it's been quite an eventful december. we took a trip to the beautiful beaches of goa, where we stayed with a couple we met in the mountains of dharamsala. i got a job being a subtitle editor. i had my first gig with my band in india, singing and playing drums. we stayed at a hotel on the beach here in mumbai, courtesy of one of my band's guitar players, who manages the hotel and gave us a room for new year's eve. we saw the year change on the beach, amongst the people, dancing under an eclipsed blue moon. and now, we're making plans for 2010.
there's more detail to follow, but for now, farewell 2009 and greetings 2010. may all beings experience happiness and the causes of happiness, and be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
02 January 2010
29 November 2009
Another day in paradise
I’m really loving my Sundays lately.
i start waking up kind of early, out of the house by 9. over to Café Coffee Day for a morning bite to eat and drink. then i get in a rickshaw and ride over to Bandra Kurla Complex. it is built on reclaimed swamp land, and comprises lots of new buildings, offices, courthouses, industrial sites, and a few schools. our destination is the American School of Bombay, which lets us use there field for a super fun game of Ultimate Frisbee. today we shared the field with a soccer camp, and there were only about 10 of us, but it still worked out great, because the short field was fun, fast breaks were shorter so much more possible. it’s a game of expats, amerians and brits and a couple indians that went to college in the US (or grew up there) and have come back (repats i guess). it was a great game. after frisbee we can use the school’s pool, so we swam for a while which was heavenly.
then a few of us decided to go eat at The Bagel Shop, a place in Bandra, that bakes their own bagels and puts whatever you want on them. I had mozzarella, pesto and tomatoes, and heather had cream cheese and green olives. by then it was 4 on the clock, so we went home, rested for a little while, and then heather and i headed out to see 2012! we were waiting to see it and today was the day. the opening scene is in india, which thrilled us and the rest of the audience. we had a great time, we love our disaster movies, and this was the best once since Independence Day, in my estimation (hey! i just noticed they had the same director!). after the movie we headed over to a sweet shop for some chocolate mousse, and then took another crazy rickshaw ride back to our neighborhood for a late snack. i predictably had a dosa and we also had watermelon and tomato soup. then we took a rickshaw home.
but as we were walking through the back alleys to our apartment, we heard music, which got louder, and we saw a party going on. we started moving a bit to the music and that’s all it took for the party goers to grab us and invite us in. it was a fun little birthday party with fog and lasers and dance music. and it turned out that we knew the DJ’s, they live in our building. i met them when i first moved in, they made me tea (well their mother did). they live downstairs, and they have Shure and other music related stickers on their door, so i stopped once to talk to them. and yesterday heather met them. DJ Sam and DJ Sachin are their names, and we waved at them in the corner of the party, it was so nice to see them, they even played the Akon song heather likes. we started dancing and of course everyone came over and started to dance with us. they offered us tequila shots (i actually had one), and we met the birthday boy (he must have been 24 or 25) and wished him a happy birthday. after a few minutes it was time for us to go, we blew a kiss to the one girl who gave us shots and danced with us the most, and the birthday boy thanked us. we waved goodbye to our friends the DJs and headed home, tired but exhilarated from a full and fun day. only in india, my friends. only in india.
i start waking up kind of early, out of the house by 9. over to Café Coffee Day for a morning bite to eat and drink. then i get in a rickshaw and ride over to Bandra Kurla Complex. it is built on reclaimed swamp land, and comprises lots of new buildings, offices, courthouses, industrial sites, and a few schools. our destination is the American School of Bombay, which lets us use there field for a super fun game of Ultimate Frisbee. today we shared the field with a soccer camp, and there were only about 10 of us, but it still worked out great, because the short field was fun, fast breaks were shorter so much more possible. it’s a game of expats, amerians and brits and a couple indians that went to college in the US (or grew up there) and have come back (repats i guess). it was a great game. after frisbee we can use the school’s pool, so we swam for a while which was heavenly.
