Thrown in socializing
I noticed a theme that cuts across many of my writings be them diary entries I used to make at the age of 12 and the posts I am uploading here. The theme can be titled “Dilemma of private and social”. Wherever I stay I live with a mixed notion of transition and permanence that makes me balance between having a full-fledged life so to say at spot, staying in touch with the previous lives and yet taking small steps to ensure next life is an option too. Social-wise, it means I have to ration myself between people present at various locations including the current one. Moreover, it happens so that in addition to my core activities (studies or job) I tend to pursue many other aspirations that assume solo performance. I write, I make photography sallies, I read on various issues of interest. Therefore, I face the moments of self-isolation when I feel I have got so much to think and write about and then moments when socializing gets so intense that I hardly have any time for myself. These two spells come in turns, else they would hardly manage to co-exist peacefully in my life.
The recent social burst was very much anticipated. The other day I finished a major piece of writing for the project at CSR and therefore vacated my mind from the troubling thoughts on the impact that globalization of international trade had on women (trust me, if you soak in the topic… I mean properly soak… for half a month you’ll have very little mental space for anything else). Anyway with the unburdened mind I headed to Dharamsala that appeared to be an amazingly social traveling experience. Once back to Delhi, it was turn of some more social events to occur.
One good thing has recently happened to our flat: it got densely populated. And as often happens with places of this kind you get to socialize with people whether you want or not. On a regular basis. So, I am getting very fond of small talks on big issues with my Romanian roommate Ioana whose background from social anthropology ensures the flow of puzzling questions and interesting comments.
The social weekend started on Friday with a party at Kalkaji trainee-house. Hugging Kate after four long days of no-see was very much needed. A portion of tender hugs and kisses from Juan-Mi filled in started-bothering-me gap of physical intimacy with men, yet made me a little bit more hated be Helena (sorry, I did not mean to). Also, I meet Piush who looked great, but not particularly recognizable with his bristle. Along with the mutual interest that makes you go high because of the very fact of talking to each other we expressed mutual regret about losing the contact of each other after the great salsa improvisation at Tapas and the amazing jam session with Carol and Kanak on our roof. This time Piush was all excited about his soon departure to Paris where he would be studying music. Austrian Stephanie and him had a little conversation in French and Piush became the first Indian speaking French I got to hear.
On Saturday there was a major outing to Calypso with a bunch of excited trainees. The clubbing was not bad, but the true landmark of the night was the desert session at 5* Grand Hotel at 3 o’clock in the morning that for me looked like a frisky alternative to the traditional for such cases paranthas at some roadside dhaba. Ladies attended: Danny, Karo and me. Gents attended: Karan, one of those who make me admire Indian men as such, his friend and Amit, who updates us on the recent and upcoming parties in Indian fashion community (looking at his height and appearance one easily makes out why – he is a model). The guys again made me adore the concept of Indian masculinity. I realized, in fact, that it has been a while without outings with Indian guys and I’ve been missing all those really small yet very powerful details. For instance, quite many of them sound way more masculine when they switch to Hindi …. and oh my God, let me just listen to those and gradually melt – not much more I need. After a night ride through the desert Delhi, we got off the car and filled in the quiet all-marble and spacious lobby of the hotel with the sounds of our heals. At the restaurant we picked up gorgeous deserts (for 100 Rs. each only) that we all shared. I opted for a cup of cappuccino: 90 Rs (against 35-40 bucks at a very good coffee-shop in Delhi) is not a high price for such an ambience. We all seemed at ease with the place. Amit asked for water for all, but not too cold with the intonations appropriate when you order a main course from the 5* menu. Karan did not hesitate to request more of the particular cake available at the midnight buffet. We all did not think twice before using all the cutlery available on the table and wiping our all—in-chocolate-fingers with snow-white napkins. Were leaving the place with a terrific sense of fulfillment. Got to bed at about 5 am to wake up in some hours.
On Sunday morning Ioana and me visited Lajpat Nagar to perform there a long neglected yet before traditional breakfast ritual. Well-planned shopping trip – eggs, butter, bread, yogurt, milk, tea bags, fruits. Team-work at the kitchen, nice few hours in the company of Roel and 10 beautiful ladies were as rewarding as they used to be. For the rest of Sunday I had much of unspent shopping aspirations. So, after might-have-been shopping at CP, depressing visit to the deserted on Sundays Khan market Ioana and me voted for vibrant Sarojini – and the choice proved right, as usual. First, I got two pairs of shoes – incredibly comfy walking sandals that took about an hour to select and fairytale high-heal sandals with pale golden small straps that I fell for from the first sight. Second, the tour continued in the pursuit of funky skirts and two gorgeous samples were obtained – one in white with hand made embroidery in Ukrainian style and one in a marsh-colored velvet. Third, very-much-dreamt-about-since-Dharamsala metal earrings with Tibetan motives were found– one pair shaped like prayer wheels in Tibetan temples and the other one being tiny version of prayer wheel shaped as a stick. On the top Ioana got attracted by the plants sold at the market and that is how Malvia Nagar got enriched by a palm tree and some other plant that are now waiting its turn to be planted in huge pot and get dusty on the balcony as all the decent pot-plants in India do.
