To Pondy

Went and handed in all my visa stuff this morning which seemed to take a long time.  Have got to return twice next Wednesday and then I should be finished for the next five years.

It was very good to get the opportunity to go and shop for some more cushion covers.  They have transformed the look of my room.

All ready to go

Have sorted out all the paperwork to take to the RRO office tomorrow for visa registration.  It has to be tomorrow otherwise I get fined Rs2000 for late registration.

Visiting

Went and got my letter for visa registration today. 

After that I went to see Auroculture who is bed bound after breaking her hip just before I went to the UK.  She seemed rather breathless and miserable but enjoyed looking at pictures of the children.    Which included this one which is my favourite picture of Elsie. I wonder how I can best help her.

Busy day

I feel like I am back in the swing of things with today starting off with a busy work time followed by the weekly tour of Buddha Garden.  The picture is of a plant which Sangeeta really likes to use if Magzhiran gets a cold.  I pulled up the other one by mistake when I did the weeding!  Everyone agrees this is a good plant but no one seems to know what it is called.

This afternoon I had to follow up on my visa registration which I hope to do before Friday so that I don’t have to pay a fine.

Grass cutting

Very pleased with all the grass cutting I did in the Pryog garden this morning.  Makes the place look a lot better.

Psychedelic mushroom

Have never seen a mushroom this colour before in Buddha Garden.  According to Rajan it is poisonous which doesn’t surprise me as very highly coloured mushrooms often are.

It’s the colour that is psychedelic to me, not the effect.

Its times like this I’m really glad that I have the smartphone and can take a picture.  Otherwise I don’t think I would have done so.

Ganesh puja

Ganesh puja today, Ganesh’s birthday.  A lot of people have the day off but we worked and then had the puja.

Had lunch with Bindu and realized how good it is to spend time with a friend.

My aadhaar card

My aadhaar card has arrived.  Its an identity card that is needed for a range of legal things if you live in India.

I am not sure whether it’s a good idea to carry it around with me all the time although its not a legal requirement to do so.  I find it a very odd size that doesn’t fit in with all my other cards. As it is not plastic it will surely wear out very quickly……..

Catching up some more

Now the wifi is back I am slowly catching up with various diaries and stuff online.  There is also a lot of grass cutting that needs to be done which we are taking it in turns to do. 

There are also a tremendous amount of weeds everywhere but as this picture shows, we are gradually getting on top of them as well.

Visa stuff again

Got a phone call from the Residence Service who needed to see me this morning urgently.  Now I have to register my new visa which requires yet more letters from the Auroville foundation and a trip into the Government office in Pondy.

While I was doing that someone came from Smartnet and now my wifi is working. Very good as I have a lot to do online.

Its lovely to see water in the ponds again.

Jungle

First day of work which included a lot of picking.  After the rains there are parts of Buddha Garden which are like a jungle. 

My wifi is not working which is very annoying.  Fortunately there is a line in the office but everyone else uses that so it’s a bit slow.

Catching up

First thing this morning went out and weeded the rings just outside my door.  They all grow different sorts of herbs which with the recent rain are coming on very well.  Found out later I have probably pulled up a herb that I mistook for a weed.

Have had a quiet day catching up with things on the computer and this diary.

Unpacking and rearranging

Finished my unpacking which included rearranging my room so I now have a work corner and a proper place to sit.  Still need some nice cushion covers and something on which to put up my feet.

Feel that something has relaxed within me now I am back.  Also feel strongly that this is my place where there are still things for me to do although not sure what.

Arrived

Arrived to a lovely idlie dosai meal.

It has obviously rained as everything looks very green.

Journey back

After a dreadful night’s sleep managed to get everything packed and ready to go.  Felt much better when actually got to the airport at 11.00am for plane leaving at 2.00pm.

Picture is of me having a rest at Dubai airport.

No hold ups this time and journey reasonably smooth and on time.