then a few of us decided to go eat at The Bagel Shop, a place in Bandra, that bakes their own bagels and puts whatever you want on them. I had mozzarella, pesto and tomatoes, and heather had cream cheese and green olives. by then it was 4 on the clock, so we went home, rested for a little while, and then heather and i headed out to see 2012! we were waiting to see it and today was the day. the opening scene is in india, which thrilled us and the rest of the audience. we had a great time, we love our disaster movies, and this was the best once since Independence Day, in my estimation (hey! i just noticed they had the same director!). after the movie we headed over to a sweet shop for some chocolate mousse, and then took another crazy rickshaw ride back to our neighborhood for a late snack. i predictably had a dosa and we also had watermelon and tomato soup. then we took a rickshaw home.
but as we were walking through the back alleys to our apartment, we heard music, which got louder, and we saw a party going on. we started moving a bit to the music and that’s all it took for the party goers to grab us and invite us in. it was a fun little birthday party with fog and lasers and dance music. and it turned out that we knew the DJ’s, they live in our building. i met them when i first moved in, they made me tea (well their mother did). they live downstairs, and they have Shure and other music related stickers on their door, so i stopped once to talk to them. and yesterday heather met them. DJ Sam and DJ Sachin are their names, and we waved at them in the corner of the party, it was so nice to see them, they even played the Akon song heather likes. we started dancing and of course everyone came over and started to dance with us. they offered us tequila shots (i actually had one), and we met the birthday boy (he must have been 24 or 25) and wished him a happy birthday. after a few minutes it was time for us to go, we blew a kiss to the one girl who gave us shots and danced with us the most, and the birthday boy thanked us. we waved goodbye to our friends the DJs and headed home, tired but exhilarated from a full and fun day. only in india, my friends. only in india.
26 November 2009
26/11
it's the anniversary of the terrorist attacks in mumbai. i remember the day last year, to me it felt eerily like 9/11, roiling feelings of dread and nervousness, not knowing what's going on, wishing you were there while thankful that you're not. i was teaching as the news trickled in, trying to get in touch with friends in school and outside of school, trying to get news on the internet while not neglecting my students.
this one the first attack outside of the US that i could remember where they targeted foreigners. the terrorists entered mumbai from the water, at the Gateway of India, the monument built by the British, from where the British left in 1947 when India got their independence. it's in the Colaba district, a very touristed area. some travelers to Mumbai only ever see colaba, it's where the guest houses are, where many hotels are. When we started hearing about what places were being attacked, I shuddered. I had been to almost every one. Leopold's cafe. The Taj Mahal Hotel. Victoria Terminus (now officially called CST) train station, the Ville Parle Train Station. and the Nariman House, home to Chabad. While i had never been there, i had been to synagogues in mumbai, which has a pretty good sized Jewish population, 3 or 4 active synagogues, and a Chabad house for locals and Israeli and other Jewish travelers. jewish people were targeted. they also looked to single out those holding american or british passports. The attack lasted 3 days, and 166 people were killed.
i was already planning on coming to India, and this only made me feel more strongly about it. and while i didn't know where in the country i would be placed by AJWS, i was starting to feel that i would end up here in mumbai. and i have.
and i love this city. it's exciting, beautiful, exhilarating. it's on the ocean so there are beaches and there is hardly any pollution. it's very diverse with significant muslim, christian, buddhist, sikh, jain and jewish populations, as well as many western expats, and we all get along. (the muslims here don’t understand the radicalization of pakistan and they condemn the attacks as much as anyone.) there are hopping clubs and quiet temples, there are cafés and parks and seaside promenades, there are film shoots happening all the time, and the food is amazingly fantastically delicious and healthy.
