The third death anniversary of Manjula. We try to do all the right things.
Ina the Scottish Australian who became a great friend of ours and especially Manjula calls and arranges to visit later in the year.
I have another bright idea, I might regret it.
Smileys appear on our street.
I’m reminded of how I’d felt the need to protect my broken heart — like this one in a bottle — while looking around me at the images of my beautiful MAnjula which trigger happy joyful memories of our wonderful but short time together.
Tomorrow we’ll share a meal with MAnjula and a few close friends.
India stimulates all sorts of reflections like …. What’s the purpose of the line?
a boundary, a border, between in and out? Here and there? Normal and abnormal? The limen … an important guide, the threshold, between one world and another.
If India is anything to go by, it may have no use, other than helpfully creating ‘purposeful’ work.
On both our trips to England, Manjula was amazed and intrigued at how the traffic stayed within the lines that marked the lanes.
Our very local art college had an open day today.
We have great friends from here including Punith, Karan and a couple of the wonderful lecturers.
Interested? Contact Stephen, Sowbaghya or Survesh tours@mycycle.co
The morning after the reception.
Timings are followed exactly (9.00 to 9.30 am) unlike the night before when things hadn’t started almost two hours after the advertised time.
The knot is tied and I’ve poured milk, gently thrown rice and had tiffin.
Behind the scenes in the choultry or wedding hall is the sort of place where Manjula started working.
Thankfully it’s filling out and I recognise a couple of people, so correct day and place.
I’m in a new phase in addition to visiting places where I’ve already been with Manjula, like many of the central London attractions, I now find myself wishing she was with me in new situations.
These are critical events in connecting community.
It’s getting late and nothings happened yet. I haven’t planned this properly and should have eaten. I might beat a hasty retreat.
I’ll be back in the morning.
Tomorrow Lakshmi and Sunil tie the knot. Today at reception, only soft drinks, it’s gifts and photos.
There are signs everywhere of the man-made environmental damage resulting from not anticipating the consequences, concentrating on short term gains and our lack of care.
Even seas go missing. Due to all the above combined with local and global pressures.
All around the world, including in our backyard in Karnataka with the Kaveri river, there’s conflicts about water being taken from rivers and little being left for the communities further down.
It’s National car washing day.
When we follow the tradition of warriors asking the gods to ‘bless’ their weapons.
Now it’s for all our tools and especially bikes, cycles and cars.
Vanshika and her younger sister Samiksha with their gifts from Manjula
Vanshika was the first to borrow books from the library. She was worried that her English wasn’t perfect, well it’s much better than this Yorkshireman’s.
Me and MYCycle 