Having such an amazing time in India. So full of contradictions, from its wealthy grandeur, to its appalling poverty, and the calmness and serenity of the people to its shambolic and chaotic streets. As our tour guide said, there is only ONE rule on the roads and that is “there are NO rules”! You truly have to experience it to know it and wonder at the fact that it actually functions, and well at that! Very few minor accidents were witnessed, though our hearts are frequently in our mouths on a daily basis at our seemingly near misses. You could put our driver in our minivan on a formula 1 circuit and Lewis Hamilton would have no chance!
It’s a real rollercoaster of emotions here- truly stunning sights, noise, smell, lack of personal space, annoying persistence of hawkers, constantly being ripped off, long and arduous journeys, beautiful guilt instilling hotels, daily sounds of my family’s expulsive diarrhoea in the bathroom (sorry, too much information!) and all with a constant sound track of Kiran being “sick of it” (not YET literally) and Carla weeping and wishing she was back in her beloved Milngavie!
Having expected a spiritual journey here with Mum, Dad, Gordon and the kids, it’s fast turning out to be like a chapter from Gerald Durrell’s book “ My Family and other animals”. UNFORGETTABLE was Kiran’s appalled face when a splat of ejected snotter from a “native” landed on his jeans! Also Kim’s revulsion at finding some “brown, smelly stuff” on her sandals after emerging from a hole in the ground toilet! And Carla’s vomiting into a napkin at breakfast and down my arm in a crowded room whilst trying to manoeuvre her to the nearest toilet to minimise her trail of vomit!
The kids are still managing to have a laugh and giggle at each other’s misfortunes, and together, listening to my parents inappropriately burping and farting their way around India! as well as their oddities and endearing nature. Gordon, as hardy as ever, is leading and organising us through it all, untouched by illness and optimistic as ever-obsessing only over his precious laptop. I feel completely liberated and alive with all this surrounding chaos. All that is left of my OCD ways is my daily underwear count and an irrational fear of running out!
Travelling in India:
· A sense of adventure- NECESSARY
· Paracetamol- ESSENTIAL
· Sharing this experience with my family-PRICELESS!!!
Calling on all family and friends- please take at least a few minutes out of your busy lives (working,ironing,hovering,cleaning etc etc etc) to write and tell me what you are doing-I am missing your news and contact and am dying to hear of a world of order and routine(and that includes the chaotic Warners!)
It’s a real rollercoaster of emotions here- truly stunning sights, noise, smell, lack of personal space, annoying persistence of hawkers, constantly being ripped off, long and arduous journeys, beautiful guilt instilling hotels, daily sounds of my family’s expulsive diarrhoea in the bathroom (sorry, too much information!) and all with a constant sound track of Kiran being “sick of it” (not YET literally) and Carla weeping and wishing she was back in her beloved Milngavie!
Having expected a spiritual journey here with Mum, Dad, Gordon and the kids, it’s fast turning out to be like a chapter from Gerald Durrell’s book “ My Family and other animals”. UNFORGETTABLE was Kiran’s appalled face when a splat of ejected snotter from a “native” landed on his jeans! Also Kim’s revulsion at finding some “brown, smelly stuff” on her sandals after emerging from a hole in the ground toilet! And Carla’s vomiting into a napkin at breakfast and down my arm in a crowded room whilst trying to manoeuvre her to the nearest toilet to minimise her trail of vomit!
The kids are still managing to have a laugh and giggle at each other’s misfortunes, and together, listening to my parents inappropriately burping and farting their way around India! as well as their oddities and endearing nature. Gordon, as hardy as ever, is leading and organising us through it all, untouched by illness and optimistic as ever-obsessing only over his precious laptop. I feel completely liberated and alive with all this surrounding chaos. All that is left of my OCD ways is my daily underwear count and an irrational fear of running out!
Travelling in India:
· A sense of adventure- NECESSARY
· Paracetamol- ESSENTIAL
· Sharing this experience with my family-PRICELESS!!!
Calling on all family and friends- please take at least a few minutes out of your busy lives (working,ironing,hovering,cleaning etc etc etc) to write and tell me what you are doing-I am missing your news and contact and am dying to hear of a world of order and routine(and that includes the chaotic Warners!)
6 comments:
Glad to hear you are all surviving the experience. I am quite envious, I just love India ( I am a true Indian!!)Glad to hear the kids are doing Ok, is Kiran sick of you yet though! As for the clean knickers I am surprise you are wearing any at all, easier to poo and wee roadside without knickers to worry about!! Anyway hope you have a fab new year and lots of love to you all from all at Stanley House.
Tina... what a good and full description - I'm grateful this blog can't transmit smells (well some of those you describe anyway -ha)
You'll be ready for a rest when you get home by the sound of it
Anonymous is cooking something from the Delicious gift tonight -thanks guys. we will be thinking of you
i'm taxi driver tonight
love to you all
and happy new year!
Hey you guys,
Respect!... Too bad about the photo Gordon. One day! Gordon,dya think India is bringing out the writer in you?!I am feeling all reflective after reading that blog.Mind you it IS Hogmany & I AM a tad pished(already).Enough of this havering.........Have a Happy New Year.
Cheers, Lorna.
Hi Tina, take 2!!!!
Happy New Year to you all! Sounds as though you're having a really busy time of it! Gordon, I wouldn't get too complacent when it comes to dodgy tums-just as well there's a doctor in the house!
All of us wait in anticipation for the next addition to your blog, we're really enjoying it, and the PHOTOS are amazing!!! missed vocation in life-you could be doing a wee photography sideline for fat-face or rohan(maybe not rohan, that's for old people)
Nicola, Lucy and I have been couch potatoes for the past week while poor John has been working the majority of it- cant wait to get back to some sort of normality.
You'll be glad to know your hoose is still intact (John topped up water in CH so it's OK) as are plants and hammies. Take care and enjoy your trip today, KX
Happy new year Boyles
Sounds like you are having a fantastic time. Photos are amazing ( yours too G!)We too are having an adventure packed holiday full of knicker counts and runny bottoms, but here in sunny( not) Scotland. Dean still waiting for the pavements to dry! Sorry we missed you this holiday but feel we have discovered a new articulate side to you Gordon thru reading your blog. Hope to see you soon. Magi x
Hello you lovelies - Happy New Year to you all. Thanks so much for the very entertaining blog - we have had such a hoot (at your expense)! We are all fine and my belly is burgeoning - and that's not just from the festive excesses. Loving the photos and looking forward to hearing all the stories first hand soon, lots of love Pamalixxx
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