the city has bounced back since last year, as india always bounces back from invasions, introductions of new religions, traumatic events and everything else. it’s all absorbed, transformed, and integrated into her. we are all mumbaikars and we love our city. we will never forget the victims of 26/11, and the heros that day. the train announcer who calmly told people to leave the station from the rear exit, over and over, until the terrorists found him and shot him. the group of young Sikhs who brough food and water to the security forces battling the terrorists. the muslim chai-wallah (tea-seller) who ran into the station and helped people to leave and then served tea to survivors and reporters covering the story. the police and other officials who fearlessly walked into the maelstrom, like the firefighters did on 9/11. the caretaker of the baby at the chabad house, who snuck the child out even as the rabbi and his wife were being killed. the workers and guests at the hotels who fought back, knew where and when to hide, how and when to escape, and saved many lives in the process. we remember the fallen and the survivors, and we come together not in fear but in love, in democracy and freedom.
living well truly is the best revenge.
this one the first attack outside of the US that i could remember where they targeted foreigners. the terrorists entered mumbai from the water, at the Gateway of India, the monument built by the British, from where the British left in 1947 when India got their independence. it's in the Colaba district, a very touristed area. some travelers to Mumbai only ever see colaba, it's where the guest houses are, where many hotels are. When we started hearing about what places were being attacked, I shuddered. I had been to almost every one. Leopold's cafe. The Taj Mahal Hotel. Victoria Terminus (now officially called CST) train station, the Ville Parle Train Station. and the Nariman House, home to Chabad. While i had never been there, i had been to synagogues in mumbai, which has a pretty good sized Jewish population, 3 or 4 active synagogues, and a Chabad house for locals and Israeli and other Jewish travelers. jewish people were targeted. they also looked to single out those holding american or british passports. The attack lasted 3 days, and 166 people were killed.
i was already planning on coming to India, and this only made me feel more strongly about it. and while i didn't know where in the country i would be placed by AJWS, i was starting to feel that i would end up here in mumbai. and i have.
and i love this city. it's exciting, beautiful, exhilarating. it's on the ocean so there are beaches and there is hardly any pollution. it's very diverse with significant muslim, christian, buddhist, sikh, jain and jewish populations, as well as many western expats, and we all get along. (the muslims here don’t understand the radicalization of pakistan and they condemn the attacks as much as anyone.) there are hopping clubs and quiet temples, there are cafés and parks and seaside promenades, there are film shoots happening all the time, and the food is amazingly fantastically delicious and healthy.
the city has bounced back since last year, as india always bounces back from invasions, introductions of new religions, traumatic events and everything else. it’s all absorbed, transformed, and integrated into her. we are all mumbaikars and we love our city. we will never forget the victims of 26/11, and the heros that day. the train announcer who calmly told people to leave the station from the rear exit, over and over, until the terrorists found him and shot him. the group of young Sikhs who brough food and water to the security forces battling the terrorists. the muslim chai-wallah (tea-seller) who ran into the station and helped people to leave and then served tea to survivors and reporters covering the story. the police and other officials who fearlessly walked into the maelstrom, like the firefighters did on 9/11. the caretaker of the baby at the chabad house, who snuck the child out even as the rabbi and his wife were being killed. the workers and guests at the hotels who fought back, knew where and when to hide, how and when to escape, and saved many lives in the process. we remember the fallen and the survivors, and we come together not in fear but in love, in democracy and freedom.
living well truly is the best revenge.
13 November 2009
taste the rainbow
There was a story on NPR the other day about skin-lightening cream in India, and how they’re starting to market it to men after years of selling it to women here. Heather and I have seen the commercials for them, and I didn’t know whether to laugh or cringe. I’m settling on cringe.
there are all kinds of products, skin lotions for men and women that contain moisturizers and sunblock and some kind of lightener like lemon juice or enzymes that break down the melanin in the skin.
i guess from the cosmetics industry’s point of view, there’s 500 million more potential customers, but the idea freaks me out. with both genders. i love india so much, the people, the culture, i hate to see them be influenced by the west, but anyway it’s much more complicated than that.
is it just to stand out, to look different? in the West, (white) people go to tanning salons and buy creams to get their skin darker, is that so that they stand out? is it the same thing with skin-lightening? since most people here are some shade of brown, is it just to stand out?
are they trying to look more Western? the trend is very popular in show business, from actors and actresses to models of both genders, almost everyone you see on TV, movies and magazines has light skin, and they’re always trying to get lighter. is that the trend because they’re copying Western media? I hope not.
