Syriac

First tutorial went well. Also started Syriac. I am getting soft. After the first ten letters I told Fr Geo my head was spinning so I get to see the last twelve tomorrow 9.00am. Maybe that three year canon law course is not for me. Maybe a certificate in oriental and occidental canon law and then the diploma in spirituality and counselling only one year each. Haven't got my library card so free internet access is off and on. But plenty to read in the library.

You can't really transfer from an Esi. There used to be a clause in order to recover the heritage of one's ancestors. But then my beard, complexion and natural Indian good looks say much more than any canon law certificate might. I get called Uncle now on the street outside if anyone does address me and father inside the compound. But none doubt my Indianness until I speak. Am pressing ahead with Malayalam in my own way like swimming through treacle. And there is a fine heritage here up for grabs. Since the Indians are reclaiming it themselves it's a bit like San Francisco in the Gold Rush. I just stake my claim and see where it goes.

The Syrian Language is to gather up the Eastern foundation of the Church. The Syro-Malabar liturgy is to pick up on the Indianness. At a retreat in Blangy-sur-Mer I was talking as I do not really knowing that much about it about the Gita and doing my Namaste hither and thither and this young Goan Barrister woman gives me what for saying. I am a Catholic and I am proud of it. I didn't press the matter for I felt it was getting far too sexual for me and she was really far too young for me. But I assume it's the prejudice I grew up with. That Goans being osmotically Portuguese were a rung higher up than the average Indian. Not as high up as an Anglo-Indian who used to let us know by always calling us Goanese. And the average non-Goan Indian would tend to agree that Goans weren't really Indians. Barely a territory then.

Now the world has changed. They like Indians in the West. And Indians like Indians. Well apart from that Goan Barrister but I don't think she was my kind of gel. She felt she wasn't earning enough money. And my type of gel is a widow french-indian from Puducherry in a metaphorical sense at least. Oh well I'll post now no one seems to have kicked me off the computers.

Indians are like canon legalists. If I asked if I could use a computer they'd say no I need a library card ID. But if I just use one no one stops me and if they do all I have to do is ask for forgiveness and then try again another time. Good luck to the dynamic duo on the Synaxis tomorrow. I mentioned the neo-cats to Fr Varghese my liturgy tutor. These two are very Donnish by the way. Syriac the more so. He didn't seem shocked at all. Hmmph. Obviously his war is with the Padroado and dem conniving Latinist imperialists. Wouldn't even take the bait that now the portuguese have gone the Spanish are trying to reconquer the East Indies. He just said oh very early church to prepare during the catechuminate the synaxis was popular. The Word prepares us for the eventual Eucharist. Hmmph. Still a bit too Spanish for Bangalore if you ask me. But then if she is French...