The State of Nats #21: Well, this is pointless
[Everything between June 23 and July 24, Friday]
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`Not in the mood, not in the mood, with unrest in India, not in the mood to sit and think about life this month. This will be small.
Cats: A beautiful calico stray, Penny, walked into our home and gave birth to three kittens. I had seen her comings and goings for weeks by then and was familiar with her behaviour. So her sudden clinginess and moaning, her search for a spot inside the house, all led me to seek advice to affirm my gut feeling that she was going to be in labour soon. It came to pass exactly as that.
For a while we kept the cat indoors till a friend's visit disrupted Penny's (as I named her) peace. She left with her kittens to a different part of the building. She is still being fed and cared for. She comes and goes as she pleases. And as much as Vidhya (the friend who was visiting) felt bad for instigating Penny's departure, she was well experienced with cats to know that Penny would be ok. She reassured me, and has been my guide through this whole process. For her to be the cause of Penny's departure is an irony that I could not have imagined if I tried.
There are things I would have normally written about, but I hesitate now. Mental health is an a juncture of aimlessness and guilt, I am at an endless in between of proactivity and depression. I have seen so much Instagram and reddit these last 10 days, my eyeballs are impacted. Real world is not scrolling or talking back at me. I am often reacting with surprise to the immobility of my surroundings. However, as we reflect and as reflections must endure, here is a small list:
- I have introduced a screen-free Fitbit Air into my wearable ecosystem, which is so light and delightful that I wear it constantly. - For my data loving self, this is a gift. Apple continues to be hostile to Google's products. The lack of integration is laughable.
- I have a new camera to fall in love with. My video recording has since dropped off drastically and photography has seen a resurgence. I did make one video, right here.
- I am in London staying with Rhea and Tanvi in their two storey cosy apartment in Camden.
- I was beaten by the commute. I don't think it is an age thing, but flying for long while sitting in a box is hell for everybody. I watched Practical Magic and The Lego Movie on the flight, along with two episodes of The Chair Company.
- The immigration experience was miles better than the one I had in Thailand. I will never understand the scrutiny I experienced there.
- I have seen nothing as I am pretend playing "I live in London". I need to finish some work to begin a tourist life.
- I walk a lot. This is the most walkable city I have ever been to. I vaguely recall Paris being this way but I often think my love for Europe is closer to fiction as time passes between now and my previous visit to that continent.
- Nearly every day I miss Vietnam.
- I try to go to one park every single day. I can sit for a few minutes or wander before I leave, but it has been daily and shall be daily.
Goa: Saying goodbye was a bit hard, but made easier by the absence of monsoons. I have taken it as a personal sleight the gods have against me. Every year I wait for monsoons and this year it failed to reach me. This will not be forgotten or forgiven.
I'd record all the movies I watched but really who cares? Things are dire, India is burning. I do not want to watch movies. I want to melt.
Until next time,
Nats