Merry Christmas

Christmas In India

Merry Christmas! The holidays here in India were truly unique experiences. We arrived home on Christmas Eve and in traditional Davison fashion, we had soup for dinner. It was not nearly as lavish a spread as we have in Kansas City, but we had real (canned) beef in our stew. We cracked open our holiday poppers, donned the crowns, played with the toys, and read the jokes. Next we read the Christmas Story and opened our gifts from the U.S. Anna then set about the tasks of writing a letter to Santa and setting out milk and cookies. Check out the video on YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ujkk1BMWffU. Dad was a bit worried that Santa would not make it because we do not have a chimney, but Anna said “don’t worry Dad; Santa can just use the elevator.” She was right, on Christmas morning we discovered full stockings and even more presents. Around 9:30am we left for Servant’s Heart to help our friend Sister Preety with a Christmas program and dance. There were about two hundred kids packed into a tiny hall. After the show, Chris played Santa and tried to hand out gifts and snacks. Things got a little out of hand with the crowd and the distribution had to be put on hold. I think the most wonderful part of the morning was seeing around twenty kids wearing the clothes that we donated a few weeks ago. We often donate clothes in the U.S., but never get to see where they end up. After the festivities ended, we went to Doug and Lucinda Johnson’s house for dinner. It was a wonderful, traditional meal of ham, potatoes, fresh bread, and real pumpkin pie. We were exhausted by the time we got home and had a low-key evening. We hope that Santa was as generous to all of you as he was to us this year. Next up, Anna’s fourth birthday!

Lonavala

A Family Vacation

Thursday, December 20th was Anna’s last day at school before the Christmas break. They had a nice party and Anna wore the outfit that Chris bought her on his first trip to India. On Friday we headed to Lonavala for a little rest and relaxation. Lonavala is about ninety minutes from Pune, on the way to Mumbai. A friend of mine recommended the Fariyas Holiday Resort. It was a wonderful place with a game room, indoor and outdoor pools, and water slides. We arrived late Friday night and spent Saturday at the hotel, eating, napping, and swimming. On Sunday, our driver Kiran took us to a few sight-seeing places. There were wild monkeys and gorgeous views at the first place. Anna and Chris rode on a camel at the second place. There was a kids Christmas party at the hotel on Sunday night, complete with a creepy looking Santa Claus. The look on Max’s face explains why Anna would not go near him. Luckily, we ran into Santa the next day here in Pune and got Anna’s picture. The excursion was a welcome getaway for us and refreshed our spirits heading into Christmas. More to come!

The Athelete

Anna's Sports Day

Hello All! This update is from a while ago, but I failed to include it in our last entry. On December 9th, Anna’s school held a sports day at the Don Bosco Youth Center here in Pune. It was really well organized and a lot of fun. It started with a dance and then all of the kids were dressed up like animals. Anna’s group was little red hens. They were to run to a certain spot, dump flour from a shaker into a bowl, then pick up a loaf of fake bread and run to the finish line. While she did not come in first place, she did manage to get all of the flour out of her shaker before running on. We were so proud to see her follow directions. At the end, the parents were invited to participate in a few silly races. Chris and I were to pass a balloon behind our heads and alternately between our legs while trying to reach the finish line. Needless to say we did not win, but we did manage to look very silly. Thank goodness, nobody took pictures. Afterward, we had brunch with friends at a local hotel and later attended another friend’s 3rd birthday party. It was a long day, but we all had a great time. Next up, our trip to Lonavala!

