would like us to wait until we are in the U.S. He also told me that the smell is bad, and he is concerned for Midnight. He told me that he will put Midnight on the roof with some water, so she does not breathe the chemicals.

*Wednesday - The power is weird, and the groundskeeper calls the driver. Wahid called the electrician. He came out and made a temporary repair. He told me that he would call the driver after he came back to finish. By the time we got home the power was back on, but when I walked into the house there was something not quite right. The lights for all the electronic devices were not lit up. Well, after some investigation, we discovered that the breaker had tripped. Close one, but we are good. We do not have our regular internet, so that went no phone. I had to get creative, but I finally got a hold of Charles. He walked me through setting up the back up internet and getting the t.v. back to normal.

The repair was expensive! It seems like this is the 2nd one of this kind. I am sure Charles will have to talk to Wahid and figure out what and why!

We do have some exciting news. Our new car was available on Friday. Our driver is excited. After my driver picked up the car, he called me and asked if I needed him to pick me up. I told him that he could go home, but then he told me that he needed money for the toll. I told him where I was, so he came to get some money. I was checking out the car, and it was all decorated with flowers. They also bless the cars after they come off the assembly line. I guess they need that since their driving is crazy! He asked me if I wanted to drive it. It is an automatic, so it is easier. I said, "No." My friend told me to "Go For It". I told her only if she comes with me. She is adventurous enough, so off we went.

I just drove around the block, but it was so strange. The steering column is on the right side, and they drive on the left side of the road. I told my friend I was not sure if I was off the road, and she assured me that she would tell me if I was. It was hilarious because as people saw me they got out of the way. I guess a White Lady driving is more dangerous to them than their crazy ways of driving. When I came around the corner, the committee of drivers, guards, and gardeners on cue moved off to the side of the road! Not sure if that was really on my list to do while here in India, but at least I can check it off.

It has rained two night in a row. I guess there may be a monsoon in the Indian Ocean. Of course rain is hard, so we lost power each time. That is what I mean when I say that India gets in the way!

I have been trying to get some pictures that will help explain our lives over here. I know it sounds cool to have a driver, housekeeper, groundskeeper/guard, but it is very weird. I always have someone around me. Most of them do not speak English, so we have to figure out what each of us are saying. I do like having someone carry my groceries and shopping bags, but sometimes I just want to do it myself. Something else that is strange - Charles had someone else come and stay at night while he is away. We needed someone that spoke English in case of an emergency and our driver is too far away. Well, he sleeps under our hut. That is pretty much right outside my bedroom window! Just a little different!

We are looking forward to London, Paris, Highland, Howell, and Lapeer! Have a wondeful day everyone!

The latest and greatest from Chennai!

We made it back from Borneo (Pictures Linked HERE). We actually stayed in Miri. When I was googling things to do in Miri there was not much. Most of the tours required additional means of transportation as well as lodging. Our goal was to actually spend a quiet weekend relaxing. We were able to accomplish just that!

As we flew into the airport, I watched out the window. This was a very small airport - only 3 terminals! It was great! First through customs, no problem. Second, found a booth that happened to be a promotional booth for our hotel. They called us a shuttle. Third, found a place to sit and wait for the shuttle - STARBUCKS! Yeah!

We arrived at our resort. It was cool. An open air lobby and beautiful scenery abound. We checked in and headed to the pool. It was so nice to sit outside and enjoy clean air and poolside drinks!

We did take one tour that led us through the rainforest and to the Niah caves. It was truly amazing. God has really created some extraordinary creatures. I have some really cool pictures. It was really hot, and we were all excited to get back to the hotel and enjoy a swim.

We enjoyed some shopping and more swimming. We were able to visit another Starbucks and eat at McDonalds. Just a nice change of pace from all the big cities we have been visiting. I will get a link to some pictures later.

Tuesday afternoon it started to look like rain, but it hardly rains right now. Later into the night we heard thunder and saw lightning. We were getting a real thunderstorm. Of course that meant that we lost power, but we have a generator. It rained hard and all day. We ran the generator for almost 36 hours. Streets were flooded, and the kids were praying for a day off. This was a result of a cyclone in the Bay of Bengal. Just one more thing that you do not get in Michigan - cyclones!

We are back to normal and doing well. Planning our trip to London and Paris. But Charles has thrown a wrench into our plans, he is heading home for work. Yes, he gets to leave this beautiful city two weeks before us. I was trying hard not be bummed out. I knew it would be hard for me if he ever had to travel back to Michigan, but this is even harder because he will not be able to bring stuff back since we are planning on meeting in London. M told him that is was not fair. He gets to eat all the "American" food before us!

