Visual Aids

So we have finally figured out how to add photos to the blog.  Actually it was more a matter of WD having time to begin sorting and editing his thousands (and I mean thousands) of images so far.  Most are, of course, of v. interesting columns and carvings that look suspiciously similar to the rest of us...We (the family) do feature in some, apart from our role as 'scale', and he does try to take the odd nice snap of us, as difficult as it is - with me usually pulling some appalling unflattering face, M all self-conscious, L apt to perform and W gurn spectacularly in front of the camera. So it's a challenge.  But the photographic record does exist (for some happy archivist of the future).  And I'm endeavouring to set up a web photoalbum for our families to access at their leisure. We will master this technology and if our early efforts are a bit haphazard (which they are), we will become more proficient.  I will also try to add photos to older blogs bit by bit, so do check (if you're interested) from time to time and I hope we're not responsible for any computers out there crashing with the effort of downloading multiple images...

You are welcome to tell us how filthy and unkempt we are becoming.  I tend to wear salwar kameez (long shirt, baggy trousers or variant) as it's cooler in this climate and because it makes me more respectable. We are now having quasi-puritanical reactions to foreign flesh in sympathy with local sensibilities - 'Cover up!'- as well  as worrying about skin sun damage, of course.

Man making chai in Madurai, by L.B aged 6

Even the children are having a go at this photo-graphy lark.  L is our secret photo-journalistic weapon. WolfDad bravely hands her his camera and tells her to go off taking photos of people.  She gets away with (and indeed charms the pants off everyone) sticking a camera up close where an adult doing the same would be intrusive, and her random photos are sometimes very good indeed...I'm going to get the children to do a 'Day in their Indian lives' photoessay and we'll see if the results are worth publishing.

And I've had requests for pictures of the very handsome WolfDad who tends to hide behind the camera.  And I will oblige.  He's away tonight with M (a more successful repeat of their earlier abortive attempt to go to Kalahasti) so he can't stop me! 'Oh bother!' (as W would say), yes he can - you will have to wait because the best pictures of just him alone, he hasn't turned into jpegs yet...  Anyway I took these on a rooftop in Jodphur back in December, messing around with WD's new camera.  I love the ones of M and her dad - they both look like themselves and you can see their connection. M was starting to perk up again after her dysentary and the evening light was gorgeous...

I'm staying up much too late with WD away and instead of watching rubbish telly (as I do when he's away in London overnight), I'm fiddling with the computer doing stuff like linking the photos to Google Earth... L and W were up late as people kept turning up to empty bins, change towels, give me breakfast coupons for tomorrow and then W told me he'd got a pen 'lid' stuck up his nose.  None of the felt tip lids appears missing and after questioning, he then said actually it was just a fragment of an orange pencil lead and I couldn't see anything (apart from normal coloured snot) up his nasal cavity, but nothing much came out with enforced blowing...Let's see what tomorrow brings...