Goan Diaries
Beholding Her
When I behold you, Lady! when my eyes
Dwell on the deep enjoyment of your sight,
I give my spirit to that one delight,
And earth appears to me a Paradise.
And when I hear you speak, and see you smile,
Full satisfied, absorb’d, my centr’d mind
Deems all the world’s vain hopes and joys the while
As empty as the unsubstantial wind.
Lady! I feel your charms, yet dare not raise
To that high theme the unequal song of praise,–
A power for that to language was not given;
Nor marvel I, when I those beauties view,
Lady! that He, whose power created you,
Could form the stars and yonder glorious heaven
- Luís de Camões ( 1524 – 1580) Portugal’s greatest poet.
The rambunctious poet is said to be lascivious too; with a roving left eye. His bohemian soul must have finally come out after being stuck in the Catholic groove for centuries. The boys were all possessed; with good temptation though. Let them be boys and let me wear pink. I love it that way.
The bus ride the night before was hell. They bloody don’t give blankets any more. That was cheating. They gave me last time. But the Uncle sitting next to me managed to get one for me. Nice uncle. All I had to do was nod my head continuously for next 2 hours. Then I fell asleep, still nodding. He spoke about Veer Sawarkar. He told me Sawarkar is a greater hero than Gandhi or Nehru. I thought for a minute. Then decided not to fight. I needed the blanket. Sawarkar was dead, I didn’t want to. Priorities you see. But I am patriotic. I stand when they play National Anthem before movies, even if I always end up throwing my popcorn onto the floor when I get up. Then he sang the first two lines of
Kaakke Kakkee Koodevide……
Uncle had lots of mallu friends during college. Well…no comments. Amma has told me to respect elderly people. So shut up. Reached Goa and I realised I didn’t have the toothpaste. But we were going for breakfast. What was the point in brushing the teeth if it had to be dirtied again soon. So I kept back the toothbrush. But someone asked me if I had feny in the morning itself, he could smell it.
“One smal drink…to get the Goa feel”.
The food couldn’t match the dreams I carried to the step motherly paradise. Since we decided on the trip, I had been getting these scary dreams about me exploding after a non-stop fish binge for 2 days. Disappointed, thoroughly. I cut my friendship with everyone. Souhridam vichedichu.
Can’t even feed a hungry soul? Good for nothing fellas….
The boys insisted that I make friends with those gorgeous babes so they get to dance with them. I suggested they find the most handsome hunk around for me. None could find anyone remotely better than themself, so we dropped the deal. Pah!!!
Sickening sea sickness…but I prefer to remember the parasailing I could do moments before that. Lovely. The mighty feeling of looking down upon everything & everyone; albeit transient.
The Gin wasn’t good enough this time. They didn’t have lime colada. Goa and you don’t get your favorite drink???? That was sad. Very very sad.I repeat, very very very sad. The Guy tried mixing something and something with Gin and making it drinkable. It was drinkable, only to the soon-to-be-married-pot-bellied-guy (STBMPBG). The big mouth was opened and the liquid went down the throat in a split second. Everybody clapped. I acted like a Victorian lady and sipped my port wine.
We could bathe in the booze, literally; brandy for skin and beer for hair. Catherine Zeta Jones wahses her hair with beer. Gorgeous hair, isn’t it? I am following her path too. You wait and watch, macha. (Let us conveniently forget that all she could get was the fatherly Douglas)
Anna Thomas (she calls herself Aana a.k.a elephant, he he) washes her face with brandy.
“And the glow lasts for 2 weeks”.
I like the idea of washing the face once in two weeks. So I bought a quarter. Washed my face with it and waited for it to glow. Tic, tic, tic … 10 mins, 30 mins. Now there were expletives thrown in from the other room for getting late. I washed my face and sighed ………. no use. Put an extra shade of make up and galloped out for pubbing.
But the pub was good. Finally some good food. Spicy & sexy. But then we lost one mobile. Boys couldn’t pick up any phirang babes for the night. Drink wasn’t particularly cheap. But I liked the fish curry meals. The Guy liked it too. Some sweet talks outside. The Guy was serious, saddened by the lost mobile and burdened with the duty of a task master. Fellas were getting a little difficult to manage. But I love it when The Guy has that serious look in his eyes.
And the walk on the beach at midnight !!!!!!!! Good things in life doesn’t last for too long. Just happens and thats it. But the memories linger; just like I still remember the smell of Chempaka flower back home.
Back to the groove; with a sexy tan. I am singing “Ami je thumar”.
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