Over a Month In Reflections

Yep you read that right. We are over 5 weeks in here in Pune, India. Talk about an adventure but we knew that would be the case! They say the first 6 months are the hardest — well it hasn’t been all sunshine and roses. Tami, Tenley, and I have all had at least one fight with Delhi Belly (getting violently sick from both ends for a period of time, typically caused by food, bad water, or just nerves built up before eating things you cannot pronounce). We have missed our boys and our loved ones and friends. At the same time we are enjoying the generally happy and optimistic people of India. India has so much energy and enthusiasm when it comes to learning and working hard. Its very admirable.

So let me take this time to give you a few topics you may or may not find of interest.

#1 Video Conferencing is a great way to stay in touch. The hardest part of us leaving the US was leaving our boys behind. I often wondered how that could happen…i mean men have left their children for days, weeks, years, and lifetimes be it for work, military service, faith service, etc. Peter is almost 14 and Nate is 12 so they are just at the beginning of figuring out texting and chatting. Phone calls are tough because you can get more easily distracted. So we have been doing video calls through FaceTime or WhatsApp. I try to talk to the boys 2-4 times a week. Given that we are almost exactly a half day ahead, it can be difficult — our best time is the evening after work or dinner but that is early morning Pacific time. If we were to call we would get boys rushing to get to school or wanting to sleep in on weekends. So the best time for us to call is morning India time and later or around bedtime Pacific. We typically try to talk on Sunday but we will take what we can get. It has been a lifesaver. We can still see the boys, inquire about their days and happenings, and get them to focus if they are playing games on the side (sometimes).

Tenley loves seeing her Brah Bahs.

We try to read a chapter of scripture during our Sunday visits. About to finish Matthew with Mark being next.

2. Child seats in cars are almost non existent.

Honestly I had a hard time adjusting to this and we brought our car seat from the US. I am not sure what the law is but it either 1) isn’t followed or 2) doesn’t exist. The truth is most kids I see in cars are not in car seats. I see children from 0-10 on the back of scooters, hanging on to motorcycles (no helmets), and running around cars. We kept Tenley in her seat for awhile but then she didn’t get a chance to see all of the fun outside! My guess as to why car seats are not required — traffic just doesn’t go very fast. Usually the speed limits inside all of the city are under 35mph. And usually there is so much traffic you are lucky to be going 10mph. There are speed bumps on most roads so its like driving through a mall parking lot when you are trying to get away from the clogged entrances and save time but you don’t because you have to keep breaking to go over the bumps! Additionally — most Indian vehicles actually have speed blocks on their cars. Yes, that is right. They actually cap the speed of your vehicle. Our driver has shown me it before and he has to remove it before we hit the highway where you can get up to 55 mph! Finally there is so much entertainment on the roads in India it would be a shame if your child missed it. From running horses, to cows eating trash, to camels walking, to people just walking out in the middle of traffic….oh the chaos! So if you travel to India you can bring what you want but you may not want to bring that heavy car seat!

There are at least 6 people in the back of that truck.

“hey I’m trottin here!”

#3 You will see swastika’s everywhere but don’t be offended. I post the below only to show you what I see every day around town.

This is a hindu symbal originally meaning “All is well” . It is a symbol of good fortune and prosperity. Stupid Nazis misunderstood it and misused it. I never would put this anywhere as it has too many bad meanings in western society but when traveling in India you must be prepared to see it frequently in homes, businesses, and temples.

#4 The local chemist has it all….and cheap!

These pharmacies often look like 7-11’s or small versions of Walgreens. Like a Walgreens you can usually get candies, shampoo, hair products, soaps, grooming stuff, etc. And then drugs. Prescription drugs in the US. Except over the counter, and much cheaper than you pay WITH insurance in the US. A case in point. I ran out of my daily asthma preventative puffer much earlier than expected (air pollution is bad in India). I showed the pharmacist my prescription and he brought back a puffer. I compared all the ingredients and measurements and then googled it. True enough the brand in India is NOT allowed to be sold in the US. Why? Because the pharma company has lobbied to restrict its use to be one of the only products in the US. So how much did I pay for this identical medicine? $5, without insurance. In the US – $40 WITH insurance. I have found this thus far with some other items as well like my mother in law’s face cream $120 with insurance in the US, only $10 over the counter here. And it works! So India has been a blessing when it comes to finding what we need and for great prices.

#5 Rickshaw Riding is Living!

My son Nathan calls these cars the “Minions”. They are all over India and are the local equivalent to taxi cabs. They are fairly cheap but watch out — most meters are broken so negotiate with the driver if you are paying in cash. In Pune, there are rickshaw options on Uber which is what we use most of the time. Most of the fares I have paid thus far have been between 60 cents and $1.20. And its fun. The weather is good its like riding in a convertible except slower, you have a driver, and you are only going 15 mph. Believe it or not all 4 of us can sit in the back! My wife said she once saw 7 people in the back of one! So do not be afraid of these local transports. The drivers are usually honest, nice, and will get you where you need to go safely. Warning — no seatbelts in these!

More to come so stay tuned and thanks for visiting my blog!