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Hi all

Thanks to all of you for always visiting my site, and for leaving your comments. You keep me dedicated to updating my blog regularly, and it's because of you I actually enjoy updating! :)

It’s time for my weekly update, except that I don’t have that much exciting news. Of course, I go through new experiences every single day, but this past week, none of those experiences were very noteworthy (seeing as I can’t remember any).
This afternoon, we (Mathew, Cristy and I – Mathew and I will do the ‘flinging,’ and Cristy will help with all the other steps) were supposed to make Porotha for the hostel students, but unfortunately that was postponed to next Sunday due to some communication problems…
So, next Sunday we’re going to make 12kg of Porotha. 1kg makes roughly 20 Porotha, so if you do your maths correctly, you’ll work out that we’ll be making around 240 Porotha (so on average each person will get 4, seeing as – I think! – there will be around 60 people eating). Miriam, please check the maths (although I think I got it right this time…)!
Plus, next Saturday evening we’ll have a bonfire here in school with the hostel students – if it doesn’t rain, that is! My family brought 4 packs of marshmallows when they came to visit me, so we’ll be making Smores for the kids! They don’t know it yet, but I’ve promised them something special (seeing as they’re getting bored of our usual AY programs on Saturday afternoons).
Tuesday, December 5, is Cristy’s birthday, so I’ll have to think of something special to do that day. She doesn’t expect anything, but it would be so fun to surprise her. I’m thinking of getting the hostel kids involved, too, but I’m not sure if they’ll be able to keep it an absolute secret, so they might spoil the surprise due to their excitement. They’re so cute…
On Friday, December 8, the kids’ ‘terminal exams’ (end-of-term exams) start, and on Wednesday, December 13, I’ll be flying to Bangalore to meet my friend Nish. I’ll be spending 3.5 weeks with her, and I can’t wait!!! It’s going to be so exciting!
Well, that’s about all I can think of at the moment. So here are a couple of interesting things I’ve learned since I’ve gotten here:


Did you know that, since September 2006, the making and selling of Coca-Cola and Pepsi have been prohibited, because the drinks are ‘injurious to health’? Thiruvananthapuram (Eng: Trivandrum), the capital city of Kerala, has introduced tender coconut as a health drink to encourage the population to live healthier lives (NB: Kerala is the land of coconuts).

Did you know that in many Christian families in India (at least in the more rural parts of India), the wife and child both have the husband’s / father’s name as their last name? Alternately, the child could have the initials of his/her father’s and mother’s name as his/her last name. Example: Benet’s and Pratheeba’s last name is ‘Mathew.’ I also have many students who do not have a name for their last name, but initials, for example ‘Shyam K.S.’

Did you know that in India, it is not seen as wrong for two boys or men to be holding hands (even though in the Western world it has negative connotations…)? It’s actually a really common sight, and it means nothing but that they’re friends. Girls also hold hands, and even women do. Many a teacher has come to me and has held my hand as a sign of friendship.

There’s so much more I’ve learned, but I simply can’t think of more at the moment. So I guess that’s all for today! Signing off…