Hot, Hot, and More HOT!

Okay we are officially melting here in Chennai. If you stand outside too long, you feel like you have been caught in the rain. Wet with your clothes sticking to you. It has seriously been in the upper 90's for days. We had a brief break when it rained for a few hours a couple of weeks ago.

We have all been doing our usual. Charles heads off to work each day with the kids. I sometimes join them when I am planning on going out with my friends. Of course this puts a wrench in the works, and it often sends us into some sort of rushing out the door frenzy. Last week after one of these mornings I had a calm conversation with the girls (yes it was calm) about being responsible and getting ready the night before as well as getting out of bed and proceeding with the morning routine. After my conversation, our driver turned to Charles and asked if there was "drama" this morning. I said, "Of course, with girls there is always drama!" We all laughed.

I have been doing some scrapbooking, enjoying lunch with friends, shopping with friends, and even going to the movies. I went to the movies for the first time last weekend. They were actually showing "The Last Song" with Miley Cyrus. What a crazy experience! There was a lot of cell phones ringing, people chatting and laughing, and an intermission! New experiences daily!

We were at a volleyball tournament Friday and Saturday. N's team won a few and lost a few. Charles and I were proud of his attitude on and off the court. Our school played the American School from Bombay as well as many local schools. N was always giving high 5's and congratulating the other teams.

We had a relatively regular week until the A/C in the family room quit working, the hot water tank in the master bath shorted out and needed to be replaced, and we were locked out of our house on Mother's Day.

Here is the Mother's Day reenactment: We went to brunch with some friends and then came back home to let the kids swim in the pool. Now, our housekeeper left just an hour or two before we got home, so the groundskeeper had to lock the door when she left. We arrived home and could not get the key to work. We had 2 dads, 1 groundskeeper, 1 driver, and 1 pre-teen trying to open the door. Well after a few failed attempts tools started coming out. We had pliers, hammers, etc. Charles said, "Don't break the key." Famous last words. The key broke and now we are in trouble. There is literally no other way to get into the house. The back door (service entrance) only locks from the inside. They tried to get the bars off the front windows, but they are screwed into the concrete from the inside. Up on the roof went N, but that was also a failed attempt. Then Charles decided to head up on the roof. That is when the driver decided a carpenter would be best, so he got in the car as he mumbled that he would go get a carpenter. Have I mentioned our driver is awesome! Charles managed to get into the house. Not willing to disclose details at this time, but I will share in person another time. Noah let us in the back. Oh, I forgot to mention that crowbars also came out which only resulted in getting the door handle off the door without getting the lock undone. Tools flying up to the roof. Our driver got back with the carpenter, and all is well again. A Mother's Day that will be remembered for a long long time!

We leave for Borneo in a couple of days. We are looking forward to nice clean beaches and fresh air. We may be able to get some walking through a rainforest and swim in a pool of water below a waterfall.

We only have 4 weeks left once we come home from vacation before we head to London and Paris! We are looking forward to our home visit. At least in the States we do not need to get our passports stamped. I think we will need to have pages added to our passports soon. How awesome is that! We are seriously enjoying the travel perks of this move. I just wish all of you could come along. See you soon!

What do I have to say this week?

I have not posted an entry lately since I am not real sure what to share right now. We have not had too much happening here. We have a pretty good routine now.

We booked our tickets for another fun-filled family destination! We are going to Borneo. One of the seasons of Survivor was filmed here, and it looks beautiful. Waterfalls, blue water, sandy beaches, and relaxation - YEAH! We will only have 4 weeks left before we leave for Michigan.

I have been busy planning summer when we are home. One of the things we are planning to do is go to Dollywood. The fun part of the planning is working with my parents from Michigan and my sister from Florida. This is easier when you are in the same time zone but being half way around the world requires some thinking. We do research, email, skype, and call. Good thing we have Vonage, and there are no fees for international calling. I do have a short story to go with this. I had found some places that looked promising. I emailed my sister in the morning (India time), and she emailed me back later. I tried to call her but I had no phone. I then decided to email her, but I again had no internet connection. Guess what, my help desk was not available (Charles had a business dinner), so I used my blackberry and responded to her email. I told her to get on Skype. After about 15 minutes, we were able to make a connection on Skype. She surfed the internet why we talked. Thank goodness for technology in all forms! We have narrowed down our search, and I will have to call her tonight to make our final decision.

