Speaking in tongues
Oct 27 - 29
Strange. Everyone seems pleased to see me. Unusual. Slightly disconcerting. Paranoid. Why?. (nice though!).
Thursday woke late tired kovalum surf sun sorted work.
Washing machine wipe out about 4 times in the space of 30mins + i'm chokin' sea-water spit eyes stinging but actually fun. WavesWontWin!
Renjith (Ren....er.....Jith!!) is a really top bloke - he must be related to Happy guard somewhere 'cause he is always smiling/laughing. He works in the tech team and his shift mirrors mine (we are the only 2 in the office on lates - well except for the T-boy who's job is to bring me food/water/T/coffee during my shift!!!! IAMASPOILTCHILD!!!!!!). Arrive at office + greeted by Shaba!, Muhammed, Sanjith + Sameer who had come in especially to see me (? - i hope madness isn't catching). Chat about stuff + gave M book on London i'd picked him up for his 1st trip next month.
Malayalam dictionary growing:
Lekshmy - Hindu Goddess of Wealth
Nagar - Town (Renjith lives in Lekshmy Nagar!)
Pokoo - Go Away! (Handy for hawkers!)
Erive (Errivay) - Spicy
Aaharam - Food (also Bhakshanam - both fantastic sounding words - i'll use Aaharam as it is my new favourite word!)
Erive ulla aaharam....... Spicy food!!!!
Indian Curse/cuss - Oh Kashtam! - I am told this is not rude (gullible - doh!), but my colleagues/tutors in this new language are apparently embarrased to swear in front of me - Fuckin Nutters!!! - think/thought it means drat!/pity......Led to me saying loudly Oh! Kashtam just as Deepa had come over to welcome me back - silent pause is met with hysterical laughter that ripples across the office as chinese whispered versions of this obvious insult/request are relayed (Still not sure what i said, but smiled + nodded knowingly! - hope i didn't accidentally ask her for special favours..................Oh Kashtam!)
Tried to explain to new cook Aji that we wanted spicier food-Erive ulla aaharam. Hope my latest attempt is more succesful than when i asked for an electrician to fix the water pump in the atrium/fish pond only for a man to turn up shortly thereafter and replace our perfectly good computer modem! - As i was explaining a pained/disturbed/disgusted looked appeared on Aji's face, and in hindsight i think i was showing off my new Malayalam skills + used Oh Kashtam! in the same sentence as Erive ulla aaharam. Now Think Kashtam might mean Shit! - Think i might eat out for the next 2 months.
Athe - Yes
Illa or Alla - No
Friday Struck up conversation about stuff with Anupama (who sits next to me on day shift) + mistook name of BIG Bollywood star for Aloo Gobi (so famous, i mused, they named a veg dish after him) - silent pause is met with hysterical laughter that ripples across the office etc...as tales of the crazee Englander + his crap hearing/understanding amuse many. Mr Gobi (as i now call him) is apparently a big action star - not a spicy potato/cauliflower dish.
I had been invited to a wedding for the coming weekend, and i received my invite. Praveen (from the office) is wedding his beloved (well, he's met her twice) on Sunday. As it is a 4-5 hour destruction derby/trip to the venue, followed by the same hellride/dodgem/trip home (in a coach on roads i dont trust), i have declined,(i know it's a lame one, but i really need to catch up on sleep/India time zone + i'm sure my deathwish is snoozing somewhere on the fast lane of a busy Keralan road near here) I wish him + his all the v. best. Not 30 minutes later, I am invited to a wedding in November of 2 co-workers. Saiju (sigh Jew) is a lovely bloke, and one of my favourite Keralans....ever! (his soon-to-be is Sangeetha) - The wedding will be in Trivandrum (local) + i hope to be less light-weight + attend this time.
Saturday found us occupying sunbeds at Kovalum and back in the surf. Initial experiments with 'Illa' seems to discourage hawkers really quickly - they soon suss this by striking up chats in local language + taking the piss! - One man starts saying blubblubblubblubblub + sticking his tongue out to my mirth - consider just giving him some money as he's so funny!
