I didn’t see that coming………..

Yesterday I went to Target – for those of you who have never been to a Target store, let me explain. Target is a huge building/store with everything from toilet paper to milk in gallon jugs to stereos to diamond earrings (okay, maybe it’s cubic zirconium). It is overstocked with items that most of us could absolutely live our entire lives without. It is clean, well-lit, and very organized. It is also inexpensive by American standards. There is a parking lot out front that can accommodate probably 200 cars at least. The cars are parked so that no other car is blocked in and they are parked/driven by their owners. I have missed Target very much.

So I went to my little happy place called Target and I found a lot of things I was hoping to find. Yeah for me.

I got in line to check out and I met Om. He was the cash register clerk.

(By the by, here is another thing that is different about the U.S. and India and I keep forgetting to mention it – when you check out in a store in India – they hand write the receipt and add it themselves – that’s right – they hand write every item and then add it up – often in their head. In America, the clerks use a scanner to tally every item and the computer adds it all up – you get a printout from the computer as your receipt. Very different. And, yes, some stores in India have computer registers – but seriously, not many.)

So anyOm. I meet Om. He has an accent that I think I recognize and I ask him where he is originally from. India. I knew it.

Where? Please say Delhi.

New Delhi. Yahoo.

I tell him we live there, that we are home visiting, blah blah blah.

And we exchange notes on Delhi and thoughts on living as an expat away from home. I don’t think he really believed me at first and asked me a couple of questions to find out what I knew. It was kind of funny. But I must have passed the test.

He moved to the U.S. with teenagers in 1988. When his job was finished he moved back to India but his children (then in college) said no thank you. We like it here. WTH?

He found a way back to the U.S. to be with his family and he is now a citizen. He said it was hard with green cards/immigration and he struggled quite a bit. But he feels that good fortune brought him to the U.S. and he is proud to call it home. Congratulations Om!

Seriously, now I am bonding with my Indian brethren at Target? This has come full circle.

And, not for nothing, I bought pants from Bangledesh, which is right beside India – actually India is on both sides of Bangledesh. So they exported pants to the U.S., so that I could buy them, and ship them to India. Hysterical, right?

Follow-up………

Not too long ago, I wrote a post that generated quite the discussion on credit and credit cards in India. As a followup to that, I thought you might find this positive article interesting. It came from one of the Outreach members of the American Women’s Association in Delhi. (You’ll notice the difference in writing in India – in the U.S., the word scheme would immediately hint at a negative program – but this is a positive article.)

Launch of Credit Scheme for Slum Dwellers

Asha made history on Tuesday 28^th April by launching a loan scheme for the slum dwellers of India in collaboration with The Ministry of Finance, Govt of India and 9 national banks. The Chief Guest at the function was Mr. Arun Ramanathan, Secretary (Banking), Ministry of Finance, Govt of India, the senior most civil servant in the Banking Division of the Govt of India. The Guests of Honour were Dr KC Chakrabarty, Chairman and Managing Director, Punjab National Bank, and Mr. Gautam Kanjilal, Chief General Manager of State Bank of India, the national heads of the two largest banks in the country.

Dr Kiran Martin, Founder & Director of Asha, delivers the welcome address

Also present were the Chiefs of the other 7 national banks, the New Zealand High Commissioner to India, Mr. Rupert Holborow, Deputy British High Commissioner Mr. Creon Butler, Irish Deputy Head of Mission Pat Bourne, diplomats, dignitaries and over 300 slum dwellers from all over the city.

Loans were given to slum dwellers from all over Delhi for a diverse range of purposes, including the opening and expansion of shops and businesses, purchase of vehicles and construction or improvement of homes. 58% of the borrowers were females and 42% were males. The cheques were distributed to the borrowers on stage by the Chief Guest and the Guests of Honour, in the presence of Asha’s Founder and Director Dr. Kiran Martin and other Asha trustees.

Chief Guest Mr Arun Ramanathan, Secretary (Banking Division), Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India hands out loan cheques to slum dwellers

Dr Martin, the initiator as well as the driving force behind this scheme, remarked in her speech that, when properly implemented, the scheme can greatly increase the country’s GDP through creation of national wealth, and said that “by becoming a force for liberation and transformation, we will be able to change the social and economic landscape of our country”.

