Asia 2006: Random Bozo returns to lovely Kerala

Nedumkan meanderings

Today I woke at 7.30. Sandra took me for another walk around the 'suburb'. I think this was partly to avoid or delay being prepared for school. She doesn't enjoy being bathed outside, with cold water, nor being dressed in 'posh' clothes and made up. The make-up process was to firm in her eyebrows, apply eye-line and forehead decorations which look something like this:

The three black dots were applied with a thin stick between her eyebrows, while the colours were applied by thumb onto the middle of her forehead. You can see a close-up of this pattern here.

Santosh and a colleague arrived for breakfast: creamy potato curry with rice-flour noodles and sambar. They were going to dig more cardamom pits so I put plasters on my 'wounds' from Saturday, donned my manky 'farming' clothes and joined them. After I had dug five pits, Gopalakrishna sent a message that I was to stop. I think I was very relieved.

I washed my clothes and the dirtiest bits of me outside with cold water. Then Jaya offered me hot water and I gratefully accepted and washed myself completely clean in the shower/toilet building.

I think Jaya served kapa for lunch and then I waited for the rain to pause long enough to walk to town. I eventually left around 4·30, saying I'd be back around 7pm

I appear to have blogged and emailed. My dad had emailed some extra verses for my chai-song. The whole song is:

Give me chai in my cup. Keep me working
Give me chai in my cup I pray
Give me chai in my cup. Keep me working
Keep me working till I fall down dead.

Sing 'Khardum chaya'
Sing 'Khardum chaya'
Sing 'Khardum chaya'
To Camilla siniensis-parker-bowels

Give me strength in my arms. Keep me digging
Give me strength in my arms I pray
Give me strength in my arms. Keep on digging
Keep on digging all the live-long day!

Plant bananas! Plant bananas!
Plant bananas! They're the kings of grass!
Plant bananas! Plant bananas!
Plant bananas 'til you drop!

Dig those holes square and deep. Keep on digging.
Gosh my back really aches today!
Dig those holes square and deep. Keep on digging.
Keep on shov'ling all the live-long day!

Cardamoms! Cardamoms!
Cardamoms are the crop this spring!
Straight bananas, straight bananas
Straight bananas are the shot!

Pour some chai in my cup. I am thirsty
Pour some chai in my cup I pray
Pour some chai in my cup. Keep on pouring
And I'll dig through the live-long day!

Eat bananas! Eat bananas!
Straight bananas from your garden plot
Plant bananas! Straight bananas!
Plant bananas in the spring!

I've blistered hands from this digging
I've blistered hands at the end of day
I've blistered hands from this digging
Don't make me dig no more today!

Cardamoms! Cardamoms!
Cardomams for the curry pot
Cardamoms! Cardomams!
I could really use a tot!

By chance, I then met Ajeesh and Aneesh with another of their friends. We talked in Ajeesh's car because it was now raining hard. Ajeesh started to drive us through Nedumkandam, saying he was going to meet Sindhu at her house in Udumbanchola (about five miles north of Nedumkandam along the NH17. I was happy to stay out of the rain but didn't insist on first phoning the house to say I would be late. This omission would earn me a friendly bollocking when we did get back later.

The meeting appeared to be about trying to get the police to crack down on illegal distillers. Ordinarily I'd not have a problem with people making hooch: it's up to them and their customers whether or not the rot their guts with ethanol.* However, because the distillers are allegedly cutting the hooch with meths and other nasties and because local politicians are allegedly taking kickbacks to protect the distillers, I'm pleased that Ajeesh is trying to do something about this. Apparently, Sindhu has heard some things that can be passed on to Anish for publication in his newspaper. Ajeesh was also keen to know the date we got slightly involved in the arrest of a distiller at Kanthalloor.
*In Kerala, strong drinks appear to be a government monopoly, sold from government-licensed shops only.

When we arrived at the path that leads to Sindhu's house, Ajeesh and Anish dashed to the house because they didn't have umbrellas. I did and we all thought I recalled the way to her house. I needed to walk slowly because the path was muddy and covered with puddles. While struggling to retain my grip on my brolly as I attempted to retrieve my phone from my rucsac, a strap touched the burst blister on my thumb. I screamed in pain and dropped everything I was holding, then spent a few minutes trying to find it all in the dark. Once I'd retrieved it all, I phoned Ajeesh to ask for a guide to Sindhu's house. Her young sons came out to guide me - bless you young sirs!

When we got back to Nikunjam and I had been told off for my late arrival, I realised I'd left my diary in Ajeesh's car again. Ajeesh went to fetch it, even though this was my fault. You're a gentleman, sir!