alilou's Adventures in Wonderland - all over the map.

Alilou

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......because of the skewed girls to boys ratio, and a need to compete with it's neighbours.

I don't get this :duh: I would have thought there were more boys than girls (since they're more highly valued than girls) and that males would want to keep the caste system in place, or is it that there are more girls than boys now? I'm both confused and lacking knowledge.

And could you explain more about the need to compete with neighbours (India with it's geographical neighbours?)

Sorry, I'm always arguing about this type of stuff, to a large degree because I stand apart from so much of it :slinkaway

I think you just love to discuss stuff. It's that fine intellectual mind of yours :) (just in case I need to say this - not being sarcastic at all, it shows in your posts/discussions on FSU)
What an interesting read this has been. I'd love to have you all over for a long chat over wine and/or coffee! :summer: :40beers: :coffee:

That would be so fun. You're in China aren't you? I'd love to come to China, it's on our bucket list so we will probably show up there one of these days.

So would I.
I'd love to have a reason/excuse to fly to Vancouver!

So first we have to all meet in Van (I'll be back in May), and then continue our discussion in China :lol: What fun!

So I'm in India - our at-home internet connection has been dead for a day and a half (so I'm in an internet cafe), a woman knocked on our door this morning claiming ownership of the fridge in our apartment and wanting 600 rupees a month for it :eek:, power goes off several times a day for sometimes up to 2 hours, at irregular intervals, I've had mild nausea for a week, yesterday a man in khaki shirt and pants claimed he was security for our building and wanting 50 rupees a month :rolleyes: (which we refused to give him) and so life rolls along :lol:

We're still meditating twice a day and loving it. It helps keep us sane if nothing else :lol:
 

Japanfan

Well-Known Member
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25,532
I don't get this :duh: I would have thought there were more boys than girls (since they're more highly valued than girls) and that males would want to keep the caste system in place, or is it that there are more girls than boys now? I'm both confused and lacking knowledge.

Yes, the problem is too many boys and too few girls, in both India and China, because of boy's value to society. Girls are intentionally aborted in both countries and the abandonment of baby girls has been a tragedy in China in years past.

But this is inadvertently improving girls' value and status, as they really get to pick and choose which man to marry.

I think you just love to discuss stuff. It's that fine intellectual mind of yours :) (just in case I need to say this - not being sarcastic at all, it shows in your posts/discussions on FSU)

Thanks!!

a woman knocked on our door this morning claiming ownership of the fridge in our apartment and wanting 600 rupees a month for it :eek:, power goes off several times a day for sometimes up to 2 hours, at irregular intervals, I've had mild nausea for a week, yesterday a man in khaki shirt and pants claimed he was security for our building and wanting 50 rupees a month :rolleyes: (which we refused to give him) and so life rolls along :lol:

We're still meditating twice a day and loving it. It helps keep us sane if nothing else :lol:

What an interesting contradiction of experiences.
 

Japanfan

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25,532
So first we have to all meet in Van (I'll be back in May), and then continue our discussion in China :lol: What fun!

When are you here in May?

I hope I don't miss you, we're on holidays the first two weeks of the month.
 

skatesindreams

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30,696
We're still meditating twice a day and loving it. It helps keep us sane if nothing else

After reading that post, I can see why meditation might be needed!
How does a "visitor" to the community differentiate between a legitimate expense and being "taken advantage of"?
 

Angelskates

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13,345
That would be so fun. You're in China aren't you? I'd love to come to China, it's on our bucket list so we will probably show up there one of these days.

Yep. I'm following your blogspot, so you should be able to see mine. :)
 

Buzz

Socialist Canada
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37,309
I meant that abortions have lead to more boys than girls and China has a better education system as well as a more educated population. Then thre are other established Asian economies like Souh Korea etc. If India wants to keep up it will have to educate it's population better. Also I read an trice that said some men who are depere to get married are marring women of very different backgrounds. Something that would have been unthinkable before.
 

