Work, work, work!

Suffice to say that, almost 7 weeks in, we are feeling quite comfortable with India (well this little haven in India at least).  We are successfully bartering auto-rickshaw drivers down and are savvy to the sneaky ‘skin tax’ a lot of vendors seem to add to their produce.  We've mastered the art of head wobbling and eating with our hands (cutlery seems very odd now) and, although it always procures much laughter for the general public, we have a small grasp of Tamil enough to buy, for example,  five eggs, a little milk, “two teas/coffees please” and ask how much it’ll cost.  However, it would also seem that our immune systems are continuing to sample the delectations that are Indian colds/tummy bugs.  At the moment, about every 7-10 days we have a bed/down day and feel rough as dogs which can be pretty disruptive especially if visits and meetings are planned.  As a result there are quite a few times when we feel rather homesick. If you’re a prayerer then praying for our health would be much appreciated. However, on the whole we are very much enjoying it here!

You may be surprised to hear that in between all of our gallivanting and mini adventures we have actually been doing some work too!  In the UK, a wonderful group of people headed up by a man named John Eke have been busying away and staying up til all hours to progress the bid to become an official, UK-recognised charity.  A launch event was held on 9^th Feb to raise awareness of Bethesda Children’s Foundation (UK name) and gain interest in things like child sponsorship schemes.  Therefore, back in India we've been typing, reading, researching and quizzing away amongst a mountainous flurry of (mostly Tamil) paperwork and dubious facts to provide the UK with correct details of all the children here at Bethesda.  Thankfully we've managed most of them and the few unanswered questions we still have should be resolved next week as we venture to Erumad (finally!) to the other children’s home. 

Dorm 2 foundations a week ago

We've also been the liaison between the UK and Pastor Sam.  Sam is incredibly busy at the moment.  The building work in Mettupalayam is taking up most of his time as he’s supervising the laying of foundations and making sure the workers work fast enough!  On top of that, a group of about 15 Americans have just landed to be in Coonoor for a year and Sam has generously spent the last three days in Coimbatore (the Manchester of India) showing them where to buy pretty much everything to furnish a house.  As a result, he has very little time or energy for tedious email checking and updating all array of technological communications. As people who spend half their life on facebook we feel fairly well suited to the computer side of things here and, as there’s easy, fast internet here (provided the power doesn't cut out…usually about three times a day), it’s no hassle for us to do that side of things for him. 

Check out their moustaches!

Our latest project has been a government set task. Bethesda has been asked to put in-depth details of all the children living here on a missing child website so they have records of all children not living with their family.  This seems, to us, a little unnecessary as none of our children are ‘missing’, all have a story of how they came to Bethesda and at least one living relative.  Nonetheless, we were given this task and having been ploughing through yet more information to answer the government’s questions.  This probably sounds incredibly dull and, for the most part, it was. But we have had occasions of laughing fits and snickering behind hands at some of the questions.  I think the most amusing section was labeled ‘Habits’.  This required the admission of any noticeable habits the child may have.  Some tick boxes may have been classed as appropriate like smoking or nail biting but when it goes on to stretching, eyes blinking/shifting, cinema crazy and bragging…. Then come the truly bizarre when we’re talking about children. Does the child have a habit of moustache twisting or prostitute mongering? I think you see our amuse/amazement. 

Anyway, why are we doing this? Well, I guess there are two answers.  Firstly we wanted to see India and Bethesda seemed like a prime opportunity to do this and still be useful.  Secondly, and more prominently, we believe in Bethesda and Pastor Sam’s work and vision for these children.  We have found that it has had such a profound effect on so many children’s lives and is providing so much where there is need.  The UN and Indian government are, quite rightly, enforcing new regulations and policies regarding child welfare and it would be so great to see Bethesda as a leader and an example in how child care should be done in India.  It would be amazing for people to see Bethesda and think ‘Yeah, they've got it spot on’.  I think as far as the children’s emotional, physical and spiritual welfare is concerned, Bethesda is already a shining example and so all that’s needed now is to tick all the government boxes concerning practicalities of running a children’s home.

