Winding up

We head back to Melbourne in just a few days after 8 incredible weeks, the significance of which I feel will be even more apparent after we return. Especially as we reflect with Mitali on the people and places, and as we correspond with the Darpana folk, Subhadra and our "house family" - Rohan is currently pretending to be Mitali's pet dog, "Kulu", on our bedroom floor below us as Mitali runs around avoiding nips to her ankles. We'll really miss the family. There's a lovely sense of communal life here which we feel inspired to somehow, even in a small way, recreate.

Kate has pulled out all stops for her last 2 weeks, working every night with the girls from Apang Mandal Manav. They are performing on Thursday this week. Darpana are also making the most of her last days here getting her to choreograph scenes for a work to be presented in the December Vikram Sarabhai Festival.

Tonight Kate and I are going on a date!! Josh has generously offered to babysit. We're very excited - dinner at House of MG and then off to see the performance of a work Darpana are taking to Dubai this week - a performance for the large number of manual labourers from Indian living in Dubai in squalid work camps. See you all soon.

Rohan and Mitali are great friends. She will be very say when leave and so will we.

The three kids, Kiran (10), Rohan (5), Rohul (14) and Mitali.

We accompanied Shivnath and Rohan to school on Saturday.

Shivnath took us into Rohan's classroom to say hello. Rohan was not impressed.

Some of the girls from Apang Mandal Manav...

We found this delightful woman at a crazy market at Ellis Bridge on Sunday last week. It was near a slum dwelling by the river. It was hot and stinky so after a quick whip around and couple of purchases, we retired to the House of MG for an ice-cream.

Return to Basundhara

 
Geeta, her house-mother, and Mitali

At 4.40 am this morning a full, dirty-orange moon lit the morning sky in Delhi as we drove to the airport. We spent a not-really-planned night in an expensive hotel due to a loosely connected flight from Bhubeneswar back to Ahmedabad. The vast disparity in wealth distribution in India still baffles us - this one night's accommodation cost about 3 times what we're paying our lovely housekeepers for a month's worth of cooking and looking after us. Fireworks are once again filling the night sky for Dev Diwali, the last night of the holiday season, as I reflect on an amazing weekend in Bhubeneswar, Orissa. We returned to Basundhara, the children's home where Mitali spent her first 21 months.

Sodumini with her charges.

Shosheela, Kate and Mitali.

The half-way mark

As I write this, Kate is giving a talk at Darpana. Kate mentioned the idea of presenting some of her work in Melbourne to Mallika on Monday and two days later it's all happening - complete with movies and photos - at the outdoor cafe at Darpana. I wondered how they would publicise the event and it seems that's about all the notice you need. There was a press release - check the "Hip and Happening" section in today's Ahmedabad Mirror.

We said goodbye yesterday to Ali and John as they headed off on further adventures in Rajasthan. Their week in Ahmedabad flew by. We did some great shopping. We took a car with our favourite driver, M. "Johnny" Sheik, to one of India's two sun temples in Modhera and an impressive 11th century step well in Patan. We hesitantly ate lunch at a random hotel on the way back to Ahmedabad, but we all emerged unscathed, much to Johnny's relief when he asked the next day. We enjoyed the wonderful House of MG (http://houseofmg.com/) - the pool, the restaurant and the ice cream - and charged it all to Room 9 (as we did when Mum and Dad were in town - thanks parents and parents-in-law).

Our effervescent friend-cum-translator-cum-tour-guide, Niana.

Naina takes Dianne's friend, Shaun, Josh, Mitali, Kate and I to the Adalaj Vav step well. There are a number of these amazing water structures in Gujurat, with intricate stone carvings. This one from 1499.

Naina also takes us to Kankaria Lake - a giant man-made lake (1451) complete with children's rides, aquarium and lots of people who wanted their picture take with us.

Getting the phone recharged....

Mallika Saribhai in action with her dancers.

The beautiful baratinatim dancers from Darpana.

We practise eating with our hands at Vishala restaurant, once again Naina is our host.

Ali, John, Mitali and I explore a beautiful mosque in Ahmedabad.

Abhay Mangaldas, the charming owner of the the House of MG, got to know first Mum and Dad Reilly and then Mum and Dad Sulan. His hospitality extended from his hotel to his personal mansion.

Ramkumari gives me a chappati lesson.

