Day 11

Fly Me Home

19 hours of flight time and 13 ½ hours of time changes

This is a brutal day. We arrived at the airport with over 3 hours to spare. Good thing it took over an hour to check in. After that I went to find a $$ exchanger as it is illegal to take out Indian Rupees. Hind sight here, I could have kept the rupees as they really don't go through your bags with a fine tooth comb. In fact I had about $100 worth of the script because I could not remember if our tickets included the exit fee that is charges at Delhi International Airport. I guess it did as we were not asked to pony up. We both have been suffering a bit of the Delhi Belly this past 24-36 hours. Mine is under control but RN has had to make a few runs to the loo. They take all our bags and we don't see them again until we hit US soil. nice. Our first flight takes us to the UK.

Getting through Indian customs takes another 45 minutes. Sure glad we got there early. The agent asks to see Anu's sealed envelope for the SU customs agent. He tells me he needs to see it to make sure we can get entry at our destination. He basically checks the sheet of paper that is attached to the front matches what is on her Visa. Dooh, I must have been tired. I should have taken a shot of the envelope “ Warning – To Be opened by US Customs Only” The letter had some basic info about Anu: DOB, My name and addy, a photo of her. Then it is off to x-ray and finally the waiting area. The searches are consistently inconsistent. The women go through one side and the men through another. Sometimes you can bring water sometimes you can't. Today you can't but our breast milk comes though with no hassle while doing the in-country search we were questioned and detained. We settle in for our seats the first half. The plane was late to board but we have ample time at our destination to make connections.

RN is having issues with the fact that Camille Anu is bonding with me and not her. I tell the wife to let's just get home and then deal with it. The worse part is to have a scene for the duration of the flight. Mamma's not happy.

For the first time in my life I am over Russian territory. The display units on the seats give a rough approximation. Brrrr, sure looks cold.

We have a 3 hour layover at Heathrow. Again we go through screening and almost get in without a hitch. One of our dinky water bottles has become unfrozen so is now a liquid. I had fun earlier when they wanted me to pitch out a bottle of frozen water but pointed out that their rules state liquids are restricted. In its present state it is not a liquid it is a solid and therefore allowed, can I speak to a supervisor about the rules of physics. I really hate flying. by the way I can inflict far more damage and harm with this litre bottle of frozen water than when it a liquid but that is besides the point and beyond common sense that is security in the age we live in. Oh don't get me going. Anyway our 2 cups of water is gladly confiscated and we move on.

Once again we are delayed at getting onto the plane at Heathrow but I don't care we are almost home.

So we get a scene with Camille anyway. She is done with mommy and she is done with planes. She wants to return form whence she came. Time to tough it up. An elderly couple, probably in their early 70's are clearly upset that we are in “their upscale section” of the plane but hey I paid full fare too and I cam prepared - I brought earplugs and I know how to use them! In about 45 minutes after takeoff she goes to sleep and all is cool. Of course at the top of descent she starts to cry again. Hey I note to myself I have more earplugs!. So I go to the persnickety gentleman and offer him two sets of earplugs telling him that these might make the rest of the flight more bearable for him and his wife. He proceeds to put them in. The tantrum is over in another 45 minutes.

We land fill out more paperwork for US Customs. Before we can collect our bags we have to go to a special line for new immigrants. What seems like an eternity is merely a formality. The paperwork gets stamped. The officer says welcome to the US. I go to collect our bags and now I now it was not very long because our bags have not yet arrived at the carousel. We collect our bags, and then get them scanned for contraband. Cool all our spices and masala mixes get passed through the machine without setting off the alarms. We hand in our final paperwork and are finally home! Now where did I park the car?

If someone asks me what my impression of India is I would have to tell them that I do not have an objective view/opinion as I was not there long enough to really get a feel for the country. Give me a month or two living there. Usually when I have travelled with the family (the parental unit) we spend a month or two in the country. This way you can really see what living in-country is like. Thus why I did not want to leave New Zealand and could not wait to get back to the states when we visited Italy and Sicily. I would strongly recommend you pick up a book that was given to me before my trip called Culture Smart - India. It is short and was quite helpful in coming to terms with the diversity that you will encounter (poor and destitute people begging for coin when you stop to quite palatial environs). Everyone rubbing elbows, so to speak. There is eons of history there and lots of cultural places for the tourist to see and visit. The infrastructure is what is lacking. We were on main roads between major cities but they were not connected by a substantial road like the US/UK/Europe. I do not know if the main means of getting from city to city is by train as the roads were packed with all sort of conveyance. The electrical grid is not stable as there are frequent brown outs and some appliances are hooked into individual signal conditioners so they don't get fried. The natives do not drink the tap water.

