New year's Day holiday

It's New Year again today, I could start to get used to this, New Year every week and a Monday holiday! It's also Raja (landlord's) birthday today so I am invited for dinner. This picture is of my dinner yesterday which was the official New Years Day, today is the public holiday which follows it as it fell on a Sunday. Lunch was Pongal (a dall/lentil/rice and vegetable concoction, much tastier than it looks, fish, papaya and banana. All served on a banana leaf which can later be fed to the passing cows so no washing up!

The sun is shining and I am off to Metilda's in half an hour, it is also her birthday. I've bought her a pink sari which if she doesn't like we can go and change.
Well actually Lydia is picking me up in half an hour and we are going to the diocesan Press to see the final, final, final version!
Bala is doing the job which I hate most... and Yes, I have done it several times... which is cleaning out the water tank in my tank room... the one which looks like a big bath but isn't. She is singing 'Alleluia, Alleluia', softly to herself as she does it and sounds really happy. The tank builds up silt and needs to be cleaned once a week, but during this rainfall more is building up than usual and smells a bit... Not Nice, take my word for it. I will be so glad to see our nice clean water again at home!
Home again this afternoon and some more paperwork to do, my washing is up to date - another thing I'll be glad to see is a washing machine, and hot water come to that! When I was in Chennai I found a Marks and Spencer and, sad lady that I am, I bought me some undies and binned the ones I had been hand washing for 5 months. I felt like ceremoniously burning them to be honest. They were quite clean but I was just fed up of the sight of them and with the dirty water, they needed a regular bleaching to bring back any semblance of white. Mind you it broke my heart seeing the price of clothes in Marks and the fact that it was pretty well the same range as in the UK. I don't see how they can possibly afford to keep that shop. Guess it is being well subsidised by the UK branches. There are not that many ex-pats here and the shop was empty apart from Maggie and I. The clothes are not really suitable any way culturally and undies etc are about a fifth of the price they were in Marks even in other quality stores.!
School tomorrow then I am going to Joshua's family in place of Saturday's visit. Wednesday morning I am being picked up at 8.15 to go to a tea plantation, I have never seen one in all my time in India so the Diocesan vehicle is coming for me. Chandramohan offered me a 6am pick up but could hear my voice when I queried this and said 'Ha, I want to punish you!' and laughed and said would an 8.15 pick up at my house be better! Charming, I just love folks with a cruel sense of humour.
Thursday is the last proper day of school as many children start going home that evening from the residential section.
Well talk about the best laid plans and all that. Went to press, met up with and had lunch with Methi and Janaksha as planned, then went to the tailors and finally home again. The picture is of Janaksha (5 years) pretending to drive Raja's auto while he looks patiently on. the other is of us saying goodbye after lunch.

I had hardly got in when the doorbell rang and it was Joshua's dad come to pick me up, I said but that's tomorrow and he said "No today, I have everything ready for you", so off I went. the whole family was there, 4 daughters, 2 son in laws, 4 grandchildren and the 5th arrived soon after.

They gave me a lovely mutton biryani for dinner followed by fruit and tea so I now feel absolutely full and have had to call off from having dinner with Nancy and Raja upstairs, fortunately Nancy was understanding and they have others coming to eat, so I will pop up later when they have finished. Still it means I shall have tomorrow evening free at least. I cannot believe how although I had never heard of Perumalpuram let alone been able to spell it until I moved here, everyone I know lives in walking distance or at least not far off: Prem and Ida, Jasmine and Mathialagan, Frederick and Suzie, Joshua's parents, Maharajanagar where Shriram's family, Carrie and Reggie and Lydia and Enoch live is 5 minutes by auto. The house is really in a perfect position.