TRAFFIC
Sometimes I wonder --how much can these poor Varanasi people take? Last night at Friday rush hour, which was already insanity on top of a complete breakdown, the baby tantrum demon gods threw in a thunderstorm and power outage on top of it all. Somehow dust is being thrown up in choking clouds, while rain drops are falling, you can only see a few feet in front of you, the other non motor vehicles and all the bikes etc. have no lights coming toward you, and since you can drive anywhere any direction at any time, this is very disconcerting with no street lights and dark clouds. However no one seems to be concerned, as per usual every day. Close calls and near misses are "oh the drive was fine" in this place.
A blank-faced, half dead skeletal horse cuts right across our path with no warning, thunder and lightning are pounding, a huge crunch sound, a large SUV has wedged into the bricks under the only two lane pass bridge where 15 directions of roads converging must pass under, now pushing everything into ONE lane.
I just feel someone is toying with Varanasi, just pulling the wings off of it like a fly, laughing huge booming laughs above-- maybe THIS will break them!!!!! But it never does, they just keep on, sweeping the new dirt into old dirt piles day after day after day....
GOOD QUOTES
SEEING STARS
I forgot to mention on my departing night from the Assi Ghat hotel, as I returned down the lane pulling my work rollerbag, a man followed me along, up to the hotel stairs asking me questions as is typical, where are you from, how long are you staying, etc. I answer all with no emotion looking straight ahead, just biding time until I can shut the door against all this. As I drag my bag up the two flights of stone steps, the man says "Wait!!! You want some company!?" "No, no I don't" "But Miss, I will take you to another universe, you will see NEW stars!! YOU WILL SEE MISS!!! I PROMISE IT WILL BE GREAT MISS!!!!" his voice fades as I close the hotel door. THAT was a new one.
VIBRATIONS
At lunch in the office this week, Siddharth says suddenly, "There it is again! That vibration! Marni, tell me, didn't you just feel some sort of vibration of the building?!" I pause and say no, I don't think so? Mr. Gupta Senior says (remember the head bobble and indian accent) "Marni, Siddharth thinks he feels vibrations of the building now and then, I tell you, I think its psychological!" and he elbows me real hard in the ribs 'AHHHA HA HA HA HA HA!!!'" The biggest booming laugh at Siddharth, and Siddharth laughs too, his wife Shivani is 8 months pregnant with their first child (all pregnant women must stay at home, not leave the house, for the last month of the pregnancy, so she is directing him in a lot of things over the phone all day), the underlying ongoing joke of course is that he is terrified and life is about to change completely, etc. All the older men give him a hard time every day about "the wife" and how it will all be different now, etc. Same as everywhere.
Sometimes I wonder --how much can these poor Varanasi people take? Last night at Friday rush hour, which was already insanity on top of a complete breakdown, the baby tantrum demon gods threw in a thunderstorm and power outage on top of it all. Somehow dust is being thrown up in choking clouds, while rain drops are falling, you can only see a few feet in front of you, the other non motor vehicles and all the bikes etc. have no lights coming toward you, and since you can drive anywhere any direction at any time, this is very disconcerting with no street lights and dark clouds. However no one seems to be concerned, as per usual every day. Close calls and near misses are "oh the drive was fine" in this place.
A blank-faced, half dead skeletal horse cuts right across our path with no warning, thunder and lightning are pounding, a huge crunch sound, a large SUV has wedged into the bricks under the only two lane pass bridge where 15 directions of roads converging must pass under, now pushing everything into ONE lane.
 |
| If you love animals, an old city like this is really crushing to your soul |
I just feel someone is toying with Varanasi, just pulling the wings off of it like a fly, laughing huge booming laughs above-- maybe THIS will break them!!!!! But it never does, they just keep on, sweeping the new dirt into old dirt piles day after day after day....
 |
| dirt-colored woman sweeps the dirt all day long |
GOOD QUOTES
SEEING STARS
I forgot to mention on my departing night from the Assi Ghat hotel, as I returned down the lane pulling my work rollerbag, a man followed me along, up to the hotel stairs asking me questions as is typical, where are you from, how long are you staying, etc. I answer all with no emotion looking straight ahead, just biding time until I can shut the door against all this. As I drag my bag up the two flights of stone steps, the man says "Wait!!! You want some company!?" "No, no I don't" "But Miss, I will take you to another universe, you will see NEW stars!! YOU WILL SEE MISS!!! I PROMISE IT WILL BE GREAT MISS!!!!" his voice fades as I close the hotel door. THAT was a new one.
VIBRATIONS
At lunch in the office this week, Siddharth says suddenly, "There it is again! That vibration! Marni, tell me, didn't you just feel some sort of vibration of the building?!" I pause and say no, I don't think so? Mr. Gupta Senior says (remember the head bobble and indian accent) "Marni, Siddharth thinks he feels vibrations of the building now and then, I tell you, I think its psychological!" and he elbows me real hard in the ribs 'AHHHA HA HA HA HA HA!!!'" The biggest booming laugh at Siddharth, and Siddharth laughs too, his wife Shivani is 8 months pregnant with their first child (all pregnant women must stay at home, not leave the house, for the last month of the pregnancy, so she is directing him in a lot of things over the phone all day), the underlying ongoing joke of course is that he is terrified and life is about to change completely, etc. All the older men give him a hard time every day about "the wife" and how it will all be different now, etc. Same as everywhere.
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