There are ants everywhere in our room. I watch them run from my pacing feet, they must feel the vibrations. I don't have any food in the room except for some Clif Bars ...maybe just three or four Clif Bars left... and they're sealed up, so I'm not worried. If anything they'll get into my bags, I'll bring them on the plane, and they'll hopefully suffocate and die. A death that would be far more glamorous than being crushed under a foot or book – they will be world citizens.
Yesterday I had to lay down at four because of shooting pains, and didn't get up until seven this morning. The rest was needed because I'm feeling a little better today, but still exhausted if I stand up or walk around for more than ten minutes. Gopi has me on a diet of gruel that even Oliver Twist would thumb his nose at. It's extremely over watered and mushy rice. But it is appreciated seeing as how I deviated from my diet yesterday and had curd, rice, and boiled vegetables and that's what made me run back to my room. So, for today and for an undefinite amount of days hereafter ... it is gruel and bananas for this girl.
I went to the kitchen to ask Big J for some bananas and she taught me how to ask for two bananas... then she started counting up til five. When she reached five I held her hand up and gave her a high five. She looked extremely amused and a little perplexed. Well, that makes me like her more because I never understood high fives anyway and the whole thing seems a little stupid to me too. I have always been a reluctant high fiver. But, I might forget all that and keep it up with her seeing as how it's funny and it could be a thing. Don't you like having things with people?
So, yea, went to get bananas and there are a bunch of over ripe ones so now I finally have my inspiration as to what I, Kate Brown, will be making in the kitchen. One small problem is that a lot of the recipes call for shortening and I don't know if they have it here. I don't want to know because I hate it so much.
Other problems::The oven has no temperature knob and it's always a procedure filled with hand gestures and saying words phonetically b/c of the language barrier, but I will not be deterred. The oven's lack of efficiency is a great thing to hide behind if the banana bread turns out horrible and pointing at things and saying Eenu Kannada?? Is a great way to learn things and cut down on miscommunication. I don't believe that the women should learn English, but that I should learned Kannada. If they ask, though, I tell them. Otherwise I try and make it as much "Me learning from them" as possible and not the other way around.
I finished the Mayor of Casterbridge yesterday and now I'm working Amy Tan's THE HUNDRED SECRET SENSES. It's really weird going from late 19th / early 20th century English writing to late 20th century American writing that is heavily influenced by Chinese culture. I hated the book yesterday, but have warmed up to it today. The story line is a little less complex and after KITE RUNNER I don't put much stock in New York Times bestsellers. But it's an easy read and like a break in between the last book and whichever one I pick up next.
Ah and something worth documenting ... Dear Old Dad wrote me a letter! It's two pages, talks alot about Lenin (I think I mentioned that I was reading a biography on him in my letter) , mentions the irony that lies in the fact that when I was little I begged my Dad to believe in Jesus Christ to save his immortal soul and my dad would just retort with Aethiest jokes and now years later .. I'm the agnostic. It was a sweet letter because it had nothing in it about anything of consequence, was really short, and makes it very clear where I get, if any, my social awkwardness from. Ha, wait, there's Mom too.
Moving on: Dad is a man of few words, but that letter meant a lot. Taylor got one too from her best friend and while she was laughing and jumping around, I was crying happily because I don't feel as if my father is dead anymore. There's still some hope.
News for anyone who is not in Jersey:
It was in the 70s this week!
Hmph and I thought I'd be coming back to rainy cold weather
Yesterday I had to lay down at four because of shooting pains, and didn't get up until seven this morning. The rest was needed because I'm feeling a little better today, but still exhausted if I stand up or walk around for more than ten minutes. Gopi has me on a diet of gruel that even Oliver Twist would thumb his nose at. It's extremely over watered and mushy rice. But it is appreciated seeing as how I deviated from my diet yesterday and had curd, rice, and boiled vegetables and that's what made me run back to my room. So, for today and for an undefinite amount of days hereafter ... it is gruel and bananas for this girl.
I went to the kitchen to ask Big J for some bananas and she taught me how to ask for two bananas... then she started counting up til five. When she reached five I held her hand up and gave her a high five. She looked extremely amused and a little perplexed. Well, that makes me like her more because I never understood high fives anyway and the whole thing seems a little stupid to me too. I have always been a reluctant high fiver. But, I might forget all that and keep it up with her seeing as how it's funny and it could be a thing. Don't you like having things with people?
So, yea, went to get bananas and there are a bunch of over ripe ones so now I finally have my inspiration as to what I, Kate Brown, will be making in the kitchen. One small problem is that a lot of the recipes call for shortening and I don't know if they have it here. I don't want to know because I hate it so much.
Other problems::The oven has no temperature knob and it's always a procedure filled with hand gestures and saying words phonetically b/c of the language barrier, but I will not be deterred. The oven's lack of efficiency is a great thing to hide behind if the banana bread turns out horrible and pointing at things and saying Eenu Kannada?? Is a great way to learn things and cut down on miscommunication. I don't believe that the women should learn English, but that I should learned Kannada. If they ask, though, I tell them. Otherwise I try and make it as much "Me learning from them" as possible and not the other way around.
I finished the Mayor of Casterbridge yesterday and now I'm working Amy Tan's THE HUNDRED SECRET SENSES. It's really weird going from late 19th / early 20th century English writing to late 20th century American writing that is heavily influenced by Chinese culture. I hated the book yesterday, but have warmed up to it today. The story line is a little less complex and after KITE RUNNER I don't put much stock in New York Times bestsellers. But it's an easy read and like a break in between the last book and whichever one I pick up next.
Ah and something worth documenting ... Dear Old Dad wrote me a letter! It's two pages, talks alot about Lenin (I think I mentioned that I was reading a biography on him in my letter) , mentions the irony that lies in the fact that when I was little I begged my Dad to believe in Jesus Christ to save his immortal soul and my dad would just retort with Aethiest jokes and now years later .. I'm the agnostic. It was a sweet letter because it had nothing in it about anything of consequence, was really short, and makes it very clear where I get, if any, my social awkwardness from. Ha, wait, there's Mom too.
Moving on: Dad is a man of few words, but that letter meant a lot. Taylor got one too from her best friend and while she was laughing and jumping around, I was crying happily because I don't feel as if my father is dead anymore. There's still some hope.
News for anyone who is not in Jersey:
It was in the 70s this week!
Hmph and I thought I'd be coming back to rainy cold weather
posted by Kate at Tuesday, March 14, 2006
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