Kaveri and Rhadika

Grandmother suggested I charge as a taxi. 🤭😉🙂

On an action filled day.

Went rounding with Stephen uncle, for a drive around the base of Chamundi Hill, playing in the park (for one of them anyway) , a stop for pani puri

before the grand finale (which wasn’t) ginormous Ice creams.

The ice creams were too much for the girls and they couldn’t finish. Each cost almost a daily wage.

Wrong impression.

At her grandmother’s place Kaveri showed me her school work.

She has exams over the next two days and her English is improving.

The teddies (gift from Poppy my granddaughter) are tired as is the old man. We even fitted in a tandem cycle ride.

I really enjoyed my time with Kaveri and Rhadika

Eleven plus an Englishman and a dog go mad in Kerala

On MAnjula’s death anniversary, we came up with a great idea to celebrate her— even more — by going on holiday to one of her favourite places.

It may provide material for an Enid Blyton story

Kannur is where Manjula and I first went on holiday together after our engagement in 2015.

Maybe we’ll find treasure, or at least get wet.

It’ll be a great adventure with MAnjula giggling from the antics of the loosely formed team.

It’s a challenge, anywhere, to bring together fragments of four families with two additions of an Englishman and his dog but this is India. It’ll be OK.

Thankfully we’ll not be cycling.

It’s a great way to thank Sowbaghya, Tanuja and Satish for the help they’ve been in so many ways, including setting up the new business.

It’s also an opportunity to spend fun time with Kaveri and her young auntie Rhadika.

That’s Rhadika dressed up for ethnic day in the midst of her exams.

We’ve got the go ahead from Kaveri’s mum, Satish has worked it out with the school and Jo will definitely have completed her term.

So we’re good to go…

Wonderful

So which amazing place is going to host this motley crew?

This week

March is a month of significant memories.

It began with our wedding at the city corporation, followed a few days later with a celebration on Srirangaptnam.

Two years running she was admitted to intensive care and sadly and devastatingly died three years ago on the 23rd.

We do Pooja on that anniversary, help her on her way and remember fantastic times with a wonderful woman.

Here’s a video memory created by our good friend Tom, Manjula showing one of her many skills and most importantly her kindness of giving.

Manjula gives again

Vanshika and her younger sister Samiksha with their gifts from Manjula

Vanshika was the first to borrow books from the library. She was worried that her English wasn’t perfect, well it’s much better than this Yorkshireman’s.

Her mum thinks she’ll love the books but she’s uncertain about that man.

Manjula’s library.

Latest delivery to the children’s section.

The board books in the centre use more appropriate local images for the traditional English rhymes still shared with ‘early years’ children in India.

What do you think?

I’ve ordered extra as gifts from Manjula to some of the children in the immediate locality.

Manjula gives again.

While Manjula’s garden and benches hang out in the next door park.
So that’s why the corporation often don’t place their benches in the shade? 🤭I don’t think it was a Manjula gift or maybe it was….

Three Princesses

and a Sun with a beard

Ritu brought her lovely painting of Manjula’s and Stephen’s home

with thanks to Desai Somesh, Rita’s dad who took the photographs.

Remembering Manjula.

It’s all go..

We use any and every opportunity to recognise and remember, what would have been Manjula’s 48th Birthday is extra special.

On monday afternoon, 23rd August (postponed from Saturday due to a curfew) we have open-house for friends to drop-in for a drink and cake or sweets, to visit the garden we’ve just planted, see Manjula’s two painted portraits and have a chat.

We’ve now got two paintings by Cinderella, more here and here
Karan a student at CAVA Art College is creating something to entertain.
Tom and Amy helping out
by kindly sponsoring the meals for the elderly people living in the Ashram (not the children’s home!)
Tanuja, one of the MyCycle Directors, helping plan the garden with a little shopping trip
It’ll look better in a couple of years 😉
planting a special tree for Manjula
Sowbhaghya with her new T shirt
Satish, MyCycle Director, nearly working.
earlier photo (we’ve had no international guests for over a year) of one of the three benches in the park,
As we reach the end of the day on her birthday it’s been raining for hours. So an earlier photo.