Visitors from America

As you can see from the picture, I recently had company come to visit. When you are 10,000 miles away from home this is great fun. Paul and Hillary Madden from Spokane and Kati from Northern Idaho had all come to the New Delhi SDA church a couple of weeks ago. I always try to meet expats who come by the church so we chatted briefly and I had invited them to come stay with me if they ever needed. Paul is Hillary's father and he had left his organic apple growing business long enough to come visit his daughter who, with her friend Kati Winkle, had taken a student missionary year to come to Southern India and help teach at an SDA school there. Since I had taken a student missionary year to Botswana when I was exactly their age (37 years ago) I was really excited to see some kids still going for that big adventure and trying to expand their own personal horizons a little bit. Both ladies had attended Walla Walla University in Walla Walla, Washington last year and that is how they got hooked up with the SM program. Kati is going to be attending Pacific University in Portland, OR next year and that is where my very own daughter, Shayna Bowman, is in her second year of Optometry right now. So, we all had something to talk about. Dad (Paul) is just here to explore India with daughter and friend and to keep them safe as they toured to Nepal and on to Thailand for a New Year's celebration. When they flew back into Delhi they needed a place to stay for a couple of nights and so I managed to get my company driver to come pick me up and then go the the airport and pick them up. We have eaten good American food, gone to the Avatar movie, made pancakes, called out for pizza, etc. and they are telling me that they really have enjoyed getting back into civilization, of sorts. I also had my personal computer available for them to Skype with their families and I just am amazed at how technology has improved communication since I was alone in Africa all those years ago. I would write a letter that took 10-14 days to get to the states. Friends or family would answer and send it back and a month later I would have my answers to questions I had long ago forgotten. Now these kids can talk with mom and dad and siblings and in an hour you almost feel like you still know your family again. I still think about my folks going to South America in the mid-1940's and not only riding a freight ship to get there with nothing to eat but having the threat of being sunk by u-boats the whole time. Then, they were on a 6 year promise before they would get to come back to the states. Now that was true sacrifice. I am still in awe of those kinds of sacrifices.

Anyway, it was fun having the company and it seems that just as they came the Delhi winter set in for some serious cold. It has always been heating up in the daytime with bright sunshine but today (Saturday) the sun never came out. It was foggy and cool all day and without any central heat in the buildings it is up to your clothes, whatever heat you have brought into your place and whatever solace you can find under blankets and quilts. We were all kind of shivering all day long. The cat even buried herself under the heavy comforter on my bed and didn't come out all day. I never thought I would be cool in Delhi after arriving last summer in late June, but today it was actually a little cool. Temps were probably near 50 for a high today and low in the mid 40's last night but with no heat in the buildings and the sun not coming out it just feels chilly. January they promised it would be cool and then by February it's warming right back up again so I guess I need to soak up this cool weather and store it somewhere.

I was just really lifted in my personal spirits by having social contact with Americans for parts of 3 days. It was so hilarious watching the girls tell stories to their families back home and of course making it as funny as possible. The topper was dad trapped on his elephant ride while the elephant guide left them unattended to look for a camera case for a moment and dad's elephant deciding to go get some tree leaves to eat. Dad is hollering that his head is in a tree and the girls cannot contain their laughter as dad is truly an unwilling passenger on this tree eating elephant. You just cannot get good stories like this back home. And watching the girls make the story better with each telling was half the fun.

No flying this weekend so I am headed out for the Sunday church tomorrow since my company has a taxi picking them up at 4 a.m. to catch an early flight. The American pastor is still visiting his kids in the states so this will be the first time I have heard a guest speaker. They took the same flight from Delhi to Chicago that I will be on in about 3 weeks. It's one of those 16 hour killers. I wonder if you can run laps in the aisles of a Boeing 777? Everyone I have talked to tries different ways to beat jet lag and I haven't met anybody that says that it really doesn't affect them. Since I am only in America for about a week this time I plan to stay jet lagged the whole time. No way around it.

My upcoming trip in the Citation to Tblisi, Georgia is now coming up on the 8th so I am really looking forward to this adventure. I was working with dispatch on the flight planning the other day and I will be making a fuel stop in Iran. Fuel is cheap (imagine that). But, this is all so far off my radar map it just seems like its a dream. If we stay in Tblisi long enough I am told that it is surrounded by mountains and that there would be snow skiing near by. Now skiing in the former USSR would be a cool logbook entry. I also have skiing in a beautiful resort in Northern India on my list of things to do, along with Scuba diving in India, Australia's Barrier Reef and golfing where ever I get a chance. Got to do these things while I am on this side of the world. And, just for grins I will go home to meet my first grandchild, Sadie, who will be born any day now. I thought life would slow down and get boring about this point but I am just holding on for dear life and watching God's blessings pile up. Then, Karen will be coming back with me in early February and that's going to be so much fun!!

Have a great new year! I got a Holiday text from someone in our Indian company. They got Santa Claus and God all mixed up and I just really got a kick out the text. It was to the effect of may Santa Claus bring you all the blessings and happiness and good things in the next year. I appreciated the sentiment.

It only took us three attempts at the box office to get tickets and timings right to go see the Avatar movie. It was just such a classic Hindi-English mis-communication situation. They go on a daily basis over here. The good part was in this very nice, new theater a premium seat was only $3 US and the meal deal was a (vege) burger, large drink and huge popcorn for another $3. It would have been closer to $10 for the movie at home and $15-20 for the food. And there were no trailers to sit through. They seat you and boom, the next thing you know the movie is running. There is a forced intermission but it isn't ever long enough to go pick out another snack, make the purchase and get back so I guess it's just for a very quick potty break. Most of the theater staff and box office people couldn't understand our requests or communication issues but Indians who came to the English movie understood enough to help us get our times and tickets changed and to figure out which actual theater our movie was showing in (is it behind door number 1, 2 or 3)? Staff had a blank stare and were of that we don't know but we will not admit that we don't understand variety of answer that you so often get over here. Have you ever called for technical help on your computer or something and ended up talking to someone in India for 30 minutes and you aren't sure what has been said or what the actual answers that they are trying to give are?? There you go.

My life is easy compared to many here. No complaints. And, after a week I got my hot water heater back in the main bathroom so life is good.....a hot shower just cures so many ills....Dan