Medical exams, visas and such

Going to the hospital in Delhi is quite an experience in and of itself. The clinic was located in a newer part of town and was pleasantly nice. However it was so crowded you could hardly find room to sit, stand or walk without brushing elbows with at least 3 people. I am actually getting used to this close proximity with others as most of the time when you are out and about in India you always have plenty of company. Thank goodness everyone is kind. We have received inquisitive looks but they are out of curiosity and not disdain. Even with the lack of routine and order with driving no one seems to get upset, people have a relaxed disposition here. People are genuinely kind and helpful. The doctor was kind and the he ticked the boxes of the paperwork needed for the medical report and then the bad news: our girl required 5 shots. They won’t allow waivers to be signed so if we want to bring her to the US she has to get these shots. I watched the nurse prepare each shot. The true nurse in me came out, I reviewed each package and vial. After each shot the needle was jabbed into the mattress- who knows how long this mattress has been there and how many holes it already has in it. Hopefully the needles are disposable but I have a gut feeling they aren’t. We waited for our medical packet to be processed. Each time we checked in we were given another timeframe for it to be finished in. We decided to venture out and see some of south Delhi’s sights. We visited the Lotus temple and the Qutb Minar. They were both beautiful. When we returned our packet was ready. We settled in for the night as all of the travel was catching up with us.

The next day we laid low as our daughter was not feeling well after her shots. Later in the day we went to an Indian family’s home with our friends to learn how to cook and have an authentic Indian dinner. They run Delhi bed and breakfast and they also offer cooking lessons. Their home was beautiful, relaxing and inviting. As we sipped our tea we discussed what we would prepare for dinner. We then visited the local market. There were many stalls and vendors. This is where all of the ingredients would be purchased from for our dinner. Everything from wheat, vegetables, spices and even the poultry butcher shop was located here. Our hosts explained that this market was one that you could find most anything at. We saw vendors selling saris, street food, jewelry, medicine as well as many services one would need. This excursion was a lot of fun, it was a glimpse into what everyday life is like for some of the locals. Needless to say we were the only tourists.

We returned to the house and then we were instructed on how to make each dish. We prepared a vegetable curry, aloo ghobi, a chickpea recipe and a spicy dry curry chicken dish. We also were able to make roti, a whole wheat Indian bread. I must say the dinner was flavorful and spicy, perhaps the best food of the trip. The evening was really enjoyable as the hosts were very warm and inviting. She walked us through the preparation of each meal and answered our questions regarding Indian food, the spices and regional cuisines. We really enjoyed the company of our friends and they made this evening such a delightful experience.

Next we will go to the US Embassy and apply for our girl's visa and then we will wait for the article 23 letter to be issued. Then we will head home! Thank you for all of your kind and warm comments they have been so encouraging and we appreciate all of the prayers and support!