For there are a few indigenous reasons, too.
There is the north-south rivalry, for one. people from south India are generally much darker than those from the north, and there’s a rivalry between the two that you see a lot. Even in the language; for years the north has wanted Hindi to be the official language of India, but in the south they don’t speak Hindi, they speak Tamil or Kannada or Mayalayam or Telugu, the languages of the states down there, and they are very different from Hindi. That’s why English is so important here; it is spoken all over the country, unlike any of the regional or state languages.
the north-south difference is also very much related to history. throughout India’s history, it’s been invaded multiple times, and the vast majority of those have come from the north, through pakistan and afghanistan, and down into the subcontinent. all of those invaders, the persians, the mughals, and the most important one, the so-called aryan invasion, were all lighter skinned people.
(the aryan invasion is the theory that lighter skinned people entered india about 1500 BCE, bringing with them a language that was the mother language of both Hindi and Latin/European languages. while sometimes disputed, the theory is widely accepted and the Indian culture we know in the north is descended from these people, while the earlier Dravidian people are the ancestors of south Indians, because the aryans didn’t make it that far south. and yes, hitler was enamored with indian culture and stole the term aryan and the symbol of the swastika from the story of those invading people.)
anyway, all those invading peoples had lighter skin than the indigenous people, so light skin is also associated with power and success.
and dark skin is still associated with some of the lower castes, with light skin associated with brahmins or other higher castes.
for all these reasons, it seems that indians are trying to lighten their skin. in newspaper ads by families looking for mates for their children, a light skin color is often mentioned as a desired trait. that’s been going on for a while, but this marketing of skin-lightening cream to Indian men is new.
i guess it’s easy for me to say as a light-skinned outsider, but i have the same reaction as when i see young indian women in jeans or falling for other western trappings. i think, your culture is so rich and so beautiful, your clothing and food and everything, please don’t lose it.
but with the entire history of india, outside influences are absorbed and somehow become wholly indian, the indian culture just absorbing, redefining, and integrating them until everything becomes Indian again. India is strong and only getting stronger, so i guess it’ll just roll with this trend as well, and come out the other side still as Indian as ever, even as the culture changes and grows.
there are all kinds of products, skin lotions for men and women that contain moisturizers and sunblock and some kind of lightener like lemon juice or enzymes that break down the melanin in the skin.
i guess from the cosmetics industry’s point of view, there’s 500 million more potential customers, but the idea freaks me out. with both genders. i love india so much, the people, the culture, i hate to see them be influenced by the west, but anyway it’s much more complicated than that.
is it just to stand out, to look different? in the West, (white) people go to tanning salons and buy creams to get their skin darker, is that so that they stand out? is it the same thing with skin-lightening? since most people here are some shade of brown, is it just to stand out?
are they trying to look more Western? the trend is very popular in show business, from actors and actresses to models of both genders, almost everyone you see on TV, movies and magazines has light skin, and they’re always trying to get lighter. is that the trend because they’re copying Western media? I hope not.
For there are a few indigenous reasons, too.
There is the north-south rivalry, for one. people from south India are generally much darker than those from the north, and there’s a rivalry between the two that you see a lot. Even in the language; for years the north has wanted Hindi to be the official language of India, but in the south they don’t speak Hindi, they speak Tamil or Kannada or Mayalayam or Telugu, the languages of the states down there, and they are very different from Hindi. That’s why English is so important here; it is spoken all over the country, unlike any of the regional or state languages.
the north-south difference is also very much related to history. throughout India’s history, it’s been invaded multiple times, and the vast majority of those have come from the north, through pakistan and afghanistan, and down into the subcontinent. all of those invaders, the persians, the mughals, and the most important one, the so-called aryan invasion, were all lighter skinned people.
