Today was Dashain (though I am not at all sure it is just the one day, like Christmas – maybe it extends over a period of time.) It celebrates the victory of Durga, a rather fearsome looking goddess with lots and lots of arms, over the demon Mahishasurga. More pertinently, it is the major Hindu festival in Nepal (and a few other places), and marks the beginning of a long period of feast days, also occasioning a fifteen day official holiday, and an even longer period observed by schools, colleges, etc – the equivalent of our summer holiday, I suppose. It is especially a time of homecoming, when Hindus are supposed to do their very best to return to their homes. Ancestral homes in particular; the majority of people I have spoken to seem to have one somewhere in rural Nepal. As ever, if I have mangled this combination of Wikipedia and personal anecdote, my apologies. If you want the full, unmangled story, look it up yourself.
On a personal level, with college closed as from tomorrow, I can do no rehearsal (the only preparation for R4J being hoping Khushi, a bright student (who came with us to Lucknow) who has a good command of English and a love of Shakespeare, can produce a workable translation of my adaptation of the script. As yet, what limited rehearsals there have been, have been a mixture of self-translation on the spot, and hastily prepared translations of particular scenes by Khushi, sent out by WhatsApp (and I never thought I would be writing that.)
Dashain was being celebrated at the college with a big party in the car park at the front of school (the only space they have; they are desperately cramped.) I witnessed some of the preparations during the day – bunting, a stage, even a huge swing, constructed from long lengths of bamboo with a sturdy rope hung in a loop – no seat as such.
It was supposed to start at 3, and naturally I was on time; equally naturally, I was far too early, so after a quick go on the swing while it was still relatively unused, and a quick couple of photos with pretty girls in saris (something of a feature of the day), I went back to the Bread Box for an hour or so, and read my book.
When Anu turned up, having also decamped, she told me that Aparna had arrived and was looking for me, so I headed back in. Rather more people by now, so I danced for a bit, had some more photos taken with pretty girls (I know, I know) and then headed off to see Aparna, in her usual lair in the staffroom. It meant climbing over the dratted bridge again, but found Aparna there chatting with Usha, the lady who is joining us for our trekking trip next week. We all returned to the fray, but as Aarna and Usha pointed out, the trips across the bridge could be regarded as training.
We joined the by now packed car park, for some dancing, some more photos (!), and then I thought I would only regret it if I didn’t seize the opportunity, and went onto stage to sing a song, What A Wonderful World again. Actually, I was a bit disappointed. Started a bit high, and was told afterwards (by Aparna, no soft reassurance there) that I had not been close enough to the mike. Ah well.
Some more dancing, mostly with groups of girls, the boys all involved in a sort of mosh pit, and then time to go, with Aparna and Sabitra, for some tea. Two cups. They only serve it in tiny things, not much bigger than an espresso cup.
