Expect, Anticipate, Hope, Await…: This Current Season: The Challenges and Good Things

Another week down in this strange season of long, wide open days with my daughter, being so new to India, before she starts school. Just two-and-a-half weeks left till she starts first grade. After four weeks of aimless-feeling days and struggling with a lack of options of things to do, I wanted this week to be different. I started out the week choosing to view the week with endless mother-daughter time not as something to be dreaded but something that is fleeting (because it is) and should be treasured. I've tried and mostly succeeded at enjoying these days with no schedule and have tried to make things fun. It's amazing how the right attitude can change your experience. I have really enjoyed my daughter this week. She is amazing and I love spending time with her. It's just that too much of a good thing isn't always as fun. Like my life currently with too much free time. Too much blank space. Too much one-on-one time just the two of us and it feels a little lonely but this too will soon be changing as we make friends and find more things to do.

There are many good things to count in this season. We can sleep in. I have time to exercise. I have one goal in the morning and that is to exercise and shower before noon. Rough life! I have time for activities Ella loves like baking (which I also love) and doing crafts (me, not so much). We had three outings together this week. One was a playdate with a friend from church. Next we discovered a mall we haven't yet been to and went for lunch and to buy craft supplies. We came home with lots of fun craft activities and that kept us busy for several days. Third, we checked out the beach not so far from us. Ella played in the sand and waves and we got rained on and we ended up having a great time. We have met a couple of wonderful people whom I can ask to watch Ella for an evening so Andrey and I could go out for our anniversary last weekend. We also got out for a night earlier in the month to celebrate 4th of July at the American Consulate. We have plans next week to take a beach day with a friend.

Challenges these days include (allow me to whine here a bit):

Not knowing any kids at Ella's school yet so there aren't any play date options with kids who aren't in school right now. Well, there is one gal we know but she and her family are in the US for the month of July. Ella does have a few friends from church but by the time they get home from school and get their homework done (there's a lot of homework for young kids in the Indian system) then it is nearly 5:00, but this is merely afternoon snack time for Indian families who tend to eat dinner around 8 or 9pm, so we'll enjoy the days when we can eat dinner late too and be thankful for a play date even late in the afternoon.

Finding ways for Ella to get some exercise. There is a small park about a ten minute walk away but it's too hot to go before 4pm. There aren't any pools that we've found so far that are affordable for a couple-hour visit. There just isn't much outdoor space that we can hang out in much besides our small balcony or the rooftop of our building. We do have a gym with a tin roof on the top of our building but it's only bearable in the early evening. Sometimes Ella and I go up there to try to move our bodies and we're glad for it. Last week I took her to check out a tumbling class I had discovered but it was disappointing for both of us and Ella refused to participate. I didn't force her because it frankly didn't look that fun. Kids were forced to be quiet and stand in line while the one instructor spotted one kid at a time in things like handstands and kartwheels. We came home deciding we'd just try some of that ourselves at home.

The pollution. We don't have a car yet so we do a lot of getting around by taxi or auto-rickshaw. For daily groceries/errands I take auto-rickshaws or walk because there is so much very close by but my sinuses and lungs can really feel the effects navigating the traffic-filled streets of Chennai. I either get sinus congestion that leads to bad sinus headaches and/or this heavy feeling in my lungs that leaves me coughing at night. Thankfully I was able to consult with an allergist while in the US who's advice has helped me keep much of the sinus headaches at bay. I do a sinus rinse twice a day and use decongestant nasal spray daily. Turns out I don't have allergies to dust like I thought, just non-allergic rhinitis which means my nasal/sinus passages get irritated and congested easily.

My stomach! Thankfully I haven't had any food poisoning yet but the stomach condition I've had for years is finding it hard to handle more than just occasional spicy food. Or tomatoes, or citrus, or alcohol. It's so sad. I'm finding it very challenging to determine what is my limit for each of these things because there are times when I feel fine and then other times like this week, when I can become suddenly very sick to my stomach with burning and feeling very nauseated and I have no appetite or have to eat only very mild foods. I've also struggled with some anxiety and insomnia this week. My body just feels out of whack and that gets my mind worrying about my health and how horrible it would be to have cancer again - something I really need to stay on top of or it can quickly ramp up into full-blown fear and I just can't live like that. I had a full and thorough check up while in the US and there is no reason to believe I am unhealthy. I just need to be thankful for the good health I have, choose the peace offered to me in Jesus and pray for wisdom so I can take good care of myself and my family.

No trained chiropractors in Chennai. I love going to the chiropractor, have seen chiropractors regularly for years and believe that regular adjustments prevent larger problems with my neck and back. Thankfully with regular exercise and my bed which is almost uncomfortably firm (I decided to forego the foam pad when I read how toxic foam is), I am not in much pain but I can tell my neck is less flexible than it should be. There are lots of physical therapists here I may give a try once Ella's in school.

Andrey's work schedule. The Indian work schedule is very late. They start around 10 and work till about 7 or 8. Andrey goes in by 9 which makes it very difficult for him to get home by 7. Most days he's home by 7:30, we end up eating dinner very late and then I go to bed with indigestion. Goodness! I hate being so high maintenance!! And it's been an especially busy few weeks for him at work which has had him away for five evenings over the past two weeks. But this is what I signed up for!

Some wins this week!! (Lots of exclamation points because I find each of these things very exciting. Ahh, my life is so exciting.)

I got a driver's license this week! Well, a learner's permit that I'm required to have for 30 days before I can drive on my own. If I were to drive now I'd have to have a licensed driver with me and have a large red "L" on the front and back windows of my car, which I think is hilarious. I may as well go ahead and put a sign that says Lady Driver, which I have seen in Asia more than a few times - as if that is to warn people of the danger that is only worse if it's a female behind the wheel. But that's fine seeing as how we don't yet have a car, I am just getting a head-start on the 30 day wait period before I get my legit license.

We hired a driver! This is a big win as I was quite discouraged when the few driver leads we had fell through and Andrey and I had no idea how to go about finding someone. We didn't want to hire anyone without a referral or some connection to someone we know. Thankfully our helper took initiative and found us an option. We interviewed him last week and he's great! Goal is to have a car by end of the month and a driver to get us around during the day beginning on August 1st, just a few days before Ella starts school. Yay!

We have identified a car for purchase! We are having it inspected tomorrow and if all looks good we'll go for it. It will take a week or so to get the funds and title transferred before we can take possession but it's looking very good for having the car ready to go by the time our driver starts.

We have photos and art on our walls! This is great as our flat is really looking great now. Feeling more like home. I only have a few minor things left to do in the house like get curtains and find bedding for the guest bedroom and put up a few more shelves in the bathrooms - stuff I'll do once Ella's in school.

On a separate note, it has been exactly ONE YEAR since we left the Philippines. Oh how I miss my friends there and to be honest, my life. I am still grieving that loss and want to cry as I type this. Special special people, times, community, fulfilling work there. I do believe I will get to a similar place in Chennai where I can say the same but it will take some time. For now I will take it day by day, vent when I need to, feel what I need to feel, commit to doing a better job at putting myself out there and making friends, and ultimately choose to be thankful and present with what is and find the treasure in each day.

Now for some photos from the past few weeks...