Holiday Fun

Getting Ready for Christmas

Greetings family and friends! We hope this update finds everyone healthy and happy and enjoying this holiday season. The weather here in India makes it hard to believe that Christmas is only a week away. Right now it is almost eighty degrees and Anna went swimming twice this week. I know, no sympathy from those of you who are enjoying snow and ice right now. We found a small artificial tree and made a few ornaments. Chris and Anna made a beautiful star out of cardboard and tin-foil. Grammy and Gramps sent us these great stockings with iron-on letters, so Santa will know where to put all of the presents. An advent calendar rounds out our decorations, but the kids really seem to be getting into the spirit. Unfortunately, Chris left for a training class in Jaipur last Friday and missed our Christmas party. It was great fun, we had almost twenty people in our flat. Anna and I made Christmas cookies and decorated them with Easter sprinkles and M&Ms. You should have seen the looks I got when I asked for colored sugar at the grocery store! This week is dragging with Chris gone, but we are getting by. Anna and I have been enjoying a wonderful magazine called Highlights High Five, which has activities, games, and stories for preschoolers. For anyone out there with preschool children or grandchildren, it's fantastic. Please check out the pictures of the paper bag village and the finger paint. Lots of fun! Anna is continuing to enjoy preschool, but they start writing here earlier than in the U.S. This has been a challenge, but she is managing. Max has discovered the joy of tearing all of the books off of the bookshelves. He does this at least once per day. I have started just leaving them on the floor until bed time. For those of you who really know me, you know that this is almost more than I can handle. The big guy now has two teeth and flat out refuses to eat baby food. He is onto meat and potatoes! He can stand on his own for a few seconds at a time and we know that those first steps are right around the corner. I have been busy this week helping my friend at Servant’s Heart get ready for the big Christmas program and party. We got to go shopping for decorations and gifts today. Chris will return on Thursday and we are leaving on Friday for Lonavala, where there is a hotel with a water park. It will be a short trip and we’ll return on Christmas Eve. Our next update will be filled with our Christmas experiences and lots of photos, we promise! Until then, take care and have a wonderful holiday. Love to you and yours!

Lots of Changes!

We're Back!

Hello again from India! I cannot believe how much has changed here since our last update. We are in our new flat and our shipment arrived on schedule November 21st. We were astounded! The moving process went smoothly, but do check out what passes for a semi-truck here. I thought my dad would get a kick out of that. All of our pieces fit into two trucks and about fifteen people were here to unload. Most everything came up in the elevators, but the big things were hauled up all seven flights of stairs. Thanksgiving was fun. We finally received our Halloween package from Gramps and Grammy. Check out the adorable costumes! We dined with a group of about twenty expatriates from John Deere and General Motors at a nice hotel called Le Meridian. There was an actual Thanksgiving buffet, complete with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and a bunch of other very comforting foods. It was a bit pricey, but worth every penny. We met a very nice family from England at Anna’s preschool and have spent some time with them recently. They are around our age and they also have two children. They have been here longer than we have, so they have lots of good information. Chris went to Germany last week, which was a bit harder for us than when we were in the states. We couldn’t run off to Kansas City or Michigan like we used to. Some shopping and a few play dates got us through. Chris’s trip went well and he returned safely early Saturday morning. I picked up Anna’s preschool information on Saturday and found out that her school is vegetarian, like many places here. I got a day-to-day list of what to send for her lunch. I am not even sure what a few of the items are, thus continues my Indian education. This past Monday was her first day. She did great right up until it was time for me to go. She looked like she might fall apart, but her teacher whisked her away to the sandbox and all was well. When I picked her up, she said she had fun and got a smiley face sticker for dancing really well. Our new car arrived last week, so we have permanent car seats again and we’ve been assigned a regular driver, for which I am extremely grateful. Everything seems to be in place and running smoothly for the moment. We are planning a short excursion over the Christmas holiday, but we are not sure where yet. We are attempting to curb our home-sickness with a change of scenery. Chris remains busy at work and I am planning to be with Sister Preety at Servant’s Heart during the Christmas break, much like I was during Diwali. The kids are getting bigger and brighter every day and continue to amaze us with their good spirit and tolerance. Anna has been busy re-discovering all of her books and toys. Max is almost twenty pounds now, is almost walking, but still has only one tooth. In closing, please feel free to send good thoughts our way, and remember that we cherish any connection to home (telephone calls, emails, letters, etc.). Our address and telephone number are listed in the first entry dated September 24th, just click on the “September” link on the right side of the blog. The only change is that we are now 11½ hours ahead of Central Standard Time. Please take care until next time. Love and good wishes!

Fun Pictures!