After all this it hardly felt like going anywhere but home, yet Roel had initiated a dinner at the yummy Chinese place in Defense colony and to miss that would equal to pass for not only unsocial, but also indifferent. Iona said, “Let’s go” and we did. And did not regret after. Sometime you just have to let people bring you to places and make you socialize if you are blind enough not to see the need yourself. After all, how much of you life can be devoted to the thoughts on the fates of women affected by globalization?!
The recent social burst was very much anticipated. The other day I finished a major piece of writing for the project at CSR and therefore vacated my mind from the troubling thoughts on the impact that globalization of international trade had on women (trust me, if you soak in the topic… I mean properly soak… for half a month you’ll have very little mental space for anything else). Anyway with the unburdened mind I headed to Dharamsala that appeared to be an amazingly social traveling experience. Once back to Delhi, it was turn of some more social events to occur.
One good thing has recently happened to our flat: it got densely populated. And as often happens with places of this kind you get to socialize with people whether you want or not. On a regular basis. So, I am getting very fond of small talks on big issues with my Romanian roommate Ioana whose background from social anthropology ensures the flow of puzzling questions and interesting comments.
The social weekend started on Friday with a party at Kalkaji trainee-house. Hugging Kate after four long days of no-see was very much needed. A portion of tender hugs and kisses from Juan-Mi filled in started-bothering-me gap of physical intimacy with men, yet made me a little bit more hated be Helena (sorry, I did not mean to). Also, I meet Piush who looked great, but not particularly recognizable with his bristle. Along with the mutual interest that makes you go high because of the very fact of talking to each other we expressed mutual regret about losing the contact of each other after the great salsa improvisation at Tapas and the amazing jam session with Carol and Kanak on our roof. This time Piush was all excited about his soon departure to Paris where he would be studying music. Austrian Stephanie and him had a little conversation in French and Piush became the first Indian speaking French I got to hear.
On Saturday there was a major outing to Calypso with a bunch of excited trainees. The clubbing was not bad, but the true landmark of the night was the desert session at 5* Grand Hotel at 3 o’clock in the morning that for me looked like a frisky alternative to the traditional for such cases paranthas at some roadside dhaba. Ladies attended: Danny, Karo and me. Gents attended: Karan, one of those who make me admire Indian men as such, his friend and Amit, who updates us on the recent and upcoming parties in Indian fashion community (looking at his height and appearance one easily makes out why – he is a model). The guys again made me adore the concept of Indian masculinity. I realized, in fact, that it has been a while without outings with Indian guys and I’ve been missing all those really small yet very powerful details. For instance, quite many of them sound way more masculine when they switch to Hindi …. and oh my God, let me just listen to those and gradually melt – not much more I need. After a night ride through the desert Delhi, we got off the car and filled in the quiet all-marble and spacious lobby of the hotel with the sounds of our heals. At the restaurant we picked up gorgeous deserts (for 100 Rs. each only) that we all shared. I opted for a cup of cappuccino: 90 Rs (against 35-40 bucks at a very good coffee-shop in Delhi) is not a high price for such an ambience. We all seemed at ease with the place. Amit asked for water for all, but not too cold with the intonations appropriate when you order a main course from the 5* menu. Karan did not hesitate to request more of the particular cake available at the midnight buffet. We all did not think twice before using all the cutlery available on the table and wiping our all—in-chocolate-fingers with snow-white napkins. Were leaving the place with a terrific sense of fulfillment. Got to bed at about 5 am to wake up in some hours.
On Sunday morning Ioana and me visited Lajpat Nagar to perform there a long neglected yet before traditional breakfast ritual. Well-planned shopping trip – eggs, butter, bread, yogurt, milk, tea bags, fruits. Team-work at the kitchen, nice few hours in the company of Roel and 10 beautiful ladies were as rewarding as they used to be. For the rest of Sunday I had much of unspent shopping aspirations. So, after might-have-been shopping at CP, depressing visit to the deserted on Sundays Khan market Ioana and me voted for vibrant Sarojini – and the choice proved right, as usual. First, I got two pairs of shoes – incredibly comfy walking sandals that took about an hour to select and fairytale high-heal sandals with pale golden small straps that I fell for from the first sight. Second, the tour continued in the pursuit of funky skirts and two gorgeous samples were obtained – one in white with hand made embroidery in Ukrainian style and one in a marsh-colored velvet. Third, very-much-dreamt-about-since-Dharamsala metal earrings with Tibetan motives were found– one pair shaped like prayer wheels in Tibetan temples and the other one being tiny version of prayer wheel shaped as a stick. On the top Ioana got attracted by the plants sold at the market and that is how Malvia Nagar got enriched by a palm tree and some other plant that are now waiting its turn to be planted in huge pot and get dusty on the balcony as all the decent pot-plants in India do.
After all this it hardly felt like going anywhere but home, yet Roel had initiated a dinner at the yummy Chinese place in Defense colony and to miss that would equal to pass for not only unsocial, but also indifferent. Iona said, “Let’s go” and we did. And did not regret after. Sometime you just have to let people bring you to places and make you socialize if you are blind enough not to see the need yourself. After all, how much of you life can be devoted to the thoughts on the fates of women affected by globalization?!
posted by Olga Tikhonova | 3:33 pm
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