Saturday, 23 March 2013

In love (72nd)

Tuesday
Its twelve o'clock and everyone has been faffing around and getting ready for three hours. We're supposedly going to the Gurudwara but I'm not convinced. There is no urgency whatsoever. We woke at seven and did some improvised sun salutations on the roof. Then we went for a walk and had a lift from a man with a cow cart. Then I was whisked off on a motorbike to see a friend of the family's house. There were three of us on the bike and it didn't feel cramped at all, such a nice feeling, with no helmet to restrict the wind on my face.
Edit
When we finally left it was to visit Puppy's house (another friend of the family). We drove for half an hour listening to bhangra through a broken car speaker and arrived in Abotha. Puppy's wife and son served us salad and fanta and then the women and children were asked to leave and we began the whiskey. They really can drink here. Izza was asked if she wanted to join us and then there was a big stand off because she refused a glass of whiskey because it was only 2 o'clock. It was resolved but not with mutual understanding.
Before we had lunch we all played cricket and I found that I wasn't too bad at bowling. This is something I've never noticed before and probably won't notice again. We went back to the house and my head was on fire, I think I got burnt in the half an hour we spent outside.
After a lovely meal we left in the cars to visit the Gurudwara. As I had drunk alcohol I didn't go in. This turned out to be a mistake as, after finishing the ritual Raju fell in the pond. Izzy couldn't stop laughing when she told me. Apparently he tried to take his wet trousers off and one of the priests told him he couldn't do that here and that he should probably leave.
We raced back home, literally, and I was taken to see the family friends again. They have cows and a buffalo so I think we were visiting for milk. We drank hot, fresh buffalo milk and I was offered more whiskey. I think it might be considered good luck to give whiskey to white men here. We played volleyball and I was terrible. We got back and played Carrom board and I was terrible. I am blaming the whiskey.
I also blame it for me being sick in the night and ruining the pillow.

Photo edit:


Ajay cleaning the car to loud bhangra in the morning


Simar looking angry


Raju and Simar looking happy (because he'd got his own way)


That's not whiskey surprisingly


But that is the bed that the whole day is generally spent on or around



Forgotten too many names. Damn. I only very rarely saw the mum (in the background) leave the kitchen. Mainly, on those occasions that she did, it was to cook outside


Raju ... and Raju


Food, food, food


Sukhpreet, Raju and I



and Simar and the other guy and Candy


and the other guy and the little girl




Me pushing Simar out of the photo with my foot


Probably pretty drunk at this point


What a bell, ruining such a nice photo.


Nancy and...


My role as photographer of volleyball


Local kids




& I


Milking the buffalo


Feeding the buffalo


Before plying me with whiskey


view from the back of the bike


If only this weren't blurry. ... and Laljeet





Far too much whiskey, definitely.




Rosy whiskey cheeks

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