Photos by Annika

Who is that cutie pie?

Annika's favorite stuffed animal, Cloud.

Sorting grain

Today I went to a business office to turn in some paperwork regarding our visas. When I came out of the office and into the parking lot next door I observed these 3 people, sitting on a blanket, sorting grain. I found it a bit odd. They laughed when I asked if I could take their photo.

My pretty girl

Annika was about to go to a birthday party when I saw my Mom in her face. I had to stop and take a few photos.

Pokémon cards do not wash well

Big storm

This past weekend we had an intense storm with heavy winds and side-ways rain. The next morning when we surveyed the damage...

...our Xmas tree had taken a tumble, I found it laying on the ground with it's pot in several pieces.

Our front papaya tree was snapped with green papayas littering the front yard.

Farewell Osnat

I've been taking yoga from an Israeli woman named Osnat for the past year and a half. She's not the touchy, feely, karma type of yoga guru but she's simply amazing.

In this photo you can only see the back of her head and her backpack on the chair. We didn't know she is horribly opposed to having her photograph taken. But since so many of us brought cameras she agreed photos could be taken from behind her.

We pooled our money and bought her a pair of yoga pants (a style she complimented one of her students on several times) and, because we couldn't buy a gift certificate to Urban Yoga, a roll of money so she could go buy herself something to remember us by.

We had such a great time getting to know Osnat on a personal level. We all wished we had done it sooner, it was so nice to hear her stories and laugh together.

I feel kind of bad about this photo, the woman I was sitting next to snuck a photo and got away with it so I tried it too. I should have respected Osnat's wishes but I really wanted a photo to remember her by.

It was a great day.

Annika wraps gifts

I think you need a little more tape.

Low Fat?

Maybe I'm slow on the uptake but how can 25% milk fat be "low fat"?

Hungry?

Mmmmm, street snacks!!

This man is curling up recycled paper into cones for his roadside snack.

Puffed rice and roasted peanuts

Peanuts in the shell and some mints

Sugar Candy hahaha, is there any other kind? The side says cotton candy, glad it wasn't operational when the kids came by.

Fresh sugarcane juice - oh, so delicious but not very hygenic. They press the sugarcane into the machine with a fresh lime or ginger tucked in between, so good but I only get it from trusted sources.

These guys were hanging with the sugarcane juice man. They asked me to take their photo then show it to them. It sent them into hysterics.

Papaya, watermelon and assorted drinks - all warm. Yum.

Roadside PSAs

I WON Rps. 3/!!!

Oh yeah... that's $0.06!!! Should I spend it or put it into savings??

Mother's Day

For Mother's Day we had brunch at a nearby restaurant. They had it all figured out with "jobs" for the kids - they had to make Mocktails for the parents, there was a card-making station with all the accoutrements, and a Crepe Suzette station for dessert where the kids had to assemble them for the parents. It was very nice.




My hunky date...
...and IRON MAN!!

What else can a Mother ask for?

Prep II trip to the Aquarium

After the 1.5 hours on the bus, the kids lined up to see the fish.

Here we go! Auggie is paired with his pal Neil.

All fish photos were taken by August.




Yes, it's a very extensive and exciting aquarium.

Use me.

The kindergarten group waiting for the toy train at the park next to the aquarium.

Auggie's friend Darcy.

Auggie's friend Rohan.

We went around the track twice, so exciting.

PICNIC!!! 3 teachers went around with hand sanitizer before any child was allowed to start eating... I was shocked! That's a huge step, I hadn't seen that done before. Very nice.

After the children ate there was a seperate picnic for the teachers/parent helpers. Methi paratha, mango pickle and buttermilk. It was spicy and tasty.

The kids ran off some energy while the adults finished their picnic and before they reboarded the bus for the long trip home. Here Auggie and Darcy are racing, as usual.

After the field trip I had a few errands to run while we were downtown. We were in a toy shop on Brigade Rd. when I was suddenly hit by an urgent need for a bathroom. I asked the shopkeeper for a toilet but was told there wasn't one available. I went to a couple more shops, as goosebumps appeared on my skin, but no such luck. Quickly I grabbed August and we drove to the Hard Rock Cafe where I knew there was a clean, western toilet and a comfortable place for us to hang out until I knew I could make the ride home.

And August got an ice cream sundae out of the deal.
It was a good day.