100 Days of Solitude

I bought a new fridge for the house this week. The Fridgidaire which my grandfather had shipped from America over 30 years ago, much to the wonderment of the entire neighborhood, has been officially retired and replaced by a monstrous, slate-colored Whirlpool Iceberg (frost-free series!). After several trips to the ultramodern appliance store, a few misunderstandings and a self-reflective afternoon spent deliberating my ethnocentric notions of "customer service," it was delivered by two scrawny coolies to the third floor of our building. My parents are proud of me for making such a significant purchase. I explained to them that I was happy to spend their money anytime.

In other news, I'm lonely. Boo hoo. Perhaps I've been reading too much G.G. Marquez (One Hundred Years of Solitude--so good by the way). How is it possible to be lonely in a country that comprises 1/6th of the world's population? I've never been as homesick in the last three years of constant travel than I have been this past month. I fear that my family back in Michigan will issue a restraining order if I don't stop calling every day. Fortunately, my good friend Katie Z. who is in Dhaka right now is coming to visit me in Kolkata next week. Even though we were both in the US all of last year, we haven't seen each other since our Fulbright days in Bangladesh.

More pictures below.


This is my beloved mashi (aunt) and caretaker for the summer. Gopa mashi is pictured here using a boti to chop up some vegetables for a tasty veggie curry. Botis are intimidating, razor-sharp devices used mostly in Bengal to cut fish and vegetables. You have to sit on the floor with the boti in between your legs and move the vegetable along the blade, remaining vigilant not to kill yourself.
Kolkata traffic is legendary. I took this picture outside the window of my taxi on my way to the American Center library (where I am a new member!). The yellow 1950's looking cars are actually Ambassador taxis. They run on diesel and are made of solid steel. There is no Bengali word for "jam" so everyone just says "jom" to indicate that it will take you an hour to travel 5 kilometers.
This is one of many pictures I took of last week's Roth Yatra celebratory parades. Look veeeery closely at the guy dressed in red in the middle of the parade (below the red and white sign). Hey, that's SANTA CLAUS! For some mystical reason, Santa features prominently in Hindu celebrations and festivals here in India...