Lunch with Emma

Went to see Emma at work and was cross that the Google maps sent me the long way around!  Enjoyed seeing where she works and then had lunch at a very ‘hip’ restaurant nearby.  I don’t know what they meant by ‘grass fed chicken’ on the menu though!!!!

Then went back to look after Elsie so that Tom could take his mother and Sam to the train.  Sam is going to stay with Nannan and Emma and Tom are hoping to get Elsie to sleep through the night – or at least not keep waking up.

Elsie is walking properly now and getting into everything and loves playing with the washing machine.  Very glad to have the opportunity to take Amanda and Donald out for a meal this evening.

To Stoke on Trent

Went to Stoke on Trent to see Sue and Dennis and catch up on their family news.

Dennis is building a ‘summer house’ in the corner of their garden but Sue has decided it is going to be her ‘Lady Shed’!

Busy day

Collected my new glasses on Saturday but today it was clear they need adjustment as my ears were really hurting.  First thing this morning I went and got that done.  It seems to have done the trick with the distance glasses but now the reading glasses are hurting.

I think I have now done all my shopping and thank goodness I didn’t go mad and buy myself a new tablet.  The glasses and new visa have cost a lot and I don’t have too much money left.

This afternoon went to the playground with Tom and the children and really enjoyed myself.

With daughters

Rachael came over and had a lovely day with both daughters and grandchildren.  Went to the park again where Sam is leaning to climb trees.  I am so pleased.

Ended up having another meal in Bella Italia which seems to do the best catering for all tastes – gluten free, milk free etc.  Elsie loved her frozen fruit juice.

With the grandchildren

Feel better now I am back in Manchester and getting a lot of diversion from the children.  I wonder if I am actually very depressed all the time and all the things I ‘do’ are just a diversion from that.  When I succumb to the depression I don’t feel like living.

Went to Sam’s swimming lesson today.  He has decided to continue the lessons despite being very scared at the beginning.  He is really improving and this is only his third lesson.  

Back to Manchester

Spent the first part of the morning with Rachael sitting and waiting for the gas man to come which was very boring.  Felt rather tearful, missing Peter and not sure I want to go back to India.  Although my place has been redecorated and Auroville feels like home.  Also worried about my body and just generally upset.  Maybe it is not possible for me to live in two places.

Cheered up when I saw Elsie doing her funny laugh which she seems to have learnt during the time I have been away!

A lovely time

The sun was shining and Rachael and I had a really lovely time together.  Walked around Sheffield and had a lovely lunch and then went shopping for some new shoes for Rachael. Had a hair cut and now look much less of the wild woman.  My head feels much lighter.

Cold and wet

Typical cold and wet Sheffield day but went shopping anyway. Despite the weather I do like this place.  Booked up a hair cut.

To Sheffield

Stomach much better today after two lots of rice yesterday.  Managed to find the train from Norwich to Sheffield where it is grey and rainy and cold. 

Rachael came in from Barcelona at about 9.00pm and we stopped up talking.  So had a lot of problems getting off to sleep.

With Sylvia

Had a really lovely time talking to Sylvia about her trip to India.  Her first idea was to go on a North Indian/Nepal trip which seemed really nice but at a thousand pounds was too expensive for me.  Have decided to go to Kerala and around Tamil Nadu instead.  I will arrange something.

Also heard about her financial problems – or rather her husband's financial problems – and how she felt her trust had been abused.  Fortunately she has managed to sort everything out without financial damage to their joint assets.  But I could hear the feeling of hurt in her voice that her husband had done this (seemingly unconsciously)and put their financial situation at risk.

As there seem to be a lot of flies in my sister’s house (where I am staying) Chris rather successfully used these fly eating plants to get rid of them.

The long walk

Went for a really long walk today and ended up at a pub for lunch – again – I am loving all the beer although it is probably not good for me in my rather feeble state.  This includes an upset stomach 

Later on Stephen came around and we had a lovely chat and he cooked his lentil soup.  This is his ‘go to’ recipe whenever he needs food quickly.

