So here's my star cast (in random order)...
1. My eunuch ex-cook Shajahan - The story of Shajahan (and my psycho house owners) probably deserve posts of their own so I'll just say that Shajahan is a eunuch who doesnt cook for me anymore because I recently discovered his secret allergy to hygiene.Subsequently, as a result of a joint revolt by my tastebuds and my brain, he was demoted from cook to cleaner. But he's a nice guy (and very pavam).
2. My Loyal Mercenaries - Najmudheen and Latheef. These are my 2 field assistants who have been working with me for the past 6 months and I must say..going on beach surveys with them in the night is a lot like going on vacation to paradise with two brats in tow. While the beedi-smoking Latheef just gets cranky about wages from time to time, the real fun is in dealing with Najmudheen. This 30-going-on-2 yr old guy has an unfailing tendency to crib about me...to me! Sometimes I dont understand him (the people of Lakshadweep speak malayalam, understand tamil and nod vigorously to english. I therefore communicate with malayalam words using tamil grammar with a very english look plastered all over my face). Anyway to make sure I dont lose anything in translation, good ol Najmudheen takes the trouble to refer to me in the third person so I have no doubts as to who he's cribbing about ("Sruthi eppome ippidi", "Sruthi always laughing", "Sruthi chinna ponnu"..the list goes on). Honestly if anyone can send me a jar of superglue and a malayalam dictionary I'd be ever so grateful.
3. Thaha the Wonder Warden - Mr.Thaha is the Environment Warden of Agatti Island. As a Warden, he's top notch..He's capable of doing anything as long as it doesnt involve Agatti and the environment. He accompanies me when I go tagging turtles in the night everyday (in spirit ofcourse) .Mr.Thaha also has a sidekick, Salim, who is really a nice guy and between the two of them its amazing how much work they actually dont do.
4. Sowjath and her vitamin fortified brood - Sowjath is a sweet old woman who can speak to you ISD without the means of a telephone. Its not only her loud voice that sets her apart from the others (try ignoring her cheerful greetings at 6000 decibels from right across the road)..but the lady's a sweetheart and is known for her selflessness and generosity. Infact her only weakness is her singleminded craving for meat, meat and more meat.The story goes that once, in her carnivorous enthusiasm she tried feeding her entire chicken brood of a hundred chicken with Bournvita and vitamin supplements obtained free from the local Govt. hospital for three months while her kids drank black tea..but in sowjath's defense, the kids hate bournvita anway and her plan worked great..her chickens were fatter than footballs and she ate happily ever after.. :D
5. Sajitha chechi and her own soon-to-be extended brood - My friend Sajitha's expecting a baby soon that should be born sometime around october 15th. Saji chechi and her family are my lifeline in the islands. With my extreme aversion to fish and red meat, I doubt I would have braved the piscine 'delicacies' of Lakshadweep if it were not for her amazing vegetarian cooking.My own extended stomach's still giving her a standing ovation. On a side note, Im not averse to other seafood, such as prawns and clams.I even tried eating fried octopus tentacles recently (suckers an all). Its a little chewy but not too bad. I did draw the line at octopus pickle however.
6. The One Cow - The story of the One Cow is truly a tale worth telling. *switching to drama mode* It is a story of heartrending emotion, set amidst tragedy, betrayal, compassion, sacrifice and above all, hunger. It is a classic tale of a placid herbivore who survives all odds of being turned into beef by being rescued in the nick of time by the lactose cravings of a single curdricevorous researcher..and the rest as they say is history...
And finally....
7. My beloved companions, who never fail to inspire me, the ones without whom I would not have known the true hardness of concrete - the irrepressible hordes of goats, chickens and assorted livestock of Lakshadweep. Truly, I would not be the clumsy cyclist that I am today without the constant support and encouragement of these fleetfooted marvels. Not a week of mine goes by without an accidental encounter or three with these adorably senseless creatures. Infact their brownian movements on the roads of Agatti are enough to make one stop and contemplate on the miracle of nature and more importantly the miracle of mutton rogan-josh...Actually, in Lakshadweep, it is not just the people who like mutton (its a 99% muslim population in Lakshadweep), but these Supergoats themselves eat mutton!Cannibalism aside, these wonders are also known for their weird ability to climb trees..
(Where's Darwin when you need him?)
Well. so on that note, let me take a bow with my miscellaneous medley of misfits and say goodbye..till next time, cheerio and whatnot... :)
