A flurry of activity over several months. India and a new home.

 Well, good morning ........long time no write but I am back!  I have been making major changes in my life with no time to sit and type. Last blog was before Xmas so that is almost 6 months  Let me see if I can hold your interest in my events during the past few months.

I decided to sell my house because it was too big and I was tired of trying to maintain it, mow, trim and keep it in good order.  It was to be Tom and my forever home which wasn't to be and I struggled to leave him behind there but common sense must prevail.  The market in this area has been booming so I felt the time had come.  It all started about September last year when I decided to sell lots of stuff I didn't need or want anymore.  Let me tell you that selling a house on your own is no easy feat.  No one to bounce ideas off, no one to help lift and decide what to keep and what to sell, no one to have your back when various people arrive to take the said sold items, no one to sit with at the end of the day and say "Phew" but what I learnt is that I have a strength I never realized I had, both physically! and mentally.  So if you are comtemplating it whether alone or with someone, you will find reserves you never would have believed.  I met some beautiful people who came to take my furniture and loved their stories about how or where they would use the things they had bought.  I won't say it wasn't difficult parting with some of it and there were alot of private tears shed and quiet explaining to Tom the reasons for it all.....

In the middle of all of this I spent my last trip with Orbis in Rwanda which I have already written about and my cruise to PNG so there was alot of toing and froing going on  apart from preparing for a house sale.  I can only say though DO IT if you want to.  Don't procrastinate til you physically can't.

Christmas was spent at Coolangatta, waiting to buy my perfect home.. What did I want? Not a unit, not a townhouse (cognisant of the fact that knees give up working properly as one ages), not a house, maybe a over 55s village?  It was all whirling around in my brain.  I made a list of what I needed.  This was my list.  Maybe it will help you sometime although everyones list will be different of course 

A gated community for safety and peace

Close to a railway station, bus station and hospital

A nice view

Plenty of storage space and 2 garage spaces

Walking distance to shops, restaurants etc

Reasonably close to my daughters

Not too far from the beach...drivable in 10 to 15 minutes

Back in Queensland

No lifts

Somewhere to be able to walk easily on the grass if I needed to 

So ~~~~~~~ I nailed most of those requests and desires although ended in a second floor unit with a lift but a nice set of stairs to use until I can't anymore. Life isn't perfect and I was (and am) delighted with my choice of living. Great walks around me, well kept gardens which I don't have to bother my little head about, a patio with expansive views of the Gold Coast Hinterland and some grass around the communal pool and spa area if I feel the need to connect with the earth!  Although I think it is fake turf!!!!

It has been interesting few months and buying stuff for the house has been the most time consuming and it goes like this.  Choose what you want either online (mainly) or in the shops if you are lucky enough to find what you want, order, wait patiently for it to arrive and although most places were reasonably quick with delivery there is always THAT one ....or two.... which cause angst and elevated blood pressure! Open box and shriek internally on realization that you are unable to put any of it together, find a flat pack person, take out a mortage to pay what they ask to assemble the stuff, make an appointment and again wait patiently and then Voila! your gorgeous purchase stands proudly waiting to be placed where needed.  So plenty of pushing and shoving to get it there.  That goes on for every single item you buy so be prepared.  Of course you also have to be at your unit at times that suit you both and negotiating that can be sticky given that you have an outside life also!!! However I now have a unit full of carefully chosen furniture and am as proud as punch. All of the distress I have felt has dissipated and I can now enjoy the fruits of my labour. Hopefully I won't have to do it again but if I do, I know I can. Am an expert in selling and buying houses and all that it entails.  HE HE . So, if you are planning a move, do it, as I said earlier, while you can.  It ain't for the faint hearted.

In February I was fortunate to be part of a group of 10 who went to India to do some polio vaccinating in rural areas. I am a Rotarian and Rotarty has been involved in helping to eradicate polio worldwide for 47 years, contributing billions of dollars and countless volunteer hours. Twice a year a travel agent in Agra (who is also a Rotarian)  arranges a 10 day Indian trip which involves promoting polio vaccinating and also touring the country. What a trip!  3 of us were Aussies from Queensland and the other 7 were American girls ( one boy!) some of who were Rotarians and also a few nurses.  Gosh where do I start?

