Easter Orphanage Visit and Home Visit

After our lazy day yesterday, it felt good to get our of the guest house on a few excursions today. When we finished with the breakfast that Rani had cooked for us (eggs, tomato chutney and dosais, which are similar to crepes), I took a walk in the neighborhood to look for final photo opportunites. I took pictures of several of the kollams that were drawn on doorsteps and a few children asked me to take their photo. A woman who was sifting sand at a construction sited also asked me to take her picture and I cheerfully agreed, wishing that I could tell her that I REALLY KNEW how hard her work really was after my construction experience.

Sister Rose of the Assisi Illam orphanage invited Stephen, his family, and Claudia and I over to the orphanage for lunch. I had a great time playing with the children. I received repeated requests for "This is how ladies ride", "Baby shark shark", and "This Little Piggy Goes to Market." They also loved to be tickled and we laughed and laughed. The food that Sister Rose had prepared was delicious, as always, and the adults sat in a circle on the floor and ate liberally.

After lunch, we went back to the guest house and packed away more of our belongings and napped a little. I got up late in the afternoon for a final walk through the "hood." Stephen invited Claudia and I over to his house for dinner. Claudia declined, saying she felt grumpy, but I elected to go. Before leaving the guest house, Sheeba bought jasmine to pin in my hair. I will always love the scent of jasmine.

At Stephen's house, I once again got to visit, not only with Steven, Sheeba and their son Roshan, but with Stephen's mother and father and his sister and her son. They had a small flock of chicks in a cage in their house. I saw that they were painted pink, orange and blue and asked if they were painted for Easter. They said no, they were painted those colors so birds of prey wouldn't recognize them and kill them. I was also shown a cage full of parakeets (what they call love birds) that they keep in the back yard for pets.

The dinner was delicious: chicken biryani with a yogurt/onion sauce, chicken, fried potatoes, and a sweet noodle/almond dessert. I was reluctant to eat until everyone was served, but they told me to go ahead as they wouldn't be eating until later. Dinner time in India is around 8pm; Sheeba explained that when it is hot, they don't like to eat until it is cooler. Stephen and his nephew did eat with me so that I didn't feel so alone. While I was eating, I got to chat with Stephen's mother, sister, and nephew - using frequent interpretations by Stephen. They are truly gracious people and I will always treasure this evening I got to visit with them.

All too soon, I was taken back to the guest house to shower, finish packing and to await the plane. What I told Stephen is what I truly believe; one of the things I will always remember about India is the friendliness and warmth of her people.