Orange is happiness! Seriously - is there a better colour? Or is it just my dutch roots talking? I bought this lovely outfit in India (surprise surprise) and I love it! Both the top and the leggings are from a department store called Westside and are aged 3-4 as Indian children tend to be a bit smaller, especially across the shoulders where Little Owl is quite broad.
The kurta or top fits perfectly and has lots of pretty detailing in pink, the opening of the neck is lined with pink and there is a pink tab which buttons up the sleeve (unfortunately this had been pulled down by Little Owl before I could take the photos). The leggings are very baggy around the ankle which is the fashion in India but with the elasticated waist, it also means there is PLENTY of growing room - at least 6 inches in height! The leggings were a complete bargain at Rs250, about £2.50 so I bought 4 pairs in different colours - look out for the others over the coming weeks!
Finally, the shoes are from Livie and Luca, and her socks are from M&S.
Sangam World Centre is my
Indian home, its where I lived for 7 months on my first trip to India, its
where I have returned to time and time again, on my own, with my rangers, my
parents, Papa Owl and it is where I took Little Owl to visit earlier this
year. Sangam is one of the World Centres run by the World
Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts and is based in Pune,
India. Today, 16th October, marks the 48th Birthday of Sangam and to celebrate
I thought I would share with you one of my favourite recipes from the Sangam
Cook Book. I have adapted the recipe to use ingredients readily available
in the UK.
Ingredients
½ pint of red split lentils (200g)
oil
½ tsp tumeric
¼ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
large onion
½ bulb garlic
¼ tsp hing (asafoetida)
2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
½ tsp ground coriander seed
tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp jaggery (unrefined sugar)
6 tbsp coconut milk powder
Method
wash the lentils thoroughly
until the water runs clear. Place in a saucepan with a pint of
water. Add a tsp of oil and ½ tsp of ground turmeric. Cook
slowly until soft.
Meanwhile add 3 tbsp of oil
to a second saucepan, ¼ tsp of mustard seeds and ½ a tsp of cumin seeds
until they splutter.
Finely chop the onion and
add to the saucepan, fry for 2-3 minutes.
Finely chop half a bulb of
garlic and add to the saucepan along with ¼ tsp of hing, 2 tsp of chilli
powder, 1 tsp of garam masala and ½ tsp of ground coriander seed
Add the cooked lentils, the
tin of chopped tomatoes, a tbsp of sugar and 6 tbsp of coconut milk powder
Stir well and simmer for 10
minutes.
Part of
the reason that I love this dish so much, is how versatile it is. We
often eat it as a main, served with rice and chapatis, but it can also been
eaten on its own as a soup or as a side dish to a larger Indian meal.
Notes on Ingredients
Hing is a pungent smelling spice that really makes Indian recipes come to life. I bought a tub of hing when I was in India which I expect to last me for years as it is to be used sparingly. I believe the spice asafoetida is the same thing, and this is commonly available in supermarkets. Garlic - feel free to cheat and use the pre-prepared stuff, although it can get expensive. I often do a bit of both or add some garlic powder to top it up. Jaggery is completely unrefined sugar which I have yet to find in a supermarket. I tend to use unrefined brown sugar or just normal granulated sugar, however the BBC website suggests muscovado sugar as a good alternative. Coconut, the original recipe asks for 6 tbsp of grated coconut, feel free to do that but in reality, that's far too much work for me. I've tried various coconut milk products and I really like the coconut milk powder as it gives you more versatility. Coconut is a natural thickener and so I use this powder in many recipes instead of cornflour.
This
recipe has been reproduced with the kind permission of Jen Barron, World Centre
Manager, Sangam.
Autumn is creeping in - Little Owl has shoes on! And what pretty shoes they are but I shall get to them in a minute. The dress comes from Westside, an Indian department store. I love the colour and pattern and it hangs beautifully. I'm not sure if it is going to work with tights but its great during this transitional period. The only thing I'm not so keen on with the dress is how low the neck scoops at the front which is why I like to team it with a cardigan.
