Kharang and the Children’s Village

I wrote this yesterday, and returned last night to Shillong. 

Greetings from a small village in the Khasi Hills. Yesterday I visited our Unitarian Children's Village and had fun playing with the children. This morning I am sitting in the sunshine looking off at a view of a lovely wooded valley with nice rolling hills beyond.

 My internet is slow here. But I can paint a few pictures with words, and try to attach a few pictures. 

The house is big with a number of bedrooms. But the kitchen is old fashioned with a fireplace to cook on. They also have a two-burner propane cook-top. But no running water in the kitchen. People sitting on little short stools only 4 inches off the ground—it's like a support for squatting. And there is a short table to match the hiring of the stools. It makes stirring pots on the fire easy! There is always water boiling for drinking, and lots of gardens with fresh vegetables to eat. The meals will be rice and vegetable soup poured over top. Sometimes some potatoes fried with turmeric as well, or an egg or piece of meat. Morning, lunch and dinner. But it is tasty and nutritious! 

It was cold here last night, almost down to freezing. And I was thankful for the Kitchen fire to keep me warm, and thick blankets for my bed! But now with the sunshine it's up to the high 50's I'd guess, and it's lovely to sit in the sunshine and soak it in. 

After I ate breakfast, I wandered about taking it all in, and enjoyed watching a watching a girl peel turnips and squash she had just picked straight over the edge of a wall down onto the heads of a couple very happy black pigs, who were grunting with joy. (Picture a steep hillside behind the house, so the pigs are one level down from where she squatted and peeled her veggies.