(the aryan invasion is the theory that lighter skinned people entered india about 1500 BCE, bringing with them a language that was the mother language of both Hindi and Latin/European languages. while sometimes disputed, the theory is widely accepted and the Indian culture we know in the north is descended from these people, while the earlier Dravidian people are the ancestors of south Indians, because the aryans didn’t make it that far south. and yes, hitler was enamored with indian culture and stole the term aryan and the symbol of the swastika from the story of those invading people.)
anyway, all those invading peoples had lighter skin than the indigenous people, so light skin is also associated with power and success.
and dark skin is still associated with some of the lower castes, with light skin associated with brahmins or other higher castes.
for all these reasons, it seems that indians are trying to lighten their skin. in newspaper ads by families looking for mates for their children, a light skin color is often mentioned as a desired trait. that’s been going on for a while, but this marketing of skin-lightening cream to Indian men is new.
i guess it’s easy for me to say as a light-skinned outsider, but i have the same reaction as when i see young indian women in jeans or falling for other western trappings. i think, your culture is so rich and so beautiful, your clothing and food and everything, please don’t lose it.
but with the entire history of india, outside influences are absorbed and somehow become wholly indian, the indian culture just absorbing, redefining, and integrating them until everything becomes Indian again. India is strong and only getting stronger, so i guess it’ll just roll with this trend as well, and come out the other side still as Indian as ever, even as the culture changes and grows.
11 November 2009
it’s been a long time since i rock and rolled
i think i’m in a band now! i answered an ad for some europeans that were playing in a classic rock band and needed a drummer. it’s not my first instrument, but i played for a couple years with Bandworks back home so i can hang in there. it turns out they also need a singer so i volunteered for that too. it’s crazy doing both at the same time but it’s a fun challenge.
there a guitarist and bassist from england, and also a 2nd guitarist from germany i think (he wasn’t there last night but will be at the next rehearsal). they’re all about my age (read old), but that means we like the same kind of music, pink floyd, rolling stones, dire straits (sultans of swing), david bowie, etc.
they rent out a studio which appeared to be in someone’s house, a room they turned into a rehearsal studio, with microphones plugged into amps, and drums set up. they brought their own guitar and bass. they’re not the greatest players in the world, it’s no Funky Little Shack, but then again i can’t really play drums for the shack. besides the fact that they would never let me get anywhere close to that drum kit! it was really really fun to be playing again, it looks like we’re going to rehearse once a week, and at some point even play at parties or bars. it’s nice to have that, and the frisbee and swimming on sundays, to keep me active and out of the house. i also still want to take hindi lessons (i have a couple leads for teachers) and maybe indian music lessons. i’m speaking some hindi in the shops, and with rickshaw drivers, but before too long i’ll try to fold lessons into my activities as well. things do move slowly here but i’m starting to realize i won’t be here forever so i’m going to get everything out of the experience that i possibly can.
there a guitarist and bassist from england, and also a 2nd guitarist from germany i think (he wasn’t there last night but will be at the next rehearsal). they’re all about my age (read old), but that means we like the same kind of music, pink floyd, rolling stones, dire straits (sultans of swing), david bowie, etc.
they rent out a studio which appeared to be in someone’s house, a room they turned into a rehearsal studio, with microphones plugged into amps, and drums set up. they brought their own guitar and bass. they’re not the greatest players in the world, it’s no Funky Little Shack, but then again i can’t really play drums for the shack. besides the fact that they would never let me get anywhere close to that drum kit! it was really really fun to be playing again, it looks like we’re going to rehearse once a week, and at some point even play at parties or bars. it’s nice to have that, and the frisbee and swimming on sundays, to keep me active and out of the house. i also still want to take hindi lessons (i have a couple leads for teachers) and maybe indian music lessons. i’m speaking some hindi in the shops, and with rickshaw drivers, but before too long i’ll try to fold lessons into my activities as well. things do move slowly here but i’m starting to realize i won’t be here forever so i’m going to get everything out of the experience that i possibly can.
