6 may-great conversation

At work today, Amrtha, Niteen, Deepak and I had a long and healthy debate about what 'Americans' were like. We were discussing mainly Indians who grow up in America and their tendency to obsess about holding on to their roots. Deepak works for the India Water Portal Team and Niteen, on Grants, used to live walking distance from my house when he worked in Houston (although we obviously didn't know it at the time).

Another topic related to 'roots' that has been coming up lately is this idea of Indian marriage and its dependable tenacity. Amrtha told me once that she believes it can do a family more harm when a husband and wife remain in an unhappy situation than when they are honest and actively seek their happiness through, perhaps, separation. It is a challenging concept and one that does not meet wide acceptance here. There seem to be a lot of passionless marriages that endure 'for the sake of the children'. But how much can it benefit a child to grow up in a household where the adults don't prioritize their own happiness?

I was reflecting today on my choice of workplace and remembered a conversation I had with my papa before making my selection. We decided I should choose the place where it seemed like I would have the best conversations with people and I totally feel like I made the right choice! I love working in a place where everyone is so young and alive and eager to poke fun of each other. 


The longer this trip goes on the less ready I am to go back. I wasn't expecting to feel like that...

So Nelson came in to office today with a copy of the Bangalore Times of India...there's a picture of Joanna and I on page three! It was taken at Urban Solace Tuesdays with the Bard although interestingly, the little blurb mentioned nothing about location nor the name of the event. It described the great conversation and lively atmosphere but no details were provided...a mystery gathering in Bangalore!

On the ride home from work, Srikanta and I drove past my flat so he could show me some local Bangalore curiousities...the first of which was the Mohammedan Block. This is how local Jayanagar residents refer to the predominantly Muslim neighborhood in front of my flat. I think I even described it in one of my earlier posts when I walked to Ashirwad Grocery with Kumar Mama. It's full of windy little streets, mutton shops, Arabic scrolling print above shops, and lots of men dressed in white with matching white taqiyahs. A taqiyah is a short, rounded cap worn to emulate Mohammed (whose companions were apparently never seen with their heads uncovered).

Srikanta had told me that there was a wall in this block graffiti'd with rather extremist slogans of the anti-American variety, and when we drove past it I tried to make out what they said. Someone had been persistently scrubbing at the writing so it was all quite blurred and I couldn't make out what exactly the message was.

Our next stop was to the Indian Institute of World Culture, a library in the Jayanagar area where Srikanta says he 'grew up'. We had spoken about this place on the bike ride because while on the subject of poetry, he mentioned that this Institute's bulletin featured a poem by Tagore on its cover. It is a public library, but also functions as a center for cultural programs, art displays and a varied array of public talks on subjects ranging from society to politics to religion. Apparently one of the buildings was inaugurated by Rohini Nilekani! It is certainly a small city. Or, more accurately, Rohini is a prominent individual.

I am slowly discovering so much in Bangalore, I want more time to explore it all! As another example, on one of the tiny streets Srikanta dips his bike through as we ride back to Jayanagar is an art gallery featuring rural artwork by local artists. I want so badly to check it out but we haven't taken the same route since and I can't for the life of me remember where it was!