5/31/2011

Actress

Now we have a neighbour that is an actress.
Gaby got the part as Dr Eleonor Diggby and the script is full of long, difficult to say, dinosaurie names.
Congrats Gaby and don't forget us when you reach the top!

5/30/2011

Sheila Ki Jawani

Leya is doing a Sheila Ki Jawani, that is a popular song here in India right now.
Here is the original.
And here is Leya in her night gown and Angel as audience.

Mother's day

Yesterday we celebrated the Swedish Mother's day.
I got a nice drawing, cake, hugs and kisses from my lovely daughter.

5/29/2011

Fire

When we had sat down to eat lunch today, there was a lot of commotion outside.It was a fire in the hotel next door, so we went to eat at another place instead.

Grill

Last friday Gaby and Nicholas spent four hours in Old Delhi looking for a grill.
Yesterday we grilled corn, chicken sausages and sardines.
It reminded me so much about our summers in Sweden, so I got homesick for the first time in years.

5/26/2011

Audition

Leya's model agent called me and asked if I was interested to audition for a film.
They wanted a 40 year old with american accent, so I gave the opportunity to Gaby instead.
Glad I did because it was for a role in an education film for teenagers in USA regarding dinosaurs and with my swedish-indian-english accent it would have been a great laugh for the kids.

It was very serious with a make up artist and wig.This is the palaeontologist Dr Eleonora Diggby.And action!
She is filmed with the green background since the film is animated.
Now it's up to the Americans and hopefully she'll get an answer about the part in a few days.
Very exciting!

5/25/2011

The caste system

To my darling mom,
Yesterday morning I had an emotional moment I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

The day before we had cleaned out some boxes and I found the clothes you and other guests had left behind.

I put the clothes in an old bag and when I turned on the water pump Tuesday morning and was going out with Angel, I ran in to the garbage collector.

I went back inside, got the clothes and showed him that I wanted him to have them. I’m sure he has family or neighbours who need clothes. (I’d like to add that he had bandanas on his head, nose and mouth, so I could only see his eyes.)

He looked me in the eye and thanked me by putting his hand on his heart. It was such an emotionally moment that I couldn’t go back to sleep.

At that time I actually hated the India I love so much and my heart was broken.

Garbage collector is the lowest caste in the community and I don’t know if he was dumb or taught not to speak to people above his caste.

They do a fantastic job, which only shows the days they don’t work.

The women on our street are generally less educated housewives and they throw trash right out into the street.

They would never sweep up the garbage and put in a garbage bin. It’s beneath their dignity.

Still, when I close my eyes, I can see the man’s gaze and his hand on his heart.

I wonder if the caste system ever will disappear.

Love Annie

5/24/2011

Block prints

India is famous for block prints.
You can use them on skin, paper, soaps, walls, paper. You name it!
They come in all different patterns and sizes.I printed a Ganesha on my arm.

Bead party

Yesterday we bought three kg of centre foil glass beads.
They are so beautiful!Then we had a spontaneously bead party for the kids in the street.

A mouse in the box

Yesterday I was cleaning out a box of clothes and there was something fluffy running past my hand.
We showed Angel the mouse, but before she understood what it was, the mouse was gone.
I can't say our dog is too bright.

5/23/2011

Dinner and dance

The other day we had dinner with our neighbour and Nicholas had made these fantastic marinated ribs.

Varsha

Before we left Jaipur we had lunch at Jains aunts house, so we could meet Varsha.
Varsha is Jain's sister, so she is also my Indian daughter and Leya's sister.
We are proud to be able to sponsor her school.
She is such a nice girl.

5/21/2011

Guards at the temple

We went to my favourite temple in Jaipur, Birla Mandir, and the guards wanted their photos taken with us.
There was a second of a camera crises, but one of the priests saved the moment.

Blue pottery in Jaipur

Earlier this week we went to Jaipur to buy some blue pottery to the café.
The ceramics are so beautiful!
It's like walking around in a candy store.
We met this shop owner when we were in Jaipur last time.

5/16/2011

Bad connection

I have some problems with my computer connection speed, so I'll be back in a few days.

5/14/2011

My friend

This man has deformed legs, so he can't walk.
He is hanging around our bazar to beg for money and I like him because he is symphatic and not using drugs or alcohol.
I use to give him some money or something to eat and drink.
It's a beautiful photo!

5/12/2011

Patience

This is India, right. And you need a lot of patience, right.
Well, we've tried to get a meeting with the hotel restaurant manager for a week and every day they say tomorrow at 12, then at 2 pm and then it's tomorrow again.
Today they told us that the chef has gone to his village and will be back the 16:th of May.
Yeah, right. When they say a week, a month is more likely.
So frustrating!

Shelf in the café

Manish is painting a shelf made by the carpenter yesterday. There we are going to have some special things for sale.

IceDream

Yesterday we finally got to taste the Indian made, Italian icecream flavours dark chocolate and banana.
So yummy! Talk about quality!
Read more about IceDream here.

5/10/2011

Daddy is watching

I've put daddy to watch over the dishwasher.

Leya's wall

This brick wall was already in the room when we started to build Leya's café.
But instead of paint it, I made it Leya's wall with her photos.

Bamse

Today Leya received a parcel from her grandma in Sweden with two magazines with the Swedish cartoon bear Bamse, who gets super strong when he eats his granma's honey.

5/09/2011

Streptokocker

Leya still has the skin streptokocker so we bought medicine yesterday, but she woke up this morning red as a lobster. Allergi to the medicine!
So we had to go to the doctor next to the juice man and get new medicine.
I hope it will go away now!

Gaby was going to a wedding

Gaby was invited to a wedding and bought her first sari.
She looked stunning!
But, she got in to a fight with this guy so she jumped out of the car and went to her home bar instead.

5/04/2011

Pork tenderloin

Today Nicholas made this yummy dish with pork tenderloin, fresh mushrooms and cream sauce.
A dish for the café!

A t-shirt and a pair of shorts

This weekend there is a new photo shoot for our little model.
Today we went to the studio, one hour drive to go there and one hour waiting, to try one t-shirt and a pair of shorts.Leya's model colleague Zachy, to the right and his little brother Gabriel was also there, so we gave them a ride home.

5/03/2011

The café gallery

Our first gallery wall is finished. Presenting Tess Waltenburg!And this is our other gallery wall. Presenting my cousin Emma Sabel!

Jain, the djungle man?

Yesterday Jain scared Leya looking like this.
Was he going out in the djungle?
No, he is just vain and wants smooth skin.

5/02/2011

March against corruption

Yesterday we were supposed to join the march against the corruption in India, but we ended up handing out notes about Leya's Café at Connaugh Place, that is the centre of Delhi.
We met lots of nice people!