So we went bowling
Playing games
Eating and.. shopping
Summer school holiday with one week left
Category: Kaveri
So far…. Life in 179
After moving we’ve had to slowly and I mean slowly find places for the clutter that the bug has collected.
Starting with sorting the electrics..
Today more things have found walls to rest on ..
Thank you to Catherine who kindly donated even more things to deal with —- 🤭 they are beautiful embroided wall hangings that we love.
…
The Mango tree has continued giving. Our neighbours and friends are also grateful and Luka has become mango doooooog.
Priyanka has delivered the third in her series of wonderful MAnjula portraits.
Kaveri continues to be the darling she is ..
That’s all for now folks —and please do realise that there’s much more to be sorted
Sowbaghya — making changes
Sugar … I’ve spelt it wrong again it’s Sowbhagya or SB …
who’s useless?
Those of you who have visited us since 2019 will have met SB and know her trademark humility. Don’t let that confuse you, she can be full on.
Sowbhagya was first introduced to our community (family) through great friends Justin, Heejung and their boys
when they lived in Mysore. They have now moved to South Korea.
After MAnjula died Sowbhagya came to work at Mysore B and B so she’s been with us for seven years — but now things have moved on — a lot.
She’s now a Director of the business, and fully looking after the house, recently she’s helped find our new base at 179, shifted over 17 years of accumulated clutter. In the new season, later this year, she’ll take a lead with the guests.
If that’s not all she helps coordinate a chit fund, runs her own catering business and brought up her son Naveen (now 18) as a single parent.
You’ll have met Naveen in previous postings. He’s turning out to be a thoughtful confident young man.
Another critical role has been helping with Kaveri who we sponsor in Manjula’s memory.
In this way she’s blazed another trail which Kaveri is following. SB created for herself the opportunity to meet and work with a wide range of foreigners before she even came to Mysore B&B. This has helped broaden her experience and horizons.
Watch this space for how Kaveri is already following that path and growing through meeting the foreigners and guests from throughout India.
So as you can tell. She’s open to challenges, she’s decided it’s time to formalise her divorce (she’s been separated from her husband with little if any contact for over 15 years) and start a new chapter in her life.
That might include trips abroad as Kaveri’s chaperone as she’s just obtained her very first passport.
So there you are — an important member of our team, helping hold it all together.
This best wishes for the continuing journey is ..
From Maïlis, Stephen, Kaveri, Billet-Doux, Luka and many guests.
SF/2026
Happy Birthday Kaveri
Aged twelve on the 3rd May
Present shopping
Girls passing on Barbie – tips and skills
Baby time, Radhika’s
The traditional cake sharing
Stepdad
So what next?
We’re about to move into a new house.
It’s been a challenge at times with over ten years grieving after Manjula’s diagnosis.
But first MAnjula and our team has continued to do good
Welcoming guests to our home, helping them to love India in their own sweet way
Supporting young people through …
Sponsoring Kaveri and Naveen’s education
Creating innovative events with NGOs and schools within our community for nearly 200 young people
Gifting bicycles, almost 50 since we got engaged
Regular reflective space meetings at mysore BnB for individuals and groups of young people
.
So what next?
We’re moving house and will relaunch (rooms will continue to be available later in the year). Do check http://www.manjulasmysore.in
We’ve committed to supporting Naveen through college and will offer work at the BnB
Our immediate priority will be to sell the art ( ( MAnjula was right, I collected too much) and the money will go towards our next goals in supporting young people (and maybe some more elders.)
Watch this space ..
Students thriving through their art.
Kaliyuvamane students do it again with a wonderful performance at the Bahuroopi national theatre festival held in Mysore.
Rajesh Madhava has spent over a year working with the students on a range of projects.
Their confidence and communication improving dramatically.
Fantastic!
Missing her friends and this great teaching. Well done to all the students and their teacher/facilitator Rajesh Madhava
Kaveri returns home
Kaveri has been with us for Christmas week.
She had a holiday from school on Christmas day itself.
Opening presents and playing games
Fun with the dogs
We all enjoyed meeting our guests from Germany and had a visit from Radhika
Kaveri created a windmill as a project for school.
Well done Kaveri and it was wonderful to have you stay for the week.
I’ll miss you.
December
Has been fun as usual.
Kaveri visits alternate weeks
Guests to Mysore and Srirangapatnam — holidaying and touring
Some taking souvenirs
Some reminding us of past times and my beautiful
Plus the terrors getting bigger by the day ..
and as we approach Christmas itself (when Kaveri gets a paltry one day holiday) our lovely German families start the festivities a day early 🤭
Dharma
I’ve always had a soft spot for Ashoka who was an innovative Emperor in India over two thousand years ago.
He was the emperor who converted to Buddhism after regretting his army killing thousands in the battle to take over what is now part of the state of Odisha.
…
This week, I’m helping Kaveri with her revision and learning about the Dharma Mahamatras, appointed by the emperor to do good.
I like that
I’m feeling the connections
🤭
Look
We’ve even got our own copy of an Ashoka column, in the house. It was one of the ways he promoted good amongst his people.
So maybe I’m a reincarnated Dharma Mahamatras?
I quite fancy that.
Look at the evidence: social and community work, experimenting with participative democracy in England, radical work with disabled people, ‘Seeing is Believing’ events in India to establish community/business partnerships, facilitating the development of hundreds of community projects and groups, in the name of MAnjula helping young and old people and gifting almost 50 bicycles. I even helped design and deliver — for an Indian company — European-wide workshops on interpreting their ethical policies into appropriate daily business behaviour.
Ok ok, that’s enough of the trumpet blaring. It’s important to say we should be facilitators in helping each other.
Farrell factoid footnote.
What’s the difference between illness and wellness?
I and we, admittedly a joke but with a serious message. We should connect and cooperate to be kind to each other. As sapiens we’ve taken a wrong turning.
I’ve always looked for the ‘we’.
This is so obvious to me.
A top priority is ..
.. Kaveri and helping her develop and grow. When you meet her ask what BK is.
A wonderbly gift
Kind guests donated two books for Kaveri
I collected the parcel from the post office today.
The officers tried their best but they were unable to delete the tax charges.
It was over 30 U.K. pounds or 3,000 rupees for two books. That’s the equivalent of what we pay for over a month of Kaveri’s education AND the cost of one of the very special personalised books.
Not good.
Farrell Factoid
In Manjula’s memory we give and support. That’s so far included over 50 bicycles, meals for elders at an ashram, creativity days for young people (including this one for visually impaired young women)
The costs of education and meetings of young people (aka reflective space), teaching and presentations.
