Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah!! (In no particular ranked order)

It's Christmas Eve, and I thankfully find myself with my wife and kids at Christmas. We'll celebrate Christmas in Texas, where, unfortunately, the weather is purposefully un-Christmasy, and then we'll travel to D.C. for New Year's. We'll fly to India on New Year's Day.

We know and regret that we'll be unable to see everyone prior to our departure for India. Please know that we would have preferred it otherwise, but time/money have been limited.

We hope each and every one of you have a very, very merry Christmas, the happiest of Hannukahs, and the safest, most splendid of New Year's. It goes without saying, but never should - we love you all.

To rob Dickens blind -- God Bless us all, every one.

Buzz Kill...

What kind of man would I be if I used this absolutely free forum to blog about nothing except monkeys on motorbikes and the pretty new raw silk table clothe I practically stole from some poor vendor? I can answer that honestly...not much of one.

Do you know what I learned? Approximately 50,000 children in India die every year from dysentery...an entirely treatable waterborne bug. I know, "Awwwwww, poor kids," right? In D.C. this was just another "fact" you could read on some NGO's pamphlet or hippie's shirt in Georgetown or hear Sally Struther's whine about on an early-Sunday morning "Save the Children" program. Maybe we heard it from some celebrity, fresh out of rehab and searching for a comeback via promotional empathy. For me it used to be a fact that affected me for a moment or two, until I felt I'd given it its due, and then I went on with my day. 50,000 to dysentery, and that's probably underrepresented. That's likely a drop in the bucket compared to the other completely preventable diseases that take these children young, not to mention the more immediate health risks...like taxis and buses and "tuck-tucks" running over them, which in New Delhi is simply the reason for yet another traffic jam...they'll be scraped up soon, and I can be home in time for dinner. In D.C. these were facts, nothing more. Statistics. Lies, lies, and damn lies, rights?

Everyday I get to ignore these "lies." While sitting in my car or walking to a market, I get to ignore the "walking dead." These children who are born to die. Conceived by parents who've forgotten them to a society that treats them as ghosts who dwell in a world that uses their deaths as fodder for fundraisers or political maneuvering or career ressurrection. The facts were easy to ignore in D.C. As I understand it, with practice these children will become easy to ignore here also.

In the end maybe I'm just a bleeding-heart liberal or a naive Westerner who sees meaning where none exists or maybe I'm just tired right now and overly sensitive. Whatever the case, tomorrow I'll count the number of children who, statistically, will be dead by next year. What makes them different from my own children but chance? Poor, poor me...all that sadness that I must witness and bear and choke on when I complain about being sooooo full or soooo tired or soooo hot or cold.

Ehh. Oh well. Bedtime.

UPDATE!!

You're going to be disappointed, and it's my fault. I purposefully titled this entry "UPDATE" in all caps with two, yes two, exclamation points to get all of you geared up for an exciting entry, tales from an adventurous life in exotic India. I had Dominos Pizza tonight after working thirteen-hours. BUT, it WAS delivered to the house in under 30 minutes. In India, that IS a promise Dominos intends to keep! I did receive my Christmas tree and some groceries in the mail today...so that was exciting!

The air in New Delhi is still heavy with fear and anticipation...and cow dung, but mostly fear and anticipation following the Mumbai attacks. The city remains on "high alert," and so has begun the "knee-jerk" reactionary measures. I'm not saying these measures are bad, but they're reactionary. Life, which is comprised of nothing but work, has become very hectic and taxing, and I've only been on the job for one month. It's great work, and I think I'll enjoy it immensely, once I figure out what the hell I'm supposed to be doing. I'm told this phase is normal, so I'll ride it out.

I don't have many wondrous tales to tell...not yet. I've visited many local markets, haggled with shopkeepers, braved the by-ways in a "tuck-tuck" and I've seen monkeys riding motorcycles (with their owners), but I'm not doing anything terribly exciting in what little free time I have. I'm waiting to share the many adventures with my family.

