Driving Miss Dicey

V has gone off to Kerala to meet Ash's doctor Ashtavaidyan Neelakandan Namboothiri of Vaidyamadom at Vaikom and collect a bouquet of medicines for a month or so. He is back on Monday.

Ash, in his absence, is sleeping better at night. When his dad is around, he expects him to scratch his back much of the night. So I guess the itching is partly psychological.

My inlaws have offered to bring their recently hired maid - who they say is a nice lady - for me on March 1, when the present one leaves. I hope the new one will stay for a month at least. I am planning to take both kids to Kerala when school closes on April 8, and leave them there for two months until school reopens in early June. Hopefully it will do Ash some good. A change of climate and the care of grandparents should help him.

Meanwhile I am on getting on with my driving classes at MDS. I have completed four theory classes, two simulator classes (at the end of the second one, I managed to hit a post while manipulating an 8; the dashing instructor decided I had done enough and wished me all luck in the practical sessions) and one practical (actual driving on a car) class. The first practical - tutored on a WagonR by a guy who spoke only Tamil, so some of the instructions went over my head - involved many right turns and left turns and finally a U turn. By the end of it I was damn tired and wondered whether I could manage the remaining classes on Indian roads - which involves honking non-stop at people who prefer to walk through the middle of the road like cows and pretending to be deaf, corporation workers pushing garbage barrows, schools vans etc. all of who seem oblivious of the fact that this is a greenhorn sitting behind the wheel for the first time and who could send them to heaven or at least to the Kilpauk Medical College with a broken leg. Luckily the instructor has a clutch and brake on his side of the car. The theory classes have been interesting, especially since the instructor is good - communicates excellently in English and Tamil, has a very nice and booming voice that makes not listening not very easy and need I mention, good looking in a Karthick sort of way. I have a theory exam next.

V however feels that these theory classes will make me fit only to drive a toy car!