Alien

It feels alien to me; being here.  Sitting on D&V’s balcony, I’m surrounded by date palms, unfamiliar plants and exotic flowers.  The transition from cold to warm, took only a matter of hours. It’s taking a while for this to become the new normal.

We caught up with Varnika’s family last night.  Her mother, brother, aunt and cousins have arrived from Delhi.  Swimming in a hotel pool as the sun went down and then a walk along the beach - in the dark - to a restaurant (where everyone knows Dan’s name) for dinner.

Anniemay and I are still getting used to the transition; I think about my Dad who came to India in 1941.  By sea and with a stop in Durban.  I guess he was ready for it by the time he arrived.

Although we were here last year and I had spent a couple of months working in Delhi in 1988, the noise, chaos, and colour still has the power to shock the senses.

There are a couple of extras from last night, including Dan's two mums.

And if you haven’t already guessed, it’s the headlamp cluster form Varnika’s new motor scooter.