M has been busy making her plans as well. She informed me today that she will have a nice break from her parents this summer (meaning Charles and me). She has two friends in Michigan that will take her different weeks. I asked her about food, washing her clothes, etc. She told me that they would take care of her. I wonder if the parents are aware of the plans they have concocted!

N has a volleyball tournament Mother's Day weekend. I am not sure if we will be hosting any students this time, but it should be a good weekend. He is certainly impressed with his "awesomeness" as he puts it! I cannot wait to see it as well. They really do not play any games other than the tournament.

E is busy perfecting her swimming skills, learning to play the bongo drums, and paper quilling. She has made some really impressive cards.

Charles' has been working and tinkering with some computer projects at home. I am not sure what he has been really doing since I do not understand it, but he finds it fun.

That just leaves me. I went scrapbooking this week. That was fun. I really enjoy it, but I have not had much opportunity to spend working on my pictures since we got here. I am working on a really cool slideshow. With my new computer that Charles bought me, it is easy to make the movie. I plan to have pictures printed and the movie made to show you all back home. I also have a weekly Bible study with my friends.

I am looking forward to getting back home and cooking some of our favorites. I made chocolate chip cookies yesterday, but it took forever! I can only make 6 cookies at a time, and my recipe makes about 3 dozen or so. I have discovered some new recipes since being here. I make my own sour cream. I am not sure if I have shared that piece of information with you yet or not. I am going to try to make my Tiramisu dessert, but the pound cake will have to be made from scratch. Then I have to convert to celsius and convection cooking.

Here is another funny story. I asked my driver yesterday to get some items while we was out. He had to pick up something for Charles, and I knew it was not close. I figured that he could just stop at the fruit and vegetable market to get some items. I needed red, green, and yellow peppers for Fajitas. When he returned home, he showed me the pepper. Well, it was pepper that you grind as a seasoning. Of course, they do have a couple different colors, so he picked them up. Well, here in India peppers are capsicums. He told me large chili peppers. We were able to find some peppers, and we also returned the regular pepper.

Living here is different. I sometimes feel bad to have my driver to my errands, but he likes to help out. I really do not like having a housekeeper when I am home scrapbooking, working on the computer, etc. It is just a weird feeling. N said that he felt sorry for Shanthi the other day because of all the dishes. I told him he could have offered to do them, but he said, "No Way!, I just feel sorry for her."

Stay tuned....

What have the Marshalls been up to?

I am sorry for the delay in getting another blog entry posted. I have been busy. That did not take long (4 months). I have met some really amazing people, and they are helping me to experience Chennai at its best! So what have we been doing?

N is playing volleyball now. I cannot wait to see his game, since all the reports (of course from him) are, "You should have seen my spike!". I am glad he has such a positive attitude. Everything is pretty much the same for him as they were in Michigan. Lots of friends and just as goofy as ever.

M is enjoying her new friendships, and she is making her summer plans. Ouch! She is getting older. I may not see her at all this summer when we are in Michigan. I am glad she will be able to enjoy time with all her Michigan friends. School is the same for her here as it was in Michigan. The middle school has been working on e-portfolio, which is done entirely by the students with some guidance from their advisory teachers. She is excited to share this with us. It is basically a student led conference.

The entire school does Battle of the Books. The students are teamed up and have a set number of books that they have to read. E's team did not miss a single question, and they came in 1st place. She won Rs 400 (Rupees) to be used at the next book fair. She was pretty excited since she was the leader of the team, and the team was not always willing to meet when she called a meeting. She is also in a class called exploring the drums. She has a set of bongos now.

Charles is just busy with work as well as having committee meetings with the staff when he gets home. We have had a lot of electrical issues, and we are also having a water pipe issue. Never a dull moment around here.

I have been cardmaking as well as hanging out with my friends. We had a PTA ball last weekend. It was a blast, but we had a lot of prep work for it. Of course the prep work took us to far ends of Chennai where you can really experience Chennai. The smells, the people, the busyness, the sounds, etc. We raised a lot of money for the school which is an awesome thing. Charles and I had some cool outfits. I will share those pictures soon.

It will be hard to explain our day to day life here unless you are able to experience it first hand, but I will share some fun things. I ran out of the cardstock needed to complete my project. I gave a piece of cardstock to my driver to see if he could get me some more. There are no scrapbooking stores in Chennai. I told him that it could be a little bigger, but I need it to be the same thickness. He called me later in the day to report that he found some, but it was bigger than the piece that I gave him, but he assured me it was the same thickness. I told him that would work. When I got home, I saw what he bought. It was bigger than the size of posterboard back in the states. It was about the right thickness. Well, I did say that a little bigger was okay. Unfortunately my cutting systems do not cut pieces that big. Oh well, I made it work and it is finished.

