Point 11 Revisited

Ravi sells diamonds
Raj mobile phones
The other one’s drunk and nobody moans

Prasad wraps up paan

Aman catches fish
The other one’s drunk but that was his wish

Pedro vends cashew
Hassan milks his herd
The other one’s drunk his wife won’t get word

Aman eats the fish
Raj makes a call
The other one’s drunk then pays for them all

Pedro dreams diamonds
Ravi chews paan
The other one’s drunk but everyone’s calm

Prasad sips on milk
Hassan knocks back nuts
The other one’s drunk and throws up his guts

On the lash…

The once Portuguese Diu Island hangs onto the dry state of Gujarati by a thread.  Like Goa it is characterised by vividly coloured houses, neatly swept shady streets, Catholicism and alcohol.  The island plays host to a uniquely Porjurati blend of multilingual families, bird life, tourists, lions and wild cows.  To its credit or perhaps misfortune, little tiny Diu is not dry like its neighbour so the weekends are a sight as the predominantly male Gujarati tide sweeps over the causeway and into its bars and restaurants before swiftly receding allowing sleepy island life to lap its shores again.

Note point 11

For some months and in numerous coastal locations I have been observing these men as they consume alcohol with their pals and I can report that it looks like an endured process as opposed to a pleasurable activity¹.  The norm would be to start drinking at breakfast, or on arrival if it’s Friday night, continuing with neat straights or gallons of gassy Kingfisher until they fall, puke or sleep.  I am not passing judgement but I can understand why alcohol has such a bad name in India and why it is looked down upon from higher moral circles. …this is the very epitome of binge drinking, but only carried out by men of an age (and often social status) that would know better in Europe.

¹ the possible exception might be the Punjabi Policemen in Goa.  These guys were having such a lovey time behind their sunglasses that they ditched their dangerously inebriated colleague in the in the sand in full sun without the ability to stand.