10 November 2009
rising, like a phoenix, from arizona
i got the flu a couple weeks ago, but i'm feeling much better now.
2 sundays ago, i played ultimate frisbee for the first time in years. i heard about the game on a facebook group for expats living in Mumbai, people from the US, UK, australia, new zealand, and europe, mostly people in their 20’s, a good balance of men and women. they were a really nice group of people, some working at non-profits like i am, some working in the private sector as consultants or computer professionals or whatever. we met at the american school of bombay which has a great field. i taught everybody how to play ultimate, it went over really well, and we also played touch rugby, which was also really fun.
i hadn’t played any competitive sports in a long time, but i hung in there and did fine. panted a lot, but that’s to be expected. drank plenty of water, took lots of breaks, and had a great time. and after we were able to use their swimming pool which was fantastic.
the next day, monday, i was very sore all over, but i expected that. but as monday night came along, i started realizing that something was going on, something more than being sore from the game. i guess pushing myself like that was just enough to lower my defenses, because by tuesday morning, i knew i had the flu.
i hadn’t had the flu in years. my school gave us flu shots every year, and i had managed to avoid it. but this time it really hit me hard. headaches, body aches, fever, chills, sweats, the whole thing. sometimes when i’m sick here i tough it out, especially stomach stuff, but i knew i needed help.
i called my boss at the non-profit for advice, and she gave me the name and number of a local doctor she has used and trusted. Dr Hemang B Nanavati (love that name). I went to his office on tuesday around noon, waited a painful hour, and then got in. it’s a small office, with a waiting area that’s open to the outside (with a ceiling fan). you notice the order that you arrive and go in when it’s your turn; there’s no receptionist or anything.
i went in, told him my symptoms, told him i might have a fever. he felt my head and told me oh yes, you have a fever. he gave me medicine for 2 days (tylenol, antihistamines, and b-vitamins) and told me to come back thursday if i didn’t feel better.
i stayed in bed for those 2 days and didn’t eat much at all. wasn’t hungry in the slightest. tried to drink water and gatorade. the medicine helped; helped the aching and helped me sleep, and when thursday came along i almost panicked when i ran out of medicine. i went back to the good Dr Nanavati and he gave me medicine for one more day (he listened to my breathing and said you’ve got a cough now and he was right, so he gave me antibiotics too) and sent me to a local clinic for blood tests. it wasn't h1n1 (it's less common here than in the US, it was just a regular flu. ha, just. it really knocked me out).
they took my blood and tested it overnight for malaria, dengue fever, other infections, and they did a full panel of other blood and liver work.
on friday morning, it felt like i had turned a corner. i was still miserable, but i wasn’t getting any worse. i picked up the results, everything normal, and went back to see Dr Hemang B Nanavati. he gave me more medicine for the weekend and said i’d be fine by monday.
by monday, most of the flu symptoms were gone, but i was incredibly weak. i was sleeping most of the day and night, and when i did go out, i lasted an hour or so before having to come back and crash hard. i did that for the rest of the week, just sleeping, trying to eat a little, with some success, and sleeping.
yesterday was 2 weeks, and i finally went back to work. work was great about it, by the way, checking in with me every day but giving me the space i needed too. by yesterday, i was quite ready to go back, tired of being at home, even though i watched a lot of poker on youtube (caught up on the whole season of WSOP episodes) and otherwise kept myself busy.
and now, 2 weeks later, i feel my strength coming back, i can leave the house without falling apart, and i’m ready to go back to work. yesterday we actually designed an organizational chart for the non-profit, so i’m going to build it on my computer and we can include it in our business plan and other literature about the place. i’m looking forward to playing ultimate again and swimming again this weekend. and i think i actually found a band to play in, it looks like i’ll be playing drums and singing classic rock tunes. could be really fun.
oh, i started putting ads on this blog, so if you see anything you like, feel free to click on something!
be back soon, loyal readers.
