JAN 28, 12 .. PONDICHERRY
I am feeling a little sad that this web site is feeling neglected .. I have not put up a post in eight (8) days ..
The problem is that the photographs I am putting up at ..
http://bobbacaps.blogspot.com
The photos REALLY take a lot of my time .. but I feel that so many of you get so much enjoyment from the photos that I am putting a lot of my energy into that web site ..
I remain in Pondicherry .. and plan to be here ‘for some time’ .. at this sitting my train North from Chennai to Agra Cantt will be Monday .. February the 13th arriving into Agra Cantt early in the morning Wednesday the 15th of February .. and then on Sunday the 19th I head for New Delhi to catch a plane to Hong Kong early in the morning on Wednesday the 22nd .. so I will be at the airport the evening of Tuesday January the 21st ..
It is beginning to get warm here .. so much so that I am debating adding air conditioning to my room .. my room has a large A/C unit BUT it is not active because I am paying a non-A/C room rate of 600 Rupees per day .. for only 100 Rupees-a-day additional .. I can have the electricity to the A/C unit activated and I will ‘be-in-business’ with serious Air Conditioning .. we are talking the 90s F temperatures .. so my room gets pretty stuffy during the afternoons when it is too hot to be outside .. at night it really cools down nicely ..
As I was walking from my room here to the internet cafe .. again .. I have to remind myself .. one mis-step in the traffic .. one period of in-attention .. and I risk life and limb .. even here in ‘Pondi’ which is vastly better and safer than Calcutta as a for-instance .. so I tend to get ‘lax’ and complacent .. what worries me most are automobile mirrors that stick out and could really hurt me if one caught me ..
Well so far so good ..
On my trip in 2008 I told a story about me making a fuss about REMOVING the television from my room .. then having to practically beg for it to be returned so I could watch the European Cup ‘World’ Soccer Championships ..
Here I had the television left in the room .. and I have gotten enmeshed in the Australian Tennis Open Championship a Grand Slam of Tennis Event ..
In the Men’s Semi-finals .. Rafa Nadal took down Roger Federer in four sets after Roger won the first set in a tie breaker .. to advance to the finals..
Then yesterday.. Novak Djokovic played Andy Murray in a thrilling .. five set .. almost FIVE hour match .. Novak Djokovic winning the final set 7-5 .. AFTER being up 5 games to 2 over Andy Murray .. Andy came back from 2-5 to tie the match at 5-5 (five games apiece) .. good stuff ..
I plan to watch the Men’s Final .. tomorrow .. Sunday the 29th .. Djokovic against Nadal .. it is on at a great time here in ‘Pondi’ .. about 2:15PM which is 7:45PM in Melbourne .. and about 3:45AM for you in the Eastern Time Zone .. but don’t quote me on that ..
OK.. I will say over-and-out-for-now with much love .. cap ..
One quick post script .. see .. as Julia Cameron preaches .. just start writing .. it is the action of writing that calls forth the ideas ! ..
I have these nylon athletic warm up and jogging trousers .. I use them a lot because they are easy to wash .. they dry in an instant .. and are light and cool .. and are white so I can be seen ..
BUT .. they do not have belt loops .. and so .. they keep working their way down my hips as I walk and I am constantly pulling them up .. I mean constantly !
A week-or-so ago .. as I passed an elderly tailor .. sewing away on his sewing machine out on the street .. I decided .. I will have him stitch belt loops onto my warm up trousers ..
I stopped .. discussed it with him .. got a quote .. 40 Rupees for six belt loops .. two in front .. two in back .. two (one each side) on the sides .. and told him I would be back after I put on my walking shorts ..
I did and he said .. “Come back at 5PM” .. and I did and he had done just a wonderful job .. a perfect job ..
So stressing the cost .. I said firmly to him .. “Forty Rupees !” .. the elderly gentleman quietly nodded in the affirmative .. and so I pulled out a brand spanking new crispy Fifty Ruppee Note and .. putting it into his front shirt pocket said .. “THANK YOU VERY NICE JOB !” ..
The kind elderly gentleman just MELTED with appreciation ! .. In fact he almost ‘teared up’ ..
Over a twenty-cent tip ! .. and a few nice words of appreciation !
Yesterday .. I went back .. gave him my walking shorts (which also had no belt loops and also kept slipping down on my hips) .. when he saw me coming he smiled and said .. “Belt loops !” .. I smiled in the affirmative .. he said .. “6PM” ..
I missed our 6PM appointment last night but just now .. on my way here .. I stopped by and picked them up .. same routine .. a firm ..“Forty Rupees !” .. he again nodded in the affirmative .. and again I gave him a nice clean new Fifty Rupee Note .. and again he just melted with his appreciation ..
I just by gosh may take a photo of him .. **
Here we go .. “Cap.. just what is it you love so very much about India ?” .. “The people !” ..
MUCH LOVE .. Cap ..
** And I DID .. go to .. http://bobbacaps.blogspot.com ..FWIW (PONDI).. 151.. January 29, 2012 .. FOR PHOTOS of my tailor ..