Summer Vacay - Day 13

August 4, 2013

A good rest followed and we are up at 9 a.m. and down for breakfast.  We have a busy day of visiting in store.  First up is with friends/neighbors of David’s Mom and Dad – Jay and Sheila.  We drive to their home and have tea and breakfast cakes in their dining room.  Jay was very helpful to David’s parents in constructing and looking after the Community Center they built – which was their dream in order to help out the many people in need!  Jay is a super guy (very quiet) and Sheila is a non stop action and super nice too! 

From their home, we all travel the few minutes to “Woodhaven Center” which wsa built and financed because of David’s Mom and Dad!  It is a beautiful building with main seating and stage area, kitchens, offices, and places for worship of all faiths.  The day we are here, the center is helping about 600 people get their blood pressure taken, blood sugar checked, and given eye exams.  It was an emotional time for all of us – especially David! Being able to SEE his parents dream come alive!  What a legacy!

Front of the Center

Inside the Center

Testing going on!

The large kitchen inside of the Center.

After our visit to the temple/center we say goodbye to Jay and head over to visit with David’s maternal grandmother “Ava” who is 93 years old.  She lives in a very simple home – that she’s lived in for the past 60 years, and has a caregiver provided by Julian.  They still wash their clothes on a large stone and hang them out to dry.  She looks great and still mobile.  She is soooo sweet, recognizes David and Vasi and is TICKLED that we came all the way from San Francisco to see her!! Of course it was another emotional visit for David – and us too!  David lived with her while in high school and the family would gather every Sunday for bbq – Ava said, “If this garage could talk!!”   David has talked at length of his grandmother, how much SHE taught him about life and how much she made him stay in school when all he wanted to do was go to the horse race track instead! Now we've come full circle on so many stories!! 

The large stone on the far left of pic is where the clothes are washed.

Back door. 

Neighborhood and laundry area.

David, standing in his old bedroom inside Ava's house.

Her kitchen.

Ava and me

We sadly say our goodbyes and head to Vasi’s Mom’s home – where Vasi was raised.  Kay (Vasi’s Mom) is SO HAPPY to see us!!! We’ve spent a lot of time with her when she was in SF for 6 months.  We also meet another sister of Vasi’s - Premi - and her children.  We all see that Vasi’s upbring and surroundings were not as nice as where David grew up….but still good and better than we expected.  Kay serves us a delicious curry lunch and we have a great visit.  It is also fun to meet her next door neighbors and his family….they are long time friends of Vasi and they share stories of growing up as neighbors.  It was sad to leave Kay – but we all hope she will come back to SF and visit with us sometime soon!

Kae and Vasi

Dick, Kae and Premi - Vasi's sister in kitchen 

Where our meal was prepared.

Kae in her HERB GARDEN

So from Kay’s house we drive by David’s high school and where his office was located.  

His office is above the KFC - which obviously wasn't there before.

We felt very safe in this area of all Indians.  Our last stop of the day was Auntie Lily’s.  She has been cooking for the past 2 days and all of the family – including our Phinda group – are there for the feast of more traditional Indian dishes – all fantastic!! Unfortunately, all during this busy day, Dick is a little under the weather with a headache and unsettled stomach.  He’s a trooper and finally feels good enough to eat some dinner. 

David N wondering - at Lily's house.   haha!!

Dick - in deep explanation, Tay - sipping,  and Jane's legs - inside Lily's home.

After a nice day and many visits, we call it a day around 11 p.m. and head back to Julian’s for a good night’s sleep.