Greetings from Bengaluru!

My flights were all fine – no problems with layovers or my luggage. Amen for that! In the airport in Bangalore, I met a woman from Vancouver who recently lost her job with the federal government. She has come to India for 6 months to explore other opportunities. We had a great conversation about Chalice. Everyone I met along the way has been wonderful – my seat mate on the flight from Toronto to Frankfurt, the nice couple I sat next to on the flight from Frankfurt to Bangalore, very helpful people in airports, and especially Sr. Deepa and Christy, who were waiting for me patiently at the airport.

My flight landed at 2:10 am or so and I waited for over an hour for my luggage. We made it back to the Convent around 4. The drive from the airport was... well, interesting! So far I’ve learned that the speed limit signs are merely decorations, the most important feature on a vehicle is its horn and green AND red both mean go... Our driver was excellent and I think he toned down his ‘skills’ for my sake.

Upon arrival to my home away from home I was shown my room and left to clean myself up and sleep. What a welcome luxury both of those things were! I have a private washroom off of my room. I have a clean and comfy bed. And I even have hot water! Sr. gave me a quick tour of the Convent and I saw the Chalice office (the Kerala Site’s central office*). The Srs. have a few rooms here that they use as accommodations for foreigners or people visiting the city. Presently there are 3 Germans here for a few days.

This morning, after a breakfast of some interesting things, Sr. Deepa and I went out to get my phone activated. That was an adventure in itself. While Bangalore was sleeping last night when I arrived, it was certainly alive and bustling this morning! I think my life flashed before my eyes as we were crossing the road (okay, an exaggeration, but it was quite a rush!). Back at the Convent we had a lovely lunch of fish, noodles, curry and beans. Sr. was thoughtful and made me a dish of curry, a dish of green beans and some fish that were not spicy... she ended up eating them herself because I loved the masala beans and the ‘normal’ curry was delicious!

The temperature here is very comfortable. Last night it was about 15 degrees – which to the locals is one step away from igloos and polar bears! Today it’s about 20. Sr. tells me that it is hotter and more humid on the coast, which is where we are headed in a few days. Bring on the heat!

This evening we will take the overnight train north to Bellary. I brought a big bag of clothes, blankets and toys with me. We’ll take most of it with us tonight. The blankets and toys we will save for the children at the special school. We’ll spend one night in Maski and visit some of the Kerala Site sub-sites there.* Then the overnight train back to Bangalore, where we’ll catch a flight to Kochi – on the coast. The following week will be spent traveling down the coast, before returning back to Bangalore for the Regional Directors’ Meeting.

I’m going to take the opportunity of having some down time this afternoon to rest. The next few weeks are going to be a whirlwind and I am absolutely exhausted. Thank you for all of your prayers and well wishes! I carried them all with me the whole way here and they certainly made my journey easier.

*While the Kerala Site’s central office and some of the sub-sites are in Karnataka state, most of the subs are in Kerala state. And even though I am in Bangalore City, I won’t be visiting any of the Bangalore Site locations – they are spread out over 5 or 6 states, only a few of them in Karnataka.