Category: differently observed

Meet a friend — Ina

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Ina was already at our house as I returned from the U.K.

The lunatics had taken over the asylum. We have a similar sense of humour but that doesn’t necessarily travel well. 🤔🤭 sorry to Charles, the Canadian giant. He gets it.
Self catering BnB

Ina was an early guest who returned to visit every year bar the coronavirus blot on our landscape. She quickly became a close friend of Manjula helping us celebrate our engagement in 2015. They would mostly hang out together and she’s the guest who’s stayed the most and longest.

We’ve also become good friends. She’s also lost her loving partner and been a great support to me.

Ina has seen Kaveri two years running and appreciates how she’s progressed.

Ina has a strong Scottish accent even though she’s lived in Australia for almost seventy years, having escaped Britain, on a ship, to settle there as a young girl with her family.

Part of the team on Manjula’s birthday.
Bonding over chai and a phone on Manjula’s birthday.
The second celebration of what would have been Manjula’s 50th birthday. Satish is photographer

Ina, is most definitely one of Manjula’s kind. Thoughtfully helping, all around her, emanating a positive energy, appearing to be decades younger than she is but we don’t mention age.

Her initial visit was to meet a Tibetan monk, for the very first time, that she’d sponsored since he was a child.

She regales with stories of her family and her great times looking after her grand kids.

We keep remembering celebrating Manjula’s last birthday.
That’s not our cat
Visiting Manjula’s bench at the museum garden in Mysore city.
Fun together, Ina with Kaveri and Radhika. Aroma Bakery after swimming.

As she says herself

I couldn’t agree more. I’m still learning

Demonstrating the new balancing pod thing, whilst worrying Paul from France
Visiting Chandrika and Mani, Kaveri’s mum and dad.

Ina leaves at some ungodly hour for the flybus to Bangalore airport for a week in Singapore en route to home in Australia after our last meal together at Olive Garden

She’s supposed to have gone but I thought I heard her calling out downstairs. Now that’s worrying.

I look forward to her return next year

Did we get the timing wrong?

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First Sunday after returning home.

When Kaveri visits we’ve started going to swimming pool Sunday morning but we’ve got timing wrong or they’ve changed the rules.

Women and children only.

How is that possible with an old man and in India?

As you can see it’s a bit empty.

But this being India, I managed to get in for half the session.

I’m not altogether sure what’s the biggest attraction. Swimming or bakery.

I think we know.

Catching up with Kaveri

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I’ve missed not seeing her for almost six weeks followed by a flurry

On the drive home she spelt words after giving me a series of drawings, at least one for each week we missed seeing each other.

I’ve visited the school twice already this week. As a ‘family’ visit with scotaussie Ina and to attend the Independence Day celebrations with French Paul.

Does anything ever go smoothly, anywhere?

This weekend we’ve started with skating, she worried that she may have forgotten it, (no chance) a monsoon landing and hilarious walk home

Followed by opening the giant parcel I brought on the plane and Kaveri’s first Lego build.

I was so impressed by Kaveri quickly getting into following and implementing the Lego instructions. She clearly has never experienced anything like it before. I must also admit that I’ve cracked it, and have successfully bought clothes for a nine-year old. We all know it’ll not last.

Ina’s patient tolerance, knows no bounds.

Outta here.

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As we know—— Travel brings so many benefits—- broadening horizons, being challenged, learning outside our comfort zones, time for reflection, meeting new people….. blah blah

One overriding lesson, is from comparing and contrasting the two countries. I now know India is way ahead in so many ways.

At the airport as I await my flight, there’s women in sarees, and shalwa but just one man (me) in Kurta.

As Indian kids would say Hi-Bye.

Parks, people and other things in London

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Another update for friends in India, showing similarities and differences, same and different.

Clean.
Sports
Last week a music concert here for thousands. No sign of it now.
Finsbury Park. people and no litter.
Sleeping policemen aka road bumps
Here too
Portable toilet for construction workers. No other peeing in the street
No builders waste in the street. All goes in the skip.
Mobile cycle repair.
On one back street I saw three dumped plastic bags and this sign. It a limited problem but I feel it’s cultural hence the different languages.
Dog poo is also picked up
We’re taught this as young children. It’s reinforced by parents, at school, on the TV.
Different
Bicycles
Bikes
And people
Gorillas pop up everywhere. I’m here with my sons oliver in the middle and Ben on the right.

Next stop Bristol

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Sally in Bristol.

Sally first visited us at Mysore Bed and Breakfast, years ago. She now leads textile tours of India.

Exploring the city, finding magic, public arts and engineering innovations.

Magical art found all around Bristol
Banksy Street Art
Engineering marvels by Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Camera Obscura