Procrastiblog

A survey of “sexually progressive, young Indians” in India Today magazine caused much merriment and despair amongst my single comrades from abroad. Some sample questions:

Do you think it is okay to have sex before marriage?
Yes 20%
No 79%

(7% of females responded Yes.)

Would you be willing to [live] with a person you love before marriage?
Yes 28%
No 70%

(16% of females responded Yes.)

Do you agree with the statement: It is not necessary to marry the person you date?
Yes 42%
No 54%

(58% of females responded No.)

Which type of marriage do you think is more successful: arranged or love?
Arranged 73%
Love 24%

Source: India Today, 20 Feb 2006. Available online to subscribers only.

On the street near my house. It’s the first cat I’ve seen, believe it or not. I did not get a picture of it.

For those keeping score:

Animals I have seen and not photographed: cows, donkeys, lizards, chipmunks, and a cat.

Animals I have seen and photographed: horses, monkeys, and—oh, yeah—dogs.

I had a dream as I was falling asleep last night that I was playing frisbee and when I jumped to catch the disc I woke up with a strong sensation that I had just jumped face-first into a wall, which was actually my bed. Weird.

Rusty Bracket on Lamp Post
Originally uploaded by Chris & Hilleary.

Many of the lamp posts in my neighborhood have these seemingly useless brackets with sharp, rusty corners mounted conveniently at forehead level. Luckily, I’m up to date on my tetanus shots.

MSRI lunch
Originally uploaded by Chris & Hilleary.

My Indian diarrhea weight loss program is not working out as planned. I haven’t had any major problems with the food, as it turns out. A spot of indigestion because it’s pretty relentlessly spicy, but no creepy-crawlies in my gut that I’ve detected. They serve us a nice buffet lunch every day on the roof of MSR—I find myself going back for seconds and sweets pretty often (although sweets are usually some variation of rasgulla, which I haven’t acquired a taste for yet; gulab jamun is more my speed (which is very Western of me, apparently)).

I also had vague intentions of trying to eat vegetarian when I came here, since it would be so easy to do (it is, in fact, usually easier than the alternative). But the meat here is so good! Mutton! (Which means goat!) The MSR lunch usually has 4-5 vegetarian dishes and one with meat, and the meat dish is often the tastiest. I am ashamed of myself.

Hot water heater in my guest house bathroom
Originally uploaded by Chris & Hilleary.

It took me two weeks to figure out how to operate the hot water heater in my guest house. I guess it’s a sign of my own prejudice, when there was no hot water I just thought, “This is India, you can’t expect hot water every day.” It turns out you (pretty much) can. There is a switch just outside the bathroom that turns on the heater. You flip this 20-30 minutes before you want to shower and you have hot water. It lasts just barely long enough to lather up and rinse, and does not include time for reverie, but it does consistently work. So, yay!

Monkeys doing strange things to each other under the Banyan Tree.
Originally uploaded by Chris & Hilleary.

Also here and (to a lesser extent) here. Kedar, you are forgiven.

View of the River
Originally uploaded by Chris & Hilleary.

New photo set: Savandurga climb

He volunteers at an orphanage. Evil.

Sleepy dog at the Bazaar
Originally uploaded by Chris & Hilleary.

A new photo set: The dogs of Bangalore.