I am not sure if I will get used to the garbage all around or the crazy driving, but we are settling in and handling things as well as can be expected here. I am getting used to the many animals that roam the streets. Our pool is nice, so we may have to have a pool when we return to Michigan.

There are only 7 and 1/2 weeks left of school. We will board a plane that night and head to London. We are staying in London for 5 days and Paris for 5 days before returning to Michigan. We are getting excited for the return home.

Spring Break 2010

I am sorry it has taken so long to get this update together. It has been a busy week.

We returned home on Saturday from a two week excursion in China. We started in Hong Kong. Hong Kong was great. We stayed at the Hollywood Hotel, a Disney Resort. Disney even had its own train and train depot! Hong Kong Disney was a lot smaller, but it was a blast. The kids rode everything, and we saw the Golden Mickeys show. E even danced with the High School Musical 3 dancers. We saw Minnie, Mickey, Goofy, Stitch, and Alice in Wonderland.

We found an Outback Steakhouse the first night there. It tasted delicious. The city was amazing at night, but it was still too busy for my taste. We walked around the city seeing all the shopping malls. It was amazing to see just how many shopping spots they have in one city.

I just want to highlight some of the places that we went. This entry could go on for days otherwise. We went to Victoria's Peak. It is one of the highest points to lookout and see the city. We ventured in the evening, so it was all lit up. Instead of climbing up the side of the Peak, we rode a train. It was pretty cool. Once up, we could go up a few more flights to the lookout area. Just one of those amazing scenes you see on the postcards.

We went on a half day dolphin watch to see pink dolphins. It took quite a while to finally locate the sea creatures, but it was pretty awesome. They did not get too close to our boat, but I did manage to get some decent pictures. We also saw fishing boats and shipping boats. After that exciting adventure, we got brave and took a cable car over land and sea to get to the Giant Buddha. An amazing view as we rode the cable car to our destination. I am not sure how many steps it takes to get to the base of the statue, but it did leave us out of breath. We finished out our week enjoying more of the city by bus along with a ferry ride to the avenue of stars. We saw Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee's star and handprint. We also went to the Ladies Market to do some shopping.

After a week in Hong Kong, we went to Beijing. The weather was a lot cooler, so we needed to purchase some jackets. That was quite the experience for the entire family. You need to really bargain and haggle to get low prices even though it is all knockoffs! We climbed the Great Wall. It was another take your breath away literally moment. I wonder how many steps we climbed this whole vacation. The ride up was by cable car (really just a ski lift). What a spectacular view! Our ride down was by a toboggan.

It was rainy the next day, so we decided to do some indoor activities. I had read about an chocolate theme park. It just opened in January. All the exhibits are made out of chocolate. Needless to say that was a big disappointment, but a great story. I have included some of the pictures that I took that day. Of course it is cold because you do not want chocolate to melt. The place looked like it had been open for years.

We did the usual sites in Beijing that all tourists do - Tianamen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, and the Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium. So much history in this part of the world.

It was a good trip. We were happy to be heading home. I hope you enjoy the pictures. Just click here.

Juggling with one car!

A quieter week! Just thinking of the details for China!

One of the highlights of the week was another Olive Ridley Turtle release. On Weds. at 4:10p my friend told me that Fisherman's Cove was releasing the turtles at 5p. She had just received the call, and we are about 30 - 45 minutes away (depending on traffic). I had no camera, so I had to stop by the house to pick it up.

We made it in the knick of time! Each of the kids were given a turtle to put down on the beach. It was amazing. The turtles were so anxious to get in the water they practically jumped out of the hands of the kids. Once on the beach, we watched as they made their way to the ocean and finally watch as the ocean waves would wash up and take the babies into the ocean. I think the kids really enjoyed it, and they will remember it for a long time.

On the way home we had another interesting experience. We needed to get a ride from a friend since Charles needed our car and driver. I had the driver leave us at Fisherman's Cove and go to get Charles. We realized that we would need the school backpacks, so I texted Charles and told him to have our driver bring back the backpacks if he could when it was convenient. In the meantime, we all piled into another car. We had a total of 6 kids, 2 moms, and 1 driver. It was tight and loud! Before we made it too far traffic was backed up! Usually an accident clears quickly. The driver of our car got out to see what was going on. He promptly told us that a person had been hit by a car and was dead. We were there for almost an hour!