One sentence to describe India.

India has aspects that gives it the identity of a third world country and yet is in the midst of a post industrial economy.

As the Chinese have Yin and Yang, India has Karma and Dharma.

Stats

I have not yet done up the total cost of the adoption, it hurts to think about it. Let's just say the savings account is about empty. I am quite sure that we have hit $35K. We left$2600 in cash in India and the UK. India took $400 for the embassy, $1500 for the adoption agency, another $100 for the airport tax ( converted to INR) so that leaves about $600 unaccounted for and yet I know I have it marked down on paper I just have to tally it.

Here is a good one. From the time that we first started contact with our agency to when Miss C touched US soil we have over 880 emails between us and out adoption agency. It is not over yet as there will be follow ups and frequent check-ins. I don't know about other agencies but we knew that this would be a lifelong commitment between us and the adoption agency. As such we a strong friendship has been nurtured and will continue long into Camille's life. How cool is that?

What is next for the blog

I go back to work in a couple of weeks and so like the first blog it will probably be an update once a month. I have been asked to continue blogging about the trials and tribulations of actually adopting Camille in the state of California. I alluded to the steps required in an earlier entry on the other blog site. Now I just need to figure out if I go back and add to the old site or add onto this blog, Camille's Big Trip Home

je

Question 2U

The subject of this blog is about done. I have one more day which is the trip home - not much there. The next big subject is about the paperwork to adopt in California. Is there interest in me writing about that or shall I end it with our landing in the states? Feedback would be appreciated.

je

Day 10

Day 3 at The Embassy

This is a day where you will either have to go back to the embassy or in our case a day to do nothing. If you are in an upscale hotel you might introduce your child to a pool or just hang out and do nothing. Do nothing was my mode for the day. well actually I repacked all the stuff I had separating out what we will take onto the plane and what gets relegated to the hold. It is also time to settle accounts with our adoption representative.

Since we didn't have to go anywhere or be anywhere not a lot of stuff got done.

Here is what I would have done differently

1. Get photos of the many means of auxiliary power generators in use.

2. Buy the wife a whole lot more bangles – they were cheap.

3. One of the hawkers was selling brass wire geometric ball that would lay flat and then turn into a ball and then into a pot shape. I had these when a aunt and uncle travelled here 30 years ago. I was so tired that I totally blew the hawker off. I should have bought a dozen of them. If anyone goes there don't pay more than a $1 (US a piece and drive a hard bargain). If you get them I will buy them.

4. The Ginger in Delhi – stay away unless you are travelling by train.

5a. Make one trip to the orphanage. However get there as early as they would allow say 8 am and leave at 5pm. Spend the whole morning in the playroom loving on the children and letting your child warm up to you.

5b. Have a non-family member hold your child as you leave the orphanage and hold her/him for the ride to the hotel. May or may not make a difference in the bonding issue as a week later in the states we have heard from many families who have gone through the same issue as we have.

6. Take a group picture of her Miss C's room mates as soon as possible or get as much of them in a shot as possible. We thought we would have time the 2^nd day but it didn't happen.

7. Eat a lot more desserts than what we did.

8. Sit in the kitchen and learn how the pro's really cook.

What I wouldn't have done differently

1. When in Rome act like a Roman. We did not eat one bit of western style food the whole time we were there. We went native and thoroughly enjoyed the food. We did go 100% vegan and were careful with fresh veggies. You need to make sure they were not washed in tap water. Fresh juices were not on our list of drinks. Lassie, which we had in the UK, were also on our not intake list.

