Friday--one full week after meeting Tom--was a wonderful day, incredibly relaxing in almost every way! To read what I wrote about the day on the actual day, click here. It started with a sleep-in for me and Rex while Tom and the daddy went to get breakfast. Food times have always been some of Tom's favorites, ever since the very beginning. :)
VID00059 from Hoffbeauty on Vimeo.
As you can see from the above video, Tom was very sleepy, so after swimming, he and Daddy took a nap, while Rex and I walked to the mall to grab lunch and do a little needed shopping. It was so nice to have everything we could need right there just a short walk away.
In order to get back into the hotel, attached to the mall, we had to go through a metal detector again. Each time we entered the hotel, we walked through security...it was obvious that the hotel staff was very serious about ensuring the safety of their guests. (Sometimes a little too serious??! Keep reading...) Rex and I had gotten our lunch to go and headed to eat at--where else?--the pool! We just couldn't get enough of that place. There was a deck attendant who would come around and serve drinks...we were so spoiled--and so thankful! That afternoon, we met some other Americans who were there, so that was interesting...it is amazing how bonded you feel to other Americans when you haven't seen another for over a week, despite how different your lives may be. I remember feeling the same way years ago when we were traveling in Wales. We met a guy from Missouri at a pub who was there for some tree-climbing competition, and we sat and talked to him and his girlfriend for an hour! These folks were from South Carolina and were dear people who were so excited about our reason for being in India.
More swimming and bonding for Rex and L and then eventually, Hoffbeast and Tom made their way out to the pool, and we switched places so that Rex and I could rest. But not before the Hub could tell me about the little adventure that happened inside the hotel while we were enjoying the beautiful outdoors.
Hoffbeast was just rousing from his nap and was still feeling quite groggy as a Indian-accented voice sounded in the distance saying something like, "Please stay in your room. The hotel is being attacked by terrorists." being repeated over and over. What do you do when a voice is telling you to stay put? You go check out what's happening! As there were no panicked sounds and nothing else happening besides a recorded voice being repeated (which eventually stopped), Hoffbeast decided to venture out and go change some money in the lobby. He stepped out, looked up and down the hall, saw nothing except some other guests doing the same thing, and walked to the elevator. While standing at the elevator, he and the other guests were looking at each other, and finally someone said, "Did you hear that a few minutes ago?" They all then talked about it on the way down and exited to a completely normal-looking, business-as-usual lobby. When he handed his money to the front desk clerk, Hoffbeast questioned, "So....I heard an announcement earlier about terrorists?" "Oh, that was just a test of our emergency system. No problem. You are very safe!"
That would have been good information to have had before the announcement was made. It's a good thing my calm husband was napping at that time and not me....I would have been freaking out!
At some point post-terror-drill, we found ourselves in one of the hotel common areas....if you know Tom, you know that the infectious laugh you hear here is still a commonly-heard sound around our house. Love it! I also love hearing his little voice speaking in Oriya on these videos. No idea what he says, but it sure is cute, and no doubt now that his language ability there contributed to his quick-learning of English once he got home.
VID00061 from Hoffbeauty on Vimeo.
I'm not exactly sure when, but I did have one important order of business for this day, and that was to secure us an appointment at the US Embassy for our visa interviews. It took me an hour on the phone, but I finally was able to secure appointments for us on Tuesday morning after realizing that--another glitch--Monday was Memorial Day in the United States, meaning that Embassies all over the world are closed on that day. I can't remember now exactly which day our flights had originally been scheduled to leave India, but I believe that we were hoping to leave Monday night and be home and back in our own beds by Wednesday night. Rex would then be able to attend his last two days of 3rd grade and report to his class all about our trip. So the hardest part of this news was realizing that we really needed to split up to ensure that Rex would be able to get home that week....we really felt like it was important for him to have some closure on the school year and finish it up with his peers.
After making sure that Hoffbeast wasn't required to appear at the Embassy (since I had been the primary applicant on Tom's behalf), we decided that Rex and the Daddy would leave India on Tuesday, fly into Chicago, and our intern Noel would pick them up. Tom and I would stay 'til Wednesday, fly to Indianapolis, and spend a few days with my family before driving our car home. It was a good plan, and I'm so glad we decided to do it this way, despite being slightly nervous about the Embassy. I had been assured on the phone that his presence wasn't needed, so I was trusting the Embassy worker (Don't worry--I got her name in case anything went wrong!).
That night, the seven of us went to TGIFridays for dinner! Fridays, Indian-style, is different than going to eat at a Fridays here, of course. Much spicier, mostly....but it was yummy! I love the below picture of L trying a really hot dish--she was brave!
After that, it was time to hit the POOL!!! Now, I'm not sure if our video/pictures do the pool justice, but it. was. absolutely. gorgeous. My favorite pool I've ever swam in...ever. Tom didn't exactly love the pool at first, but over the next few days, he would become much more comfortable with it, and as long as Daddy was close, he did fine.
Rex, on the other hand, loved the fact that we got to swim so much during these few days. We did swim....a lot. And it was a great bonding time for Rex and L. L was a bit nervous at first, but as soon as Rex would get into the pool, she would come out of her shell and start playing right along with him. One of my favorite pool memories during our time there is one where L's sweet little voice is saying, "One, Two, Three!" over and over as she and Rex would prepare to jump in together again and again!
