Fireworks & Pressure Cookers

Slowly but surely, we are getting the hang of living life here!

{Enjoying a rare treat of cotton candy at a mall!}

We began language last Friday. Both of us had a great first class! We still have a long, long, LONG way to go, but it was really great to learn how to introduce ourselves to people and share simple information like where we are from. K even learned a few useful phrases to use with rickshaw drivers. Next up is the alphabet. Knowing that will help us with our pronunciation and eventually with reading!

A big part of language learning is learning to laugh at yourself. I attempted to ask one lady her name in the language, and she responded by saying, "Sorry, no English." Either I messed up big time, or she speaks a different language. (There are several here.) I choose to believe the latter! 

Although we only have one day of language class under our belts, we have already had a break this week because of a huge holiday here called Diwali, the festival of lights. All this week, the people here have been celebrating with LOTS & LOTS of fireworks, firecrackers, candles, twinkle lights and gift-giving. It might sound like a combination of the 4th of July and the commercialized parts of Christmas back home, but at its heart this is a Hindu holiday that celebrates Ganesha, Rama & other gods. On Sunday, the biggest day of the festival, we felt a little like we were living in a war zone as the fireworks & firecrackers went off all around us all. night. long. and into the morning. But amazingly, little M slept right through! In fact, even as I write (at 11 p.m. two days after the festival's main day), I can still hear firecrackers popping!

{Candles lit in our hallway}

Now that the kitchen is set up with appliances, and all my utensils, dishes, etc. are somewhat organized and put away, I have finally been able to cook again. After eating out every day for what felt like forever, it has been nice to simply eat at home! So far, I have made a big batch of homemade spaghetti sauce (having fresh tomatoes almost year round is definitely a bonus!), roasted chicken, and macaroni and cheese (made with Velveeta brought from home... yes, I know there are other ways to make it, but that is K's very favorite!).

{First batch of cookies in the new oven. They were just a simple mix brought from home, but M still approved!}

Tonight, I finally tried out my new pressure cooker. After hearing from several ladies here who use theirs daily to cook food quickly, I decided to buy one - despite never having used one back home. There was definitely a little bit of a learning curve (and a few stressful moments), but the dish (a whole chicken cooked in chicken broth along with potatoes, carrots and onion) turned out pretty well!

{It wasn't too pretty, but it tasted pretty good!}

Little M is VERY into "working" and "tleaning" (cleaning) right now. He will cry if we won't let him sweep or wash dishes. We'll see how long that lasts! Probably right up until the point that his "help" actually becomes helpful if I had to guess. :)

There are larger grocery stores about a fifteen minute rickshaw drive from our home, but when we just need a few things, we can just walk down the hill to find a wide variety of small shops with SO many products squeezed onto their shelves. One day before leaving home, I gave M two coins for him to put in his pocket. Once there, he decided to go for a juice box. (Mommy had to add in a little extra!)

It was a hot day, so as soon as he had it in hand, he told me, "I just sit down in the shade." And that's exactly what he did! This little guy never fails to make us laugh!