Catfish, Hushpuppies, and Enchiladas--or how I can't find the ipad charger.

My intention was to blog each morning...but then the ipad battery died and I keep leaving the charger in a bag in the car at night!

Today we are in New Mexico, headed to Arizona.  Yesterday we stayed in Amarillo, TX, the day before in Oklahoma after driving through Arkansas.  I (Legs), tried catfish for the first time and had some amazing hushpuppies in Oklahoma (I thought of you Dad...they even offered me collard greens but I just couldn't take it that far).  I have been waiting to eat enchiladas until we hit Texas but our hotel in Amarillo had a nice dinner so we missed our chance in TX and made up for it in New Mexico.  However, they sent us to the best 'New Mexican' restaurant rather than the best 'Mexican' restaurant and it wasn't quite what I was looking for.  It was tasty, but it was definitely American-Mexican food.  Thumper figured out that we order things from the server and each time she came by our table he'd smile really big and say, "I want more water.  I want more milk."  We are still working on manners :-)

Thumper is also learning how to get what he wants...quickly.  When he feels he has been in the car long enough he will start by saying, "Not going in car too long mama?" and when I tell him that we have a few more hours to go he says, "I need a diaper change mama...I go poop mama" and then starts screaming until we pull over to discover that he just wanted to get out of the car.  He has been a trooper though and some days are a little better than others.  He has his own semi truck to play with and he really likes watching all the big rigs go by.  We stop at Pilot gas stations so he can stretch his legs and watch the trucks in the parking lot.  Depending on his mood, he cries when one he really likes gets back on the road, it's very sweet.

It has been amazing driving through the country.  The days can be long with a toddler, a dog, and a pregnant lady...but Pancho still manages to rub my back at night and we both enjoy talking all day as we drive through the open spaces we've been dreaming about.  So far, we feel like we could live in Albuquerque, Oklahoma City, or Hendersonville, NC---although, the further West we get the more at home we feel.

Tonight we will stay outside of Phoenix with an old college friend of mine who we can't wait to see!  We will stop for lunch with Pancho's Marine Corps buddy and his wife and then we are off to visit the Grand Canyon.  Don't think the government shutdown will stop us, we have a plan.  The Grand Canyon is not all National Park land, in fact, a good portion is on Native American land which is not closed.  SO, we are going to the Hualapai reservation to visit the Grand Canyon West and will spend two nights in the area so we can have a full day to take in nature and see our second of many wonders of the world (remember or trip to the Taj Mahal this spring)!

After the Grand Canyon we are off to Southern California to see the ocean (a wonder of the world in my opinion--I've been day dreaming of the ocean for almost two years now) and Pancho's best friend from High School.  They have a big family of their own and are still making space for our crew to stay the night.  We are so grateful to have such wonderful friends!

Once we hit the westernmost states we will head North...not quite sure where we will be stopping along the way other than my wonderful cousin's house near Sacramento.  Just about one more week of road trip before we get to settle back into small town life and get ready for another baby!

As Pancho says, 'happy travels!'

Road Trip!

We left DC and somehow managed to fit everything in our car for our next big adventure! On day one we made it to North Carolina and stayed with my wonderful aunt and uncle who welcomed our crew with open arms and BBQ. We got to visit and enjoy coffee in rocking chairs on the porch looking out at trees and listening to crickets. Thumper ran free in the grass and played with every new toy he could find--he even got to pick one out to take with on the trip. It was so nice to see family, the first family we have seen in nine months, and we are grateful for their love and extreme hospitality! The next day we headed onward to Tennessee and stopped a little before Nashville. We gained an hour from Central time and tried to visit a state park (yes, those are still open!), but we got there three minutes before closing time and had to settle for subway and TV. The countryside here is beautiful and we saw the most amazing sunset over the corn fields last night.

In other news, I got in to see a doctor before we left DC and everything is going well! We will do a growth scan once we get settled in WA and I continue to monitor my blood sugars. It was a very reassuring visit and I was happy to be asked those follow up questions when I mentioned frequent Braxton hicks and lower back pain...in India I was told to lift with my knees, not my back, instead of say, trying to rule out pre-term labor :)

Pancho is still hoping to run an ultra marathon this fall (anything bigger than 26.2miles) and has been running each morning we have been back...which gives me time to blog before Thumper opens his eyes! Maybe this trip will be better documented than the last...stay tuned!