Family get together

Feeling bad again with stuffed up nose and I am so fed up with all the coughing.  I think the pollen count is probably up as its harvest time which is probably not helping things.

Had a lovely get together organised by Anna at the Black Horse.  Both Jonathan and Chris have been made redundant but while Chris has got his redundancy money Jonathan has not.  He was with the company for 20 years and it was then sold to another company which doesn't have the legal obligation to pay his redundancy money.  He seems to be doing pretty well though working for an agency.  He's also been offered several jobs! 

Otherwise everyone seeming to do well apart from Harriet in the picture who seemed to be getting over the same thing as me but without the cough.

To Norfolk

Tried once again to help Lesley with her email and once again seemed to make some progress, but who knows what it will be like tomorrow.  I don't like the software!!

On the way to the station realised I had left my phone at Lesley's.  Had to go back as it had my ticket on it.  Bit of a rush but managed to get to the station in good time and met brother Chris (eventually) at Norwich station.  Train looked reasonably modern but lurched and screeched for the whole of the journey.  Went and had a lovely lunch and lovely English beer - my first this trip.

Later went into Norwich and saw Stephen at his zero hours job in the chip shop.  Had a long conversation about that and other things at the waffle house where he joined us later.  He is going to Cambridge next year to do a postgraduate degree.

A restful day

Had another restful day and do feel better although not cured.  Tried again to help Lesley with her email but all the advances we thought we had made yesterday seem to have disappeared.

Went to a Palestinian restaurant tonight which was lovely.  As it was early they even turned the music off.  Even when they turned the music back on when more people came in they kept the volume low until we left.

The picture is of Grenfell Tower, just down the road from where Lesley lives, where there was a terrible fire in June and many people died.  Everyone living in the area is traumatised by it.

To the doctor

Cold seems to be getting worse and I don't want to eat anything; always a bad sign.  So went to a walk in clinic near Lesley's.  I don't even have a temperature and there is nothing on my chest.  Doctors - or nurse practitioner, thought the main problem was dehydration.  She said I was sweating and I wasn't aware of it as I feel cold because the temperature is much lower here than in India.  Have increased fluids and do feel a lot better.  Discharge from nose is no longer green and cough isn't so painful.

Hopefully if I try and have a rest and keep the fluids up I will get better.  Had a lovely meal at the Thai restaurant and started smelling the food at last which has made a lot of difference as I now feel like eating.  Lesley gave me a piece of onion to put in my room which she said might help.  At this point I’m willing to try anything!

To London

Went to London today to see Lesley.  This cold doesn't seem to be shifting and I am still very blocked up and using huge amounts of tissues to try and clear my sinuses.  Ugh.

Soft Play

Last day with the children before I go on my UK travels.  I didn't get to Emma's until just after lunch when Tom told me that as they had both the children had been asleep during the morning he hadn't been to Softplay.  So we went in the afternoon and I had a lovely time. I think everyone else did too!

Elsie is walking i.e. she spends more time on her legs than on her arms and legs crawling.  Although as the picture showed she also enjoyed launching herself into the ball pit at Soft Play.

Altogether

Rachael came over and we all had a lovely day together.  Once again we went to the park which was very busy.  The picture is of Sam with his best friend Beth who happened to be there.

Had to write an email to the council as someone had broken a glass bottle near the slide so it couldn't be used.  Naturally on a Sunday no one was near the emergency phone number.

Visa arrived!

After all the hassle my visa has arrived.  Emma was so excited she opened the letter and then sent this picture to me!

Swimming

Had another lovely day with the children.  We took Sam for a swimming lesson this afternoon and I looked after Elsie.  We walked around and watched the swimmers as well as going to the library which was quite busy.  Elsie was quite intrigued by a group of somewhat restive young boys clustered around one of the computers.

I took this picture later at Amanda’s with my new selfie stick given to me by Emma.

Have received an email to say that my visa application has been processed but nothing about whether the visa has been granted or not.  So will have to wait until my passport comes back.