Alilou

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Thanks Buzz and Japanfan for your explanations re the imbalance between boys and girls. I did know about the abortions/abandonments of girl babies in both India and China, but I hadn't followed through to the conclusion, so though the practice appalls me I can't be entirely upset about a situation that gives the young women in both countries a little bit more power, if only to try to choose a kind husband.

To answer your question skatesindreams - we mostly differentiate by initially refusing to pay, then checking with our friends who've lived here for many years and know the difference between prices for Indians and prices for foreigners. Also sometimes we feel we're being taken advantage of, but just let it happen anyway because it really is such a small amount of money for us. We buy a bag of groceries here for about $15 that would probably cost $40 in Vancouver. We ride home in an auto rickshaw for a dollar. We buy a bag full of vegetables for 80 cents. The fridge was a different matter though. Our friends told us when they rented the apartment for us that the landlord said the fridge was included so we just handed it all over to him. So far so good, and fingers crossed, we still have a fridge.

Angelskates I'd love to see your blog, if it's open to the general public :)

We're back in Vancouver May 25th and probably staying through the end of June and maybe longer. Might go to Montreal and/or Okanagan for part of the summer. After that who knows. It's all very loosey-goosey at the moment.
 
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Buzz

Socialist Canada
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37,309
Sorry about my atrocious typing and spelling peps. Apparently I still have not gotten a good enough grip on my iPad typing skills. :slinkaway
 

overedge

Mayor of Carrot City
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35,799
a woman knocked on our door this morning claiming ownership of the fridge in our apartment and wanting 600 rupees a month for it :eek:, power goes off several times a day for sometimes up to 2 hours, at irregular intervals, I've had mild nausea for a week, yesterday a man in khaki shirt and pants claimed he was security for our building and wanting 50 rupees a month :rolleyes: (which we refused to give him) and so life rolls along :lol:

I'm surprised you didn't tell the "security" guy that the fridge is apparently worth way more per month than he is :)
 

Alilou

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Sorry about my atrocious typing and spelling peps. Apparently I still have not gotten a good enough grip on my iPad typing skills. :slinkaway
Well I can always figure out what you mean :lol:

I'm surprised you didn't tell the "security" guy that the fridge is apparently worth way more per month than he is :)
Maybe I would have but the security guy came before the fridge lady. All just too funny.

What's not so funny is I have mild jaundice from taking artemisia (a herbal anti-malarial) that my liver apparently didn't like very much. It hasn't affected Mr alilou as he wasn't taking as much as me. Our friends here know a British doctor who's always here for several months at this time of year. He sussed immediately I could have liver problems and sent me to get a complete blood count and liver function test. All is normal except for the jaundice which means obviously no more artemisia ever, and no fatty or oily food for a while. I'm sure I'll be fine within about a week, but it's been 10 days of increasing nausea and headaches, and all kinds of aches and pains and low energy. And this is mild jaundice. I have a whole new sympathy for people with hepatitis. It must be hell. Anyway I'm on the mend now and looking forward to getting back to my normal energy levels pretty soon. With all the illnesses you can get in India I get an illness from something that's supposed to prevent one :duh:
 

Buzz

Socialist Canada
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Get better soon Alilou and that was scary about the people who showed up looking for money. India suddenly ounds a bit more scary now.
 

Alilou

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Thanks for all your get well wishes. I feel like I'm on the mend now.

Buzz the people who showed up demanding money weren't remotely scary. The lady who wanted money for "her" fridge was a bit abrasive but we managed to calm her down and send her way and haven't seen her since. The "security" guy was barely 3 inches taller than me and twice as skinny. I could have knocked him over with a feather. Haven't seen him since either. They just try it on and when it's clear that you really do mean no that's the end of it.

Since I'm starting to feel better i'll probably do a new blog in the next few days.

I wouldn't wish jaundice on anyone :scream: :scream:
 

Alilou

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There's a new blog post about life here in Tiruvannamalai - mongoose! :swoon: swami! :saint: jaundice! :scream: rickshaw ride in a blackout! :yikes: and more! :)

Hope you enjoy.