2. Make use of the adoption agency's in-country representative.

How to make your trip a breeze

Step 1 – Trust Mr. R

Step 2 – Enjoy the ride take it all in stride

Step 3 – expect delays see Step 2

Mr. R's contract with our adoption agency is to get you your daughter/son. However he goes above and beyond and RN & I can only encourage you to trust his judgement. I was initially going to skip the Agra part of the trip. That would have been a huge mistake on my part and I am far more the richer for realizing that I was going to be making a HUGE mistake, Mr. R's schedule for the families is right on. You have ample time to recover from the 12 hour plus time shift if you have not followed any jet lag protocol. In addition to finally meeting and loving on your child is a short immersion into the culture and history of the Delhi & Agra. There are vast cultural differences between Western and Asian society. Mr. R can help you round off some your rough edges. Time well spent.

Our Agency versus Others

Our agencies in-country representative goes over and above when it comes to your comfort, safety and trying to meet your needs. Contractually all that is required is handing over of some paperwork and directions to the orphanage. For an extremely modest fee the agency will offer the services of the representative, a car, a driver. You can also have the agency make your in-country airline tickets and even your hotel arrangements. As for hotels take a look at the internet and get a feel for what is available and then give them your price range. Agra is expensive but a nice moderate hotel The Trident (with pool and buffet style meals) is quite nice - I would stay there again. Don't go cheap in Delhi you will regret it. Getting back on track. Some agencies do not review the paperwork before it is sent to the orphanage. Our agency send the dossier to the India representative who makes sure that ALL the paperwork is correct. This is especially important when it comes to the Home Study as American home study often include stuff that does not need to be there and at other times does not include stuff that should be there.

Having an in-country rep helped extremely in going to the US embassy. Other than seeing what is in the movies, Year of Living Dangerously, The Deer Hunter, Apocalypse Now, when it comes to Embassies I had not idea what to do and the web sites were not much either. Little things like don't stand in line go right up to the local guard and get inside. By the way no electronics of any sort are allowed inside. Even once inside certain papers are given at different times. Helps to not look the fool.

Having an on-site rep means that there is direct interaction with the orphanage and the adoption agency. A relationship is built and this is very important in Asian culture.

Don't Try To Circumvent The Process

One of the pet peeves is trying to get your adoption to move quicker. The first part is controlled by you, getting your dossier together. The 2^nd part is out of your hands. The sooner you accept that the better off you will be. Some folks think that because they have contacts in India they can make the process go quicker. Don't try it may backfire, I have heard the tales, not pretty. My frustration was the time it took for one agency to get the paperwork to another, CARA to the Court. The court to get into session. Get the transcripts written up. Oh here is a kicker. There is DHL service but don't count on overnight delivery. It takes upwards of four (4) hours plus to go from Agra to Delhi. This is a mere 125 miles. Now translate that to state to state and then city to city. Being totally insensitive, I wonder how mail is delivered in the first place. Try this for an address

“1^st Floor, Vasu Complex, Above TVS Showroom, Church Road, Ramnagar Colony, Agra”

Mail gets delivered but it may take some time.

The bureaucracy of India is as big and cumbersome as the US. It all rolls at its own pace. Plan on a long haul and when things happen quicker then be thankful for the blessing.

October is not a good month for the court system. There are numerous high holidays and festivals in October so not much gets done. Even when the India side gets done you can still get hung up on the US side. Our adoption is inter-state that means there has to be a compact between the state where the adoption agency has its home office and the state of California.

For what amounts to three (3) signatures for the ICPC took what I thought was too much time, but hey that is just my humble opinion. What could I do – nothing, see Step 3.

je

Simon – hope you like the food shots the wife is getting tired of me taking these...

Day 9

Day 2 at The Embassy, The photo above is wrong

or

A 2 ½ Year Old's Meltdown

The only problem I see with our Visa is that instead of no last name the embassy has used her first name as her last name and for her first name they put down FNU (making a guess - first name unknown)

