Sunday Part I

Hi!

So I have a few days to catch you up on! Friday, Saturday, and today! (I hope I haven't forgotten already too many details!) I'll send one at a time.

Friday....

We headed out around 9:30 to get to the school for our appointment at 10:30. I'm not sure what time we arrived, but it did certainly take a long time! And that time of day traffic was terrible, and the ride was quiet bumpy and swervy. Not good for carsickness, but we've been taking along Jolly Ranchers to help with that. (But they're almost gone!) So we got to school in Sarjapur, filled out some papers, finished a payment for Sacia's tuition (for which our first credit card was declined - for security reasons, being in India, spending $XXXX was a bit 'high-risk') (but of course is reimbursed by IBM), and then walked around a bit.

There was a special parent-teacher welcome day, with carnival type activites. So when we found their classroom, they were empty, but we found their names on the doors and looked around anyway. The girls are both in the primary building, Sacia on the ground level, and Ella upstairs on the 2nd level. Ella was excited to see that a girl we met here, Pooja, was in her class section, as well as another girl we met that day from Michigan, Arhanna. So she already knows 2 people in her class, and is so very excited to begin!

Sacia also knows 1 boy in her class section, another Minnesotan family who lives in Palm Meadows, who we met the other night for dinner and playing. She was excited to see the classroom, very much so, but still is not quite sure about this school thing. I keep reminding her about how much fun she had in her swimming class this summer, even though she was very concerned the first day.

We headed across the campus, past the main building and secondary building, and the dining hall, to the sports complex. There is a large gymnasium with an outdoor gravel/rock/dirt track. The area was full of students, parents, and teachers eating, playing games, and dancing. The girls got their faces (and arm) painted, and we enjoyed some Indian snacks (corn and beans, not at all Minnesotan flavored), and then some ice cream for 10 rupees. Everything cost 5 or 10 rupees, which is 12-25 cents. We spent so much ;)!

We got to meet the girls' teachers, the pictures you may have already seen on the website. Sacia was quite hesitant, but by the way she is warming up to our driver (who we've had for only 3-4 days), it won't take her long! They may wish she was still quiet and reserved after she gets more excited! :) Sacia will have 2 main teachers, with 3 or more helpers. Ella's class has 1 main teacher, 1 helper.

While we were there, we saw a familiar-looking man, but I couldn't place him. The second time, though, I figured it out. He works at an emporium, where nice rugs and trinkets are sold. That was the very first store we looked at on our first trip with Zach. You can't bargain there, and we didn't stay long, as Zach wanted to pick up all the statues... Anyway, it was interesting to see him at the school.

After walking back to the front of the campus, we were picked up by our driver, and went back to the apartment. Unfortunately, the weather made it impossible to go outside to play! It rained and rained. So we were 'stuck' here once again. Brian returned at 7pm, and had his call at 8. Not a very fun afternoon. But the first part of the day was enjoyable anyway...


Saturday coming soon...!

Love,

the Bangalore Blondes