without a camera...

we have not been able to properly document all that we've been up to over the last two weeks.

- diligently studying:

(photos taken before camera died, as proof that I am homeschooling and they are learning. Really, I am. Honest.)

- swinging on the vines of banyan trees in Elliot Park near St. Paul's Cathedral

- a visit to the zoo (I want to write a whole post on this sometime because it was so impressive. Only a few of the animals were not native to India and we couldn't get over it: of course West Bengal has their very own tigers, but India also boasts its own varieties of lions, bears, elephants, a gazillion birds, monkeys, deer and more deer and on and on and on. More than enough to fill up a zoo and they don't even need to bring them from other continents, even! Oh, and you can't beat 50 cent admission.)

- skipping school and going to Nicco Park instead to ride the bumper cars, cable car, train, etc. (see, kids, India is awesome!)

- riding in some auto-rickshaws and even more taxis

- the grounds of the Victoria Memorial (we still haven't been inside yet, but we're very excited to)

- making new friends and meeting neighbors (last night Jer and I had drinks with a bunch of folks our broker introduced us to; it was an ex-pat-in-the-third-world's dream--folks from all over the world here for business/tourism/spiritual odysseys/language learning with half a dozen languages going at once and people hopping back and forth between them [well, at least most of the Europeans were] and everyone equally loving and hating the host country for its exotic strange beautiful hideousness and eager to share the best ways to shop and how to avoid the Metro crush.)

- a Sunday stroll on the Maidan, a big grassy area in the center of town

- everyone wearing sweaters (ok, I'll admit it, the evenings are actually chilly. And no mosquitoes!)

- sipping plenty of chai and eating and eating. (ok, some of us have been eating, but L. has been feeling like this about Indian food lately, and I am getting over some nasty side-effects to the malaria meds I was taking before. I have switched now and as of today I am feeling 1000% better. Phew, now I can go back to writing posts about food--I mean, eating all that good food I was telling you about.)

There is plenty more, but that's a good enough list for now (with entirely too many links---you're welcome).

Readers be warned: you can expect a deluge of photos once we get that new camera.