Well, I've more or less settled into the building I'll be living in, but for now I'm sharing a room with a night shift call-center worker while I wait for the present occupant of my future cell to disembark for his home country on Saturday or Sunday. It's going to be lonely; I hope I meet some good folks in this neighborhood, because otherwise I'll rarely talk to anybody. I'm probably a little over-sensitive to this notion as I've just read Death in Venice and a couple of other stories by Thomas Mann, who targets not only lonliness but, ironically enough, the futility of artistic endeavor, in each of these them. This evening over a thali at an expensive neighborhood restaurant I began 'The Grapes of Wrath' and am really looking forward to it. Even the first few chapters forecast a really beautiful book.
I've spent so much money today! I gave the landlord half of his deposit and rent (the balance due when I actually move into my room) and promptly went and purchased a brand-new "Atlas Goldline" bicycle. It's frame geometry makes it hard to pedal while turning sharply, it heaves and creaks up hills and over bumps, the brakes are spongy (due to the fact that they're controlled by metal rods instead of cables) and the seat is very uncomfortable; in short, it's a dumb bike and I don't know why it's the most popular model (by far over 80%) in India unless it's the rs.2500/- price tag. (about $60) It's colorful and it even has a hood ornament--a little 'A' in a circle sticking up from the front fender. It also came with a lock, a bell and a rack. The prospect of exploring Mumbai by bike is exciting. I'll take pictures of both the room and the bicycle in due time.
The thought of staring down three months here is kind of daunting; I'd rather be studying in some lovely out-of-the-way hamlet that's abolished motor vehicles. However, I've attended one of Kala Ramnath's concerts here, and met her backstage afterwards, and the thought of studying with such a great violinist is mind boggling. She's unbelievable--how quickly she can play and move past notes while still imprinting them on your mind as they pass--I should aspire to this. I'm going to ride over to her house, pull out the fiddle and not even know how to hold it! (In this style) Nor do I have the proper strings on my instrument; she's tuned hers to a low D flat, and my thickest string is too floppy at that pitch, so I've got to figure this out too. The amazing thing, though, is that we are going to have lessons every day. Oh how I hope I rise to the occasion!
Hope everybody's having fun getting ready for Christmas.
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