The Dining Hall a week ago

As you may know, this is the reason for the new home being built down in Mettupalayam.  This is, obviously, a very costly project.  So far the land has been cleared, the foundations for the main rooms built, bricks are starting to go up and the electricity is wired up and ready for action.  However, anyone who’s built anything of substance before will know that this is but a start.  Roofs, doors, windows and plumbing not to mention building a driveway and furnishing the place for 150 children plus wardens, cooks and security.  The initial budget Sam came up with for the building was £220,000.  Amazingly, he managed to raise £100,000 by selling one of the homes and a further £80,000 has been funded by generous givers from a couple of churches in the UK.  Correct me if I’m wrong but that leaves a mere £40,000 left to raise.  With the children due to move to the new site in June Sam is, understandably, fairly anxious about getting the building finished in time but more so about how the building will be finished without further funding.  Now, the charity in the UK are rightly focused on investigating a more sustainable, long-term and constant income of money for Bethesda.  Therefore, we are desperately looking to people like you to donate anything you can to help with this project.  If the building is not complete, the children cannot move, regulations cannot be met and therefore the Indian government has every right to close this amazing, beautiful home down.  A pretty urgent situation I think you’ll agree.

To pull on your heart strings a little more and provoke you into digging a little deeper, here is just one of the many stories at Bethesda.

Pradap & Satheesh 2001 and 2013 below

Eleven years ago these two little boys (aged 3 and 4), Pradap and Satheeshkumar were brought to Bethesda home.  Their mother had died leaving them in the care of their disabled father.  Their father was unable to care for them and could not afford to feed them let alone clothe them well or send them to school.  They were discovered at the side of a road eating dirt out of hunger.  We've been told that, when they first arrived they were shy, quiet and nothing could make them smile.  This is them eleven years later.  Satheeshkumar is a drummer in the church band and is hoping to become a doctor and Pradap is now in 9^th grade, is literally one of the most smiley kids I've ever met and is aiming to join the military.  These two boys owe their lives to Bethesda and are a real example of what a massive impact this place has on children in the local area.  There are more stories and testimonies of those who have now left Bethesda at http://bethesdamissionindia.com/childrens-stories.php.

Unfortunately, until the UK charity is fully set up and running, there is no really easy simple lovely link I can give you so you can donate at the click of a button.  Therefore, if you would like to give (and please please consider giving) please contact us on facebook or email us at emily.rebecca@live.co.uk and we can sort something out. Thanks!!

The Nilgiri mountain train

My lovely Grandmother on the train in 1975

My lovely wife on the same train almost 40 years later

Without a doubt one of the most charming and exciting features of our part of Tamil Nadu is the Nilgiri mountain steam train. From the stuffy, noisy, polluted town that is Mettupalayam the train swoops you up into the hills away above the dust and palm trees of the plains and into the cool clean airs of Coonoor and Ooty. The railway was first built in 1908 by the British to provide access to Ooty (2.2 km above sea level) which was popular with ex-pats seeking a break from the heat. The engine and its carriages have been preserved, restored or, in the case of the steam engine, replaced with similar though slightly updated versions as the older ones wear out. It is evident that a lot of thought and resources have gone into preserving the train and as a result tourists are drawn from all over India and the world to be pushed up the hill by this nostalgic marvel.

The train also holds a special place in my family history. When my mother was young her parents were missionaries in north eastern India and they sent their three children to boarding school in Coonoor and later Ooty. My mum would often tell us stories about her time in India; her various cats, her dad's agricultural projects, (the local swear words she learned) and the amazing steam train that would carry them up the mountain to school over ravines and through elephant inhabited jungle. Apparently when the train passed over a ravine and all the passengers would rush to one side to take pictures and a little version of my mother would run to the other side to counterbalance the carriage and prevent it tipping over the edge!

The steam train filling with water at the staion

Since we arrived I've been gagging to go on the railway and finally this week we got our chance. We woke at 5:30am in a very muggy, overpriced Mettupalayam hotel room after a rotten night's sleep. Nevertheless we got up and out, driven more by excitement than anything else. Booking the train is a well documented nightmare due to it's popularity. The station was jam packed with all sorts of sight seers; young raggedy traveller types adorned with tattoos, bushy beards and no shoes, many an older face looking clean, composed but slightly harassed, gaggles of Indian teens with their western clothes and Justin Bieber in their ears and hearts and tri-generational Indian families on holiday together. Despite most everyone having a pre-booked ticket there is a little of stress and strife over who will be going on this train. Luckily for us we have friends in high places. One of our church friends works on the train and managed to pull some strings to get us a really decent window seat at fairly short notice. That being said we did have a slightly nervous hour on the station waiting  and wondering if said strings could and would be pulled. Finally at 7:10am the trained pulled away from the station in a cacophonous eruption of steam and smoke leaving a few disgruntled would-be passengers abandoned on the platform, their day spoilt. Our day, however, was just beginning.