Delhi was its usual crazy, busy, pulsating, colourful, over populated self and we had two days there with a driver kind enough to take us to see the sights.  The Aussie girls I was with have a friend there who is  Paediatric Surgeon and a passionate Rotarian.  He invited us to a school where we discussed with the Rotaract students, the perils of vaping and smoking.  It was a honour to be there----the school was stunningly beautiful, everyone so respectful and we hoped that we had given the students food for thought. Nischal is a passionate Rotarian and does amazing work helping provide thousands of free life saving corrective heart surgeries for underprivileged children.  What an honour to meet him and such a humble kind man.  This is us with the school team.

Our driver ferried us around Delhi and visiting Ghandis final resting place was very special.  We saw lots of sights which I won't bore you with and met up with the rest of our tour team on day 3.  What abunch of feisty girls!!!  Some of them had done several deployments in Afghanistan during their military life and we were to enjoy the next 10 days with them.  Rickshaw rides, visits to a temple where the Sikh feed hundreds of people daily for no cost, huge pots in their kitchen are filled with bubbling dahl, rice and other goodies, Agra fort, and the usual compulsory visits to rug and jewellery shops where I must say some of our group spent up rather largely!!  I love the language of horns in Asia and how with a simple beep, everyone knows what everyone else is doing.  Add that by 100,000 beeps and it is noisy and astonishly almost fool proof.  ALMOST!

Agra saw us at the Taj Mahal which is such a magnificent place and I was privledged to enjoy my birthday there. 30 years since I was last there and still as beautiful and now I know how to smudge people out of my photos, I was there alone.  ALMOST!

Now, this was what we had gone to India for -----to participate in a Polio Immunization program!  We were ferried out to a rural area way in the country and here amidst drummers heralding our arrival, music playing, trucks and tractors full of curious people, everyone keen to grab a flyer and the shy smiles from children, we distributed flyers which mention the prevention of polio and the importance of immunizing. Up and down streets, along quiet little lanes people poured out of their homes, full of wonder and enthusiasm.  Such good cheer and joy. As you can see by the photos, some not so happy!

 

Then it was onto the immunizing for real.  We were all given a station ---4 of us per station where one held, one dropped the precious oral sabin into little mouths (all under 5). ( 2 drops per mouth). one marked one finger per hand per patient to mark the job done and of course, one handed out the lollipops. There was a fair bit of screaming (mostly not from us) and memories of how to secure a child to give medication foggily reappeared from my days in kids ward many years ago.  Day was hugely successful and we jogged home, via the bus, weary but delighted with our contribution.

The following day we visited a school that had been built by a previous rotary club.  The children were so respectful and made us gifts, sang us songs, cooked our lunch and at the end, covered us in coloured paint to mark the beginning of Happy Holi and their school holidays.  Such fun and excitement.  The small pleasures in life are always the best and we should all take that on board.  Enjoy the small things and the kindness and love people have to offer. The kids sing the National Anthem every morning before school, are lined up and march into the classrooms the way we did it when I was young.  A little touch of discipline never hurt anyone!

I loved the little bloke in the green shirt, front of line with his lanyard hanging down to his knees.

Then of course there was Happy Holi, the Festival of Colours, an ancient Hindu spring festival. marking the end of winter .  We were all kitted out in white outfits (everyone dresses up), given our bags of paint powder and deposited at a loud, busy, packed venue with music, laughter and everyone tossing, rubbing and throwing coloured paint at whoever was nearby. I wore clear safety glasses 1. because I am an ophthalmic nurse and 2. because I am a nerd.  I wasn't risking a visit to an Eye Hospital in Agra.....and once again we returned home brightly coloured, weary and happy.

I loved my room in Neerama.

Griping on for dear life on the elephant.

Onto Jaipur and Neemrana where we stayed in a 15th Century fort and had high tea overlooking a stunning vista, had an elephant ride where we hovered precariously over the edge of a high fort as the elephant swayed from side to side, saw the Amber Fort. a camel pulled us along in a carriage ( their mobile lips bother me) and ate our way into oblivion.  Sorry I have some of the photos in wrong places but don't know how to move them back!! 

I will put a few food photos for the foodies but by now I have forgotten what alot of them were.  Note to self ...write this blog as soon as I come home form wherever I go. Photo below is what the school kids cooked for us. (I do remember that)

a sweet 

Fish fingers

Dahl

Indian cheese board

So my dear readers, I am finally going to get this away.  It has been going on for far too long.  I still have my Sri Lankan adventure to tell but next time. I hope you have enjoyed it.  It has been abit disjointed but I am going to be excellent next time! I did my first Parkrun today.  Well, a quick walk with abit of a shuffle run at times so I really did uncurl! until next time.  I will let you know if my times ever improve!!!

Toni