Visiting Day

Today we were scheduled to visit 3 sets of relatives ( I have a lot of relatives, so it was a relief that it was ONLY 3!). The day went really well and Maya was able to see inside 3 different types of homes and meet all kinds of aunts, uncles, grand aunts, great grand aunts & uncles.

First stop was to my mothers favorite aunt( my grand aunt & Maya’s great grand aunt)

We had a traditional home-cooked meal that was delicious and light. Exactly what we needed. My uncle from Maryland happened to be there, so that was an extra special treat. It was very nice to see my mom and dad catch-up , gossip about old times and reminisce about the “old” India. 

Here is a picture of 4 generations:

Next up, was a visit to my mother’s childhood friend, Suddha. She was a highly respected schoolteacher in Bangalore.Now she runs a summer camp in her home for about 30 children. She is an amazing woman. She has MS and is confined to a wheelchair but is very active with the children. The house is set up with ramps everywhere.

Maya was able to see pomegranate,mango,guava and coconut trees in her compound. Here are some pictures from the visit:

Below, is one of Suddha's cooks shelling feash peas for the evening meal. I wish she could come home with me!

Lastly, we visited my mother’s oldest sister and my favorite aunt, Punkaja. She is an accomplished  and highly decorated writer in India. Punkaja has won several national awards and honors. Everywhere she goes, people recognize her for her accomplishments.She has also had 4-5 books made in to Bollywood movies! Punkaja-auntie is a real treat to talk to and be around. She is interested in everything detail of life. Many of her nieces, nephews, grand children are all mentioned somewhere in her books. She has a heroine named Nina and promised to put Maya in her next book! I absolutely love her.

Another secret about her is that she has a gift to read palms,energies and auras. She sat with Maya and did this. Many of the insights she had were spot on. She told Maya several things about her future and it will be interesting to see if they come true! Here are some pictures of my famous aunt:

My dad had a great day visiting everyone, he was in a great mood!