There’s most definitely withdrawal
But it’s pleasurable
The evidence is …. In my Hanging out with Kaveri and her ‘sister’ Radikha.
I’d collected Kaveri from school to go to a Mysore Storytellers event but rain put a stop to that.
The wonderful people that provided the ice cream for this year’s event on Manjula’s Birthday in August, promoting creativity at Kaveri’s school
Then back to school
I only get 24 hours but it’s wonderful.
Each year MAnjula would carefully prepare puja for Ganesh and his mother Gowri
Ganesh in 2015 the version on the left was taken to be immersed in the river Kaveri later that week.
…
This year I was invited to Kaveri’s school to join the celebrations.
Afterwards we did our own thing at home
Next we’ll work out which day we can immerse him in the river.
…
Kaveri becoming a sharp English teenager.
… Whatever…
She’s always with us
… her, as she’s back at school
A nine year old and a sixty six year old being together for over two months is a wonderful mix of experiences and emotions.
At times it’s been a challenge but wouldn’t change it…
On the way to school she asked if I’d visit this Sunday; within minutes — after being greeted by friends — it had changed to ‘a’ Sunday.
I will visit this Sunday and exchange pictures.
Here’s mine.
Thank you Kaveri for being you and invading my life.
We continue to celebrate and recognise beautiful Manjula with …..
Next…..
Is Manjula’s fourth death anniversary and …
We’re already … Meeting and preparing with crafts and more books for Kaveri’s second Summer Holiday.
And Manjula’s library is getting used…
Fresh from todays Mycycle tour
To art
Manjula wished to be reincarnated as a tree as it protected and supported people. I was keen to develop projects that reflected Manjula’s open heart, and kindness. Manjula’s Mysore, our new company, aims to reflect that approach and so Manjula continues to give
The reason why Kaveri has featured so much in the postings is that Manjula’s Mysore (MM) is considering her for an educational scholarship.
We wish to identify a young girl with the potential and to provide opportunities that weren’t available to Manjula.
Meetings held by Kanchana and Sowbaghya with her family, the holiday in Kannur, given by Manjula’s Mysore, and the school holiday activities organised by Stephen has provided ample opportunity to get to know Kaveri.
There are many similarities between Kaveri and Manjula’s early childhood. I’ll not detail them out of respect for Kaveri and her family’s privacy.
We’ve now met all Kaveri’s family and the MM director’s with Stephen’s support consider her eligible for an education scholarship.
We’re now looking into what that will mean in practice with a view to finding an English medium school for Kaveri for the next academic year in 2023.
Footnote
Kanchana is a social worker here in Mysore, Stephen qualified as a social worker in the U.K. in the early 80s. He’s since worked managing grant and developing community projects and partnerships for trusts, government and multi-national corporations.
Stephen is Manjula’s husband.
The Directors of Manjula’s Mysore are Tanuja and Satish friends of Manjula who were instrumental in supporting and remembering her after she died.
Sowbhaghya and Sarvesh have helped as part of our wider team.
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.
I really enjoyed my time with Kaveri and Rhadika
The big fella is out and about with his mum Gowrie
Later in the week we’ll do the usual puja and a few days later immerse him in the river Kaveri.
I am getting a bit attached although we do already have at least five Ganesh’s in the house plus the two we’re looking after for Steven Heath.
We all need water, obviously.
Lucie has a regular stop in a ‘paddling pool’ at a neighbours house. Jains in particular will leave out water and food for cows, birds and dogs.
One of our big problems locally is there just isn’t enough water for drinking or agriculture, let alone industry. So you’d think we’d be a tad more careful with it? Nah….. The re is a massive dispute with the neighbouring state. The Kaveri river passes through Karnataka (our state) before reaching Tamil Nadu, there’s insufficient water so do we find a way to share the problem? Nah, we’re first in the queue so we take what we want. This is a worldwide problem, look anywhere: California, Australia, wherever, same problem.
What is is about us? We know the problems, we know we need to act but do we, not in any significant or meaningful way. As highlighted in this insightful book our empires collapse for many different reasons but almost always because we do t recognise what’s at the 
end of our collective noses and do something about it.
Water is of course a massive problem around the world.
Same here in Mysore.
Close to where we live new borewells are being drilled because that house needs it, of course. Let’s look after our own.
So who cares?
Me and MYCycle 