2 sundays ago, i played ultimate frisbee for the first time in years. i heard about the game on a facebook group for expats living in Mumbai, people from the US, UK, australia, new zealand, and europe, mostly people in their 20’s, a good balance of men and women. they were a really nice group of people, some working at non-profits like i am, some working in the private sector as consultants or computer professionals or whatever. we met at the american school of bombay which has a great field. i taught everybody how to play ultimate, it went over really well, and we also played touch rugby, which was also really fun.
i hadn’t played any competitive sports in a long time, but i hung in there and did fine. panted a lot, but that’s to be expected. drank plenty of water, took lots of breaks, and had a great time. and after we were able to use their swimming pool which was fantastic.
the next day, monday, i was very sore all over, but i expected that. but as monday night came along, i started realizing that something was going on, something more than being sore from the game. i guess pushing myself like that was just enough to lower my defenses, because by tuesday morning, i knew i had the flu.
i hadn’t had the flu in years. my school gave us flu shots every year, and i had managed to avoid it. but this time it really hit me hard. headaches, body aches, fever, chills, sweats, the whole thing. sometimes when i’m sick here i tough it out, especially stomach stuff, but i knew i needed help.
i called my boss at the non-profit for advice, and she gave me the name and number of a local doctor she has used and trusted. Dr Hemang B Nanavati (love that name). I went to his office on tuesday around noon, waited a painful hour, and then got in. it’s a small office, with a waiting area that’s open to the outside (with a ceiling fan). you notice the order that you arrive and go in when it’s your turn; there’s no receptionist or anything.
i went in, told him my symptoms, told him i might have a fever. he felt my head and told me oh yes, you have a fever. he gave me medicine for 2 days (tylenol, antihistamines, and b-vitamins) and told me to come back thursday if i didn’t feel better.
i stayed in bed for those 2 days and didn’t eat much at all. wasn’t hungry in the slightest. tried to drink water and gatorade. the medicine helped; helped the aching and helped me sleep, and when thursday came along i almost panicked when i ran out of medicine. i went back to the good Dr Nanavati and he gave me medicine for one more day (he listened to my breathing and said you’ve got a cough now and he was right, so he gave me antibiotics too) and sent me to a local clinic for blood tests. it wasn't h1n1 (it's less common here than in the US, it was just a regular flu. ha, just. it really knocked me out).
they took my blood and tested it overnight for malaria, dengue fever, other infections, and they did a full panel of other blood and liver work.
on friday morning, it felt like i had turned a corner. i was still miserable, but i wasn’t getting any worse. i picked up the results, everything normal, and went back to see Dr Hemang B Nanavati. he gave me more medicine for the weekend and said i’d be fine by monday.
by monday, most of the flu symptoms were gone, but i was incredibly weak. i was sleeping most of the day and night, and when i did go out, i lasted an hour or so before having to come back and crash hard. i did that for the rest of the week, just sleeping, trying to eat a little, with some success, and sleeping.
yesterday was 2 weeks, and i finally went back to work. work was great about it, by the way, checking in with me every day but giving me the space i needed too. by yesterday, i was quite ready to go back, tired of being at home, even though i watched a lot of poker on youtube (caught up on the whole season of WSOP episodes) and otherwise kept myself busy.
and now, 2 weeks later, i feel my strength coming back, i can leave the house without falling apart, and i’m ready to go back to work. yesterday we actually designed an organizational chart for the non-profit, so i’m going to build it on my computer and we can include it in our business plan and other literature about the place. i’m looking forward to playing ultimate again and swimming again this weekend. and i think i actually found a band to play in, it looks like i’ll be playing drums and singing classic rock tunes. could be really fun.
oh, i started putting ads on this blog, so if you see anything you like, feel free to click on something!
be back soon, loyal readers.
