I wasn’t feeling well this week and so Kaveri wrote me a note
How kind and thoughtful is that?
… and then I stumbled across this study which reaffirmed what we know —- how relationships are critical to a happy sustainable, satisfying life.
Here’s my girls …
My Indian wife and daughter.
Farrell Factoid Footnote
Kaveri isn’t actually my daughter but it’s as if I’ve ‘adopted’ her and support her on behalf of my beautiful caring compassionate wife
We know PFA from when Lucie was a pup. They spayed her and made the tell tale notch in her ear so she wouldn’t be picked up in the street and operated on again.
We chose two new friends
and appeared in the ‘Star of Mysore’
But what should we call them?
….
We’ve had the following suggestions. (Some more than once)
Ging (Ginj)
Luce (Luca)
Edwina (teddy bear)
Kappu
Shunti
Ginger (Rogers)
Fred (Astaire)
Inji (ginger)
Kari (black)
Tom
Hebden and Bridget ( a play on Hebden Bridge, where I’m from in the UK)
Amy and Vince (amor vincit omnia)
Blackie and Cinnamon
Black and Decker
Karrupa or Karuppan
Inji —- Together becoming …. Karrupinji
Pepper and Paprika.
Black and Tan
Ranelot and Bufolet
(french children’s book names for Frog and Toad)
Marquise de Merteuil and Vicomte de Valmont
(from Dangerous Liaisons to match Billet-Doux, our cat’s name)
Paddington
Spike
Summer
Shadow
Biscuit
Cheech and Chong
Luca
Lucia
Babu and Bibi
Ping and Pong
Jean-Philippe and Marie-Chantal .
ginger
Venus and Pluto
Bingo
Tofo
Coco
Tango
Momo
Milti
Millu
Broono
Blacky
Browny
Pancho
Jasmine
…
Thanks for your thoughtful suggestions
If there’s any strong favourites, let me know.
I’ll discuss with Captain Kaveri, ably assisted by General SB
Update on names
Luca (Lucka)
Tom
….
Jasmine (jas)
Gingee, Shingee or a variation.
Adithya the coach of elite academy
has been a fantastic help with Kaveri.
Kaveri has changed to a ‘day’ school, spends alternate weeks at mysore bed and breakfast, can therefore now attend the academy on a regular basis.
Today we were at the heats for state races.
Kaveri got a silver.
And was able to spend quality time with friends.
Kaveri has shown she can concentrate, focus and achieve through her time at the academy. I needn’t have worried.
Factoid
In her final race she gestured for her friend to pass her for third place, as she hadn’t been placed before. That’s my girl.
Kaveri returned to my home yesterday after a week with .. grandmother (aka mummy), grandfather, and the very pregnant Radhika (auntie aka sister)
Followed by dinner with Florian
Next day— the ordeal of homework with me (helping!)
It was the usual basic facts but the bit I didn’t know was Mahavira’s Jain teachings….
It’s pretty cool.
It’s actually Ganesh who’s left to go swimming in the river kaveri.
He rested with us, had his fill
and now he’s gone.
Followed by lunch at Poojari’s where MAnjula and I used to go.
Lifted from my Facebook
For those who don’t.
Well I’m feeling it at the moment.
It’s one thing after another.
…
Registering with the Foreigners Registration Office is always unpredictable and stressful.
It’s extra this time as I’m not knowing where
my next visa will come from
…
Owner wants his house back, after sixteen years, it’s the house I’ve lived in for the longest, in my whole life.
It’s where MAnjula created our home, introduced it to the world as Mysore Bed and Breakfast and where she lit up my life like a smiling sunbeam for nine years. It’s where we sited a blue plaque (as a famous person lived here), her library and entertained thousands of people.
A museum even jokingly claimed it as their annex because it’s a living breathing art gallery from around India.
…
Continuing to sponsor and support eleven year old Kaveri in spite of her mother and new partner sabotaging us, by changing schools, days of absence and inability to help
As MAnjula would say ‘we’ll see’.
We managed to fit in homework of Maths and Hindi (I was delegated to doing some illustration), skating, shopping for Rakhi
and a new comb (my morning duties include hair combing, so the comb has suffered), supper and we fitted in a the angry birds movie. Lots.
I think I spotted real blissful looks from Kav at some sloppy bits.
Night time story this week has been.
Incredible insights into slavery, disability and a woman pharoah. The last, nicely timed to follow a discussion on the pyramids.
Already and it’s only Tuesday
This week we start a new arrangement.
Kaveri is now staying alternate weeks between the home MAnjula created and home with her mum Chandrika
That’s after ..
.. a Great weekend together
It’s involved buying new shoes, maths, animals, angles, English, Hindi (I was not involved with that one), breakfast, more and more.
It’s exhausting.
I’m feeling it but also realising how Sowbaghya is stepping up by preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner and finishing my pathetic attempts to comb Kaveri’s hair.
It reminds me of … what a challenge it is and my own long hair in the 70s.
and another thing … the curriculum, text books, homework have made mistakes about turtles and tortoises. It’s sort of understandable but can’t correct it for Kaveri as she’d then answer it wrong in her homework or test. . Now there’s a lesson, of sorts.
A tortoise might be a type of ‘turtle’ and a reptile but it doesn’t live in water but on land!!
Here’s thanks from AI searching the net.
Yes, all tortoises are turtles, but not all turtles are tortoises. Tortoises are a type of turtle that are specifically adapted to live on land, while the term “turtle” generally refers to reptiles with shells that can live in both aquatic and terrestrial environments.
Here’s a more detailed explanation:
The homework had got tortoises going in the water.
In August Manjula would have been 52.
We have traditions in the U.K. to commemorate and recognise significant people’s contribution by installing a blue plaque on the house where they lived
Like this one ….
So we just had to get one for MAnjula
MAnjula remains in our home in Mysore in so many ways, this seemed like a fitting tribute to our precious …
We love and miss you MAnjula. You’re here in our hearts and guide us in everything we do.
Manjula was our sunshine and a …
We’ll do more to remember her on her happy birthday.
Me and MYCycle 