VID00059 from Hoffbeauty on Vimeo.
As you can see from the above video, Tom was very sleepy, so after swimming, he and Daddy took a nap, while Rex and I walked to the mall to grab lunch and do a little needed shopping. It was so nice to have everything we could need right there just a short walk away.
In order to get back into the hotel, attached to the mall, we had to go through a metal detector again. Each time we entered the hotel, we walked through security...it was obvious that the hotel staff was very serious about ensuring the safety of their guests. (Sometimes a little too serious??! Keep reading...) Rex and I had gotten our lunch to go and headed to eat at--where else?--the pool! We just couldn't get enough of that place. There was a deck attendant who would come around and serve drinks...we were so spoiled--and so thankful! That afternoon, we met some other Americans who were there, so that was interesting...it is amazing how bonded you feel to other Americans when you haven't seen another for over a week, despite how different your lives may be. I remember feeling the same way years ago when we were traveling in Wales. We met a guy from Missouri at a pub who was there for some tree-climbing competition, and we sat and talked to him and his girlfriend for an hour! These folks were from South Carolina and were dear people who were so excited about our reason for being in India.
More swimming and bonding for Rex and L and then eventually, Hoffbeast and Tom made their way out to the pool, and we switched places so that Rex and I could rest. But not before the Hub could tell me about the little adventure that happened inside the hotel while we were enjoying the beautiful outdoors.
Hoffbeast was just rousing from his nap and was still feeling quite groggy as a Indian-accented voice sounded in the distance saying something like, "Please stay in your room. The hotel is being attacked by terrorists." being repeated over and over. What do you do when a voice is telling you to stay put? You go check out what's happening! As there were no panicked sounds and nothing else happening besides a recorded voice being repeated (which eventually stopped), Hoffbeast decided to venture out and go change some money in the lobby. He stepped out, looked up and down the hall, saw nothing except some other guests doing the same thing, and walked to the elevator. While standing at the elevator, he and the other guests were looking at each other, and finally someone said, "Did you hear that a few minutes ago?" They all then talked about it on the way down and exited to a completely normal-looking, business-as-usual lobby. When he handed his money to the front desk clerk, Hoffbeast questioned, "So....I heard an announcement earlier about terrorists?" "Oh, that was just a test of our emergency system. No problem. You are very safe!"
That would have been good information to have had before the announcement was made. It's a good thing my calm husband was napping at that time and not me....I would have been freaking out!
At some point post-terror-drill, we found ourselves in one of the hotel common areas....if you know Tom, you know that the infectious laugh you hear here is still a commonly-heard sound around our house. Love it! I also love hearing his little voice speaking in Oriya on these videos. No idea what he says, but it sure is cute, and no doubt now that his language ability there contributed to his quick-learning of English once he got home.
VID00061 from Hoffbeauty on Vimeo.
I'm not exactly sure when, but I did have one important order of business for this day, and that was to secure us an appointment at the US Embassy for our visa interviews. It took me an hour on the phone, but I finally was able to secure appointments for us on Tuesday morning after realizing that--another glitch--Monday was Memorial Day in the United States, meaning that Embassies all over the world are closed on that day. I can't remember now exactly which day our flights had originally been scheduled to leave India, but I believe that we were hoping to leave Monday night and be home and back in our own beds by Wednesday night. Rex would then be able to attend his last two days of 3rd grade and report to his class all about our trip. So the hardest part of this news was realizing that we really needed to split up to ensure that Rex would be able to get home that week....we really felt like it was important for him to have some closure on the school year and finish it up with his peers.
After making sure that Hoffbeast wasn't required to appear at the Embassy (since I had been the primary applicant on Tom's behalf), we decided that Rex and the Daddy would leave India on Tuesday, fly into Chicago, and our intern Noel would pick them up. Tom and I would stay 'til Wednesday, fly to Indianapolis, and spend a few days with my family before driving our car home. It was a good plan, and I'm so glad we decided to do it this way, despite being slightly nervous about the Embassy. I had been assured on the phone that his presence wasn't needed, so I was trusting the Embassy worker (Don't worry--I got her name in case anything went wrong!).
That night, the seven of us went to TGIFridays for dinner! Fridays, Indian-style, is different than going to eat at a Fridays here, of course. Much spicier, mostly....but it was yummy! I love the below picture of L trying a really hot dish--she was brave!
And then....one of the best parts of the day: the carnival/play area outside in the beautiful Indian night air. Rex and L loved every minute of it, and Tom got in on the action where he could! First, the ball pit...
Then, the train ride...
Then, the strange kid-in-the-bubble ride...
(Yes, that's right. A child was zipped up inside a huge plastic bubble that was floating in the water. People acted like it was the most normal thing to see! It was really odd....but was pretty funny to watch, as the kids would try to stand up, spin the bubble, fall down, and repeat all over again.)
I am including the next picture to show what would often happen when I picked Tom up...
...and then gave him back to Daddy. Clearly, we know who his favorite was!
He also loved L....so much. I am incredibly grateful--and always will be--that we shared this amazing travel experience with Scott, Karen, and L. My heart smiles when I think of it...
2 comments:
Joy!
Read it! Such a good update - that pool looks awesome! :)
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