By bluerasberry on 2007-03-01
Nandan’s mother quizzed me the other night by writing some sentences in English and then asking me to write them in Hindi. I did well, and I was lucky that three of the words she chose I had just learned that day. My routine has been the same for a while. I study old flashcards […]
Posted in festival, India | Tagged Holi
By bluerasberry on 2007-02-28
So Devanan the cousin lives in the second-floor flat across from mine with his Italian wife Lara and their two-year old boy Shaker. The other day when the washerwoman came to do my laundry Lara sent her downstairs for some reason. Nandan later told me that this was because Lara did not want her to […]
Posted in India | Tagged medicine, water
By bluerasberry on 2007-02-23
Some Wedding Originally uploaded by bluerasberry. I went to another wedding party last night. I have been to more weddings since coming to India than I have in the rest of my life put together. Indian weddings start with the groom travelling about doing puja at temples with a brass band in tow. Eventually he […]
Posted in India | Tagged ritual, sex
By bluerasberry on 2007-02-18
I feel bad today. My theory is that this is due to a short course of antibiotics. I took them for five days (five pills) starting January 24, two days (four pills) following February 5, and one day Tuesday January 13 (two pills). The latter two visits included flora treatment for six and ten days […]
Posted in festival, health, India | Tagged medicine, ritual, sickness
By bluerasberry on 2007-02-14
Mr. Upadhyay always tells me new things about the importance of learning. He still studies for hours every day and he makes a point to learn a few things by certain times of day. One thing that he has repeated to me is that I should have a “lust for learning” and that increasing one’s […]
Posted in education, India, religion | Tagged magic
By bluerasberry on 2007-02-09
My “disco” teacher, whatever ability he has, is intolerable to me. He is too strange to be my teacher and Nandan says he will find another within a day or two. The last thing I will say about oblivious disregard for the notion of alternative sexuality is a description of something that I saw on […]
Posted in HIV, India, rights | Tagged blood, dance, gender, sex
By bluerasberry on 2007-02-07
Let me clarify that Nandan, and Nandan alone, understands my impression of my “disco boy” teacher. I want to convey my meaning. There have been times in my life when I have had friends introduce me to a date or new acquaintance or some person, and I have been able to perceive a quality in […]
Posted in drug, India, rights | Tagged business, gay rights
By bluerasberry on 2007-02-05
Nandan took me to his family doctor today. excuse my typing but this keyboard has problems. s near as I can tell no appointment was made and yet the doctor was available upon arrival. He looked to be fifty years old and Nandan told me he was 77. I believe Nandan but even this, the […]
Posted in India | Tagged astrology, automaton, dance, medicine, ritual
By bluerasberry on 2007-02-01
I am learning the routines of my family. Nandan has been minding me for a large part of everyday. I like spending time with him but I am hitting a major bump in that I still do not have a lot of confidence in Hindi and he is able to express any idea in English, […]
Posted in festival, India, religion | Tagged blood, ghost, money, ritual
By bluerasberry on 2007-01-27
At home with Nandan’s family there have been two surprises. One is the nature of Hindu religion. I never picked up on this before, but it seems to have a focus on what I would call getting minor wishes granted. Things like money, leaps in education, life extention, and good luck are boons granted that […]
Posted in education, India | Tagged Hinduism, money