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