I collected Kaveri from her grandmothers and brought her home with me for the week.
It’s Dasara school holiday and I’ve already buckled down to help with her homework.
Today we visited the flower show and the food mela. 
Yesterday
Category: Life in India
Art again and again
As part of the festivities we attended a fabulous art show at the Art College just across the main road.
Our no 1 pull was to see Pravalika’s wonderful piece of art.
With tons more to appreciate.
I stopped myself from buying anything. There’s already too much to fit into the new house.
But how about a bird for the tree?
Homework
Kaveri returned to my home yesterday after a week with .. grandmother (aka mummy), grandfather, and the very pregnant Radhika (auntie aka sister)
Followed by dinner with Florian
Next day— the ordeal of homework with me (helping!)
It was the usual basic facts but the bit I didn’t know was Mahavira’s Jain teachings….
It’s pretty cool.
Mysore Moments.
I find myself in interesting situations.
That’s the nature of India.
Meeting women from famous families, telling stories at events, Hindu/Muslim mixed marriages, life is a rich mix of experiences!
Especially at the moment with our annual event
Attending Kaveri’s Dad’s (he’s deceased) nephews Muslim wedding. Kaveri is Hindu.
I shared a love story but got no photos.
Awards Ceremony for Asha my yoga teacher.
…
I missed taking photos of the women.
Daughter of a Kannada novelist known as Triveni and sister of the founder of a change-making low cost airline.
Elvis has left the room
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.
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.
Me and MYCycle 