Going into town

Today all 4 of us went intothe town to the vegetable market. Pretty unbelievable what we saw. The street was lined on either side with carts and people selling all sorts of beautiful veggies, fruits, rice, etc. I had never seen some of them before and have no idea what they were. The locals used old scales with weights to measure the veggies for sale. Eveyone in the market was amazed at the "fair-skinned" people walking around (us!) We caused quite a stir. I did not see one other Westerner all day while we were out. There are a few in our hotel but I amm sure they are here on business. Silvassa is a union territory of India, not an official state, and it has set up excellent tax breaks and electricity discounts for business. Lots of foreign businesses have opened locations here and that is what has put Silvassa on the map lately...literally. You can hardly find an older map with the village on it.

The trash heaps and just plain nastiness on the streets it something most Americans cannot comprehend. Worse than any major American city at its worse that I can think of. The smells of rotting food that they just throw into piles was rough at times. Makes me thankful for our little hotel here. It is kept very clean. The shops on the main streets were interesting. Each one carried one specific item. Boys' clothes at one store, girls' at another, womens' another, etc. Everything you can think of had its own store. You could not buy shoes where you buy clothes. Electronics were not in the same store as phones. It is so crazy. Shopping is more like hunting!! Ashlyn got a traditional Indian outfit; long tunic top with fitted pants underneath. She looks cute in it; even if she is red-headed and almost 6 feet tall...not your average Indian woman :)

Bob goes back to work tomorrow and I dread it because the twins and I feel so isolated. We are going to talk to his HR person about volunteering on the company Red Cross vehicle and I am going to call the local catholic church and school to see if there is something we could volunteer to do there with the children. Please keep praying for us as we deal with immense homesickness and try to find our way. Also, remember how good you've got it and be extra nice to your local trashmen :)