Once in a Blue Moon: The last of Patnem, 2010

Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Margao, Goa, India
Did you guys know that it was a blue moon on New Year's Eve? The moon was full, bright, and OUT, hanging low and ripe - close enough to touch. It shone, suspended weightless, just over the palm trees on the beach's northern rocky outcropping, leaving a path of white light on the water that shimmered and sparkled all the way to the shore... A late night moonlight swim on the way home from a party in Palolem (the “Big Beach”) brought it all together.

Really, really, there is nothing like swimming in the ocean under a full moon upon the turning of a new decade . The Indian Ocean threads like ribbons through open fingers, as warm as the hot, wet air outside...

Happy New Year!


It's funny- every year, for the last three years, I've sort of felt misplaced for the first week or so upon landing in Patnem; the first year, I was anxious and somewhat wary of the beach experience as I'd basically left “India”; the beach is a different kind of Indian lifestyle, and definitely a different kind of experience; the expats living there are not what I travel for, I thought. I had ants in my pants and felt like I had to get out... So, year one, I meandered about in my comfort zone, from end to end, until I figured out that it was just different, not wrong, in terms of travel and experiences and such, and made mental peace with it. I met and warmed up to the expats that were 'living' there and got to know the family that actually does live there. The second year, I freaked out a bit because it was so different from the first year . Many of the same annual pack were there, and of course the family, but one person that I had a particularly strong connection with had not come back. So last year was all about making new connections, and I got to know my Norwegian neighbors quite well. This year, I dropped in immediately with “My Norwegians”, which was lovely, but I also felt like I was missing something; since I dropped in with them upon arrival, I started feeling a little bit like I'd traveled with them there, and that felt weird. I like them a lot; but I love traveling alone. I felt a little bit like I'd lost independence- which was not necessarily the case, but I just felt a little cornered. ..Or something. The word isn't coming to me that appropriately fits the feeling. Obligated? ..Hm. Anyway, a week passed and New Year's came around, and I ended up forging a bit of a new road; I finally started getting comfortable there again for the third year. ..If that makes sense.

On New Year's Eve, I started out having dinner with the Norwegians, then joined by another Norwegian (there are a pack of them that travel and meet there yearly- they know each other at home and meet for the holidays) . We had a delicious dinner and some interesting red wine... Earlier that day or the day before.. Who knows, one big blendy week.. I'd purchased three bottles of champagne at the store in Chaudi to share with everyone. I brought them down to Munna's bar with instructions to pass it out, and ended up chatting with Luku, who lives there, and Anna, a kiwi chick that's been traveling around India for a few months- She started out with a guy that she let loose before waiting out her last couple of weeks at the beach. Post-Patnem, she moves to London to start a new life off the island. Anyway. We got along like old friends; spent all of New Year's night together- went to a party in Palolem- this rave thing going on at Alpha Bar.  It was kinda dicy, but fun- interesting people watching- interesting people in one's face. I'm not that much of a partier, especially in India, nor do I think I ever have been to the level some folks were going- but it was fun. Music cut off at 3:30 or 4:00 am or something, without any announcement or notice- folks sort of stood around wondering what to do for a while, then once we figured out that we should head home, we did . We finished off the night with a swim before calling it New Year's Morning, and time for rest. We spent much of New Year's Day napping under shade umbrellas on the beach. It was a blast. Good run, 2010. Way to be a New Year.

For the next week, Anna and I hung out quite a bit. We went to Chaudi to shop for Aayushka's 2nd birthday gift and found a toy store that, frankly, was worth the trip even if we hadn't been shopping for a gift. Hard to leave. Anna found an Indian Barbie (complete with sari... There was a Punjab Ken, too, but Anna was very taken with Barbie). We found a finger painting “kit” for Aayushka, and I found some really weird board games that I sent home. (Who could resist a game called “Ouch”? Ah, Indian English... What's not to love.) I can't really remember what else went on besides Aayushka's birthday.. Nothing terribly discernible... Lots of good meals.. Swimming, napping, trying- mostly unsuccessfully- to get online.. Writing, reading, staring at the ocean, figuring out train tickets . Then on my last night there, Anna and I went next door to Cuba (the restaurant, not the island.. Not quite next door) and tried out a hookah. It's not what one might think- no drugs!- we tried dried mint and also an apple blend. There was no tobacco in it either, just dried fruit and mint. It tasted pretty good and it was kinda fun. A whole production. When in Rome... We had a shot of Honeybee (a honey liqueur) added to the hookah water for the mint round- it was actually really tasty. I think I had about 1.5 Kingfishers but really wasn't much in the mood to whoop it up, the mellow vibe at Cuba with Anna (and Barbie; boy did Barbie have adventures that day... there was a photo shoot) was perfect. The guy from Cuba was trying to talk us in to going out for drinks, but... Nah. Yawn.

Nighty night, and toddled off to bed.

Anyway- so- my second week there was when I finally felt like I hit my groove. I guess that's just how it goes .

Last day.. Packed up, grabbed some sun and some sea, and then as I'm making “goodbye” rounds, Malesh and Pinky started making fun of me for crying, and then I cried (jerks), and Munna showed off his new driving skills by driving me to the bus station. ..No rickshaw for THIS princess. Anna came along; she gave me this gorgeous paua shell that she'd been carrying from New Zealand to give to someone. I am so flattered that it was me! She tied it on, and of course I cried again... It's still on, someone will have to pry it off. I hopped on the bus... and was off to Margao to catch my Mumbai-bound overnight train. Finally got that coastal train journey after all, even if it was in the dark!

Patnem, all in all, was great.  For the third year in a row, it turned out to be it's own experience, it's own version of “Not-India”, all over again. I love that family, I love being a “regular” and basically getting charged nothing for a space they could sell for three-four times the amount I paid for it for my stay there .. I enjoyed being the “photographer” for Aayuska's birthday, I loved watching Munna rip mercilessly on tourists (and regulars- including myself), I absolutely loved meeting Anna and spending time with her, from the get-go on New Year's Eve all the way through her coming with Munna to drop me at the bus station. Relaxing, and I spent time thinking about how to think; I know it sounds so-ooo-oooo cheesy, but I spent a lot of time working on positive thinking and moving my mind away from things that I didn't want to or couldn't do anything about. Kind of a nice two-week exercise on the beach, the cliffs, and the occasional trip in to Chaudi... There was the occasional beach small-town dramarama crap, but I think I managed to stay out of the crosshairs and not get involved when it started bubbling around me. Funny- I am so very not interested in sceney ego bullshit. Learned that this last year, that's for sure...ha, that's SO 2009! ...And so it wasn't, but it was a scene; lived and acted only in the nicest, peaceful ways.

And.. That's the tail end of Patnem, 2010... Off to the rest of it all!

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