Sunday's Simple Pleasures

Day 2

Today we should have made it to mass, but we were too tired and discombobulated to figure out where/when/how to go.  We had our breakfast at the canteen, and then had the pleasure of trying out the new NCBS pool.  When we left 5 years ago, it was an idea in the making, but really in just the early stages of planning.  Now it is a beautiful 25 m in-ground pool, complete with professional built-in NCBS graphics in tile that shimmer through to the surface of the water.  Cool, at only 25 degrees, but fine as long as I kept moving.  The kids had begged and begged to go yesterday, and it was a bit of a rigmarole to get permission as "guests" to use the facilities, so it was great that we were all able to swim.  There is even a small wading pool perfect for S.  Kids loved it.

Then we met Geoff for lunch at the canteen.  He is doing well and keeping busy with his work at NCBS.  He is invited to many institutes all over India to give talks and workshops and work with scientists in improving science writing.  His steady stream of visitors has slowed, after each of his friends become sick while here, each worse than the last.  He is still in the same place in Sahakar Nagar, and plans to visit Australia every other year or so. We showed him our guesthouse and we chatted a bit more.  He has invited us to his house for dinner on Wednesday night with another couple he is friends with at NCBS.

Despite our best attempts at staying awake, they all fell asleep for a couple of hours in the afternoon, and S slept even longer. We were invited to Jitu and Aisha's for dinner, so we took a taxi (a fancy Toyota SUV) to be there for about 7:30pm.  They still have a lovely house and still can cook up a wonderful meal.  Their son, Ishaar, is the same age as R, both born in 2000, Ishaar 11 months earlier in January.  He is a really lovely young man, very sociable, polite, and mature, asking questions and engaged in all conversations with adults and kids alike.  We had about 3 hours of sharing stories, and then it was over too soon.  Everyone (except us!) had to get up early for the next morning for work and school.