refocused

The dealings went on all day had a semi-formal interview where I gave no comment answers. Thankfully I think I can just move on. Alex appears to have smoothed things over. Apart from these guys need better things to gossip about not sure what the fuss was. Thankfully caused me to focus. I am not here to walk dogs or make friends. I took a look at the Certificate test. I could probably pass now but that's not really saying much since everyone passes. If I gradually build up my drill practice and basic memorization should be enough to do well. Thus I can spend teacher time going through Matthew. Easy pace I got nothing to prove.

Have minor contingency plans if the Princess is released this year. Just have to concentrate the meditation and prayer on that keep focused. Nothing else to do. Keeps me busy don't get drawn into other people's business or their suffering. Not sure if I am totally convinced by all is suffering there is that joy above it all but I am with Sri Aurobindo on that it has to be here too else what's the point.

Life is not a rehearsal, it's not merely the moon reflected in water.

So yep if not. After the anniversary symposium this autumn can pick somewhere for another year or three. Oxford isn't too terrible an idea if I can get the 10k scholarship apply to Benet Hall and stay with the local carmelites. Not everyone would be into that and I figure one year as a guest should be ok they only get strange when they get comfortable with you.

Oh yeah it's actually really far more enjoyable for me here if I go wholeheartedly into the independence, which is what the serious ones do here anyway. Just keep working on my own do my drills, do my meditations and minimize interactions to table talk occasionally. I really enjoyed the day today because there was such little contact with others and such there was friendly short chit chat at table. I think the meditation may help with the Princess but I must stay focused on what I truly seek and ignore the rest.

you call this keeping a low profile

So a little mishap this morning but this being where I am it seems to sum up things. So foolishly I decided to take Sam (yeah she has a name right the attack dog they are going to let out at nights only has a name) for a morning constitutional. Now the chain is tied to a rope which is tied to the cage so I carefully undo the knots, boyscout has tied them. Open the door and she bolts. Because she aint got no collar and the chain is not tied to her neck. Luckily she decided pretty much to try to eat the dog caged next door. I manage to lasoo her around her hind legs and gently but forcefully pull her back into her cage. I figure get her calmed down then see how she took to an actual collar which we had bought yesterday.

But this is the thing. There was a racket tops two to three minutes but yep dog was barking I can see how it might upset people. I should have waited for Alex but he is a later riser than I. The thing is not so much that they really want an attack dog. They may or may not have a plan. But for now they want to keep her caged. They feed her and hose down the cage daily this isn't england. For India it's luxury for a dog.

But they gossiped for half an hour in groups in Malayalam. That's the way of these places. All that silence just engenders gossip. And good old Fr Abraham the quietest man of all. Well it's put me off quiet men. He pronounces leave the dog alone. He is Fr Abraham senior patriarch.

As I was trying to explain to young Alex this isn't about my defending animal rights. I'd be happy to walk the dog. They might object they might not. But I want to stay under the radar. I don't want to be the object of gossip and I don't want to fall out with anyone over this. For now it's about respect and showing respect.

By the time the story gets to Sr Delphina it will have grown and I can concede to her desires which will probably just be leave the dog alone, which I think is fairly easy to do. Though I will probably be cited as the root cause of all the dog problems from here on in. Even when I am no longer here.

For some reason Alex seems to think if we talked to the peeps and explained that somehow. He really doesn't understand India at all. They treat the dog well for India. But they don't treat children that well compared to UK. Technically they abuse them but only if UK law applied here. We probably abuse lions and elephants but there you go.

Pity I was looking forward to walks with Sam. I am pretty sure if she got regular exercise she would be but it's never about the thing we are talking about. They need to know that I understand respect. I understand respect. If it came to a choice between Sam and losing another letter from my princess, sorry but you are a dog, I don't want to lose another letter it might be important.

My new friend Sam

I was very dubious about Alex the American's plan to befriend the new guard dog. Especially since my last experience with doggies here. The puppies the priest killed maybe that's why I still complain about him nope it's about the money.

But yeah we walked her. She had been in the cage past few days whining away. I think she is a puppy 3 months about just weaned but not fully grown yet. Tough little thing. She was overexcited on being let out. But she calmed down after we walked about a little. First little dog who came to sniff her nearly got it's head taken off, might have been an overfriendly nip but I think she will kill any small animal that comes near her.

