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Pony: Still not smoking
4.3.2003
Varanassi was filthy but our room in the old city was very clean.
We decided to stay four days to get to know the plays and learn tout kung-fu (how to avoid touts and stay calm in the midst of CONSTANT barrage of "rickshaw? postcard? silk shop? Please, give me a chance!")
the first day, I bought a dress for a 10-yr-old girl named Sitara who had a black eye and a drunken father who sold peanuts and chikki by the main gat. She said: "When you have power, you fight, when you don't have power, you don't fight."
The build up to me buying the dress is a bit tedious. But when I brought it to her, we realised it was too small and she insisted oncoming with me to exchange it. What followed was her chosing a more pricey dress (30 rupees more, "just give him twenty" she said knowingly.) She turned into a jaded haggler and a shrewd businesswoman. Chris and I laughed at the transformation and how she got soft again when she wanted me to buy her shoes.
That night, rememberign her streetsmarts and wizened manipulativeness, I became preoccupied with the idea that we had bought into some bizarre peice of gypsy theatre. But then I remembered that she had picked out the most impractical blue velour princess dress (she spends all day selling post cards on the shadeless gats). Maybe some part of her was still 10.
We are in Delhi now. I leave on the 6th, just past midnight. Can't believe this is almost over!
My subletter's cheque bounced, btw. He never said a word. the bank machine troubles were a result of a crazy overdraft. He has left me reliant on Chris for cash ad fucked with my credit rating. Can you believe the gall? When I finally chequed out what was wrong with my account, and foudn out that my cheque had bounced, I emailed him, totally afraid that he had absconded without paying. He replied, tellign me he is now moving out a month early, and I have 2 weeks to make rent for May 1.
Catch this letter:
Hi
Sorry about that. The money was there in the bank (don't know what happened, I'll have to see my bank . I was waiting on an email from you so I knew you hadn't just not deposited the cheque. I didn't want to deposit you the money and then the cheque cleared as well.
I will sort that out for you on Thursday. I am off then and can go to your branch. There are not enough service techs here for me to do anything about it until then.
By the way, I not happy about the rent increase- I am not prepared to pay the increase so I know you probably don't want to hear this but I have no choice but to give you notice. I intend moving out on 1st May.
Its been fun staying at 344 but just can't afford it any more.
I apologise for any inconvenience but I have to take my own situation into consideration as I have done with yours over the last few days before I came to my decision.
I got your voicemail also, not till just now though.
God, I really hope I haven't disappointed you but its just too damn expensive to live in TO.
Best regards
Aaron
I bolded my favorite line. What a weiner. A plague on his house!
