Here are a few pictures from Brandy's first exploration mission to Mumbai (Bombay). The Hotel with the crazy dome roof is the Taj where she stayed, and the other building shots are the Gates of India - a famous structure that marks the entrance from the sea into enormous Bombay (15 Million and counting!!). The others are pics of the pollution you can see from the wharf among the small boats, the ocean filled with giant cargo ships on the horizon, a wicked storm blowing in, and a people pimp standing on the corner (he forces children to beg for money and food from passing cars and only lets them keep a small portion of the money).

Alot to take in for a small town Portage La Prairie girl!!


Miss everyone, congrats to Angie and family she finally added a girl to her baby farm in Carmen!!

DM 

Bottles of Hot Garbage

Greetings and Welcome - you are looking at the nearly famous creek that runs below the train tracks. I say nearly famous because to me I am completely awestruck at the variety of life that surround this polluted body of water, but to local Chennai - ians it is a simple bump in the road.

The first time I went out for a walk in India I crossed this bridge close to our street and looked over my shoulder at this sewage stand; a water world filled with garbage, bugs, sludge, and I would bet on bodies. A creek that supplies the small shanty villagers with water to wash their animals and boil for cooking their dinners - I would love to test their stomachs to find out what viruses and worms reside. I have spotted chickens, goats, cats, dogs, a boar or pig, and many birds taking a drink in the hot afternoon - not too far from a butcher where you can have 'fresh chicken' slaughtered, cleaned and packed up right before your eyes. I think this is where the term street meat comes from.

Take a close look at the pics, you will see there are really people living along side this! And when the garbage on the sides grows a little too high, you will find small fires burning to shrink the hills.


Everytime we take a walk you must cross this bridge, it is on the way out of our area. We have nicknamed it the stinky river. Go figure!!

Gage likes to look, but not for too long. Gage's keen sense of smell grabs the pungent fumes in a very short time and if we don't move on the gag reflex kicks in.

Emerson likes to look too, she takes a little longer to squirm to move on but she has taken great pride in yelling 'there's that stinky river!!' everytime we pass in a car, tuk-tuk or by foot.


This shot is just along side the bridge, where the bulk of the garbage is dumped and the fires are usually burning at night. Where there is fire there are bulls, last night when walking home from the noodle restaurant the fire was high and hot and two bulls were chewing their cud close beside just like it was a camping trip!!


If you look closely you can see the effluent mixing into the sludge; this is runoff from the streets and from the sewers. All of this slowly flows into the sea, and you won't be surprised but it goes into the 'local' beach called Marina beach where Ex Patriots like myself are advised to avoid.

As you can tell this is all very interesting to me, a stinky river under the tracks. I will do my best to bottle some of the surrounding air for all of you to sniff when I get back at Christmas!! Although how would you know the difference if I just bottled the air from a pile of hot garbage back home? You will have to take a whiff and decide for yourself.....


Love Dave and the OMatthes River Dwellers 

Album Posting? Awesome

This post is using a new feature from Google called Picassa Album; checking to see how it turns out.

We are all doing great and ALMOST used to the heat and time, I will try to send some more posts over the next week with some news of what we have been upto.

Take care!!

Love the OMatthes Clan.

India Sept 20 2006

Sep 20, 2006 - 12 Photos

Winnipeg Airport

A nice shot of the hooligans we love to call Family! Miss you all.




A few shots with the send off crew who made it to the airport, we had some fun before jumping on our first plane to Montreal. Spirits were high and emotions were flowing, we had no idea what was coming and how the kids would take the long flights ahead - actually how we would take the flights ahead!

Last weekend at the Cabin

Great times came and passed; we had a huge fire and yelled at the stars for one of the last times in a while from this side of the earth. The pit smoked for 3 days despite Brandy's delightful hosing!

We came home and focused on getting packed and ready for our upcoming adventure to Chennai, India - thanks everyone for all your help!

Pics and stories from Chennai coming soon.


Love Dave 

Nice Snakes

Gage and Emerson helped catch a few garders, 3 in the cage and there were more who escaped our evil grasp.




This was the biggest, saying hello to the camera.




Funny hair in the wind, Emerson loves to climb everything.


Well these snakes have seen better days compared to these pictures, we left them in the cage (GASP) all week and with all of the rain they managed to swell up beyond the point of no return.

We had a stinky snake oil slick in the backyard that will make a nice snack to any of the local racoons!


Peace
Dave 

Feel the burn

Dumb ass - should sunscreen cover the whole back? Feeling the burn still on Tuesday from a very hot and sunny Saturday at the lake.

On a good note I did get a sh*tload of wood cut for our send off burn, I am hoping to have a cord or 1 1/2 cord fire before we leave. See you there!

-Dave 

Super Cousins part 2

Well here is agrid of the kids from this weekend, it was too windy for tubing but we had tons of fun swimming and playing outside.

Jayden
Gage
Emerson
Kolton


See you at the lake
-Dave 

Big Rock

Kap-Ki-Gi-Wan in the North of Ontario - nice place to play.

Ultra Cool

My boy Gage chillin with Speedy on a casual Thursday night. Speedy was not up to his usual hyper wiggling and he was ultra cool just hanging out on G's shoulder - he is as long as my arm from elbow to finger tips!!

Take it easy all you cowboys out there.
-Dave 

Birthday Celebration

Happy days are here again - Gage and Emerson take a breath before blowing out another trip around the sun.

Gage - 8 1/2
Emerson - 2

Pass the spoon!!


-Dave 

Super Cousins

The squinters unite - just chillin on the 'beat up bench' at the cabin. Good times for all.

-Dave 

Family Grid

Check out the grid of smiles and happy faces - we look like a great bunch!!

Thanks Wiz and Mark for an awesome weekend.

Dave 

Collage me - a diary of images

Enough of the verbal diarhea here is a cool pictorial of the Lee River Ratz Club.

Dave 

First Video?

Well here is the hot tub on video, I am just trying some new tricks from Picasa and I am impressed so far. Watch for some new pics of the cabin soon..

Dave 

Cute Girls

Amber and Jenna - you also made the internet. Amber keep out of those cookies!!

Jen when are we going back to the driving range? Tell your mom she is out of lip liner.

-Uncle /Cousin Dave 

True Resemblance

Well buddy you made the internet, I think you look like your Grandpa Harold in this pic!!

D'Arrgh!!! Also pass the cheese.

-Love Uncle Dave 

Just one more please

Well Brandy will kill me for this but don't we have time for just one more?

Love ya B!!

-D 

The Big Day

A Very Happy Wedding - The Ottawa weekend went off without a hitch and aside from the scarred hotel staff we all had a fantastic time.

Word of the night: D'Arrrgh
Scream if you see another: Bubble
Best Moment: Look of love in Wiz's eyes as she gazed into Marks at the end of their 'first' kiss
Longest Moment: Mark waiting for his bride to be to show up (felt like an eternity?)
Worst Moment: Nausia approching critical the morning after in the revolving restaurant (great food though!)

Thanks Sista for a great time!! Love your house and it will be beautiful when done. D'Arrgh!

-Brother Dave 

Happy Campers

Kids are a blast - they can make a bad day go far away in a blink.

Next time you are feeling the pressure go bounce on a trampoline in your birthday suit, you'll see what I mean! Gage and Emerson havin some fun in the backyard.

-Dave