The Internet Personified: If you want me to stay, I'll never leave

It's windy in Delhi, where I am now, returned to the bosom of our flat and our cats. They were not delighted to see me, Bruno and Olga kept running away when I approached them, but Squishy, bless his Squishy little heart, was all over me like a dog. That cat is definitely more canine than feline. However, having established that I am here now and not leaving, the three of them have taken to sleeping on K's side of the bed since he's still away in Bangalore, and if I turn over in the middle of the night, I feel a solid, comforting bundle next to my knees. And solid it is. They're Delhi cats, through and through, and now outweigh my dear departed TC, plus I could easily fit at least three of the Goa cats within each of them. But so cuddly!

The flat too, has had some teething trouble while I've been gone. There's a patch on the living room wall that needs to be repainted thanks to some seepage, the pressure pump broke and has to be replaced and the living room sliding door is stuck and so there are eerie whoooo whoooo gusts of wind rattling all the doors. That being said, I'm enjoying being back in it, all my stuff and our Assagao house wears the badge of its owners from a 100 years ago or whatever, and this one only has our signature all over it. Comforting in a sense to have no history except your own.

This week in home improvement: In Goa, we approached the "old Lobo house" with DIY zeal. After painting our bedroom, we moved on to the gateposts, which are now whitewashed, the house number picked out in blue, with a blue gate to match. In the garden, K added a herb patch, to which Isha is going to transfer her seedlings, and then, for Isha's birthday, we got her a coconut tree--one of the trees we didn't have--which sits next to the papaya, and which the nursery man promised would bear fruit in three years. I also learned more about the previous inhabitant, Martha, the woman I wrote to you about in a previous newsletter? Martha loved her garden, the neighbour tells us, she was "crazy about trees." But where are all the trees, I asked, and she said one of her nephews or something cut down a few, and a few coconut trees were stolen and taken away. How one can steal a coconut tree which is not like a wad of cash or a TV or something is beyond me, however, it seems thieves are enterprising in that part of the world.

One thing I hope to establish in Delhi thanks to Goa where Isha lives this way, and everywhere you look is "organic" or "environmentally friendly" if you ignore the massive tracts of plastic waste on some of the roads, is a way to reduce waste and recycle more. My friend Nayantara tells me Pom Pom is a great service, which takes away pretty much everything to recycle, even used coffee pods for espresso machines (which I don't have, but is good to know), so I've started a separate bag for paper/plastic waste in the kitchen. I'll fill you in on how exactly they work once I use them, but for now, even separating your waste is a good way to begin. Maybe we'll be super adventurous and even get an at-home compost bin for our plants, but this is still some way in the future.


This week in streaming TV: Have watched a LOT of television this past week, because it's been a transitory one, with not much happening. First: Trollhunters, which is based on a book written by the director Guillermo del Toro, and also adapted by him for Netflix, in collaboration with Dreamworks. Very How To Tame Your Dragon animation, super cute teen saves the world cartoon. Not quite Avatar-level amazing storyline, but we're enjoying it nonetheless. (By the way, I mean the series when I say Avatar, not the movie, which everyone says is terrible.)

Then, also on Netflix: Santa Clarita Diet, which is this hipster zombie comedy starring Drew Barrymore as a woman who wakes up one morning and is a zombie, basically. She also is a realtor and mother to one snarky wise cracking teen girl and needs to now find human flesh to snack upon. Kinda gross, but also really nice to binge watch. Would recommend. With Riverdale, OMG YOU GUYS IT'S ARCHIE ANDREWS AND THE GANG. Except it's like Archie comics meets Gossip Girl and it's all really dark, and wow. I'm so sad Netflix has only released two episodes because I am sucked in immediately.

This week in non-streaming TV acquired elsewhere: The Good Place, which stars Kristen Bell as this person who has just died and gone to heaven, except there's a mistake, she's really supposed to be in hell. Hi-jinks ensue and the BIGGEST WHAT THE FUCK of a season finale ever. It's worth watching for the series end alone.

Man, I love TV.

Okay! On to our Sunday reading list! Beautiful article on Amrita Sher-Gil's life and art ** SRK on AIB, charming, narcissistic and extremely self aware (video.) ** Revenge porn in India, on new website (?), space (?) thingummy Deep Dives. ** Had a bad dream and woke up and Googled "why do we have nightmares." The science is interesting and soothing. ** One week under Trump, what's happening. ** Fighting Whatsapp hoaxes one Unesco "best" at a time. **

Have a great week!
xx
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