Report From India

Sunday, June 1 — Day 6

Namaste from New Delhi -

We had a peaceful 2 hour flight from Pune to Delhi where the only trouble was making the kids give back the brightly woven cloth napkins that they give you with your meal on the plane. What a difference from Pune. Imagine going from East St. Louis or Staten Island to the Smithsonian area of Washington, D.C.

We are staying within a stone's throw of the Presidential Palace and the Parliament. Instead of looking out into a shanty village with an open fire heating the morning's chapatis, we have views of B'hai Temple - a cluster of 100 foot high white marble semicircles standing on end, reaching up to touch heaven.

Everyone is healthy and happily snoozing or in Zoey's case snoring (although I am told that mine is louder). 4 days with Karanti and she has become an integral part of our family. Her comfort level is rising so fast that you (and everyone around you) can hear it. Yup - she now expresses her opinions with a vocal dramatic flair - real honest to goodness crying.

There is a visible sadness for what she is leaving behind since she clearly loved her foster family. You can see her curious eyes searching for familiar faces as we traveled through the airport. She even wanted to head into the kitchen of the restaurant while we were eating lunch when she saw a man with a mustache and the slight build of her foster dad.

It is unbelievable how she bops along happily (99% of the time) with us - sharing a walk with me around a nearby park or accompanying us on our visit to "Cottage Industries," a local artisan co-op where we did our part (and more) to help the local economy. She has a love for food and seems to have been born to eat out in restaurants - a true sign that she was meant to be part of our family. She will try almost anything, although all bets are off on whether she will spit it out or not.

The shine has worn off for Zosh and Will and they are beginning to see the realities of a 2 year old sister who reaches for their stuff and has opinions of her own. Karanti too is jockeying for position and attention - seeking that coveted spot next to Mom. Luckily, she has bonded with me too, but it is clear that Melinda is the true prize.

Tomorrow we go to the embassy for the final papers and then we will decide if we are off to the Taj Mahal, exploring Delhi, or maybe a National Park to look for tigers (don't worry, you see them from a protected jeep).

Our love to you all -
Steve and Family