Another day of Pongal feasting.

January 16^th

 

A late blogging tonight as I have only just decided that today warrants a record, after I looked at my photos and thought they could tell an interesting story. First of all, here is a photo of our laundry! I know Jude Brown will be very interested to see how cleverly Mr W has strung the line this year and how much better it is as we have brought ample pegs with us. We have to wash our clothes with minimal detergent and in tepid water at the best and so we would not be winning any prizes for cleanliness or shining whiteness.

 

Next, a photo of the inside of Paul’s ‘hotel’ or café on the edge of the RUHSA campus. It looks quite attractive doesn’t it? And the view from inside out looks quite idyllic too. But of course you can’t see how scruffy and frankly filthy the place is, with piles of rubbish just strewn everywhere. Now that windows have been added at the side we don’t get as many crows visiting or chickens wandering through, however, so a definite improvement! And we can keep abreast of the India versus Australia cricket match on the ever- present TV. 

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 Today we were invited to lunch at the home of Santi, mother of the original Candle Fund girls (see previous blog). The youngest and most successful girl, Vijayalakshmi, was home for Pongal holiday from her work in Chennai and so was Suresh, who married the middle girl, Vijayakumar. We had a delicious lunch, with several different vegetable dishes and a hard-boiled egg. Whilst the women were preparing and serving the food Suresh talked to us and I learned for the first time that his father has not been a good father at all, that he never encouraged his studies or took any interest in him or his brother (who left school with minimal qualifications and now works as a general labourer in Chennai). Suresh left school after his secondary education due to ‘some family problems’ and subsequently had to continue his studies whilst working. For several years whilst he was working in Mahaballipuram, on the coast, he worked all week and studied at the weekends for his degree. I knew that he and Vijaya had been in love for many years before their marriage but that they waited until both families were happy for them to marry (as they are of different castes this did not happen at first). So when I asked how he had managed to keep in touch with Vijaya during all those years of working away and studying he said, ah that is a very interesting story but I cannot tell you in front of my mother in law! I tried to encourage him to say more, given that Santi doesn’t speak very much English, but he could not be drawn. I would really like to hear that story one day!

 

Vijaya had left us at two o’ clock, to go by scooter the eight kilometres to her work at the hospital as a nurse. Suresh told me he had bought her the scooter after their marriage as before she had always to be catching a bus. The baby Ajeeta who is a lively little one already, walking everywhere and talking at only just over one year old, was looked after by her father and by all the other women at different times. She is clearly a very much loved little girl. Indian children growing up in this kind of family environment do not want for love and attention and their mothers do not have to feel isolated as a young mother in the UK might be. Ajeeta also obviously loves her very lively boy cousins, Uma's boys, and whom she already calls 'Annan', Tamil for 'brother'. Within the Indian family system cousins are viewed as very close to being a  sister or brother.

 Umamagashwary, Santi's oldest girl, modelling Pam's hat. She is full of fun and the family extrovert I think. 

I remarked when I was taking photos of the family that Santi had three beautiful girls and she said: When I had three daughters people said how unlucky I was not to have a son to look after me. But look what has happened with my girls!'. She does have so  much to be proud of. 

All in all this was a delightful visit and a good day. We travelled by auto, because Brian can’t cycle safely with his bad eyes, and en route had managed to get some different eye drops for him to use alongside his first prescription. Pam had bumped into the young woman RUHSA doctor in the office this morning, who had seen her yesterday re cystitis and she had suggested Brian might need further treatment since his right eye is now badly swollen, although there is an improvement in the left eye. Suresh told us it was all a question of keeping positive so now if ever I mention anything negative about how his eye is looking Brian tells me I must be positive- so here’s hoping for a vast improvement! Pam meanwhile feels much better and is glad she went quickly at the first symptoms to get some treatment.  

Bye-bye lovely family- Oh and I forgot to mention that Pam awarded Santi her Mary Berry award for the fab brinjal and tomato curry.