dagmaraka wrote:
Our world famous training team. My husband to be is to my right. the B29 person. Good times.
Ready For The Good Times
I don't wanna clear the cobwebs from my head
Time will bring them back I bet
So if you hear me say that I believe in love
Don't make me feel ashamed
I used to sing the saddest songs
And while in the meantime roaches used to climb my door
Falling back down to the floor
I used to read survival guides
When my world was full of seven legged cats
But here iam with eight more lives
I'm ready for the good times
I'm ready for the good tims
Now that I'm not olone
Oh oh oh oh (3x)
You know it
Oh oh oh (2x)
You better now ignore it.
I don't want to look at fashion magazines
While someone is doing my naiels
Sitting here watching other people live
Frozen by the fear to fail
Cause everyday theres a war to fight
And if I win or lose never mind
As long as you're my shelter every night
I used to cry against a wall
But now I've got a shoulder that I can lean on
Swear to me you wont be gone
I'm ready for the good times
I'm ready for the good times
Ready to get it on
I'm ready for the good times
I'm ready for the good times
Now that I'm not alone
Goa was Portuguese so it is likely Goanese have Portuguese blood.
If that singing was live then the singer has a wonderful voice sounds almost like Mohammed Rafi who died in the 80's. He sang most of the songs for male stars in the 50's, 60's and maybe 70's. Till he died I never realized how wonderful a voice he had. Because we heard him everywhere, so pervasive and ubiquitous that I took him for granted.
could have been him. after all, he was famous for singing ghazels, wasn't he? the sound and light show is narrated by my favorite, amitabh bachchan, and was recorded long time ago... i was looking online for info on music in the golconda sound and light show, but didn't find any concrete info. I'll ask B29, he will know, for it's his most favorite song in the world.
He sang everything from comedic pieces to religious stuff. He was the best when he sang those romantic songs as well as the sad ones. He and Lata Mangeshkar somehow appeared into Indian Cinema and gave us such wonderful memorable duets. Lataji is still alive but her voice is not as tinkling as in her youth. She was an aspiring actress who could sing. She was attractive but rather dark. Only fair-skinned actresses have a chance to be movie stars. Indians are Aryans originally from the north. I guess over thousands of years in the hot Indian climate gave them a permanent tan. Anyway I digress.
All the other male Indian singers sound nasal maybe because they have prominent noses which does affect the sound emitted. However, Rafi also had a rather pronounced snout. I think one has to sing from the throat rather than the nose. I am not a singer so I wouldn't know all that stuff.
OK. So you want details? Might as well write it out, since it's clear as a day that my journal has failed utterly this time. No time for it.
So. As soon as we arrived from the airport into Hyderabad to our partner institute, we were dragged right into work. Driven to their community development projects in Hindu-Muslim neighborhoods, where we had to watch cultural programs and raise flags since it was the Independence Day. That evening we were ushered into a meeting with the team of the other institute's trainers. Our team with their team. We had no clue what's in stock for us. I was under the impression we'll have some talks about future cooperation and whatnot...general blahblahblah stuff, agree to draft some proposal, move on... Not so. Turned out that we are to lead training together for 30 participants, arriving next morning for 5 coming days. That is insane. But that's what our two directors agreed on, so that's what it will be. We eyed their team (B29 among them) with just as much suspicion as they eyed our team.
The trainings they do are done in "elicitive participatory method" way. That means we get the contents out of the participants, asking for their expectations, needs... Which also means we plan every evening for the next day - so working from 8am till midnight or so.
B29 was among the lead trainers, as well as I soon became. He's a wonderful trainer and so much fun to work and plan with. Soon I began to keep an eye out for him. He had the biggest, brightest eyes and laugh so soothing and contageous...
After the first week was up, our team was off to Kerala to do another training. I was to come back to do another 2 weeks long training with them afterwards. My flight back home was originally scheduled for Sept. 14. Before we went down to Kerala, their coordinator asked me why don't I stay a few days longer so that I can see the workshop through to the end, wrap up and all. Yeah, why don't I stay longer... I postponed my flight by 5 days pronto.
Little did I know that B29 has postponed his surgery (tonsils out) because of me as well. He was constantly sick for a few months and was supposed to have the procedure done in early Septetmber...but he didn't.
Last evening before Kerala, we had a dinner for all the trainers. A van came to pick us up, but it was tight, as there was about 10 of us total, with the directors. So I volunteered to ride on a bike (motorcycle) with B29. Off we went ahead, to meet the rest of the crowd at the restaurant. We get there, wait... nothing. 10 minutes, 20 minutes... We decide to take a table for everybody - 2 of us at a table for ten. For about an hour and a half. Having a great time. Talking for the first time at length about random stuff. I remembered all the things I learned from my mother the marriage counselor and from Cosmo about how to see if anyone's interested: is he keeping his hands on the table close to me? Check. Is he touching his hair/face often? Check. Eye contact? Check check check. Turns out that B29 has forgotten his cell phone at home. The rest of the crowd called the restaurant as soon as we left and was told there won't be space for 10 people anytime soon. So they opted for another restaurant. Finally they reached us through the restaurant phone and we joined them, hungry but giddy, 2 hours later.
