Dog Day in Delhi

Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Delhi, India
Back in Delhi, for the last 24 hour blitz. What do I need to do? ...Pack? Definitely. ...Sleep? Too freakin cold. ..Buy stickers?  DO I. ...Hang out with Kunal? We're going to have farewell beers in a few.

Goa (more accurately, Patnem) was, of course, wonderful. Different in almost every way from last year, but one of the things that I suppose I sent myself here to learn (again) was to alter or change- or to have no- expectations, and when I finally allow myself to recalibrate- I am always pleasantly surprised by what fills the space. ..Lovely.

I spent a lot of time with Alan and Elin, and I will miss them tremendously. ESL (for them, and for me if you consider ENGLISH vs. AMERICAN English, really) barriers notwithstanding- Elin and I had at least a few giggle fits that rose and fell and then rose again at the same time- those priceless ones. I think the last one was when we were both lying on sarongs on the beach, faces up, eyes closed, halfway dreaming, listening to the waves roll in... and we hear the electronic shutter of some Indian kid's camera phone, and before either of us opened our eyes, I said, "uh-oh."   Fits of laughter.

And then there was my "going away" dinner, or two of them really, both times Gautam refused payment- the first time, the chef (Kishor) and Bittu (who did the waiting, really, and whatever else) paid for, the second was on Gautam. I got to cook my first going away dinner myself- rather, I got to furiously try to write down the ingredients and process for it while Kishor flew through the kitchen, a blurry whirling dervish. The second one, Alan went in to "town' to pick up pina colada supplies- my favorite, which I've since learned has become others' favorites at Gautam's place- and we stirred up a big ole pot of Colada, me and Dr. Alan (now called Dr. Alan because Dr. Frank took Dr. Alan to clean up some kids' wounds in Palolem, north of Patnem... Long story. Fabulous people. And somehow, I got some beautiful kurtas out of the deal...)

So... There's so much more to say and yet nothing at all, about Patnem. Different vibe entirely than the last time I was there, but there were different people entirely (except for the family, of course).  I missed Ayusha's birth by about a week when I left last time, and now I'm missing her first birthday party, and I've been given plenty of shit about that. I would have loved to be there. She is a beautiful, glowing little girl who gets the undying and never ending attention of her 23 other family members there, along with a complete head to toe coconut oil massage, daily, every morning, by her adoring, chirpy, loving, mama Pinky and Pinky's auntie (the same ladies who managed to massage me- I'm sure the baby's supple joints aren't A) put to the task as much as mine and B) she'd be better able to handle it, anyway.) She doesn't walk yet- Pinky said that the doctor said, she'll get on it when she wants. I can imagine why she doesn't, though- she's constantly in the arms of some loving relative.   Constantly. This is not a baby for whom a crib or pen is necessary. I'm sure nobody there knows what a baby pen IS, actually. She is never without cooing, doting supervision. She blows kisses, she gives high 5's, and she never cries.  I've never seen a family with a baby like this before. Then again, I've never known of a family of 24 to inhabit the same few houses, either. Amazing. Eighty-four year old grandpa still goes about hanging your hammock and brings a machete to those palm "leaves" that occasionally crash to the ground... The other grandpa is sort of the lookout of the restaurant. Neither of them have many teeth left, but they are always grinning and showing what they have left. Both of them were standing vigilant on Christmas Eve, though, when security was on "high alert" for terrorism (we all agreed that the maximum amount of people you'd be able to take out in Patnem with one bomb was... Three, a fact for which we were laughingly grateful.)

Funny thing though, there is a bunker sitting out on the beach- empty, nobody standing guard, but one pile of sandbags in the middle of the strip of beach. Not until after Christmas did you see any signs of the Indian army- but I'd seen some the last few days there. A pair of soldiers, walking up and down the beach, water bottles, a radio, and huge rifles in hand. I think that it is generally thought that New Year's might be slightly more of a targeted date than Christmas. Either case- Patnem is a fishing village, and those three people paying $5 a night (that's what I paid) to stay in a toiletless room with a mosquito net and a fan are probably not the intended victims. It sucks, all of it, but other than having bomb sniffing dogs on my trains, or being aware of armed tanks out front of the airports... I haven't felt threatened or scared at all, not since the news hit the waves the day I left. And, it is what it is, but I'm not doing those high-falutin' things with those high-falutin' folks that are getting national attention... So. Anyway. Terrorism... It sucks. You can quote me on that.

I flew back from Patnem last night. Gautam went with me and Malesh to the airport, and we stopped for sugar cane juice on the way. I was asking what the crops were, and one is sugar cane, and Gautam was like... "You have?"  No, never- so, now I have. They have these fabulous little gas-powered grinder stands (NOW I know what those are) roadside, where a guy runs sugar cane through these teeth, over and over, and then pours the result into a glass for you, pops a straw in, and.. yum. Anyway, I have a stalk of sugar cane that I'm hoping to get through customs somehow so that I can chew on it at home and think about the jungle while I rot my teeth.

Delhi: Plane late- huge surprise. Kunal picked me up with a smile (and a taxi) at the airport, and a roadie, natch. We got in to Delhi proper but it was after midnight by the time we got into Paharganj, so it was bedtime, everythng closed, unlike Gautam's 4am cutoff time. I FROZE last night. I've become accustomed to the warm night air of south Goa, where all you need is a sleeveless dress and a silk scarf to keep warm, and a silk sheet to sleep under. BRR. Hard to fall asleep, but fnally did, woke at around 9:30, and then sat in bed daring myself to take that cold shower for another hour... Did, very awake after that point, and then we met and trolled around town taking care of a few things. Bought another huge bag just like last year (next year... bringing the damn bag, leaving with Kunal while I skirt around, and not buying another one), had some food, bought some stickers, got a neat carved hanging Indian buddha... etc. Now- he's getting a spirit house for me (altar kind of thing) and then we'll reconvene, I'll finish packing, and we'll go out for dinner and a beer on our way to the airport, where I'll start my long and sad ride home. I go from here to Paris, spend four hours rolling my eyes and clamping my hand to my head in exasperation, and then get on a plane that takes me all the way to Seattle- very happy about not having to stop on the east coast on the way back. One long, solid sleep on that plane, the way I see it. Jason and Christine are picking me up, dropping me home, I'll shower, figure out what to wear (Sage- I am laughing about our conversation today... What AM I wearing for NYE? ..God. Right now I'm trying to figure out how I'll speak English in full sentences with adverbs.. let alone the outfit.) I did buy bindis for all of us today, though, and probably all of the strangers we meet as well, so that's good. Ornamentation:  Check.

Okay. That's it. There will be lots of little stuff to fill in, maybe if I get a minute this weekend, after I get home, I'll make a "post-trip" entry or something. Meanwhile- I'm off to figure out where Kunal is and if my spirit house is ready.  

Time to take my spirit house home.


 

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