Filler

I didn't post much about yesterday because there wasn't much of interest to anyone other than ourselves. Meri took the initiative to set up a tour with a hired car and an English speaking guide through the front desk. For 400 R, we got the all day services of a young man named Ali. He was cute, funny, spoke decent if not perfect English, and knew a lot about Hyderabad. He also agreed without hesitation that we could skip the auto factory and go straight to the shopping. I may post more detail about our sightseeing later.

LiJun was crying with a headache very early. Meri gave her an Alleve, and we forced her to take two sips of water every 15 minutes. We did this because we are meanies, who hate her, and there was no connection to the fact that her headache went away. However, within an hour, she became the water police and insisted that I take two sips frequently.

This gave me flashbacks. For those of you who weren't around, Mr. Robert and I honeymooned in Yellowstone. We blithely set out to hike to the top of the appropriately named Mt. Sepulcher, which our guidebook said was an easy day hike. Mr. R spent the entire hike scolding me about drinking water, got to the top, looked at the view, and passed out. I had to carry him back down, in the dark, and the chill and the light rain/snow. Diagnosis - dehydrated, because he never drank anything. (How many of us think I should have left him there? Show of hands? Yet again, in retrospect, A Sign.)

Meri and LiJun bought perfume and jewelry. OK, Meri bought jewelry. LiJun was fascinated by the process, which involved picking pearls and other precious stones, picking designs, arguing with the shopkeepers about size, quality, etc., and getting custom work. She got some really beautiful stuff. LiJun was right there, handling the merchandise, asking to see this and that, coming up with great design ideas, then running headlong into my unwillingness to pay for any of it. She called me aside for a private discussion. "Why does Meri get jewelry and I don't? It's not fair!" "Because Meri makes her own money, can spend it on what she wants, and likes jewelry." Some serious thought. "She makes her own money? That's illegal!" "Makes money also means 'has a job and earns money.'" "Oh. Well, I'm just a kid, I don't have a job. Duh!" This said with the air of one who has unearthed the fatal flaw in my argument. "I know that. That's why you don't get jewelry." We parted with the understanding that I'm a meanie. I can live with that. She, on the other hand, is now fired with the desire to be a jewelry designer when she grows up.

The perfume dealer was one of several set up near the old fruit market. These stalls were right on the street, with traffic whizzing past us while we balanced on the curb to avoid imminent death. (Seriously, how dow anyone here survive to old age?) The perfumer had vials of oils and unguents, and various bottles, and they got to pick which they wanted. One of the local specialties is called "Gill," and smells like the earth after the first rain of spring. Because we are culturally alien, Meri and I thought it smelled like damp mud, and passed. LiJun was again in her element, and very disappointed that she only got one small bottle, which Meri pocketed because the mean adults were just convinced that the whole thing was about to be poured all over the backseat of the car. Incidentally, even though said car was parked right behind us at the curb, when we turned to get back in a motorcycle had squeezed between us and the driver had dismantled something to take it away for repair. Several helpful onlookers picked it up bodily and moved it out into traffic so that we could pull away, and then put it back.

This sounds like LiJun was whiney and unpleasant all day, but really she wasn't. For most of the time she was funny, silly and had a wonderful time.

Of course, we spent the whole day expecting a call from DWDCW that we could come get Vindya, and that never came. Very disappointing. I'm hoping we'll be able to do something today.