Train to Sheffield
So Stephen why first class?
Comfy seat, crisps, orange juice and cake, followed by cream tea: scone/jam/cream, cup of tea and biscuit.
It’s called a no-brainer.
I also escaped a ‘snow’ storm.
What’s not to like?
And these two great characters.
Ganesh the remover of obstacles is an important part of our life in Mysore.
Each year at Ganesh Chaturthi we bring Ganesh into our home for Puja and after a few days take him to the Kaveri river by Srirangapatnam
Thank you to Satish and Naveen for accompanying Ganesh to the river today, as we have every year after setting up home in Mysore
Ganesh is also known to create opportunities which on the surface seem to be obstacles for us to meet, learn, develop and grow.
I’m learning…
We hope he’ll help me return to my home in January.
Thank you Sowbhagya for organising.
…
Internet info
paschimavahini
Is where we take him. It’s also featured on our cycle tour.
Paschimavahini is a sacred site near Srirangapatna in Karnataka, India, where the Cauvery River briefly flows westward.
I immersed Manjula’s ashes here.
Significance and Sacred Rituals
Geography: A westward-flowing stretch of a major river is considered rare and highly auspicious in Hindu tradition.
Ancestral Rites: It is a major pilgrimage destination where families gather to perform final rites and immerse the ashes (shraddha) of deceased loved ones into the holy waters.
Mythology: Puranas mention the site as holy, noting that taking a ritual dip here helps wash away sins and grants spiritual liberation (moksha).
Out with Simon yesterday, he asked me how I was managing my grief, after MAnjula had passed to the other side. (Not his words).
We acknowledged grief never goes, is unique and changes, as we do.
Today’s reflection
When you’re close to tears, remember
Someday it’ll all be over
One day we’re gonna get so high
Though it’s darker than December
What’s ahead is a different colour
One day we’re gonna get so high
And at the end of the day, remember the days
When we were close to the edge
And we wonder how we made it through, and at
The end of the day, remember the way
We stayed so close ’til the end
We’ll remember it was me and you
‘Cause we are gonna be
Forever, you and me
You will always keep me
Flying high in the sky of love
‘Cause we are gonna be
Forever, you and me
You will always keep me
Flying high in the sky of love
Don’t you think it’s time you started
Doing what we always wanted?
One day we’re gonna get so high
‘Cause even the impossible
Is easy when we got each other
One day we’re gonna get so high
And at the end of the day, remember the days
When we were close to the edge
And we wonder how we made it through, and at
The end of the day, remember the way
We stayed so close ’til the end
We’ll remember it was me and you
‘Cause we are gonna be
Forever, you and me
You will always keep me
Flying high in the sky of love
‘Cause we are gonna be
Forever, you and me
You will always keep me
Flying high in the sky of love
And at the end of the day, remember the days
When we were close to the edge
And we wonder how we made it through, and at
The end of the day, remember the way
We stayed so close ’til the end
We’ll remember it was me and you
‘Cause we are gonna be
Forever, you and me
You will always keep me
Flying high in the sky of love
‘Cause we are gonna be
Forever, you and me
You will always keep me
Flying high in the sky of love
‘Cause we are gonna be
Forever, you and me
You will always keep me
Flying high in the sky of love
‘Cause we are gonna be
Forever, you and me
You will always keep me
Flying high in the sky of love
We’re gonna get so high
So high, so high, so high, so high
So high, so high, so high, so high
So high, so high, so high, so high
So high, so high, so high, so high
So high, so high
So high, so high, so high
So high, so high, so high
So high, so high, so high
So high, so high, so high
So high, so high, so high
So high, so high, so high
So high, so high, so high
So high, so high, so high
So high, so high, so high
So high, so high
…
A selection of memories
I’m paddling in the tunnel of love layered above me and through the grief gravy.
A mix of happy memories and sadness.
It’s part of life.
Stephen
London is an incredible mix of people and cultures.
Manjula was amazed when she first visited U.K. and especially Brixton where there’s a great mix of people of different nations/ethnicity/races/colours….
On my bus now, less than 50% are white. I think that’s great and even the white people are a big mix mainly as the place (pre UK) was invaded by many others for a thousand years before the last take over by the Normans in 1066.
Coincidentally that invasion is featured in an amazing tapestry currently on loan from France and exhibited in London.
…
Today I have noticed the following restaurants in just a few minutes from the bus travelling through London…..
Eritrean, Keralan, Lebanese, French, Bangladeshi, ‘Indian’ mostly run by Bangladeshis), English (whatever that means), American (so many fast food joints mainly selling burgers and chicken), you name it… every country is represented in the restaurants and just last week there was a big event celebrating Asia
With street food, entertainment and shoppping.
