It is 35 degrees outside and I can see my breath in Sahney's Cyber Cafe. I like it because it is run by a pleasant Sikh family. All of the computers have these cute sherbert orange polar fleece covers that resemble the Roomala covering for the Guru Granth Sahib (Holy Book). The keyboard is shiny clean and thankfully free of illegible Hebrew characters.
There are no ashtrays, or posters for cosmic aura readings, because it is FEBRUARY and I'm in fricking Mussoorie. I had the brilliant idea of studying hindi at the world famous Langdour Language School (LLS) at this time, because I wouldn't be closer to it for the rest of the trip.
Mussoorie is a Hill Station. In the days of the raj, hill stations were where the English made off to in the SUMMER months. It is the closest one to Delhi (8 hour train ride + 1 hour bus), and as such has been dubbed the Queen of all Hill Stations. When the clouds break, there are beautiful views of the Indian Himilayas. It is peaceful and there are plenty of monkeys and cows and pissers to gawk at.
I am okay with cold weather, I'm not at all hardcore when it comes to freezing rain. I'm also a pantywaist when it comes to long walks uphill. The other Hill Stations I've visited (Shimla, Darjeeling, Dharamsala) were high up, but didn't include much walking directly uphill as they were all situated on larger ridges. The walking mall of Mussoorie winds up and up and up, then the fun begins.
The LLS is a 2 to 3km climb up a traversing roadway. It is a tranquil walk compared to the city, with occasional goods carriers and Toyota Qualis' (india's SUV of choice). It is a little dangerous as the scooters and small cars turn off their engines and glide down past you.
The hindi lessons have been great. I've been taking 4 hours a day. The teachers are excellent, so is the school staff... but Varanassi is calling me. The End Time City taunts and teases me in my dreams. So after classes tomorrow evening, I'll ride the bus back down the hill and embark on a 24-hour train journey.
On the way down the hill today I spoke with one of my teachers, Mr. Mohammed Yusuf. He's a great instructor who I think taught somebody from my high school who also lives in San Francisco (Jamie McEntee are you out there?). We talked about Bush and Iraq, and the elections and how he has fucked america's reputation in the eyes of the world. He complained about teaching hindi to repulsive Christian missionaries (from Florida and UofM alumni bastards) who explained to him that his religion (Islam) was "nothing" when compared to Jeebus. He cringes everytime he thinks of four more years of BushCo screwing the people and the planet.
I had a similar conversation with a 10 year old school boy, yesterday. The kid was funny and smart and carefully explained to me that while initially, some of the Iraqis were with the USA, now they were all against him. He also explained with much more vigor that there is a Glacier near Mussoorie that is melting. When it melts, it will flood Bangladesh. He smiled and said that Mussoorie will be saved, since the water will flows the other direction. I asked him for tips on my Hindi grammar and pronunciation homework and his dad had his brother bring me a glass of Chai.
I know that I'm loser for bailing on Mussoorie's cold rain and snow, but I really can't study or work on my conversating, because I am so very cold and tired. I also know that you won't hold it against me, dear reader. Maybe you'll continue to hold it against me, like you always have. For now, I'm following gravity's wishes and flowing towards Bangladesh and the sea.
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Jamie and Michele have rallied against all popular wisdom and good advice (again). Their visit to the indian continent should provide you with hours (if not minutes) of reading pleasures. Please sit back and relax as they selectively share their entanglements and stories of woe.
