The three musketeers went into the city to negotiate for a new piece of art we’d seen the day before
Their mission was to get a good discount on the asking price
They were a great success🙂
The winning Musketeers are Kaveri with her two new friends: Naimishambha and Pragathi, lovely, confident girls.. daughters of Deepak who works with our friend Florian.
They’re seen here with Maïlis, Sowbhagya and Stephen
It’s got pride of place in our new lounge, highlighting Manjula with her pals Lucie and Ganesh
I’m slowly learning mango farming. Well reaping the product at least.
We’ve had streams of friends and neighbours on PYO – pick your own and donated kilos of the beauts.
We’ve moved on from the hook on a stick, to the giant butterfly net (not) and used two types of blades to get to a tool standard that works for the reachable ones
I’ve created an extra long pole (metal curtain rod and bamboo) to help reach to the top of the tree and its outer perimeters. The ‘unreachable’ ones are a challenge. The first extension broke, the next couldn’t quite reach
We’re not complaining. Well the old woman that cleans is… as I’ve not achieved the usual standard (I’m certain that’s not true)
Next stage is for someone to climb the tree. Two requests (farmers and experienced friends) haven’t worked out but maybe the grandson might step in.
BUT
We have collected hundreds of mangoes (this is one productive tree) and I’ve ordered a professional telescopic pole.
Delicious breakfast, family from round the back came for Mangoes (but they’re getting harder to reach) and Luca tucking in.
We’re sharing caring types —- some to our human friends, others to fruit bats, squirrels and insects, some have lost patience with me and dived to smash their mango brains on the ground.
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.
SB with Lucie
Sowbhagya was first introduced to our community through great friends Justin, Heejung and their boys when they lived in Mysore. They have now moved to South Korea.
Ina a guest who became great friend from Australia with SB
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.
SB’s birthday
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.
One of our activities.
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.
My tour of England led me to Sheffield, my home city.
Warm showers
I was visiting Julia and Tom intrepid cyclists who’d visited us last year, in Mysore, on their journey across Asia, through Europe and back home to England.
Warm showers is a network we’re part of where hosts offer an overnight stay to distance cyclists.
They now live in Sheffield the city of my birth and their new home is just round the corner from the first place I escaped to at age 18
That was fifty years ago. I lived with my first serious girlfriend Tricia who kindly supported me for the final few months of school
Stephen and Tricia with my mum’s poodle.
A great revisit. The house no longer exists but there was plenty of reminiscence.
Me and MYCycle 