Everyday: Transportation

First of all I am very thankful to say that we have a car! But I can't drive it. I have contemplated learning to drive it, but honestly it scares me. Every time I ride in the car I feel like we are going to hit a pedestrian, go off in a ditch, or get hit head on by a Tata truck and I don't want to be the one responsible for that- because let's face it- I am not the greatest driver in the world. So whenever I want to go somewhere without my husband I have a few options. When independence and close proximity are the name of the game, I go by bicycle. There would be nothing special about that except that all of my neighbors find it extremely strange that a fully grown woman who can afford a car would ride a bicycle (most of them drive scooters- scarey). They found it especially strange when I rode my bicycle while pregnant for "everyone knows that it can cause miscarriage". They also find it odd that I have a tendency to ride it in the hottest part of the day when no one else is on the streets. One lady told me that her kids asked her why American Auntie is able to go out in the sun. She said that it is because I come from someplace cold so I like the heat (ha). Really it is because that is when the kids are napping. One time I rode my bicycle with my Saree on and that was an interesting sight, but I will not be trying that again (sorry no picture). But my normal mode of transportation is by auto rickshaw. When I have both kids, Evelynn is strapped to me in the Ergo and Silas rides next to me. This again is very strange to the neighbors- most of them don't do it. Our gate keeper asked me why I take autos when we have a car and suggested that JP should always take me places (nevermind that he has to work). It generally costs me less than 2 dollars to go 4 km to the Walmartesque store. And really it isn't too bad as long as I am not pregnant or nursing a bad back. I call up my favorite auto driver a few minutes before I want to go anywhere and he shows up at me door 5 minutes later. Then I just catch some random auto driver when I want to come home. I do miss the independence of driving my own car, though I am a little nervous about driving in America in a month!

Every Day

I have been intending to start a new blog series for a while, and now that the a/c in the kids' room is fixed and we finally have office back, I have access to my computer at night. This series is about things I see and do every day. Partly to let others see what life in South Asia is like, and partly to help me remember. We are saying goodbye in about 2 weeks. I see this little farm everyday and I love it, for multiple reasons. We live on the outskirts of a growing capital city, and while new places of residence are going up all around us, this place keeps the village/farm feel alive. The land is about the length of 3 football fields and about that wide. All throughout the year the ground is growing something. These people are very economical and hard working. In rainy season rice grows. I love the color of fresh rice paddy. In winter corn, followed by wheat. I never really understood in 7 Brides for 7 Brothers when Adam said that Milly's hair was the color of wheat in the summer, but now I do. It reminds me of my daughter's hair. And now they have vegetables and greens. I love the little house. That blue color against the red dirt is a common site here.