Tonight is filled with hindsight for what happened this afternoon. Camille has decided she does not like RN and has refused to go to her. In an “Ah Hah” moment I realized it is because it is RN who carried her to the car and held her as we drove to the next city where the hotel was. It was RN who took her away from her house mother and all her friends. After a nap camille was crying and could not be consoled. She stopped when I held her but then pointed to the outside. So we went out on a balcony and that held her attention for a5 minutes then she pointed farther out as if she wanted to go for a walk. The first time I took her in my arms and we went around the block. When we came back to our starting point she pointed in the opposite direction. Walking in the heat of the day, even if it is winter time, is not what I would call fun. So we went in for a while while I re-hydrated and cooled off. About an hour later the tears came and again she pointed outside. Thinking that she just loves the stimulation of the non-stop horn honking and hustle and bustle of the traffic I said ok let's go. this time though I pulled out “The ERGO Baby Carrier”. You can use this carrier as a back, side or front carrier. Again she pointed in the direction to go and off we went. About an hour later we came back. A short nap was taken. After she woke up and had a snack she started her crying again. RN tried to pick her up but Camille was having none of it. So I picked her up and again she pointed to outside. Makes sense now with hindsight doesn't it? We still had not figured out what was going on. So I loaded her up in the carrier and this time she pointed in another direction and off we went again. We saw many things on our trip. Dogs, cows, men getting a shave, hot cooked food, raw sewage, crows but no penguins. On our final trip today we went further out than before. I think we did about 4 or 5 trips today. It was getting to be 1800 hrs and the sun was going down and there was no way I was going out into the streets without another adult. RN was sleeping so I woke her up and said it was time for her to hold Camille as we had bonded all day. She just about flat out refused. I told her to take her as she needs to bond with both of us. RN was really hurt by Camille's action. It is then that I realized that Camille didn't want to necessarily go for a walk but was trying to find her way back to her old home. It has now been an hour and she is still crying but it is slowly getting better.

My Whole World Lies Waiting Behind Door Number 16

So we pays our $$, 4 nice crisp 100 bills large face. I find out that other countries do not charge for a Visa if you are adopting. I guess the embassy needed my $ to help finance the remodelling. Too bad that as a citizen of the US I couldn't even get a brief tour of the place. Let alone take a photo for posterity. So window 16 is 90 degrees from where we dropped off the I-600 yesterday. Today we drop off the sealed doctors envelope and our DS-230 Visa Application and again we kinda go to the head of the line. It is a bit like a jack in the box we go up to the window and then go back down to some chairs. Each time we go up we get a different agent. Finally they tell us to come back at 4pm. Gee I am thinking that is kinda late. If something is screwed up it means we will need that 3^rd day to get it fixed. Oh what joy.

Moto-Bikes

I took a few shots of various motorcycles. The current popular is a Bajaj, and HeroHonda which seems to be a brand of Honda that is only available in India. I also saw a few Royal Enfields, cool looking bikes very British. The typical size is 100 cc but there is a growing trend to something a little more sporty, 150 cc. Did not see any big bikes. Probably because the top speed between Delhi and Agra ( two large cities that we traversed a couple of times) is barely 100 kph. Get this it takes a minimum of 4 hours to go 125 miles. Talk about traffic jamb.

Three Wheelers

Most of the 3 wheelers aka rickshaws are either diesel powered or run on Compressed Natural Gas. Didn't get a real up close look at them but I did notice a fun way to shift. The left handlebar is similar to the right. The right is the throttle – no problem there. The left twists just like the right and is the gear selector.

Traffic Laws

I am sure there are some but I think they are mere suggestions. In one section there was clear markings for a 4 lane road (each way), I counted 8 vehicles abreast going the same direction. Clearance was usually 2 to 4 inches. Often times we had cars and moto-bikes coming the wrong direction. People ignored red lights. In fact if everyone went against the red then that the way things went. Oh, never mid that there was a traffic cop sitting at the intersection just watching the parade but not making an effort to lead it.

Embassy

We get back to the embassy at the appropriate time and go up to the window and they say, “Who told you to come back at 4 you should come back tomorrow” We politely tell the agent that the nice agent behind the window, you colleague, asked us to come back today at 4 to pick up our visa. “go sit on the chairs”. So we wait and a ½ hour later are called up to the window. we answer a few questions and viola before 5pm we have a visa.

