Meeting a General

Lizzy wasn't feeling well today so she ended up staying at the hotel to get better. Thankfully we have only had one incident where someone has fallen seriously ill... so far! The highlight of today was meeting General S K Pillai who, despite his numerous accomplishments, was one of the most humble people I have ever met. His wife was extremely hospitable and offered us cake which was something that definitely lifted our spirits (especially Logan and I who had seconds). His house was very large and had once accommodated his family. It was built by COSTFORD on a shoestring budget because he had not yet acquired the rank of General. He seemed very disinterested in describing his military career and focused on telling us about his relationship to Laurie Baker, his family (one of his daughters is the manager of Fab India!) and about how happy he is now. He had quite a collection of Laurie Baker drawings, poems, and designs. We also toured his mother's home which was just next door and also designed by Mr. Baker. The thing about this home was that it was supposedly similar to Laurie's own home. Every room was different and each design and detail had a meaningful and thought out purpose. The materials used to build it were also as cost effective as possible at the time and still allowed for maximum comfort... aside from the occasional snake that wanders into the main bedroom! As we moved from room to room it seemed almost impossible to tell what we would be walking into next. A kitchen? A living room? A bedroom? It was a labyrinth! I was very impressed with both homes but the thing I enjoyed most was the picture of General Pillai's daughter standing on a stool and placing a medal that had been previously awarded by the president on his uniform because she didn't acknowledge the president as a legitimate authority figure.