The mustard cardigan is from M&S, its amazingly soft and lovely. I was keeping an eye out for them going into the sale as I thought I might buy it in bigger sizes but it never happened - Marks have kept it in this seasons stock too!
So now its time for the shoes!
Aren't they just lovely?!!! They are Mustard Ruche from Livie & Luca and I love them! I have a bit of a confession... Little Owl had some of these earlier in the summer but they didn't get worn much due to the lovely warm weather, I went to put them back on her as the weather cooled and she had grown - 2 sizes! I was gutted as I really felt we hadn't got to wear them much - so I bought a second pair in the right size!
The soles are squidgy soft which is something I love about Livie & Luca shoes, and the velcro strap makes them easy to get on and off and also slightly adjustable on the width. The socks are from M&S and come in a pack of 3 (the others are red and mustard!).
So here we are - the start of autumn! I've got my eye on lots of new clothes for Little Owl - if you want to see what I'm looking at, check out my pinterest board.
This week Little Owl is living it up in her sari! I bought this beautiful sari on our last night in India so she never got the chance to wear it before we came home. The sari came ready made with a matching blouse. Baby saris cheat a little as rather than being one long piece of fabric, they are sewn ready to wear! The skirt part has a draw string cord so it can be tightened round the waist and the pleats are sewn into this. The pleats have been sewn into the pallu (the pretty bit that hangs off the shoulder) meaning all you need to do is wrap it round and pin it to the shoulder of the blouse. Sounds complicated? Its dead easy if you know how to tie a sari but really isn't too difficult even if you don't.
For anyone traveling to Sangam or Pune, the shop where I bought this sari (and several other children's outfits) is in the Laxmi Road area. The shop is on Shanipa Mandai Road, which runs from Phule Market to the Black Palace, parallel to Tulshibaug and Laxmi Road. Its on the same side of the road as the Tulshibaug Temple near the junction with Bajirao Road. This google map might help, its very near where Cympac Software Solutions Pvt Ltd is labelled!
Now we just need to find some occasions to wear this - it wasn't overly practical at the playground!
Travel broadens your mind and opens yourself to new experiences. As a
whole this is very positive, but it also exposes you to risks and more
than that, makes real of the news stories you hear of distant lands.
This photo was taken in New York on 10th September 2001. Yup. You can just make out the towers. Less than 24 hours
later and the world was a very different place. Several days later, as I
sat teary eyed on Eurostar, returning to good old Blighty, I listen to a
family discussing the incident that had happened in a far off land.
My travels in India make news of events there seem so much more real to
me than, say Malaysia, a country and a region that I haven't been to.
However, nothing brings that home more than when something happens in
places I have been, or places my loved ones had been. The coordinated
attacks in Mumbai, November 2008 were too close for comfort. The Taj
Mahal hotel was under siege for days. This is the same hotel where I had sent my parents
for a few days on their own to experience Mumbai before flying home just
a few months earlier. A place where I thought they would be safe.
I vividly remember standing in the kitchen at one of my Rangers house's
looking at the photos in the paper. I had taken my Rangers to India the
year before and as well as landing in Mumbai, we spent a night there and
did a bit of sight seeing including the Taj Mahal hotel. I turned the
page to see an image of bodies lying on the ground inside Victoria Terminus station. I looked at my Ranger and said "that was the station we
arrived at". It was a station I had used several times myself.
Its not just terrorist attacks though - do you remember the hot air balloon that crashed in Egypt last year? Probably not, unless like
me you had taken that flight.
And its not just international travel that has these risks. I remember
one Christmas in the 80s, my mum agonising over whether we should go to
London to see the lights with all the IRA threats. My GCSE geography
trip to Canary Wharf had to be altered as the IRA had detonated a bomb there just weeks
before. As it was, a bomb was found in Trafalgar Square on the day we
went.
More recently, the 7/7 bombings happened a year after I stopped
working in London. One of the victims had been the head of my department. A
real person that I knew.
