An Auto

This is an Auto - a type of Indian taxi. It is a 3 wheeled scooter with a body! If there are one billion people in India, I think there must be about 500 million of these Autos! They are amazing little vehicles, they zip in and out of buses, trucks, cars, other Autos and whatever else happens to be speeding down the road! Three adults can squeeze into the back and here you can just see Jonti sitting on the seat in front with the driver! You can also see a piece of cloth wrapped around the yellow pole behind the driver. That is to act as a side when it is raining, you unravel it and it is like a curtain next to the passenger in the back!

Peak hour traffic in Bangalore!

As you can see, I am sitting on the right side of our Auto. Close beside me is another Auto, in front of that one with not much room to spare is another Auto. Next to those 2 is a guy on a motorbike and you can see 2 more Autos in front of him! We are really squashed together and that is what you call congested traffic!! Imagine travelling in that everyday.

Not far from that spot, we saw the guy on the motorbike stopped at the side of the road. He had been swiped by a vehicle and he had badly hurt his hand, maybe broken it. Not surprisingly there are a lot of accidents.

School bus-auto

This Auto is full of precious cargo on the way to school in Nagercoil!

Auto delivery van

This is an auto delivering Jackfruit - see the 3 Jackfruit lying on the ground. They are a big fruit which grow on trees. It takes a while to open the fruit and take out all the segments and seeds but it is worth it. The segments are so sweet and tasty!

Insence maker!

This lady was making insence sticks. She would pick up a stick from the bundle, roll it in a paste made from the powder, roll it in the powder, put the finished stick down, pick up the next stick and repeat. She was soooooooooo fast! She is paid 14 rupees per thousand and there are about 34 rupees to the Australian dollar.

Buji with her students and Jonti

Buji is the Head mistress of a Special School in Bangalore. Jonti is the tall one in the middle with the red t-shirt! Surrounding them are some of Buji's students and the photo is taken in her classroom.

Look at these yummy mangoes!

Ambika is buying some mangoes from this lady who comes to the stairwell in their house. This lady has been visiting the house and selling fruit since Ambika was a little girl. (Ravi and Ambika bought this house from Ambika's mother a few years ago.)

These mangoes were so superb, the best I have ever tasted.

Little "anar"

This little squirrel (anar is the word in Tamil) would come to the ledge below the window and eat food dropped down to him!

"Akar, Akar"

This crow would come to Ambika's window where she would feed him. Instead of calling "kar kar", as crows normally do, he would call "akar, akar" which in Tamil means "sister, sister". After this photo he would not let me take any more of him. Even on another day as soon as I even came near the kitchen door to peer around he would fly away!

Richie and his footy

This is Richie, a fat, bouncy gorgeous dog who belongs to Ravi and Ambika in Chennai. He and Jonti played for hours with this "Bombers" footy.

Jonti having an elephant ride

I now hope to be able to add some photos from India. Jonti had a ride on this dear patient elephant near Bangalore - (Jonti front right).

Monday 2nd July

Well, at last here we are in front of the computer and able to add a post.
Firstly, this photo is of the family we are staying with in Chennai (from left to right) T2, Ambika, (Susie), Ravi and (Jonti) taken just now.
We landed in Bangalore in the state of Karnataka which is sort of central south of India on the night of Thurs 21st June, having left Sydney that morning. There we stayed with friends and were able to introduce Jonti to some of the customs, food, places and experiences that area has to offer. Bangalore has become a very busy city with major street congestion worries!! All the same it was wonderful to be there and we were looked after superbly by Buji and her family. Buji is the head mistress of a special school for disabled students so it was a treat to have time with them too. After school we were taken to the home of one of the students, his mother was making insence sticks so quickly it was difficult to take a photo (photos will be coming here!) For that she is paid 14 rupees per thousand, there are about 34 rupees to our Oz dollar. Another day we were taken to Bannerghatta National Park where there is a zoo and a Butterfly Park (where they have a big dome full of gorgeous flowers and colourful butterflies and where they do research also). Jonti had a ride on an elephant which he enjoyed. Also near there was a wildlife rehabilitation place which I wanted to visit - I had read about the man, Saleem who works there and the organisation CUPA who run it....fantastic work.
We came over to Chennai by train, a 6+ hour journey on Wed 27th and on Thurs morning, thanks to T2, were able to join in the meeting with our Riverina Institute of TAFE Learnscope team by internet/speaker headphones, so it was great to experience that and hear familiar voices (thank you Robyn and Sue!)
Whenever I come to Tamil Nadu, this state of India, I feel as though I'm coming home so I must have been here in a past life! I love the language and find that I remember words or phrases from before.
In true Indian ways we have been fed the most yummy foods by Buji's family and Ambika. Ambika loves to cook, she should start a restaurant! How do you think it would go in Leeton?!
Yesterday was the naming ceremony for Ravi and Ambika's first granddaughter so that was very interesting and a treat to be involved. In 1979 when I first met Ravi and Ambika, their first son Thiagu was 2 years old. Here he is now a handsome grown man and father!
We have done some serious shopping here but we have more of that to do! It has been pretty warm and muggy since we've been in Chennai.
Today a French couple who were staying with us on the farm last year, arrived in Chennai so they are staying here with us at Ravi and Ambika's too. Jonti and I are leaving to go down to Nagercoil which is right down at the southern tip of India on Thurs. There are friends there to catch up with, we'll take the overnight "superfast" train, it takes 13-14 hours from Chennai. I haven't seen Mustafa since Rowie and I were there in 1984, now he has 2 girls in their 20s and a son about Jonti's age (14). I'm hoping he might teach Jonti how to study at school while Jonti wants to teach him AFL. Jonti may go to school with him for a day which would be a great experience.
Cheers to all
Susie and all here.

I just want to add this note, so that next week when we are in India and sweltering and melting with the monsoonal heat I will remember that right at this moment, sitting at the computer at home, it is verrrry cold! I am not complaining, just observing! I will just step outside now and cuddle a kangaroo, that always warms my heart completely.

Hi Suzie

This sounds like a great idea. I will be interested to keep up with all your travels and adventures

Have a great time

Alanna

G'day India

This is a blog which I hope will evolve as Jonti, our son, and I travel in India. It could be a great way to keep in touch with friends (including family, colleagues, students and .....)
It'd be great to put some photos in here as well. We will just need to find computers along the way!
What do you think?