mid-year letter

Lately, i've been "cocooning" and i have actively started to think about wedding arrangements. This is mostly because people have started booking their flights. Turns out the way Kodavas wear their saris (see engagement photos) is now in fashion for brides from various communities. wedding consultants and stylists ask women if they plan to wear their saris the coorg way or their traditional way. that seemed more interesting before i wrote that down.

i was googling today and i found out that an indian television network formally bans its new anchors and correspondents from wearing "indian" clothes on air. that kind of baffled me. 'india' as brand seems to be a theme these months. i think this has to do with working in media. every paper has an image and a demographic they try to reach. it really feels like a business. i never thought i would work in a corporate environment. this is probably the closest i will get to working in one.

the weather is actually lovely. knock on wood. i did buy my plastic shoes thanks to a friend who called and said, "it's going to raaaaain! we have to buy shoes TOday!" thanks to her, my feet are gross-free. while it did rain, it has stopped. i think they were some pre-monsoon showers. the streets did clog, people did wade through water in some areas- the city isn't yet ready for some heavy duty rains that are supposed to hit us later this month.

As for cocooning, i think all the noise around me is fraying my nerves so i seek refuge in books. i started reading The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh. I really like his way with words. his words are well chosen, but grammatically off key sometimes. Still, he elucidates images and draws histories well in all of his work. it's a stark contrast to that other book i just finished.

my sister is back home, which makes me think my "trip" is over and i am now aware that i live in mumbai. i realise this as i miss wedding after wedding, two friend s are having babies, some are going through very hard times, and i can't be there for impromptu road trips, marathon phone conversations or surprise visits. thankfully my transition to life here has been relatively smooth and i am getting to know people i have always liked and i am meeting new people that teach me interesting things, make me laugh, and help me out in every way.

yike, almost 4am! see ya when i see ya. ;)