Please check http://www.meandmycycle.com or write to sfindia@gmail.com
We’re currently closed and will reopen later in the year.
Stephen
Unbelievable
You may find this hard to believe. We often joke about safety issues in India.
Just look at these photos, taken early morning near our old house.
What do you think they are of?
Picture one
Picture two
Picture three
Picture one is of a lamp post in Mysore. See the man walking by. The card/poster thing attached to the post is at about his head height.
Picture two is a close up of the same post. Look at the two photos, the white cable shows that it’s above the card/poster. It’s difficult to tell but just above and to the right of the white cable are two bits of wire. Now look at picture three.
Picture three, this is of a different lamp post and much lower down, inside the box thing are two red cables.
Any idea what all these cables are for?
…
In a morning on my way to yoga a guy drives up on his two wheeler and disconnects the two wires that you see in pictures one and two.
There’s usually a spark.
They’re the mains supply the street lights.
Yes, you’ve got it!
The way to switch on and off the street lights at dusk and dawn are two wires hanging from one of the lamp posts.
The first is way above head height but easily reachable when sitting on a bike, the other is reachable from just walking past.
Now that’s what I call unbelievably dangerous.
…
I drafted this first posting in 2018 a very significant year, when MAnjula and I got married. Maybe I was especially conscious about caring and risks.
…
Plus
My own pets were idiots last night. 
Billet-Doux peeing on my bed. Lucie digging up the drive and breaking the balakani (besom type outdoor brush).
I can’t believe it.
Was it a full moon?
..
posts like this are most often posted where we share our stories of life in India.
Our house … is a very fine house.
I’ve been asked to post images of our house to remind our guests of it and how it’s changed since they were last here. .
We’ve rented it for sixteen years. Which makes it the house I’ve lived in longest in the whole of my life.
It’s actually two houses.
On the ground floor it’s a 2 bhk. That’s two bedrooms, a hall (lounge), dining room (converted to NQAR —- not quite a room — for Kaveri, kitchen, entrance foyer for the shoes,
On the first floor it’s a 3bhk and now one of the bedrooms is Manjula’s library.
…
When Manjula first came here it was sparsely furnished and decorated.
Her first worry was that there wasn’t an electric grinder.
Having to use this, would be just too much!
Now the house is full to bursting inside and out
Here’s a little tour or two
…
We had an Indian family return to see us last week. I asked what they could spot on this wall that wasn’t Indian.
Can you see?
Returning guests take pleasure from spotting what’s new. The ‘blue plaque’, outside the front door, denoting that it’s where a famous person lived is the latest addition.
Carry on camping
Actually it’s carry on camper.
For three years now I’ve organised or at least accessed activities for Kaveri’s school summer holidays. She’s the camper but we’re not camping.
That’s 6-8 weeks in April/May each year. While that sounds unclear, well unsurprising as that’s often the case.
Between changing schools, last minute decisions by about when the holidays are plus trying to coordinate with Chandrika (Kaveri’s mum) the inconsistently controvertible….. it’s difficult to know what’s happening and plan ahead. Plan? Ahead? 🤭🤪🥵
But I’m not complaining. It’s always an absolute pleasure to spend time with Kav. .
So …. Dive into this years selection of activities see if you can spot them in the photos …
and there’s still ten days to build up to starting the new school.
Sorted the jumble?
Swimming, seaside holiday, skating, meals with friends, amusements, skating, summer camp at local project, Birthday (now 11), guided tour trying to pass on some of my insights — ha ha, games, kayaking, exploring the city, lighthouse and two forts, shopping fairground, and not to miss TV and iPhone.
Footnote
For the bemused amongst you. What’s it all about?
Manjula’s Mysore agreed to support activities to help and that included sponsoring events and children.
A special thanks to Sarvesh and Sowbaghya for their help especially with Kaveri’s family.
Our main beneficiary is Kaveri. We’ve known her now for three years. As she’s from a similar background to MAnjula we’ll support her into adulthood. The next big step is starting her new school.
Up to date information can usually be found on our blog site
on http://www.meandmycycle.com
Our funding for MAnjula to continue to give comes from the business and direct from some previous guests.
URGENT
Please use the following email address
sfindia@gmail.com
And not
Mycycle.co
Our domain supplier has messed up.
Ambassador’s Metamorphosis
Ten years ago I bought a lovely Ambassador car to drive MAnjula around.
As her lung condition worsened she was less comfortable on the back of the scooter and she complained of my poor riding of my Enfield motorbike.
We joked about our version of ‘Driving Miss Daisy’ the Hollywood movie of the black guy chauffeuring the old lady in a fab vintage car.
In our case the old English man drove the beautiful young Indian woman.
She looked much younger than her age, so our age gap wasn’t so severe.
MAnjula would love it when I asked guests to guess her age. They’d usually think 15-20 years younger than she was.
Manjula would be proud of our newly renovated Ambassador.
Many of the local friends and neighbours stop me to admire her.
Here’s details of the car’s metamorphosis.
Footnote
Originally built in 1960 when the Morris Oxford was introduced to India from the U.K.
There was a trend to buy and add body sections in the 1970’s. To update to a more modern mark 4.
A startlingly gorgeous radical red.
Our car’s first big change
It begins again
A big job and no less difficult to decide on the new colour.
Feel the change.
Nearly there but is it the right decision? Where’s indecisiveness come from? it’s not new to me but it’s grown..,
We’re still waiting, with one or two extra additions.
Looking good and madam would be happy
A footnote, something tells me it’ll not be the last.
Nothing ever quite goes to plan.
Not satisfied with sticking out ‘as a sore thumb’ …. But also being well know for being the luckiest guy with… a beautiful wife, ‘adopted’ nine year old, homestay and cycle tour business, black dog, love-letter cat, Manjula’s Mysore —- being kind with ‘good’ projects — community family around the world, we’ve now got an absolutely gorgeous radical ambassador.
Do come visit and say hello to the newest member (and all) of the family.
….
Mycycle Tour of Srirangaptnam
Our tour of Srirangapatnam covers the fourth war of Mysore when the East India Company defeated Tipu Sultan.
But it’s not all war, we also cover culture, religion and have fun.
Manjula's Mysore 