Rafael's blog of India

Hi family and friends,
I thought I would write this blog myself now as I probably won't remember much of this trip. The most exciting thing in my life at Cowfold was getting in the car and going to playgroup, maybe Tescos and collecting the big kids. But on this trip I have been bundled into so many different vehicles you wouldn't believe it! The most exciting was a big plane (as up to now I have just stared at them from the ground). But then when we got to Dehli, I got to ride in some very cool things called Rikshaws. They wizz around town at really high speed dodging cars, cycles and cows. My family are quite scared we will hit something but i think they are great fun!! I sit really quietly and nicely in them so Mum will always take me. She bought me a toy one when I saw one and sceamed!. I thought I was expressing my delight & she muttered something about it being my first proper tantrum!
We are now staying in an apartment in Udaipur near the school where the others are teaching. I get left behind with Dhanoo - who is my sort of nanny for a couple of hours each day. She takes me out to play with goats, look at the cows and play cricket with the other little kids in the village. I usually get very very dirty and have to have my clothes changed around 5 times a day!! she also gives me a "Frooti" a mango drink and my Milky Bar Kid. I think this is some sort of deal between my mum and Dhanoo.
When mum and the others come back I scream out in delight. They think its because i have missed them but actually they its because I want to go on the rikshaw. I scream that its not fair that they have had another ride and I have not!! How can i make them understand me better? I am now speaking some words but they don't always get what I am saying. Screaming seems more effective as everyone notices what I want instantly! Still they were rather delighted when I said "thank you" and "please" the other day...so maybe I will say those things every now and then to keep them sweet.
We all eat lunch together. I now love the rice and kidney bean curry. Afterwards i eat a whole gulab jaman in one go. I then play my favourite game - throwing things, balls mostly but anything will do, off the balcony. Luckily the guard of our apartment loves picking these things up and throwing them back to me! I have a nap every afternoon with my "bunny" and favourite blanket as all this cricket and ball throwing is quite tiring.
Late afternoon is quite hectic. All of us, me included, go to teach "evening school" which is a one hour session to teach some basic things to kids who don't go to school in the day because they are working. I mostly play and get messy and stroke the goats that are tethered nearby. Then its bathtime. This is great fun as I can fit myself into a lovley bucket of hot water and stay in it for hours splashing around and playing with Safi (who manages to squeeze herself into a bigger bucket cos she wants to be a baby, like me, teehee!). Mum makes me come out when the water has gone cold or there is none left as I have thrown it all over her.
The evenings are fun too. I get to play with Neeraj, who seems a bit like Mansoor Mammo, and with Ritu (who looks a bit like Tanika Auntie) and with Gaurav who is very tall so I like being held by him. I am practicing many new tricks to impress people and coo at me. My new one is copying Neeraj's laugh really loudly. I watch some of my favourite cartoons, e.g Spongebob, but in Hindi, which is a bit weird! Then something really cool happens. Mum puts me to bed in my pushchair. Although it looks a bit squashed to others, I really love it as its very snuggly and in the night something magical happens to me. I get transported somehow to mum and dad's bed!! This never happened in England but it always happens here in India when I fall asleep in the pushchair. So I am not complaining.

That's all for now. Hope you enjoy this and the photos!
love and kisses from Rafi, xxx