First, some updates.
Our permanent beds have arrived and been set up. This means that Dara & Toby are currently sharing what will be her bedroom while we wait for our sea shipment (and Toby's bed) to arrive. After much searching, Dara finally solved the bedding trauma by selecting some pink/purple/red floral sheets. I think they look a touch on the senior side, but she loves them. I toned them down with a tie-dyed green cotton quilt that is inoffensive and soft enough that it will have many uses in the future. I had to go to two different locations to get two, but that's all done now. We got her fairy decals up on the wall and she is very happy with the way her room is coming together.
... and just because we never did post a photo of Toby's...
Things are progressing with Suma, although she got laid off from one of her jobs this week. I feel bad, as I know the family, and I'm wondering what I'm missing if they were unhappy with her cleaning... still, as long as she is doing what I need her to do, and she appears to be, then all is well. I think she wants to switch her hours here to be a little earlier as she'd like to pick up another job after she is done here. I think she was looking for permission to do that - I told her that as long as the work here was complete and a high standard, then I was happy for her to find another job also. It might put me in the market for some afternoon cover/childcare, but we'll see.
As for other house staff, I had my first day out with Mahesh yesterday. He was under instruction from Andrew to come with me to the store when I went to get Dara's quilt, and then help me out looking for a bookcase for Dara's room. OK There is a reason that IKEA's Billy Bookcase is ubiquitous. It is a great bookcase. Simple, cheap and in every size you could ever need. Well, Toby's Billy is on its way here. Dara never had one, just a very cheap white one covered in Toby's old stickers and we decided to leave it behind. What I needed was a bookcase to double as a bedside table between the twin beds in Dara's room. Did not care if it matched, it just needed to be nightlight/CD player height and have space for books - and be affordable. I had no luck in the department store kind of places and Mahesh took me to what appeared to be 'furniture shop alley'. Lots of shoe cupboards and computer desks, but no basic bookcases, until!!! one. I snapped it up and got it home. It is too wide to be ideal for the spot, but it will be great either elsewhere in her room or on the upper balcony to hold her art supplies.
Every morning I wake up to the sound of our (as yet to be named) gardener sweeping the garden. He came with the house, and as we have no issues with the garden, we see no reason to stop him showing up. Apparently some day his boss will show up and ask for payment. I like that he comes early, there is something very soothing about the way he tackles his work. That said, when the tidying is done early, there is too much time for the garden to get messed up by nightfall. At the Palm Meadows Club the ladies spend all day quietly sweeping the grass and picking rocks out the flower beds.
In the last week some other folks have moved in to our house. Cockroaches. They are most unwelcome, but a fact of living in Bangalore. Local wisdom is see one, get the place treated. We got some home treatment, and seemed to have beaten them, especially the ones in our bathroom, but in the last three days the kitchen has been worse, and today I caught 5 of the little monsters in the dining room unit. Rentokil came to take a look yesterday, and the guy arrived at 9:40 today, not bad when he said 10. Here he is treating the outside.
Inside, I had to move everything out of the kitchen, and so last night I put it in the dining room unit... which after my find this morning, was no longer suitable as it too had to be treated. So, here is my dining room.
With any luck, the spraying, along with a gel treatment set for next Monday will help stop them spreading. I never thought I'd look forward to seeing this in the morning, but there you go.
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