Christmas

Christmas was as it should be: with family! We all came to my sister's house for Xmas dinner on the 26th. She has a big house with a spacious living room and a huge table, so we fitted easily. The kids had fun in the play room and we were our usual loud selves.

We were all set to go to A's mum on the 25th, when A pulled a muscle in his back and couldn't move anymore (just because he put a cup in the dish washer). He spent most of the day in bed and could only move like an old man for days after.

No, I am not from Holland!

I am Dutch because I come from The Netherlands. I am NOT from Holland, because I was born in Groningen, but I do have a house in (South) Holland. Any non-Dutch readers that still understand?

This You Tube clip might explain it (click on the link):

Holland vs The Netherlands

Holiday Hysteria

We are in NL for the Christmas Holidays. It is cold, it is dark and it rains. The house is warm and cosy. Let the Holiday Hysteria begin.....

Procrastinating

Today is one of the rare days that I don't have to go out, so I decided to make today the day to pack the suitcases.
I have some mega packing to do. The boxes from Libya contained a lot of clothes. They have all be washed, ironed and sorted. Many of them have gone to new homes (I have seen gardeners cycling around in t shirts from the boys' school uniforms from Libya), but part of it has to go to NL. I have lovely woollen cardigans from Ireland, that I won't be needing here in India for instance.
So after all the washing and sorting I now have to sort it all out again... The aim is to take things to NL that can stay there, so in future I won't have to pack so much, because A and I will have a complete wardrobe in each house. Sounds like a plan...problem is that I don't like packing at all.

So I am procrastinating (love that word): I first checked my email and read blogs, then decided I should write this blog, now I will have coffee with Kavitha and THEN I will start...I think...

Miracles might happen (but I won't hold my breath).

Yesterday we received a mail on our Vista Yahoo group, from someone in a neighbouring community, who had spoken to our local MLA. This MLA is the brains behind the whole road works disaster that I wrote about in my previous post.

Some quotes:

'I questioned the logic of taking  up the logic of sealing us at both ends, by initiating the roadworks at the Nilgiri/BEML side as well as the Basavanagar bus stand side. He explained to me that this decision was taken because of the contractor's commitment to finish the entire project within 2 weeks. One at a time would take 4 weeks.'

TWO weeks people, only two weeks!!!! Wouldn't that be a miracle? And not just a usable surface to drive on, no it gets even better:

'In 2 or 3 weeks, he promised that the road would be a mini highway!:).'

OK, maybe it can be done, I shouldn't be too sceptical, but I will not hold my breath.

Will this be our road in two weeks time?

Navigating the roads (or rather the lack of them)

Ever since we moved to Adarsh Vista, we have been complaining about the road leading to our neighbourhood. At best is has been a bumpy ride, navigating our way around potholes and wading through the water of yet another burst water pipe.

A lot of the Vista residents have complained to our local politicians about the state of the road and with elections coming up in about 6 months it seems like they recognised a vote winner if there ever was one: widening and resurfacing the Basavanagar Main Road and Vibhutipura Road (same road, just outside our gate).

We can approach Vista from two sides so what did they decide in all their 'road work planning wisdom'??? YES, let's start work on BOTH sides at the same time, so nobody can go anywhere anymore....
The little bit of tarmac that was there has now been turned in to gaping holes and at least half a meter deep tranches, with just enough free road/dirt left to try and manoeuvre your car on.

This would not have been a mayor disaster if the same 'wise men' had made it all a one-way stretch, but NO! Cars, buses and trucks are literally at logger heads fighting over every square inch of road that is still usable. The result is that we never know how long it will take us to get out of our neighbourhood. There are some back roads, but they also barely fit one car and a rickshaw, so running into a water truck (for instance) means one of the two has to back up all the way out of the street, while other traffic is trying to squeeze in too...
The boys are on a smaller school bus, because the regular big bus can't make it here, and still they arrive at school almost 30 minutes late and the same coming home...

To top it all off it has been raining a lot in the last few days (and nights), so the whole miserable state of affairs has become nice and muddy too.

OooooooooooMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

The car in front of us is backing up to give the truck some space. We couldn't back up because of the traffic behind us...The truck decided to be the wise one and took the dirt part (like the yellow school bus just behind it). That would not have been possible the next day, after it rained:

On the up size: I am getting to know the neighbourhood just outside Vista a lot better, with all the detours we are taking ;-)

Sinterklaas

Our weekend was filled with the celebration of Sinterklaas, a great Dutch tradition. Saturday we celebrated at home and Sunday we participated in the celebrations from the Dutch Club Bangalore. And participate we did: Adriaan was dressed up as Sinterklaas, Simon was one of his helpers (zwarte Piet) and yours truly slapped on their make up and helped them getting dressed (my nails are still black..yuk).
Great fun was had by all!

Ready for action!

Simon was playing 'the new Piet' and his big wish was to sit on Sinterklaas' lap

This boy LOVES being on stage and performing. He did an awesome job yesterday and I think he looked really cute