bollywood and orange shirts

Yesterday I saw a Bollywood movie. It was pretty good for a love story. At one point I was able to figure out that the leading man was trying to get a job from the father of the leading lady, but the older gentleman thought the young man was applying to marry his daughter! Very funny. However, if I saw the leading man on Sudder street, dressed as he was throughout the movie, I would probably try talking to him in Spanish.

Here there is "skin whitening cream" for sale at beauty shops. Just goes to show that the societal standards of beauty are dictated by what is harder (and therefore more expensive and profitable for cosmetics companies) to achieve. In the pale west, everyone wants to be "tan", and in variously brown-hued India, everyone wants to be "fair". Just like their movie stars.

I acquired an orange T shirt with some Hindu symbols on it (the only one I recognize is a big "OM" in the middle). While wearing today to and from Prem Dam, I noticed people were giving me exceptional leeway on the streets. I then remembered that I have seen groups of young men swaggering around Kolkata in similar orange attire. I believe it may be some sort of local religious/political symbol. If anyone knows something about this, please let me know.

Independence Day is coming up on the 15th, I am going to practice Janna Ganna Mana on my clarinet so I can play it for the celebrating masses.

I've been paying 5 rupees for smallish packages of peanuts (or as they are known here, ground nuts). Two days ago I found a place run by a middle aged man that sold similar packages for 3 rupees. I went back to this stall yesterday (a younger guy was working), and asked how much they were, and was told 15 rupees. I said na, na, tin and gave a ten rupee note. He then gave me three packages of peanuts. I asked him for my change, expecting one rupee, and instead I got four! So they cost 2 rupees all along! But today when I gave a two rupee coin for a package, the original man said that they would cost 3. I found another shop up the street that sells 2 packages for 5. Very confusing, but just goes to show that it pays to shop around, even for peanuts.

Two different restaurants have raised their prices slightly since I arrived. Inflation is a serious problem right now in India. Maybe I'll be paying 5 rupees for my peanuts after all. However, a record harvest is expected in the fall (for cereals, not peanuts) so price pressures on industrious Indians and tightwad tourists may be slightly alleviated in a few months.

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