Thursday 5th December
Today was quieter for most of us. Abhi and Ajay travelled back into Kochi to get Abhi's eyesight tested. They wanted to know if he'd be eligible for a surgical procedure that was similar to LASIK, but much quicker and with a faster expected recovery. It would be cheaper if he could get the procedure done in Kochi, due to the currency conversion rate being so favourable, and the quality of healthcare would still be high.
Before they left I joined Bindu in making dosha for breakfast. Copying her, I took a scoop of the fermented rice and lentil batter and spread it thinly on the pan in a circular motion, frying until it became crispy. Then we added a few drops of ghee, folded it in half, and moved it onto the plate. The doshas, broken into pieces and used to scoop up the curry, would become both the base ingredient and the eating implement, all rolled into one.
While we cooked, Bindu told me about the generational changes happening in the area. With more young people moving to big cities and overseas, many of the rice paddy fields were no longer being cultivated. This allowed the forest to encroach, bringing wild animals such as elephants, pigs and cheetahs along with it, within kilometers of The Retreat. Wild animals are a real problem in Kerala, with elephant attacks accounting for around 30 deaths annually in recent years.
A few more things we got up to:
I got my first mosquito bite, on my elbow. At home I wouldn't care about a little mosquito bite, but here in Kerala I care very much about the risk of malaria. I made a mental note to be more careful about applying the spray.
Appacha had been putting together a platform for the nativity scene made of a dried tree root and some red fabric for the base. A stray cat took a liking to the fabric, not bothered in the least when we crowded around to look.
I hung a Christmas star from the rooftop terrace, placed carefully around a hanging lightbulb while Viv acted as supervisor and photographer.
We played a game of Rummikub, which Appacha and Ammachi play at home regularly. Appacha is competitive, and didn't want to stop playing until he won the round, but then I took the victory at the end. :)
In the afternoon we went for a walk around the local streets. A couple of locals stopped their vehicles to enquire about us. I don't recognise you, are you visiting? What family are you from? Are these your children? Where are you going? Bindu answered their questions and translated the exchange for us afterwards. It gave me a glimpse into this critical method of information exchange in India.
As we walked, I was surprised to see how large and ornate many of the houses were, oddly juxtaposed with the narrow, uneven street and overgrown shrubbery. Second or third stories were common, along with covered rooftop terraces. We passed groves of rubber trees, identifiable by the plastic rings left on their trunks from tapping. I was amazed at Ammachi's ability to identify the many flowers and fruit trees as we passed. Unfortunately, litter lined both sides of the street, sparse but always visible nearby. There was no footpath, so we travelled along the road, frequently moving to the side when a scooter or auto rickshaw approached.
We reached what used to be a rice paddy field, now used for cattle to roam. Bindu explained that the field would have been irrigated by pipes leading from a small stream beside it, and these same pipes would continue to nourish the land for the cows. Bindu and Ammachi chatted with two women who had recently been bathing in the water.
We then made our way to see friends of Appacha and Ammachi, to collect some eggs from them. Again we were welcomed into the living room and served cake. Despite not understanding the conversation, I was growing to appreciate the casual - yet very intentional - connections and warm hospitality of Indian culture.
Back at The Retreat, Appacha and Ammachi allowed us to sit in their bedroom under the cool breeze of the air conditioner. The air was thick with moisture, even in the evening. When Ammachi saw how much we enjoyed the air conditioning, she generously offered for us to take their room, but we insisted against it.
Finally Abhi and Ajay returned from Kochi. Between the travel, eye examinations and waiting around, their trip had taken all day. In the end Abhi decided against getting his eyesight corrected in India. He and Viv set up cushions to protect the tv cabinet, and played mini cricket in the living room until it was time for dinner.
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