Who says being gay isn't in Indian culture??!!

"In Indian culture... men socialise with men, and women with women"

That's from an indecency guide to toursists in India via a bbc story. (read the rest here)
The beeb has this habit of covering these random obscure tidbits from India - and they are sooooo funny!!

Jordy, Dahly, Me

 

Desi Dhamakas

The Desis!!
 

Masal Hotluck..

(I cooked bhindi dal, matar pulao and tamatar makai)

 

Rocking Plymouth..!

So, Kate, Bhangu, Nangu and me got up bright and early at 4.30 am to catch a 6am bus going to Plymouth to observe the native American mourning ritual with a bunch of activists. Which was it;s own experience - the bus ride there had us listening to all obscure causes (e.g, Jews for Palestine) and even more obscure video tapes (one of a navajo dude explaining 16 reasons why people become alchoholics - "to hurt oneself and one's friends").
Anyway, finally, we reached plymouth at noon - in time for the beggining on the mourning ceremony. Which we attended for about 5 minutes. We heard a couple of native american's talk about the atrocities that the pilgrims inflicted on them (which was really horrible). We quietly sneaked away and then began to walk all over plymouth to see the town.
It was gorgeous. A small town by the sea - totally out of a movie. While walking around, we saw the mayflower II ( a cheapy replica of the real thing), the actual plymouth rock - which was about as big as my arm, Nikhiel and Bianca doing a jig, and then - a restaurant called Nicoles (we missed you babla - see picture down for details).
After the amazing free thanksgiving meal, we decided to head back to the troop to join them in the march to the first church of plymouth where they scream and shout and demand their country back. Inside the church, there was a communal gathering of the American Indians, and the people who supported them - and some very interesting people - including an American Indian woman named Rainbow - dressed in traditional garb, and had just hunted a 9-point buck last week- one enough to feed her through the winter, and whom Kate interviewed.

We did a little more sight seeing, and the collonial houses were so pretty and quaint, and the shops and everything - it's almost as though there are parts of the town which haven't changed since the time the pilgrims arrived.

In all, it was both educational and fun - I learnt so much about the native american culture which I wouldnt have otherwise, and at the same time, saw the American aspect of it - something which I was vaguely familiar with. It was a good contrast, and of course, it's always fun with Nikhiel, Bianca and Kate!!

 

Nangu's top half on our way back 

Hat-haired and tired on our way back... 

Good friendster pic? 

Release me...

Bianca singing to Nangu while he took a dump.
 

America's next top model? 

Pretty Plymouth

 

Diggin in da nose

Nangu was so obsessed with taking pictures that this one time Bhangu and me said we'd pick our noses while he's taking the picture and see if he notices. Obviously, he didn't.
 

Nangeshkari

Nangu made us take 100000 photos of him with the scenery and the collonial houses, and established every two seconds how he wants to buy a house here and settle down. They were really pretty, though Nangu was OBSESSED!!
 

Indian brethren

So, we took a picture of this Indian (Massaquot) who started the surge against the pilgrims' abuse. ( I think that was him). Notice we're all standing like him. Nangu, however, refused to. He chose to stand between his legs. Hmm..
 

Free Thanksgiving Karma

Off late I've been getting the feeling that all my freebie Karma - the free things I hunted for my friends in the summer - is coming back to me. We were walking around Plymouth looking for restaurants, and we came across this one called "Nicole's". So we all thought of our dearest babla and decided to check the menu out and see if we could afford it.
The menu was covered with a note which said - "Thanksgiving Dinner 11.30 -2" and we were wondering what that was all about when this lady (presumably Nicole) popped her head out, and invited us in for a free Thanksgiving meal - Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, squash, cranberry juice, corn, apple pie and pumpkin pie! YUM!! It was soooooo goood...mmm!!

And free!!
 

Gettin' Jiggy With It

Bianca and Kate doing a jig after seeing the mayflower II. I have no idea why. Women are weird.
 

The Mayflower II

Tourist trash replica of the Mayflower. Damned if I'm gonna pay $8 to see a fake tourist trap!
 

The Rock

This was allegedly the first rock that thr pilgrims walked upon. And some preist or somethingortheother said this 50 years after they came. He was old and probably senile. So, it's basically just another rock which some dude thought that the pilgrims landed on.

Big, eh? Then again, since when were Americans size queens? 

Good Morning Handsome

Foggoff!!! As you can tell, I'm not particularly a morning person... 

Upside down early morning Nangu 

Good Morning Kate

Kate: All bright and chirpy at 5.45am.  

It's not my fault!

So I met Bhangu after god knows how long last week, and had a great time. Now they (ALL my friends) keep accusing me of dragging them to gay bars - which is so totally not true - bec I rarely ever go there myself.
In this case, you can blame it on their tardiness. Nangu, Bhangu and me were supposed to go to Bhangu's Boss's brother's art show opening (or something like that - there were free cocktails!). Of course this went on from 6 to 9, and we had planned to meet at 8. I, of course, was the only one on time.
I told them that if they were late, they would have to deal with me going to a bar and having a drink. Which is what I did. Now I cant help it if this gallery is in the meatpacking district with chelsea, at gym-new gay sportsbar and hang out for uber hotties, just a stones throw away. So, I went in to have a beer - and it was happy hour 2-4-1, so I got two. Now, I'm not one to throw away a free drink. So I gulped down two. Then at 9 minutes to 9, nangu calls and he can't find the gallery.
Now is it my fault that his gallery is by gym, and there's 2-4-1 drinks happening? In anycase, we didnt make it and I got tipsy.
It was too cold for anything more.

Looking forward to tomorrow- going to plymouth rock with marie, bhangu, nangu and kate for native american mourning ritual. And then my masala HOTluck on Saturday. Busy Busy Bee!

Will post photos.

Chain from Bhangu

If you read this, if your eyes are passing over this right now, even if we don't speak often, please post a comment with a memory of you and me. It can be anything you want- good or bad. When you're finished,post this little paragraph on your blog and be surprised (or moritified) about what people remember about you.

Yeh Dosti...

Ladies and gentlemen : my friends from Bombay. And no, it isn't porn - it's just a video clip.

We used to do this sort of thing (Everybody jumps on the same person) when we were in high school. (although this is more recent - this summer).

Could this be the cause of my flat head?

 

Happy Diwali!

So, for those who didn't already know - Diwali and New Year were day before and yesterday. I spent Diwali working assiduously at my college essay, which I intend to get done by the end of the week.

Yesterday, however, was a total disaster. Spent the whole evening watching TV instead of working on my apps and lit two homemade candle lamps (aka diyas) outside my door (me being all religious and festive and all). Half an hour later, the smoke alarm went of and the whole building was yelping like a chihuaha being castrated. So obviously I ran out to put the lamps out and without realizing, picked them up. Word of advice: clay lamps get HOT - so pretty much burned myself. On my middle finger. Not dramatically or anything, but there's still a blister.

So no work done. And burnt.

Happy Diwali and Saal Mubarak!!