Last day with Daisy

Salutations dear blog readers. Amber and Shannon will be conducting your reading experience of the day.

Today is our last day at Daisy's house in Kerala, so it has been relatively mellow so that we can collect ourselves and prepare for the journey back home. This being India, however, we have still managed to fit quite a few interesting activities into our schedule. We woke up this morning and some of us enjoyed early yoga with Ms. Laly, and others took this time as an opportunity to call home and talk to beloved family members. We miss you all so much and can't wait to see all of you again! At the same time, we are all having a blast here in India, so saying goodbye is going to be difficult. Daisy has taken such good care of us here, and made sure that our days are full of lots of activity and learning. Lal always is there to brighten our days, and to make sure we eat meals... lots of meals. We're going to miss him so much, as he is always there to keep our happiness at maximum capacity.

The first order of business today was visiting the clinic. We had briefly looked at it before, but it was always through windows or a quick peek in the doorway, because it is always full of people waiting for Dr. Sashi's care. We saw the clinic's waiting room, examination room, and the room where needles full of various medication are distributed. The clinic is tiny compared to the large American hospitals we're all used to, but it is immaculately kept and it manages to feel open and airy. We saw Dr. Sashi perform a check-up on an eighty year old diabetic. He has been getting his medication from the clinic for four years, free of charge, because he cannot afford all the medications by himself. It was so great to see the direct impact that the clinic is having on so many people, and that all the money we raised can truly be used for the greater good, such as the welfare of people like the diabetic we saw.

The rest of the day was pretty relaxed, most of us hunkered down and did homework, with math being the subject of choice. Ms. Laly was also putting henna onto our hands, and her handiwork is amazing. Some of us had also bought henna yesterday, and were inspired to decorate other parts of our bodies as well. There was also much fawning over Rosie, as she is as cute as a button, but much smarter. Today, Shannon taught her how to sit, lay down, and come. Which wasn't a difficult task because she is very bright and willing...but only if you have treats.

Some of us went to join in the cricket game, and others are still relaxing. Since this our last day at Daisy's, we might not be able to post again before we get back home. So don't worry, we're all still alive and well. :)

Thank you to everyone who has read our posts and followed our progress on this trip, and especially thanks to everyone who has commented. Every day Ms. Keeton reads the comments to us, and it makes us so glad that you're all thinking of us. Thank you to everyone to has contributed to making this trip so incredible and unique, and special thanks to all of our parents and family members, we love you and miss you.

We'll see you all soon!

- Amber and Shannon

P.S. Please remember to bring warm jackets and blankets for all of us new-found cold blooded creatures, the icy air will be a definite shock to the system!