Lonavala Hill Station
This is a typical hill station for city dwellers of about 20 million to visit and own nice property in a quieter place with maybe half a million. Lonavala, is famous for its tiki, a rock like ‘sweet’ with glucose, nuts, pistachios, gelled up. I tried it, and my bottom teeth have sunk in!
Sadly the gross differences between the have and have nots are all too obvious, and the politicians are all making their mark in different ways.
Yesterday, two MPs from Andhra ( in Gujrati means blind) State, caused serious inconvenience in parliament . Lagadati Rajagopal, wanted the Bifurcation Bill ( God knows what it means) to be delayed, so he sprayed pepper spray on fellow MPs.
He claimed it was in self defence. Another MP, Modugula Venugopal Reddy, allegedly carried a knife.
Security in parliament has now tightened, and there is even consideration that the Nari or string used to hold up the pyjamas of MPs could be banned, as it could be used to strangle if the debate became too much. Hari Om!
On other important matters Kavita and Meena bought some bindi and bangles!
I had a hair cut, hairs pulled out of ear lobes, shave around the circle ( that’s the bit they call around the ears), a small head massage, and back massage in Salon, for 40 pence, and a 20 percent tip.
We scampered back to hotel as women felt stared at…I didn’t…bald men are history in India.
NaMo (abbreviation for Narendra Modi) is taking the country by storm. Gujarat State is much more wealthier. Amaya Sen ( famous economist, and Nobel Prize Winner) has observed that health care, and education is about 42 out of the 50 Indian States in Gujarat. However, the ‘common-man’ ( such a degrading term used commonly in India) is likely to vote for NaMo, as do most people around the world with their pockets!
At lunch we had the usual stuff, tarka Dahl, Chana, roti, and a ‘ love sign’ meringue as complimentary to remind me of Valentime day…… to us by a Chinese looking lady, so I have respectfully spelt the day as she would say it. Incidentally, she is a fully dressed Indian from Nagaland. My curiosity was overwhelmed by Meena’s verbosity.
Forgot to say I worked out intermittently in the Hotel Gym, as the thread mill kept stopping due to power supply issues. What to do!
Tomorrow it’s 45 days since I have become a veggie , and it’s hard! I cheated once with some phish. Oh also we are going to the President Hotel in Colaba, Mumbai for start of this High Society wedding….Meena side appears to have all sorts!
No kidding they have chartered two planes to Ahmedabad, and we are in this Jan on February 15th.
I am shitting bricks as I don’t know what to wear…so I will disappear into a reverie with the hotel background music…’ Band on the Run’.