Pictures of Sri Lanka....

Are up on
http://picasaweb.google.com/lisa.mattackal/SriLanka2009#

"Stop, Look, and Listen" Doesn't Work!

Every child in the U.S. is taught the following from the time they can walk:"When you cross the street, stop, look for cars, and listen for traffic." Anyway, I've had these instructions firmly drilled in my head since I was four years old. But as they say, (who is "they", anyway?), "new ballgame, new rules." Actually, I think I made that up 3 seconds ago. I have now been inducted into "their" ranks.
Anyway, as I (or "we") was saying, now that we live in India, the whole "stop, look, and listen" catchphrase is slightly...unusable. Or to say the least, it needs some revision, a fact which Timothy and I found out a few weeks ago while trying to cross the Basva Nagar Main Road.
Well, the road is no more than five to ten feet across, but is an extremely busy one, especially at certain times of the day. It is incredibly narrow, but somehow, countless cars, bikes, dogs, cows, buses, tankers, and don't forget the auto-rickshaws, manage to squeeze onto it! This was the same road that Timothy and I were trying to cross. All we wanted was a tennis ball from the "Fancy and Gift Store". So, we waited outside the Nilgiris (that's the equivalent of Wal-Mart for you Americans), waiting to cross the road. So, we stopped. We looked. We listened. And we waited. And we waited. And we waited. In spite of all our waiting, the flow of countless cars, bikes, dogs, cows, ect. did not slacken, in fact, it only grew more congested. Now, the both of us were quickly beginning to see that our entire philosophy regarding street-crossing was under relentless attack. We tried a couple times, but were nearly crushed into a pulp by oncoming traffic, while staring in bewilderment at all the others who had somehow managed to pass the street.
Finally, I looked at Timothy and said, ", I don't think we're going to get out of here!"Timothy, the ever wise brother said, " Let's just walk across and the cars will probably stop." So, that became our plan of action.
So....we began to run across. We dodged an auto, jumped back out of the path of an oncoming bike, and Timothy was nearly run over by a car. I got scared and stopped in front of the same car. The driver pressed his horn while waving his hand at me. Needless to say, I was pretty scared. Thankfully, we crossed the street, got the tennis ball, and went home intact.
So, now that we crossed the street safely, and did it again several times after that, I now understand the wonderful educational opportunities that India provides. Instead of zipping along the highway with pristine, cookie cutter stores neatley lined up on the block, we are treated to a mad and wonderful bustle full of life and energy. You see stores stuffed in every inch of the corner, signs written in Kannada, English and Hindi, street vendors, animals and wonderful bursts of culture and color. The character of a city is something that varies from every area of town, unlike the glass-and-chrome of the West.
Aside from that, I can now say "how are you", "I have finished eating" and "She is dancing" in Hindi.

Would you like to see pictures??

Pictures of baby Daniel are up at the following link:
http://theelectrifyingeightsexploits.shutterfly.com

The Baby has Arrived

Baby Daniel Rajan Mattackal has arrived! The delivery was safe and smooth. I don't have details like weight, ect. We were not able to see the baby in the hospital as there were many people being tested for swine flu, and some people had been admitted. Dad decided, as we had just gotten over our illness, that it would be best for us not to see him. So, I have not seen him yet, but we will see him this evening!! When I get pictures, I shall post them.

Language Barriers

While on the plane journey to India, each seat had its own TV. Along with the library of music, games, and movies to enjoy, there was also a program that gave a basic run through of a few languages. Included in that list was Hindi. I glanced over it, but then decided against it in favor of "Bedtime Stories."Maybe I should have.

My parent' mother tongue is Malayalam. I can understand it fairly well, but I can't speak at all. While visiting a church, someone came to me and started speaking in Malayalam. When she found out I could only speak English, she said. "oh!" Then she shook her head. Our servants don't speak any English. Once, I asked our cook to make curry with peas. She looked surprised, then frowned. I later found out she thought I said "fish curry." (By the way, the curry ended up tasting pretty good.) I don't understand a word our cleaner says. She rattles of to me in Tamil, and I just smile and nod. Usually, my attempts leave me frustrated at my own inadequacy, and very angry at the ancient sage who thought that the Tower of Babel was a good idea.

My Mom sent Timothy and I to the store right outside our house. The men there did not understand any English. and I had no idea what they were saying either. However, I walked out of there with 2 bottles of Orange juice and 2 bottles of Apple juice. Triumph at last. Maybe I will survive.

I am feeling completely useless.
In India, servants are quite common. A part of the local economy. When e moved into our house, instead of running to the door to tell salespeople "I'm not interested", servants come to the door looking to be hired. So, we have a cook and a cleaner. The cook makes two meals a day, lunch and dinner, and the maid comes each day to clean. In India, you have to sweep and mop every day, and clean the bathrooms at least every two days. (You should how dirty the floor was when we didn't clean it for the weekend. ) Though this is absolutely lovely, I'm not used to not having to do anything. Plus, I have no books and only four Cd's to listen to. I love listening to Josh Groban and hymns, but after you've heard them that many times it grates on your ears.
In other news, my brother Timothy has informed me that I am positively TERRIBLE at cricket. He mimics me playing. *sigh*

Thank God! Timothy and David have recovered completely. They are in good health and are fine. After being "unclean" for a week, they have rejoined the family circle. Joseph and Stephen had respective cricket matches and they both did very, very well. Stephen even hit a six!! We are all healthy for the time being.