Its like the Simpsons, but in reverse...
So someone has asked the immortal question. No not that one, although I think maybe Douglas was closer to the truth than even he realised. No, the question in question is: am I still in India, or am I home yet. And the answer is the same as it ever was. Still here. It reminds me of the scene where Apu and Homer go to visit the originator of the Quikie Mart, with Homer pestering him the whole way like some five-year-old glued by sweltering heat to the vinyl-covered back seat of a station wagon on a cross country odyssey. Only in reverse.
The good news is, I'm nearly finished. No really. Seriously. I promise this is the last week I'll be here, I have the airline tickets and everything. As of Friday evening, I'll be winging my way home and I won't be returning to this job again. Not that I'll be spending much time at home once I get there. I'm off to WA to see some friends for a week and unwind. Then about a week after that, I'll be flying to the US to see my girlfriend and find out why the Americans think that their country is so great. Or something. And in mid-July, I'll be dropping in to the UK to see my brother for the first time in what seems like an age (Stu, if you're reading this, I'll send you the details in the next few days). And then I'll be home. For at least a few months. Probably.
What have I been doing recently? Well I went to a wedding. Deepti, the youngest daughter of our South Indian agent, Kurian, got married in a little town about three hours drive from the minesite. The area was quite picturesque, situated in the foothills of the Western Ghats, the mountain range that separates Kerala from the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu. It was a Christian ceremony, I'm not sure what denomination, its a little hard to be sure with the entire service in Malayalam.
In essence the service was little different from what you might see in a modest church in Australia, although the service seemed to go an awful long time before the priests even acknowledged the presence of the couple, which struck me as a little odd. That and the groom wouldn't smile. Given that it was an arranged marriage, I can understand there being some trepidation, but even Deepti managed to smile after the ceremony was over. Her new husband, Roji, on the other hand was stoic for every photo. Perhaps there's some subtle cultural underpining there that I was missing. Kurian has become a friend of mine over the years now (not just on this job) that we have worked together, and it was nice to be involved, however peripherally, in the wedding. I'll post some photos once I can get my camera working again.
I also returned home to Oz, very briefly, to renew my visa and attend my godson's third birthday. Lachie, who unfortunately looks a little too much like his father, is an amazing kid and I'm struck each time I come home with how much he's changed since I saw him last. Needless to say, all the kids at the party had a ball. Again, I'll post some photos when the camera is up.
See you soon, some of you sooner than others.
The good news is, I'm nearly finished. No really. Seriously. I promise this is the last week I'll be here, I have the airline tickets and everything. As of Friday evening, I'll be winging my way home and I won't be returning to this job again. Not that I'll be spending much time at home once I get there. I'm off to WA to see some friends for a week and unwind. Then about a week after that, I'll be flying to the US to see my girlfriend and find out why the Americans think that their country is so great. Or something. And in mid-July, I'll be dropping in to the UK to see my brother for the first time in what seems like an age (Stu, if you're reading this, I'll send you the details in the next few days). And then I'll be home. For at least a few months. Probably.
What have I been doing recently? Well I went to a wedding. Deepti, the youngest daughter of our South Indian agent, Kurian, got married in a little town about three hours drive from the minesite. The area was quite picturesque, situated in the foothills of the Western Ghats, the mountain range that separates Kerala from the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu. It was a Christian ceremony, I'm not sure what denomination, its a little hard to be sure with the entire service in Malayalam.
In essence the service was little different from what you might see in a modest church in Australia, although the service seemed to go an awful long time before the priests even acknowledged the presence of the couple, which struck me as a little odd. That and the groom wouldn't smile. Given that it was an arranged marriage, I can understand there being some trepidation, but even Deepti managed to smile after the ceremony was over. Her new husband, Roji, on the other hand was stoic for every photo. Perhaps there's some subtle cultural underpining there that I was missing. Kurian has become a friend of mine over the years now (not just on this job) that we have worked together, and it was nice to be involved, however peripherally, in the wedding. I'll post some photos once I can get my camera working again.
I also returned home to Oz, very briefly, to renew my visa and attend my godson's third birthday. Lachie, who unfortunately looks a little too much like his father, is an amazing kid and I'm struck each time I come home with how much he's changed since I saw him last. Needless to say, all the kids at the party had a ball. Again, I'll post some photos when the camera is up.
See you soon, some of you sooner than others.
posted by David Brennan + Anne Swart at 7:10 pm
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