Asia 2006: Random Bozo goes to Kerala

Village Kerala

In the morning, I bussed back to the village and sat in the chai-stall, trying to regather my anatomy from the shaking it had received on the way. Some children beckoned me from a doorway across the road. Assuming an adult was behind them, I crossed over to join them. They took me to the local library/primary school and gathered some of their elder (18-19 year-old) friends who were trainee teachers. We exchanged some songs and stories: I'm hoping for forgiveness for my renditions of the hero's return and exercising some control.

During a break in the rain, I was taken to a house and shown some malayalam TV.

I then made a heart-rending mistake: one of the first children I'd met here was cold and wet so I lent her my jacket to walk her home. She thought I'd given it to her permanently and so asked time and time again to get it back when I insisted to it being returned to me. I can't yet decide whether I've been selfish or sensible. She has a home, friends and relatives here. I don't. However he situation has been forced upon her while I chose mine. Also, how could she understand that a rich-looking westerner doesn't currently have money to give away when so many folk who look like me do?

I returned to Cheruthony feeling depressed and ill around 2pm. By now the rain was flooding down, drenching Cheruthony's main street under half an inch of fast-running water and making anything but staying in my hotel room a fool's errand. I slept fitfully from 4pm that afternoon to 8am the next morning.