Sorry It’s Been So Long

I can’t believe how long it been since our last update. Our internet went out just before Halloween and has been out since. Unfortunately, things move slower in India than in the U.S. and we’re not sure when we’ll have consistent access restored. A lot has happened since our last update. We went to a Diwali party at Anna’s preschool on October 27th. The sign said to wear traditional dress, so we bought Anna a beautiful sari and a gold necklace. She looked like an Indian princess. The party was fun with lots of crafts, dancing, games, and snacks. On Sunday Chris and Max went on a several hour hike to the Lohagad Fort. Here is his description: located 52 km from Pune, the “Iron Fort” is one of the many hill forts of Chatrapati Shivaji. On the way to the top, we come across four successive entrances: the Ganesh Darwaja, the Narayan Darwaja, the Hanuman Darwaja and the Maha Darwaja. All of the doors are quite strong and are located on the serpentine ascent of the fort. Hanuman Darwaja is the oldest. The remaining three doors were built by Nana Phadnavis. The space between the second and the third door contains some cellars used as granaries. After entering through the Maha Darwaja, on the left we come upon a spacious rock-cut cave at the base of a hump, adjacent to the fortification. This cave is known as the Lomesh Rishi cave. There is a natural spring in one of the water tanks, containing fresh, clean water. Please take a look at the pictures as words cannot do it justice. While Chris and Max were hiking, Anna and I had a “girls’ day” here in Magarpatta City. This consisted of doing everything that Anna wanted to do, which was fun. Halloween came and went without much fanfare, since nobody here has ever heard of it. We also had no internet to find activities and our package from Grammy and Gramps still hasn’t arrived. We’re keeping our fingers crossed. We certainly missed trick-or-treating with our friends Rob, Kelly, Payton, and Sheridan. Anna started Diwali Camp last Saturday. It is at a local preschool and lasts for two hours each day for ten days. She said she had fun and got to use glitter. On Sunday we went shopping for a barbeque grill. Our friend Dinesh took us and after many descriptions we finally found one the size of a large coffee can. Chris asked for something larger and we were told to come back in an hour. About thirty minutes later, a larger version arrived. It isn’t as large as Chris wanted, but he loves it. It is old and rusty, but the barbeque chicken we prepared definitely reminded us of home. The charcoal came from the back of some guy’s truck, which is typical here. There is no one-stop shopping. Again, check out the picture, words cannot do this contraption justice. On Monday Chris had “traditional day” at work; he looked very handsome in his Indian outfit. I started helping Sister Preety from Servant’s Heart with the Diwali school break, because when school is out the kids just show up. We came up with ten topics with related bible studies, songs, and activities. Monday also brought with it keys to our new flat! We were so excited. Our new place has a large kitchen and great storage by Indian standards. On Wednesday, Magarpatta City had fireworks to celebrate Diwali. It was perhaps the longest fireworks show we have ever seen. Anna was not impressed with the loud noises, but Max didn’t seem to mind. Friday was actually Diwali, which is like Christmas for our family. Chris had the day off and we spent it shopping for a dryer, a water dispenser, and a stereo. We arrived home around 8:00pm and the fireworks lasted well into the night. While Chris was determined not to eat at McDonalds here, we broke down on Sunday afternoon. It was surprisingly familiar, although the burgers are chicken. This was a little disappointment for Anna, but nothing too traumatic. We let Max nibble on his first fry, brushed clean of salt of course. Monday and Tuesday this week brought more and more kids to Servant’s Heart as the kids are now spreading the news. I think we were up to forty-five on Tuesday. The large numbers and small space make this experience challenging, but very fulfilling. I promise not to let so much time go by before the next update. Please remember to keep us in your thoughts and prayers and know that you are in ours. Love to all of you! (This is from the email sent November 15th. A new update will come soon!)

