You may have read how on Wednesday I met Raj, Suriya (his sister) and Priya (Suriya’s youngest daughter). They had told me that today was Suriya’s birthday but that Raj and Priya would be in Tamil Nadu, preparing for his wedding. So today, partly because I was a bit concerned that Suriya might not have anyone visiting on her birthday*, I dropped round with a card to wish her happy birthday, intending to stay for just a short while and then go sight-seeing.
*this was groundless – friends from her church were in and out all afternoon. I’ve even been treated to some hymns in Kannada and Konkani.

9 hours later, full of delicious home-cooked food* and having heard a lot of Suriya’s life story, some of which makes me angry and almost ashamed to be male, I almost had to take a wheel-chair to the cyber cafe! Suriya’s friends, mostly from her church (I may have stumbled on the only protestants in this town) popped in and out all afternoon. I’m very happy I missed out on the sight-seeing because I went because I’m sure Suriya’s enjoyed today and I know I have.
* wada (spicy, deepfried ‘doughnuts’ made of urid-dahl flour and fresh herbs and spices), piperoncini-stregth chilli pakora and channa masala (chick-pea curry)