Sept 26 Ganesha's Birthday

Ganesha's Birthday at the Clock Tower

It appears the monsoons have come to an end after a very short run here in Rajasthan.  The lakes are full to overflow, everything is green and the weather is starting to cool, at least in the night.  I believe we still have a ways to go before the cool weather really sets in, but I am on my rooftop enjoying the cool morning with a cup of chai.

There was some sort of parade/celebration with camel drawn floats a few days ago that passed down City Palace Road.  The floats were mainly comprised of camel drawn flat bed carts with large effigies of saints, surrounded by priests in saffron robes, waving to the crowd that gathered on the sidewalk.  I think it must have been part of the Ganesha 10-day celebration that is going on right now.

Yesterday was an exciting day as I finally found a scooter worthy of purchase.  It is a 2009 TVS Scooty Pep+ in metallic purple...so cute!  And small enough for me to handle, although I have only ridden on the back so far.  Now to get my driving lesson and start trying to figure out not only how to drive here, but to find my way around the narrow streets of the old town where I live!

The new jewelry shop is almost ready to open; hopefully this weekend as it is some sort of 2-week period starting next week when it is not auspicious to start a new enterprise of any kind.  My house set-up and personal shopping have almost fallen by the wayside as we (business partner & I) get lighting prepared for the display, order busts, business cards, a sign, paint walls, and lay flooring.  The display counters are built and painted and last, but not least, placing the jewelry for display.  I set up a Facebook page and a new email account for the shop, I am ready to open!

Well, I am going down to wash and shine my new Scooty and get prepared for the day.  I hope everyone is well and as happy as I am!

Sept 6 Bhattyani Chotta

Walkway to City Palace Road 

Bhattyani Chotta is the neighborhood where I live just to the east of the City Palace. Lake Palace Road, one of the main streets, runs north and south and is the street where I walk Toulouse every morning and evening.  Now whoever said squirrels & chipmunks were the same as rats didn't see the rats running back and forth across the walkway that runs off this street to my front door.  These things are huge - bigger than any squirrel I've ever seen!  So every day you gather all the food scraps from cooking into a bag, and in the morning, you dump them to the side of the walkway for the cows, dogs, chipmunks, and yes, the rats.  What they say is that when you make chapatti (flat bread), you make the first ones for the cows, then the family, then the dogs.  I guess the rats are next....

Yesterday the monkeys decided to play with Toulouse.  The young ones were jumping on the clothes line, bouncing up and down to tantalize her.  Then they ran across the short wall within her reach - of course, they are faster than her.   She did manage to nip one of their tails and it squealed, which brought hoots and hollers from the adults and many bared teeth!  I was worried for a moment as they were surrounding us on top of all the walls of my rooftop, but they soon calmed down and continued to play, the small babies huddled next to their mother's breast, nursing.

It has been raining daily and we still have many things to buy, both for the house and the new shop.  The shop painting is done, but we are waiting for it to dry as the humidity is usually 80% or more.  Yesterday we took a rickshaw to the market to get a wall mounted fan for the shop just as the rain started.  The streets flooded, but we were able to get there and back and to buy not only the fan, but a new water purifier.  It will save me a ton of money as I go through several liters of bottled water daily.  Not to mention the plastic bottles...at least they are recycled.

I saw a small mouse come in through my bedroom window and run across the floor to a hole in my closet. Oh my God!  It is still there today as I heard it rummaging in the trash this morning, then saw it slip out and run back to the hole.  Toulouse goes crazy, but can't catch it...hopefully!  Now I need to figure out how it got past the screen and closed window and put a stop to it.  Then to get a trap so I can catch it and take it back out to the street to release it.  I don't need it to die, just to leave my house!

Slowly but surely, I am adjusting to life in India.  They say it takes about a year to make this type of adjustment and I believe it!  It is a much bigger change than I remembered making when I moved to Nicaragua.  Of course there I had the Peace Corps to guide me.  I am still cooking on one burner as I need to buy a set of burners and get a large gas tank, but I am managing.  I still do not have all the pans I need and no set of dishes.  I bought some cheap plastic bowls & 2 plates to fill in until I have time to find what I need.  I really think I need a scooter, although I am petrified to drive here, not to mention getting lost on these narrow winding streets.  The wash is another thing as I am doing most of it by hand while taking the pants and shirts to the laundry.  At least I got a new iron for a little over $7 so I can iron some things myself.  A washing machine would be great!