Festival Time

Festival Season Begins

Festival season officially began this week in India. With the help of Wikipedia, I will attempt to explain without totally butchering Indian tradition. Navratri is the longest Hindu festival celebrated all over India for nine consecutive nights in praise of Rama and goddess Durga. Dandiya is a featured dance of Navratri in Western India. The dancers use decorated bamboo sticks called dandiyas to interact with the other dancers to the beat of the music. We were invited to two dandiya dances last weekend. The first, on Friday night, was in our nanny’s neighborhood. Chris was not feeling well, so I took the kids with our friends Jeff, Jena, and Kai. It was an incredible experience. The dresses were amazing and we were treated almost like royalty. We were taken to a VIP area and introduced to the crowd. We were also presented with flower bouquets and coconuts. The second dance, on Saturday night, was held at a co-worker of Chris’s apartment complex. This time, Anna decided to play (dance). It was a lot of fun, but Max slept through most of the festivities. Sunday was Dussehra, which is the culmination of Navratri. Hindus regard it as a celebration of life and use the occasion to strengthen family and social relationships. It is also the beginning of the year in some Hindu calendars. On Sunday evening, we attended a Dussehra event here in Magarpatta City which included a burning effigy of Ravan, a Hindu antagonist, and some fireworks. All of this leads up to Diwali, which comes exactly twenty days after Dussehra. Known as the "Festival of Lights," it symbolizes the victory of good over evil, and lamps are lit as a sign of celebration and hope for humankind. My friends and I spent an afternoon shopping for these lamps/pots where they are made. Diwali is the major holiday here; much like Christmas is in the U.S. I plan to sign Anna up for Diwali camp during the first two weeks of November so that she can have some fun and learn about this local tradition. I got Anna signed up for preschool today at Kangaroo Kids. It’s a really nice place with a great sandbox. I think that’s what sold Anna. She will attend Monday thru Friday from 11:30am until 3:00pm and is looking forward to making a lot of new friends. She will officially start December 1st, but we are attending a Diwali party there this coming Saturday. In addition to all of the celebrating we did this past weekend, we also went to the Pune Zoo and Snake Park. Amazingly it cost 12 rupees (30¢) for all of us to enter. It wasn’t quite as fancy as the zoos in the U.S. and the animals were quite a bit different, but we had a great time. Toward the end of our zoo trip we rented a paddle boat. The water was filthy, but it was nice to be out on the water. Since I’ve been rattling on for quite some time, I’ll wrap up by saying that Chris is still working late, I am enjoying the friends I have made, Anna is excited about her new school, and Max is nine months old and getting into everything. All is well here and we hope it is where you are. Until next time, keep us in your thoughts and prayers and keep the comments coming, we love them!

Lots of Fun

A Hectic Week

What a week we have had. Max ran a high fever Friday night, but felt fine all day Saturday. Saturday night the fever was high again, so we made our first trip to an Indian hospital Sunday morning. We chose Noble Hospital because of its close proximity to where we stay in Magarpatta City. After a short wait we were called into a small office where a doctor was sitting behind a desk. She had us lay Max on the table and she took his temperature, which was 103°. Then she looked in his ears with a flashlight and said they looked fine. She gave him an injection to reduce his fever within thirty minutes and two prescriptions, an antibiotic and a fever reducer similar to Tylenol. Once we had the medicine we went to have Max’s blood drawn. He obviously didn’t care for that and we were both in tears by the time we left. We were told to return the next day at 9:00am to receive the results of the blood test. All of the tests came back normal and the fever broke Tuesday and a rash showed up. The best we can tell is that Max had Roseola, which is a viral illness that Anna had when she was eighteen months old. Amazingly, this entire three-trip-to-the-hospital experience set us back only about $10.00 and Max is back to his usual self. While he was feeling fine on Saturday, we decided to brave the Shivaji Market. Our caretaker/cook Dinesh took us. He’s an absolute treasure whom we will miss terribly when we get our own place. The best description I can give about the Shivaji Market is that it is a cross between a flea market and a farmers market. There are good deals to be had, if you can get past the crowds and the smell. We bought some produce and Anna got a henna tattoo. It was so much fun, she was so into it. On Monday we checked out another preschool. I was told to bring Anna back in February to register for school in June. She is so in need of social interaction that we decided to keep looking. On a similar note, Anna made her first real friend here. Her name is Rathi and she is almost nine. She played here for a while and then we went down to meet her mom and the girls played there for a while. Rathi and her family lived in New Jersey for a time and thus speak very good English. Chris continues to work long hours, but I think he enjoys what he is doing. We have no news on our flat (apartment) except that the paperwork is traveling the required channels. Hopefully we will hear something soon. Until next time, take care and keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Servant's Heart International

