How to Eat a Coconut in India

Dear Daughter,
Today, Papa bought a coconut from a man who had a whole cart of big, green coconuts behind his bicycle. He picked one out and with four quick sweeps of a very large and sharp sickle (curved knife), he whacked off a "top" going, "whack, whack, whack, whack." Then, he poked a hole in the top with the point of his sickle and put a straw in for me to drink the coconut juice. After that, he took the coconut again, and "whack, whack, whack," with the first two whacks he had split the coconut and the last whack he cut out a little shovel from the husk to scoop out the coconut "meat" from the inside. It was very good because it was very hot here today.
I Love You, Papa

New Beginnings

Dear Daughter,
Papa started his Yoga classes yesterday with a nice woman named Rajeshwara. She has two sons who also both practice Yoga. Like Papa used to go to swim meets around America, her sons went to Yoga "competitions" to learn more about Yoga from others from all over India. We have started from the very beginning with the simplest poses, like Tadasana, or the Mountain Pose. When you have not been doing something like Yoga in life for a while, it is very important to start over with something from the simplest approach, even if you have once been very good at it. And, you must have patience. Remember that patience is a skill that will always serve you well.
I love You, Papa

Being Polite

Dear Daughter,
Papa went to his new school today to teach and met many new students. In the morning, the kids had an assembly today, where they all lined up in their classes like you do and sang songs to begin the week. They sang songs in four languages! They sang in Sanskrit, Tamil, Hindi, and English. It was very nice to hear. All of the children are very nice at the school and came up to me and shook my hand and said, "Good Morning, Sir." They were very polite and I told them about Belgium and America and they were very interested to hear about Texas!
Love, Papa

A Very Different Cathedral

Dear Daughter,
Papa walked into town today and went to see the very, very old Temple here in the middle of center, just like there is the one we went to in Antwerp the last day I was there, but this one is very different. It is a large Hindu temple dedicated to a goddess named, Meenaskhi, which means "fish-eyed" in Sanskrit. She was one of Shiva's consorts, and he is a very important God here in India who is said to have created the universe just by dancing! What do you think about that?

There are four temples around a large courtyard, but Papa did not go in today yet as there was not enough time today. Outside the temple, all of the little girls had their hair braided with very sweet-smelling flowers in their hair, and they wore jingling-jangling bangles on their ankles. And, in order to go into the temple, you have to take of your shoes, so everyone was barefoot too.
I love you. Papa

Taking a Tak-Tak to Work

Dear Daughter,
Remember the funny bicycles that we saw in Santa Fe with the little bench in the back and Papa told you that they were called rickshaws in Asia? Well, in Madurai, they call them "tak-tak"s and Papa will be riding one every day to work! However, most of them are motorized here, so it is very loud with lots of honking and beeping. Papa will try to film the trip one day and send it to you so you can see what a crazy place this is. And, Papa promises to take you on a rickshaw ride the next time we are in Santa Fe, but I bet it will be much more peaceful than here.
Love, Papa

Papa Goes to School

Papa visited the Indian schools today in Madurai where I will be teaching. They have children of all ages and I saw many of them your age too. They were running around playing just like you and your friends do on the playground in Blegium. When it was time for them to go in, they lined up side-by-side in a row, with rows next to each other, also just like you do at your school.

Starting Monday, I will be telling them stories about what it is like to live in Europe and America, just as you have, and then they can tell me about India so that I can come back and tell you all about theirlives here! So, in a way, Papa is back in school again too, learning about other cultures and a new language, Tamil, that the kids will also help teach me while I teach them English. And, guess what? Papa has to take a lunch box to class too now, just like you! Isn't that funny, Papa with a lunch box!

Just remember, life is also one big school house, and we all have much to learn from each other, even Papa.

and Elephants!

Dear Daughter,
Hello from Madurai. Papa made it to the town where he will be teaching for two months, Madurai, which is in the very tip of India in a place called Tamil Nadu. It is almost on the equator, which is that big line that goes around the middle of the globe! When Papa was coming into town from the airport, he saw lots of cows, goats, monkeys, and even an elephant! There are heavy rains here called monsoons, so Papa will have to get used to being wet a lot. It is raining really hard outside right now too. But, don't worry, Papa brought his rain jacket.
I love you,
Papa

Monkeys

Dear Daughter,
Papa went to see the Caves of Elephanta today after he toured around Mumbai. It takes an hour on the boat to go to the island and the boat broke down both coming and going, but all was fine. When Papa got to the island to go into the caves, guess what he saw?

