Choices.

Which are the places wherein strangers assume you are local?

Hear me out: it is an international sport—of its own league—to simply rant about influencers in today’s human(e) condition. I think it’s fascinating that they are a category of their own—a lot like TV show or movie celebrities, wielding their influence and clout, whether that is Instagram or YouTube or whatever—all because they choose to lead their lives in the public eye.

The canopies here are gorgeous, but only in a month like January is it pleasant to do romanticising and staring of the same; the rest of the months, the heat overpowers.

I am not even going to mention the person I have in mind this morning, but let us just say I have come to see these folks as background chatter, although Ma and Yashas spent nearly an hour ranting disappointedly very much about this person the other day over a phone call since I am some 1,200+ kms away and can’t do this in person. Yes, I am still travelling, in the same bioregion where I used to live two years ago.

It has been a whole other kind of living and/or (re)visiting. For company, I had A Planet for Rent by Yoss written by José Miguel Sánchez and translated by David Frye. Merely experiencing this as a reader has been almost hallucinatory, especially in the vivid imagery and the inner worlds of the characters that are crafted in such breathtaking and dreadful beauty.

To pay my respects to a place that really nourished my soul while here, I made it a point to visit the very-secluded-and-absolutely-brilliant library here. And they told me I still had my account active and that I could issue three books as always, and so I did! (Completely sidetracking the mental post-it note that I had brought so many books from Bombay, both via Kindle and physical paperbacks). I know fellow readers want to give me a hug for the fellowship in insatiable yearning for more words and voices in our lives and the rest merely want to say “Um, so many books while on holiday? Ugh, what a strange life/person this is!” It may be super pretentious, but I guess I can live with that.

This library has a glorious collection!

I ran into some kind and interesting folks who are alums from one of my colleges, and I found one of them reading this book based on this very bioregion where I am located, and here it is. Drumroll please!

Seeing what strangers and future friends read can be a real fun activity.

I am yet to read this, and I am excited to! And yes, I am in Auroville—a part of Tamil Nadu which is a true enclave that is as controversial with its cult-reputations and other associations as it is a globally renowned social experiment that is one-of-its-kind But it certainly does allow me to cycle and lets me converse in Tamizh and hear other people mock my version of Tamil now and then; it humbles me since I never grew up in this state really.

The one thing that always stands out in my time spent here is coming across the most vibrant set of characters, personas, and places (to be); and I suppose that is something that makes me glad I decided to embark on this trip after all.

Yesterday morning, I attended this self-defence workshop, which was absolutely fabulous! It was hosted by this instructor/coach whose academy a good friend (who lives here) trains at. It was obviously a very interactive session to learn the first stroke of M of martial arts and integrated wellness (including MMA + Jiu jitsu) including exact techniques to defend yourself if it comes to that. It was so interesting because the first 30 minutes were essentially about haptics, kinesics, and basically body language and how and why a perpetrator in a certain context picks their victims and what actually gives the impression that one is “worth” exploiting in whatever way—material, physical, sexual, etc. I really enjoyed the session and I had some excellent fellow workshop attendees who were total sports and real fun to practice with. I might go for their complimentary MMA class soon, so that is another thing to look forward to.

Amidst all the catching up with friends, wrapping up some work in between, witnessing Wifi meltdowns at different points, cycling as meditation, experiencing the wearing and shutting down of an e-cycle’s battery, and being pissed at the world when your cycle chain comes off or your pedal flies away (all of these things happened)—I have been meditating over the concept and everyday consequences of the term amor mundi (love of the world). I think I was introduced to this along the sadaks (streets) of the internet while acquainting myself deeper with Hannah Arendt. But it was only in 2023 when I issued The Human Condition from the aforementioned grand Auroville Library and totally devoured it. I suppose it will be the work of my lifetime to set sail on a voyage like that, and I am merely just warming up at the moment.

I suppose knowing so many insiders and having been one a few years back makes me someone whom people stop to ask directions from and recommendations as well. I am flattered to say the least, and I wonder if there is really a part of me that wishes to live here at some point. I bet many city kids like me would relate to this sentiment.

And now I need to tend to my hunger pangs, having exceeded my usual caffeine limit. Plus, as always, I have been stealing newspapers from the cafés here in a clandestine way and I think I am curious to read how the Features team makes editorial and pictorial decisions and what gets coverage. With that thought, I’ll leave you to what is left of your Sunday and hope you have a most fabulous week ahead!