We finally made it home, and I made dinner. We got the backpacks. Everyone finished their homework, had showers, and went to bed. At 9:30p, Charles called and told me that the car broke down. He said to make sure that all the kids have gameboys, iPods, and cell phones. I checked. We were good. The car had to be towed since the clutch failed. Now, it would make for an interesting morning!

Thursday morning, one of Charles' coworkers sent his driver to pick up Charles and the kids. N is sick, so he was not going to go to school. Our driver was going to go to the Ford garage and get us another car. He was able to get a Fiesta. Okay, that will not work for us. We traded cars with another coworker, so we are good for now. No worries, we only have a couple of days before we leave for China.

I mentioned N is sick. E had been sick as well, but I think her allergies have come full blast. She had been running a low grade for a few days, and the school nurse called to have me pick her up from school on Tuesday. When N got sick, I knew it was not allergies. I just hoping that maybe a little motrin and lots of water would do the trick. Well, he was running a fever. He also has other things like sore throat, headache, and cough. Charles emailed the doctor Thursday evening. The doctor called about 10p to tell us that he was in London until April 2nd, but he had emailed a prescription to Charles. Talk about service! Mighty impressed! Charles will have to blog the experience of getting the prescription filled.

I have to say having one car over here is not usually a big deal, but this week it has posed a real challenge. Not a problem, we leave in a couple of days for China! The kids are very excited. I am also excited to go to Hong Kong Disney. Okay, Okay, the Great Wall and a Giant Buddha will also be wonderful, but Disney, come on!

We are going to take one of the computers with us, so I will try to update the blog regularly along with posting pictures while we are on vacation.

What time zone am I in?

