Sunset of my Life

VIEW :: From my balcony
Vizag is gorgeous and green. The rains have set in. I love this place, I really do. My metro wellwishers want to drag me to a nuthouse considering I have always lived in Mumbai and Delhi and no one, not even my mum, hell even me (or is it I - even an MA never gets these basic differences ironed out) never in a billion years figured I would settle for a pokey lil' city. That goes to show, you can surprise yourself. The Sun going out isn't that gloomy.

A Floating Book Exhibition

Christianity + Spreading Knowledge = The World's Largest floating book exhibition

The World's Largest floating book exhibition, housed in the world's oldest (still sailing) passenger ship, made a stop over at Vizag. Doulos is manned by volunteers, some as young as 19, who pay for their stay onboard, sail around Europe, Africa and Asia and spread goodness in the form of concrete schools in deserts, free medical check-ups in Chennai and a lot of other stuff that looks nice and comforting in print. The PR propoganda is on the official site here. The Ship's dossier/press kit claims the ship is nearly as old as the Titanic. Um not the best of comparisons but I will let that pass.

Day One : Went there as a regular tourist gawking at the stuff that is meant to be gawked at. The kiddie section was brilliant but the Christian books and bibles were a forbidding prescence - looming over everything else. My friend Korula points out perhaps they are into conversions. Hmm...

Couple of Days Later: Go there as a psuedo-journalist. Am writing an article and am given the grand tour topped with coffee and bikkis in the VIP lounge. Notice a seminar going on, attended by localites. The PR lady says it is stress management or something as vague as that. The woman spearheading it is the Director of the Christian Revivial Mission. Hmmm ..

In the bowels of the ship I see posters trumpeting 'Jesus Saves You' or words to that effect, PR lady shrugs if off saying, "Ooh this is just for fun, nothing to look at." Sure. I wasn't allowed to take a pic of the poster. Anyhow...that's that but I do intend getting in touch with the Christian Revival Mission. But first I gotta finish my clean, secular, kiddie article on what fun it is to be sailing on Doulos.