Finally, we have moved into our apartment and slowly, we are learning to move to the tunes of India’s rhythms with a little less awkwardness and trepidation. I can honestly say that Maya is dealing with this huge change to her life with infinite energy, acceptance and a wonderful sense of adventure. When I told her we were moving from our temporary accommodation, she looked at me, chewed this information over, nodded her head and said ‘Okay’. I’m not saying there haven’t been ‘moments’. But the volatile emotions of any two year old constantly throw up moments, and considering we are far from everything Maya has known to date, she is coping amazingly. Better, I might add, than her Mummy who is having to re-programme her personal hard drive in ways that I never had to when I was last in India a) because I didn’t have children back then so only had myself to look after and b) possibly because I was less aware back in 2000 of my place on this earth.I know this is a blog for Maya, not for me, but I hope you don’t mind me releasing a little steam to describe to you what I mean by this re-programming adjustment I’m going through.
I’ve talked about food already, but to briefly return to this theme…Anyone who knows me well will know that I’m pretty particular about food, especially what goes into my little ones’ mouths. They’ve had a very healthy diet so far – lots of fresh, organic vegetables, no E numbers, lots of super healthy food like quinoa and aduki beans and home made hummus. Okay, okay, perhaps I’ve gone over the top at times, but to me it’s simple – it’s the kind of food I like, so of course I’ll feed my children the same. Fast forward to Bangalore and Maya has digested more artificial flavourings and utter rubbish and sugar in the past two weeks than she has in her entire life. We have a fridge and two hob cooker at the new place so theoretically this should make things easier…but I can’t find the ingredients I want! Today I was delighted to find some cheddar cheese and wholewheat pasta but when I cooked it for Maya, she stared at me sceptically and before even trying it said it was too spicy. She has every right to be sceptical though as I’ve tried this tack with other foods she likes, only to discover too late that the tuna she has eaten for example is, in fact, very salty, very spicy tuna. As far as drinks go, yes I’m still trying to deal with the sugar overload in the juice cartons but when we’re out and I see apple juice on the menu I am so overjoyed I order two large ones, only for my heart to sink when it turns up an even more lurid colour than a green highlighter pen. Sigh.
‘Nuff said about food and drink. Rebecca’s Re-programming # 2: Malls and supermarkets. I hate these places with a passion I really cannot articulate. I can’t stand being in confined spaces with tons of other people fighting for air and aisle and queueing space. I very, very rarely go into either supermarkets or shopping centres in England and if I do, I purposely don’t wear my glasses or contact lenses so I can’t really see that much anyway and get out as fast as I can. Yep, call me neurotic, call my crazy, but this is the way it is! So, here I am in India and I’ve realised a couple of things pretty fast. 1) If I want to get my children food that they will eat I need to patronise supermarkets and 2) It is very, very hot here. I have always been an outdoors person but it is too hot to be outside with the girls for any length of time between around 10am and 4.30pm. Malls have air conditioning. And bookshops. And play areas. Last time in India, I don’t remember ever being overly bothered by the heat. This time, remember I am carrying one sweaty baby on my chest and have another sweaty toddler’s hand in mine and all I can think of during the day is getting inside, somehow, anyhow, anywhere! Groan, I think I am going to have to ‘get over’ supermarkets and malls!
Rebecca’s re-programming # 3: Recyling and rubbish. Yes, I really am one of those people who pulls off the plastic part of an envelope so I can separate into the recycling bin and the normal bin. Sad, isn’t it? There is no recycling here and I balk every time I throw a tin can, cereal box, beer bottle or vegetable peelings into the normal bin. Either I am going to have to go on a serious mission to find out if there is in fact some recycling going on in the city or just ‘get over’ it again, otherwise I shall be a nervous rubbish wreck after 6 months!
Rebecca’s re-programming # 4: Hygiene. Let’s be honest, I’ve never been the tidiest person in the world and when it came to cleaning the house, I could find a hundred reasons why other things were more important. I have to be fanatical about cleanliness now, cleaning the girls hands with water, soap and disinfectant gel whenever I remember. Before meals, after meals, between meals. Basically, the entire time. The dust and the grime of Bangalore is intense and Maya in particular spends a lot of time picking things up off the ground and putting her hands in her mouth. This is not pleasant in a place where ‘flying turds’ are common (people defecating in plastic bags and hurling them indiscriminately away from them).
Right, I’ll get off my soap box of neuroses now. As I have said, these are issues that I need to make peace with one way or another. I don’t want Maya’s first memory to be of an overwrought, stressed out Mummy hyperventilating at a roadside café because she has been bought a drink with a few E numbers in it. I need to keep a little perspective here. They’ve had an amazing start and they’re hardly going to starve. And let’s face it, a few E numbers never killed a kid, did they? Besides, I don’t want to give the impression that I’m stressed all the time! I never wish we weren’t here and when things are difficult I remember that we are in India and there are so many things I love about this place. This is a country where women wear jasmine in their hair so that the sweet scent follows them all day. This is a country where people wear clothes of every colour of the rainbow. This is a country where dusk paints the streets in gentle shades and the parks fill with hundreds of people enjoying respite from the heat. I could go on and on, but for now, this is the country that we are going to spend the next six months in and grow accustomed to all its frustrating but fascinating ways.
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