My passport arrived from Delhi at 1p. Yes, a little close for my comfort. We are too far to go back home, but it is just a little too early to go to the airport. Of course if there was a Starbucks and Borders bookstore, I would not mind hanging out in the airport for hours. Oh wait, I will be hanging out in the airports for hours.
So begins the 36 hour journey back to the U.S. I arrived at the airport at 3:30p. I managed to locate the counter to check my baggage in and get my boarding pass. Now, this is not without a funny story. I thought he asked for my name. I told him my name, and the three Jet Airways counter attendants gave a laugh. I asked what was funny, and he said that he told me, "Good Afternoon, madame." Now, that is not what he said, but I need to get on with the check-in process. As he is looking at my e-ticket and passort, my luggage starts going down the carousel. He has not tagged it yet, so I am concerned. No problem, the nice gentleman standing next to me hopped on the carousel and over the other luggage pieces and retrieved my bag. I just smiled. Well, he finally got my luggage tagged, and handed me my boarding pass. He had also asked if I wanted my luggage to be checked all the way through. I told him that would be great. He told me to make sure I check with each airline, but he would request it to be checked all the way through. Not sure, if this would happen since I am flying domestic first and then international. He told me to have a good flight. I thanked him and continued to the next check point. While in line, the gentleman that retrieved my bag came and handed me my e-ticket papers. Okay, not a great start but not a big deal either. I found a seat and watched the monitors to find out where I would need to board. As I sat there, the same gentleman came up to me and handed me my passport. Okay, I would not make it far without that. I guess I was so flustered by the time I was finished at the counter, I just was not thinking. Not a good plan when you are traveling for so long. After an hour and 1/2 wait, I boarded the bus which took me to the plane for the first leg of the journey. We no sooner got in the air, when it was time to land. My first stop was Bangalore which is only 4 -5 hours from us.
I get off the plane, and I know that I have an 8 hour layover, so there is no rush. I stop by the restroom, and then proceed to find where I should be going next. A nice young man asked me if I needed assistance. I told him that I had a connecting flight, but I needed to know if my luggage had been checked through. He told me that I have to pick up my luggage, so it can be checked into the next airline. We noticed that my luggage was being taken off the carousel by an airport attendant since no one was claiming it. Close, but we were able to get my luggage before it was lost in the world of the forgotten airport luggage.
He loaded up my luggage, and we proceeded to the next waiting point. Luckily there was a Coffee Day Cafe (India's answer to Starbucks). I nestled in since it would be 8 hours. I was told that I had to wait until at least 11p to check in with the airline. I ordered a drink similar to a frappuccino but made with ice cream. Not bad. Later I ordered some french fries, and I had a Pink Lemonade Snapple. I spent time Instant Messaging with the kids. I read some of my book and listened to my IPod. Every time I had to use the restroom, I had to take all my luggage with me. Finally, I decided to go and check-in. The lady at AirFrance told me that I could use the lounge until it was time to board. I wish I had known that 5 hours prior! Oh well. I proceed, but I have to stop at an immigration counter to be asked some questions. He seemed concerned that I was traveling without my husband. He asked about me being a dependent, and he also wanted to know what I did in India. I told him that I was a wife and mother. He finally gave his approval, so I was off to the next check point. 2 and 1/2 hours later I am ready to board.
I got into my seat and settled in for the 11 hour flight. Now, it is 2am, so I am tired. I get something to drink and wait until we are in the air. The flight was good. I slept most of the time. When I got to the Paris airport, we had to take a bus to the next terminal. This airport is big. I found my terminal and decided to look around. I was most certain that there had to be a Starbucks. Nope. I did not even see the lounge, so I just window shopped for awhile. I found something to eat and drink and waited patiently. I think this layover was only 6 to 7 hours.
It is getting closer to the time to board. The terminal is filling up, and then the announcement is made. The plane was late coming in, so we would be boarding late. By the time we took off, it was 45 minutes after the scheduled time. I just wanted to get on my way. I had a front seat, so I noticed there was a camera mounted on the plane. You could actually watch the plane as it taxied down the runway and went into the air. It was pretty cool. I saw a bird fly past the camera. I watched some movies and took a little nap. We landed at 4:36p. 15 minutes ahead of schedule. I course I picked the wrong line for immigration. The immigration lady was getting the life stories of each person. I finally had to change lines since the other attendants were free, and it would be a little while longer. I made it through there and had to have my luggage scanned. I made it through that line and collected my other luggage. Alright, I am ready to get my rental car and drive for the 1st time in 3 months! I managed to get to the bus and make it to Thrifty Car Rental. They gave me a Fusion. The keys were in the car, so I headed out and got behind the wheel. It was a good feeling to be driving again. I really appreciate my driver, but there is nothing like the freedom of driving yourself.
I called mom's cell phone. No answer, so I left a message. I got to my parent's house at 7:20p and decided to freshen up since we would be going out to dinner. They came home around 8:00p. My sister, Tracy, asked why I was getting ready. I told her we were going to go to dinner. Well, they forgot, so they went without me. I could not believe it. Here I was in the U.S., and I was very hungry and ready for an American meal. Well, I needed to go to the bank, so I left with my sister and went to Wendy's. I was so happy to be eating a cheeseburger, fries and chocolate frosty. Yummy!
We talked and went to bed around 11p. I woke up at 3:30a, and I could not get back to sleep. I tried but finally gave up and went on the computer. I was able to talk to Charles since he was at work. Everyone else was up around 6a, so my dad went to Starbucks and got me a hot chocolate. He also came back with McDonalds. I savored the Sausage McMuffin with cheese and Hot Chocolate.
Monday was the funeral, so I went to see my Grandma before the funeral. She was getting her hair done. She looked tired, but she still had her sense of humor. It was a good funeral service. Grandpa George was a good man, and his church family had some really great things to share with everyone. Others also got up and spoke. After, we went to the gravesite to pay our final respects, and they gave a gun salute and flag presentation. That is always emotional for me. We went back to the church for a dinner. An unexpected surprise, I connected with a childhood friend's mom. We exchanged emails, and now we are able to connect through facebook.
Back at my parent's home my uncle and aunt stopped by and then my other aunt came by. We had some laughs. My uncle can do some crazy things when we are all together, and this day was no exception. I brought back an outfit for my nephew. My uncle decided to try it on. We had not laughed that hard in a long time. Tears were rolling down my face. We all headed out to dinner afterwards. Yeah! Coney dogs, french fries, and mozzarella sticks. I went back to my parent's house and called the kids. I started dozing off as I was talking with Elle. I heard, "Mom, Mom I think you fell asleep." A couple of minutes later, "Mom, I am going to let you go because you fell alseep again." The lack of sleep and the emotional roller coaster finally caught up to me!
