When did we get to be so old?

A youthful indulgence, expressing faux nostalgia and existential examination, such as:
The practice of a person who are still young (and in early 20s still very young), turning to another similarly aged person (or writing through online chat or saying down the phone): ‘I feel so old; when did we get to be so old?’ Of course what we really mean is: when did I get to be so square? It seems to us as if we woke up one day and realized that we were happy coming home from work, spending our evenings at home and falling asleep at 11pm. Happier than when we were going out to the pub and getting pissed on weeknights and dancing for hours and having adventures running around the streets in the pouring rain? Perhaps. Along with those days of being ‘cool and rebellious’ came many chasms of emptiness and desolation and various forms of existential despair in the come-down from those highs. So when we say ‘when did we get to be so old’ we are actually wearing it as a badge of honour. We are the enlightened ones now, those who have ‘realized’ that we are having fun living the lives we bemoaned as boring. Yes we have are slowly turning into our parents just as they stopped being us when they were our age. But rather than look at it with the horror that we did in our school and college days we are looking forward to living this comforting boring life for a couple decades more at least.

I think I first uttered these words (wdwgtbso) at the advanced age of 18, considering myself something of a rock concert veteran, following a decision at a concert not to push my way to the front and spent an hour and a half defending my place against moshers. I stood at the back and low and behold I could still see and hear the band. ‘I feel too old and tired to do that anymore’ I proudly proclaimed to my friends. I did not know what lifestyle of ancients I would soon embrace? Then I was old but not too old. I still avowed my intention to never be middle-class and live in the suburbs and care about brands of Hoovers. Now I not only forego mocking my dad when he self-deprecatingly tells me news about his new shed, but wish that I too was in a position to have a shed and tell people about it. (p.s. Dad: can’t wait to see the shed!)

One further advantage of ‘when did we get to be so old’ is that it is the perfect starter for reminiscing fondly about what we did before we had one foot in the grave. Now we can boast about our wild times (though they were barely a couple years ago) and exaggerate the anti-authority attitudes and debauchery to far greater levels than they ever were. ‘Do you remember the time we stole the eggs and woke up in a boat?’ ‘Yeah and when we stopped the car in the middle of an intersection and mooned that bus full of old ladies?’ ‘Yeah and when we hiked 3000 meters to that kickass monestary and dropped acid with those monks?’*

*None of these incidents actually happened to me. My rebel days are FAR too debaucherous to share on this blog as they might offend the delicate sensibilities of some older readers.

Because the truth is also that while we, the still quite young, are content with the direction that life is going in, we are still jealous of those people living far more cool and adventurous lives to ours. That’s why we still look at websites with pictures of fashionable people going to exclusive night clubs drinking absinthe. We pour jealously over our friends’ pictures of their hilarious costume party on facebook and make jokes about hipsters. We still long to be cool (i.e. have fun) but we don’t have the energy, the finances, the inclination. Blah blah blah. We don’t really want to be cool anymore though because if you were reading above I already said we were having fun being boring. That’s why we used to have friends over and play at being grown up by having a dinner party followed by light jazz and conversation, the same way we used to play house when we were children. Now we find infinite satisfaction in shopping for tupperware and bath mats not in a ‘first-apartment college’ type of way but because we really need something to put the spices in and we’re sick of using an old rag to wipe our wet feet.

Ok but I’m only 23 and I did move to India, but I still want to be part of the square club. Can I submit my application before the committee?

I could be handy mending a fuse
when your lights had gone
You could knit a sweater by the fireside
Sunday Mornings, go for a ride
Doing the garden digging the weeds
Who could ask for more?

-Paul McCartney

My Summer of Dust

The world is full of dust. Consequently most of it seems to be concentrated in my general vicinity. Now I am full to the brim. When we walk out of the office and catch a rickshaw home the temperature has dropped at 15 degrees from the scorching midday temperatures of the Delhi May sun. Relief is on the way but what form of relief is this? Dark clouds indicate a downpour is imminent but there is a general pattern when it rains in Delhi in summer. Hailstones and a fierce dust storm will precede the rain shower, all to the accompaniment of vigorous thunder and lightning. We time our departure perfectly to coincide with the gale of dust, which the still hot wind lifts up and deposits in our faces as we peer for transport in the hastening dusk. Finally we succeed in obtaining a rickshaw and set off into evening traffic. Dust mixes with the exhaust of other rickshaws, motorbikes, cars, buses, trucks and other uncategorized motor vehicles to add further flavour to the journey as we inch through the streets in our open auto. Scratch my nose or wipe a dab of sweat from my brown deposits a line of grit on the finger. When I comb my hair, the comb will turn black. A few days ago we stopped at the market on the way home and walked the last five minutes. Suddenly a dust tornado arose out of nowhere. The visablity dropped to a few inches in a few seconds. Desparately clutching for sunglasses and hankerchiefs. Walking sideways with nowhere to escape. Now in the auto we pick up speed again. Big fat rain drops splatter on the windshield and in through the sides. Home at last and into the shower, water made brown rushing to the drain. Breathing a little easier now standing out on the terrace watching the lightning. It has been going on for nearly an hour already, flashing in all directions and comes around to view, two bolts meeting horizontally in the sky. The thunder does not roar; it purrs somewhere distant. The rain is full of dust.

