What's in a word?

The world-famous Lake Palace Hotel, Udaipur - currently home to Nicole Kidman on a film shoot. Previously featured in the very campy James Bond film Octopussy (which is viewable 7 nights a week at several cafes in town)

Twisting with Shiva in Ellora

A laundress "thwack, thwack, thwacking" from our hotel window in Udaipur.

One of the most amusing aspects of travelling in India is the rather tortured use of Her Majesty’s English in signs and communications. As a professional editor, Patty could be employed full-time by the Indian museum board correcting grammatical and spelling mistakes on formal signs and posters. There is also a tendency to avoid using one word when twenty would do (a trait that is sometime attributable to your loyal blog-scribe as well).

On our tour of the magnificent Buddhist shrines in the Ellora caves, we saw the above sign warning us, among other things against "spiting”. As any visitor to India would testify, Indian men are prodigious spitters (and unmatched "hoarkers" as well). Was this sign a warning not to spit? Or did it have more of a Buddhist message that spiteful behaviour is damaging and should be cautioned against as we pursue the eight-fold path to righteous living?. Either way, the potential typo was dutifully repeated on about a dozen signs we saw. In the restaurant in our hotel in Mysore, the owners could not apparently resist filling the otherwise blank last page of their menu with some "gentle reminders" for how one should comport oneself on the premises. My favourite was #6 "Disposable vomit bags are available on request in case of need as a consideration to fellow diners". This testimony to the restaurant's culinary skills should keep it clear of Michelin stars for a long time to come. On the street, people will often ask me "What is my good name?" and today "What country is sorrowful in missing me?"

And maybe it is not just English that trips the the Indian tongue. I’m presently reading Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children, which is an ideal literary companion for this stretch of our trip (and a wonderful book for any occasion). In one passage he says “” No people whose word for “yesterday” is the same as their word for “tomorrow” can be said to have a firm grip on the time". A remarkable claim - but amazingly true. The "helpful phrases" listed in our local "official" tourist guide in Udaipur notes that the handy word “kal” will suffice for both. Perhaps this is Buddha’s influence once again trying to keep us all focused on the here and now rather than the past and the future. Or maybe it is an indication that Indians may have as much of a challenge with their own language(s!) as they do with English.The same tourist brochure has the esteemed authorities noting that the annual Mewar festival would be held on March 23 this year. However, it turns out , in fact, that the festival will be held on March 27-28. Too many "tomorrows" or "yesterdays" may have cast some confusion into the local calendar, methinks. In any event. we're looking forward to attending the festivities starting tomorrow - we think.

Some photos of beautiful Udaipur for your enjoyment.