Carlu is a fruit-seller who ALWAYS comes over and wont 'Pokoo' for ages. She calls me/us 'My Darling (s) + refuses to understand my garbled attempts at communication in Malayalam (which basically consist of 'ILLA' + POKOO!) - After about 20 mins she realised that i hadn't been lying, + really didnt want any fruit. She then began pleading poverty as there were so many other fruit-sellers + she had 6 mouths to feed after her husband died + her head/neck hurt - I tried to offer some free advice + suggested that maybe she should try selling something that no-one else offered, as opposed to competing with probably 30 other fruit-sellers. This was met with a bemused silence! - I was only trying to help, I also opined that at least with all that fruit about her family were having a healthy diet + YES i said, your neck probably is sore from walking about with a bucket of fruit on your head all day so perhaps you should try one of these (motioned to rucksack). She left. Thing is, I like Carlu, + I do buy fruit off her (and only her) on occasion - but if you just give in and start handing out money you will never get rid of her, or her friends/family/people who happen to be passing/hear of charity etc...The abject poverty that a lot of the locals live in is disturbing + upsetting, particularly when you are fortunate to have been born to a country of wealth, and i do really feel guilty because the wonderful/beautiful people here have so little materially, but are far richer than me or anyone i know in the generosity of their spirit + hearts. I'll be sure to give Carlu some cash later- just before i leave.
Sundown exit beach enter Beatles bar for beer/footie/snacks. Kingfishers gave way to cubalibras. CigaR (YEUCH!) Fish fingers; Fish-Fry Kerala stylee + Veg spring rolls all YUM! also ordered 'Chicken 65' (liked the name plus it had no description on the menu) - (hope it isn't chicken reheated that many times...!) tasted fantastic though, guess i'll find out sooner/later if it has been aged that long. Staggered back to cab 'The only Drunks in the village'
Bed.
Strange. Everyone seems pleased to see me. Unusual. Slightly disconcerting. Paranoid. Why?. (nice though!).
Thursday woke late tired kovalum surf sun sorted work.
Washing machine wipe out about 4 times in the space of 30mins + i'm chokin' sea-water spit eyes stinging but actually fun. WavesWontWin!
Renjith (Ren....er.....Jith!!) is a really top bloke - he must be related to Happy guard somewhere 'cause he is always smiling/laughing. He works in the tech team and his shift mirrors mine (we are the only 2 in the office on lates - well except for the T-boy who's job is to bring me food/water/T/coffee during my shift!!!! IAMASPOILTCHILD!!!!!!). Arrive at office + greeted by Shaba!, Muhammed, Sanjith + Sameer who had come in especially to see me (? - i hope madness isn't catching). Chat about stuff + gave M book on London i'd picked him up for his 1st trip next month.
Malayalam dictionary growing:
Lekshmy - Hindu Goddess of Wealth
Nagar - Town (Renjith lives in Lekshmy Nagar!)
Pokoo - Go Away! (Handy for hawkers!)
Erive (Errivay) - Spicy
Aaharam - Food (also Bhakshanam - both fantastic sounding words - i'll use Aaharam as it is my new favourite word!)
Erive ulla aaharam....... Spicy food!!!!
Indian Curse/cuss - Oh Kashtam! - I am told this is not rude (gullible - doh!), but my colleagues/tutors in this new language are apparently embarrased to swear in front of me - Fuckin Nutters!!! - think/thought it means drat!/pity......Led to me saying loudly Oh! Kashtam just as Deepa had come over to welcome me back - silent pause is met with hysterical laughter that ripples across the office as chinese whispered versions of this obvious insult/request are relayed (Still not sure what i said, but smiled + nodded knowingly! - hope i didn't accidentally ask her for special favours..................Oh Kashtam!)
