Friday, July 1, 2011

Life...*dramatic sigh*

So yesterday was a cocktail of bad news. Including Shuji passing away. She as one of our downstairs dogs (in Cal).

Anyway, this isn't about that. A few days ago my younger and (lots more) wiser friend advised me to haffun cuz that's all you remember three years down the line. In the similar vein, the most venerated one (who's also suffered a great loss very recently) also said THIS is the time to have the most fun. And an older and not-always-so-much-wiser (:p) friend said time flies by and she would give anything to be 26 (eughhh! old!) again. In fact it's her pep talk, a small dose of Traitor Ghosh and a loooong loong night's sleep that made this morning better (including an early morning dream with Scrubs characters). So yes, this is my second day at McLeodganj. And I've got a looooot to write. And I'm not going to dwell on any negatives. Because there's death for sure but life has a way of creeping up on you and pushing you forward (this a little Pratchett-esque, non?). The Dramatic Title of this post is supposed to be a reflection on that because as I opened the blog to start writing the topmost post was about a very unfortunate passing away, a very sad moment in my life.

See, not having a camera can be a good thing. Now I can describe to you the painting of a grumpy hello kitty type cat drawing with one paw raised and a gomra mukh whose other paw is nicking (your) dumplings from a bowl full of them (dumplings, not cats or frowns) outside a restaurant on Tipa Road. Or I can tell you that the sign that got me all smiling and warm inside (okay overdoing it a beeet) said: 'Drive slow Kids Playing' with a stick figure and a ball separating the two lines. And after reading Interesting Times it's kind of um...I dunno epiphanic? or maybe deja-vu-ish to come across a board reading: The Tibetan People's Movement for Middle Way.

Well, I'm having an interesting time (in a non-curse type way *cross fingers and toes*). And older friend, if you're reading this (you had better be and as a proof I want to see your comment[s]), this isn't the first trip to mountains alone: the last time I stayed (albeit on my parents largesse) two months in another place (known before as Paradise) and er, got involved with a local, with um, unfortunate results.

But this dramatic exit, pack first thing you notice into bag and depart (though mellowed by tears and all that jazz at a point later, but not, hah! anymore) is suiting me just fine. Meeting random friendly dogs (who despite major friendliness does NOT dirty your clothes [one of the only two sets: yes there are negative sides to dramatic exists but not THAT many] with muddy paws like Dilli pooches), scratching two eyed cat at monastery guest house (where I pay 110 for a double bed room and which isn't as gloomy as I thought with the CFL on)[I am yet to meet the one eyed one that younger-wiser friend informed me about while recommending the place], walks down roads devoid of much but the occasional auto or traveller (and once a rosy faced biker dude on his harley davidson or summat who gave me a wide grin in all his pierced, ponytailed, plait-bearded glory) or frequent worshippers fingering their prayer beads, meeting Ludo and Melissa and weird coconut lady and her unfaze-able cocker spaniel Mallika and all this and more are the highlights of my second day here.

The walk to Dharamkot and the pizza at Out of the Blue were pretty good. So was sitting there, the only customer, looking at the stunning view as rain drummed on the tin roof and occasionally splattered in pools here and there and reading Traitor Ghosh. It was just fine and la-dee-dah as can be. Before, this villain from the Ekta Kapoor serials came in with his hyper faux biker friend. No I mean it: one of the dudes who came in, acts as villains in many K serials. And of course he stared at me willing me to acknowledge and I gave him the cold treatment I mete out to Bangla serial wannabe starlets at Dolly's or Nandan: complete and utter and chilly ignoring. But to his credit he was the strong silent type. Whereas his friend had verbal diarrhoea. Coupled with the most annoying voice and diction. your basic North Indian asshole vocab, which is basically some insignificant words thrown in b/w 'DUUUUDE'. Thank gawd I had nearly finished pizza so walked away (and the walk down[hill] too so much lesser time) and back into Herbal Tea Point with Melissa and Mallika and Indo-Brit lady (who thinks Tata (not TATA, you get me?) is such a venerated figure and asks what kind of company is Greenpeace *eyeroll*) and soon Ludo(vico) from Bordeaux. Lounged around, had cinnamon tea, stared at them while they had roasted chicken and baked potatoes (including the dog), bitched and gossiped about BP oil spill, online activism, how Obama's advisors include ex Merryl Lynch chiefs, the expenses in Europe, the wine in Himachal, yadda yadda.

I think I might have bed bug bites on my arm. And mosquitoes are biting me now, in here. I have a veg and tofu fried rice waiting for me at dinner at 9 back at monastery. Think I'll go and read some more T.Ghosh now (River of Smoke, if you were wondering).

Tomorrow seems promising with Tibetan man (who has sold sweaters in Midnapore) assuring me his wife will make me custom made woollen socks, my size, my choice of colour. Tada!

And toodles.

4 comments:

Oshtorombha said...

Haan, thik e toh bolechhe shobai. Fun chhara aar ki ba korar achhe. very little we can control, no?

but DUUUDE, hills theke plains e chole esho, onek kaj aar onek fun korte hobe. :)
shob DUUUDE der random petabo. just.

Kaichu said...

ai, shon. tui ay. ami aar natnee toke onek onek aador korega!

tui ki on an impulse chole geli? ki moja!!! anondo koro, botshyo!!

PS accha, curious. what kind of a friend am i?

Linus Kendall said...

SO what of the specially made wollen socks? No update heard, which color was chosen and my gawd how fast a knitter is she? I really ought to make you at minimum a scarf for the bitter netherlandish winters. Gotta find the knitsupply store in Delhi tho.

Can't wait to have the books (and you along with them) back in Delhi.

Madhura said...

@linus: what books?

@kaichu: um..venerable-old-mother-type? OR the-one-who-gives-enormous-bear-hugs.

@nandita: yes please. ami purush petate chai.