I recently returned from a work-related trip to Bhutan. The Kingdom of Bhutan is...Shangri-La of Legend. It is clean and beautiful, and the people are soft-spoken and kind. It's no wonder people clamor to visit the Kingdom... only to have their plans dashed against the rocks of futility (the Bhutanese government limits the number of tourists into the country). I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have visited, and the objective of the trip was achieved, or so I understood.

I'll soon travel home to collect Julie and the kids. I can't wait! We'll celebrate Christmas in Texas, New Years in D.C., and then return to New Delhi. Once my family joins me here at post, then you can expect the entries to increase exponentially...elephant rides, the Taj Mahal, and other stereotypically touristy pursuits.

Well, for those who had asked "Where are the blogs? When is the next post?" Here it is...I'm sorry I don't have anything more scintillating to share. It's funny maybe how we humans struggle to find our routines when in a new place...I wake up, I go to work, I work, I eat, I pick up some groceries perhaps, I work some more, I leave work, I go home, I eat, I workout, and I go to sleep. Then, God willing, I wake the next morning to do it all over again. Maybe it's not funny, maybe it's sad or maybe it's both. Or maybe it's neither funny or sad...maybe it just is. Deep. Look at it this way...nothing much to report here, but I did use the word "scintillating" and you don't see that every day. Unless you write and/or edit romance novels...then you might see that word plenty. Goodnight.

Experience Keeps a Dear School...

I have co-workers, brothers and sisters, serving in locales where life is in lockdown, and where a car backfire probably isn't a car backfire, where they have to follow the sound with a self-check for injuries. I don't envy their position, and consider them the braver for it. While India has witnessed its fair share of terror, the events in Mumbai are the first acts I've witnessed from India. I prefer to avoid drama and theatrics, but I will say the events have been sobering and have encouraged quiet reflection.

We're presently safe in Delhi, assisting Mumbai from a distance, and waiting with "baited breath." It's the "what ifs," the "what's to come" that has me thinking "maybe I should have bid on Reykjavik."

This post isn't meant to spawn a wave of concern, not at all. I am safe, and hopeful I'll remain that way. To my brothers and sisters that live with this uncertainty daily, the dangerous potentialities daily...I can only say thank you and be safe. To those at home I can say, without any care for how dramatic it may sound...savor Thanksgiving Day, be truly thankful for the time you have with your loved ones, your parents, your brothers and sisters, your children. Bask in that time, enjoy it, and don't take a second of it for granted. Today, too many people in India and throughout the world have been denied a future with a loved one. We never really know what the next moment will usher in.

To my beautiful wife and children, I love you dearly. Family and friends, ditto. I'll keep everyone posted.

Peace.

Thanksgiving Eve

I'm sure many of you've heard about the terrible attacks which occurred in Mumbai on Thanksgiving Eve. I'm in Delhi, and I'm safe. Love to you all, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Late Call: Touchdown!

So I arrived safely to Delhi...not comfortably, but safely. I was packed tightly into a KLM operated 747...I think. I know it was a big plane, and it was full. I slept for most of the flight, and when I wasn't, I was conversing with an elderly woman from Sweden. I told her how much we appreciated IKEA.

I'm now trying to settle into a routine, settle into a new job, and into a new house. Until Julie and the kids join me, I'm not sure any of it can really feel like home or even an approximation. This isn't an epiphany, but an understanding.

I think we'll enjoy our time here as long as we continually remind ourselves that we're living in Delhi. No Target. No Whole Foods. Not to mention the complete absence of traffic laws and environmental protections. I ate Dominos pizza last night though, and I'm not dead yet or feeling near it. Delhi is beautiful in many ways. Roaming packs of monkeys, parrots flying free, fragrant flowers, and a city teeming with potential. It can also be very depressing. Ultimately, I really hope family and friends will consider our assignment here as an opportunity to visit, and see a part of the world, a kind of life that one usually wouldn't see. Consider that an invitation.

