Report of 31 May 2020

Good evening!

All is well here and hope the same with you.  I have just eaten a cold mango - one of the joys of Chennai summer - and my mouth is very happy.  As am I.  I have not been in Chennai in May-June for many years and missed mango season completely.  Not this year!  I have been eating mangoes, sometimes as a meal. 

The Banyan is great.  I turned 57 last week and the B had a most delicious cake for me.  I was actually going to slink in and slink out, but Leela - our head nurse - asked if I could hang around for a bit and the cake was brought.  She also gifted me a very pretty sari.  One of the patients bought me a purse and a wallet that the vocational training unit made; these are lovely things and not inexpensive.  I appreciated all the thoughts in my direction and had a splendid day. 

We went to Writer's Cafe - now open for takeout - and bought some treats.  We came home and spoke to friends and family, and had a good day.

The B has all manner of preventive measures in place - sanitizer, checking temperatures, hand washing with soap and water - and we continue to hope that we keep COVID at bay.

Last week, we stopped at our favorite coconut vendor.  He and his wife also used to sell "koozh," which is a porridge made of hearty grains and rice.  They cannot sell this any more during COVID times, thus money is tight.  We had coconuts, bought "nungu (palm fruit)" and tried to buy as many of their wares as we could.  The man also had an accident in January, breaking his clavicle, thus cannot cut nungu all day.

I was privileged to see Vandana and get a short chat in on my birthday.  I also talked to my sister, father and our children, and enjoyed all the conversations.  Our children sent me very nice recorded and written wishes, and I have looked at/listened to them multiple times. 

29 May was the birthday of our younger child.  They (1 of 2 preferred pronouns) made a public announcement that they are now trans-woman, named "Natalie."  Nat had told us of gender dysphoria, the counselling process and decision to come out, and we support all of it.  She is happier and I expect her to kick some a**.  Of note, I do squats and lunges and take the stairs until I am huffing and puffing - all in the quest for some decent leg muscles - and along comes Nat, 6' woman with 5' slender legs.  Life sometimes is not fair :) but that is okay.   

My father and I had a long chat today, primarily about Nat.  He did not quite understand the process or the decision at first - and transgenders are a mightily ostracised population in India - but we spoke at length and I mentioned how much happier Nat is, that we did not go through any trauma, that we support the decision, that Naren has been very protective and supportive of his sibling, and at the end of that, my Dad said, "Tell Navin (former name) I support this 100%.  You cannot hide from what is within you."  That was lovely  My Dad was quite a trailblazer in gender reassignment surgery, doing complicated surgeries as far back as 50 years ago. 

We have been catching up on movies, I have been doing Continuing Medical Education (CME) including one on transgender medicine, and exercising.  We were fortunate to speak to both our children twice last week and had a riotous conversation on 29 May, singing to Nat on her "rebirthday."  We spoke and shared and laughed.  We are lucky to have brave, strong and inspiring children.

Unw -

R