Everyday India

A day in the life....

Open my eyes and feel the woven cot beneath me, didn't sleep but I feel alive!  Ready for another day in India. We are honored to have chef Xavier on board this morning making fresh chapati's (a flat fried bread made from whole wheat flour) goes great with scrambled eggs!  We have been doing a lot of our own cooking and it's a nice break from curry and spice.  We found a bakery that makes pizza!  It's no NY slice, but hey, I'm not going to complain this early in the game.

My brother making chapati's

This is how a dozen eggs come from the market

Chris & Xavier hooking up breakfast

Indian chicken pizza

Chapati's

Now it's time to get cleaned up. A bucket full of water and you're good to go! You just pour it over yourself in the bathroom so everything gets wet and don't drop your soap because it might go down the toilet. Speaking of which, we are fortunate to have both an Indian AND European toilet in the apartment.  No hair dryers, no straighteners, no product, no primping.  It's too hot for all of that - get in-get clean-get out.  Not to forget that there are 6 of us in one apartment at the moment. We're all getting along fine as long you don't put your dirty sandals in my space, we'll have no problems!  You're supposed to take your shoes off and leave them outside, but I'm afraid they'll get taken.  All except Chris's.  He's 6'4" and unless they have need of a canoe, he's safe.

Bucket shower

Squaty potty

Girl's room - no, that A/C doesn't work

After you've eaten and gotten cleaned up it's group devotions and worship.  One of the best parts of the day.

Okay, let's go!  

Walk out to the road to find our auto (Indian taxi spliced with a golf cart - mixed with a tin can).  Barter for a good deal - 20 cents a passenger?  We'll take it!  Believe me, you get what you pay for...RIGHT, LEFT, cow, old lady, fruit stand, guy on bike, pothole, another cow, slam on the breaks - AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

(You haven't lived until you've commuted via auto)  

Today we take the ministry's van lovingly named "The Winger".  It's a sturdy ride with no doors and a colony of mosquito's living under the seats.

So there you have it, a brief window into our daily lives.

The "Winger"