Aby's 2nd Question & Whiplash

In India we drive on the left side of the road (though many people drive on the right just for fun, but the technically legal thing to do is drive on the right). The first time I went back to America after moving here we got in the car and started driving on the right side, and it felt really strange. For a few days I had this disoriented, vertigo sort of feeling every time we drove anywhere. I kept thinking we were going the wrong way when we actually weren't. Then one day I felt my brain do a creaking, crunching, slightly-painful one-eighty turn, and suddenly driving around on the "wrong" side of the road didn't feel so wrong anymore.

So, Aby, to answer your second question: "Are you moving back to the States in five weeks?"

Funny you should ask. WE DON'T KNOW! We thought we pretty much knew we were staying here another two years, so we booked our tickets to go the USA in five weeks for a VACATION and Rich's sister's wedding. The local powers-that-be assured us ("Don't worry, sir" ) that we were staying, we just needed a few signatures to make it official.

Last night, we were watching the great Bollywood flick "Jab We Met." Great movie about a girl named Geet who habitually misses trains and jumps from one plan and guy to the next with glee. Just as we reached the climax of the film, where Geet and the male lead Aditya part after he helps her get to her latest love in Manali, Rich's old boss called from Austin.

He said the powers-that-be in America have not approved the budget on our contract extension and suggested we figure out how to reduce the amount (though we're not allowed to see the actual budget--go figure). Apparently the current budget has allotments we don't need, like a giant relocation budget to get us from America to India.

Excuse me, guys, we've already relocated--we're over HERE in this third world country, waiting for you to choose our fate. This is an emotional roller coaster. Wanna jump on with us? How would YOUR wife handle this? (Okay, one of the powers-that-be is actually a really brilliant and powerful woman, but it's always so convenient to demonize those men, isn't it?)

So last night as we tried to process this new information, I started to feel my head do that creaking, crunching, slightly-painful thing again. Move back to America? Yea, way back in February we prayed and fasted and agonized and talked ad nauseum, and finally decided to stay here. But it's been a long time since then, and we're third-culture kids--our brains know how to spin every-which-way now. If we need to go back to America, we can make that decision right too.

We could kick those people out who are renting our house in Leander and have our backyard back. We could enroll our kids in Blockhouse Creek Elementary this fall and ride bikes with them to school everyday. We could run around and buy a bunch of souvenirs, take more pictures, take some cooking lessons, say goodbye to everyone, pack up, and go home.

Home.

Creak, crunch, ouch!

Nope, not just yet, missy. Maybe we can still make this work. Maybe we still want to.

Just somebody please just give me a definitive answer so my head can stop spinning. . . . I think I'm gonna have whiplash.