Mar 7-9 stoves, Pallangi - Little Lilies

March 7-9 Monday Gail was in bed, just worn out and a little fever. Jim stoved with Selvam. Finished the chimney on the previous stove. Bought a set of tools for stove work in the am: trowels, plumb bob, hammer and punches. Tuesday the 8th, Gail went to Little Lilies Creche in Pallangi. Don't ask me were Pallangi is – some where in or north of Kodaikanal: not on the map. Jim spent the morning trying to activate the G3 modem lent by the landlady, and the afternoon stoving with Selvam – a trick install in an existing fireplace. Jim's tallness stood in good stead to reach the light hanging from a beam to untie and move to the stove cubby – the two cell phone flashlights weren't enough to give good light.
Today, Wed the 9th we did the Noah story enactment in Pallangi. Here some of the children wait in the new room donated by Gail's mother's church's woman’s group – the largest room in the school. As we wait for the Land Cruiser to arrive with the next batch of kids from the hill opposite, Victoria pumps the cistern full with the system donated by the Newbury VT School.
Breakfast at the school is the first food of the day. The meals served are one of the most important functions of the school – Seliene, who quit as a hospital nurse to work with the three Kodai Creches, does a monthly weigh-in and monitors for disease – one child from this Creche is currently being treated for typhoid, otherwise ignored. Note the shoes carefully lined up, given by VT area churches. The children would otherwise go barefoot, not healthy where all the animals are free range.
With this predominantly Muslim group, Gail added the Noah's pudding element to the story and enactment. She had thought it was only a Turkish story and custom, but here it is associated with Ramadan's evening break-fasts. The kids were delighted with being animals gathering stuff from the yard to add to the 'pudding'. Here they give a prayer of thanksgiving to Allah for the receding flood and the Noah's pudding – gathered in the stainless steel bowl. After some train games and 'London Bridge', two little ones push a box of books donated from the Corinth Library around and each child picks one out, much reading to, picture gazing, and trading about ensues. After lunch Gail and I leave to visit Ann and plan our coming excursion to one of the two plains Creches near Thanjavur.