Ten days on . . .

We are pretty much all moved in and getting our routines down, which consist of waking up with the sun at about 6:00, going over to the school and hostels, and going to bed either when we are tired or the bedroom cools down a little. The electricity comes and goes during the day and night. A good night has our bedroom air conditioner on most of the time. On a bad night the electricity goes out and stays out. Difficult to sleep well with 105 and humidity, but we get by.

Vickie is now the hostel director, meaning she oversees everything having to do with the children's residential living quarters, including the house mothers and cleaning staff, family groups, sanitation, food procurement, storage and preparation; laundry, and evening homework time. Thankfully, this is mostly organized with routines in place, but there is always more to do. The former director became a little lax in her medications and safety precautions and contracted malaria, so home to America she went.

I am finishing up my teacher training schedule for the week of May 26-31 in preparation for school to begin on June 2. We are still looking for two teachers and not having much luck so far. Kaladevi, my school secretary whom we call Swathi, taught 1st grade in the past, so she might be pressed into service. We are also ready to purchase the first full sets of texts and materials the school has ever had. Last year the teachers just lectured out of sample copies provided by a local publisher.

More photo updates:

Harvesting peanuts on the campus farm.

Vickie using the cell phone hot spot on our roof to send an email, in the shade of a mango tree. We use Airtel India: "Fewer bars in more places."

Our favorite night out. Our driver takes us to a roadside stand for purota and omelets. Purota is a coiled flat bread-yummy. Most eating places use banana leaves for plates--supposedly the cleanest thing to use, and certainly easy to clean up.