I am envious of Joshua.  Monday night he took the overnight train to the heart of south India.   He is on a field trip with his school to a place called Mis'tea Hills, a campground up in the Western Ghat's near the hill station called Ooty.    He is due back on Friday morning.    I had imagined he and I  taking a journey on the train, a weekend away from the girls (leaving Max in charge).   The school beat me to it, but I am excited to read his stories.   He is traveling "AC 3-tier" which is an air conditioned coach that has a padded bench to sit on below an overhead bunk.  At bed time the back of the bench folds up to make a third bunk.   The school reserved an entire car for the students.   As much as I wish I was with Joshua on that train, I do not envy the chaperones.   It is hard enough to get any sleep on a train, without 45 kids on their first Indian Railways adventure.

As for me, I flew to Kolkata this morning.   On the cover of the newspaper was a minor mention of a "work slowdown" at all the airports tomorrow.   Hopefully my flight out will not get cancelled.

And the home front with the men all gone?  No problems, they say they don't even miss us.