Terrace Games and Cricket

Hello Family and Friends,

Last night was a lot of fun. After resting, I woke up around 4:30 and had my afternoon tea. The children were still sleeping so it was very quiet and peaceful, so I sat outside and watched the wild dogs roam around. As the children slowly woke up, Kumari and I went through some of the games sent to them from the Netherlands which they didn't understand because the directions were in Dutch. I knew some of the games, and I taught them to the kids that were awake. There were also two pairs of funny little stilts, so when everyone was awake we went to the roof and had relay races. We played boys against girls, but who knows who won because at the end everyone was just running around and yelling and laughing.

The children then organized a game similar to duck duck goose (though much more fun) on their own, and got Kumari to play too. I was taking pictures, but then Kumari said that if she was playing then I had to play too. There was a complicated song in Tamil that went with it, so whenever I was "it" Ajith would stand up and yell the words for me. It was fun, but I was always ducking under the clothes-lines which everyone else, including the adults, could run right under. At one point Kartic and I were both running in opposite directions, and he was going to beat me, so when we crossed paths I picked him up and ran with him, which all the kids thought was hilarious. Finally we played "fire on the mountain," and by that time it was getting dark. We came down from the terrace and helped Xavier load an autorickshaw with things for the new house down the street.

The children were tired and playing quietly, so I sat with Priya and an older boy named Jana. (It is pronounced like Jenna. His full name is Janathon, and when he wrote it I said, "Ohh, Jonathon," but he said "no, not Jonathon" very firmly). Jana had a lot of questions about me and Priya helped translate. Priya and I then discussed college and family life and compared them in the US and India. Priya mentioned that she used to take Nicky and Sandra to different places in Tiru, and offered to take me to the waterfall on Sunday (today). When she asked Kumari, though, Kumari seemed very hesitant so I jumped in and said it wasn't necessary. I think she likes having me here on the weekends because I take over the kids, which lets her do work around the house.

I had dosais for dinner. I eat at the same time the children eat, but the Xavier family and James don't eat until 9:30, when the kids have all gone to sleep and there is no more work to be done. Though I was a little worn out, and usually sleep when the kids do, I asked to sit with Xavier's while they had their dinner. It was a really fun time and I feel like I am getting close to the family. It was also fun because I love any chance I can get to interact with James, who has a strange personality, speaks a little English, and Kumari claims is "a little off." I tried pickled mango, which was quite salty and spicy. Xavier asked about "the rule of Obama" and Priya lamented over Michael Jackson's death. Kumari and I then made plans for the coming week. She didn't realize that I was coming to India for the sole purpose of staying with the kids, she thought this was just one stop in my travels, so she has now made it her job to make sure I get the full India experience for the next month I am here. She mentioned an ashram that we will visit. This ashram attracts a lot of old western people who just want peace and to "sit" (meditate). They made fun of these westerners for a little bit, and then Kumari said that we should visit at noon, because that is when I can see the most westerners sitting. I replied that it didn't matter when we go, because I see plenty of westerners sitting at home.

The next morning I was woke to a very angery Kumari. She was yelling in Tamil, and all the kids were very quite. Apparently Kumari went outside and found some of the girls washing the clothes and using a lot of water. She was angry for two reasons. First of all, the water pump ended up running for an hour (it takes 15 minutes to fill the tank) so now the electric bill will be very high (there isn't a water bill). Second of all, there is a hired woman here who is supposed to clean the kids and wash the clothes, and she is not doing her job. This washer woman is very strange; she has large, protruding teeth, and is constantly chewing her tongue and staring at me with her big yellowing eyes. I have asked Kumari what her name is, and Kumari always says that her name is not important. She doesn't know any English, though one time she did come up to me randomly and recited the ABC's. I nodded and smiled awkwardly, and then she walked away. Kumari is angry that she pays her (though not very much) but still the other girls end up doing her job while she sits or sleeps.

After pongal for breakfast, I decided that I wanted to take the kids outside the house, so Priya and I took them to a field down the road. It is a field of dirt, rocks, glass, bones, coconut husks, and other random tid-bits. The boys brought a cricket bat and first I watched, but then was batting and even bowling (pitching). Those that know my baseball background probably won't believe this, but I was actually pretty good. Some men and teenagers came and watched us for a little bit, and then approached me and asked me to play with them. I excitedly asked asked Priya, and she said it was okay if I went and played with them. My kids didn't teach me the rules and these locals didn't really speak English so the first several minutes was composed of them pointing at things and saying yes or no. After a little bit I figured it out, and did really well. My team won by a landslide, and the local men were very nice and shook my hands and showed off the little English that they knew. This was my first time really interacting with people outside of the home without Kumari's guidance and I did really well, and I think I made a couple friends too. Some of my boys came and watched and cheered me on from the side.

We came back and I was dead tired, but for the first time Kumari let me into the kitchen to help her make fish curry, Tamil style, so I took her up on the offer. I took vigerous notes, and seeing how eager I am, Kumari now seems pretty excited about showing me how to make all the local dishes.

I'm pretty exhausted, and my bed looks very inviting, so I am going to take my afternoon rest now, everyone else has been asleep for an hour.

I'll write again tomorrow.

Peace,
Robby

Dinesh playing duck-duck-goose, Tamil style. (That red fabric is dropped instead of saying "goose")

The children sitting in a circle on the terrace playing. You can see the mountain (or as we say in Tamil, "maleh") in the background. Just about everywhere in Tiru there is a good view of the mountain.