August 16, 2003 – Funny Story-The World is Full of Guys Like This!!
Well, to day was an interesting morning. Yesterday Ravin’s mother saw some numerologist, palm reader advertised in the newspaper and wanted to go, or Ravin wanted to go...he is 95 years old! and he asked if I wanted to also,...was not quite sure but he said the price is only 108 rps...(don't know why such a price but it must have some significance)...and besides the only way he managed to get an appointment so quickly was because he said he was bringing a foreigner. So of course I went.
We left at 9 AM and headed over to a part of Chennai that I had not seen yet...don't remember the neighborhood but will check later.( Anna nagar i think)
I've seen fancy areas here, but this was the poshiest I've seen in this town...the houses could have easily found themselves in Herzlia Pituach or Kfar Shmaryahu (very exclusive Tel Aviv suburbs)...not one of the more elegant but certainly would do no disservice to the neighborhoods....although they are quite close to one another, one was more impressive than the other as we drove past...each with it's own unique design and special features...we drove for quite awhile through this neighborhood...think it was Main Road 13 if I am not mistaken...and then all of a sudden turned off onto a side street and everything changed. It was like driving into the old neighborhoods of South Tel Aviv like HaTikvah...the roads here were a little wider, but otherwise...it was so similar...small houses packed closely together with small courtyards in front of the house, I could have closed my eyes and imagined stopping into a small restaurant for pita and hummus. We found the address we were looking for after asking several people along the way, and came through the gate into the courtyard. A man came out and placed plastic like Keter chairs for us in the yard and invited us to sit...it was only 9:40 and the appointment was at 10:00...All of a sudden an old, bald, toothless man comes to the door literally shouting...I have not heard shouting in India.. and quite aggressive shouting at that..."go away! go away! come back at 10:00...go away!!" Well, we jumped up and Ravin says "I do not like that man-I want to go back and shout at him also":...but his mother and I ushered him to the car...she telling him basically to cool it and behave...I said "When you are 95 you can shout at people also"......"but he was so rude...he has no right to be so rude"...we left...and I imagine if it was up to Ravin, we would not have come back, but his mother just assumed it was an idiosyncrasy of age and his occupation and we had nothing to loose by coming back. So we drove off, chastised and hot and found a place to sit in the car and drink some pleasant south Indian coffee...Ravin sulking outside and his mother and I inside the car amused by his youthful passion...we then stopped to buy some nice vegetables at a local shop and by then it was time to head back...again we sat in the courtyard, as other people started to come also.
BTW...the courtyard was equipped with both a well with string and bucket and a hand pump...something I imagine you will not find in South Tel Aviv..anyway..
After seeing the house, which had on either side of the front door, two plastic trees in pots...one apple, one orange...just perfect for the setting (!) and little lights going on and off like Christmas tree lites...and then seeing the guy...I felt as if I was sitting and waiting with all the other supplicants in the courtyard of the Baba Sali or some such guy (and as you know, you would never find ME in one of those places).....but very normal looking people were coming through the gate to sit and wait as we were. About 10:10 we were ushered into this miniscule room, which was more like a foyer, with the old guy sitting on the floor at one end and a straw mat on the floor...Ravin sat down first, his mother sat on a small stool behind me, and I fit myself into the remaining space on the mat on the floor.
There was an overpowering smell of incense in the room...not pleasant as usual...but truly overpowering...as if trying to drive away all the strange energies I was feeling in the room...I knew that this was going to be "interesting" if nothing else, but certainly was not going to hear anything of use to me. He started by asking Ravin everything possible about himself and his life as if he were filling in a job interview application, or medical family history report...including the correct spelling of his name, his birthday, his medical history, his parents ages etc., etc., etc. and then asked what he came for advice about....in short...he basically spent 20 minutes saying nothing but nonsense and in the end told him if he gives him 5000 rupees he can do a puja for him and then everything will be fine within a month or so...health job etc. in short...bullshit
Then came my turn!
Again, where am I from, what is my name (I spelled it for him and he said for a name like that I need a few more letters in the alphabet!),,,etc., etc. and after finding out everything possible about my life, number of children, husband, divorce (was it a love marriage?..what could I answer him?)...he commented that in all his 95 years he has never seen someone in a love marriage live together for 25 years and then get divorced...he really couldn't figure it...especially when he asked what his (Judah's) bad habits were...drink, smoke, women and I said he had none...he is a good man...he was really confused...but whatever
Asked what I came for advice about so I said money and men. Basically told me nothing but asked me if I really want to get married again...what for?? Then he asked what age husband I would like...so I couldn't tell him I would like a young one, so I said between 50-60...then he said "Why not marry me"?? He has a young woman sitting in the next room who helps him and she was laughing harder and harder as the conversation went on..."Don't you like me?"...etc...it was quite funny...then he told me since he could not comprehend that a 56 year old woman would want to get married again...told me the best thing is for me to go live in an Ashram!
Anyway..bottom line...pay 5000 rupees and he will do a puja and then I will meet the perfect man who will take care of me, protect me and my children as well...ok...long and short is...the guy is a fake, charlatan, typical of guys like this all over the world, preying off desperate people who have no money usually but lots of problems...you find them all over the world...
