We have arrived!

Our 20 hour trip was a little eventful. We had an 8 hour flight to Brussels, after which all 400 of us disembarked like cattle at about 3:00 a.m. We were ushered through another security check point. Since we were about 300th in line the boys and I decided to run to the restroom. I got into a slight altercation with the cleaning woman who was trying to force me to use the men's room. I would have no part of that, so it became a tug of war with the bathroom door. I won of course and the other ladies cheered me on. It was quite a spectacle I am sorry to say. When ya gotta go, ya gotta go! We finally boarded the next plane without further incident. After several hours we all finally settled in and fell asleep. Siva and Vijay were on one side of the plane and Sanjay and I were on the other. With 4 hours and 53 minutes to go, Sanjay, without warning, started vomiting. I have no idea where that came from.

Well, we finally arrived at 1:00 a.m. on January 2nd. We were up and running by 6:30 a.m. talking and eating the next day. The boys fell asleep sitting up in their uncle's office. We carried them off to bed but, they were up by 1:00 a.m. So through the night we were playing cards, getting unpacked and having peanut m & m's for breakfast at 3:00 a.m. Changing your days into nights and your nights into days is no easy task.

The next day all of Siva's brothers and one sister and their families were all together for the day. We had a great time talking and reminiscing. We all piled into several cars and drove the 3 blocks to the beach. At dinner time the boys fell asleep at the table while waiting for their dinner. Vijay is in heaven. After coming to India the whole world makes sense to him. He is an Indian at heart and is very much at home. To put it in his own words, he said "This is the best place I have ever been!" Sanjay is not too sure and is sticking close to me when he is not busy playing with cousins or the new toys that the uncles have bought for him.

Yesterday, we left the children with their aunts so I could attend a meeting Siva had with some gentlemen we met in Germany this past summer. It ended up lasting all day. I thought the boys would have a heart attack, but they didn't even notice. They are doing so well and are so comfortable.

We are staying in a brand new 2 bedroom apartment that was built on top of the guest house we stayed in last time we were here. Siva's youngest brother moved into the guest house and expanded it. Now, all three families have their own homes but we are only a few steps from each others' front door. My sisters in law are sharing the cooking but they both want us to eat at their house. When we go into one house we have a meal or coffee (which is given in a small cup about every 2 hours), if we then go into the other house they are insisting that we eat there too. So for the first 2 days we were having 2 breakfasts, 2 coffees, 2 lunches, 2 coffees, etc.... We finally worked out a system.

We are all being spoiled wrotten! They won't let me do any work around here and the rest of my family are eating all their favorite foods.

From Vijay:
I'm busy all day playing with my cousins, Sandya, Sujee, and Siva. Sandya calls me Ana, because I am one year older than her. My Chitty (aunt) Lakshmi took me to Sandya's school and out to buy bread and a toy. I was digging in the sand and pop out came a crab. Boy, that startled me! The food is the best cooking I have ever had. I have vadai and curd rice every meal.