The groom then puts some red
make-upon the top of the bride's
forehead. Married women often
wear this make-up but unmarried
women never do.
Today was the day of Bindhu and Pradeep's wedding. The photos' captions tell you what happened. Later that day, I wrote in my paper diary
Today emotions have showered on me like confetti. From this morning's happiness at receiving a text from the UK, to abject fear that I am, in some ways, an irreparable nogoodnik, to wanting to enforce contraception to amazement to, well, never quite being satisfied.
India is still terrifying. Lack of communication* is the biggest thing. I'm almost an alien from Planet Tourist. For others I am the undoubted, infallible and above all speedy authority on 'England'. Trying to give Kerala (a land that's like Scotland's beautiful highlands after a 10° Celsius blast of global warming) an understanding of Scotland's significance is an uphill struggle.
*I want want WANT surgically-implanted voice and data links!
The scale of Kerala often moves me. So many people living almost hidden from main roads, in houses at the end of crazy, patchily metalled roads. Kerala's alive - and so
I wish I knew how I intended to end that sentence.
After the wedding, Ajeesh took me to Nedumkandam's government hospital to meet Sindhu, one of the high-heidyins of his social and economic development organisation. I recall being shocked at the cost, relative to local average wages, of her stay in and the paucity of this hospital. We are very lucky in the UK!
© (except the blatantly ripped-off bits) Random Bozo 2006