We ascend into the clouds

The train takes three hours to climb the hill to Coonoor where it waits in the station for 40 minutes while the steam engine is replaced with a diesel engine which continues the journey for a further hour and half up to Ooty. The track bends and twists its way gradually up the hill making regular stops to fill up with water and let the passengers stretch cramped legs and exercise itching camera fingers. The first half of the journey up to Coonoor sees the track traverse rocky ravines large and small with stone and steel bridges that rattle and creak as you pass over them. Waterfalls can be seen tumbling down rock and filling pools before gurgling into the distance. Flowering shrubs and trees and bindweed in many vibrant colours grow everywhere, their colours and varieties changing as the altitude goes up and the temperature goes down. You find yourself plunging into the hills themselves when the train pushes you into a tunnel and the sound from the engine is magnified and bounced off the walls while the vapour of the steam and the smoke of the engine invades through open windows. Every window has an elbow occupying it, and as the windows slide neatly away it's not uncommon to see a camera wielding so-and-so leaning treacherously far out to get a better shot of the train as it ascends (yours truly being an example of such). In fact the nostalgic aura of the train is somewhat spoilt by the multitude of camera phones sprouting from each window capturing inane photos of the ground or badly aimed videos of the air but that can hardly be helped.

Another scheduled tank fill and leg stretch

The second half of the trip delivers some truly spectacular views of the hills and the plains below. Gigantic rocky outcrops soar above the jungle on the opposite side of the valley where thousands of trees are reduced to a far off misty blur of steep vegetation. Every now and then you catch a glimpse of the road below with it's hairpin bends and it's fast paced jostling of road users trying to be king of the hill and you sigh with pleasure because even though your journey will take three times as long, it is ten times more relaxing and countless times more beautiful. When the train gets nearer Coonoor it stops at two stations, Hillgrove and Runnymede, who's names betray their founders nationality as plain as day, and passengers disembark to enjoy a snack shop and avoid evil looking Makaks. When the train finally draws level with the Glendale tea factory you're treated to some truly idyllic views of the tea gardens spreading up the hills and around brooks as they make their passage downhill. The patchwork of tea plants spreading over every hill in neat uniformity is nothing short of sublime and I doubt I will ever grow used to the sight.

Beginning the push to Ooty

Once in Coonoor (1.8 km up), and after the steam engine has been relieved, the diesel engine completes the journey to Ooty. The train quickly passes through a small village called Wellington which was named for Sir Arthur Wellesley and climbs through a eucalyptus forest and out onto the roof of the world. You really do get the feeling you are high as it gets as the ground opens out and you can see hilltops spreading before you as far as the eye can see, yet still the train continues it's steady climb. The route takes you past evidence of another of the Nilgiris top exports, flowers. Small communities congregate around poly tunnels and irrigation ditches to cultivate small multicoloured allotments growing anything from gerberas to peace lilies. As the train nears Ooty the ground levels out somewhat and the short cropped grass, gorse bushes and bare rocks put you somewhat in mind of the New Forest. Seemingly out of nowhere there appears a lake dotted with pedalos which signals your arrival into Ooty (or as the stations sign confusingly reads, 'Udhagamandalam')

The descent from Ooty is, as you would expect, much the same but in reverse. It's just as picturesque on the way down however there are less stops for water as the steam engines only job is to act as a brake to prevent the carriages careering downhill out of control.

Looking down the tracks 

Thundering over ravines

Plunging into tunnels

The whole experience of riding the train, the chuffa-chuffa of the engine, the precipitous drops and soaring heights, the vast views and clackaty bridges, the smoky tunnels and plunging waterfalls, the dense forest and the oldy-worldy wooden carriages all combine to make riding the Nilgiri mountain train a real treat. And considering a standard ticket weighs in at a ridiculous 15p (as long as you can book it) taking this train if you get the chance is a total no brainer. Every now and then I would imagine a little version of my mother in the same seat, or standing on the same platform, or more likely running away from a Makak. Catching the train with her scruffy little brother and cute little sister all those years ago, it really feels like we visited a small part of my heritage today.

Off the beaten track

The last month and, in particular, the last couple of weeks has seen us experiencing Indian culture from an insiders point of view.  I really love the fact that we're living with a family and are able to experience India first hand rather than only following the well trodden tourist tracks.  I thought I'd let you in on a couple of the things we've been going to that wouldn't have happened if we were purely tourists.

