Workaway

….. promotes cultural exchange, hosts offer somewhere to stay and in return the ‘workawayer’ helps out for a few hours each day.

In 2018 and 2019 we had help from workawayers.

Willian, from Brazil, got wet taking Ganesh to the river, dismantled all our Mycycle cycles for respraying, rebuilt them and set up our base on Srirangaptnam.

Dani and Chas, from the UK, decorated, provided general help and support of Manjula at a very difficult but important time.

Thank you guys, you all did a fantastic job, and it was a pleasure getting to know you.

We’ve not hosted workawayers for the past two years but now we’ve officially reopened with the arrival of one of our longest staying guests: Ina, we’re open to possibilities.

They’re all very different, which is part of the wonder that is workaway, and we all learn a lot

Our next arrives this week.

Eva is also multi-talented, (such a long list) a Spanish woman, who has lived in the USA so I’ll have to watch my stupid English humour. I’ve already created a list of possibles including teacher, chaperone, and all round good egg. I hope I haven’t scared her off already.

Manjula’s Mysore News : October 2022

STOP PRESS CHECK THE VIDEO

Manjula’s Mysore is now the name of the new business. and we’ve already done a few things…

A fun day of activities for forty young visually impaired women on what would have been Manjula’s 49th birthday. Please Check the video created by Faizan.

We’ll always do something on her birthday

Created a garden in the park opposite.

A holiday in Kannur for our extended team

Reopened mysore bed and breakfast and mycycle tours. This month the MCC : Mysore City Corporation issued a business licence and so we’ve officially welcomed our first guests.

The new business has allowed Stephen to get a business visa, to continue to stay in India. So far he’s not been able to get an OCI (overseas citizen of india) and most importantly it’s another way to celebrate MAnjula

Manjula’s Mysore is a three year project to do good as MAnjula would have wanted

Simple ritual

I ordered a chai on Lucie and my first walk of the day.

The guy put sugar in the glass, carefully pouring onto it, hot milk. Then hot water in a steel ‘glass’

How’s that my chai?

He promptly threw the milk onto the ground followed by the water and thankfully just about missing Lucie.

I’m guessing it’s a first thing in the morning ritual. I can find out no more, at this stage, given my sophisticated knowledge (don’t ask) of the local Kannada language and the hotel owners grunts.

I did get my chai.

Another connection with the caribbean. In their case before you take a sip of your rum give a little to the ground.

It’s now back home to finish preparing breakfast for todays lovely guests Eli and James from England

I’m a writer.

Originally written in March 2021 but lost in the ether

I’m officially confirmed as a writer and here’s the evidence.

I have a blank page and pen. I also have a passion, here it is, at the top of the blank page.

I’ve submitted for a competition and got absolutely nowhere, so that’s the ‘rejection’ box ticked.

I‘ve got the writer’s block down to a fine art.. To be fair I think it’s proximity to the ‘wound’ or the trauma that makes it extra difficult. This month creates extra challenges as there’s a pile-up of anniversaries, our weddings and Manjula’s death, but that’s an expected part of this particular journey.

I’m reading lots of fiction, including children’s, non fiction and insights into how to write. How much is being held by this decaying brain is another matter.

I’m inadvertently following famous writers such as Paul Auster and now my writer of the moment, who I’ve only just discovered wrote ‘Stardust’ my favourite film Neil Gaiman

I must admit to liking young people’s story books. I like the pace, find them interesting and I more easily remember what I’ve read.

As the ‘passion’ would say “let’s see.”

First update

It feels like it’s been weeks since I added to our story so I plan to have a different approach, set up my writing place, establish a routine and treat it as a ‘job.’

Second update

It’s written but as I’m a writer I’ll follow a norm and declare it just ain’t good enough

Third update

It’s going to be completely revised and restructured. I’ll break the memoir rules but I just don’t care.

Fourth update 2022 and I’m yet to start. I’ve slipped into a ‘can’t quite get my act-together phase’ I told you I was a writer.

In between the enormous gaps.

It’s that day of the year …

… when the warriors ask the gods to bless their weapons

In our case the scooter, Enfield and Ambassador

Carefully washed beforehand, so that’s at least once a year.

Sb came in to work so we had a professional on the job.
Lucie couldn’t see what all the fuss was about.
Lovely guests left, to return to Bangalore

In the midst of the puja, horned beasts invaded, we have no weapons and in any case they are goddesses . So we peacefully asked them to move along.

On completing the puja, my role was to ride each vehicle to squash the limes, the goddesses returned to eat the offerings.

All the local traders (Hindus anyway) and neighbours got in on the act.

All under the watchful eye of Manjula’s representative.
And a wonky Ganesha

Near calamity

This morning

My brain was missing again

I let Lucie out the front door

There was the bag of kittens on legs waiting for me

Poor billet-doux was in shock. Ran away but was stuck

Trying to get through the gate to escape the black monster.

The bag of kittens squeezed through. I only hope there’s no long term damage.

She’s due within days.