Kerrala, India

Mrinalini, Blair and I spent a weekend in Kerrala. We stayed at the plush Leela Palace Hotel. There were some mess ups with the reservations and the two of them ended up staying at the Presidential Suite. It was very very nice. We hired a houseboat and went up the backwaters to see beautiful scenary not normally seen on the streets of India. I organized a picnic lunch consisted of nuts, fresh fruit, sandwiches and dried mangoes (from the King's kitchen)! Saw monkies, lots of birds and people bathing!!

Forbidden City with Wim and Kate

Derek in Beijing with BFFs

I took the big kids to Todai, the best seafood buffet ever at the new Solano near Chao Yang Park. Here's a very happy Derek with Conor, Danesh, Etoille, Camille, and Ivar.

My birthday party in BJ with kids

Banana boating in Sanya

This was the first time we got on the banana boat. We were off the private beach outside of the Ritz Carlton Hotel at Sanya. It rained cats and dogs just before we got on. We waited out the rain by the Cabanas and got up enough nerve to go into the water. We used our thumbs to indicate to the speed boat whether to speed up or slow down. We fell into the water a few times and it was scary to be treading water in the open bay. Thoughts of the great white crossed all of our minds.... It was awesome though! We had a guide who sat behind the last person so when we were in the water, he was "full service"!

Emily and Claire in Sanya

Emily in Beijing with Claire and Maddy

Emily just got her fair cut. She finally got the bangs she wanted for a long time. Claire convinced her to get it.

With Sue's family in Beijing

Emily's Party

Emily's 11th was celebrated at home with 18 friends from Indus and TISB. Emily had a program from 2.30pm to 5pm the next day. We had two pool parties, a pinata, a scavenger hunt, pass the parcel, a sleepover and a very tired mom by the end of the weekend!

Emily's Bday Party

Graduation Party

Kate hosted a graduation party for all the 6th graders from TISB at house. Some of the kids I recognize are: Emily, Celia, Max, Shaan, Jonathan and Olivia.

Emily graduating from TISB

With Emily on her graduation day from The International School of Bangalore!

Golden Gate Bridge with Derek

For mother's day, Derek met me in San Francisco. I had a business function to attend to and we spent the weekend together. We also visited Uncle Richard. We shopped at Union Square and I took him back to Avon and stay two days. He took me to his favorite place where they make the best BLT sandwiches. WE also went hiking for an afternoon.

Ashwini

Launching the Video Essay contest at Ashwini. Basically we gave video cameras to the kids, organized them into four groups, assigned coaches to help them with the story board and the kids are to come back to present to Cisco executives their videos and powerpoint presentations.

Community service day - Ashwini Charitable Trust

A group of us took our kids to Ashwini to teach the Ashwini children how to use the internet. As it turned out the internet was too slow there and Emily told me the kids didn't learn anything because they don't usually use email and couldn't understand google, powerpoint, excel, youtube and things like that. So we are thinking about other ways to teach the kids how to use the internet later.

At home with kids doing water color

Emily, Chandra, Aakash and Vicky painting in the backyard. They then played with the hammock in the back. Twas a great day topped off with some brownies and milk. This is what perfect weekends are about!

Derek with Ivar and Etoille

Derek and friends with the ladyboys

Ivar's grandpa Eric organized to have some friends pay the teenagers a surprise visit. The lady to the left of Derek still has a mustache!

Derek in Phukett

I told Derek I think he's the most handsome young man in the world and he said "That's because you're my mom!"

Derek's Phukett Trip - March 2008

For Spring break 2007, Derek went to Beijing for a few days and flew to Phukett with Ivar's family. Here's a picture of a very handsome and happy Derek and Ivar in Phukett, Thailand

Emily and friends at Chaoyang Park

Emily with Maddy, Ally, Chloe, Theo and Daniel at the gate of Chaoyang Park.

Chaoyang park

On the family bicycle at Chaoyang Park with Emily and her BFFs.

The Great Wall

We spent our Easters Holiday in Beijing with our friends.

Emily with BFF in BJ

Emily with BFF Theo, Daniel and Maddy at the in-door pool at th Beijing Grand Hyatt.

Russel Market with the girls

We were shopping at Commercial street with Emily and two of her best friends from Bangalore Victoria and Emily Cranfield.