Monkeys!

There were lots of little monkeys around the entrances of the caves and when you came up close to them, they would make a strange purring sound like our kitty, Boris, used to make. Isn't that funny!
Papa will send pictures of the caves soon. There was one head that was as big as a house, with three faces of the Hindu God named Shiva. Papa has seen some interesting things here in India.
Love, Papa

Little Blue Houses

Dear Daughter,
Namaste from Mumbai, India. Papa made it to the Hotel after a taxi cab ride that was nothing like he can even begin to describe. Flying into Mumbai, what Papa noticed first were that so many of the tops of the roofs are blue! Blue is the color of Krishna, a very important deity in India, so many things are blue, including some of the scaffolding and taxis! So, not like the orange rooftops in Belgium any longer. Many stories to come.
Papa

Reverence

To My Daughter.
Today Papa leaves for India for a while and I just dropped you off after spending some time with you today. We went to the big cathedral in town and lit a big, red candle that you picked out. I asked you to dedicate the candle to someone and you said, "To all the people in India, even Papa."
Thank you, my sweet angel.
Papa Loves you.

Reunion, pt. II

My dear Daughter, it was so nice to see you last evening playing again on the pleintje with your friends from school and from the neighborhood. I know that you missed them, so it was wonderful that the weather was so beautiful for all of you to be outside and on the playground while we ate dinner. Your cheeks were pinker than they had been even in the hot Texas Sun you were so excited! I am glad that you felt back home in Antwerp after our trip and that you will be with your playmates again when school starts soon.

A Gigantic Memory

Exactly one year ago, the most extraordinary event took place in Antwerp. The Diver and his long-lost niece, the Little Giant came to town and for three days the city was transformed into the most magical stage for a fairy tale of separation and reunion. We followed the Little Giant all day long together on the bike last year on this Saturday, and we saw her snoring and sleeping, wake up, ride in her boat, go "pee-pee," dance, and walk through the streets of Antwerp. It was unforgettable and one of the best memories that I have with you, my Daughter. I hope that you remember the weekend that the giants came to town for all of your years to come. I know that I will never forget them.

One Plane at a Time, redux

Well, we made it back to Belgium.
We took the littlest plane first this time, then the middle plane, then the biggest plane that brought us to Brussels from Chicago. Once again, taking each plane, one at a time, the trip was easier to take if we focused on each leg of the journey rather than the whole 19 hour-long trip.
Our US trip is over, my daughter, and soon Papa's trip to India will begin, and I will be sending you notes via this blog about all of the amazing things that I see there. I hope that you will enjoy hearing about them.

Bittersweet

We are packed. While Papa packed, you found ET the turtle and Peter the Cottontail Bunny out in the backyard.
A long journey begins to close up like the flowers when they go to sleep to dream flowery dreams.
Packing is a journey in itself, going through the knick-knacks we have acquired along the way, but also having to leave some things behind as well that we will cherish in our memory.
The journey ahead back to Belgium has the excitement of you seeing family and friends, but also the sadness of all of the friends and loved ones here that we will miss dearly. It is always important to be grateful for those people who are so important in our lives and let them know how much they mean to us.

Winding Down

The big Papa-Buglette vacation is drawing to a close, and it is Time to start winding up our visit and winding down our energies before the long flight back to Belgium. You were getting tired and thinking about friends and family back in Antwerp, so it is indeed Time. Soon you will see those friends and family again, but with the many, many new memories of all the places we saw and people we shared these memories with along the way. Though we will not be bringing back many more physical objects, you have a treasure trove of new memories to cherish.

Blue Moon

Yesterday, to escape from the blistering heat of the Texas Sun, we went to see The Smurfs with your friends Maddie, Gracie, and Aubrey for a matinee. In it, the theme of the Blue Moon, something exquisite and special that comes up in our lives, was the take-home message. We should not take the Blue Moon for granted when we see it shining in the sky, and driving home later, after swimming with your friends for quite a while, you and Papa indeed saw the full Blue Moon in the Texas Sky. We talked about the Rabbit in the Moon from Sanskrit, and you said that you saw the Woman in the Moon, which I thought was a good one too. And, this trip has definitely been a Blue Moon, one that we will both cherish in our memories.