The news these past weeks have been full of flight MH17 that was shot down over
the Ukraine. First reports were full of this being another Malaysian
Airways flight disappearing, but soon that changed as it was realised that that was
just an unfortunate coincidence.
The real issue is why was that airline flying over a warzone? Apparently
because that's what they do. They feel safe 6 miles up. Malaysia
Airways weren't the only airline to be taking that flight path, there were others
Lufthansa amongst them. Lufthansa who I flew to Pune with in January.
Little Owl and I flew over Ukraine.
In January.
It could have been our plane.
It wasn't, and for that I am very grateful.
But it does mean when I look at the images, and listen to the news, it makes it real to me. More real than I would like.
Travel broadens your mind and opens yourself to new experiences. As a
whole this is very positive, but it also exposes you to risks and more
than that, makes real of the news stories you hear of distant lands.
Little Owl has got some amazing outfits - honestly she's the best dressed owl in the house! I've been thinking for a while about writing a regular post, sharing some of her best "Owlfits" but I have been prompted to actually get on with it by Ickle Pickle who has started a weekly linky called "Baby's Outfit of the Day".
So here is the first "Owlfit"
This photo was taken in India. Little Owl had just helped to plant a mango tree to celebrate 50 years since the foundation stone was laid at Sangam and I like to think that she might travel back to Sangam in 50 years time to see how it has grown!
Planting a mango tree
Anyhow, back to the outfit! Both the top and the skirt are from Frugi. I really like Frugi as a company for their ethos of making "scrumptious organic clothing" that are designed to fit over cloth nappies.
The top like all Frugi tops, is super soft and lovely against the skin. The skirt I just adore. When I ordered it, I hadn't expected it to be full length (the image on the website was just of the skirt and not on a model) but it looked wonderful on her. I'm not really into buying pretty dresses but this is bright and funky and made Little Owl look so grown up! Its got a draw string cord around the waist so I'm expecting it to last years as it will also look very cute when its just about the knees (which is where I thought it was going to be).
If you haven't already checked out Frugi clothes, you really should. They do kids clothes up to the age of 10 as well as a small range for breastfeeding Mums.
I hope you have enjoyed this post and will come back for future "Owlfit of the Week" posts. Now while Little Owl does have lots of clothes, I'm not sure she has 52 different outfits so there may be some repeats and expect to see a few dressing up clothes as well!
One morning in India, Little Owl and I were invited to a friends house for breakfast. While my friend kept Little Owl entertained I tucked into dosas and coconut chutney. It was the first time I had had home made dosas (rather than at a restaurant) and they didn't taste or look that different to English pancakes so I thought I might give them a go. But first, I needed to learn how to make the chutney!
My friend insisted that it wasn't too difficult and so I decided to give it a go!
Here is the recipe she sent:
Half a fresh coconut
5 green chillies
Fresh coriander
Salt (for taste)
Tamarind (little)
Jaggery (very little)
Grind all the above ingredients.
Heat a pan with 2 tablespoons of cooking oil.
Once the oil is hot, put a pinch of mustard seeds and then add the grinded chutney.
Stir it well and its ready to eat.
My first challenge was to find all of the ingredients.
The coconut, chillies and coriander were easy to find.
Jaggery is completely unrefined sugar that is used in a lot of Indian cooking. I have yet to find any in my local supermarkets and so have substituted with brown sugar.
I was pleased to find some tamarind paste in Sainsbury's which consisted of 80% tamarind paste and the remaining made of sunflower oil, water and white wine vinegar.
Before you can grind the ingredients you first have to crack the coconut - find out how here!
So grinding...
I figured this could be done with a blender and so borrowed one... I tried every blade it had...
But try as I might it never made a smooth paste.
In the end I admitted defeat, and added the mixture to the pan with the oil and mustard seeds.
I'll tell you what - it might not look like the gorgeous chutney that I was services but it tasted delicious!
Now I've just got to work on finding a way to grind coconut - all suggestions welcome!
