A new round of obituaries: Olivier
Olivier’s farewell was akin to an Indian wedding: it included all sorts of activities and lasted for a number of days. One night we had a quiet balcony gathering of good old buddies with conversations over beer. Later Lajpat witnessed a loud and massive party with old and new people all getting nicely drunk together. The farewell concluded with a quiet dinner, of a somewhat limited - in terms of the number of invitees - edition nature.
I would say, Olivier just appeared in Lajpat Nagar one day and one day later he disappeared. As gracefully as he usually acts and as light-hearted as he tends to seem. He hardly had less of culture shock and other critical experiences than anyone else here India, but he always made an impression of a person who is in peace with himself and the world around (which happened to be represented by India only those days) and who has an ability to face this life with an outstanding dignity. Well… we all develop our ways to make it through here in India. I think for Olivier it was his amazing sense of humour that he tastefully used without appearing neither arrogant nor superficial in expressing his attitudes. Olivier’s refined and very tactful irony made him a great companion and friend to share time in India. And people loved to share time with him. Yet, he was a lucky one who had a chance to go through the Indian experience with a very dear person – his Jaipur based and later moved to Delhi charming girlfriend and him made up for a very harmonious couple – a one to adore and envy.
……
Some 10 of us were waiting for him outside the gate to say final goodbye before he would get in the taxi to the airport. He walked down the staircase, looked around and said an elegant “hm” that has clearly been his trademark serving as a universal expression of confusion, surprise, disagreement, and thinking. He could not be more him than with this “hm” at that moment and this made all of us burst into laugh despite otherwise rather dramatic settings. After a hugging-kissing session, he got into a yellow-green taxi with a cherry-turban Sikh driver. With a straight back and a marigold garland on his neck Olivier was smiling after tears and waiving to us from the car. He could hardly look more accomplished in India than that.
I would say, Olivier just appeared in Lajpat Nagar one day and one day later he disappeared. As gracefully as he usually acts and as light-hearted as he tends to seem. He hardly had less of culture shock and other critical experiences than anyone else here India, but he always made an impression of a person who is in peace with himself and the world around (which happened to be represented by India only those days) and who has an ability to face this life with an outstanding dignity. Well… we all develop our ways to make it through here in India. I think for Olivier it was his amazing sense of humour that he tastefully used without appearing neither arrogant nor superficial in expressing his attitudes. Olivier’s refined and very tactful irony made him a great companion and friend to share time in India. And people loved to share time with him. Yet, he was a lucky one who had a chance to go through the Indian experience with a very dear person – his Jaipur based and later moved to Delhi charming girlfriend and him made up for a very harmonious couple – a one to adore and envy.
……
Some 10 of us were waiting for him outside the gate to say final goodbye before he would get in the taxi to the airport. He walked down the staircase, looked around and said an elegant “hm” that has clearly been his trademark serving as a universal expression of confusion, surprise, disagreement, and thinking. He could not be more him than with this “hm” at that moment and this made all of us burst into laugh despite otherwise rather dramatic settings. After a hugging-kissing session, he got into a yellow-green taxi with a cherry-turban Sikh driver. With a straight back and a marigold garland on his neck Olivier was smiling after tears and waiving to us from the car. He could hardly look more accomplished in India than that.
posted by Olga Tikhonova | 10:51 am
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