Back in the US

So, it has been a while and a whole lot has happened!  Due to medical reasons we left Hyderabad for good. It was a very hard decision and a long and stressful process once we made the decision. With no formal onward assignment, they landed us in DC for a few weeks before we head home and start maternity leave. We don't know where we are going next but are looking forward to some time to just be a family and get the medical care we need. The trip home was a grand 42 hours complete with pet complications but we made it! There were many things we were looking forward to in the US (and we have surely been taking advantage of since our return) but we have found ourselves unexpectedly dealing with reverse culture shock. It is neither good nor bad but it leaves me, legs, feeling a little lost in the world.

We decided to buy a car and road trip home--this time we will go South. I don't think anyone, in any culture, enjoys the car buying process! We survived and came out with a Subaru that looks just like our old Hyundai but with four doors; the Hyundai we drove from West to East, along the Northern route, when we started this adventure almost two years ago. I've had a few breakdowns since being back, for a variety of reasons--mostly that we have been struggling for a few months now and I just keep getting more pregnant which doesn't make any of it easier to deal with--and Pancho bought me a prenatal massage, took me and Thumper to a French bistro for lunch, and went with me to pick out a few new fall sweaters. I sure am lucky.

I am hoping to see a doctor before we start our road trip but not having an address, state of residence, onward assignment, or actual medical records from India, it is challenging to set these things up!  We aren't sure when we are going to start our trip but hopefully it will be this week...pending the government shutdown decision.

Thumper is a whole new little boy being able to run free in the grass, ride the metro, and go outside without being touched or photographed. He gets excited each time an airplane goes by and keeps asking to walk to the local fire station. It looks like a trip to Gravelly Point Park is in order this evening!

Making a Babies R Us registry again and trying to decide on a color of Ergo baby carrier makes me happy in the short term and seeing the rest of the country with just my little family in our new car promises to be healing. The Grand Canyon is on my bucket list!

India, it's not you, it's me...

This post has been a long time coming.  No, we are not breaking up with India.  In fact, we are apologizing and starting a fresh relationship.

See, the truth is, while India has definitely been an adjustment, the problem isn't the country or the people.  I, legs, have realized that there are other factors about my job that have really affected our morale at post.  Recognizing that the organizational culture might or might not fit our family's needs has been very hard--particularly because of how much time and effort I put in to get here.  It doesn't mean that we want to leave, it just means that we are finding our selves particularly introspective trying to identify what is important to us right now and how we can get our needs met while pursuing this career.  Either way, in the end, it's not you, India, it's me and I'm sorry.

India is different but it is truly incredible.  Once you find your place in Hyderabad the city becomes that much more familiar.  I drive just about anywhere now and that freedom has been huge for us.  Yesterday, we ran errands all over the city and it was *almost* like any other weekend in the States.  I posted a while back about our relationship with our driver and yesterday he invited us to spend a very special holiday with his joint family in their home.  It was that much more special for us after really starting over with India.  Again, we are reminded why we wanted to live this life despite the challenges.  The only question in the next few years is whether or not the culture of the agency is a good fit for us.  But isn't that the question everywhere we work?

Mehindi done at the Eid festival by our friend's nieces...I was surrounded by women, all of us sitting on the floor in saris or kurtas, little kids watching intently as the girls did both of my hands...lots of giggling...amazing.

Well, We're Back in India

Our recent trip to Bankok was, quite simply, amazing!  We went out to some wonderful restaurants, ate incredible street food, enjoyed massages nearly every day for around $10/hr, toured exquisite Buddhist temples, and took in the scenery along a never ending expanse of canals from long tail boats.  Thailand was a remarkable mixture of rugged, cultural experiences and beautiful upscale living.  The Thai people were very friendly, and helped to make our stay a memorable one.