When I was in Kerala, I was wondering whether he'll ask me out or anything when I get back... I thought he liked me, but it was hard to tell. He was so easy going with everybody, maybe I was just imagining things.
When I came back, I tried to be as cool as can be. Apparently, so was B29... We casually said 'hi' over dinner, chatted about the training... talked about movies. Do I like Monty Pythons? Yes I do. Should we watch some? Yeah. So I went to B29's home, we had some beer (actually only me, cause the poor thing was on antibiotics for his tonsilitis), it was nice... I was still wondering (I don't accept things easily and am skeptical in nature, you see)... this time I was also wondering what's he like... I mean, it's an interfaith institute, he's probably religious, and I am sooo not... would he even consider someone like me? ....and if so, would he sleep with me?... not that it's important, but it sure would be nice...ahem
Anyhow, since then things started to move faster. B29 (why do all men in my life end up with really weird nicknames?) maintained I need to see a real Bollywood movie. So the next day we went to a big movie theatre. On his bike again.
The bike drives were special. First little thing he did was that he fixed the rear view mirror so that he can see me. "To see if you didn't fly off" he said. It was very sweet and well, flattering of course, how he kept glancing back every now and then. Most of our important conversations happened on that bike. That night he asked me how old I was. That is important in India in relationships. He also explained that it's an absolute no-no to ask Indian woman how old she is, even though there are other ways to find out (you'd ask how old her mother is for example...). But he asked me straight up, because he thinks I'd have no problem with that. Anyway, I knew we're getting somewhere at that point.
In the mall where the movie theatre was, we killed time before the movie by racing formulas. On a playstation or whatever it's called. I beat him once, though he probably let me win. The movie began....in Hindi. No subtitles, nobody told me that. B29 translated word for word for me, for the full 3 hours. Our heads were touching and that was just enough.
The rides on the bike were so liberating. There's just something about it that's so free and energizing. Often we'd take off after a long day of training for a 1/2 hour ride, just to get a breath of air.
He also told me he loves me on that bike, few days later. Somehow we started spending all the time together, including the nights. My worries that he might be too religious for that, were apparently unfounded, ha. In any case I did not feel like my world was turned on its head, nor did I feel so sweapt off my feet that I couldn't do my work or eat or do anything else, it was just...so natural. Normal. So when he asked me to marry him (Sept. 9, just to show that I remember the date), it was no surprise at all. Yes of course, what else would I do...
So we spent the days in the training, then planning, trying to keep it under the lid from everybody else. After all, we were the two lead trainers... Nott that we weren't obvious to those who cared to notice...but oh well.
My boss teases me that I am a workoholic. He left me in Hyderabad to strengthen relations between our and theirs institute and look at me. I took it to the extreme again... Such is life. Musn't grumble, ay?
Wow, Dag! Great story and super congrats to you both!!!!
thankee.
it's weird to be happy on one hand and sick and sad (he's in bangalore, won't see him till december at least) on the other. but hey, it works somehow.
Blimey girl!!
You should have warned me I'd need a handkerchief!
Brilliant! Congrats to both of you.
Dag, thank you for sharing your lovely story. I'm so happy for you!
aww, thanks. happier again. thankgod for messengers and webcams. it's a weird world these days, internet shrinks it to manageable size for people like I.
That is a lovely story indeed. I wish you all the happiness in the world,
dag. It seems you're meant for each other, and I am sure you'll manage
your life together just fine.
I'm sure you have skype, that helps with the phone bills....
Yes, we're hooked on a messenger.... his mother was informed that he won't marry anyone else today... he survived. that's a good sign. his father's next.
if i go to india for a few months this dec. or january, it may happen shortly afterwards... they don't believe in waiting over there and i don't give a toss.
i started reading the bible - he's laughing at me. i am terrified of his father, he'll have me lead a prayer or whatnot, and i don't know the first thting.... but this bible is driving me bonkers! it's so derrogatory to entire races and genders of people! grrrrrrr. this won't be easy...
Ah, finally, details! And lovely details they are. Thanks!
Wow.
Motorcycles sure can be potent.
What an adventure you're in the middle of! Congrats on all of it.
And here I am with an impotent handcar.
Ah, well. It's a good bridge partner.
"impotent handcar..." now i'll be thinking about what the heck that is all night long...
snausages.
you're not giving up chainsaws, are you?
ahaaa. nope, very fond of chainsaws. forever, amen.
What? I won't get to wear a sari? Married this winter?
