safe and sound in groovy goa

A book I'm reading by the English journalist Michael Wood in India put it just the way I feel, "lightheaded with a combination of a dramatic change in weather and all of the ongoing hecticness and busyness of my normal life suddenly ceasing"

I arrived yesterday afternoon, after an evening layover in Bombay/Mumbai. I was supposed to get in there at a reasonable hour of 10:30 but although the plane left JFK a half hour early, it somehow came in over 2 hours late and I got to bed at 2 am and caught the next flight at 11 the next day. I believe it was because of bad turbulence somewhere, but with a combination of lack of sleep for the few days before I left, the release of stress from finally being on my way, a nice large glass of wine on the plane and one sleeping pill, I slept for about 12 of the 14 hour trip and only was able to watch one bollywood film in the time left. I have to say Air India is one of the more comfortable spacious airplanes I've been on, but I remember and know from being in India, that people drink before a meal, but not with it. so when the initial snacks and drinks came around I hoarded my bottle of wine to have with dinner later, because no more was offered then, and the sleeping pill.

I'm not doing much yet here, started two paintings, have a book I have to read, but the show will not be hung for a few more days yet (the same thing happened the last time I came) so I'm ok being idle and getting back into the rhythm of not doing much, this is my 4th visit here so the city has been explored again and again and I'm not up to just yet, trying to deal with the kind of street traffic negotiations that would get me into the center of the town, there will be time for that later. Just had a nice cheese dosa and will walk home along the riverside promenade, tomorrow is the famous Ajuna flea market at the beach and I want to get there early. It used to be just stoned out hippies, but as of late, its more likely to be designers from London selling at Indian prices, but those types tend to leave by noon.

It's strange to be here and occasionally hear the odd Christmas carol or so, because I have no sense of time, and if I did, it certainly would not be Christmas. No sooner did I get here than I started to complain and wilt in the heat, though compared to last May, its pretty tolerable, even a tad chilly at dawn (at least until jet lag is over and I'm on a normal sleeping pattern when I would definitely not be up at dawn) when I'm reading my paper and having a chai on the river front beach and enjoying watching (and hearing) the "laughing club" of elderly people exercising, ho ho hoing and then "ommmm"ing, its a nice way to start the day.

Now to walk off that cheese dosa I just had!

Kathryn