City sized puddles
Nov 10-14
Another week splashed by - it rained so hard on Sunday that we had to turn the cab round as the way was flooded. It has rained every day. Somedays showers, other days the deluge has been pretty awesome. (Apparently it isnt monsoon season!)
There is an old long-haired bearded Hindi man who sits by flickering gas light in a shanty bar we pass on the way to work. The darkness dances in the pale shadow and atmospheric gloom. Wake from our wheels must reach him, but he is there, huddled + alone in his thoughts every time. HE is becoming increasingly my vision/memory of India.
The rain kind of restricts your activities to staying indoors, sprinting to cars, sprinting from cars and drying yourself off from the yard hop out the car to the front door. It is like trying to dodge a wall of water....dodgewall?
Only other major event is getting on MSN messenger finally, and having a webcam this has helped me to see Ali + family at home, as well as keep in touch with friends - BIG thanks to all for helping keep my spirits up (feel kind of prison-like claustrophobia at times)
So the India experience has kind of stalled thanks to the weather, but it has been a rollercoaster ride thus far, and it is good to be able to take the foot off and gauge some perspective on the trip. Complaining about not having TV/PC thru power-outs etc makes you realise that the locals here, most of whom have neither luxury, carry on through the rain as normal. The umbrellas they carry now act as a shield to the rain, as opposed to a block for the sun.
On a different tack - I understand that blokes dont get any action before marriage over here, but i need to find a polite way of telling them that though i am happy to consider them as mates, that doesnt mean i need them to hold my hand after we have shaked; rub my back; put their arm around my shoulders and/or waist or (and i kid you not!) stroke my thigh before gently squeezing my knee! (as happened this evening). Need to explain that on a night on the town, on my way to the pub, it is not a general practice for me to walk down the street with my mates holding hands whilst gently swinging our arms in tandem (which seems to be the norm here) before buying a round of babyshams (although, if the mood takes, i do enjoy the latter with a dash of brandy!) and telling them how beautiful their hair looks (on more than one occasion!)- it is really sweet to see grown men walking along obviously comfortable with one another, and i dont have a problem with guys cuddling up to one another when they sit on a sofa together as that is how their friend/relationship works. Fair play to them! - it's my problem that being English I cant get used to what feels like an invasion of personal space, when i know that it is purely meant as a sign of friendship.
Feel an increasing need to get my hair cut and not shave for a bit!
Another week splashed by - it rained so hard on Sunday that we had to turn the cab round as the way was flooded. It has rained every day. Somedays showers, other days the deluge has been pretty awesome. (Apparently it isnt monsoon season!)
There is an old long-haired bearded Hindi man who sits by flickering gas light in a shanty bar we pass on the way to work. The darkness dances in the pale shadow and atmospheric gloom. Wake from our wheels must reach him, but he is there, huddled + alone in his thoughts every time. HE is becoming increasingly my vision/memory of India.
The rain kind of restricts your activities to staying indoors, sprinting to cars, sprinting from cars and drying yourself off from the yard hop out the car to the front door. It is like trying to dodge a wall of water....dodgewall?
Only other major event is getting on MSN messenger finally, and having a webcam this has helped me to see Ali + family at home, as well as keep in touch with friends - BIG thanks to all for helping keep my spirits up (feel kind of prison-like claustrophobia at times)
So the India experience has kind of stalled thanks to the weather, but it has been a rollercoaster ride thus far, and it is good to be able to take the foot off and gauge some perspective on the trip. Complaining about not having TV/PC thru power-outs etc makes you realise that the locals here, most of whom have neither luxury, carry on through the rain as normal. The umbrellas they carry now act as a shield to the rain, as opposed to a block for the sun.
On a different tack - I understand that blokes dont get any action before marriage over here, but i need to find a polite way of telling them that though i am happy to consider them as mates, that doesnt mean i need them to hold my hand after we have shaked; rub my back; put their arm around my shoulders and/or waist or (and i kid you not!) stroke my thigh before gently squeezing my knee! (as happened this evening). Need to explain that on a night on the town, on my way to the pub, it is not a general practice for me to walk down the street with my mates holding hands whilst gently swinging our arms in tandem (which seems to be the norm here) before buying a round of babyshams (although, if the mood takes, i do enjoy the latter with a dash of brandy!) and telling them how beautiful their hair looks (on more than one occasion!)- it is really sweet to see grown men walking along obviously comfortable with one another, and i dont have a problem with guys cuddling up to one another when they sit on a sofa together as that is how their friend/relationship works. Fair play to them! - it's my problem that being English I cant get used to what feels like an invasion of personal space, when i know that it is purely meant as a sign of friendship.
Feel an increasing need to get my hair cut and not shave for a bit!
posted by nidpor at 8:02 AM
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