The month in review!

We have now been here 4 weeks - in some ways it seems shorter and some ways seems longer.

But how is it different from what I expected?
Some of things I thought I'd miss I do and some I don't.

I miss my dear friends as expected but also my immediate family - not anticipated. The boys  leave on the school bus early, even get breakfast at school, and return on the bus (they really don't need me to meet them at the bus stop as I can see it from the house), drop their bags, rush through any homework, grab a snack and take off to the club house to hang until it's dark.

I thought I'd miss my shower and my kitchen but not so much. The shower here is better than anticipated and I've got used to my low tech kitchen. Also, truth be told, Sweetie does some of the cooking -she makes the most amazing salads, not too mention the Indian food! Sunday is her day off and I really miss my cups of chai!!

The main thing I do miss is being useful (or kidding myself I'm being useful - maybe I was just busy!!). The kids need much less back up here - no school runs, no soccer runs (they do most of their sport at school), less volunteering at school, no play dates (walk to the club house). The boys both want to start badminton and Wills karate - but they'll just walk to the club house. I do walk the kids to the bus stop and meet them in the afternoon but that is so I can chat to the other moms not because I'm needed!

I thought I'd really miss the independence of driving myself about but I quite like being a passenger. Indian life is out there on the street and I don't know if I'll ever get tired of looking out of the window - the vibrance of India, the colors, the contrasts, its a moving, ever changing diorama. I do spend a long time in the car - not doing much - whereas in the US I'd be driving, the phone ringing, emails pinging. Will I become more thoughtful or just lazy? My productivity, real or perceived, has definitely dropped.

However, the most amazing thing is how so many things are not different at all (we all get up, kids go to school, Simon to work, etc.etc.) When push comes to shove the differences are only in the details. Also, how quickly the unusual becomes the usual.......