Ran a temperature through yesterday evening,which prevented me from leaving on time for Chennai this morning; lousy argument with spouse; on arrival, very bad decision by spouse to go to Grand Sweets to pick up stuff.

Grand Sweets has become an awful travesty of what it once was. It took us an hour and twenty minutes to get something. That, perhaps, we were prepared for. But in the meanwhile, I ordered an “adai avial” and asked that not too much of oil should be poured on. The lady making it pulled a face but didn’t say anything…until a meek thAthA (grandfatherly person) behind me heard me, and made the same request.

The adai lady then tore into him. “What do you mean?” she yelled. “If all of you ask for adai without oil how am I to make it? It won’t cook properly!” Having had a bad day myself, I glared right back at her. “We are not asking for anything ‘extra’,”I said, “only to leave out something. It is such crap to say it is difficult for you.” She kept quiet after that…but harassed the old man by delaying the cooking of his adai on the griddle. But even after I got my adai, I waited..and waited…until the old man finally got his adai. I was quite mad with the lady.

Meanwhile, a gentleman (I use this term advisedly, read on and you will know why) accidentally brushed against both me and another young lady as he went past. I know, having had the contact, that it was truly accidental. The guy immediately started apologizing…but the young lady went up in smoke. She hit the guy across the face, and said she knew all about the Lotharios in India. “In America, we don’t behave like this,” she yelled.

Someone stepped in and asked her to keep her voice down and was berated for his trouble. “Who are you to interfere?” she asked loudly. “I suppose even touching a woman by chance is a sin,” said the “guilty” gentleman sadly. “But more than the fact that she slapped me like that, the fact that so many people around me are giving me dirty looks now hurts very much.” It was obvious that he was very miserable; he tore up his order coupon and went off.

Ah, Grand Sweets….spreads cheer and happiness everywhere.

We drove to my brother’s apartment building; this is the second time I am visiting since he died six months ago. And…..there is, right now, a hearse standing outside, someone has died in the ground floor apartment…..Will go later to find out who. My sis in law has still not come home so she will not know the news either….these things happen!

What a visit, it can only get better from now on. I wanted to go to a nice concert, but….