You have got to be kidding me. As we are walking away I notice that Her passport clearly states she has no last/surname but has a first name. The bureaucracy that is the American Government has issued a visa with No First name but a Last/Surname of Anurita. I show this to our adoption representative and ask if I should get this corrected? He looks at me as if I asked him to fly to the moon. He says take the passport and run! Well as long as I get her into the US and get her adopted then I am not going to worry about it....... too much.

je

Day 7 & 8

Travel day to Delhi

Our flight out was on King Fisher Airlines. Avery nice but older Airbus plane. Our flight back was on a another Airbus but his one had seen some usage. Ah Air India I was a bit unsure about the seatbelts though. They were from a company I know somewhat intimately AmSafe in Phoenix Arizona. Just about all US registered commercial aircraft use their belts. These belts were stamped American Safety Model 5000 B2. The tongue was numbered 442851 and another part 5000628-401-2258 model 9600-3. The latch was broken, Spring came unhinged but it still worked. Hey it met the FAA TSO -C22f so it all must be ok. I just wonder when the company revised its logo... Me thinks these belts may have come from another installation. As for maintenance, check out the cotter pin the belt. It should have been bent better and placed in such a way that you don't need a tetanus shot at the end of the flight. One positive note, we got REAL silverware!

The bad about The Ginger

As soon as I found out when we were travelling I got our hotels set up. Something to note here is to trust your adoption rep in-country. I jumped the gun and got our Delhi reservations done before he had given me his recommendation. Driving in Delhi is much like driving in LA. When someone asks you how many miles it is from destination A to B we 't tell them the miles. Rather depending on the time of day and the direction of travel we tell them how long it will take to get to their destination. Delhi is undergoing major construction. The hotel I chose is one of the older hotels in the chain and is deep in the center of a construction zone. It is also extremely inconvenient to get to both the airport and the embassy. Distance wise it looks ok but it is not. Hind sight says this: Even though the hotel that we stayed at near the airport is farther away from the embassy the Ginger in Delhi is close it takes more time to get to the Embassy from the Ginger than it does from the airport.

Agra – The Trident

Not the cheapest and not the most expensive but well worth it after a 13 ½ or depending on which direction you fly 9 to 11 hour time shift and anywhere from 16 to 20 hours worth of flying and 4 hours of driving. Just get a load of how the laundry is returned to you.

Orphanage – The Ginger, works just fine. Beds are a bit harsh compared to the Trident

Delhi – The Ginger

• Can't drive up to the door to drop off your bags

• No parking for our driver and car

• Right next to the train station – fine if you are taking a train but the train is a MAJOR mode of transportation.

• No place to walk to from here, in the middle of an industrial section, stay inside after dark!

• Cafe which is fine if you know what you are eating but we work better with a buffet.

• Price was right but oh so wrong.

• Beds are old and have been the worse so far.

A Better Hotel

After one night at the Ginger we cut our loses and were able to move to the hotel that our host wanted us to go to, he was staying there too. It was about double what the Ginger runs but this place offers complimentary breakfast, has its own restaurant, and the beds are so much better. They also have bath tubs but again I don't take baths so it was wasted on me. If you get into one of the finer rooms this is what your shower will look like. Ah now that it the ticket. The standard room has standard shower faucets. Get spoilt, worth it after each day sitting and milling about the embassy. And the winner, hands down:

The Hotel Saptagiri. www.hotelsaptagiri.com

There are two hotels in close proximity. One on the main street, newer than the one off the main street. We stayed at the older one as it is more quiet. Yeah!

Day 8

02MAR09

Fist Day at The Embassy

I could write about the US embassy trip but on the Yahoo forum for our adoption agency another member has written just about all the details you need. I used an old version Adobe Acrobat (5.0) and most of the official forms you can fill in and save. It looks nicer if it is typed rather than done by hand. Of course we carried a blank set of forms just in case I made a mistake and we needed to redo them. I've made a minor mod or two but nothing big enough to write home about.