Just look at the people in the city.
..,
Teasing
…
Just to prove what an amazing place the world is ..
I was out with my son Ben today and we bumped into Rhonda from Australia, at the National Portrait Gallery, who was a guest at Mysore Bed and Breakfast.
How cool is that?
I’m a central London tourist hanging out before I meet Brian.
There’s Nelson’s column,
surrounded by a king and army leaders (aka known as donkeys in the First World War — the saying is ‘Lions led by donkeys’ as a jokey attack on our leaders, not much change there then ), his pet lion and …
There’s also a statue of one of our Roman colonialists from around 2000 years ago. This ‘country’ having been colonised by all and sundry for a thousand years before the Normans finally took over in 1066
Interestingly we also ‘celebrate’ the British colonialism of India in the square with a statue of the British military leader who crushed the Sepoys in 1857 which led to the British Raj.
As with donkey leaders I’m not responsible for current or past leaders nor supportive of their irresponsible behaviours.
Here’s one guy who helped me from over forty years ago
Today I’m on a shorter cycle ride, back to the peace pagoda in Battersea Park
…
Buddhist?
I go with the Marx brothers view that I wouldn’t join a club that would have me as a member.
Maybe I have a slightly different approach and do join lots of things —- Boys Brigade, Sunday School, Scouts, Youth Club, Air Cadets (ATC), Jesus freak in my teens.
But I don’t necessarily stick with one thing or hang around
I’m from the U.K. where I’ve lived most of my life, travelled a bit and now settled(?) in India. I tell people I’ve had five careers having facilitated lots of things in all the sectors.
I’ll discuss politics, religion, Spirituality and philosophy with our guests who think I’m Buddhist. I like what it represents but even Gautam wouldn’t be inclined to join a club.
I live on the Limen, a view that was often discussed with my MPhil supervisor.
…
The Pagoda is in a great location by the river Thames
Gren—itch, not Green-witch, another of those English words pronounced differently to what you’d expect
Todays cycle ride
took me to another stretch of the river Thames
Where I found .,
The Cutty Sark. A high speed sailing ship that carried tea from India to Britain
Its in Greenwich a famous location in London with many sea going links.
The entry and exit to a tunnel under the Thames
The first time I’ve explored South London, where I used to live, in over forty years. Actually I’m discovering so much more, including the extensive network of cycle lanes.
Factoids
… words from the t’internet.
Greenwich is famous as the home of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), the Prime Meridian Line, and a rich maritime and royal history recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Time and Science
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT): The starting point for the world’s time zone system, established here in 1884.
Prime Meridian Line: The 0° longitude line at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, where you can stand with one foot in the eastern hemisphere and one in the western hemisphere.
Landmarks and Maritime History
Cutty Sark
The world’s last surviving 19th-century extreme tea clipper ship.
I used to make them with Manjula in Mysore and visiting friends in London.
This is probably the first since Manjula left for another world.
It used to be a big favourite ….. Stuffed pancakes (burritos) Mexican style.
It might seem to be nothing special but its a step in the right direction, to start cooking again.
But how did it taste?
I knowingly failed twice yesterday, on the word quiz wordle. First to guess the word and second to pronounce and therefore understand the word properly — once it was revealed.
It was Liven
Pronounced Ly-ven or Lie-ven but I couldn’t get past pronouncing it as Li-ven.
This not necessarily about the vagaries of the English language but is maybe evidence of a deteriorating brain.
It’s sometimes feels as if it’s full of cobwebs or little stomping men.
…
So I’ve stopped cycling and I’m distracting myself, observing the Thames river.
Could it be …
Age deterioration or almost twenty years living in Indian English
Or stop overthinking you idiot.
I’ve cycled for sixty years and encouraged my sons to be considerate cyclists to other road users and especially pedestrians.
At times I’ve joked that the first task to learn (for all forms of transport) is how to stop.
I worry that the many inexperienced cyclists who rent electric cycles haven’t discovered that basic skill.
I’m familiar with people (in India) no knowing or following the basic rules. Here in the UK, because it’s such a contrast to what came before —- its a shock.
Mayhem on the roads and it’s incredibly dangerous.
Were the politicians and police asleep or comatose when they failed to anticipate this chaos.
The majority … of the Inexperienced cyclists on rented electric cycles ignore the signals, travel on payments, weave in and your, come close to mowing down people who are on a crossing
I’ve no idea of the accident rates but I’m scared
It’s a real danger and all at relatively high speed.
They generally don’t wear helmets, aren’t focussed and sometimes on phones.
Then they block pavements when discarding the cycles.
It’s got out-of-hand.
Me and MYCycle 