Birthdays, Travels, and Other Types of "Masti"

We had some photos from a while back that we wanted to add to the photoblog, but didn't get a chance to. So, we're adding them now! These pictures cover Jaydeep's (the principal's son) birthday, our trip to Pune to visit my family, and a trip to the Causeway.

~lakshmi

For Jaydeep's birthday, there were two cakes, and a small gathering of family and friends. We were invited to join in the fun, and help him finish off the cake!

Here, Jaydeep's mother feeds him a piece of cake.

Charishma on the train on our way to Pune! This was her first time on a train in India, and it was quite an adventure. We were taking an overnight train, so here is Charishma, sitting on her bunk.

We brought along snacks to munch on--here, I'm eating tomato masala flavored potato chips. Only in India!

The train ride from Surat to Pune passed through some beautiful countryside. We saw tons of small farms and villages, and lots of greenery.

Going to Pune was the first time we left Kadod. So, our first stop was a Pizza Hut to drink soda...

...and eat pizza! The Pizza Huts in India are not like the ones in the States. Here, Charishma is eating Paneer Pizza!

Me on one of our many rickshaw rides through the city of Pune.

Neil Patel, a PhD student in the CS Department at Stanford, came to visit us in Kadod for a couple days. He helped us evaluate the computer education at KHS, and in return, we showed him around Kadod! Here, we're at the Causeway, where we met a ton of our students.

Charishma and I with some our students at the Causeway. The Causeway is basically a low-lying bridge, and a section of the Tapi riverbed that is uncovered. Many people from Kadod and the neighboring villages come here to socialize.

There were tons of them!

It was the last day of a special puja, so everyone was out in their finest clothing. The colors were gorgeous!

Back in action in the classroom. This activity was to write a story, illustrate it, and read it to the class.