I woke up at 3:45a this time. My sister had to fly out early, so my dad took her to the airport. My mom and I went to breakfast then to Meijer's to go grocery shopping. Needed some groceries for India. Oh, how nice to shop in a regular grocery store. I think my mom was surprised at my total bill. I then headed to Kohl's. I needed some new pants. I have lost enough to be a size smaller. We then went to Applebee's for lunch. It was so good. Boneless buffalo wings, french fries, and ribs. Oh so yummy!
More family time and off to the Outback Steakhouse. I cannot wait to sink my teeth into the bloomin' onion and salad. I just love the ranch dressing there. It was so good. I have really missed that place.
On Wednesday, I went to breakfast with my parents and aunt and uncle. Eggs and bacon...oh, I miss the food in the U.S. I had packed my bags with all the food I bought, and they were so heavy. I had to leave some food with my parents. In the afternoon, I went to Target. Oh, I have really missed Target. I shopped around and had some popcorn. I also met one of the girls from the youth group for a coffee (she had pizza, since she had to head out to play rehearsal). I then had dinner with some friends at Highland House. Oh, the breadsticks were so good. The ranch dressing there is great also. Off to watch my friend in her play practice, and then to church. It was so good to see everyone at church. I have really missed them. I chatted and visited. Coffee with a friend. Oh good times!
I visited with my grandma, lunch with my parents, and then to the airport. My suitcases were so heavy. I just hoped that they would not make me unpack and leave anything at the airport. I also had too many carry-ons. I managed to get through the check-in process, and the airline crew never batted an eye at my carry-on luggage. I got on the plane, and I settled in for the long ride to Amsterdam. Now, there is a funny story with the Amsterdam airport. I arrived pretty much in the terminal where we landed. I needed to get checked in and get my boarding pass. When they finally allowed us to get into line, I was asked a few questions and told to get in the next line. They took my passport and asked where I was going. Okay, I thought this is a funny question. Isn't everyone heading to Bombay? Well, apparently there is a new rule about visiting India. You cannot visit within two months of leaving. They were not going to let me get on the plane until it was sorted out. I told them that I live in India, but they told me it was not their rule. This took about 10 minutes to figure out. Finally, they said that there are different types of visas, and I had two in my passport. The first was just a tourist visa with a T, and the other is marked with an X. They apologized for the inconvenience but told me that it was a good learning experience for them. Glad I could help with that!
Another long plane ride, but it was relatively empty (at least in business class - oh, I had said yet that my husband works for a good company, everyone needs to drive/buy a Ford). I watched some movies and slept. There was a really cute little boy sitting across the aisle. I have to admit that he was pretty good considering the length of the flight. We arrive in Bombay. Now it gets a little more interesting.
I get into the airport and follow the mass of people. Things are not marked clearly, and I think just about every airport has been under some sort of construction which of course makes it even more interesting. I make it through immigration and customs pretty quickly actually. Kudos for this airport. Not as many of the airport personnel speak English, so there is a little difficulty with understanding what they need me to do. I try to check in, but the woman is adament that I get my bags scanned. Not a problem, but your people just sent me through. Then she was wanting me to check another bag since I was over the amount allowed as carry on. I had no problems up 'til now. One of my carry-on pieces was just chips. I did not want them to be squished, so I used a reusable shopping bag. I also had a suitcase with oreos and other fragile food items. I was not really wanting to check any of these. I did not travel 4,000 miles to have them crushed now. I told the lady checking in my bags that I would consolidate when I had a chance to sit down. She as okay with that. She gave me my boarding pass, and my ticket for the VIP lounge. I board the bus, and we head to the other terminal. Now, I am back in India and the airport is under construction. Driving is fun again! After a few attempts, we are finally on our way. I thought at first that they were driving us back to Chennai because it seemed to take forever. I get to the terminal and need to ask many different people about the lounge. They seemed confused, but they pointed me in the right direction? Maybe? Finally I found a place that may be the lounge, and two other ladies arrived. They are from Chennai, so they were able to speak to others to find out if this is the right place to be. Major confusion, but they opened the lounge. Now we wait for 6 hours. I tried to consolidate the bags, and I was somewhat successful. I was pretty sure it would not be a problem if I did not do it, but I was not willing to take the chance. Of course, everything is much heavier now. Finally it is time to head to the security check-in and find my way to the next gate. A little confusion. Everyone is pushing and not really waiting in line. I get through that and just wait for them to call us. After about 1/2 an hour, they announce our boarding plan. I get in line, get my ticket checked, and guess what - board another bus! They drive us out to the plane. We board, and of course this procedure is not efficient so we are leaving 1/2 hour behind schedule. The flight crew was extremely nice, and she just kept coming by and saying, "Is there anything I can get you Mrs. Marshall?" Now, I did not hear her call others by their name, so somehow she quickly learned my name and made a good impression. She was concerned that I did not eat much. If she only knew the half of it! I assured her that I was fine. She also asked me to fill out a survey. Smart girl. Polite, so I accomodated her request. Of course I gave her a great review.
We arrive in Chennai. Ah! Home sweet home? Now, Charles arranged for another driver to pick me up since we had plans to be somewhere else that day early in the morning (10a). I had my bags around 9:15a, and I headed out the door. Not 100% sure who I was looking for! He had my passport picture, so he spotted me and promptly took my cart with the extremely heavy luggage. Okay, I am almost there. He informs me that the President is in town, so we have to take an alternate route. There was new scenery for me!
Well, I am happy to say that I am safe and sound back in my home. I am finishing this up Monday morning, and we have yet again lost power. We are using the generator right now. I was happy to see my family and even my extended family, but I do miss Michigan.
I have a wonderful family that really worked hard to get me to Michigan as well as provide a warm homecoming. My kids called me everyday. Nice to know that I was missed. E. even had a list of reasons why she should have been traveling with me instead of spending the time with Dad! Charles should blog his time without me. The kids would also call and remind me of things that I needed to bring home. It was nice to see those I had a chance to visit. For the rest of you, I will see you this summer.
Sorry for the long entry. I was in a total of 6 different airports, 6 different planes, ? - number of buses, but I did get to have some good American meals. I hope you enjoyed this version of planes, trains, and automobiles (actually buses, planes, and automobiles).

