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p 279

"In their unwavering fatalism the Hindus do not believe that unless a kind fate does something fellowmen can do anything for them: the most precious service from man to man is there fore only commiseration ."

3.) p 279 " . . . the impulse which gradually grows into a habit, of one of the members of the family generally a wife, to injure herself by neglecting health in every conceivable way, out of an imaginary grievance that nobody cares for her."

p 280.

". . . their absorption in self-pity has made them incapable of analysing their sorrow."

Ramesh's mother has sometimes not left her house for a year at a time. It was with a great difficulty he was able to persuade his father, who is interested only in his books, to take her to the movies once. His mother has few friends. When another woman visits (even someone new, the wife of a friend etc) a quick bout of intimate conversation is formed immediately between the two women. One of the main functions of the maid servant that comes in after every meal to clean up and wash the pots and dishes is that she talks. While she does her work the mistress of the house will sit by and gossip for the maid servant is sometimes the only link with the outside world besides the family. I have found that most Indian women in cities lead dull

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boring, slave-like existences. In my house, the women rarely go out and then only for some brief shopping, though most shopping is done by the men. The longest they are out is usually when the husband takes them to the movies about once a month. The women are illiterate, never read anything, only prepare meals and sleep.

Aug 28, 70

As a foreigner you develop though never completely the added sense that it takes to maneuver Indian streets. How to step around cow shit without looking, unconsciously being aware of a bicycle-rickshaw or person with a large load on his head coming up silently behind you. Indian traffic does not move in straight lines. It is a give and take affair, one must develop the ability to quickly get out of the way of a large number of moving objects. The streets are many times narrow and it is only by flexible movement that they are able to function at all. Indians develop the tolerance and sense need be from childhood spent mostly in the street.

"On certain nights, when June and Moon rhymed, her most settled thoughts turned into timid nomads." p 35 Despair - Nabokov

Every once in a while you stumble on a scene that visually brings home the realization of the large mass of humanity that occupies India. The streets in cities give some indication, but then New York streets are crowded too. Delhi - waiting for a train which is three hours late. Across on the next track starts to pull slowly through the station. It is a commuter train also late finally leaving. It is crawling with people, literally, they cover the sides hanging fingernail precariously. You cannot see the train cars, so lost in a mass of