It’s actually Ganesh who’s left to go swimming in the river kaveri.
He rested with us, had his fill
and now he’s gone.
Followed by lunch at Poojari’s where MAnjula and I used to go.
Elvis has left the room
Author: SF
A YIndian, Yorkshire by birth and Indian by marriage. Originally from the UK, I've now lived in Mysore, South India for over ten years with my beautiful wife Manjula. MeandMycycle is about the ups, downs and ups of our life in Mysore and our creations: Mysore Bed and Breakfast and MyCycle Tours.
Moving on too
This is a big emotional and practical step.
We’ve found one option that we could make work here. Do take a look.
…
This is an invite for our friends far and wide to get involved. Guests from the past and those that might join us in our new form.
What do you think?
A lovely French family that recently visited emphasised the proximity to the centre, quiet area, great decor and good communal space. Got it!
We need storage space including for cycles and car. Some of the current accumulation will have to go.
Now there’s a challenge.
But of course with any momentous change we need to do our research.
Here’s another option for us to consider …
Anjali found it for us. Its advantage is it’s independent, with a garage, and its rooms are a bit small — We can make it work though.
Sowbaghya and I are leading the team of investigators (that includes you) — of course, I draw MAnjula in as it’s for her too.
Let us have your suggestions and know what you think.
Rise up tempered radicals
Reformists of the world unite
people are worried about AI taking jobs away.
If it looks likely — then surely here’s a golden opportunity (naive? Socialist?) to resurrect an old idea.
Slash the working week by let’s say a half:
— Provide a living payment to everyone and in return encourage people to be active citizens with their newly available ‘free’ time.
— get people to ‘sell’ the idea to everyone by creating new opportunities for training, mentoring, working to identify what needs doing to help sustain healthy communities and life in general, and for each other and to jointly plan and implement things as active participants.
Yes it needs a revolution
It requires intervention by government, an alternate view of what means to have fulfilling roles, a shift from our prevailing free market orthodoxy, a challenge to the thousands of years old social structures of unequal shares of resources and opportunities.
Not a big ‘ask’ then.
Surely if AI is going to take jobs away plus we’re constantly hammered by our collapsing societies in addition to the bleak environmental predictions of global warming — this is exactly the time to act.
But of course— the pessimist pops up here— as I often say — there’s abundant solutions and answers to our challenges. For many reasons we just can’t work together, yes we’re unable to cooperate to be able to act and change.
Back to Gandhiji
Maybe this is why I was so attracted to India
It does hold the answer to all our challenges
We can find anything and everything in India, including
— all our mistakes.
Come on let’s give it a go
Ed: who’s he speaking to?
Moving on
Three years ago, one of Kaveri and my favourites was Big Panda and Tiny Dragon
Norbury’s latest book reveals how journeys might be forced on us. We can’t ignore it, we have to adapt and it’s ultimately a positive development.
BUT that depends upon our perspective and how we handle it.
Same with us.
After sixteen years …
I’ve been given notice by the landlord that he wants the house back for a family member.
That’s a big practical undertaking and will be a massive emotional challenge — as I’ll be leaving the home that MAnjula created, shared with thousands around the world and lived in together for nine wonderful years.
Today, SB and I visited a possible alternative.
I hesitate as it isn’t an independent house, however we could potentially have two together on one floor.
That would be four bedrooms, two halls, two kitchen, four toilets/bathrooms, a balcony, and a dining space.
Where could we put the library?
With a view over the rooftops
and the adjoining park.
The other worry I have is the potential neighbours.
The owner seems to be a friendly open and helpful guy.
I expect he’ll be concerned about our different guests coming and going and having to deal with the unknown foreigner.
Pets might be an added problem. We have a cat billet-doux and I may want another dog.
I hope, he realises that our approach to rearing and managing a dog is very different, it’s kind and gentle. With Lucie she had a great temperament. That’s partly down to how we managed her. That’s not always the case here.
After a first glance I think we could make it work.
Im attracted to being part of a mini community.
.As MAnjula would say, let’s see.
Our friend Ina
all our guests become friends but…
… Ina was very special, having visited us annually for ten years
It’s August and at this time, we’re used to Ina’s Scottish accent — quite how she had such a strong accent after living almost seventy years in Australia, we don’t know — sing songing through the house.
Manjula and Ina became great buddies.
Hanging out together and going on day trips
…
Her first trip here was to visit the Tibetan Buddhist Monk Dorjee
at the settlement .. Bylakuppe, who she’d sponsored as a child but never met before.
Last year we had another outing to our own slice of Tibet, with our very own guide.
She so treasured our times together, especially the year MAnjula and I were married and the celebration of her last birthday that year, in August 2018
Sadly her spirit left her body in 2024 shortly after her last visit.
We fondly remember her kindness, her indomitable spirit
when she took over Manjula’s Mysore and let her presence touch everyone she met and now lingers on in her/our home.
We miss her dearly, and now she joins the motley bunch of my MAnjula and Lucie who we will remember every year through our puja to help their spirits in their way, until we all meet again.
Anything is possible
Absolutely
Democracy must move beyond a representation model to one where everyone is actively engaged. That’s our ‘work’ of the future.
Unfortunately all our societal systems and social structures are designed to maintain our status quo.
That is a life with stratified levels of inequality and exclusion and the mindsets resulting in mental and physical restraint that disempowers and keeps us ‘in our place.’
BK
Lifted from my Facebook
For those who don’t.
Perfect Storm
Well I’m feeling it at the moment.
It’s one thing after another.
…
Registering with the Foreigners Registration Office is always unpredictable and stressful.
It’s extra this time as I’m not knowing where
my next visa will come from
…
Owner wants his house back, after sixteen years, it’s the house I’ve lived in for the longest, in my whole life.
It’s where MAnjula created our home, introduced it to the world as Mysore Bed and Breakfast and where she lit up my life like a smiling sunbeam for nine years. It’s where we sited a blue plaque (as a famous person lived here), her library and entertained thousands of people.
A museum even jokingly claimed it as their annex because it’s a living breathing art gallery from around India.
…
Continuing to sponsor and support eleven year old Kaveri in spite of her mother and new partner sabotaging us, by changing schools, days of absence and inability to help
As MAnjula would say ‘we’ll see’.
Moreart
What is this idiot doing?
It’s a dog.
Here’s the mould Sharath first created.
The discolouration in the piece I’ve bought is in a similar position to Lucie’s white/grey patches.
until he/she finds a more permanent place.
Vehicel
After visiting and living here for twenty years, I realise that I’m absorbing the different ways.
It even affects my English.
When I see something misspelt it takes some time to adjust my set— shifting from a little doubt to eventual realisation — it is actually wrong and what the correct spelling is
I’m cycling this morning around the base of Chamundi hill. I saw vehicel painted on a lorry, and it felt wrong minutes later I knew the solution
vehicle.
But I didn’t know straightaway. Years ago I would have.
The time it took to convince myself is the sign of a 68 year old falling behind but also adjustment (and confusion) due to different behaviours.
Globally it also happens.
The behaviour of leaders creates a shift to a new normal. Extremes become the middle — as what was unusual and frowned upon becomes acceptable.
Just look at Trump his publically outlandish behaviour gives permission to others to do the same.
Not only that
The behaviour of other leaders before him who’ve shifted but kept it hidden can now be more open about how they’ve been behaving.
The bullies become the norm.
Look around, it’s everywhere.
….
I think we adjust to different norms of behaviour whether it’s spelling or locking up ‘the other’ and our care, compassion and tolerance diminishes.
Me and MYCycle 