Willow and Juanjo's SplashBlot

This morning’s paper said the monsoons are 24 hours away. Apparently the downpour we were caught in yesterday morning signals that the rains are on their way. People tell me that the monsoons are not as severe here in Delhi as in other parts of India, where floods are common. Last fall there were large floods, worse than they’d had for many years. Of course, when I read that the monsoons were 24 hours away I imagined a huge cloud descending on Delhi, bringing with it lakes and oceans of rain. Really it’s more like the rainy season is arriving, but rains are much heavier so they’re called monsoons. Can’t wait to see how tomorrow dawns!

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My first day was a loooooong trip to the Taj Mahal. More than 9 hours spent in the car, to the tune of “honk-honk-honk” the whole way as the bus passed other vehicles on the road. People honk to pass, and it is even painted on the back of trucks–”please use horn”. Other than this, traffic does not follow any immediately obvious rules. And when I say traffic, I don’t mean just motor vehicles like cars, trucks, and motorcycles. There are also three-wheeler rickshaws (seating 3 comfortably, often having as many as 6 or 8 people riding in them at a time), bicycles, mule-drawn carts, camel-drawn carts, and bicycle taxis. Then there are also cows roaming freely in the streets, since they are considered sacred and are allowed to roam free.

Taj Mahal in the Rain

Many people live on the sides of the road, and since we left early we saw people stretched out on cots, fast asleep just a few feet from busy thoroughfares. Then, as we left Delhi and got out into the country, I saw women in brightly-colored saris with loads balanced gracefully on their heads, walking along the road. Many people have to carry water a long way to their homes, especially in more rural areas. I also saw women carrying other loads, including bundles of branches, and large baskets of dried cow patties, I presume to use as fuel for cooking fires.

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Did you notice the 70mm series this summer at the Castro? Lawrence of Arabia, 2001 and Branagh’s Hamlet among others. Save the date(s)!

August Programming at the Castro Theatre

PS. Walking distance to our new place! Probably to yours too!?! Need I say more????? OK, I will try to stay clear of World records such as this one next time.

I hate stereotyping. Really, I do. Even if I know myself to indulge in it way too often.

And, exactly what is one supposed to do, when the stereotype rings so true*? [New York Magazine]

(*) Everything but the expensive jeans and kids bit, that is.