The doorbell just rang and standing outside of the gate were three more men (different ones). They wanted to know if I'd seen their cricket ball in the driveway. I hadn't so they came in and found it. Now, I'm sitting on the couch watching the cricket game out the window. There's no field out there just a dirt road. I don't know anything about cricket, but I guess you can play it anywhere? Brad's thinking he should go make friends, but we have yet to decipher the exact meaning of the Indian head bobble and he doesn't know anything about cricket either, so it could be challenging. I'll keep you updated on this new development.
update: he didn't go.
Friday, July 31, 2009
happy :)
I'm still a little jetlaggy and need a nap, but I thought I should let you know that we're happy in Chennai. Sentences require too much energy so here's a list of good things:
1. Our house has an air conditioner in every room
2. We went grocery shopping yesterday and found: peanut butter, good cheese, crackers, Cadbury chocolate, 50 cent pomegranates, good bread, granola bars...pretty much any kind of food we could ever want except meat and booze...
3. BUT I have a phone number of a guy who will supposedly deliver meat and wine to the house. I have to tell him that I was referred by Mr. Ed
4. In my classroom I have a video beam, a computer, a PHONE and A PRINTER! I can't tell you how much easier life is going to be with just those last two things. I also have boxes and boxes of books. Oh, and the pull-down, roll-up Rand McNally maps (because I'm a social studies teacher now too) but I can't reach the cord, so I guess in a while I can add stool to my list
5. There is a gourmet coffee shop at school AND a grocery store full of western foods AND the entire roof is covered in tennis courts AND there is a big, beautiful swimming pool that we can use any time
6. The school has been taking us out to dinner every night and tomorrow they're taking us to the beach
7. I found both a temporary and permanent drawer solution
8. Our driver is finding us a maid :)
9. I'm almost unpacked
and
10. I haven't thrown up or had diarrhea even once!!!!! knock on wood
1. Our house has an air conditioner in every room
2. We went grocery shopping yesterday and found: peanut butter, good cheese, crackers, Cadbury chocolate, 50 cent pomegranates, good bread, granola bars...pretty much any kind of food we could ever want except meat and booze...
3. BUT I have a phone number of a guy who will supposedly deliver meat and wine to the house. I have to tell him that I was referred by Mr. Ed
4. In my classroom I have a video beam, a computer, a PHONE and A PRINTER! I can't tell you how much easier life is going to be with just those last two things. I also have boxes and boxes of books. Oh, and the pull-down, roll-up Rand McNally maps (because I'm a social studies teacher now too) but I can't reach the cord, so I guess in a while I can add stool to my list
5. There is a gourmet coffee shop at school AND a grocery store full of western foods AND the entire roof is covered in tennis courts AND there is a big, beautiful swimming pool that we can use any time
6. The school has been taking us out to dinner every night and tomorrow they're taking us to the beach
7. I found both a temporary and permanent drawer solution
8. Our driver is finding us a maid :)
9. I'm almost unpacked
and
10. I haven't thrown up or had diarrhea even once!!!!! knock on wood
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
day one
The doorbell just rang, and because I am in a nightgown and Brad is already asleep (he went to bed at 7) I took a minute to wrap myself in a blanket before I opened the door. Outside on the porch there was no one. But then I saw three men standing on the sidewalk shoving a bag of food through our gate.
Today was a strange day.
I'll begin at the beginning:
The school left us a sheet on our coffee table detailing the events of the week, which according to our interpretation started today at 8 am. So this morning we dutifully awoke at 7, searched through our luggage for work clothes, had a little breakfast and then waited. And waited and waited and waited. Having just come from Colombia we weren't surprised that the school was late picking us up, but after an hour we became suspicious. I found our phone (on the floor, behind the couch) and a list of important contacts and called the school secretary who told me today was our day to rest.
Oh, okay.
And rest we did. Because even though we have 8 suitcases to unpack there are no drawers in this house. Not a single one. There are huge closets, but no drawers. I'm sure we can solve this but we decided that to do that we must first leave the house.
As you know we bought a car, which came with a driver, whose phone number we have. Thinking our driver could drive us straight to a drawer store I tried several times to reach him but never could. That's when we decided it was up to us, we'd have to search for a drawer solution on foot.
We left the house, made two wrong turns and then immediately came back to grab the address card the school left us. Then, as we were walking, finally in the direction of the main road I spotted a silver Suzuki. Brad and I love the game where point out a car that looks like the one we bought so I poked him and said, "Hey Brad, there's our car." And at the very moment the window of the car rolled down and a small Indian man shouted, "Are you the new teachers? This is your car! Get in!"
HA!
The small Indian man turned out to be Michael, our driver who took us first to the school where we met some of the office people, then to three different stores where we did not find a drawer solution, but did get a mop, a bucket, soap, paper towels, toilet paper, dish rags, an electric kettle, juice, tea and a converter. After shopping Michael took us to Kaaraikudi for lunch. There Brad and I sat in a daze, staring at the menu with no idea what we were looking at and trying to process all that we had just seen.
Somehow we ended up with delicious food on our plates, chicken stuffed with ginger, onion, chilies and garlic for me and spicy lamb for Brad. There was some initial confusion over what exactly we were eating, but overall it was a very nice meal. After lunch we were ready to be back in the safety of our house. Michael took us straight home, turns out we never went more than a few blocks from our house, and after helping us with our bags he put the car in the driveway and walked off.
