Thursday 29^th November

Another accolade…not a prize or an honour this time, but a real achievement for Michael, my No. #4 offspring, No. #1 son!

He has been wanting to get into a certain course in the army for a long time.  So far he has earned a few certificates.  He is now a qualified truck driver, driving instructor (trucks and cars) and driving tester.  But for some reason he has wanted to become a Communications Officer (he calls it postie; it is to do with mail, coming and going.)  I gather it is quite competitive to get into this course, and quite hard to pass – lots of complicated weights, measurements, calculations, which would not be Michael’s strong point.  The course lasted for four weeks, from 7.30 to 4 five days per week.  He rang me every weekend when he was taking a break from his homework.  He would sigh deeply over a reconciliation exercise.  “Ma, I have to get $15,000.  And I have $14,999.90.  WHERE is the missing ten cents???”  I had every sympathy; I am sure I would have had more than ten cents missing if I were doing these calculations… Michael is slow and thorough, with great attention to detail (he did NOT get this from his mother…) so he has persevered mightily with this very demanding course. 

Last night he rang, full of joy: he has passed!  All that remains is a day or two of tidying up, and celebration!  I am very relieved, and very proud.

India #31

There were several huge statues of Ganesh in Hampi, part of the ruins.  They weren’t, however, ruined, because they were carved from giant boulders.  The rocks in Hampi were fabulous.  Vish was thrilled with them, wanted to scamper over them, camera in hand, and stay there for days.  One of the Ganesh statues was called Peanut Ganesh, the other Mustard Seed Ganesh.  They were holding the appropriate food items in their huge hands.

Probably the most famous thing in Hampi is the stone chariot.  It is immense, and very fabulous.  The axles work, and it is possible to haul it along the streets.  I have no idea how many slaves must have worked to build Hampi.  There are miles of high stone walls, temples, gods, the chariot, deep step-wells, bridges, houses, a long covered market, elephant stables… Extraordinary!  We met a guide who spoke good English, also French, some Asian languages, and is now learning Russian.  Yes – the Russians are coming!!  Indians are so very resourceful and hard-working.

I got a bit muddled with my account of the stone chariot, so my kindly Editor in Chief informed me…. Of course the big stone chariot could never have moved; it is ENORMOUS and excessively heavy.  It does have axles, and at one stage the wheels were able to turn, but only for display not for transport.  

In the middle of the main street of Hampi there was another huge carriage, also heavy, and made of wood.  Every year there is a procession up the main street to the monkey temple, and it takes thousands of men to pull it along.  To keep it safe from elements in between festivals it is covered over with corrugated iron, so we were only able to get small glimpses of it through little rusty slits.  (And it is this chariot, obviously, which gets hauled around for festivals, NOT the immense and immovable stone one…)