Maher, which means Mother's House in Marathi (the local language in Pune) is one of the many Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) that Sangam World Centre works with.
I have visited Maher a few times before, but probably not in the last 10 years as its a little way out of Pune and takes about an hour to get there which is quite some journey in a rickshaw! Luckily this time Sangam had laid on a bus for us.
I was really pleased when we arrived to discover Sister Lucy, the founder of Maher was there. Sister Lucy is an amazing woman who has worked hard to support women and children who have become destitute.
When Sr Lucy was living in a convent, a young woman came to her, 7 months pregnant and asked for help, for shelter in the convent as she believed her husband was going to kill her so he could take another wife. Sr Lucy did not have the authority to take the woman in and didn't know what to do to help. She asked the woman to come back the next day, giving Sister Lucy the opportunity to ask others for advice on what help she could offer.
That night, Sister Lucy heard screams and rushed out into the streets to find out what was happening. A crowd of people had done the same, and they found a young woman who had been set on fire. It was the same woman who had asked Sr Lucy for help earlier that day. Sr Lucy went with the young woman to hospital but she was too badly burnt, she couldn't be saved. They performed a C-section but the baby had suffered from the heat of the flames and had died.
While Sister Lucy was telling her story, I was trying to keep Little Owl quiet (mainly with biscuits). Little Owl spotted another little girl playing out of the door and I whispered to the member of staff sat next to me "how old is she?"
"She is 4. She was raped by a man"
FUCK
Sorry, but how do you respond to that? This poor little mite, who was dancing and playing and finally built up the courage to come in to see the white people and receive hugs from the staff, had apparently spent some time in hospital literally being put back together after this brutal attack.
Every woman and child at Maher has a story to tell.
Sister Lucy originally started Maher as a place for women to come to but she soon realised that with women came children, and so Maher developed to support women and their children. Then Sister Lucy realised that many women were capable of supporting themselves if their children were looked after and so Maher grew again to take in children independent of their mothers.
On this visit, we went to their main centre where most of the children stay, but also where they hold their workshops and shop. Understandably, when women arrive at Maher, they are not in the best of mental health, they are not asked questions but, like everyone at Maher, they are treated with love. To help build their strength and keep them mentally active, they are given some craft work to do, being taught the skills if they don't already have them. Gradually overtime, they relax and are able to tell their story.
In a previous visit, I was able to visit a home set up by Maher in one of the local villages. Some of the women who come to Maher are widows, who have been kicked out of their husbands homes following his death, particularly if they have no children, and rejected by their own parents as they would be seen as unlucky. These young women, or girls as many of them could still be in their teens, are unable to remarry and find it difficult to have a place in society. Maher has set up a several homes in the area where these women live as house mothers, looking after small groups of children, and therefore regaining a place in society.
To listen to Sister Lucy speak, is wonderful. When she explains what she is doing, and more importantly why she is doing it, you can hear that she is guided by love. The compassion she has for every woman and child in her care, and therefore the ability to help them in the way they need help most is overwhelming. There are now separate homes for those with mental health issues and those who have learning difficulties. The children of these women are also looked after in that home so that they can spend time together after school.
Part of the reason that Sister Lucy was unable to take in that first woman that came to her for help at the convent, was because she wasn't catholic. Maher takes in everyone regardless of faith, it is a home for everyone, and a place for everyone to pray.
I have written this post to share some of my experiences of my trip to India with Little Owl, however, if you wish to find out more about Maher or how you can help, you can visit their website here.
Look at my grown up girl!
The ten days she has spent in India have somehow made her seem more grown up!
Teeth
No new teeth this month but the canines are now very visible and appear incredibly pointy!
Signs and Speech
These have developed amazingly over the past couple of weeks. As well as new words shoe, hi, up, me and stop, Little Owl has a new favourite phase "that's my mummy" which she uses whenever someone asks her name or tries to engage her in conversation such as "are they your shoes?" to which Little Owl replies "that's my mummy's" picking up my shoes. We've even started to have small conversations, but I have been so caught up in them that I have forgotten to write them down afterwards! Must do better!
