Together Again!

The last time our family was altogether was in December 2002, when Elishba and Joe got married. Jess and Ishaaq came back from Australia to attend the wedding within six months of them going there.
That was the last time Elishba and Ishaaq saw each other--four and a half years ago. Roshini and I had been praying for some time that we would be able to have the whole family together this year. We're so glad that God has enabled that.

Elishba and Joe arrived on June 29th night. Pam and Dave came over to see Elishba and Joe. They met Joe for the first time. After their visit, we went out for lunch and a drive around so that Elishba could see live kangaroos in the wild and she did!
Ishaaq teased Elishba all the time. Says he has to make up for four and a half years of not being able to tease her.

Brother Arrives

Roshini's brother Appu and his wife Usha arrived on Thursday, 28th June. Appu used to be a captain in the merchant navy. We came across a little stall selling seamen's stuff and there were caps for various officers. There were caps for "captain" and "skipper." But the one we picked for him reads "Ancient Mariner." Don't you think the cap fits him?

We went Ru and Anand's for lunch, to spend time with Usha and Appu. Ishaaq worked from "home" by bringing his laptop along and using the study where Anand was also working from home. Ru had to go to office since she is the Financial Controller for YMCA Victoria and since it was the end of year had to go in to office and we were able to see her only in the evening when she returned from work

Enjoying Menopause

On Monday, June 25th, evening Roshini went with Pam, Jessica's mother, to see "Menopause The Musical." It was created by Florida woman, Jeanie Linders, after a bottle of wine and "a hot flush" when she muttered "Why didn't my mother tell me about this?" Roshini and Pam went with other women from the church to enjoy a humourous show about what used to be a most unfunny topic.

The show featured four characters – an ex-hippie earth mother, a high-powered executive, a conservative country mouse, and an ageing soap star – have little in common apart from their time of life. But they find sisterhood and solidarity in their common menopausal sufferings.

The show is set in a large department store where the women fight over sale lingerie, have beauty treatments and make desperate unscheduled trips to the loo.

The strong characterisation more than compensates for the fact that there's no plot; this show is all about the symptoms (night sweats, insomnia, hot flushes, forgetfulness, incontinence) and the well known songs from the ’60s (when women who are now menopausal were still just teenagers) rewritten as menopause laments.

The show ended with a dance during which the audience was invited to join the players on stage. Pam dragged Roshini on to the stage for that. This morning when I asked them to do their dance steps for a picture they refused.

As for me, I'm waiting for someone to do a show called "Womenopause." Who says men don't suffer when...

Ru and Anand's Home on Sunday

After attending church on Sunday (24th), we went for lunch to Ru and Anand's home.
Ru cooks well and so we had a terrific meal of string hoppers, with chicken and prawns and vegetables.

Her friend from childhood days in Sri Lanka Suri is working in Melbourne after studying here. She came late for lunch and we waited to have dessert with her. She brought a trifle pudding and Ru also had some ice cream available. Plus there were chocolates that Anand had brought back from the US of A. In the picture the Kollemvarieth gang presently in Melbourne are looking at pictures of all the Kollemvariethites whom Anand saw in the US, while Jess kept Suri company. Ru was busy in the kitchen. (I'm adding a picture of Ru from another context or she will have something to say about being cut out of the picture. It was just that everybody was always here and there -- except when we sat down for lunch -- and so i could never get a picture of all together).

Victoria Market on Saturday, June 23rd

Ishaaq went with Jess to the post office to put in his application for an Australian passport. After they came back, we went to the Victoria Market. This is a cheap market with makeshift stalls of all kinds of stuff--clothing, shoes, kitchenware, decorations. Jess tried out a "swing chair" (can't think what else it could be called) and gave Ishaaq a hint that she wants a hammock for her birthday.

The fruit and vegetable section of this market transported us right back to vegetable markets in India (except that there were no cows roaming around). The shopkeepers were all shouting out what bargains each of them had in their shops.

Reading to a Cat and Dog

Jess and Ishaaq have a cat and a dog. The cat goes by the unique name Puss and the dog goes by Bernie. Puss was there before Bernie came. (Bernie wasn't there last year when we came to Melbourne). Bernie is absolutely besotted by Puss and everyday spends time just going up to her and staring at her. Puss couldn't be bothered. Bernie literally stalks her.

Puss is quite different from cats we've known. She just climbs into one's lap to be petted. Noticed it last time we were here when she came to me to be petted while everyone else had gone out on an errand. Now she does that almost every night with me after others have gone to bed.

We're Now in China!

In case you've been looking for us, just wanted you to know that we're now in China. Bought a jacket and special pillow. Made in China. Everything we see in the shops is made in China. We never thought that we would be able to go to China just by visiting shops here.

The Bible I brought along from India was a gift sent to me from the US of A. Printed in China. Imagine that! A country where Marxist philosophy ruled and expelled missionaries and the church had to go underground. While Communists rule and still advocate atheism China prints Bibles!

Protected!