"Holified!" as E. put it!

Elle had a birthday party on Saturday, and her friend wanted to celebrate with Holi. That is a color festival celebrated mostly in northern India, but some do celebrate it down here in the south. In a nutshell, you through colored powder on people to celebrate the good over evil. Some through water first and then the powder so it will stick. Elle looked absolutely colorful, and I thought how much fun it was for her to experience this part of the culture. Guess What! I also got to experience it first hand.

My friend thought I needed to get out and have some fun with the girls. She was planning on going to Parry's Corner. An unique area of Chennai. Now she did warn me to wear close toed shoes. I also wore clothes that I did not mind if they got dirty. I think this blog entry alone could be all about the experience of Parry's Corner without it being Holi. Just before we were about to leave for this experience my friend was reminded that it was Holi. I was not concerned since I had my old clothes on.

As we parked the car, I looked around and wondered what I got myself into today. Now, everyday we drive past all these small stores or shops, vendors selling chips and drinks and other local flare, souvenirs, etc. This was a whole new level of the daily scene. The streets are narrower and there are people everywhere. There are a ton of stores, and each street has a name like "Paper Street" or "Brass Street". You are suppose to be able to find anything you are looking for in this part of Chennai. I will have some pictures that I will post. It is really hard to explain. Okay, so back to Holi.

As were exploring the fabric store, we noticed some boys that had just celebrated Holi. We asked if we could take their picture. They were more than happy to oblige. As we watched others, a group of boys came up and asked if they could put color on us. Two of us gave them our blessing. They put in our faces. It was dry, so it came off easily. I had pink powder in my ears and all over my face. Again, I will have some pictures.

We have been fortunate not to have lizards in our house. Charles mentioned that we had them in the house before we arrived, but we had someone come and spray for them around the outside of the house. Earlier in the week, Midnight was sitting in the middle of the family room staring intently at the door. I thought maybe she did not know that everyone was home. She can get funny that way when someone is "missing". Well, after about half an hour Elle came out of her room and told me that she was looking at a bug. I noticed it was not a bug but a good size lizard. Charles got up and got the lacrosse net to shew it outside. He had a funny look on his face, and I said that he already knew it was a lizard. After a few minutes of trying to convince me otherwise, he said that he was going to wait until I went upstairs so I would not have noticed it.

The weather is getting warmer. It was in the 90's this week. Our pool is like bath water right now. The kids are loving it, and I have to admit I also like taking some laps in the warm pool. They will sometimes swim with Charles in the evening.

Charles and the kids are going to be going to see a movie this afternoon (Saturday). I am getting on a plane to head back to Michigan. I will get to experience two new airports on the way to Michigan and then two new airports on the way back to India. It is bittersweet that I am heading back home. I am looking forward to seeing my family, but I am going to go for my step grandfather's funeral. Friday morning Charles asked me if I wanted to go home. Of course I do! Well, one glitch. My passport was in Delhi because we needed visas for China. Well, Charles stopped into the travel agency, and they insured that him that they could have it back by noon the next day. My flight is 5p. God is Good!