The Fifth Mosquito Battle Plan

Every morning our boys wake up with 5-8 new mosquito bites this time of year. It doesn't really bother them, but it bothers us. In a country where windows and door are not made to seal tight, it is difficult to prevent the blood eaters from getting in the house. We do have screens on the windows, but...

The first battle plan was little plastic circles which adhere to furniture and are soaked in some anti-mossy repellent. Didn't work. Then we put mossy repellent/lotion on the kids (both standard stuff as well as lavender extract spray). Must have worn off part-way thru the night because it didn't work. Third, we tried a plug-in thingy that burns some liquid that kills the mossys in the room. We tried blocking gaps around the door with foam in combo with an electric racquet (powered by rechargeable batteries) which we used to kill any invaders. Fourth, I spent an afternoon treating the curtains with permethrin -- a nasty chemical which kills any insect which touches the treated fabric. The mossys often hide in the curtains, but they seem to still be in the room and just hiding elsewhere now.

Now I'm planning a fifth strategy: use all five methods at once. Sigh.

By the way, Asha is generally okay because there is a net around her cot. A few still get in occasionally. The good news is that there are only a few months of the year with a lot of mosquitoes. But for this season the motto is: Give Blood. Live in India.

India's unique cities

We just returned from a four day visit to Calcutta (or, officially, Kolkata). We stayed with Indian friends that Libby met 10 years ago while working with street kids and recovering drug addicts. We met kids that have grown up, married, and have jobs at multi-national companies. And others who are still struggling to get by with three good meals a day.

It was refreshing. And exhausting. Although the flight is only two hours, traveling thru pushing/shoving crowds and multiple security checks with three small kids and pregnant wife...

But mostly, we enjoyed seeing the differences in Calcutta. The streets are narrow (a remnant of British planning, I'm told). There seems to be more of a bustle in the air. Cars are a bit older. And there are many other small differneces which catch your attention and excercise your senses.

I'll never forget the green, lazy, grand feeling of Chennai. The wild-west, dusty feel of Ahmedabad. The sophisticated but grid-locked feel of Bangalore (now renamed Bengaluru). The appearance of power, influence, and Western development in Delhi. And the humid chaos that is Mumbai.

India's diversity is amazing, but in the middle of all that it is the people that matter. Our boys can't stop talking about their new "didis" (sisters) who played with them in Calcutta for hours on a lovely patch of grass between high rise apartments. We're grateful for renewing old friendships and the gifts of hospitality that we can never repay.

It can't be Christmas

Sunny days. Cool temperatures in mid 60s F. Few Christmas decorations in stores.

In many ways, life in India is nice this time of year. But, on the other hand, we have to find the inner energy to make Christmas memories and the discipline to order online gifts for family and friends back in the USA.

I think we've delayed buying gifts a little too long this year and some packages may not arrive until after Christmas since I'm unwilling to pay exorbindant "rush" postage fees. The season just snuck up on us.

But Libby has been great in making some memories. We're reading "The Advent Book" given to us by wonderful relatives last year; a door a day for the kids to open and learn about Jesus. Yesterday, Libby and the boys make great cookies. And a few days ago we finally put up the (plastic) Christmas tree, nativity scene, and a few random decorations around the house.

Simple but nice. That will be our Christmas.

65 degrees...and freezing

Yep, it has finally become winter in India. With a little rain and cloudy skies today, the temperature finally dipped below 70F. And without ANY heating in any room, it is -- hard to believe I know -- freezing inside our house.

Concrete construction means the cold seeps thru your bones. The day doesn't bring warmth. I can finally wear jeans and a t-shirt without sweating. I love it.

This will last about 6-8 weeks. Time to open up our storage boxes and find our socks. I'm actually wearing shoes (instead of sandals) to the office. It is great.

On the other, sobering hand...many homeless people across India will die in the next few weeks. The cold is just too much. Their poverty means no shelter or no firewood to burn. We have much to be thankful for.

Phrase of the day

Lots of silence on this blog. Usually, silence means lots of challenges in daily life. The last few months have been full of readjusting to life in India. However, we've enjoyed a lot of laughter as well. I'll try to do more short entries about fun, small happenings.

Shane's phrase of the day a few weeks ago was "I love Lightening The Queen" while referring to the star of the animated Cars movie "Lightening McQueen".

Then Lukas kept lumbering around the house while saying several times a day, "I'm big, I'm bad, and I want you!!" We think it is a phrase he heard in a children's video about the three pigs fairy tale, but who knows?

Oh, and Shane has thrown out "mommy" and "daddy" in favor of "mom" and "dad" in the last few days. Fun!