India 2007

Our last day in India. It's been an extraordinary experience and there is much that we will miss about this country.

We had hoped that this trip would offer the kids a broader perspective from which to think about and assess their own culture, prioirities, expectations, needs and wants. I think we have all been challenged on some level to think about what's most important in life. Travelling is good for the soul.

In Tamil, when you take leave of someone, you say "Varanaanga," which means "I will return." Varnaanga India.

And now, what you've all been waiting for... A few words from the OTHER members of the family...

From Arden:
There’s not much to say, my mom has summed it up pretty well. It’s crazy that were leaving tomorrow. I wish I could wrap my arms around India and hug it good bye, but that’s not going to happen so instead I’ll let it know I had a fantastic time and the people here are amazing.

This really was a great experience and I’m so thankful to have parents like mine. I know that if I wasn’t missing everyone so much I could stay another month, or even more! It really is beautiful here, and I can’t get enough of it. This has been one of the best months of my life.

Thank you India!!

From Grady:
This has been one the best experiences in my life. I am so glad that I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to travel to another country. I have no regrets about missing school or anything like that because I think that travelling is the best way to learn. Compared to my mom I am a horrible writer so I don't think I am going to say much in terms of the sights and smells and sounds...
she's got that covered. I will say that whenever I have another chance to travel overseas again I will take it immediatly!

At first I wanted to spend our last two weeks of travel time just cramming in as many sights as possible and traveling as far as we could. I quickly realized that this is not the way to travel. You learn so much just by observing and walking around on the streets and if you are constantly on the move there is no time for that. I loved talking to the kids and just watching people do their daily routines on the streets.

At the orphanage and outside of Kerala this trip really made me realize how lucky I am to have been born in Canada. There are so many kids here my age who have already completely matured and are working to support their family. The fact that people like us in Canada have enough money to just come here for our pleasure and some of the people here can hardly feed their family is quite a
shock.

All in all this was an amazing experience and I am so glad I got to come here and see all these things first hand. For me, reading about the less fortunate and seeing those world aid commercials didn't do much. For it to really effect you I think you need to see these things for yourself. I would encourage anyone who took even a slight interest in our trip and blog to come and see India for
themselves. It's a great country and I loved every bit of it.

From Chris:
Hello friends and family,

Chris here - the writing standard of the blog is about to drop significantly, since the rest of the family is kicking in...

It's our last day here, and the time has flown by. People here live very close to the earth - it reminds me a lot of growing up on the farm - things aren't thrown away, and things function at an individual vs. agency or state level with plants, animals, and the poor and the old and the sick taken care of by the people around them. The garbage that piles up everywhere at the end of the day is swept clean early the next morning. People have jobs to do, but it seems that nobody works too hard - I rarely saw anybody get dirty or sweaty, even doing very physical labor (okay, that part didn't remind me of the farm).

I've loved the sights here. No ride or walk is lacking in interesting things to look at (or sounds to hear). At least a dozen times a day, I wish that I had a photo memory (or sound bite) of something I saw - the architecture, the vehicles, the animals, the people, the businesses, the homes, the countryside - it all is so different from our world at home (though the poverty is overwhelming at times).

I've loved the food here - we all have, but I think I've loved even more than Elizabeth, Grady and Arden. I'm always wanting to try a new restaurant and a new dish, whether I've read about it or seen it or not, and I've rarely been disappointed. We didn't try as many sweets as I thought we would, but that's probably okay. I'm curious to see if I've gained or lost any weight in my month here. Grady cracked us all up after a week or two when he sniffed his armpit and said, "My pits smell like curry, not sweat!" One thing I won't miss is the general lack of refrigeration, and I must say that the difference from how we prepare food in the West takes you aback at times.

I've loved the people here too. Everywhere we've been, the young, the old, men, women and children, whether alone or in groups, the people have generally REALLY watched us (and vice versa), and often, they've wanted to communicate or connect with us, even if it was just a "Hello!" or a "Hi!" - their eyes would lock with ours, and the smiles would be very wide from them and us. It felt very ntense - like being in an audition all day - people wanted to be
noticed and remembered, and wanted to learn about us and our life so far away (though the constant flow of people wanting to sell you something - a product, a mode of transportation, their services - can wear you out at times).

I've also really loved being here with my wee family. Grady and Arden are at an age where we don't see a lot of them when we're at home, so this trip has been great just to spend time with them, as well as seeing another part of the world. Their friends back home take up a lot of their time, which is fine, but they've been so great to travel with - easy-going, adaptable, patient, and open to experiences and learning large and small. And Elizabeth has all of
those qualities as well, and many more (maybe that's where they got it). I feel blessed travelling with her - through India and through life. Now if we can only figure out how to pay off this trip so that we can save for Paris this summer... In July it'll be 20 years of wedded bliss (at least it's been bliss for me).

Thanks for reading our blog and seeing our pictures!

Chris

One more quick note from E:
Part of the fun of travelling is sharing your experiences with others. Thank you for being our companions on this journey. See you soon. xoE