Tuesday 27^th November

More very good news – this time my son-in-law, the illustrious Jeff Thomas, is the star!

He has won a National Excellence in Teaching Award (NEITA), one of only two in the state.  We are so very proud of him!  He is indeed an inspirational teacher, as it says on his shiny new certificate.  He is also a wonderful husband, son, friend, son-in-law, brother-in-law, father of his four darling children and…a very good friend and son-in-law to me, his annoying suegra….

Congratulations Jeff!!!

I must also mention that there will be a finalist amongst the state winners.  And the prize is…a sojourn at Space Camp in Nevada!!  I asked Jeff if he would like to win this and he wrinkled his brow and said, Well why not; I’ve never done that before!

India #29

Streetsleeping Hampi Stye

       

As evening drew in, people went to bed.  Right there, on the sides of the street.  Some just curled up in the dirt, others had home-made camp stretchers.  Sometimes the children would be sleeping on the ground under the stretcher, nicely tucked up with mosquito netting.  It was all very matey, really.  We walked up and down the street, talking quietly so as not to bother people on their way to Sleepyboboland.  We needn’t have bothered; there was lots of noise.  People would be shouting from one side of the street to the other, from their beds. 

       

The costume of indigenous Karnatka women is very colourful.  They wear layers of bright red, green, blue, with mirrors and circles, and LOTS of big tinkly silver jewellery, mainly going from the nose across to the ear.  Most of the people in Hampi wore more modern Indian gear – saris and the like – but there were a few genuine old Karnatka chicks.  One such sat up all night, it seemed, in front of her little hut on the main street, with a whole string of goats to keep her company.  Does and kids, all quietly tucked along the footpath, watching and listening to the life of the street with her.

       

On our second night we met a man walking home, who told us that people in fact don’t have to sleep on the street at all.  There are lots of places for them to shelter – their own homes, mostly – but that they prefer the street.  More companionable, and more breezy.  The breeze also discourages the mosquitoes, always an issue.  There are so many mosquito-borne diseases in India – dengue fever, malaria, not good.