Johnny took us out to Patan to see the Ranki Vav, built in 1061, but only recently excavated in the 1980's. We also saw the Patan Patola, a famous type of silk sari. There are 3 families left who make them. It takes 3 months to make one sari.

One of the crazy sights on the way home...

...then back to our beautiful family at "the Retreat".

Happy Diwali

Diwali is the Festival of Lights - Ram's triumphant return is lit with candles and lights - Lakshmi the Goddess of Wealth is welcomed - ignorance is banished by the light of understanding - it depends who you ask as to what it's about. Once thing is pervasive - the continuous noise of exploding fireworks. There are 5 days of holiday - a time when families gather and eat. It marks the largest school break in the calendar, also - at least in Gujurat.

The unofficial Darpana tour guide, the lovely, ebullient Naina, is looking after us today. We're joining 1000's of others at a temple up the road for "600 types of food" - 600 opportunities to exercise caution. Then off to visit with other friends/relatives of Naina.

Mitali tries on Kiran's new Diwali dress

Ramkumari applies heavy eye-shadow

Kiran and Mitali

Josh, Dom, Mitali and I returned last night from an afternoon and evening at the generous Mallika Saribhai's farmhouse. We had a swim and dinner, saw a 3 hour-old buffalo and enjoyed the company of Mallika, Ravanta, her son and his girlfriend, Natasha. When we got home Shivnath and family were in the middle of their own fireworks display on the landing out the back. All digits and limbs remain in tact this morning. We'll check again at the end of Diwali.

Work

Some photos of a few of the girls I am working with. We rehearse in the food hall of the institution where they live often next to about 50 other girls who are eating. Most of them have prosthetic limbs. I am loving working with them and we laugh a lot. My translator intrigues me as often a sentence turns into a 5 minute diatribe. I often wonder what I am saying. We are working towards a performance which is challenging because of the working conditions, lack of a common language and the general chaos and unpredictability of India. I am looking forward to seeing how it unfolds.

A common language

Rohan and Mitali are "best friends" as Ramkumari likes to note. Their play consists of Mitali firing off a lot of orders in English, which are ignored. This moves onto a lot of primal noise and running around.

Jambughoda, Champaner - weekend away

I'm sitting in the cafe having a couple of coffees (half decent!!) while Mitali has a couple of hours of play group. Kate spotted a notice up for a "Montesorey Play group" which Mitali has been enjoying 10-12:30 each morning. I've been relishing the time in an air-conditioned English bookshop and cafe. Sadly, this winds up for a couple of weeks during Diwali.

Kate, Mitali and I have just had a weekend away with Mum and Dad. Sheik "Johnny" Mukaram - a treasure of an English speaking driver Mum and Dad discovered at their hotel - took us with his mate, Yusef, in a second car. We stayed in a palace-slash-farm at Jambughoda (www.jambughoda.com) - a pleasant mix of history, comfortable rooms, rural function and excellent food (with contraband beer, too!!!). We saw a number of ancient mosques - part of the UNESCO heritage listed Champaner area. The mosques were tucked away, emerging impressively from the lush country-side at the end of over-grown, muddy tracks. I never imagined that I would get such a sense of remoteness and pristine nature in India.

After a stop at the local tyre shop to repair Johny's tyre, we caught a cable car up to the top of Pavogodh, an 800m volcanic hill with a Hindu temple at the top. Hordes of pilgrims endured heat and the 3 hour walk to the top. We had a hot 30 minute climb to the top through a stinky market, complete with costumed cows, bindi-bestowing children and the ubiquitous beggar. Dad and I imagined we were starting our own sect with our hanky-hats.

Mitali, Mum, Dad and I were invited to Johnny's home last night. It was a real privelege to get some real ("strictly non-veg") home-cooking. The modest house was in a "pol" - located in the old city, a tiny lane in which a whole community lives. Sumin, Johnny's wife, produced and elaborate meal. A dish or two was provided by neighbours, which is, Johnny explains, just how it works - if you've got anything extra, it goes into the pool of resources for the community.

Mum and Dad leave on Thursday. We've benefited greatly from their research and explorations of the area, finding Johnny, good places to eat, shop and visit. It really softened the landing having them here, familiar faces - especially for Mitali. True to form, they've been impressively chilled out and adventurous. We will miss taking refuge at their air-conditioned hotel with swimming pool, "the House of MG". We've secured the same room in the House of MG for John and Ali who arrive on the 20th. We're all looking forward to that - I can't wait to seem them hoon around in an auto-rickshaw.