Tag: Football

India – Part One of many

India…an Extra Sensory Experience.

I’m still processing our recent trip to India, trying to use words to describe our experience and going through over a thousand pictures. India…on the other side of the world…right now 11 ½ hours difference in time. We went to visit our son and his wife and two children, to get a glimpse of their lives in India and it was an amazing trip.

A sitting room in our son’s house with a world wall map. See India – olive green in right third of map

First impressions of India is it’s chaotic and crowded. 1.5 billion people live in India, a country the size of five Texas’. The traffic…unbelievable…no rules on the road… just go! And honk! The noise level with the honking is constant. There can be cows in the streets, and wild dogs, people, cars and more motorcycles than cars. There are no sidewalks to take a leisurely stroll except in some gated communities. There are extremes…the wealthy and the poor. The outsides versus the insides…outside looking dirty, inside can be a whole different feel.

A bridge lined with wonderful art.

There is public art everywhere…on bridge pillars and buildings and bridges…not graffiti…but apparently the government pays artists to paint in public spaces. It’s nice. The electrical systems one sees exposed looks like a bowl of spaghetti…how anyone can figure it out is beyond me. There is garbage all around.

A beautiful sports complex where our grandson goes for football (soccer) practice.

The people are beautiful…darker skin tones, women in beautiful, and colorful saris and Kurtis, men with their full head of black hair. People living like us; folks with jobs, families they love, shopping, eating, their children in school and sports, parents going to practices and games…And that is what we enjoyed most of our trip…being a part of our son’s family activities, to see a slice of their lives in India, along with traveling and discovering other parts of India with them.

A fun meal served on a banana leaf.

The foods are tasty and spicy and inexpensive. On our trip to the state of Kerala in the SW part of India we ate out a lot because we were traveling. At their home was a mixture of more traditional American fare or Indian. 

The 2nd floor balcony for morning coffee.

I anticipated heat and humidity, and smog, but we were pleasantly surprised with mild temperatures, low humidity and many sunny days without smog for three weeks (one day of rain). Our son’s house had a second-floor balcony where we could sit outside and drink our morning coffee every day we were there. It was delightful.

I’ll stop here for this first post…much more to come.

Football

Image result for minnesota viking free clip art

I normally don’t watch football but I think many Minnesotans who normally don’t watch football are, like me, watching the games leading up to the Super Bowl, especially since our hometown team, the Vikings, are doing so well.

After a long walk through the Carleton Arb, as beautiful snow gently fell (like walking in a snow globe) we settled in and watched the Vikings play against the New Orleans Saints. I was surprised at how engaged I was. When I thought the game was over, because the Vikings were behind 2 points and only 10 seconds left on the clock, all of a sudden the Minnesota Vikings got a touchdown and won the game! I don’t know enough about football to use football language, all I know is that it was a WOW moment.

When interviewed, the quarter back Case Keenum said the best three moments in his life were giving is life to Jesus, marrying his wife and that touchdown throw!

The Vikings play another game next weekend which will determine if the they will play in the Super Bowl… on their own turf… in the U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis.

Go Vikings!