I think everyone can open this link now. If you can't open it please let me know.

http://alisonarmstrong.blogspot.com/view/sidebar

I could only follow 4CC on FSU - no live stream for me :( but fabulous to read all the PBP and comments and snarking. And kwanfan1818 is recording whatever was shown on Cdn TV for me so I'll get to see some of it eventually :cheer:
 

Alilou

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The above link does not work for me but the one below does. And OYYY @ that alien photograph! :wideeyes: Thanks once again for sharing you are one lucky and brave chick! :respec:

http://alisonarmstrong.blogspot.com/
OK, so I still need to sort out stuff with blogger re the new format. Apparently the /view/sidebar link still doesn't always work for IE. Thanks for letting me know.

Re the alien photograph :lol: at first I wondered which one you meant, but then I had another look at the pic of me and mr alilou with our buzz cuts :rofl: aliens! I'd never seen it that way before. Perhaps next blog I should put in the pic where we don't have our sunglasses on. We look a bit more like normal people in that one, only with very very short hair ;)

It's so hot here, and dusty, it was so freeing to have it all cut off.

People say I look like Sinead O'Connor :D
 

Alilou

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Thanks for the link Buzz - very interesting article. I also read one of the related articles about the history, and the family that owns the temple. It will be interesting to see how the wealth is distributed in the end.
 

Alilou

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I've added a new blog post - walking around the mountain, Pondicherry, what we eat, garbage, and beggars :)

Life here in Tiruvannamalai rolls slowly along. Our days have become very slow and peaceful.

http://alisonarmstrong.blogspot.com or the link in my sig line.

(I can't wait for worlds! I will be in Bali by then and I'm thinking of getting a subscription to the ISU stream even if it is choppy - I'm experiencing FS withdrawal :) )
 

skatesindreams

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Thanks, as always for sharing.
I hope that you feel completely well, soon!

I also hope that you can get the ISU feed for Worlds.
Perhaps, I can help with links, also.
 

victoriajh

trying to ignore rod and find the eurosport feed
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Love the update aliou!!! You shaved your head I see , which impresses me to no end :) love the pictures and wnt to hear more about the inner peacce you are finding -
Wishing you rickshaws with headlights and. A good Internet feed fore worlds ;)
 

pingu

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I love that hanging wooden chair. You should bring its picture to IKEA so that they can produce it, then I'll buy it and spend the rest of my life lying on it. Thanks :)
 

Alilou

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Thanks, as always for sharing.
I hope that you feel completely well, soon!

I also hope that you can get the ISU feed for Worlds.
Perhaps, I can help with links, also.

I think I'm on the mend, but not 100% yet. We're off to the hospital again tomorrow for more tests. It seems more likely now that I caught some kind of virus.

I'd really appreciate any help I can get with links for worlds. I really am thinking of staying up to watch it live whatever the time is in Bali, so thanks for your offer. I'll be watching the threads but if anyone knows of any free live streaming at the beginning of each segment of the competition please please pm me :)

Love the update aliou!!! You shaved your head I see , which impresses me to no end :) love the pictures and wnt to hear more about the inner peacce you are finding -
Wishing you rickshaws with headlights and. A good Internet feed fore worlds ;)

Glad you're enjoying the blog. Shaving my head - one of the best ideas I've had for a while :cheer: It's so freeing.

The inner peace thing has truly been a lifelong quest, with some success I might say, but I sure still can get triggered if someone rubs me the wrong way. It feels like a deepening of it here, and in some ways getting mildly sick has been a kind of blessing as it forced me to just stop. I spend a lot of time sitting on the balcony looking at Mt Arunachala which is said to be so powerful. And in spite of the mess and mayhem if India, and inspite of not feeling well physically, I do feel very peaceful.

I love that hanging wooden chair. You should bring its picture to IKEA so that they can produce it, then I'll buy it and spend the rest of my life lying on it. Thanks :)

I love that swing chair :swoon: I spend a lot of time in it :D
 

Buzz

Socialist Canada
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37,309
Thanks again for sharing your journey with us and how did the hospital visit go?
 

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