What's new?
Little Owl's hair has started to thicken up, its still very short but her scalp is no longer visible which is great news!
Swimming is going from strength to strength, she is more confident with 4 floats and I think is ready to try 3. Little Owl has also started to swim with a noodle (woggle? long tube float thing?) which keeps her much more horizontal in the water.
I have also heard Little Owl singing to herself a couple of times - it is so sweet but she goes quiet if she thinks I am listening!
What else is new? Little Owl has been on a plane - well 4 planes and been to India where she has seen lots of cows, goats, horses, chipmunks, dogs and cats!
I have spent pretty much the first two days within the grounds here, letting Little Owl find her way and adjust to the climate.
The pool is icy cool (it is winter after all) but that didn't stop Little Owl keep asking to go back in!
Little Owl has been welcomed with open arms by all of the staff here, literally, many of them I have know since I first came here in 2002. It's been great catching up with old friends and introducing them to my daughter.
Another person we got a chance to see was Tarabi, who lives just across the road (the road which is now 4 lanes wide, each lane made up of bikes, rickshaws, buses and lorries travelling side by side and darting around each other).
This is just one lane. Note how the 'traffic' is going in both directions. Now times this by four.
The whole neighbourhood has changed, its developed a lot over the last 5 years, the houses have got bigger (they literally just add another storey or two on top) and the temples, church and mosque all appear to, if not grown, had a little bit more decoration added to them.
It feels wealthier all round, which is maybe not surprising when you see the hug new development on the horizon, a high-tech complex housing some of the world's call centres.
Little Owl and Tarabi
Tarabi has been welcoming guest from Sangam into her house for many decades. She used to work at Sangam but is now well into her retirement (and her eighties!)
I could write lots more about the little things Little Owl has been up to, the people she has met, but what I'm struggling to do is describe what this place does to me, how it makes me feel.
It is home form home. Not the cosy cuddly sort of home, but a place where I feel just a little bit more like me. I am somehow more complete when I am here. See, I told you I would struggle...
India is an assault on all of your senses, the sounds the smells.... and yet within the walls of Sangam, its all just a little calmer. Sure you can hear the call to prayer (I just love that sound), and the siren at the ammunition factory announcing the change of shift (its a sound that gets you inside somehow), and even the roar of the planes from he nearby airport and the constant honking of horns from the road... but its all just a bit muted from inside, like life is buzzing round furiously out there but within the walls of Sangam its just going a bit softer, a bit calmer and with a bit more love.
Well that was a lot easier than expected! At every turn there was someone to help, directing me to shorter lines where there was extra people to help!
We flew from Terminal 1 at Heathrow, which is all very new and shiny. The first thing we spotted was a free soft play area! Little Owl loved it and it had the added bonus of burning off lots of energy and building up a huge appetite, which was lucky because the kids portion at Giraffe was HUGE!!!
We were the first to board the plane along with a couple of other kids, including the little boy who we had met at the soft play. We were incredibly lucky in the plane being so empty which meant we had 3 seats to ourselves! I opted to sit next to the window so Little Owl could have things to look at.
She pointed at a plane that had just taken off and said "up". I asked her if we were going to go up - she gave me a look and said loudly "no".
Oh well.
It was half an hour before we took off. Little Owl got a bit restless sat on my lap and I began to get nervous about our next flight as I had been told there were only 5 spare seats on the whole plane!
As soon as the seat belt sign came off, I plopped Little Owl in her own seat and shortly afterwards she was given a cake and I supped on a glass of wine... this was better! And that was pretty much it until we landed and Little Owl had to get back on my lap again which she did willingly and snuggled in for cuddles.
First flight over and done with, we went straight to our gate when we landed at Heathrow. Time for Little Owl to burn off some more energy! She headed straight for the stairs leading to the business lounge! The very polite man on duty told her she couldn't go upstairs but in return gave her a Ferrero Rocher. Little Owl was made up with that and did 3 laps of the airport to celebrate!
