I love this town. It used to be a French colony and still preserves some beautiful colonial architecture, much of which is well preserved in the old part of town.
The place is small enough so that I can get around on the bicycle which I rented yesterday--a one-speed, purple girl's bike with a basket in front. (Bella would approve.) Once I get over my embarrassment, I'll have someone take a picture of myself on it. The hotel watchman smirked at me as I parked my battered steed among all the sleek-looking motorcycles, so he's out.
The bike lets me get quickly from my hotel to the two research institutes where I'm working: the French Institute of Pondicherry and the French School of Asian Studies. (Sounds better in Frinch: l'Institut francais de Pondichery; l'Ecole francaise d'Extreme-Orient.) Together they house a rare collection of palm-leaf manuscripts, transcriptions and books focusing on the philosophy and rituals of the Shaiva Siddhanta, the Hindu tradition that I study. It goes back over a thousand years and is still practiced in many temples today.
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The place is small enough so that I can get around on the bicycle which I rented yesterday--a one-speed, purple girl's bike with a basket in front. (Bella would approve.) Once I get over my embarrassment, I'll have someone take a picture of myself on it. The hotel watchman smirked at me as I parked my battered steed among all the sleek-looking motorcycles, so he's out.
The bike lets me get quickly from my hotel to the two research institutes where I'm working: the French Institute of Pondicherry and the French School of Asian Studies. (Sounds better in Frinch: l'Institut francais de Pondichery; l'Ecole francaise d'Extreme-Orient.) Together they house a rare collection of palm-leaf manuscripts, transcriptions and books focusing on the philosophy and rituals of the Shaiva Siddhanta, the Hindu tradition that I study. It goes back over a thousand years and is still practiced in many temples today.
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| Courtyard inside the French Institute |
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| One of the libraries-- The windows at right look onto the Bay of Bengal.
Today I'm working in the non-air-conditioned library because I have wi-fi access here. There's a strong breeze coming through the open windows, with lush greenery and bougainvillea just outside, so it's a pleasure to work and not be dripping with sweat. I'm the only visitor to the library this morning. Guess I should actually do some work, but wait, is it already time for lunch?
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