And Cats will be Dogs

Last evening at our new friend's Martin and Allison's, we took a ride in their golf cart around the lake as the lightning storm danced around us to the East, South and West of us,and the moon was being swallowed up by the squall line looming. As we pulled out of the driveway, Rocko, one of their cats began to chase after us in the cart, meowing loudly, thinking perhaps to be a dog. He chased us for quite some time, much to the amusement of all. We can never assume what we will find, and it is those unexpected events like a "barking cat" that make life's pageantry so rich.

Back Home Again

We have traveled well, but now it is time to rest at Grandma's before our long trek back to Belgium. Whether it is in exercise, yoga, or travel, the resting time in between actions is as important or more so than the actions themselves. It is a time for reflection, regrouping, and processing of all of the wonderful things we have done and a time to remember the memories we have made with friends and family. Last evening, Papa did a special "Buglette Chronicle" of everything that we have done and seen, and you drifted off to a land of the sweetest dreams.

The Golden Egg

While you were playing Angry Birds yesterday, you got to a level with a Golden Egg on it. You tried a couple of times to get it, but then realized it was too tricky for the moment. You said, "I can't get the Golden Egg right now, but it is more important to take care of the Pigs first." Often in life we forget to take care of the Pigs before we go for the Golden Eggs. But, if you take care of the Pigs in your life first, the Golden Egg is that much more rewarding.

Salts of the Earth

You and Papa have had wonderful travels together these past few weeks, meeting many new friends and re-visiting old ones. We have seen many fine and beautiful things, both in nature and in spirit. There are those too, people we have spent time with, who are the true salts of the Earth, and who have been generous in their time and resources during our travels of late, and who are truly friends and enrich our lives on many levels. For them, we are grateful.

Getting back on the Slide

We had a bit of a scrape on the Alpine Slide, but you still had a great memory of it, and said that you loved it, but did not want to go on it another time, so we left it at that. Back at the pool today in Santa Fe, you were back up on the big slide there and you and Papa had a great time going down it several times. When we get knocked down, sometimes we need to lick our wounds for a bit, but then get back up on the slide again.

Reaching New Heights

Yesterday you went on the trampoline bungee jump. The first big jump shot you way up in the air and scared you and you asked to come down. The young man helping you was very kind and talked you through it and soon you were jumping a bit higher each time and having fun again. Jumped so high all at once was too much, but a little jump at a time and you can reach new heights. Then, you and Papa went on the chair lift, which was much, much higher and we came racing down the Alpine Slide, laughing all the way.

Talking Turkey

Yesterday you and Dale practiced your gobbler and hen Wild Turkey calls. When Papa got back to the cabin, there were four large, Tom turkeys hanging out on a fallen tree trunk behind the house. Maybe they heard you two and came wanting to chat. When we try to learn the language and vocabulary of others, they are usually more willing to share their stories.

We Are Not Alone

Yesterday was a big day for seeing exciting things. On the front porch a Mama bear with three cubs, a true exception for bears, came up to check out the bird feeder and you got to see them right through the window. Later, you got to see a magnificent 12-point buck with two other smaller male deer, which you nicknamed the tres amigos with Dale. Finally, you got see a herd of elk, that you first spotted. Although there are not many other people around, you have learned that when you are in the natural world, we are not alone on this planet.

Zen and the Art of Being A Quiver

Papa helped teach Emma how to shoot a bow and arrow yesterday and today. She was very good, and you and Ford asked if you could try. I asked each of you to be one of our "living quivers" and to hold our arrows as we practiced with the bows that were to big for little kids. However, you and Ford were a very important part of the process, retrieving the arrows and holding them for us and handing them to us as well. Most important, you learned how important it is to be patient while someone else is learning something new and that although you did not get to shoot the arrow today, you were still part of the experience.

Waiting for the Hummingbirds

This morning we put out the Hummingbird feeder at the cabin up in the mountains. None came for a while, but we waited patiently. Soon, the Hummingbirds began to appear. Later, we saw a black bear in the front yard, and still later, wild turkeys crossed the front of the house. Sometimes, with just sitting and being patient, the most unexpected things can happen.

Teamwork

Tonight, you and your new friend Ford read us the story that you composed and he typed all by yourselves! We, the adults were truly amazed at what you two had done. It was a great story and very well written. You two did it completely on your own and with teamwork. Never underestimate the power of working together. Kudos to you and Ford!