Today has been another stunning, perfect day (weather-wise) and I am keeping my fingers crossed that the balmy weather holds out tonight, since we have all our fishing friends from Bheemeshwari coming round for dinner.
Drinks on the terrace, methinks.
The Bheem Team will be almost complete - just a few people won’t be with us, because they are out of station. Yes ! That’s the second time today I have contrived to use one of my favourite Indian-isms. “Out of station” means “out of town”.
Because we have people for dinner, we went to buy some things at the grandly named (but rather crummy) Le Marché superette at Vasant Lok. What a dump that place is, by the way.
Anyway, as usual, we were accosted by a group of children begging. One little girl - she couldn’t have been more than 4 years old - was persistent, and probably thinking I wouldn’t understand her, latched onto Himmat. She wanted him to buy her a kulfi, and she skipped along, tugging at his arm, the filthiest dirtiest little thing you could imagine, with a wicked twinkle in her eye, a huge smile and red Holi paint already all over her face. Truly heart-rending.
The sight of this little girl - seemingly happy and naughty, despite her bare feet and filth – made me think about an article I saw in the Hindustan Times last week. There are certain decisions I would really not like to have to make, such as one currently facing the city administrators (they do exist, right ?) in the run-up to our famous CWG. To wit – what do you do about the many beggars who roam the city’s streets ?
Apparently the solution is to send them back to their so-called home states :
This must surely rank as the ultimate begging letter. But seriously, I am sure this will never work, and I am not at all sure, actually, that it should be allowed to work.
Do you remember how I have blogged about the fragrant Chief Minster of UP, Mayawati ? And about all her construction of statues ? The symbol of her political party is the elephant. Read on :
Ellies as a welcome symbol. Well, why ever not ?
Since I am in party mood, my photo of the day is in the same festive vein. On Sunday, Himmat taught Lizzie how to “sabrer le champagne” – ie open a bottle of champagne with a sword. They had to use a kitchen knife, admittedly, since there wasn’t a sword to hand.
She sabre-d it at the first go. Beware of red-heads wielding kitchen knives.
I have added a link to an article of mine published this week in the “Asian Age.” It’s about climbing Mount Kinabalu in September with Hari, which is the moment when I realised that my knees were long overdue for an overhaul…
Love it! But very sad about Le Marche – I was so excited to go explore it! Boo.
I like out of station but here in Cameroon we have “on seat” – i.e I will check if he is on seat (if he is in the office/at his desk) and the negative’ not on seat’ means he’s gone walkabout – but that could be to the water cooler, the loo, the bank or home for lunch with the family, you just have to guess!
Liked the article about your climb with Hari too!
enjoyed this one! thanks pemberton
Read your article on the climb too, and loved it — especially the christine-isms such as ‘spectacularly orange birthday cake’ 
xo