Travelling to Australia

Its Bodhanker’s turn on the blog;
Sandeep and Kamal in Australia

This is Sandeep Bodhanker. After a long time you are seeing an update from Myself and my wife Kamal. It was a kind invitation from Lene and Guy with their generous sponsorship.We started from Hyderabad on the 15th August after hoisting our National Flag. We flew with Thai Airways which landed back in Hyderabad after 20 mins flying in the air due to the “Serious Engine Problem”. It was the first time that we flew together as a newly married couple.

It took five and a half hours to re-board the plane. We landed in Bangkok airport at 10.30am (Thai Time). We were planning to go around Bangkok city, but as the queues were all too long we decided to spend the few hours looking around the airport. Bangkok airport was just amazing. It is a contemporary designed.We had been planning to go around Bangkok city but as the visa-on-arrival queues were all too long we decided to spend the few hours left looking around the airport. Bangkok airport was just amazing. It is a contemporary design with lots of ornate statues depicting Thai costume an Hindu Gods. The most beautiful is below. It depicts a scene from Hindu mythology where the gods and devils are churning a river in order to receive primordial amrut (nectar).

After a very long walk around the airport we rested at our gate and had a long sleep during the final leg of the journey. On arrival we raced through immigration and passport control as fast as possible in order to see the wonderful Jeffrey family as soon as we could! It was great for us all to be together after such a long time; a dream come true! We (and our three large suitcases) fitted very comfortably into the Jeffrey’s new Peugeot and headed towards Linfield where we are to stay for the next month or so. Our dear hosts were so warm and welcomed us into the home in a traditional Indian manner. They settled us into their own beautiful bedroom and are still refusing to let us sleep anywhere other than their beautiful four-poster bed! We really feel like royalty. After Freya and Casper raced to school, the four of us had a good old catch-up. Kamal and I sat for a short meditation and went to surprise Lene with the diamond we had bought her for her Birthday…her reaction was a picture (which we didn’t get a photo of, unfortunately). Guy was equally satisfied with a couple of boxes of Karachi biscuits and Dadu’s sweets.

After lots of chocolates and Danish pastries we headed to Flemington market with Lene for her weekly vegetable shop. Both I and Kamal were struck by the enormous size of all the vegetables – which Lene assured us were totally organic. Very impressive! After filling our trolley with lots of exciting ingredients we picked up some cheap socks (to protect our feet from the uncharacteristically cold weather here) and headed home. It was soon time for Casper and Freya to come home from school so Lene and Guy got started on making home made pizzas. They were soooo delicious and we went to bed feeling very loved, totally full and eager for day two to begin.

Our second day started when we both woke-up at 12.30 in the afternoon. We were jetlagged but we were not too tired. We were very excited about the evening that day, as there was a party arranged at Hyderabad House restaurant by Guy and Lene to meet all of their family.We were happy to see Guy’s two sisters and their families, Lene’s sister and her boy friend, Lene’s lovely parents.

We ordered varities of food. I was very busy playing with the kids Freya, Nisha, Radha (she was silent and calm as she was sick) and especially Raj, who I spent maximum time palying with.

Guy’s sister Ann has a cute baby boy with really chubby cheeks, named Arjun. Lene was so suprised that he came into my arms as he normally shys away from everyone. Guy’s brother-in-law’s Sitaram and Rakesh comes from India. Myself and Sitaram had small chat in Marathi and in hindi with Rakesh.

Hyderabad House restuarant comes from India. It has a delicious veg curry, Bagara Baingan, one of my favourate; it was a great night.

From there we went to an Indian sweet shop which was quite near to the Hyderabad House. I had an yummy rasmalai. It was very soft taste than Indian taste. As my stomach was tight after having delicious food at Hyderabad House I could not take any other sweets. From there we came back to home and had a long chat.