A note before Holi

Hi, everyone. I apologize for the long silence. It’s been a bit of a crazy week.

Still, we all know the perils of neglecting to perform “atithisatkaaram” (hospitality to guests) in Sanskrit literature – curses, spells, wrath, more curses – so I’d rather not risk ignoring my virtual guests for too long. Here’s a quick update.

I’ve taken the past few days off work for medical reasons, and am planning to spend next week in Bangalore with my father. Both of us are hiding from the danger that is Holi in North India. (Wikipedia it!) I can only compare this holiday to Mardi Gras, but it’s far crazier, and in a different sort of way.

Next weekend, Z is visiting from Kabul, and it’s back to work for the week after that. This is to be followed by more travels with Z (to Mumbai? to Dar-es-Salaam??), then a final fortnight with my students in Delhi, and then – unbelievably – home in April.

In a certain sense, looking back on them, these many months in India seem like tossed colors on Holi. But now is not the time for sentimental (albeit colorful) reflections. It's time to prepare for Bangalore.