Friday, January 11

Last night when we got home from our rickshaw ride to Tivandrum, we both felt extremely tired. We couldn’t tell if we had swallowed too much pollution or eaten too much burger.

We ended up having a cup of tea and going to bed about 20:40, where I at least fell asleep immediately.

I woke up at 7:11 this morning, lay in bed until 7:30, and then did thirty minutes of light exercise.

We spent the morning working on different floors of the house. I worked on my revised paper for Elize, a possible grant application, a course outline, and two diagrams.

At 13:30 Tangaray took me to Temple Place where I walked to Manthra. Today I had Sagath, who had just returned from Russia. He had a different, but very effective, technique. I left feeling well and truly massaged.

I had promised to collect Irma’s repaired shoes from the cobbler and so I walked down the seafront and turned into the alley that contains Hari’s New Volga Hotel, and picked up the sandals.

With the shoes in my hand, I decide to walk back to Temple Path through the maze of little alleys. On the way I finally get a chance to read the writing on the wall.

I walk past The Village, where I hear Christine serving customers. I see at least six people looking at the merchandise, and at least six people sitting in the restaurant.

On the way back we will stop at the beer shop, and when I get home Irma will lock us out. Fortunately the sliding doors to the balcony at the rear will stand open and so I will climb over the fence, avoiding falling into the lake, and let us all in.

Irma will leap in the rickshaw and head off in search of fruit and milk. She will arrive back with both.

Later we will talk with Naa on the phone, and relax for as long as the puppies let us; approximately the same time that they remain in the garden while we sit on the balcony.

I will notice that they seem to have morphed again. The male has switched from calling itself Snowy to answering to Frosty, while the female has decided to remain Freeda, but become exploratory and forceful. She initiates most of the wrestling.

They appear to have reached their final names, suitably matching and suitably plosive; at least until someone adopts them.