Our neighbourhood 

Our first, very random for us, experience was one evening when Sam burst into our rooms and said “You ready to go? Now?”.  We had no idea what he was referring to but blindly agreed that, yes, of course we were ready to go! And so we left the house on foot with Sam and Laisha.  We walked to the end of the road where we met some friends, Sam and Glory (the loveliest couple ever from church) and continued up another road.  We headed up to a nearby suburb called 'Mount Pleasant' which overlooks the large tea plantation by us and our little cluster of houses.  We turned up a small alley way and ended up in the backyard of an older couple who's son comes to church.  Our mouths instantly salivated at the smell of cooking although this was quickly abated when accompanied with the pong of cow dung.  By this point we were picking up some clues as to what was happening and where we were going.  It was a Tuesday and the last of a four day national holiday.  This holiday is called 'Pongal' and is a Hindu celebration and time of worshipping the sacred cow.  We sat inside for a quick drink before heading out back to the cow yard.  We found a large cow in a smallish shed decorated with banana leaves and lights.  We then proceeded to pray for and bless the cow and thank God for His provision.  I think this was basically a Christian take on Pongal and more of a mini thanksgiving service, kind of like harvest.  It was quite good fun although every time the cow moved or looked at me I definitely backed up a little! After some prayer and singing, we all took our turn to feed the cow (by hand) a traditional pongal dish called..... pongal! Once the cow had been fed we all scrambled into the house for our own pongal.  The best we can describe the dish is mashed potato meets rice pudding in consistency with cardamom and cashew nut flavours – tastes much nicer than it sounds! This was also the momentous, life-changing occasion when Daniel met Vadai for the first time (see previous post for deets!).  After dinner we prayed for the family and house thus culminating our first, definitely non-tourist adventure!

The amazing traditional Chinese fishing nets

This last weekend we were driven 6/7hrs south-west to the region of Kerala.  We stayed for two nights in a town near to Fort Kochin which is a hive for heat-lusty tourists.  We found it surprisingly odd seeing so many white people! Although we did do quite a few of the usual touristy things including market places, boat trips and watching epic and traditional fishing techniques, the reason for the visit was actually to attend a 50th wedding anniversary! Laisha's auntie and uncle live in the region and we were basically invited to gatecrash the occasion.  We arrived late Sat night, greeted everyone and went straight to bed.  On Sunday morning we went to a small (about 20 people), local, backstreet pentecostal church (another thing we only experienced as non-tourists) then went back for anniversary celebrations.  The porch of the house had been transformed with brightly coloured canopies and drapes and chairs had been set up for a mini service.  The couples' orthodox church leaders came and led a short service and prayer time then presented the couple with a golden shawl as is tradition.  Then loads of their friends came up and shared stories and memories of the couple.  There were probably about 70 people there and so, after the ceremony, an almighty buffet feast began and every square inch of space was filled with people or food! Another trés fun insight into Indian culture. 

A small selection of gifts!

Talking of gatecrashing events...we also gatecrashed a house-warming party! This was really good fun.  We all rammed into the car and drove about 30mins across the mountains to a small village with the most stunning of views.  We parked up on the 'main road' and were greeted by a lovely couple with their young son.  They led the way to their newly-built house, scrambling up small tracks, through back-gardens and collecting basically the whole village on the way!  The next few hours were subsequently filled with an ostentatious ribbon cutting ceremony, prayer and blessing over each room and the kitchen hob (random!), singing and the presenting of gifts from all the neighbours and family.  It was astounding how generous people were! Everyone had brought a gift, be it food, an essential household item, decorations or clothes.  This was followed by the immediate family presenting the couple with a whole host of fruit, flowers, pots and clothes which literally covered about half the room! Such an example of generosity particularly as most of them had very little in the first place – definitely a lesson learnt! After this, as is typical of Indian celebrations/any average day, a great feast for the whole village ensued.  Women came round the corner with massive tureens of curried everything, vats and vats of rice, piles of poppadoms and heaps of vadai! It was pretty amazing especially when they were all served on banana leaf – no washing up and completely biodegradable, perfect!  A really fun day and so great to be involved in!

