The driver forces his way through the traffic, the horn used liberally to warn, cajole or threaten those in the way. Never use a short “peep” when a long, loud blast can be employed. Motorcycles and cyclists squeeze through gaps betwixt car and smoke-belching truck. Buses bully their way through; and implacably picking their path are pedestrians, some in radiant saris, red and gold, turquoise and blue. Cows stand in the middle of the road, as immovable as they are revered. At the side of this well-rehearsed chaos lie dogs, mangy curs, sleepily taking it all in.

Here the senses are assailed as perhaps nowhere else on earth: the noise, the cacaphonic din of roaring engines and blaring horns; thje smells, some sickly sweet perfume, some spicy and aromatic, and others a stench speaking of death and decay; the sight of so many people and vehicles croweded into so small a space (and yet the city is vast) creatse an almost physical sense of oppression, of being crushed from all sides.

I’m back in India.

[I2011 2]

I’ve been to India before. It’s never been an easy experience. The noise, the masses, the chaos, the smells, the filth, the poverty, the discomfort, the bureaucracy, they all define this place. After my first visit it was 15 years before I ventured there again, and now, after a further 10 years, I’m going back. This time I’ll be visiting friends, more specifically, going for a friend’s nephew’s 5th birthday celebration. Let’s call him (the nephew) TLP – The Little Prince. How could I resist?

The plan is to see a few things around Calcutta, then to make a side trip to Puri which is a seaside resort and fairly close to the Sun Temple at Konark.

I’ll be staying with TLP’s family and joined by my friend K and two of his French friends, D and S.

It’s with a little trepidation that I’ll board my flight from Bangkok to Calcutta, not knowing what to expect.

[I2011 1]

03. January 2012 · 1 comment · Categories: Whisky

master has been in india Whisky Portrait
for the past ten days
he tells me there are
lots of street dogs in india
and they all look rather like me
but none of them is as handsome
of course
he s right

Street dogs in Puri, India

in india
most of the people are hindoos
that means they revere
lots of animals such as
cows
monkeys
a bull
a crocodile
rats
and snakes

some people worship frogs
but that s just sick

i think i see a career opportunity
they don t worship dogs yet
i think i ll become their new god
there is a problem though
all the best hindu gods
have names ending in -a
such as shiv-a
krishn-a
durg-a
ram-a
brahm-a
ganesh-a
durg-a
indr-a
and sury-a

in future i shall be known
to my hindoo devotees
as whisky-a.

apparently they have
mechanical frogs in india too
but they look rather different

Indian mechanical frog

whisky


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