Apart from that bought her some treats a new collar and lead which we can put on her tomorrow. It will end in tears I know for this is India. Things are here that are so beautiful and mystical the like of which the West does not know. And things so ugly and wicked the West does not have. And there be dragons here.

For now I have a new friend amd she is a beauty a German Shepherd/Alasatian cross, only in India does that make sense.

Sr Delphina's birthday

She was 70 today. We got cake icecream and that nice rice with raisins and vegetables and all sorts a sort of pillau I guess. No meat though but eggs. Wrote a complaint about financial abuse in the church to the new archbishop I don't know why but I hope he ignores it I do so hate it when they do that cover up thing but my son I am only trying to help if you can rephrase your complaint in serbo croat of course I will make sure that.
Anyway
Am reading the glass bead game I am at the right age.
Must write to my uncle and the bank. Prayer time call. Best not to ignore those. I am it seems a spiritual man. Not a great or good man as yet but it helps to know where you are.

registered

Finally and in the end we entered an a/c room with two large flags an aquarium and really small tv not even the flat screen type and the SI signed the papers and waived us off. I am now registered pretty much fully with the police and foreign registration officer and I have a residence permit valid till March next year which is for now as much as I would want. Though if I leave India have to go back and do this again. My man Manjoj his trick is to find a time when the SI is not unwilling to quadruple sign stuff. Now forget bribery my mother would now know to thank Manoj with a bottle of spirits so next time he'd remember us and speed things up. But that's not a bribe and though I mocked her ways it works equally well with dustbin men and GPs.

Finally decided to read the glass bead game and got a copy of a patanjali lite for the princess. Be fun if the LIberals came to power in Blighty wow now that would be fun. So dragon alert is cancelled lets see what the smog clearing terrain looks like.

admin

So Admin Man named after our Saint he turns out really helpful today. I was hoping just to use an old letter they had given me but oh no he wants to do a new one taking it all seriously. So an hour later he comes up with a letter that is designed for the DSP foreign cell and about me. So all set have the docs in quadruplicated which admin man wants photocopied I had to restrain him to just the one. Indians need to find an alternative to paper. They already have if you ask the Chinese. So long as you can write on the stuff they sell it as paper. Though sometimes not always that easy to read after.

So yeah then I phone Manoj up and he says no tomorrow come tomorrow phone after ten. If it were up north I'd assume the man was waiting to be bribed.

So no more news on the strike action in Manipur but there have been ferocious storms. hey did you see the pictures of the icelandic one which it almost looks like they are saying will never end but we don't like to use words like never on international media outlets that could affect the financial world. Lightening clouds magma if it were Star Trek there would be an entity within trying to communicate with some species not ours and not having any luck. If the Republicans were in power they'd have tried nuking it already.

Registration I really mustn't complain

So the Collective no it's the Collectorate. A maze of public buildings. But peeps are very friendly. I found the DSP Office Foreign Cell Fr Ragu gave me a piece of paper with the words on it in English and Malayalam. Paid 20 rupees for the rickshaw I am a big tipper. And 20 for the coconut on the way back did I mention I am a big tipper. I have four pieces of paper to fill in. Well it's actually one piece to fill in four times. Not sure why I can't just photocopy them but there you go. Once it's done he says come back tomorrow it will take him half an hour to get the package together they don't really take bribes this far south. The SI will see me tomorrow won't take long telephone first. Plus bring four photos for the four pages and a letter from the Uni. Well that don't seem to hard. Should be registered tomorrow then I guess. And to be fair I think SEERI have been doing other registrations either that or well anyway loads of pieces of paper are flying about and that feels like good old manly western action.

Oh and more importantly I think I sense why I sense her release is imminent. The strike which I had thought was broken by arresting people and not releasing them and then threatening their families (usually works). The strike is spreading. Different factions joining in today and tomorrow. Central government have told the CM to sort it. Plus the threat to kill all post 1948 immigrants hasn't gone down well with Central. I assume they mean by asking the CM to sort it that they intend to go for direct Presidential rule and then talk about fresh elections in a few years. But they would have to offer something different.

So yep the strike if everyone gets fed up and has had enough. That would do it. Don't need the Chinese or anyone else. I am going to save some emergency funds not stash them away just until Xmas just in case.