The grand house opening

There have been quite a few other occasions where we looked at each and thought “well this wouldn't be happening to us if we were tourists!” and it's great to get a bit more to grips with India and how people and events work here.  A few weeks ago we experienced how this particular culture mourn too.  There was an old lady (Patti – Grandma) who lived with us and was here to be palliatively cared for and she died a few weeks ago.  Now in the UK, it can take weeks before any funeral or life-celebration happens but here it all happened in a day.  She had died at 7.30am and by 3pm we were in a nearby village at her daughters house mourning with her family before the funeral service in the evening.  We walked through the front door to see her lying there very peacefully, covered in beautiful, colourful flowers from head to toe.  There was an open door policy and throughout the afternoon neighbours, family and friends came and went, bringing gifts and sympathies and saying their goodbyes.  It was a very touching time and was handled really respectfully both to her and her daughter.  Although we had met and lived with Patti (albeit shortly), we felt quite honoured to be allowed into something so personal and, again it was amazing to experience, so intimately, a different culture. 

A casual 10 minute walk from our front door

We've also seen a few birthdays where lovely, tender traditions like cutting cake with your parents and feeding each other happens along with the birthday girl or boy generously buying everyone cake or sweets and sharing them out.  And we feel fortunate to have gone on some local walks from our front door and discovered little villages otherwise unknown to tourists and meandered through beautiful hills and scenery all because of where we're living.  It's amazing to live life alongside a different culture and see things through their eyes and traditions.  Who needs fancy hotels and rip-off tourist prices hey?

P.S. Just found out that we're going to a wedding tomorrow....win!

A month at Bethesda

We woke up this morning to puddles on the ground. It's the first time it's rained while we've been here and we've been here for a month. Apart from feeling very lucky to have had such wonderful weather to enjoy through January, the cloudy weather has also reminded me of home and how we're probably overdue an update.

Our first month has been really good fun, a good mixture of being busy and useful and having big chunks of down time in which to read and spend time together. The pace of life was the first thing to adjust to. Everything is very laid back, and everything happens late! For example if we have planned to leave the house at 10am we're lucky if we're on the way before 11. That said when we do eventually go we go NOW! Em and I will have a bag packed and be ready to go on time, but when the allotted time comes and goes we start to chill out, the books come out, the cards come out, we start getting on with other things...but when everybody else is ready to go we have thirty seconds in which to repack our bag and get moving. We also eat at irregular times, breakfast is normal but it's not unusual to be eating lunch at 3:30 and dinner at 10pm (I dread to think what the late dinner is doing to our digestion!)

Emily wearing Subathra's favoured hairstyle...hmm

About every other day we go down and play with the children. Most of them have got used to the idea of us being around. The younger ones still get their knickers in a twist with excitement when we show up and we share double high fives all round. The older kids have taken longer to relax around us. I think over the years they have seen English visitors come and go and so don't make much effort to connect, but when they realised we're here for a longer time (and when I realised that the older buys primary language is headlocks and wrestling) they began to thaw. Emily has a little group of older girls who she calls her tangachi's (younger sisters) and I've developed a little chess club where the sole aim is to beat the “UK champion” (anyone who's ever played chess against me will know that's a joke!)

The boys dorm as of a week and a half ago

The building project down the hill is progressing well. Basically the home will be three large buildings that form three sides of a square. The central building is a dining hall and staff accommodation and the two on the sides will be boys and girls dorms. In the middle of the trio will a kind of courtyard area which faces the two acres of land given over to playing fields and gardens. As I write this work is being finished on the girls dorm foundations, the dining hall is almost ready to start work on the walls and the boys dorm is not far behind. Overall the work is progressing slowly but surely as is always the way with establishing foundations, but we hope the foundations will be complete within the next week and the walls can start going up in earnest. To see a picture of what the home will look like when it's done visit www.bethesdamissionindia.com and have a little hunt around.

For the most part Emily and I have managed to avoid the dreaded Delhi belly, though as time goes by we're getting riskier and riskier with what we'll eat! However immune systems have being spoilt for choice by the veritable smorgasbord of Indian cough and cold strains offered by the children downstairs that they haven't been able to resist trying a few samples. As a result Emily and I have been sneezing, sniffing, aching and in Emily's case, coughing her guts up. I think we're mostly out of the woods now but Em has kept onto a chest infection as a souvenir, which hopefully will be dealt with by a trip to the doctors later on (she was meant to go at 9:30, it is now almost 10:30...case and point)

Some of the lads (I had to make fart noises to get them to smile like this)

Overall we have loved our first month here. Trying lots of new food, mostly delicious, occasionally revolting. Emily has established her dominion in the kitchen as a master baker (despite using rice flour to make a very dry cake, terrible pastry and awful crumble before realising our mistake) and I'm loving the little adventures that crop up here and there be it as simple as finding the post office or taking a day trip up the hill on the toy train to Ooty (more on this soon I feel) We both love it here in India, do we have to come back?