Happy Holi!

It's Sunday now and it's almost been a week. The reality that this is NOT a vacation is hitting me hard. John heads off to work tomorrow and I am left in the hotel room with 3 boys and my first day of home schooling (with very limited supplies) staring me in the face. Please note that I am keeping my first week of school fairly simple and the curriculum focused on the fact that we are in India so it's not such a big deal but the prospect of being alone in India for the first time - with the boys - is a big deal. Since every outing requires a driver, I have to be somewhat organized - or at least I feel that I should be. Micky (our driver) is ready and waiting to take us anywhere but even our communications with him can be difficult so I really have to be clear myself about where we are heading, what I want to do etc. before I can ask his help. I know it'll be fine but I'll be wiped by the time John gets back to the hotel tomorrow (I'm also curious to see what time that turns out to be!).

Today was Holi Day - a national holiday also referred to as "The festival of colors". Paints are everywhere and we were advised to stay indoors until the "cease fire" of paint balloons was in effect which is sometime after noon. But, nonetheless, we were exposed to the holiday immediately after waking up because the gentleman who brought coffee to our room also brought paint and swiped bright pink across our foreheads as he said "Happy Holi"!

We've had a lazy day around the hotel today because the boys begged us for it. I'm a little stir crazy but they are happy. They are headed down to the pool in a bit for some much needed energy release.

Things worth noting:
-it's almost easier to order foods from the unknown category or Indian category for the boys vs. ordering american because at least they expect Indian food to be different. The problem in ordering cheeseburgers is that it arrives with an egg on top and cloves stuck in the bun - pretty funny. The only "western food" that has arrived as expected has been french fries and pancakes. Jack ordered a tuna salad sandwich which turned out to be pretty spicy (too spicy for Matt) but he ate most of it anyway. He must have been hungry!

-We saw our apartment a couple days ago and they are working on it feverishly. It's an old apartment in an old complex but they are doing their best to "freshin" it up. The art we saw on the floor was remarkably hotel like so we might be motivated to buy some new art. There are four tv's in the apartment (which is silly) yet we have to buy our own coffee maker. I thought that was an interesting fact.

-Matt continues to be the one everyone wants to touch and talk to. Go figure?

-At the Children's Park yesterday we were clearly a spectacle and at one point another father handed his little boy (1ish) to John and then went on to take a picture. (Please imagine John in this situation - he was totally mystified at what to do). Then the Indian gentleman gathered our family together in a group and surrounded us by his entire family and snapped more pictures. As we walked away - very few words ever exchanged - John just looked at me and said "what just happened?"

Happy Holi!