new developments and the old days

My laptop is gone. How and what happened doesn't matter, b/c it doesn't change the fact that it's gone.

With 10 days left in India and to finish the things I have left to do (including a trip to my villagers in Kutch, a trip to the animator in mumbai, designing a logo, designing a website, spending time with my dada and finishing his errands, finishing final edits and filming, coordinating the animations, preparing for an interview (the day after my return flight) .... agh, the list goes on.

In any case, I'm ok with it. Losing the independence that my laptop afforded my work habits definitely makes finishing my projects harder, but I'm trying to be positive.

Random story to make the day better: Spent the last two days with my Dada. I love him so much. (He and my grandmother helped raise me and shaped a lot of who I am today.) I was upset about my laptop- and he starts going on about how he'd met my grandmother, and how much he loved her and how lucky he was to have her with him for so long.. and how lucky we all were. (And there I was, sulking about my laptop.) Suddenly I was put into my place with a simple reminder: I am so very lucky. At the end of the day, my laptop is gone and yet I can't complain. I still have so much to be grateful for.

Anyway, went to Mumbai with him for the day. He got a top bunk on the train ride, so I asked the two people on the bottom bunks if they were willing to trade him. They point to their own walking sticks and say that they, too, would have a hard time getting up there. They start talking to my granddad... the man was a diamond merchant from Dubai who retired and moved back to India. He and my Dada talked about their respective pasts, and it turns out that this man and my dada used to work *across the street* from each other in the 50's and 60's in old city Mumbai, Zaveri Bazaar!! They went to the same jaylaybeewalla and knew the same people... then the man starts talking about the watchmaker who used to fix his watches. He worked in a room just big enough for one person ("back before Rolex and Timex's") and would always give his customers the same line about his punctuctuality, 'don't worry; it'll get done'. Turns out the man was talking about MY GRANDDAD and his old watch repair shop!!!! So crazy.

Later, went to visit my dada's 90 yr old friend and his 88 year old wife. The man would tilt his wife's head back and yell in her ear "IT'S POPATLAL!" (my dada) and she would scream "WHAT?" -- this goes back and forth a few times and then she screams, "I'M SORRY! I'M TOO OLD TO REMEMBER THINGS!" Then, he and my dada start talking about how people live in their old age is directly correlated with how well they lived their life... like the people who lived honest, hard-working lives were surrounded by a lot of love in their old age. The people that lied and cheated... it all eventually came back around. At one point the 90 year old pulls me aside and says, "It's all so simple. Just be a good person."

In any case, old people have a lot of stories to tell. I feel like I should make more time to listen and learn. There's a certain peace that comes with understanding their perspective and patience.