People were starting to gather near the gate and there was a couple of staff behind desks so I cheekily asked how many spaces were available on the flight. I'm so glad I did as they did a bit of juggling and got me a spare seat for Little Owl!
So here is the big one - an eight hour flight on my own with a toddler...
It was amazing!
Having her own seat also meant she had her own TV screen which worked straight away, I found her cartoons and she was set. She wasn't even that worried by having the headphones. She did a bit of colouring in as she was given a colouring book and pencils by the Lufthansa staff, but that got discarded as soon as the food arrived.
This is the only place where Lufthansa let themselves down. They provide 'baby food' which I was told was 'mush' but nothing for toddlers. I was told it was because she was travelling as an infant but seriously - how long are purees used for? (not actually sure as we did baby led weaning). The staff were very nice about it, but they weren't allowed to give Little Owl a meal until everyone else had been served.
This wasn't really a problem as she's a slow eater and tucked into bits of my meal and then we shared her (different) meal when it arrived. But it could have been. They told me I should have phoned to arrange this before the flight, but the thing is I had - I had the very same conversation with their customer services earlier in the week, trying to explain that very few infants over the age of one would eat puree...
After the food was cleared away, I got Little Owl into her pjs (cheated by keeping her vest and tights on and put her sleepsuit over the top). We then walked down to the back of the plane with her empty bottle which was duly filled with milk and then toddled back to her seat. She sat watching more cartoons drinking her milk until she said "mummy" handed me the bottle and promptly fell asleep which is how she stayed until the lights were switched back on and breakfast was served!
So that was that. I didn't use any of the stuff I have brought to keep her entertained other than one small book when she was having her nappy changed and her headphone which she didn't really use.
I'm just so proud of Little Owl, she really was on her best behaviour yesterday, charming everyone, and just coping with all the crazy stuff I throw at her.
A few last minute things to add but 'the list' that grew so long it multiplied into many expanding lists that continued to grow, is finally shrinking and combining with the hope of being one manageable list again.
I realised earlier this week that I had been in denial about having Little Owl sat on my lap for an entire flight.
This was partly due to the fact that I kept checking the seating plan for the flight from Frankfurt to Pune and on the row where I was placed, there were only 3 out of the 6 seats taken.
However, I remember from booking that the Frankfurt flights from Heathrow were busy and that you couldn't book your seat until check in.
So I have checked in.
The flight to Frankfurt appears half empty but I think that's because people haven't checked in yet. They appear to be filling the seats from the front as people check in. I moved my seat from row 9 by the window to an aisle seat at the back in the hope that there might be a spare seat back there.
But its not all so hopeful.
The Frankfurt to Pune flight has got quite busy in the last few days. There are a few spaces available but every window seat and aisle seat has gone and the entire row I am sat on is now full.
This is not good news.
Little Owl on my lap for 8 hours.
I have seriously been in denial about this!
My lap isn't the biggest, mainly because my legs are short and my belly... well you see where I'm going with this - the tray is not going to open!
I haven't been in total denial about flying with a toddler... I have plenty of things to keep her entertained, my kindle is loaded with CBeeBies programme and there are funky Penguin earphones for Little Owl to listen with, without disturbing other passengers. We have coloured pencils and a notepad. A box of plasters (was recommended instead of stickers as they can be removed easier than stickers). A few happyland characters. Books to read, books to look at. Aqua doodle. And a few other bits as well.
I just don't see how I'm going to juggle all of these activities with a toddler sat on my lap, let alone, eat drink pee and hopefully sleep!
But nothing I can do about it now eh? What ever happens on the plane, its not going to last forever, just 8 hours. I'm now pinning all my hopes on Little Owl turning on her charms, flirting with the entire plane and doing what she does best - making everyone laugh!
Gosh - doesn't that sound close? But with a week until the jolly red man drops down the chimney its really taken a back seat at the moment!
