everyone's a winner

But some are more winner than others. Last week's competition winner was Mega_Normal/Laura, and I put the prize in the post to her on Wednesday. When I know she's received it, I'll put a link up so you can all see what you're missing.


I'm busy now till at least Monday, then I'll be putting all my efforts into transforming the MoE blog into a passable website, and launching it into the web-sea, like in my dream last night where I worked in the co-op and went swimming in the ocean with my new friend from the co op and then a big wave came over us but we were in air pocket so it was ok except when i tried to cycle back to work and realised i had taken an extra half hour of my lunch hour and my back brakes on my bike were broken as well as the front and i had to slow down by running along the floor like the flintstones in their car, but to go slower instead of faster.

Email

Mike:

Just a quick note to say hat i arrived in Mt. Abu in Rajesthan yesterday.
From what i can see (its very misty here in the mornings) its a honeymoon
retreat for indians. All the cafes and restaurants have a vaguely romantic
feel to them, and the huge lake is constanly bombarded with young couples
thrashing around on wan shaped pedaloes. I would go one one myself altough,
as hey are designed for two, i fear i would go round in circles, vomit, and
then be an object of disgust for other tourists.

It took me two days to leave Gujarat becasue of the problems. I spent
yesterday night at a non-descript hotel in the muslim quarter of amadeabad.
The two employess and their boss werel slightly drunk, the
boss kept sining hindi love songs to me. I had to laugh.

I found out that one of the employess was a Quawwli singer, that is a muslim
devotional singer. I asked him to sing but he was modest and refused. Quawwli
singers will perform for money and so i offered him 10rps if he would give me a
sample. Suddenly he burst into song, the room vibrating with his ecstatic
voice, the other two beagn clapping and drumming on the table, joining in
with some of the words. Soon other ricjshaw drivers poked their heads into
the little room and joined in with the music.

When he had finished i appluaded energetically. I asked him what it was
about, "Jum Jumma" he said, "drinking song". I handed him the promised 10rps
but he gave me a look of indignation, "No no, hundred ruppees", i laughed in
shock. "There's only one problem" i replied, "I'm deaf, i didn't hear a word
of it!" everyone laughed, and the singer got up and screamed "1000 rupees!"
into my ear. He said i didn't have to pay, he was singing for Allah. (does
Allah like drinking songs?)

---

Me: I might become a volunteer for Riding For the Disabled.

Alistair: Old school. Why not have a bring and buy for African blind people?