Tried to explain to new cook Aji that we wanted spicier food-Erive ulla aaharam. Hope my latest attempt is more succesful than when i asked for an electrician to fix the water pump in the atrium/fish pond only for a man to turn up shortly thereafter and replace our perfectly good computer modem! - As i was explaining a pained/disturbed/disgusted looked appeared on Aji's face, and in hindsight i think i was showing off my new Malayalam skills + used Oh Kashtam! in the same sentence as Erive ulla aaharam. Now Think Kashtam might mean Shit! - Think i might eat out for the next 2 months.
Athe - Yes
Illa or Alla - No
Friday Struck up conversation about stuff with Anupama (who sits next to me on day shift) + mistook name of BIG Bollywood star for Aloo Gobi (so famous, i mused, they named a veg dish after him) - silent pause is met with hysterical laughter that ripples across the office etc...as tales of the crazee Englander + his crap hearing/understanding amuse many. Mr Gobi (as i now call him) is apparently a big action star - not a spicy potato/cauliflower dish.
I had been invited to a wedding for the coming weekend, and i received my invite. Praveen (from the office) is wedding his beloved (well, he's met her twice) on Sunday. As it is a 4-5 hour destruction derby/trip to the venue, followed by the same hellride/dodgem/trip home (in a coach on roads i dont trust), i have declined,(i know it's a lame one, but i really need to catch up on sleep/India time zone + i'm sure my deathwish is snoozing somewhere on the fast lane of a busy Keralan road near here) I wish him + his all the v. best. Not 30 minutes later, I am invited to a wedding in November of 2 co-workers. Saiju (sigh Jew) is a lovely bloke, and one of my favourite Keralans....ever! (his soon-to-be is Sangeetha) - The wedding will be in Trivandrum (local) + i hope to be less light-weight + attend this time.
Saturday found us occupying sunbeds at Kovalum and back in the surf. Initial experiments with 'Illa' seems to discourage hawkers really quickly - they soon suss this by striking up chats in local language + taking the piss! - One man starts saying blubblubblubblubblub + sticking his tongue out to my mirth - consider just giving him some money as he's so funny!
Carlu is a fruit-seller who ALWAYS comes over and wont 'Pokoo' for ages. She calls me/us 'My Darling (s) + refuses to understand my garbled attempts at communication in Malayalam (which basically consist of 'ILLA' + POKOO!) - After about 20 mins she realised that i hadn't been lying, + really didnt want any fruit. She then began pleading poverty as there were so many other fruit-sellers + she had 6 mouths to feed after her husband died + her head/neck hurt - I tried to offer some free advice + suggested that maybe she should try selling something that no-one else offered, as opposed to competing with probably 30 other fruit-sellers. This was met with a bemused silence! - I was only trying to help, I also opined that at least with all that fruit about her family were having a healthy diet + YES i said, your neck probably is sore from walking about with a bucket of fruit on your head all day so perhaps you should try one of these (motioned to rucksack). She left. Thing is, I like Carlu, + I do buy fruit off her (and only her) on occasion - but if you just give in and start handing out money you will never get rid of her, or her friends/family/people who happen to be passing/hear of charity etc...The abject poverty that a lot of the locals live in is disturbing + upsetting, particularly when you are fortunate to have been born to a country of wealth, and i do really feel guilty because the wonderful/beautiful people here have so little materially, but are far richer than me or anyone i know in the generosity of their spirit + hearts. I'll be sure to give Carlu some cash later- just before i leave.
Sundown exit beach enter Beatles bar for beer/footie/snacks. Kingfishers gave way to cubalibras. CigaR (YEUCH!) Fish fingers; Fish-Fry Kerala stylee + Veg spring rolls all YUM! also ordered 'Chicken 65' (liked the name plus it had no description on the menu) - (hope it isn't chicken reheated that many times...!) tasted fantastic though, guess i'll find out sooner/later if it has been aged that long. Staggered back to cab 'The only Drunks in the village'
Bed.
posted by nidpor at 6:17 PM
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