The important thing is that we now have our Indian Visas - actually, in the end I was really impressed with the service - I posted our passports off on the Tuesday and they were back in my hand on Saturday!
I've also started to gather a few little bits together that I want to take.
I know what you are thinking... that's not a lot for 10 days away with a toddler huh? But these are a few bits that I don't want to forget!
The yellow packet contains disposable bibs that I got given as a freebie when Little Owl was small... I've never tried them as, well, I don't often use disposable nappies or wipes but I figured as I have them, then I might as well use them.
Several people have recommended that I take plasters instead of stickers on the plane so Little Owl can stick and re-stick without getting them permanently stuck to the plane!
The earplugs I got for Bonfire as Little Owl refused to wear her ear defenders this year! She seemed quite happy to have them in her ears so worth a go!
Finally my bling! There will be one night where we put on our new saris (yup - going to buy another one) and dress up in our finest to enjoy a traditional Maharashtrian dinner. This will be the first time I have visited India since I got married and am looking forward to being able to wear my Mangal Sutra. My trefoil earrings are also for this evening, they don't come out often as they are very 'geeky girl guide' but they have fond memories for me, I bought them in Taxco, Mexico when I spent a summer volunteering at Our Cabana.
So um... that's it! Think I'm going to be panic stations in the new year - particularly as I might have a new job or two!
Indian bureaucracy is second to none and I was first introduced to it back in 2002 when I applied for my first visa. I was fresh of a plane from Mexico, suntanned and jet lagged, facing a 9 day turn around to get myself a flight, visa and bags repacked for 7 months in India. I had been given some advice on which visa I should be applying for and an accompanying letter to support my application. However the visa I was told to get, didn't appear to exist and the letter contradicted itself and didn't leave me with much confidence!
I headed to India House, just off The Strand to see what I could do. I went to the ticket counter on the outside, was issued my ticket (think it was pink and a bit like a deli ticket) which meant I was to go upstairs to apply for my visa. I remember a large room with dark wooden counters on two sides, somewhat reminiscent of an old fashioned Post Office and lots of seats.
I waited my turn, my number was called and I approached the desk and handed over my passport and visa form. Having got up early to get the train to London, my jet lagged fuggled brain wasn't thinking clearly. I was answering the questions asked but not adding any additional information, I was thinking in straight lines. My Mum sat in a chair behind me, could tell things weren't going well. She had been watching everyone take their turn at the desk, observing the process and could tell something wasn't right. She leapt to my side and said "have you given them the letter?" "What letter?" said the lady behind the counter and I passed over the letter. Apparently that changed everything and I was told to go into the waiting room.
The waiting room was off to the side, a smaller square room at the back of the building with a window overlooking a courtyard at the back where I was to wait until my name was called (no longer a number). Looking out over the courtyard, things took a surreal turn - my mother announced "I've been here before". Apparently, in the 60s she had attended a Traction Rally Annual Dinner on The Strand with my father. This courtyard had seemed a good place to park until they returned to their car in the early hours to find it had been blocked in. They were left with no choice but to knock on the door and ask for someone to move the car... the story goes that the door was opened by an Indian man in his pyjamas wearing a turban who was none too impressed.
I had images in my mind that my mother would be recognised some 40 years later and my application turned down but to my surprise, my name was called and I had been granted a visa that did not exist!
Today it is slightly different. The visa process has been outsourced to an agency and so it is easier to apply on line. There were some slightly confusing questions, especially for Little Owl but once I had worked out that her education status was "below matriculation" and I entered her occupation as "other" and specified "child" it was then just a case of plugging away at it. To support Little Owl's application, Papa Owl and I had to write a letter to the High Commissioner of India to give our consent for her trip to India. For my application I had to check with my parents where they were both born as well as with Papa Owl. I also had to list the countries I had visited in the last 10 years... but the box wasn't big enough!
All that was left to do was to get our photos taken -
put it in the post and keep our fingers crossed that our passports will be returned before the Christmas postal rush!
