Seth Goes West, I Leave East, and All Three Depart South

Seth left late Thursday night for San Francisco. He will be in San Francisco 7 days, but gone for 10. Wow, India is far away! Sunday marked the 6 month anniversary of his arrival to India. Translation—your time is up! He flew to San Francisco to renew his visa, making it possible for him to stay the remainder of the school year, and because he is currently a resident of Washington State, the Travisa Outsourcing in San Francisco is his jurisdiction. You might recall, this is the same institution Domenic and I obtained (or almost didn’t) our India visas in July. Six months of India-Livin’ is all it took to know what to do. Seth had an appointment first thing Monday morning. In he walked, armed with a plethora of paperwork and documents. Fifteen minutes later and some words of admiration, “Wow, you are thorough!” Seth was given the nod of approval to come back the next day for his new visa. Phew.

When Seth arrives home, we will have about 10 days together before it’s my turn to depart. I will be attending the Spring Educator’s Conference in Bangkok. This is a professional development opportunity available through the school. The application process involves a brief proposal and cost analysis. Upon approval, individuals are awarded the cost of registration, round-trip tickets, hotel accommodations, and per diem. Not a bad deal, right? In return, those of us attending will “pay” the school back by sharing what we have learned. This can be done by offering a class during one of our professional development days throughout the year. I feel very lucky to be attending. The conference is only 3 ½ days so the remaining week will be spent in Phuket. My childhood friends, Kristin and Adrienne, are flying over for a vacation of their own. Once the week is over, I will say my good-byes, fly back to India, unpack and repack. Seth, Domenic and I are departing the following day to Sri Lanka for the remainder of spring break.

The next flight we take will be in June when we return to Washington for our summer visit.

Puke-Cow

It’s a known fact; there are many cows in India. In an average day, one can easily spy cows causally strolling down a neighborhood road, snacking on trash from one of the many overflowing dumpsters, crossing through rush hour traffic without a care in the world, and sprawling out in the center of the busiest roads.

We see cows so often they have become invisible to us. This was true until the day we encountered Puke-Cow. Puke-Cow is the resident cow at the local wine shop, a mascot if you will. He spends his days lumbering around the premise and keeping time with the local bar-flies (literally and figuratively). As humans we don’t routinely do something unless the payoff is worth it. It’s no different with Puke-Cow. He hangs out at the wine shop waiting for his meal to be delivered to him at his feet, all the puke he can eat! He was officially granted this name the day Seth arrived, order in hand, and was unable to enter. Standing at the entrance, and feasting on a freshly delivered meal, was Puke-Cow. He lifted his head, a string of slime connecting his mouth to the ground, and eyed Seth as if to say, “Get your own meal. This one is mine.”

Hmm? A convenient coincidence cows are sacred and therefore not eaten?

You might be wondering what type of an establishment would allow such a resident? The wine shops here are putrid, and sadly the only places to buy alcohol. The building looks like a shack. It’s filthy with a dirt floor and when it rains, a cesspool of diseases creates a moat around the entrance. It’s difficult to imagine such a sight so I have included some pictures. The only element missing is the smell. Sorry.

The wine shops are something I never set foot into. Seth has been granted the honors and when he comes home I can be heard shouting, “Do not put those bottles in the fridge, freezer, or elsewhere without disinfecting them. To the sink they go!!!!”