“I must admit I was a bit nervous about the embassy visit, partly because it is a situation where security is high and you don't want take items like cameras and phone that will just be confiscated until you return and slow you down. Yet you have to have your documents that you prepared and brought but haven't touched since before the trip began. Cars can't stop long so its a hurry up and wait kind of process. There are long lines of people trying to immigrate to the USA standing out in the heat for hours. Fortunately as a US citizen there is a fast track line just for you that wisks you right to security (after a 20 minute wait) and then an escort takes you to where you turn in your completed I-600. Just for the record you are not officially adopting the child in India only receiving guardianship. So the answer to that question is no, as she will officially be adopted in your home state of residence when you return home. You do have custody of the child. Once they have that application and copies of your passports including the non traveling spouses, you will then be called back to go over the application and any needed supporting documentation. Again you go to the head of the line while 4 rows of waiting people stare at you as Adoption cases get priority. Since my wife was not here I had to show the proof of power of attorney that had been notarized back in the US prior to coming. In hind site I should have had her sign the I-600 before I came, but he had me sign for her because my other document was completed. In about 5 minutes you are done with Homeland security and off to window 16 or 17 to give the Immigration people the photos you had taken the night or morning before you go there. He will also give you your Visa application ( he didn't have any and said you will get this from window 16 along with the approved doctor list) and tell you to go see the approved doctor for the child physical exam. Come back in the morning to prove you can support this child and turn in your I-864 and possibly the 3 years of tax returns. When they complete the Visa and Immigration interview. You then tell them you will wait for the Visa for your child to go home to the US with you so they will expedite the process. If all that goes according to plan then we will be free to go home. However our adoption agency wants you to have a cushion day or two in the event of unforeseen problems.

The doctor visit is a formality that is required by Immigration law. Not one that I would rely on for conclusive proof of good health. ...1600 Rupies later and an hour of your time you come out with a sealed envelope not to be opened by you. You give it to the official at the Embassy when you return the next day.”

The Visa application DS-230 ( DS-230 Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration) is one document our agency did not give us before we travelled. You could have this pre-filled too.

What can go wrong?

Not having all the documentation that you should. In our case and I am sure that it is universal for our agency we come loaded with more documentation than will be needed or used. I came back with most of my supporting documentation. Of the tax returns they only took the 1040 for one year, I had 3 years plus the W-2's and the itemized deductions. Of the I-864 they only took mine and said they didn't need the wife's. so when it came to the employer's statement of employment and salary they only took mine. It is better to be well prepared than to not have the information on hand. I also had everything related to this adoption on a flash drive. Every document we signed, notarized, Apostilled was in a pdf form/ If I needed something and I did not have it printed out then all I need is access to a printer. That by the way is another reason to stay at a more “up-scale” hotel. It would easily add half a day especially if it needed to be notarized. Oh my I haven't even though of the ramifications of the US accepting an Indian Notary for a US document. Best to have all your ducks in a row. If you want the laundry list of what we brought then drop me a line on this blog and I will post it.

After dropping off our I-600 the officer asked if we had our medical done. No, I was told that the medical gets done after we drop this off and you give us a list of where to go. Oh he said, well if you had the medical we might be able to get the Visa today. Wow the bureaucracy can move that fast. I held that comment down as my job is also part of the bureaucracy and I know it does not move that fast. It wouldn't matter as the approved Doctor's office was not open anyway. Thus we hit the Embassy first, get photos and the Doctors note and then if time permits head back and drop it off.

Oh and the embassy was undergoing a multi-million renovation. You go in through one gate to drop off the I-600 and have one interview then you go to window 16. Well window 16 does not exist so you go to another outside wall of the embassy and queue up at windows that look like you are going to a theatre. Windows 1-5, Now they don't tell you which is the magical window 16 as it doesn't matter oh wait I am getting onto day 2 at the embassy. I will pick this up on the next posting.

je

Day 6

We get Camille today. Today will be a day of firsts for our girl. First car ride.

Ganesha - wisdom to drive without getting in a wreck

First meal outside her four walls, first plane ride, first washing with mom & dad, first sleep in a huge bed. Can you say sensory overload. Oh and let's not forget her first time away from her house /room mother and all her sleep mates. Uprooted from all she has known for the last 2 ½ years and thrown into strange and new environment.

I am glad that we had a couples of hours to visit yesterday. She was more receptive to us this morning. climbed on up to our laps and snuggled in for a spell. We got off to a late start this morning so Camille's day was slightly askew and she knew something was up. She knew anyway as for the past few months she has been shown our photos and prepped with momma and dada. Today we went to her classroom and RN spent about an hour getting and giving geography lessons on where Miss C is going to and where RN and JE came from – different states.

In the meantime our adoption rep and I were taking photos of the children for the parents across the world of their children. Sometimes it was a challenge to get the children to smile. When a camera comes out the general face that is put on is one of seriousness. When you can get a smile the eyes sparkle and you get big grins. I think the problem in these photos is that they are single photos much like you take in primary school. Too staged and not natural. Getting the children's photos in a natural play getting would mean that other children would be in the photo. No easy way to do this.

