I refer to how kaveri (age 11) who in a little over three years has matured mentally, physically and socially. It is, of course, a very significant stage in life.
Kaveri (age 11) today with her mum Chandrika at a wedding of a member of the extended family in the village
As you can see she now almost as tall as her mum (age 29?).
I’m proud of her and the little help I’ve been able to be.
Early days, just a little girl, shortly before her eighth birthday.
On reflection, she’s always been quite ‘together’ for her age.
Off to school with her auntie (aka sister)
She’s just about to start her third school since I’ve known her. I’ve promised that Manjula’s Mysore will continue to support her education up to university and maybe beyond.
I bought the moon, water (aka as Earth) and sun a few years ago from Etsy. Since then I’ve been looking for the full family group, to make my imagined set. It’s small but to get them all together and with such detail, particularly on their faces, is great
They’re for use as props for an adapted story.
I’ll adapt another tale with this Ashoka Column. An unplanned purchase.
The storyteller in me is happy, as is the shopper and the gatherer of clutter.
Kaveri’s mum Chandrika has decided to change her school.
We understand that she’s missed Kaveri as the school was residential (what they call hostel here) and she would only see her maybe once a month
But it worked. Kaveri settled in and made great friends amongst the one hundred students.
We’ve seen real progress: my hasn’t she grown?
.. Physically, socially and mentally.
She’s a star ..
We can feel the confidence and assertiveness, developing strong relationships, being theatrical …
But it’s her mum’s choice and it’s a big step.
Kaliyuvamane, her current school, is an open school following its own structure and curricular with students passing their tenth standard (around age 15 or 16) exam to rejoin the mainstream school system. It’s been a success and made a big difference for Kaveri, for many reasons and especially the consistency and continuity. Being a residential school has actually helped.
Kaveri with other students and Trishalla one of our supportive network
Hence the big step to be changing school and rejoining a private school —one that follows the state curricular— at age eleven.
This one is a day school so Kaveri will be moving back home. That’s the bit that I worry about, without making too fine a point about it.
Guests from Mysore Bed and Breakfast with students at the school.
So it’s going to be very different for Kaveri and we’re gearing ourselves up to guide and support.
Let’s See …
… as MAnjula, would say.
Thanks to the rest of the team from India and from around the world including:
Kaveri with Radhika her auntie/sister who’s been a great support.
and many of the guests of Mysore Bed and Breakfast for your help directly with Kaveri and for your financial support.
…
On a personal level, My relationship with Kaveri has helped me manage my grief in losing MAnjula. It provides purpose and a refocus but as all my friends know it’s been quite difficult managing the family dynamics.
Manjula’s Mysore through its funding, and support from its directors Sarvesh and Stephen and its wider support network, sponsors and will continue to support Kaveri as long as we can.
It’s May and we’ve just celebrated Kaveri’ birthday.
She’s now 11 and she is a star
The past month’s activities included: seaside holiday, skating, swimming coaching and summer camp.
KaverI is now at her mother’s and we hit the uncertainty of whether Chandrika, her mother, will change her school. Kaliyuvamane the alternative residential school she’s attended for two years has helped her grow socially, intellectually and physically.
We can make either options work but the residential school has had the continuity that her home will not provide.
I worry that it maybe beyond Chandrika’s ability if Kaveri is shifted to the day school but we’ll do our best.
Meanwhile
I’m relaxing in Manjula’s Memorial Garden and toying with the idea of revisiting our memoir.
Stomach Churning HandWeaving LighthouseRight Next To the beach Chera RocksFortress En route
I’m away with Kaveri for a few days with Naveen and his mum Sowbaghya.
Manjula’s Mysore supports their education and now we’re on holiday together.
At Chera Rocks FabNewActivity Splashy Chera RocksShabaz, our wonderful friend always on hand to make it a great success. Time to go home Who does the washing? Where have you been?
A new summer school holiday activity — Button Masala.
Incredible creativity and innovative design from cloth, button and rubber band!
A great addition to the swimming, summer camp, reading, storytelling, crafts, skating, seaside, badminton, cycling, TV and phone that’s become a staple of Kaveri’s school holiday
A really cool event presented by the creator of Button Masala —Amuj Sharma and supported by Sri Vidya MR of the Anubhuti Trust.
Radhika was 17 this week so with Kaveri back for a skating race we made Sunday into an extra celebration.
Happy Birthday
Radhika B Radical
Skating and school was tiringRadical’s fiancée did the honours and it now lives in what’s fast becoming Kaveri and Radhika’s room at the BnB In my role as one of Kaveri’s extra mums I’m finding the best moisturiser.
Well if ‘last’ years birthday is anything to go by I’ve fully localised.
31st December can seem a weird day for a birthday. Or maybe not.
Endings and beginnings
There’s always multiple celebrations
It was wonderful.
A steady stream of lovely friends making it a day to remember.
Plus my girls were here (kaveri and Radhika) having missed Christmas together, we shifted Christmas to the morning and began my birthday at noon 12.35 sharp 🤭
and Rinkal and Sheetal are seriously becoming an integral part of the team. Welcome to you.
and I became Pinocchio, it was my alternative to being fed cake… repeatedly.
Next morning
Radhika borrows one of Kaveri’s Christmas presents They are ‘sisters’, you’ll understand. Lucie prepares to go to the vets.
Yesterday evening as I was waiting outside a shop selling dots for one’s forehead —
—Manjula used to give them as gifts as we travelled through England—
A woman asked where she was.
I pointed to, inside the shop and after a perplexed reaction, realised she wasn’t asking about the little girl (Kaveri) or Manjula, for that matter, but the dog (Lucie).
The girl was stocking up for the return to school.
I’m well known in my area and in Mysore generally but usually because of my appendage.
I am nothing, not even a number.
…
I once walked into a hotel (restaurant) right on the other side of the city, for the waiter to ask me where’s the dog. He also lived in Siddarthanagar.
So I’m well known for who I’m with …
As of this morning, as I realise, I stick out like a sore thumb as generally there’s rarely other firangis (foreigners) here. There’s a new appendage.
A tree
As I was tossing and turning in the midst of my AWOL, nightly sleep I realised there was only this morning for me to be able to decorate the tree for Christmas.
Kaveri will be going back to school.
Kaveri is here for less than 24 hours and we’ve decorated it together for the past three years since we met. I’ll not see her again until a few days after Christmas Day when we’ll belatedly celebrate Christmas.
A bit too late to do the tree
Plus our usual totem is now too big and heavy for the hall aka lounge.
What to do?
Easy
Get up before the girls and after walking as man and dog, I go out again, to the nearest ‘nursery’. It’s run by guys from UP on the roadside. I haggle with them from the Firangi-Gora (white) — tax – price, to something resembling the price a local would pay. About half.
Then as I’m trudging home— convincing myself that I’m exercising my muscle diminishing 60+ years arms —- with very regular rests. I realised I’m another spectacle of the foreigner ‘variety’ who is entertaining the locals, especially the men at the chai shop and the women sweeping the streets. They’re interested as no one can possibly work out why the rich foreigner is carrying a tree and not using an auto rickshaw.
A wonderful young man, rescues me from the ordeal of the last stretch, stops for me to balance precariously on the back of his bike and gets me home.
I’ve become the foreigner, not only with dog and girl but now the tree
It suits me
…
Ok it doesn’t look very heavy but the weight is in the pot.
It’s now decorated.
But now the cats eyeing it up, for a potential attack thankfully for the moment she seems satisfied with the empty decoration boxes.
Me and MYCycle 