Sunday, January 6

 

 

We got up. I read the Sunday paper and noticed that the unions have called for a national general strike on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Irma left for her treatment and I started to do the ironing. Molly and her husband arrived, and then Anib appeared. Finally a technician arrived.

Anib explained to me that they had set the water to manual and now they intended to switch it to automatic. Hmmm. I had thought I had understood how the system worked, using three separate water tanks. Now I felt less certain that I really understood.

Irma returned and shortly afterwards Anib and Molly and the others all left. If I understood anything at all, we should now have a working water supply.

We spent the afternoon reading, showering, sunbathing, and writing, but not necessarily in alphabetical order.

At 16:30 we set off to Kovalam Junction in search of an ATM. The first that we tried claimed to have run out of money. The second took about twenty minutes to bend to our will; and only then after an invaluable intervention from a young Indian couple who demonstrated that we should have interpreted the onscreen instructions rather than simply trying to obey them.

After this we went to Lighthouse Beach to see the new Village; formerly known as the Pink House but now showing no signs of pink at all.

When we get there Hari and Christine both greet us, looking exhausted. Hari started working at 5:30 this morning.

They have both done an amazing amount of work, and I photograph Christine showing some of the clothes to two customers. As I talk with Hari two separate couples decide to eat in the Village restaurant. He looks visibly pleased.

Irma will purchase a small statue from the shop opposite. She will learn that he has had only one customer today: her.

We will get home about 19:45.