What it Sounds Like Here [or "blahBEEPpsshtOMahhhhhhh"]

How do you convey sound through a blog post?

No, stop. That was a rhetorical question. I'm sure there is some audio link fancy thing I could put here. But why? Why go through all that if you could have me, an expert hearer-of-things-here, explain it to you?

This whole thing was Lydia's idea. While in the States, we had a few opportunities to share "What it's like" here with school-age kids. Lydia, being an expert school-age-kid, suggested we use our five senses. It was a big hit! If you get kids making crazy noises (cow, pressure cooker!) and tasting spicy chickpeas you are sure to have a (semi) captive audience for at least 7 minutes.

You, dear reader, are not a school-age-kid (I think) and thus I will not keep you for 7 minutes. Here's, to the best of my typing ability, what it sounds like here. You could probably get this read in a minute. Three if you try out all the sounds as you go.

Think in layers.

People. Talking in different languages. One sounds like "blblblBLAHblblb" and another I'm learning so I pick up a few words "blah blah blah A HOUSE blah blah hai". And English...so much English and so different (still) to my ears.

Cars. BEEP! (The horn is a non-negotiable here). beep. beep. beeeeeeeep. A car alarm, "weeooweeoo". Trucks rumbling over potholes. The grinding go-cart motors of auto-rickshaws. A musical backing-up sound (some cars have this feature when you put them in reverse)....my washing machine has the same tune when the cycle is over. A constant hum of traffic.

Pressure Cookers. PSSSSSSHHHHHHT. (repeat) Always at 5:45 am followed by an incessant search for the right pot: clang, bang, clang. Scraping of metal plates.

Worship. Chanting...a low repetitive hum. The call to prayer...a lyrical loud-speaker song. Drums. Bollywood music...always a nasal-voiced woman singer.

"The wake-up bird".....oooooo-oooooo-eeee-e-e-e. He's actually an Asian Koel who lives in the mango tree 3 inches from our bedroom windows. Please google his mating call. You'll get why we gave him this nick-name. Parrots make a squeaky toy noise. Pigeons. CoooCooo.

So, that's the usual. It's a noisy city and our windows are always open. But it's really not that bad. You get used to it and pretty soon I am off to sleep with the sounds of here...for at least 7 minutes.

Small (open) Hands: Crafts to Masala Chana

You might have been a part of this.

Lydia and Molly's "store" was traveling, ever-growing, and relentlessly-marketed by girls hard to say no to.

They made crayons, bead necklaces, intricate (and sometimes not-so-intricate) drawings, pot holders and binder clips. Basically, anything you needed.

Lydia and Molly decided these crafts would be for sale. They came to me with several petitions. Here's their final accepted proposal:
 1. They could not set the prices. Patrons could pay what they want. ("But, if someone offers like a nickel on my pot holder, I might wait a little bit until they give at least a dollar. I mean, I worked really hard on this Mommy.")
 2. All the money was to go to "poor people in India."

I was OK with my children badgering friends, house guests and total strangers for money as long as they stuck to the original covenant. They wholeheartedly did. In the end, they raised over $80. And what plans they had for this money! Half went straight to our friend Neetu who does a school program for children in the slums. She bought notebooks for 100 children.

The other half was spent on food for beggars. We encounter beggars daily. We try to keep bags of rice or non-perishable snacks in the car and stroller to hand out. It's amazing what $40 can buy in a country with so many foods packaged in 10 rupee (15 cents) bags. Here they are ready to pack individual bags of oatmeal, chips, rice and chana (chick peas) into our car and stroller boxes. The girls love handing food out and saying "God bless you" to the poor.

What a joy to see their hard work become a blessing to our community. Oh, let me be so generous as these little hearts and open as these small hands!