Plumeria Petals

Time has been flying by and September is here already. The boys are really enjoying school. We were able to go and meet all of the teachers and are again so grateful for this opportunity for our boys to learn in such a positive and fun environment.

Ramadan is here once again. I'm still waking up nearly every morning when the loudspeaker announces that it's time to get up and make breakfast (so they can eat before dawn). I've been hearing new voices on the streets during the day, shouting out their wares or begging. The amount of vegetable carts coming through seem to have tripled and as the month goes on I expect to hear more and more beggars. After living on this street for over a year I am able to recognize the voices of the hawkers and beggars that normally come through so when I hear a new voice it makes me wonder who they are, where they come from and what kind of story they have. Prices in general are going up and dairy products are starting to dwindle as most of the milk is being turned into ghee or curds for mishti ( a unique line of sweets that are quite popular here). The office hours have shortened a bit and traffic is even more overwhelming than usual, as even more people are out and about, doing Eid shopping, etc.

Otherwise, life goes on pretty much the same as always. The monsoon seems to be lingering a bit, bringing some relief to the heat. Austin has been putting in extra hours to get the Source ready for re-opening. The Source is the local store that sells handmade paper and various handicrafts made by MCC partners and was recently renovated.

Since the boys have been back in school I have had a bit more time to experiment in the kitchen. My current project is making homemade mozzarella cheese. Lets just say that I need a lot more practise! Despite the fact that the boys are gone most of the day, it feels like I am cooking more than ever for them. There is very little that they all like (to eat cold, that is) so I often pack three very different lunches. One loves chicken nuggets or deviled eggs, one occasionally eats peanut butter and jelly and the other one loves parota and baji (fried spicy veggies with fried flat bread) and wants it every day. The only thing they agree on currently is hot dogs wrapped in strips of dough and baked so if I don't hear the alarm (which has been happening a lot lately), that's what they get.

I know this had nothing to do with plumeria petals, but since the photo is plumerias, I gave it that title anyway. I count myself blessed to live in plumeria country. Come to think of it, I have a lot of blessings!