On Monday, 18th, Ishaaq was late going to work, but came back two hours after setting out in the morning. There was a shooting at city centre. A man was physically abusing a woman--dragging her by her hair. Two passers by came to her rescue. The abuser took out a handgun and shot them and the woman. One man died, and the other man and the woman were taken to a hospital in a critical condition. After shooting, the man dumped the handgun and escaped into the Rialto Building, which is where Ishaaq's office is situated. So the building was cordoned off. Those who were in the building were unable to leave and those who were waiting to get in were not able to. Earlier we were shaking our heads and clucking about Ishaaq being late for work, afterwards we were all glad that he was late or we would have been worried about his welfare. After getting back he worked from home.

Emerge Festival 2007

On Sunday, June 17, after church we went with Ishaaq, Pam and David to the EMERGE FESTIVAL 2007, presented by Multicultural Arts Victoria, celebrating refugee and emerging cultures in Victoria. We ate at the food court and visited the stalls of handicrafts and watched some belly dancers and heard two Afghani musicians play music on something like a banjo and tablas and sounding a lot like Indian music.

Another from Lucknow

Rajiv Shipstone, son of Norah and Cyril Shipstone, was part of the youth fellowship at Lalbagh Methodist Church when I got to Lucknow in 1974. In 2000 he, Nina, Namrata and Roshini migrated to Australia. They live in Melbourne. Jess and Ishaaq visit them quite a bit and rave about the great Indian food that Nina serves.

Jess described the first picture as a "Roshini sandwich". The Shipstones high regard for Roshini is reflected in their choice of name for this grand daughter.

Aussie Ishaaq

At 10.30 a.m. on June 12 Melbourne time, Ishaaq stopped being an Indian citizen. Now he will never be able to stand for the presidentship or the premiership of India.He was told that he would be allowed only one guest, but Pam, Roshini and i took our chances and went along with Jess to the swearing-in ceremony.

Ironically, the person who welcomed and led the group of 76 new citizens-to-be in the pledge was a person who is of Indian origin. There were several others who looked like Indians or had Indian names among the citizens-to-be.

Ishaaq took a tram to come to the ceremony from his office. After getting on, he discovered that he didn't have change to pay for the tram ride. So his last act as an Indian citizen was to ride without a ticket. Pam commented that his first act as an Australian citizen was to buy a ticket to ride the tram, as he did take some change from Jess to go back by tram to his office.

Jess had worn a hair band at the end of her pig tail with little dice displaying the Australian flag and she carried a little Australian flag. There was a picture of the Queen at the front of the hall and while some of those who became new citizens stood next to it and got photographed, Ishaaq didn't want that.

Ishaaq displays his Australian citizenship certificate.

After the swearing-in ceremony all the new adult citizens were given a plant. Let's hope he will take a special interest in his own plant.

Right away he had to fill in an enrolment form with details to get on the voters' list. In Australia it is compulsory for citizens to vote. Failure to vote attracts penalties.

Anand Returns from the US

Anand had left for the US on a business trip a few days before we arrived in Melbourne. He returned today and came to see us straight away. Anand and Ishaaq have always been great friends from way back. That relationship continues between them here in Melbourne and after their marriages. Jess & Ishaaq and Ru & Anand get together quite often and do stuff together. We're delighted by that.

Ru, a loving niece

Ru is Roshini's brother's son's wife. I can't think of her as being once removed--a niece-in-law. I can only think of her as a niece and we would relate to her even if we had got to know her other than as Anand's wife. A very loving girl. And she gets along very well with Jess and Ishaaq. She did come to see us the very next day after we arrived in Melbourne, and again on Saturday, 9th. The first time she came it was quite late and the next time we were all going out to see a movie. So I didn't get any pictures with her earlier. Today when I brought the camera out, after Anand returned from his US trip, she asked, "What is this? All this time the camera wasn't brought out and now only when your favourite nephew lands up you take pictures as if my visits didn't count!" (I had a feeling she would say that). So this first one with her alone and without Anand in the picture is my way of making it up to her.

The New Aussie

Ishaaq becomes an Australian citizen on the 12th, and this was celebrated along with Jacob's birthday so that the whole family could be together for the celebration. His Australian family welcomed him with some gifts. Among other things he got a tube of Vegemite (the Australian counterpart of the English Marmite)--a breadspread that has a very strong taste and one must acquire a taste for it. He also got a singlet and a pair of Ugh boots. (They're called Ugh boots, but are extremely comfortable--made of sheep skin with the wool on the inside).

And then there was cake. Curiously the birthday boy doesn't like cake and wouldn't eat any of it, but was satisfied that his mother had cooked his favourite lamb roast--quite a labour of love for Pam, considering that she and Dave turned vegetarians several years ago.

And then of course there were more pictures with baby Scarlett. She steals the show, but soon she is to have competition with Nat expecting her second baby in October.

The Birthday Boy

Birthday boy jacob is with his back to the wall in the first picture. On his left is Sam's wife Nat.

Sam is the one holding the cake for Jacob to blow out the candle and Bonnie is seated on Jacob's right. Pam is seen standing.