This is for the very first time in the history of our country that slum dwellers have been able to directly access formal banking services, a process known as financial inclusion. They have so far always been financially excluded, and have been relying on loan sharks and other exploitative arrangements for their financial needs. This scheme enables slum dwellers to open zero balance bank accounts and receive loans at a very low rate of interest with no collateral required. The application procedures have been made very simple and the loan amount can be as low as US$100 or as high as US$5000, depending on the profile and the repayment capacity of the borrower. The repayment period is between 2 and 5 years, but there are no penalties for early repayment.

Slum dwellers and borrowers from all over the city attend the function

The pilot scheme implemented by Asha and these banks in 2008 created a very substantial enhancement in family incomes and standard of living, and a stunning repayment rate of 99%, proving to all that slum dwellers were indeed bankable. The phenomenal success of the pilot resulted in the Ministry of Finance and the national banks taking a policy decision to implement this scheme all over Delhi and then India.

The major difference between this revolutionary scheme and the traditional self help groups is that in this scheme, each slum dweller has a direct relationship with the bank, and can access the same banking services as any other Indian citizen. The interest rate on loans is much lower (9%) than that paid by members of self-help groups (18-22%), because of the high administrative costs of running the self-help groups and the involvement of intermediaries. Also, most importantly, the loans given to members of self-help groups are very small, usually not more than US$300. This is often insufficient to make a substantial difference to the living standards of a slum family.

Slum dwellers are establishing their creditworthiness in the market, are able to participate in formal economic activity, and are joining the mainstream of society. They will experience not just a cosmetic effect, but a very real improvement in their standard of living, as has already been demonstrated by the 2008 pilot scheme. They can now hold the hope of leading a life of dignity just like other citizens of our country.

Banks are making profits based on large volumes, through funds in the current accounts of slum dwellers, giving loans and receiving prompt repayments, and providing other banking services such as remittances.

Amoeba please…………..

When  you visit a country like India, you are bound to bring back some kind of intestinal souvenir. Call mine an Amoeba. The last month and a half that I was in Delhi, I spent a great deal of time with the god of porcelain. He is not a kind god. He kept me very busy.

I finally acknowledged that going to the doctor might not be the worst option. Dr. Chawla was highly recommended and I can see why. She is great.

There were two problems going on – I have told you that I can multi-task my illnesses and I was not kidding. I had lots of intestinal woes and a pretty significant pain on my left side. They seemed unrelated. So bring on the tests.

I ended up with lots of specimen cultures (yeah, sorry it was as gross as it sounds) and an ultrasound and a CTscan. Dr. Chawla initially  started treating me for an amoeba – I am not going to get all the medical terms exactly right – I was in no condition to actually pay attention to everything she was saying. You have a pill for that? I will gladly take it. And then we discovered e coli. Yippeee. Yeah, I was pretty sick.

My kidneys were also swollen and I have/had calcification spots on my kidney and spleen. Whatever.

I know, I know – I should have just brought back the elephant blanket.

Antibiotics have now become my BFF.

I feel much, much better.

And I lost about 10 pounds. So there you go.

Rolling Thunder…..

One thing I really miss in India is listening to WTOP radio. It’s the low-caf version of NPR.

On Sunday morning, I turned on the radio and was reminded that Sunday was the day for Rolling Thunder. It’s a precursor to Memorial Day in America. Tens of thousands of motorcyclists gather in Washington, DC and roll through town. Many of them are military veterans. All of them are honoring the service of those who have served in the United States military. They mourn those who lost their lives and celebrate those who survived. It is a tribute like no other. They literally rumble through the streets. Motorcycles in America are not at all like scooters in India. They are loud and so many together – well, it shakes sky.

They were interviewing a man who had come from Minnesota (which is quite far away) to participate in Rolling Thunder. This is what he said, “Sure, I would rather be eating burgers with my family and having a cook out back home. My grandchildren will be running through the sprinkler and I will be here. But, as long as we have POWs and MIAs, I will be here honoring their service. They will not be forgotten. We want them all back home.”

Indeed!

(this picture is from here )

It turns out my mother-in-law rode in the parade – yes, she has always been cooler than me!

Here is her picture…

Overwhelmed……

Have you ever looked back at some point in your life and realized that you have just taken some things and some people for granted? Welcome to my world.

