The Market!

How I love the sights and sounds and smells of the market!!! More of that in a minute.

Last weekend our Dorm Activity was "Community Service" on the Lushington campus. The boys were assigned into groups and given specific tasks to perform which would be of benefit to the school. My group was to re-dig the drainage ditch along the side of the Titch Pitch. The dug up soil was taken by wheel-barrow across the road to beside the Tennis Court and used to level the ground for an additional Parking Lot. Can you believe that? As more parents are able to drive the distances to school, we are running out of space in which to park vehicles during Parent's Week. My group dug and a second group leveled the soil which was brought in. My boys had great fun challenging each other to see who could do the round-trip of full to empty wheel-barrow in the shortest time! Lots of laughs were had as the driveway entrance was missed or the empty wheel-barrow tipped! Following the Community Service activity, the boys cleaned up and then were given 125 rupees to go to town for dinner. At 8:30 they came back to our flat and about 25 of them watch the DVD "Bench warmers".

Sunday was a quiet day! Monday dawned bright and early with Gigi leaving to go to Coimbatore with Virginia at 7 h00. I was in charge of "Dhobi" and had to work with the dhobi man in getting this week's load ready and in checking off the clean clothes which were being returned. Once that was done, I was on my own for the day. I quickly decided it was a good time for me to visit the market. As I was alone I would be able to go up and down the narrow passage-ways of the market. I was also able to visit the non-refrigerated meat section. The beef was "on the hoof" and the fowl were "strutting" around!

The many fresh fruits and vegetables as well as spices and other food products were both colourful and pungent! I had a great time and really enjoyed "just looking" at all there was to see.

The rest of the week flew by and I found myself as the solo Tuba player in the Concert Band. The First Chair Tuba player was leaving on Friday and would not be there for Parent's Week! Not only I am the solo Tuba player in the Concert Band but I have also been "drafted" into the Junior Band and the Brass Ensemble for the events of Parent's Week which is next week.

For Parent's Week the normal schedule is partially suspended. More about that later.
This morning the Men's Prayer Breakfast went for a hike. We left school at 6 h 30 and returned shortly after 9 h 00 after hiking up to a lookout point at approximately 2500 m. altitude! The hike up took about 1 hour 40 minutes and needless to say the trip down was considerable quicker! The view was quite spectacular through the early morning mists. On the way up we came across a herd of wild buffalo and they were more frightened of us than we were of them. We also saw the buffalo in the Toda village just above the school. Just before going in through the back gate by Hoz a pot-seller was coming up the path carrying his wares on his head. The load looked very heavy and yet he carried it as though it were as light as a feather. As if the hike wasn't enough, Gigi and I then went to town shopping! (We did take an auto back up the hill!)