So, I went to the beach yesterday and I went surfing again. The waves weren’t great; some were a little bigger, but they were less consistent. During the first part of the day I wasn’t catching any waves and realized that I was too far back on my board, so I moved a tiny bit and I caught nearly every wave I tried for after that, which was a total of 3. As I predicted, I stood up on the second wave I caught. That means that on my fourth try I stood up and rode a wave. Not a bad learning curve.
I’ve learned a few basic things about surfing that I think you should know. Firstly, I always wondered why people were wearing shirts while they surfed. How could a little shirt make such a big difference in the water? Well, it turns out that they’re rash shirts, and I really wish that I had one, because the wax on the board is tearing up my chest BAD.
Secondly, I have to tell myself, every time I get into the ocean, that even though there are sharks in the water they probably aren’t going to eat me, even if I DO look exactly like a dying seal. Shark attacks are a statistical anomaly, outliers on the “fun in the ocean scale”, besides that there are no seals here in India (at least not in Vizag). So I keep paddling and try not to think about how much a look like a dying seal. Did I mention that It’s hard not to think about how much I look like a dying seal?
Lastly, wear sunscreen.
Today, I went with Amy to the beach so that we could watch, film, and get to know some of the people in the local surf club, the Dolphin Yachting Association. It was nice to converse a little and generally get to know them better...almost like we were friends because we had a mutual interest rather than just because we were white. The people in the club are genuinely interested in the sport and it’s nice that they’re generally uninterested in our money. We pay to rent boards, but they aren’t asking us for money, or finding ways to get on our good side so that we will give them money. It’s refreshing that they don’t want our money.
While we were there, a little surfer boy picked up a pigeon from the roost they keep and threw it into the air like a football. It was one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a while. Also, one of the women said that my webbed toes meant that I would have twins when I got married (I didn’t want to explain to her that I’m already married and have a kid. She speaks no english), and since it was on both feet, a pair of twins...or quadruplets, I didn’t quite catch what it was. At any rate, watch out Katie!
The media also showed up and wanted to film Amy surfing, so even though it was sunday she was coaxed into the water. Hopefully it gives the club some good press so that they can get members and government support.
Just to let you know, the camera situation isn’t any better. I’m pretty sure that I’m just not going to get another camera. I’ll bum pics off other people, cause I don’t really want to spend the 150 dollars. Whatever.
This last thursday three really great things happened.
1. I saw a Maoist demonstration downtown. it wasn’t anything big, but about 15 people (out of a city of 2 million mind you) gathered to demonstrate, waving the sickle and hammer. My first communist demonstration sighting!
2. I finally got to lift weights. I went to the slummy place that I mentioned, and even though the accommodations are somewhat primitive, it was what I needed.
3. While I was sitting in my apartment a crow strolled in through my door and perched right underneath my chair. I was pretty impressed by such a gutsy move, so I fed the little sucker and gave it some water. That bird was so unconcerned with my presence that I reached out and touched it’s feathers and even pet it a little. The bird knew exactly what I was doing and didn’t show a single shred of aggression. The bird seemed happy enough in my apartment so I let it stay for a while. It wasn’t bothering me and I figured it was probably a nice break from the cold pecking order of the wild. When I told the washerman (who lives in my apartment) he went over to the bird, grabbed it, and handed it to me. The bird didn’t seem to mind being held and sat in my hand comfortably, without me having to do anything. Finally, I let the bird go, or rather, forced it to leave my hand. It must have been extremely tame, insane, or sick, and my guess goes to the last of the three. A wild bird just doesn’t let you grab it and hold it without some kind of resistance! Maybe a snack and a drink of water is just what it needed to get feeling better again.
Also, just to rub it in Collin’s face, Tyrannosaurus Rex had feathers. It’s in the most recent National Geographic.
Justin
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