My diary tells me I woke at 4 am as Ajeesh came into the room where I was sleeping to borrow my camera. I was annoyed with myself for not changing the camera chip so I could upload recent photos to my blog today. Never mind - they're all in this website.
Sandra seemed to have 'adopted' me - she liked taking me for walks around the 'suburb' but I get a bit uneasy when she twice took me into other folks' houses - social conventions forced them to give hospitality. (Fortunately, one of them was Santosh's house so his kids knew who I am.) This was lovely but I didn't feel comfortable because Sandra naturally went into her friends' and neighbours' houses but I wasn't actually invited in. I apparently 'decided' that, even allowing for the portion of my discomfort caused by language barriers, until I at least knew the parent's names, from then on I'd manufacture excuses to stay outside. Bloody British reserve!
Many people, including Sandra and local kids, took it upon themselves to tell me malayalam words for everything under the sun. But because I couldn't always see what they were pointing to, and the malayalam very rarely stuck in my head, it could lead to frustration on both sides.
I also recall joining with Radhalaksmiamma in peeling some kapa (tapioca) roots. I then walked to town. On the way, I stopped at the house where Ajeesh and I had stopped to eat with the wedding party last night. I intended to take no more than five minutes to congratulate the happy couple (because they hadn't been at the house when we were there last night) and then go on to town. However, I was embroiled in conversation and it took over 20 minutes to extricate myself. The household was muslim and someone asked me my religion. I replied truthfully that I believed in no god. I wonder if it would have been too much of a cop-out to say 'my religion is people and animals and anything that lives'.
On the way to town, the liquid sunshine became intense. I stopped at a local shop to shelter. Someone waiting there flagged down an auto for me and made sure I knew the correct fare. I don't think the driver would have asked for more but I do appreciate this help.
I phoned home but didn't blog, then walked back to the house, getting very sweaty en route. My diary tells me I had a vile headache in the evening and so missed being one of the many millions engrossed in watching sport that evening.
© (except the blatantly ripped-off bits) Random Bozo 2006