Raphael's Letter to Friends

Everyone wants to know how are kids adjusting to their life in India. My family especially were asking me whether our kids were "shocked" by dirt, garbage, poverty and how are they dealing with that. The truth is that kids are such different creatures than us. Things that bother us don't even register in kids' minds. They don't see garbage, they see chickens. They are not freaked by vehicles not staying in their lanes, they are too busy waving to other kids riding on motorcycles. They are not saddened by the fact that their friends and life they knew stayed far behind, they think it's just around the corner and they will see them "next week". In short, the kids are busy exploring and discovering their new surroundings. They still act like it's one big exciting trip, not a whole new different lifestyle.

Here is what Raphael wanted to tell his friends about his life in India. I took these notes down on October 7, which is about a week after we got to Madurai.

`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
October 7, 2011

Raphael's Letter To Friends:

I was on a ricksaw. We saw Meenakshi temple. We saw schools. I took a bath. I went on top of the roof and the lower roof. I watched the builders build a house. I am playing with ropes downstairs. And drawing. I like to do painting here. I am riding motorcycle with Mr. Selvakumar. I am sleeping in the mosquito net. There are big piles of bricks and big giant dump trucks come every day to bring builders bricks. Me and Nini and Aba went to a hair salon to get our hair cut. Me and Nini are playing with choo-choo trains. Me and Nini and Maya take a shower and bath in our buckets. Me and Nini were washing the roof yesterday. Mommy said when we go to school we can ask friends to come to our house and play. We can also tell them where we live. The outside windows are glass and in the inside there are bars. I like India. People are so nice, really nice.

Love,
Raphael

`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Here are some of Raphael's favorite moments captured in photos:

Checking out construction site next to our house

Sitting right under the ceiling, assisting with mosquito net installation. Check it out, Raphael has his tools ready

Inspired by the story of Three Little Pigs, the boys are building the house of bricks

This big construction mess is happening in our covered car port, which we obviously are not using

The rain unexpectedly ended, but the boys weren't wet enough. They proceed to the faucet 

This is one sure way to get upset stomach and diarrhea. Tap water is not fit for drinking...

On the lower roof, assisting me with hanging laundry

Making the roof wet is still a favorite game

Mopping the floor with his own mop that he insisted on buying

Setting up and sleeping in the mosquito net

Sitting on the lap of Mr. Funny Horn while driving the rickshaw back home

Taking a bucket bath

Climbing empty shelves and jumping off them

The top shelf works as "time out" zone because he can't get out of it himself

Priming the shelf while the other two kids are watching the movie