25 October 2009
Here comes the Sun king
Today (Saturday, October 24th) was another holiday, called Chhath Puja. it’s mostly a holiday from the Indian states of Bihar and Orissa, in the east, but it has spread around the country and is now celebrated everywhere.
It pays homage to the sun god, Surya, and at sunrise and sunset people go down to the water and bathe and say prayers while in the water.
Here in Mumbai, it’s celebrated at Juhu beach, one of the 2 famous beaches in the city, and the only one where you can actually go in the water.
I was going to go on my own, and then fate remarkably intervened, as it does here in India.
I was buying a bathing suit at a shop on my street, because tomorrow I’m scheduled to play some Ultimate Frisbee at the American School of Bombay and they have a swimming pool there that we can use after. It’s a shop I’ve been to before, to buy material which i then took to a tailor to make a pair of pants for me (nicer pants that i can use for going out to fancier dinners or to work conferences and the like).
I knew one of the boys at the shop, he’s probably in his early 20’s, and I told him i was going to Juhu to check out the celebrations. It turns out he’s actually from Bihar, working here, but missing his family who is celebrating the holiday back home. So he invited me to go with him. he told me to meet him back at the shop in 20 minutes and we would go together.
Fantastic.
I would have taken a rickshaw all the way there, but my new friend Raman (pictured above) and I took a rick to the local train station, took a train to Santa Cruz station, and then walked from there to the beach. it was about a half-hour walk, and the closer we got, the more crowded it was, more and more people walking the same way, all headed to the beach for the festival. The excitement was palpable, and growing.
Along the way we talked. I taught him some english, he taught me some hindi. We also talked about religion, and the fact that in Hinduism, God is One. This is widely misunderstood, as there are dozens of different gods and goddesses. but they are all manifestations of the one God; that is clear in the Hindu scriptures. I really appreciate this because it makes me feel like i am not violating any of my Jewish beliefs by participating in Hindu rituals. He told me he likes to meet people, and see things, and have different experiences. i said that i do too, it’s one of the thing that have brought me to india.
Anyway, we got to the beach, and man, was it a party. Thousands of people (okay not a half million as originally predicted, but still thousands) setting up little altars, with bamboo sticks forming a teepee looking thing, and offerings to the sun god like little oil lamps, bananas, sweets, and the other usual Hindu offerings. families were there together, and would walk down to the water, getting their feet wet, then going back to their spots on the beach. parents took babies and dipped their feet in.
it was really a spectacular sight, all the people and their little altars, all the children running around. as night fell, the fireworks started. big fireworks that the city must have put on, in the distance, and smaller fireworks lit by dozens of people on the beach, the same kind you would light at home on the 4th of July. it was just like Diwali last week, but on the beach. there were people selling chai, and roasted peanuts and other snacks, and some people went swimming.
it was really really nice to be there with a guide, with a new friend, Raman.
He sang a lot, and taught me some Hindi songs, and we joked with each other. he told me that since we’re friends, we never have to say “thank you” or “i’m sorry”, but i still thanked him a few times for taking me. he would remind me not to say thank you, and i would say i’m sorry for saying thank you, and we would both burst into laughter. this became a running joke and was pretty hilarious.
After a while, it was time to go, so we grabbed a rickshaw home. he had to pick up his brother at the store on my street before heading home. He lives in Dharavi, the largest slum in the world, home to more than a million people, but he told me that they’re not all dirt poor. many are, but many are working class, and live there because they have moved to Mumbai from elsewhere in India to work. it’s a slum but it’s also an urban neighborhood, with different areas for people from different states and with different jobs. Raman invited me to his home there sometime, and i will visit it and check it out for myself. he doesn’t seem dirt poor, his clothes are nice and clean, he's got a cell phone, and he has a job.
it was an amazing evening, and wonderful to see the celebration of another religious holiday in this amazing and very spiritual place. Tomorrow, on Sunday, I’ll play ultimate frisbee and go swimming with a bunch of ex-pats from the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and maybe a couple other places. i’m looking forward to it...
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