Yesterday the city was quiet and most businesses were closed. There was a protest quite a distance from here and the police killed 5 people apparently violating the no shooting above the waist rule. West Bengal is governed by the Communist Party here in India and the opposition called for a bandh which basically means a shut down of the city for 24 hours. They do not have official power to do this but apparently if shop owners stay open then there have been incidents of opposition supporters destroying property and stores. So yesterday I was able to walk in the middle of the road to my latest find Coffe Day which is India’s version of Starbucks where I enjoyed an iced latte and sizzling brownie…yum.
Other than that I’ve just puttered around and enjoyed the people. My friend Amir took a video yesterday of a growing crowd while I drank chai at a street stall. It was quite funny and should be entered into the Indian version of funniest home videos if it exists….lol.
Went back to the orphanage yesterday and met with Sister MM who I get the feeling may think of me as a dissapointment. I feel like I’m talking to a passive agressively dissaproving grandmother as she tells me stories about other adoptees who have gone off to get married, gotten great jobs, have kids and make a ton of money. Then she looks at me sideways and says “but you are so independent, you will get these things when its time….right?” LOL!! I love it. I also did a big no no, not thinking I wore one of my tourist t shirts of Krishna playing the flute seductively to Radha and another nun pointed at it with a gasp. “Aren’t you Catholic? You should promote Jesus and no other idols.” I turned red and apologized for my clear oversight and religious disrespect….not a good idea my friends to upset nuns who once changed your diapers 
Four more days and then off to hang out with a couple of the loves of my life…Sophie and Zack, I’m really looking forward to hanging out with Nina and her family…and to sleeping in the same place for longer than a week 
You’ll have to get that video and post it. Would love to see that!
SOOOO- LET ME BE SURE I GOT THIS RIGHT. THEY CLOSED DOWN THE SHOPS EVEN THOUGH THEY DIDN’T HAVE TO BUT KNEW IF THEY STAYED OPEN THERE WOULD PROBABLY BE REPURCUSIONS? SOOO-MY DAUGHTER SEES THIS AS A PERFECT TIME TO GO WALKING DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AND WHY???? TO GET A CUP OF CHAI? GOOD ONE.
OUR RENOVATION IS WELL UNDERWAY. WILL KEEP YOU POSTED. DID YOU REALLY THINK A NUN WOULD DIG A WOMAN AS HEADSTRONG AND DEDICATED AS YOU? WHAT KIND OF A COMPLIMENT WOULD THAT HAVE BEEN? YOU SURE HAVE MISSED SOME AWFUL WEATHER. KEEP YOURSELF SAFE. I LOVE YOU. YOU HAVE DONE AN AWESOME JOB WITH YOUR BLOG AND PHOTOS. I AM PROUD OF YOU. MOM