We stayed on the 55th floor at the Lebua Tower hotel, which just so happens to be the hotel at which The Hangover 2 was filmed.  The staff was completely over the top nice, and they all loved to interact with Thumper.  It wasn't long before he was saying, "Kap kun krap!" and "Sawatdee krap!" which is thank you, and hello/goodbye, respectively, for a male speaker in Thai.  We arranged a date night, using a baby sitter provided by the hotel, and Legs and I got to enjoy a fabulous dinner on the 52 floor outdoor restaurant.  The view from our table of Bangkok and the river was breathtaking.

All of that relaxation and adventurous traveler spirit was soon smashed to pieces when we returned to good ol' Hyderabad.  The other day I had taken Thumper to a birthday party for one of his classmates, and I was surprised to see a quaint little outdoor setting of straw bales, large paper mache animals, and more toddler toys than I could count.  I thought, "This looks like my kind of birthday party."  However, it seems like always is the case, India manages to come so close to awesome, and then someone said, "Meh, this'll do."

As Thumper ran around playing, I realized that not all of the animals were fake.  There, terrified for their lives, caught in a gaggle of screaming toddlers were three live chickens, each with about a 4 foot length of ribbon tied around one leg.  Kids were grabbing the 'leashes' and tugging, yanking, and swinging the chickens around as they pleased.  The kids were laughing hysterically, the parents smiled in amusement, and some of the nannies even got in on the fun.  I just couldn't bring myself to understand how no one there cared about what they were doing to those poor little animals.  Even Thumper looked upset at seeing the chickens so clearly distressed.

After leaving the party we were stopped at an intersection and I heard a loud thumping on the car door.  I looked over to see an older man hitting our car with a stick.  I looked at him trying to convey with my facial expression that I'd like him to stop, and he held out his hand asking for money.  I shook my head no; however, I'm not really sure if it was in disbelief that this was his strategy for getting money, or if I was genuinely telling him, "No, not today sir."  I looked at our driver, both of us shared a light chuckle, and then back at the intersection only to hear the banging again.  This time I tried to put on my mean face and shook my head no again, but he just put out his hand and gave me the same deer-in-the-headlights look.  As soon as I looked away again, there was the banging on the door.  This time I skipped the mean face and got out of the car, snatched the stick from his hands, and threw it out into the intersection.  Without a word, I got back in the car, the police officer in the intersection directing traffic waved us on, and we drove away.

Happy Travels!

Pancho

Bad Words and Chocolate

Not much has happened in the couple of weeks since we returned from Singapore except for a few parenthood moments that are definitely worth sharing.  Oh and the fumigation that happens every week, only now we have pictures.

Every so often we go to a nearby handicraft store to pick up some hand made souvenirs and enjoy chatting with the family who owns the store.  They recognize our car and wave when we pass on our way to other places during the week.  We stopped by last weekend and had Thumper with us for the first time.  The three of us were pursuing the items on the first floor when Thumper and I caught a glimpse of a backroom full of beautiful jewelry.  We wandered back and the gentleman working at the counter invited Thumper to sit on the glass case and play with a calculator.  Thumper was having a blast and the man told me I could go upstairs to shop if I'd like and he and another gentleman would watch Thumper.  Since Pancho was in eyesight I agreed, told Pancho I was headed upstairs, and went to go look at all of the gorgeous scarves, embroidered fabric, and carpets.  Upstairs, I met a man who had questions about travel to the United States and I happily provided information about the visa application process and requirements for non-immigrant travel to the U.S.  Not more than 15 minutes had passed before I returned back downstairs to a smiling face covered in chocolate.  I asked Pancho what happened and he nonchalantly told me they had give Thumper some chocolate.  Okay, fine, I thought.  Thumper has had chocolate before and he often gets a treat after dinner.  A treat the size of one jelly candy, or half of a banana muffin, two bites of ice cream...you get the gist.  I went to go wipe off his face and he said, "mama, chocolate all done!  More!!" just as the second gentleman returned with a full size chocolate bar from the store next door.  I realized that my not yet two year old son had just been given an entire adult-sized chocolate bar, consumed it in 15 minutes, and been offered a second approximately 20 minutes before nap time.  One of those moments that's funny, but only for a few hours, it's not funny anymore when nap time doesn't happen and you have dinner plans!

