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
Category: Life in India
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.
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.
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’.
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.
Today, bowling.
Creating Stones
It’s the last few days before the summer school holiday ends.
There’s time to fit in one more activity
Our new good friend Pravalika introduced Kaveri to the art of stone carving
We’re at one of the most famous stone-carvers in India and it’s in Mysore.
It’s surprisingly delicate and quite fast.
Pravalika is a patient teacher and patient carver, she wonderfully manages the double pressure.
Kaveri is, of course, also a star.
The elder, yes that’s me, managed an inch of carving before the women gave up in despair.
New spots? Maybe not.
The chief stone carver and therefore the workshop famously created the statue for the new Ayodya Temple last year.
Kaveri’s first stone carving is dedicated to MAnjula and will be installed at Mysore Bed and Breakfast.
Why?
Do I want to stay in India?
I visited the office of our local MP today who also happens to be …
His Highness Shri Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, Maharaja of Mysore
I met one of his team to ask for help to continue to live in India. He seemed a little flummoxed.
Why did I want to live here?
Why did he ask?
Maybe he expected me to live with my blood family. That is the tradition among some families in India, it’s not mine.
Mainly it’s because Mysore is my home
I fell in love with the people of India and its places initially from a distance in the 70s and full on when I arrived twenty years ago.
Here is the family I have chosen. I’m close to my blood family but I choose this family where I have made my home built on trust, to live. If I can.
There’s too many family members to list but I mention some …
My beautiful wife MAnjula who remains in our hearts with her presence that’s felt in our home, in the memorial garden we created and the good we do.
I got back home to the two who are most dominant in my life Kaveri and Sowbaghya.
And show the others
They also include
— our team and the young people I’ve got to know through Manjula’s Mysore events. Here’s one. for forty young women and our reflective space
— our wonderful network in Mysore
— Plus our online community with many around the world and here in India
BUT why do I need help?
As a foreigner married to an Indian I was eligible (it’s mandatory) for Overseas Citizen of India which gives residency. As she’s died whether I get one or not is discretionary. In Bangalore at the Foreigners Regional Registration Office and in London at the High Commission they wouldn’t accept my application for OCI. As I understand it they can accept if we owned our house (we and I still rent) or had children, which we didn’t. Beyond this the powers of discretion are held at the centre in Delhi to which I don’t have access.
Which is why I asking for the MPs help.
— He might have contacts in central government that could help me through their discretionary powers
— I’ve lived here for fifteen years on business visas which I’ll not be able to get another after this year.
— he will recognise the value I’ve brought to our community through bringing businesses here on the Prince’s Seeing is Believing Events, helping young people and developing tourism in Mysore.
I hope the MP can help.
About time too
My friends in the UK would laugh at this and declare ‘it’s about time too’.
I’m from the north you know and traditionally we are considered to have the wrong accent, miss letters out of our words and generally not be ‘up to scratch.’
Times have moved on now. We even have regional accents on the BBC .
But there might be some truth in that humour (as usual)
I’ve been helping Kaveri with her English while at the same time discovering it for myself.
🤭
I’m learning about grammar, the names and function of key words.
Fresh from College
No not really, although I’d like that too.
I’m just back from the annual art show at CAVA
As expected, there was a fab show of amazing art from engravings through sculpture to paintings
I also was pleased to meet some of the students (some of them again) who introduced me to concepts, stories and completed works.
Monisha and Vikas
My only regret is, I didn’t realise yesterday that it was on and take Kaveri.
Me and MYCycle 