Six months India - 28th of June 2005

Coming back from my two weeks in Europe felt nice. It was pleasantly warm when stepping out of the airplain even though it was 1am in the morning. Patrik and Ajit were welcoming me back and Ajit seemed happy to get a more busy Drivers-Life again as he started to get bored just going to the office and back. Kasdhuri just said a house feels empty without a woman [I am not sure if she was playing on me being rather untidy and always making a mess when using the aquaguard [water filter system] in the kitchen!].

The next day I just went out, running around Bangalore’s dusty and traffic jammed streets with all the little yellow auto rickshaws fighting their way through cars, cows and street sellers. And the people in little street shops asking where I have been so long, or commenting on ‘you usually come here in the mornings’. It really felt like coming back home, it was good to have left India for the first time. There is a certain freedom in this unorganised madness… walking around somehow feels so free, so simple, so connected and somewhat very real.

The rainy season has begun [with not much rain so far], but more cloudy days than usual. Temperatures have dropped from 37 to 25 degrees, and I must say it is a bit cold. I am sleeping with socks at night!
The mango season is coming to an end, some new places have opened up [the first really western brands 'Mango' and 'M&S'. I am impressed. Even though M&S are selling their rubbish for London prices, so not sure how long they will survive.], lots of people are leaving for the summer break, some are signing up for some more years, some are moving house as their homes did not proof wasserdicht [waterproofed]. There is a constant change going on.

We still really enjoy reading the newspapers here [The Indian Times], it gives you a good inside into the Indian way of thinking… one article made me laugh the other day. The headline was ‘Wearing of helmet will not lead to hair loss’. And I thought they just don’t care about safety.

I made it into the papers some weeks ago, we went to a charity pool party at the Leela Palace and some journalist took a photo of me and my friend Vanita. Usually they don’t like to show just western people in the papers here, but as Vanita is Indian I guess I made it onto page 3 for that reason.
What a funny day, all the guards in our house were giggling when I passed, and when they found the picture they right away called Ajit to tell him about ‘his madam’. He then bought the paper and called his family. Ajit’s comment to me was: ‘Madam you look like a fat lady in that picture’. Oh, how I love their honest way of talking.
Funnily enough I learned the other day that the muslim name Sabeena means ‘well fed’. Nice one!

People keep telling us about having seen cobras, the most common snake in the area. They seem to like the climate here, as Bangalore sits on a 1000m high plateau. You can find warnings in the newspaper of cobras coming into people’s houses, through the garden or water pipes. Apparently a cobra got into a little girls bedroom here in Bangalore some weeks ago. It wrapped itself around the sleeping girls arm and bit her. She survived, but what a scary story. I am glad we are in a 3rd floor apartment block!

The Police commissioner offices… a place that can make you hate India for the day! I was stupid enough to go there on my own, just to collect the forms I would have to fill out in order to register. I did not get anywhere, was ignored, men pushing past me [being the tallest person in that bloody office], and when I finally made it to that scruffy little front desk the guy just refuses to give me any information, saying he would need to see my passport [even though I could obviously tell him which passport I am holding]. So I went again with Patrik the next day, and he got the information straight away. Standing next to Patrik I asked one question, and the officer ignored me again and answered back to Patrik. Uh, you really want to jump over that counter and beat some sense into these people. But what you do is smile, say thank you and leave. Not easy.

I was always touched by the way Kasdhuri and also Ajit are asking me ‘Have you had breakfast yet?’ or ‘Have you had lunch yet?’. How sweet, I thought, they really care about me. I learned now that it’s nothing more then a saying. I guess it started off as a caring thing to say, but ended up just being a meaningless saying, a bit like ‘How are you?’ is being used in the English language. Standing in the lift with one of the maintenance guys the other day he smiled and said: ‘Madam, have you had breakfast yet?’ …I could not help but smile. Loving it, and am using it myself now.
Glad we found out though, as my friend started getting irritated with their post delivery man, as he asked her every bloody morning if she had had breakfast yet.

We are invited to an Indian Christian wedding tomorrow, very exiting. Will have to get some suitable clothes to wear, maybe some fancy ‘Kurta Pyjama’. I guess the more colourful the better! No way I am waering a Saree, I would probably end up half nacked during the ceromony, the 6 meters of fabric on the floor!