Monday, March 11

We woke up and had breakfast on the balcony, with the Frenchman for company.

We took a taxi to My Cup of Tea in Jewtown where Irma got (most of) the money back for the overpriced bag. They had overcharged by 1600 rupees and we walked out with the bag and 1000 rupees in cash.

We asked the rickshaw driver to take us to Shop & Save on the way back. He did and Irma bought some soaps. The driver reciprocated: we got taken to two showrooms where we had to “look around for seven minutes, and then they will give me the money for my children’s school uniforms”.

We had visited one of these, in the same way, two years ago.

Back at the homestay we changed rooms from F1 to F2, which has windows on two sides and thus features a through breeze.

We walked to the main exhibition in Aspinwall House.

I photograph Vinu VV’s exhibition called Ochagal (Louder Voice), “which gives voice to those who have been marginalised in Kerala society”

Apparently the small figures on the coconut tree trunks constitute “a reference to a ritual from Chottanikkara temple are forced to drive huge nails into temple walls with their foreheads. By inverting the gender with the male figurines, Vinu challenges inherent patriarchal structures”.

We message Megha to tell her that Irma does not feel sociable today and then we look at some more of the huge exhibition.

We will walk to The Killian to sit in the shade with a cold drink. Finally we will eat in Cochin Fort restaurant, where they did add spice to the food.

As we pass we will stop at the Jackfruit Tree restaurant for fried ice cream. It will have nuts in and I will end up eating both portions.