Monsoon, Monsoon go away!

It has been raining like crazy here. The house has water in the dining room. I’ve never seen such rain. The cab we rode in had water up to the doors and many motorcyclists had water flowing into the exhaust pipes. Most streets in Seattle would be closed with this much rain, but it is business as usual here.
We went shopping for party clothes today. Philip’s mom helped me pick out a Salwar Kameez which is a free-flowing dress worn over baggy pants. I chose one in green with stripes that I will likely wear to both of our receptions. The pants are an odd fit and the scarf get up is a challenge to keep on my shoulders. I think Philip’s mom was delighted to see me wearing something more traditional.
A driver drove us around in the Cherian car today as we shopped and saw sights. He would take us wherever we told him to and then sit while we did our business. This is sort of a different concept for me—someone else driving you around in your own car. We went to the St. Thomas church and saw where St. Thomas was laid to rest and we dined at a really nice hotel (very expensive, but guaranteed safe which Is my #1 rule). The driver waited outside the store while we shopped and looked for shoes for Philip’s mom as her sandals are coming apart.
We met a couple of friends, and neighbors today. Philip’s parents rent 2 flats below their house to a single woman and also a married couple. We met the married couple this morning. She works as a dentist and he works for Volvo. We also met Philip’s Hindi teacher from grade school. Apparently, he was her “pet student” and she still really admires and adores him. She was so upset that we did not call in advance so that she could prepare gifts and make lunch for us, but she and her husband were both very excited that we were there and they all chatted about old times at the school since Philip’s mom was the Vice Principal there.
Everyone we have met has told Philip how fat he is getting. Even though I do not speak the language, I now know how to say “you look so fat” in Tamil and Malayalam because that is always the greeting he receives. I’ve learned that this is not considered offensive, but merely a way of stating that he has changed and it is also a sign of prosperity. It seems to be a change they appreciate because everywhere we go there is so much food offered to us. I finally told Philip that we need to share with his extended family about the whole diabetic thing (his parents and brother know) because they seem so surprised when I refuse the many cakes, sugared beverages and biscuits set before us.
We were a bit concerned when we got home that Pratap was not there yet because of the crazy rain and flooding all around the city. When he arrived home with hamburgers from the local American restaurant, he said that it was only a bit of a struggle to get through the streets. It is funny how everyone remains so calm about something that would seemingly ruffle a lot of American feathers. This is truly an amazing country. They live through natural disasters every day.