Ask me who made the world
I will avert my eyes and laugh
I will clap sudden fingers to my lips
and turn to someone else
while you lean forward trying to understand
the muffled shouting of my mind
notes from a drowned and living trumpet

-Connie Converse

Oh! Holi Day

Wednesday was my first Holi and I was super excited to 'play' as they say here. We went to 'play Holi' at Sahara. It is customary on this day to drink some Bhang (that has cannibus in it) and get completely sozzled but I resisted as we were 'playing' at the rehab. Throughout the streets people are throwing colours on each other so even walking 15 minutes to Sahara we were already multi-hued upon arrival. In the days upto Holi you had to be on the lookout for water-balloons thrown by eager brats safe on terraces. But on Holi itself you should stay inside if you don't want to be doused and turned into a human rainbow. I prefer the dry colours as they wash out easily instead of dying your skin.

This was the state of boys when we arrived.
It's customary to paint the person back who paints you.
Beware of becoming a Holi Zombie.
Or a Holi Sad Clown.
But the Indian Flag is always a good look to go for.
Let the paint highlight your killer smile.
We went around the neighborhood looking for people to decorate. Reswan was carrying a plate of red colour when a water balloon was perfectly aimed from above.
Mong takes charge of Yellow.
Rehab in-charge Alemi (right) sets up the cutest photo ever.
Until the Manipuri brigrade came along.
Happy Holi Guys and to hear the sound of Holi check out the mother of all Holi Songs here with good old Amitabh.

Picnics and Potlucks

Having a blog doesn't take that much work, just a little time while you wait for pictures to upload. However it is a little more difficult to maintain if you have the character deficiency: 'not finishing things you start'. Scientists are working on discovering the source and possible cure for this unfortunate genetic tendency even as we speak. Well actually they were until recently, when all worked stopped as members of the team apparently couldn't be bothered to continue anymore for reasons that have not yet been established... (In philosophy this tends to be called a vicious circle and should be attempted in all arguments).

Furthermore I hate starting emails with 'i'm sorry i haven't emailed you in so long...' You know what guy: you weren't emailing me either. So, I'll just give a quick run down on all that I haven't put up over the last two months and lets say I'll make some out of chronological entries in the near future: I went to Nagaland with the guy in January. I moved house. I went to Nepal in February to renew my visa.

But here's some stuff I do have pictures of that happened recently: I work with Sahara's Women's Home that acts mainly as a Women's Rehab located in Neb Sarai, Delhi. Last week we went for Picnic (outing) to celebrate International Women's Day. Yay Women!

On the bus.
Ladies from all the Sahara projects got dressed in their finest and we went to a park in Kalani Kunj (getting into your nicest sari to sit on the grass seems an excellent choice by the way).
Everyone let their hair down.
But obviously my favorite part was the cake...
Actually, no this was the best moment of the day:
Some ladies got some mendi done by TG coordinator Malthi and her two daughters. I was gonna leave mine on all evening so the pattern would stay a couple weeks but I had to cook and clean the house as we were having a bbq later that night...

Here's Googs preparing the meat. On the menu: bbq beef and paneer for the those who are veg, served with yummy yummy mint curd chutney.
Our patio outside makes a perfect hang-out place. Plus its covered, so when the rains come we can sit outside on the terrace.
Jam session:
Rio playing the guitar upsidedown.
Googs on the Balti.
Singing that great Indian song 'I married a female wrestler (Ahy ahy yo)'. Here are the lyrics below so you too can enjoy.

I married a female wrestler
As massive as can be,
She had bulging muscles,
Which quite facinated me

She said she loved me truly
But also said by heck,
If I ever catch you fooling around
I'll break your loving neck.

Sometimes to show affection,
She takes me on her lap,
She hugs me just little bit,
I feel my bones will snap,

Sometimes she hugs and kisses me,
Until I'm out of breath,
Oh my goodness, I'm afraid
She'll strangle me to death.

One day we were invited
To a fancy dressing ball,
She came dressed as Darah Singh,
We wrestled thro the hall,

We wrestled through the fox trot
I was powerless to resist,
we wrestled through the tango,
But I fainted in the Twist.
(Chorus)

To make things worse I have fallen
For the pretty girl next door,
She is skinny but I love her like I never loved before.

