Monkeying Around

Last night was the school's Christmas program, with all the children involved. We were the honored guests of the evening, and got to sit on the stage for the first part of the program. There was singing, with loud music and lots of drums, and also some dancing by some of the older children. They had a playlet (skit) about finding the spirit of Christmas through giving to others. They also acted out the Christmas story, beginning with the angel visiting Mary, and ending with Christ's birth. They even sang Jingle Bells, which was funny to us because they don't have snow here. 

Today was a wonderful day. In the morning we spent time with the children. The boys played "5 Rupees" (an Indian version of 3 Dollars) with the boys. We also brought sidewalk chalk along for the children to draw on the cement with. The children here are so artistic!

In the afternoon we did some sightseeing. We went to a fort near Vijayawada there is a fort called Kondapolli Fort. It was built in the 15th century by one of the kings. It's not as large as the fort we visited in Hyderabad, but we enjoyed it just the same. On the way up the mountain to the fort we saw our first monkeys! They were in the trees along the road. There were some baby monkeys, and they were really cute! 

For a late lunch we went to a restaurant called Barbecue Pride. They have a charcoal grill type thing in the middle of the table that is filled with hot coals. Then they bring out skewers of meat to put on there. The meat is already cooked, so the coals are just to keep it warm. As long as you eat they will keep bringing skewers. But, once you're finished with those, they also have a buffet with rice and curries. We had ice cream for dessert again!

Tonight there is a Christmas Eve service at the church. It starts around 10:00 and goes til midnight. They finish the evening with a cake cutting. It will be interesting to experience the Christmas traditions over here, as they're very different from our American ones.