As soon as Julie and the kids arrive, and I reclaim our digital camera, then we will post plenty of pictures...of the kids riding elephants, playing with monkeys, standing in front of India Gate, the Taj Mahal, the Himalayas. All that and more. I will attempt to post regularly with observations, stories, and what could only be brilliant insights. Love to you all.

Leaving on a Jet Plane...

I'm off...to the land of elephants and tigers, of Verizon Customer Service and HMO calltakers, of curry and spices, of 120-degree heat in the shade and Amoeba swimming pools (AKA drinking water). It's been quite the delay, quite the headache, and remains a heartache, leaving Julie, Olivia, Eli, and little Alise. We'll only be separated for another six weeks or so, and for that we're grateful. Olivia was admitted into the American Embassy School, which is awesome. Eli just had a fine lookin' haircut, and is extremely proud. Julie has confirmed that Alise has at least one dimple. There may be a second...Olivia isn't happy about that as she's wondered why then Eli and Alise would get two dimples, and she only gets one.

Anywho. I'll provide further updates once I'm settled. I hope this blog finds all of our friends and family happy and healthy.

A Blessed Retraction...

Well, I suppose timing really is everything. Shortly after "publishing" the last post, I received news from my employer. No, not that the situation has been resolved, but the next best thing. My family and I will be taken care of in the interim, which is great news. One thing I should have pointed out previously, and now I feel guilty for not pointing out previously, is that my employer, or should I say certain of its representatives, were lending a very sympathetic ear, were equally as frustrated by the system, and were working to achieve a positive end within that system. Perhaps I should have had more faith, but my cynicism has been honed to a fine edge...and again has been proven incorrect.

So, while the situation has not been fixed, it has at least been blessed with duct tape, and that should carry us through resolution...hopefully.

The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful...

The Good: The Turners remain happy and healthy, albeit occasionally stressed, largely because of what you'll read in the "The Bad" portion below. Olivia is going to school, learning her letters, sight-words, and all the appropriate cheers for the school's pep rallies. Go Panthers! She's also found her "fast feet," on which she wears her "fast shoes," for which she'll insist we engage in a race, and during which she always wins. Eli is chock full of energy, and, though Halloween is over, insists he is still Iron Man...which he is, but we don't want it going to his head. He's also a frighteningly good dancer...I say it's frightening because I have no idea where he acquired his rhythm. Alise is a beautiful little girl, and so small. She really is the smallest of the Turner babies. Julie swears that Alise has two dimples when she smiles big and wide, but Alise hasn't shown me those dimples yet. I think perhaps if I were her food supply, I would get more smiles. Julie remains an amazing mother...I'm astounded by her abilities, Ney! her capabilities...she is wonderfully capable. Once Julie mends entirely, and is able to pick the kids up for such games as "Airplane," "Iron Man," "Spider Pig," and "Mountain Climbing," then I will almost certainly become obsolete, which is why I'm desperately trying to clean up my act and corner something in the child-rearing market.

The Bad: My Employer. Let me be vague, but to the point. I'm not yet 40, the age at which men are advised to see a doctor only so that doctor can don a latex glove and suggest that "you'll feel a slight pressure" just before checking for an enlarged prostate. Well, recently, I'm almost positive I heard my employer suggest "you'll only feel a slight pressure," but it wasn't checking for an enlarged prostate. I was assigned to a position that really wasn't available yet, but wasn't told that. I was told to pack up our life and ship it to India. We rented our home. Two days prior to my departure, I was told the truth of the situation, a situation that hasn't resolved. While we wait for resolution, I've been told that while I did everything correctly, and while someone dropped a serious ball, the problems associated with the situation, the real problems (i.e., financial, logistical, etc.), are my own, and my employer seems to be backing away from the problems, like an arsonist slowly backs away from the fire they just set, as the crowd gathers to watch.

