Hotel lobby--flowers for the Diwali Celebration

The girls' adopted puppies that live on our street

Strings of marigolds

Sidewalk in Pune--they are not all this bad.  ;-)

Housing

Snoozing at the bus stop

Slum area a couple of blocks down

Boy who asked me to take his picture (they ask to see it after you take it)  :-)

Fresh air hair cuttery

Malaka Spice--wonderful restaurant where we went for my b-day

Sweet Samantha, who is now 13!!!

Another lady who asked me to take her picture

My gang standing under the coolest trees we have ever seen

Diwali cows

True love

13th b-day cake!!!

Elephant on the street...we heard that they love bananas, so we are going to feed the next one we see

Custard apples

Custard apples and passion fruit

The inside of a custard apple

The roadside vendor cutting a passion fruit for us.  She sprinkled some masala inside.  I was the only one who like it with the spices.

These are snapshots from the past 9 days...we did not catch the camel we saw in one of the little villages on the outskirts of Pune, but it would have been a great picture as he was covered with colorful blankets--very charming.  Notice the baby goats that the horse is carrying--sooo sweet.  The adventures we have had in the past two weeks are many and varied, so much so that I think I could write a book.  

Our plans have changed in that I am homeschooling the girls as the school that was touted as being so wonderful and challenging, was worthless in almost every aspect--except for the facilities and surroundings that are truly gorgeous, but that is what we are learning about India--you cannot expect to get what they are selling you--lying/exaggerating is just an accepted part of life here.

We are loving our time here at the Oakwood Premier.  I have coined this place "Ex-Pat Camp--India."  It is almost like being back in boarding school, as we see each other at breakfast, and the spouses who are not working here, hang out during the afternoons.  It's been great fun.   There is a beautiful swimming pool, tennis court, racket-ball room, fitness center, walking trail, and they offer classes from cooking to yoga.   Last week, one of the ex-pats asked if the hotel would be willing to put up a basketball hoop, and by the end of the day they had it installed.   So, Andrew has been enjoying playing hoops with the other men.  They are all fathers, so the kids join in as well.  ;-)  

The produce here is phenomenal--especially the fruit.  Our driver stopped last weekend at a roadside vendor to buy us some fresh figs and custard apples.  Heavenly.   The trees were just across the street from where she was selling them.  Freshness, it's a wonderful thing.   The climate here is perfect.  We are surrounded by mountains which keeps the humidity and heat at bay.  They say it will not become hot here until April, and then it will leave in June for the monsoons.