Our Little Coffee Shop

Well, the peak of the season has passed, and now things are really starting to slow down in Arambol village. We are crossing our fingers that February will bring many more travelers! But since we have made many changes since we first opened, I wanted to post some more pictures of our little coffee house. We are still having tons of fun welcoming hippies and travelers from around the world to enjoy a cup of delicious Nepal Organic Coffee as well as some Percival family bread. Our menu is simple, but people really seem to like my homemade bread and our fruit, granola, and yogurt salad that we serve for breakfast. And, I must say that I have also mastered the art of making a very nice Masala Chai.

We are thinking a lot about what we are going to do for next season. We still haven’t heard from our landlord if we will even be able to rent the same place next season, so we are still waiting on that, while looking around at other locations. It would be a huge loss for us if we didn’t come back next year to do business here, so we are still planning on doing the coffee shop here for a couple years to come, and hope to expand and make each year a little bigger and better. So, for any of you that might think about heading to India, make sure you plan on visiting us here in Goa.

That also brings me to our plans for this coming April. After June is born the season is quickly going to end in Goa, and we will follow the migration of travelers to move on up to Northern India. We plan on heading to Himiachal Pradesh, Dharmsala to be exact. We are planning on trying to do the coffee shop there as well as run or manage a guest house of some sort. However, I have never been to Northern India, and Sunil hasn’t been there for awhile, so we will have to see what the north holds for us when the time comes for us to pilgrimage that way. It will just be another new beginning and adventure for us! Sunil, June, and I have many of those ahead of us, so keep us in your thoughts, and wish us luck!

So, here are some fun pictures of what life is like for me here in India.

The first is of them killing and roasting a pig right in front of our coffee shop just the other day. Goa is the only state in India where you can find pork. We bought about 2 kg of this pork, and had a big meal with friends! Nothing like fresh local pork huh?



These pictures are of our little coffee house now, as well as little Kitty Masala. She is keeping a watch out for us. She protects our plants from the cows, and hisses at all the dogs going by. She also attracts a lot of travelers just because she is so incredibly adorable and fun! She is my closest friends and is always there to keep me company in the kitchen or just hanging out with me whenever I am alone. Now we just need to baby train her!




Here is a fun picture of Silvia and Rihanna. She is the wife of our landlord with her adorable little girl who is only 14 months old. Rihanna comes in and plays with us and kitty everyday, and Sunil takes her to the shop to buy chocolates. Also, Silvia has been really wonderful to me offering me help throughout my pregnancy.


More blogs and pictures to come soon!

Pregnancy in India

Time has been flying by the past couple of months, and I find that we are so busy running the coffee house that I barely have time to stop by the internet to check my email. I have been meaning to post for several weeks now, and have not managed to sit down and write. But, the closer and closer it gets to June's arrival, the more I want to share with everyone my experience of being pregnant in India.

My doctor is Dr. Judith Periera. He is the doctor that all the women in Arambol village go to. I also know another French girl who just had a baby, and Dr. Periera delivered her baby. She highly recommended him. The hospital where I will be delivering is a Catholic hospital run by Nuns. The French girl who delivered there said the Nurses are wonderful and that they really pamper you and your baby, making sure you have everything you need, including privacy. Also, it’s a very reasonably priced hospital for delivery. The usually keep the mom and baby in the hospital for 3-4 days, and with the stay and costs of delivery coming out to somewhere between $200-$400, depending on your circumstances and delivery.

I am going to the doctor again in 2 days. Last time I saw him was about a month ago. He said that everything is looking great and that June is growing right on target. Its really a different experience going to the doctor here in India. The doctor gives me all of my paper work and my own file to keep. I have a folder where he inserts all his notes, and my prescriptions. Its cool because I get to keep all my paperwork, and will always be able to have his notes on my progress through my pregnancy. Even getting my lab work done was super cool. I had to go to this little office in the village just next to Arambol village. There one woman ran the laboratory, and did everything the “old fashion” way. I had to pee in a cup, but instead of it being a cup it was a glass beaker. Also, where she tested how fast my blood clotted she did it by pricking my finger and counting the minutes until it stopped. And then when I came back for my results she was typing them up on a typewriter! It just completed the whole experience!

Now and days I think my nerves are starting to set in a bit. A friend of mine who has been on vacation here in Goa for a couple months is a maternity nurse in England. She has been helping me go through my list and mentally prepare for the arrival of June. She is always telling me that I am going to do just fine, but reminds me about a lot of little things that will be coming my way very soon. But sometimes I have to tell Carolyn that I cant talk about the delivery so much because it just makes me nervous instead of making me feel prepared. I know its going to be a whole new and painful experience, but I’d rather just take it on when it comes then think too much about it.

So, here is a picture of my tummy. Everyone has been asking, so I finally took a picture of my growing belly. Its been a really good thing to be working and living here in India. I haven’t been putting too much weight on, and I feel like I still have lots of energy to be out and about working at the coffee shop and doing website sales. Although Sunil just told me about 3 weeks ago that he was a 10 lb baby, and with me being 11 lbs myself, I am a little nervous that June is going to come out just as big. But, my Doctor doesn’t seem to think she will be that big with how I am looking now.