Sari Time

Well it is hard to believe, but the summer is over and I am about to go home. It has been different this year, but very enjoyable. It made me realise how very lucky I was last year with my house in Perumalpuram, which was comparatively cool, this house was newer and although the fans were very good, I simply baked especially over night.
I had two new pupils into school as well as some of my existing ones. Anbu, who is 2 and a half, was absolutely delightful. Not yet walking and very reluctant to explore objects, still very much at the mouthing stage which was of concern to his mum until we had a chat about why he was mouthing objects. For the first few days he screamed when he was in school with us, but by the end of the time, he was happily playing in class with us and having his physio, (with Shanthi, the new physio) for almost an hour and a half without his mum being in the room, she was thrilled.
Banu (note the similarity of names which caused me great confusion!) is 6 and has never allowed her mum to leave her anywhere, but again, by the end of the time was doing so. She had just learned that people got really fed up with her screaming and so if she kept it up for long enough people would give in and get her mum. Once mum was with her, she would then constantly ask to go to the toilet and if not taken at once would pee! The longest we stood the screaming for before it stopped was around 35 minutes. By my last day however, apart from a coffee break when mum swapped in with me, she managed a 2 hour play session which was fab. She was a lot of fun and I think would have been outright winner in a girning (face pulling) competition, it was hard not to laugh at times, she could cross her eyes, and turn them up almost into their sockets while making facial expressions too.
The last pic is of Blessie and her mum who I saw last year when I was in India for my 6 month stint. She is now 21 months old and a lot stronger now physically, however her vision is as we first suspected very poor.Did lots of visual stimulation and showed her parents how to position her in order to get optimum chances to use her residual vision.

Today is Wednesday, yesterday was a public holiday s no school. Sadly though I spent the morning at the dentist. I don't think I mentioned, but the saga of the teeth continues. The day Colin, Ali and I were due to fly north, the car had come at 10.30 to get us to the airport, when i went to brush my teeth and found I had lost half of a white filling in my front tooth. We had to leave by 11.00 to catch the only flight of the day and then our onward connection. I ran to the dentist next door and within 20 minutes, I had had the filling replaced and was on the road. Can't see that happening in the UK! Which reminds me I really must pay her.
On our return I went to see her about a sensitive tooth which has been getting gradually worse over the last 6 months or so. The upshot was it needed a crown and of course root canal treatment, which as many will testify is no longer economically viable on the NHS. Last Tuesday teh orhodontist came and drilled out the roots and put a temp dressing on them I left with pain killers, not required adn 3 days of antibiotics. I went back yesterday and the root work was completed, the post fitted for the crown and I go back on Friday for the mould to be made and the crown will then be fitted on Tuesday just in time for my leaving on Thursday.
I met Raja's wife yesterday for the first time and watched highlights from their wedding DVD. Their's is an arranged marriage they had only met once or twice before the ceremony, she seems really nice and a good match with him, they did a lot of laughing which was good.
Blessie came into school with her mum and dad today and will be back on Friday, you can see pics of her last year in the archives of the blog, she is still a beautiful child, sadly though not made a lot of progress, but she will be in most days till I leave, She has at least been having physio which is really important for her.

Can't believe it is August already! Saturday today so no school. I went out last night in Raja's auto, he's now back workng after his marriage on 13th July, I was really sorry to miss hs wedding but it was while we were up north so sadly we couldn't make it. I've got an invitation though, in Tamil, and apparently all went well. I'm going to meet his wife Beula on Tuesday and to watch the wedding DVDs!
Back to shopping, nothing much to report, went to Pothy's - see their website you can find it if you look it up on google, it is a glorious shop full of colour and residents out for a shop! Pothy's and RMKV, also available online, are totally different to any other shop in the area and they come with air conditioning!
Went to the Buhari restaurant to pick up some chkcne 65 and a nan for my dinner then backto phone home and have an early night. Today is just a lazy day which is a joy here!
Don't know if I have mentioned but Prem's brother and his wife live next door, she is lecturer in Coimabature, 3 hours bus ride away. She is not allowed to go to college by car apparently, as only the principal should do that! They are both ver nce and friendly asa re most folks here.
As a side line they also breed and sell tropical fish (well this is the tropics after all), and sell fresh chicken. this means that every day a crate of chickens are brought in from the country and sold as required, resulting in a loud clcking as the salesman's hands go in to grab the next unfortunate bird follwed by silence. At least there is no dreadful thud of the executioner's axe, not sure I could bear that all day long. It s al incredibly quick, from cage to plucked and cleaned and on the scales all within 5 minutes! I don't buy raw chicken here though! Only the ready cooked version!