After this we went to see the room where Camille used to sleep. Her room mother and a few friends were there to paint up everyone's nails in a style of a wedding ceremony. Camille, RN and JE nails were all painted the same. Sorry no photos of my bright red nails, although there are remnants that will be around for the next 6 months.

RN commented that orphanage is very much like Charlotte in the book “Charlotte's Web” by e.b. White. It is a stretch in my opinion but there are similarities. She nested all these babies for a short time but when they are hatched they take flight to the wind and go to new homes wherever the wind blows them to. A couple don't leave. So it is with these children. Their parents live throughout the world and at the appointed time they will take flight on the wind to destinations far and wide.

Earlier I was lamenting that I didn't fill out our paperwork for 2 children. It was nagging me that I was sure Miss C had a special friend. She was actually part of a Gang of Four. One has gone off to Australia, one to Hong Kong and her last friend is still here. She is 6 months older and a cute as a bug. When we got home I inquired about her as my sister has a friend who is adopting from the same adoption organization and the distance is only 400 miles rather than thousands and the couple, once they saw the photo, was willing! Unfortunately this child is either not yet eligible for adoption or she is being placed with another adoption organization. Breaks my heart and just like the previous paragraph the spiders are blown across the globe. Sorry can't post the pics due to international conventions/agreements. How about a Gecko/lizard instead?

We took our lunch separate from Camille. Afterwards we had a short meeting with the director of the home. She was not feeling well as she had been visiting another home that is further inland and has a lot of mosquitoes. She was suffering a bit of malaria and was really feeling the effects. Our being there was just something that she really didn't need. Our meeting was probably an unneeded interruption for her. We had brought a duffle bag and a half of stuff for 2 orphanages this one and one in Nepal. I was down to one duffle bag. Woo-hoo now it was empty. Boo-hoo now the wife would try to fill it back up. After the formalaties we were released to take Camille.

By this time Miss C was getting the drift of what was about to happen and went full on ballistic. Crying a watershed of tears, kicking and hollering for her room mother. I don't know how her room mother does this but she pushed Camille into RN's arms and told Miss C it was time to go to her new home. We got into the car and drove out the gates. She quickly quieted down and was looking out the windows as this was probably the first time she had been outside the gates in over 2 years. This is also where I a bonding issue started but was not realized until we got home.

Once back at the hotel it was go into clean mode. First up was extra traveller excise – lice treatment. I didn't think she would have much as most of the children's hair was oiled (toddlers that is). We had 3 types of treatment, homoeopathic, strong and industrial strength. RN opted for homoeo. Pretty simple work into dry hair, let sit for 10 minutes and comb out starting at scalp. I was dreading doing out hair as both of us sport long hair one more course than the other. On the first path I got one new bugger and one bugger that looked like he was already dead. Bummer. At that point I decided to comb through again and be more diligent in the pattern and comb. Only found one more bug. I am glad her hair was somewhat short. I had been contemplating buying a pair of scissors before we went to pick her up to make this process a bit easier.

We were staying at The Ginger. This is a chain of hotels that is very similar to a college dorm. One bed, a tv, a small refrige that may or may not be working a couple bottles of water, an air-conditioner, a sink, loo and stand up shower. Just the basics but very workable. We showered her down and then lotioned her up. Although the clothes were clean they went into a gallon plastic bag.

Then it was our turn. Although the extra travellers tend to be at the intersection of your scalp and hair shaft to get then out you need to comb through the full length of each hair strand. As tempting as it was to pull through just the first few inches of hair, I knew that would leave them in the neighbourhood and allow them to build their little community. My head itches now as I write this.

This particular Ginger has a SquareMeal which is a buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner. Very reasonable and good. Better than the dorm food you got back in college 20 plus years ago.

Tomorrow is a travel day back to Delhi and get ready for the US Embassy.

je

Stand By

Well pick up a toddler and watch the mayhem begin. Take her to an Embassy and try to keep her occupied. Wait a few more days and I will get what happened posted. In a few weeks maybe sooner I will add the photos. Couldn't get any of the Embassy as it is not allowed. Was thinking of doing a drive by but didn't want to risk the wrath of a guard or Shiva They both look similar.

je