After a little more unpacking I tried to resist sleep, but ended up taking a three hour nap. As soon as I woke up Brad announced that he was going to bed. Which is when I went downstairs with my book and heard the doorbell.
As far as I can tell the food was sent by the school. From the outside it looks like a Subway sandwich, but when I opened it I smelled strange sauces and saw a hair. So I've got my leftovers in the microwave, which I will eat, and then go to bed because tomorrow, according to our schedule, the school will pick us up at 8 am.
Today was a strange day.
I'll begin at the beginning:
The school left us a sheet on our coffee table detailing the events of the week, which according to our interpretation started today at 8 am. So this morning we dutifully awoke at 7, searched through our luggage for work clothes, had a little breakfast and then waited. And waited and waited and waited. Having just come from Colombia we weren't surprised that the school was late picking us up, but after an hour we became suspicious. I found our phone (on the floor, behind the couch) and a list of important contacts and called the school secretary who told me today was our day to rest.
Oh, okay.
And rest we did. Because even though we have 8 suitcases to unpack there are no drawers in this house. Not a single one. There are huge closets, but no drawers. I'm sure we can solve this but we decided that to do that we must first leave the house.
As you know we bought a car, which came with a driver, whose phone number we have. Thinking our driver could drive us straight to a drawer store I tried several times to reach him but never could. That's when we decided it was up to us, we'd have to search for a drawer solution on foot.
We left the house, made two wrong turns and then immediately came back to grab the address card the school left us. Then, as we were walking, finally in the direction of the main road I spotted a silver Suzuki. Brad and I love the game where point out a car that looks like the one we bought so I poked him and said, "Hey Brad, there's our car." And at the very moment the window of the car rolled down and a small Indian man shouted, "Are you the new teachers? This is your car! Get in!"
HA!
The small Indian man turned out to be Michael, our driver who took us first to the school where we met some of the office people, then to three different stores where we did not find a drawer solution, but did get a mop, a bucket, soap, paper towels, toilet paper, dish rags, an electric kettle, juice, tea and a converter. After shopping Michael took us to Kaaraikudi for lunch. There Brad and I sat in a daze, staring at the menu with no idea what we were looking at and trying to process all that we had just seen.
Somehow we ended up with delicious food on our plates, chicken stuffed with ginger, onion, chilies and garlic for me and spicy lamb for Brad. There was some initial confusion over what exactly we were eating, but overall it was a very nice meal. After lunch we were ready to be back in the safety of our house. Michael took us straight home, turns out we never went more than a few blocks from our house, and after helping us with our bags he put the car in the driveway and walked off.
After a little more unpacking I tried to resist sleep, but ended up taking a three hour nap. As soon as I woke up Brad announced that he was going to bed. Which is when I went downstairs with my book and heard the doorbell.
As far as I can tell the food was sent by the school. From the outside it looks like a Subway sandwich, but when I opened it I smelled strange sauces and saw a hair. So I've got my leftovers in the microwave, which I will eat, and then go to bed because tomorrow, according to our schedule, the school will pick us up at 8 am.
Monday, July 27, 2009
here
We're in Chennai. We got here around 1 am after way too much traveling. But we were able to go right to sleep, so I think we're mostly on schedule now. The time right now in Chennai is 8:24 am, it's 9:54 pm in Iowa. Your guess is as good as mine on the half hour difference.
In a minute we'll go to school to meet our new coworkers. Later we have a lot of unpacking to do. The house they've given us is really nice, but I'm not going to post pictures until we fix it up a little.
I had a scare last night when I unthinkingly brushed my teeth with tap water. Afterward I laid in bed just waiting for the cramps to come, but they never did. So, we are both healthy, happy and excited to be here.
In a minute we'll go to school to meet our new coworkers. Later we have a lot of unpacking to do. The house they've given us is really nice, but I'm not going to post pictures until we fix it up a little.
I had a scare last night when I unthinkingly brushed my teeth with tap water. Afterward I laid in bed just waiting for the cramps to come, but they never did. So, we are both healthy, happy and excited to be here.
Friday, July 24, 2009
rupee millionaires?
In just 12 hours we will head to the airport. And even though I had good intentions of posting honeymoon pictures and updating a few things on the blog, I've been too busy. Busy packing, buying peanut butter, having a few last, delicious bites of Pagliai's pizza. So, I guess that will all just have to wait.
But the good news is you can still find the blog here and I promise to update as soon as I can, but I should warn you that that will be awhile. We leave at 11:30 tomorrow, but don't arrive in Chennai until two days later. We have stops in Denver, Los Angeles, Tapei, Kuala Lumpur and finally Chennai, where we have been assured that someone will be waiting for us.
I've never traveled for 48 straight hours before, but I've got two books, sudokus, a Nintendo DS, tons of snacks and the contact information for an old friend in LA.
We are nervous, excited, sad and anxious, but there are kids to teach, a continent to explore and millions of rupees to be made, so off we go. On to the next big adventure....
But the good news is you can still find the blog here and I promise to update as soon as I can, but I should warn you that that will be awhile. We leave at 11:30 tomorrow, but don't arrive in Chennai until two days later. We have stops in Denver, Los Angeles, Tapei, Kuala Lumpur and finally Chennai, where we have been assured that someone will be waiting for us.
I've never traveled for 48 straight hours before, but I've got two books, sudokus, a Nintendo DS, tons of snacks and the contact information for an old friend in LA.
We are nervous, excited, sad and anxious, but there are kids to teach, a continent to explore and millions of rupees to be made, so off we go. On to the next big adventure....
Monday, July 13, 2009
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