the country comes to a standstill

Today is the day of the big match between India and Pakistan! Pakistan hasn't been able to play in the Cricket World Cup for many years now because of prior rules violations so now they're back with a vengeance. India and Pakistan haven't played each other in 20 years. Now here we are facing one another in the semifinals and I think it is pretty needless to say that emotions are running high.

The morning at work was fun; I finished my first assignment and am working on something new. During lunch, the conversation revolved around marriage. I am the youngest in the office to my knowledge, and next youngest is a 21 year old girl from Delhi. Everyone was asking her when she would be married, in a joking way, but with an element of honesty. They joked about how her father would marry her to a nice North Indian boy but would definitely never permit her falling in love with a South Indian. Laughter all around, but I wonder how much truth was in those statements. Anyways, the girl assured them she won’t get married until she’s well settled in her job and that when she does start thinking about marriage, hers will be a love match (where she meets the boy and falls in love herself and then tells her parents).

After lunch, productivity plummeted as match time drew near. At 2:30 everyone gathered in the conference room as before, ready with snacks and glued to the projector. This time it was astonishingly difficult to find a video that would stream the match without interruption - when one billion people are all watching the same feed the stress on the system is remarkable.

I left work earlier than usual, around 5, and the match was still going on. It was literally the shortest ride I've had from the office to home because the entire country was off the roads and in front of a screen. The cab driver for today asked me if I was the CEO in my company. First a film star, now a CEO. And I got kicked out of the teen’s section at Fabindia with a gentle “these clothes are too young for you”. Since when do I look so old? I got a nice glimpse of Bangalore without traffic- we stopped for pedestrians and obeyed all traffic signals. It felt strange.

Every store we passed with a television inside was crowded with young men standing around tensely. Manchester United Restaurant and Bar had their flat screen set up facing the glass window and faces were pressed so tightly against that glass...

I watched part of the match at work and then came home to continue watching with Kumar Mama and Nani. Joanna wasn't back yet so Kumar Mama and I went out to go to the grocery store because I wanted to buy Bournvita. This is a great chocolaty powder that I used to stir into milk as a child (more often, I would eat the powder plain). We also got mango pulp so I can make lassi sometime!

At home, we met Joanna and the three of us went back out again to Garuda Mall, to visit Westside and buy some kurtas for my Laxshmi Auntie. Kumar Mama was so sweet and bought Joanna and I a kurta each as well.

I read in The Hindu (a national Indian newspaper) today that Bangalore’s city government, the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) is banning all hookah and shisha bars in the city for fear of the illicit activities thought to take place in them (drug trades, for instance). The youngsters are, needless to say, less than pleased. Hookah bars are popular hangout spots and I have gotten to see two of the popular ones myself. I think it is great that the youth have a young, modern place to hang out and feel comfortable especially given the restrictions placed on street life. Perhaps they could find a way to regulate the hookah bars to make them safer? To close all seems extreme and unnecessary especially because the reason given was that they “are not part of Indian culture”. I-phones aren’t either and neither is Chinese food or cigarettes but all three have found a willing market in this country.

Outside the apartment we can hear the boom of firecrackers. People are already celebrating India's victory (preemptively). It is the second inning and Pakistan is at bat. I'll keep you posted.