After about 26 hours in transit, we arrived home. Really home. There were banners on our door. Handwritten messages etched in chalk in our driveway. Flowers in the kitchen. Welcome home cards and presents in each of the kids rooms. Hamburger and a full gallon of milk in the refrigerator. Apples and bananas in the fruit bowl. An entire meal waiting. Ice and popsicles in the freezer. Cereal, goldfish, fruit roll-ups, and so much more in the pantry. Toilet paper on the front steps. Blue skies, no heat, and no humidity. And about 15 kids waiting in the driveway for Bear, Flower, and Angel to arrive home.

Our friends wrapped their big ole hearts around us and welcomed us back. It was (almost) as if we never left. It was clear they knew us well because everything we have been missing was waiting at our house for us. Including friends and family. I was never more homesick than the moment I walked in our front door. It is good to be back. Really, really good.

Living in India has been a wonderful adventure and we are enjoying our time there. But, seriously, there is just no place like home.

You may wonder how things seem now that we are back. Here are just a few of the things that I have noticed/done.

When I took my first shower here, I filled my mouth up with water and spit it out – several times. Just knowing that the water here is safe to brush your teeth with and drink is so wonderful.

We went to the grocery store and were amazed by the variety of items available. I noticed how many parking lots America has – India doesn’t really have parking lots. I bought baby carrots that are already peeled and washed in a bag. I bought cheese that has already been shredded. And I bought naan (Indian bread). I carried my own groceries to the car and enjoyed putting them away all by myself.

I have enjoyed cooking my own food and washing my own dishes and not explaining to anyone how I want it done.

The smell of the clothes in the dryer stopped me in my tracks.

My kids watched tv and understood every commercial.

I have driven myself and knew exactly where to go. It is a treat to have that sense of independence back.

Queso has given me my scratchy cat kisses and purred in my ear.

I have been hugged and kissed and taken more deep breaths than I have in four months.

I have sat on the front porch and watched my kids reconnect with their life long friends as if they had only been gone for 4 hours – not 4 months.

It has been an amazing 48 hours and I am soaking in every second.

The Eagle has landed…………..

Hi Everyone – we are home – in the good old USA. YAHOO! I am totally overwhelmed by the welcoming we received last night. I will write more about it soon. But right now, I am off to the grocery store to buy all the things we have been missing. My children might not be able to go to college after I pay the bill – but they will be well fed.

Reverse………

If you remember my post on yoga, you might remember that “reverse” is one of my new favorite words. Especially today. Right now I am sitting at the airport waiting to “reverse” my journey to India. Fear not – I am coming back – but not after a little respite in the good old U.S. of A.

I am looking forward to rediscovering America and seeing everything again for the first time. I will be writing while I am home – so please keep checking in on my blog. It’s been so fun to have you along!

Also – I am not sure why – but I joined the Twitter revolution and if you want to know what I am doing every now and then – check out my tweets – @areasontowrite. Tweet tweet.

And, I know, this is the burning question – what will I have for dinner tonight?

It will be a Five Guys Cheeseburger – grilled onions, extra cheese, mayo, ketchup, and quite possibly bacon – I might even throw on a tomato just to get a little healthy action going on. It will be accompanied by a Chick-Fil-A old fashioned vanilla milkshake. I am not sure if I will add on fries. We’ll just have to see.

Humuyan’s Tomb………

If you are visiting Delhi, please make plans to visit Humuyan’s Tomb. I think it is fabulous, especially if you will not have time to go see the Taj Mahal in Agra.

It costs about $10 to get in – yes Indians are (much) cheaper – but kids 15 and under are free.

This is a smaller tomb – not the big one – not yet.

And then there are some cool doorways and doors…

There are a lot of really fabulous walls too.

And finally, Humuyan’s tomb…….

Yes, that’s what I’m talking about! Magnificent!

So it’s worth the trip.

As good a place as any…………

If you have been reading along with this blog for 5 seconds or more, you know full well that India surprises me at every turn. Well, did you know that you can take a nap just about anywhere?

Like on the back of a moving truck? Hold on!

Or on the sidewalk – sure, why not!

This little piggie went to market…………..

There is an expression in the U.S. that a floor is  so clean, you could eat off of it. It usually refers to some overachieving mother who cannot stand one tiny speck of dirt anywhere. Well, don’t try that here….

This is after the floor was cleaned. Yes, that is hard to get used to – bring your slippers!

Why do we stop taking pictures of our kids feet when they start walking? I will treasure these. I know, dork!

Lovin me some toes!

How this is the child with the cleanest feet is absolutely beyond me!