But it was quite funny at the time and all three of us went away laughing...I said for 108 rupees it was a really cheap form of entertainment for the morning
We left at 9 AM and headed over to a part of Chennai that I had not seen yet...don't remember the neighborhood but will check later.( Anna nagar i think)
I've seen fancy areas here, but this was the poshiest I've seen in this town...the houses could have easily found themselves in Herzlia Pituach or Kfar Shmaryahu (very exclusive Tel Aviv suburbs)...not one of the more elegant but certainly would do no disservice to the neighborhoods....although they are quite close to one another, one was more impressive than the other as we drove past...each with it's own unique design and special features...we drove for quite awhile through this neighborhood...think it was Main Road 13 if I am not mistaken...and then all of a sudden turned off onto a side street and everything changed. It was like driving into the old neighborhoods of South Tel Aviv like HaTikvah...the roads here were a little wider, but otherwise...it was so similar...small houses packed closely together with small courtyards in front of the house, I could have closed my eyes and imagined stopping into a small restaurant for pita and hummus. We found the address we were looking for after asking several people along the way, and came through the gate into the courtyard. A man came out and placed plastic like Keter chairs for us in the yard and invited us to sit...it was only 9:40 and the appointment was at 10:00...All of a sudden an old, bald, toothless man comes to the door literally shouting...I have not heard shouting in India.. and quite aggressive shouting at that..."go away! go away! come back at 10:00...go away!!" Well, we jumped up and Ravin says "I do not like that man-I want to go back and shout at him also":...but his mother and I ushered him to the car...she telling him basically to cool it and behave...I said "When you are 95 you can shout at people also"......"but he was so rude...he has no right to be so rude"...we left...and I imagine if it was up to Ravin, we would not have come back, but his mother just assumed it was an idiosyncrasy of age and his occupation and we had nothing to loose by coming back. So we drove off, chastised and hot and found a place to sit in the car and drink some pleasant south Indian coffee...Ravin sulking outside and his mother and I inside the car amused by his youthful passion...we then stopped to buy some nice vegetables at a local shop and by then it was time to head back...again we sat in the courtyard, as other people started to come also.
BTW...the courtyard was equipped with both a well with string and bucket and a hand pump...something I imagine you will not find in South Tel Aviv..anyway..
After seeing the house, which had on either side of the front door, two plastic trees in pots...one apple, one orange...just perfect for the setting (!) and little lights going on and off like Christmas tree lites...and then seeing the guy...I felt as if I was sitting and waiting with all the other supplicants in the courtyard of the Baba Sali or some such guy (and as you know, you would never find ME in one of those places).....but very normal looking people were coming through the gate to sit and wait as we were. About 10:10 we were ushered into this miniscule room, which was more like a foyer, with the old guy sitting on the floor at one end and a straw mat on the floor...Ravin sat down first, his mother sat on a small stool behind me, and I fit myself into the remaining space on the mat on the floor.
There was an overpowering smell of incense in the room...not pleasant as usual...but truly overpowering...as if trying to drive away all the strange energies I was feeling in the room...I knew that this was going to be "interesting" if nothing else, but certainly was not going to hear anything of use to me. He started by asking Ravin everything possible about himself and his life as if he were filling in a job interview application, or medical family history report...including the correct spelling of his name, his birthday, his medical history, his parents ages etc., etc., etc. and then asked what he came for advice about....in short...he basically spent 20 minutes saying nothing but nonsense and in the end told him if he gives him 5000 rupees he can do a puja for him and then everything will be fine within a month or so...health job etc. in short...bullshit
Then came my turn!
Again, where am I from, what is my name (I spelled it for him and he said for a name like that I need a few more letters in the alphabet!),,,etc., etc. and after finding out everything possible about my life, number of children, husband, divorce (was it a love marriage?..what could I answer him?)...he commented that in all his 95 years he has never seen someone in a love marriage live together for 25 years and then get divorced...he really couldn't figure it...especially when he asked what his (Judah's) bad habits were...drink, smoke, women and I said he had none...he is a good man...he was really confused...but whatever
Asked what I came for advice about so I said money and men. Basically told me nothing but asked me if I really want to get married again...what for?? Then he asked what age husband I would like...so I couldn't tell him I would like a young one, so I said between 50-60...then he said "Why not marry me"?? He has a young woman sitting in the next room who helps him and she was laughing harder and harder as the conversation went on..."Don't you like me?"...etc...it was quite funny...then he told me since he could not comprehend that a 56 year old woman would want to get married again...told me the best thing is for me to go live in an Ashram!
Anyway..bottom line...pay 5000 rupees and he will do a puja and then I will meet the perfect man who will take care of me, protect me and my children as well...ok...long and short is...the guy is a fake, charlatan, typical of guys like this all over the world, preying off desperate people who have no money usually but lots of problems...you find them all over the world...
But it was quite funny at the time and all three of us went away laughing...I said for 108 rupees it was a really cheap form of entertainment for the morning
posted by Jane @ 5:50 PM
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