Our Best Day Yet

Yesterday was by far our best day in India. We found a nice lady named Mary to watch the kids a few hours a day. She came recommended from some good friends of ours, Jena and Jeff. This will allow me some time to join an international women’s group, volunteer, and have a bit of a social life. I have met a few John Deere and General Motors wives and they seem like a lot fun. Our air shipment finally arrived and we tore into it like it was Christmas. Anna was so excited to have more books and toys. She made a fort out of one of the really large boxes. We can’t wait to take Max out in his new backpack carrier. He seemed to enjoy the test ride. The best news of the day was that we are very close to having our own apartment. A John Deere representative went to sign for it last night. Today, Friday, is a Muslim holiday so we probably won’t find out for sure until Monday. The apartment is on the seventh floor and has four bedrooms, four bathrooms, and two balconies. The balconies overlook the Indian Olympic training center and there is a small grassy courtyard for the kids to play. There is also a pool and fitness center included in the rent. We are definitely keeping our fingers crossed. Early this morning Chris went to practice with the John Deere cricket team. He had a great time and made a pretty amazing catch. He claims he is a horrible bowler (pitcher) and not too good at batting, but a good time was had by all. After cricket practice, Chris, Jerry, and I went to visit the Servant’s Heart International (http://www.servant7.org/) children’s mission. A wonderful lady named Preety (which means love in Marathi) runs it and she is amazing. The mission is located across the street from a slum and serves around five hundred children. I think this will be a great volunteering opportunity for me and a great place to donate the kids’ clothes and shoes as they grow. Please check out the website and give if you can, the need is so great here and the kids are so beautiful. They loved having their pictures taken and quickly learned the term “uncle, one more!” Here, the word uncle is used as a term of respect. Most of the slides are of the kids and one is a picture of the slum in which they live. Given such deplorable living conditions, it is amazing how happy the children are. Tonight we are planning to order pizza from Pizza Hut, which tastes very similar to that in the U.S. Tomorrow we have been invited to dinner and a party with our friends Jena and Jeff. They are having their nanny stay late to watch the kids so we can have an adult dinner before the party. Evening activities start and go very late here due to the long work hours. Overall, we have felt very welcome by everyone we meet. If you overlook some of the conditions here, India is a truly beautiful place to be. Blessing to you all!

Check Out Our Slide Show!

Our First Week

We made it through our first week in India. The flights over were very long, but the kids were great. We couldn’t have asked for more. We arrived early Monday morning and got a few hours sleep at a beautiful hotel in Mumbai (Bombay) called the Leela. After a delicious breakfast, we headed to Pune via automobile. The drive took almost three hours, and the traffic is insane. Along the way we saw cows, dogs, goats, horses, and monkeys. We arrived at the John Deere guest house around mid-afternoon. The guest house is in an area called Magarpatta City, which is a self-contained community centered on a large business district. It has some shopping, a restaurant, a park, a fitness center, and a pool. Unfortunately, there isn’t much housing available at this time. Tuesday was Gandhi’s birthday, so Chris had the day off. A friend of ours, Depak, took me and Jerry shopping and sight-seeing while Chris and the kids stayed home. Jerry is a friend from John Deere who travelled with us from Moline and has been very helpful. On Wednesday, the kids and I went to see two flats. One was perfect, but has since been rented to someone else, so hunt continues. We checked out a preschool Thursday, but there are no openings at this time. Friday, the boredom set in for Anna as our air shipment has not yet passed through customs. Two dollars worth of play dough later, she is fine. We checked out a grocery store on Saturday and realized that anything “American” is way over priced here, but anything Indian is very reasonable. We also had dinner with some friends. On Sunday we visited the Sinhagad Fort (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinhagad). It was very high up and very beautiful. Anna and I went for a short horseback ride. Afterward we went to a true Indian restaurant. The all-vegetarian food was delicious, and surprisingly not too spicy. Overall, things are good here. The kids are starting to return to their regular sleep habits, Chris works crazy long hours, and I am trying to make sense of it all. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers and remember to call, email, or write often. We miss you all!

India Bound

Chris, Heather, Anna, and Max are headed to India! We leave Moline Saturday, September 29th. We will make a short stop in Frankfurt, Germany and arrive in Mumbai (Bombay), India the following day. We have a U.S. address and telephone number to help maintain communication, both of which are listed below. Much more information will follow. Blessings to everyone.

U.S. Address (Everything But Packages):
Chris Davison - India Pouch
John Deere Worldwide Headquarters
One John Deere Place
Moline, IL 61265

U.S. Telephone (Time Difference = 10.5 Hours Ahead of CST):
(269) 978-8312