Water!!!!!

WATER!!!!!!

Woke up to find no water. Then saw parts of water pump being carried across the compound on sacking. Oh dear! Johnson said it had broken 'again' and was being sent on the school bus to Valioor for repair. All day we had no water - imagine trying to wash all of you in alcohol gel! - and we hoped it would be repaired in the same day. It was, and came back on the school bus, but still awaiting the electrician to install it. We feel incredibly dirty in all this heat!

Had chat with Johnson, and obviously this is a recurring problem, so we said that the parish would buy them a new one, a proper submersible pump with proper control unit. Much rejoicing! So, apart from treats for the kids and the trip for the staff, that is what we are doing with the parish money. I hope everyone is happy with that - it will make a huge difference. Oh, and we gave a donation to the church too, as it serves the Grail and the village.

We took an auto (short for auto-rickshaw) into Valioor to get the money, but couldn't draw it all at once. The bank mamager came to see us and said we could collect it in two goes, and invited us into his office for tea and chat. (The tea was actually good!) We realised that we were invited to give him kudos - not something that often happens often!

We also wanted to buy envelopes to leave for staff and some pocket money for kids. How to find them????? Serendipity here. We met the pastor, who found a stationers, not like any you've ev er seen before, and we bought our envelopes. He then showed us the market which we would have overlooked, it just looked like a back alley with falling down huts, but it was really interesting, and the fruit and veg were amazineg. We wished we could cook ourselves. We gave the pastor a lift in our auto back to his bike by the Chinnamalpuram turning off the main road. Forgot to say before, coming back from Valioor, the scariest bit is turning right at the gap in the central reservation and doing about 50 yards down the worng side of the dual carriageway to the village road!

Water on next morning, but for how long? Hope new pump comes soon!