Dancing into summer

I lost only 2 blogging days due to unspecified tech troubles with my server, but yet lots seemed to have happened.

Since there is no newspaper today (it was Holi yesterday, a major public holiday) I shall concentrate on what’s been making news in my little world :  polo, dancing and lots of sunshine, pretty much in that order.

Yesterday, Jane and Michael headed back to chilly Blighty, after what I think was a good week here.  They had lots of great polo, which was one of their requests, and they have both become keen and knowledgeable fans.   Ask them both what a technical is, for example, and they can rattle off Sharad’s explanation word perfectly.

On Sunday morning, the day before Holi, two of my nieces had their Arangetram -  an important milestone in the life and career of a Bharat Natyam dancer, and they both put on a splendid performance.  I haven’t seen enough Indian classical dance to be able to speak with any authority, but Anam and Samaa both looked extremely good, and I thoroughly enjoyed my first ever Arangetram.  Jane and Michael went along, too, and Jane (who, like me, studied classical ballet for years) commented on some of the similarities in mime gestures.  She said that even though she didn’t know the precise story being told in Samaa’s solo, she managed to follow it easily, because so much of the mime was reminiscent of the recitatives in ballet.

The polo on Sunday was exciting, with lots of good play and a nail-biting finish.  As always with the high-profile games, the stands were packed, whereas when we went to the semis on Saturday, there was hardly anyone there.

Only one week of the season left.

Holi was celebrated yesterday and, true to lore, the weather has instantly hotted up. Holi traditionally heralds the beginning of the summer, and so far the tradition seems to be spot on.

On Sunday it was 31.6°, and it has been 31° ever since.  So hot so early in the year doesn’t bode well for the long summer ahead of us.  Jane and Michael had to borrow fleeces their first weekend here, so chilly were the evenings.  Just a week later, they were seeking the shade, so hot had it become.

It now definitely feels like summer, and even the quality of the light has changed, in just a few days.   The whole of the city seems to be in bloom right now, so for a few precious weeks, everything looks absolutely wonderful – Delhi as a whole, and my own little world of potted plants on my terrace and balconies.  I have nasturtiums (or is the plural nasturtia ?) cascading from pots on the roof terrace, and freesia beginning to bloom, and nice deep blue hyacinths, and it all looks beautiful.

Off to see a movie tonight with Lizzie and Eden – either “It’s Complicated” or “Up in the air”.  Meryl Streep or George Clooney.  What a delicious choice to have to make.

No daft news today (no papers, remember) so I’ll give you extra photos instead.  2 from the Arangetram, and one from the final, very tense moments of the wonderful polo match on Sunday.