This weekend Thumper is off chocolate and convinced that fresh fruit is a treat.  I think we've made progress.  This morning the three of us were sitting in the living room waking up, Pancho and I with a little coffee, Thumper with a little milk.  Thumper was riding his bike all around talking about how he wants to name his baby brother or sister, "Orange," while Pancho and I were talking about life.  Pancho blurted out a "holy shit" in response to something I said and all of a sudden, just two weeks before his second birthday, our little sponge continues his bike ride yelling, "holy shiiiiit, holy shiiiiit, holy COW, holy shiiiit mama hahahahaha!"  So, of course we started laughing which only made him do it more.  We had our first talk about bad words and how daddy should have said "holy cow" and it appears as though he's forgotten the curse word for now.  Or he's just waiting to use it again :-)

Now, unrelated to parenting (mostly), I will leave you with a picture of what it looks like after two guys with shop vacs stroll through the courtyards of a building on their weekly mission to keep the bugs away.  This happens at restaurants, through the streets at times, and with less fog it happens on the airplane upon landing.  At least we feel more protected against Malaria and Dengue?

Singapore Part 2

A few funny highlights from Legs...

Our flight left Hyderabad at 11PM and arrived in Singapore at 6:15AM the next day...we both thought Thumper would sleep the whole way but he sure didn't!  During take off and landing he yelled, "Pilots driving TOO fast!"

Thank goodness the hotel let us check in early and we all crashed until the afternoon.  Like Pancho mentioned, we had our fair share of Starbucks, and with a good nap and some caffeine we set off to the Botanic Gardens.  We waited for green crossing lights, saw no burning trash, weren't concerned about being hit by a car, auto rickshaw, motorcycle, or cow, and headed straight for a big lake with lots of fish and turtles (see pictures from Pancho's post).  Pancho left out my favorite picture of an intersection in Singapore...note the differences.

Singapore

Hyderabad

We got to the lake and Thumper couldn't take his eyes off all the kids throwing bread to the fish and turtles.  Except I don't think he understood that they were throwing bread and he immediately took off his sunglasses and threw them in the lake.  They sank to the bottom and he frowned and said, "mama, glasses?"  But, losing his glasses did not deter him and at the next lake he promptly threw in his plastic construction toy; however, this item floated and Pancho did some crazy acrobatics to retrieve it from the pond.

The purpose of our trip was for medical care and to quote the Zac Brown Band, "There's no dollar sign on a piece of mind, this I've come to know."  The facility was clean, the doctor was amazing, people listened to me and didn't just talk to Pancho, I had all of my questions answered, it wasn't invasive, and we got to see our little baby moving around on the ultrasound screen as a whole family.  The doctor even printed Thumper his own picture of the baby which he immediately put up to my stomach and said, "mama, baby sister!" To be clear, we don't know the gender yet but Thumper keeps saying "girl" and "baby sister" whenever we ask him what he thinks :-)

We returned to India refreshed on so many different levels.  Pancho speaks for the both of us about the new perspective we gained from this experience.  Singapore made us realize that the world is a big place...some places we will like, some we won't, but they aren't all good and they aren't all bad.  The great thing about this job is that you get to try something new every two years.  We have learned so much about ourselves and our family through this experience in India and we look forward to taking all of those lessons to heart when we bid for our next post.  I'm sure at our next post we will continue to learn and ultimately that's why we joined the Foreign Service...to learn about ourselves and to learn about others.

There are hard times when we miss family and familiarity of Western culture.  I broke down in tears the last time I left the doctor's office here after I had been walked in on twice while getting blood drawn...It wasn't that I didn't have privacy, it was that the other patients came in just to stare at me and they didn't leave until they were forcefully asked to do so.  Combined with everything else that had happened at the doctor visit I left with tears streaming.  I got to the car and our driver asked me what happened.  He listened and reassured me.  When we got out of the car he said, "You know you can ALWAYS take me with you to any appointment, you are not alone here...you are my sister."  I have never felt so comforted by someone I've known for such little time.  He is one of our best friends here and he is the reason why we chose this life.