The Beautiful: While we wait for this situation to resolve, I remain in the D.C. area, between trips to Abilene. Today, after voting, I drove past my house, through my neighborhood, had breakfast at Bagel City, and shopped at Target. Julie and I have talked about how much we already miss our "old life," the routine, the habit, the usual beauty of it all. For those curious, now as one looking back, there is something amazing about that routine and daily life, the routine and daily life that Julie and I often took for granted, that we probably all take for granted. It's only been two months really, but that's been long enough. This delay, this situation, this problem we've encountered with my assignment has caused me some pause, made me reflect on my choices, our choices for the family. We want to travel to India, still want to travel to India for the adventure, for the experiences, for the beauty and ugliness that our children should see, must see. Maybe, perhaps, the adventure and experiences we're looking for don't depend on where we live, but how we live.

What's New?! Oh, Nothin'.....

While there's nothing "new" to report since the last post...I mean, nothing like another baby or a lottery win or an alien abduction, but, as we have this blog, I feel compelled to fill it.

Julie is mending very well, much to the surprise, and occasionally, the chagrin, of many women here in Abilene. Apparently, like many, many years ago, pregnancy, in this neck of the woods, is still regarded as a "condition," that requires pain medication and bed rest. Julie is signed on for a 5K next week...kidding, but I've no doubt she's considered it.

Olivia and Eli are certainly keeping us busy. While they're being a great big sister/brother, I don't think they realize that their parents would appreciate it a great deal if they were running on a lower gear, even for a couple of days. They're showing Alise tons of love though, and that's all that matters.

Alise is beautiful, and she's finally figured out how to use her digestive system, which is a relief. Pun intended.

Alise Bernadette has entered "the building"...

Early this morning, October 20th, Alise Bernadette quickly, but not quietly, entered this world. She is a petite 7 lbs. 9 ounces, and 21 inches long. The smallest of the Turner children at birth, to date. Dimple count: TBD. Mind of her own, already: Indeed. Beautiful, like her mother and big sister: I went gray when she was born.

We'll post pictures when sleep deprivation doesn't impair our small motor function.

Awaiting the beginning of the beginning...

Where are all of the exciting posts, you ask? Tales of elephants, spices, curried meats and vegetables, pictures of the Taj Mahal, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera?

Well, they are still to come, I think...er, I hope. We have yet to travel to New Delhi due to some "unforseen" circumstances, and it's unknown when the circumstances will correct themselves. Who knows, the "Assignment: India" blog may, in fact, become an "Assignment: Chile" blog or an "Assignment: D.C." blog or....time will tell.

In the meantime, Julie, Olivia and Eli are in West Texas, and our third child, Alise Bernadette, will arrive sooner then later. Thanks to this unfortunate travel delay, I will likely be present for her birth...so, that's Silver Lining.

The beginning of the end of the preparation for the move...

Soon, very soon, The Turners will set out for New Delhi, India. For those wondering, apparently there is, indeed, an Old Delhi, which required much needed repairs, ultimately determined to be cost-prohibitive, and so New Delhi was purchased via eBay.

We're now "prepping" for our move, which requires a great deal of organization, all the time wearing pastel-colored Lacoste polos with upturned collars. If any of you need to organize your lives and do away with clutter, then consider an overseas relocation -- works wonders. We've been planning, boxing, tossing, and buying for many months. Our move is now right around the corner.

And why New Delhi? Well, we've never had dysentery, so I figured "We should all move to India, get dysentery, and then write about it in some sort of online forum, like a blog or webpage or blog page or webblog." We also want to see elephants in their natural habitat -- city streets. We would like to climb through the Himalayas, and enjoy tea with a Yeti. We also look forward to learning what it might be like to live, for an extended period of time, on the surface of the sun. Actually, the overseas move is a professional manuever designed to optimize my curriculum vitae, and there's some truth to that.