More photos...

James and Ciaran racing with straws during our mid-day break(down).
James thought it would be a lovely idea to buy the kids wooden flutes and then a fancy one for himself. They (the kids) enjoyed tooting their horns through town. I think James is waiting for a party at our house to break out the band after a few rounds.

The weaving shop at the Tibetan Refugee Camp.

The locals in Bhaktapur chewing the fat.
Ciaran practicing his putting at the hotel.

Photos from Nepal

Three variations of temples - this is a mixed Hindu Buddha area also known as Monkey Temple.
Shop front.
Overlooking Kathmandu Valley.

Area of Bhaktapur - harvesting wheat.
Bull entrails - every year (can't remember when of course) 108 are slaughtered/sacrificed.

One of the many monkies on the hotel grounds.
All I can remember is that this is Kathmandu.

Archway carving in the Temple of the Living Goddess. She wouldn't look out her window at us. Can't imagine why with Ciaran and Saoirse making a racket.

Saoirse getting up close and personal with a stray puppy. If she starts foaming at the mouth soon, we'll know why.

Nepal 22-25 May 2008

I can't remember which one is Everest - obviously it would be the tallest one, so I'm thinking the bottom photo.

Our first trip out of India! We went to Nepal, mainly so James could bring back some change and use the line from Something About Mary (you'll have to remember for yourselves!). That and to see Mt. Everest since we have friends that too the Buddha Air flight around the mountain. Our flight wasn't as fantastic since we went in the low season and it was overcast, but we did see the peak and got photos and came closer than many of you will get :)

Stayed at the lovely Le Meridien Gorka Forest hotel that was very tranquil and had fresh air and lots of rheseus monkies around the property. The kids had a kick out of seeing them close up and pointing out monkey poo on the steps. Training them young. We also took a day tour of Kathmandu and saw the various temples and whatnot and then a 1/2 day tour of Bhaktapur which is a well-preserved medievel city.


Finally the last day we took a guided nature walk through the Gorka trail behind the hotel. We proved that we're out of shape for starters and b) we don't have a clue about nature. The guide had us put salt over our shoes before we set off - James said this was to mask our human scent so animals wouldn't be frightened off. I thought that made sense since I hated Girl Scout Camp and our camping growing up consisted of our lake house in Vermont. We'll about 30 minutes into the walk we stopped because I thought I had a pebble in my Keen (sport outdoor type shoes - see I was prepared) and took my shoe off because I couldn't dislodge it. Then I noticed blood all over my toes and it turned out I was being attached by LEECHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was at this moment of yelling at James to get the buggers off that I felt like I was in some Indiana Jones movie (coming to Hyderabad on the 30th - so no spoilers please) and realized that I don't "do" nature for a reason. That or I'm ordering the family hiking boots for our next trip.


More photos to come...

TGIFridays is Coming to Hyderabad

Yesterday I saw a banner announcing the impending arrival of TGIFridays at this huge movie theatre complex being built - both of which will probably be finished by the time we leave. Anyway, I actually got excited for this US chain coming to our neck of the woods, and this is no small feat, for anyone who knows me from Orlando knows I loathe this place. Granted I spent the better part of six months of Sunday's drinking $1 beers there in the spring of '98, but my food was never without a hair in it therefore the mear mention of the place usually upsets my stomach. But, since there's nothing else going on here and I've about eaten at any decent place that serves continental cuisine in town, I may just have to try it, well maybe just the spinach dip.

More Misc. Hyderabad Shots

Saoirse and her friend Stella getting their nails done at the Novotel.
What disease she'll end up with after laying in local water I don't know, but it never seems to bother our dirty girl.
Front of our house - if you notice Ciaran is missing pants. The kids think we live in a nudist colony.
This could be a courier service, or just two guys bringing stuff to work. We've seen a family of four on a motorcycle as well. Almost as big of pains as the rickshaws.

flkjklg&*^*(O&* DOGS!

No that's not a typo - that's my kind way of inserting an explative while keeping this blog PG rated. Was on a lovely drive home from dropping Saoirse off at school, had my cappucino, listening to iTunes (since the radio here is crap) and some shite dog (aka tut tut/rickshaw) clipped my side mirror! Bastard - their idea of signaling is the driver and their passengers holding their hands out the side for whatever direction they're turning and not from the furthermost lane either, so thankfully the whole thing didn't come off the brand new car, just the mirror, wonder if the guy's hand got nicked in the process. Anyway, I've become most reliant on those side mirrors, much more so than ever in the US and I'm afraid of what Honda will charge to replace. Ugh. There goes the morning...

The morning commute

This is a typical morning in Hyderabad. James and Ciaran used to count the number of water buffalo and stray dogs. Now that we're driving ourselves (who said racing arcade games were a waste of time - this must have been the model they used) I am making it my project to shoot interesting (and what isn't around here) things to keep everyone abreast of the madness of our lives ;).

Photos of our house

Real bathrooms (this was the major selling point in the house)
Saoirse and our watchman's daughter.
Ciaran and Saoirse busy in the playroom.

My office.
The kitchen - what you don't see is that the refridgerator is outside of it.
Dining area (I guess) and stairs.
Ciaran demonstrating the effectiveness of the "time out" room


Here's Plot 75 Lumbini SLN Springs. Great house, bare as bones. We've only received our air shipment and I'm betting on sometime in June before our sea shipment shows up. So meanwhile all we're missing are some plastic owls and pink flamingos for the lawn to match our plastic chairs and air mattresses.

Ciaran's swimming skills

Due to the fact that the temperatures here rest in the low 100s, we spend a small portion everyday it seems at the pool, more so than we did in our own back in Florida. But the positive side is that the kids have gotten to be better swimmers and more comfortable being dare devils (aka Ciaran). The movie clip is taken from ICRISCT where we go with other expat families on Saturdays where the kids swim, we eat and probably drink some beer. I took this clip the first time we went and it was the first time Ciaran had ever gone off a diving board of any sort (he did start off with the small one first). **Having trouble with video - will try to upload later.

Face painting from the Novetel

This one was for Mother's Day.
Saoirse, Emma and Ciaran enjoying chicken fingers and chips by the pool.

Sundays we brunch (i.e. all you can eat/drink/swim for four hours) usually at the Novotel. The kids love having their faces and arms painted, so I'll probably add to this blog as they get new ones done, basically because that's what comprises our Sundays, and really, who wants a photo of all the adults drinking beer?

Happy Mother's Day

Today has been a nice Mother's Day, totally forgot about it, not that it mattered, but James and the kids surprised me with a new Louis Vuitton wallet - to keep all my dirty India rupees in. Also, I braved the roads and drove our Honda City (we leased for two years) to the Novotel for brunch - as of tomorrow I will be the Welch Family's driver - stay tuned for those exciting stories.