Sunday, July 8, 2012

Australia: Sawyer cuts his hair, May 2012

Saywer had long hair.   Last year while in the USA, when Sawyer went a barber to get his hair cut, he heard that he could donate his hair to a cancer patient.  But at the time, his hair was just a little too short to be donate-able.   So he decided to wait one more year to cut his hair, so as to donate his hair.


So this year when we went to Australia, Sawyer decided to cut his hair, and donate it.     The hairdresser carefully followed the instructions from a donation website (bundle the locks of hair; tie them off, then cut).


I encouraged Sawyer to cut his hair.   But actually, when I witnessed his hair being chopped off, somehow it made me cry!  (Sawyer, didn't cry, though.)


                             We mailed the hair to the foundation who makes wigs for cancer patients. 
                                  Sawyer said "My head is cold!" So we went out and bought a cap.



                           

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Grandpa's boarding school ロジャーのお父さんの寄宿学校

Roger's father grew up in India.   He went to a boarding school in the Himalayas when he was 7, and when he was 14 he and his family emigrated to the USA.
ロジャーのお父さんは、インド人です。インドに住んでいたとき、7歳から全寮制の寄宿学校で勉強しました。14歳のときに、家族とともにアメリカへ移住したのです。
Last week we had an Spiritual Life Camp at a Christian retreat center near that boarding school.   After it ended, we took our children up a steep & curvy taxi ride in the mountains to visit Grandpa's boading school, Sherwood College.
先週、修養会はその寄宿学校の近くでした。くねくねした山道をタクシーに乗って、子供たちとその寄宿学校を訪ねました。
This is the gate of the boarding school: 
寄宿学校の門で。


Then we met the "Senior Headmaster" who is like the Vice Principal, who welcomed us & showed us around.
教頭先生が時間をとって、学校を案内してくださいました。



We went to the History room, where we found the register entry of Roger's father's admission in 1947, the year of India's Independence from the British.  Notice lines F.50 and F.51, which are Roger's father Robert and his twin brother Richard.
ロジャーのお父さんの入学が記録されたノートを見せてくれました。51番は、ロジャーのお父さんの名前。そして、その上の50番は、ロジャーのお父さんの双子のお兄さんの名前です。1947年、インドの独立の年です。

We took a family photo with a notebook (the Admissions Register) that is older than any of us!
その記録と一緒に記念写真。


Here's a view from the main building, looking at the roofs of where his dorm was.
これは、寮を見下ろした光景。




Right middle is the chapel where he used to sing in the choir.  On the right is the classroom building.
ロジャーのお父さんが聖歌隊で歌った、チャペル。

 Inside of chapel.   Roger's father may have sat in the same chairs 65 years ago.
チャペルの中。ロジャーのお父さんが65年前に座ったいす。


Then we drove 15 min down to where the lake is.   Roger's father used to march down with other students to buy cakes, snacks and watch movies.
We went to a crowded market at The Flats (site of the cinema hall) and ate Tibetan steamed momos (pot stickers).
15分ほど、寄宿舎から山を降りていくと、湖があります。そこの、マーケットでロジャーのお父さんは、週末にでかけ、スナックなどを買ったそうです。マーケットで、蒸し餃子をたべました。



Meena ate the aloo paratha (Indian bread stuffed with potatoes). 美奈は、ジャガイモがはさまっているインドのパンを食べました。




Then we found a cake man, in the same way Roger's father has described from his memory: a man wearing an Indian hat, selling slices of cake out of a tin trunk. We all screamed, "It's the Cake Man!" 
ロジャーのお父さんから聞いていた、ケーキマン (インドの帽子をかぶり、アルミのスーツケースに入ったケーキを売っている人)を見つけました。


We had to taste (we ate Coconut Macaroons, though Roger's dad would have ordered a Cream Horn or Chocolate Eclair).  We thought this man might be a son of the cake man that Roger's father used to know.



このケーキマンは、ロジャーのお父さんがケーキを買った人の息子かも?

Savoring the pastry.

The lake must be the same view with what their granpa must have seen.
湖の風景は65年後も変わりません。


子供たちとともに、おじいちゃんの歴史をたどる、有意義な一日でした。
                               We are so proud to have heritage so rich.   We love you, Grandpa!