But If my wife should find out
The thought just makes me rave,
My friends you'll have to buy some flowers
And put them on my grave.

We had just caught sight of Googs at this point in the evening.
The lovely Kranti. Also Kranti means Revolution; what a cool name.
Time to call it a night?
Let's let Rio's wife decide on this one. Surbhi?

Happy Festivus Delhi Style

I haven't updated in a while so here's a mega entry on the last few weeks. Christmas is a big deal at Sahara. When I finally put out my Country Christmas Album, this will be the cover:

Suggestions for the album title are welcome.

The few weeks before Christmas consisted of decorating our GK2 premises and constructing our creche. Our Michaelangelo was Siavash and he lived up to his perfectionist artist role to a tee.

Mike, Siavash and I in the heat of the creative process.

The workshop when we were finished with the creche.

The finished product, minus Baby Jesus who appeared at midnight Christmas Morning. It really brought me back to my high school days of theatre set building. Doesn't the door look fab?

With the Creche finished we had to hang the star. We used rope and strung it over the street from our building to the building under construction across from us.

Gilly and Siavash help hang the star from the construction building across the street.

The construction labourers going about their business. This is how all new structures are built in India: by hand, pouring the cement and laying the brick, propping up new floors with bamboo poles and constructing support pillars from metal rods. Its mindblowing to watch.

In the run up to Christmas we did a lot of caroling around Delhi. It was good fun but I'll be ok if I don't ever have to sing O Holy Night again!

A visit to some nuns in GK2.

Our director Nev during the caroling. My Christmas gift to Nev was learning Bob Dylan's Slow Train to sing along with the Sahara House band.

Here's how the GK2 looked: amazing!

Christmas Day arrives and Nina and I get into the holiday spirit by shelling 15 kg peas.

Sudesh keeps a smile on his face as works his way through the onions for the feast tonight.

As the night arrived, Reeti and I made ourselves look 'pretty.'

Santa shows up.

Christmas night was great fun. Over a hundred people from all the projects around Delhi came and we had evening devotion and the feast and dancing for hours. I love Christmas in India.

Artsy Fartsy Gospel Times

It was Ines's last day on Saturday so we stuffed our day full of good-for-you culture and church. First up a trip to Delhi's National Gallery of Modern Art. Not too many photos inside cause it wasn't allowed. There was a lot of good art there (and a bit of pretty dreadful offerings also) but I struggled to gain a complete picture of what Indian art is about. Maybe too much history of art makes me search for a narrative when there doesn't need to be one or perhaps I just saw too narrow a range in this museum but it exposed my ignorance about Indian modern art and culture. I don't know what has inspired this art or where it's going in the context of all the other Indian culture I have read about and experienced. But some of it was funny and at the end of the day I often go to the modern art gallery for a chuckle.

There was lots of good sculpture sitting on the lawn outside.

Don't you just have those days when you feel like a disembodied head engaged in a pulley system of weights atop an unseaworthy boat? No, neither do I.

Ines decided that this painting meant India.

Finally I couldn't resist posting this. In the corner of one busy colourful painting, Ines spotted: are those monkeys...?

We went to an Indian Gospel church where the Guy was playing bass in a band called Simple Truth consisting of Sahara friend and soundman Stanley and his three sons Ashley, Ashton and Avalon. At the end of the show, the Pastor got up to say the closing prayer. The flow was the familiar 'when I say Praise Be, You say Hallelujah' charismatic style, but it was all in Hindi. I found it pretty fascinating though that's not my style of worship. Being from good Puritan tradition I prefer the more reflective common worship we have at Sahara daily devotion. There we sing from our own Sahara songbook, have a short lesson that members take in turns, say a prayer and go back to work. Best lines from Sahara songbook classic 'The joy of the Lord is my strength': 'There are no grumpy faces in Sahara House,' and 'The Devil doesn't like it when we laugh, Ha Ha Ha.'

Here's a couple photos from the show. Avalon is an amazing drummer beside having my new favorite name.







































Ashton rocks out.

God bless the state of Kerala. God bless Tamil Nadu too.

God bless Karnatika. And the Goans in Goa too.

God bless the people. God bless the nation.
God bless the whole world too. And you.

God bless the Maharastran State. God bless the state of
Andra Pradesh. God bless the Gujaratis too.
God bless the people of Orissa too.

God bless the people. God bless the nation.
God bless the whole world too. And you.

God bless the place of Madya Pradesh.
God bless the place of Uttar Pradesh.
God bless the West Bengalis too.
He'll bless Haryana and Punjabis too.

God bless the place of Rajasthan and the people of Mizoram.
God bless Manipur and Nagaland.

God bless the people of the other states.
And God bless New Delhi too. And you.

God bless the people. God bless the nation.
God bless the whole world too. And you.

Simple Truth