On Jun 8, 2022, at 04:42, Joe Steinberger <joe@...> wrote:

?

Prediction - you will be back there working as the chef/handyman by Friday.??

On Tue, Jun 7, 2022 at 12:32 AM David E. Ford Jr. <ottoemezz@...> wrote:

at the moment i am preparing to start on a new phase of my weird travels here in which i will spend perhaps two months in a tent in the mountains here (here is the indian state of himachal pradesh) doing a sort of retreat thst will include hindi/pahari (this is the local language, closely related to punjabi) immersion, so i can actually fucking talk to people who aren't like tourists from delhi. in this part of himachal (in mandi district, near the kangra border) i have befriended a restaurateur called kapoor who is the same age as we are. he helped me out a lot when i was up here in january and he is the one who found me land where i could set up my tent and is introducing me to all the people around so they all know me and like me and won't wonder what the fuck some weird moustachioed white man is doing traipsing around the jungle nearby, providing me with some materials like a small cook stove and gas canister and showing me how to make some dal dishes & chapatis. we really have come to genuinely like each other very much and his whole family also have embraced me, offering me places to stay all around the region free of charge and just generally helping me get by out here and not get into trouble (seriously, anywhere you are in the world, one local friend is more fucking valuable than a goddamned platinum amex). this brings me to sahil, who is kapoors 21-year old son. so kapoors family is a prosperous one for this region.? they own two restaurants now and are clearly well known and respected.? and sahil is a cool guy who was sent to an english medium school and fancy college in chandigarh, and he drives a brand new mahindra thar, which is basically a fancy luxury jeep that's jacked up real high. and he really only thinks about sex with women basically all of th time. this kid really loves me and i'm not even sure what it's about but he wants to take me everywhere and tells me things like "i simply love you" and tells me how handsome i am (stg). so yesterday, we were doing some things and he asks me "do you want to have a girl tonight?" and he has asked me questions like this before and i am always at pains to explain that that isn't how i operate, like i don't wake up and think "today i want to have sex with a woman" or, equally important, "today i do not want to have sex with a woman," but it seems difficult for him to come to terms with.? so i try to explain and he says "there is a girl i want to have sex with tonight" and will i come along with him and hang out or whatever and i'm like fine yes i'll do whatever.? then he asked to borrow a little cash, which is normal for us because i have to carry cash around but he often orders things online for me.? so anyway we go out and we're walking up this dark narrow forested path and he is telling me to keep quiet and it is only then that it dawns on me that we are going to a brothel. so we're approaching the place and he's coaching me a little just that i have to keep very quiet and if anyone asks if i want a girl just say no, not tonight, my wife is waiting for me or something.? as though i have to tell a falsehood to get out of paid sex. and we arrive at the place and there is one older man sitting on a stool at the entrance, presumably as like a guard, though his aspect wasn't in any way threatening, and then inside it's just all women.? and here in this case the most accurate thing to say is it was like a novel, because i'd never actually been in a place like that before but i have certainly encountered them in books.? several older women ranging from maybe late-30s to 60s, presumably all with a sex work background, running the place, attending to tasks, or just hanging out and chatting. none of the women there speaks any english, and my hindi is weeeeaaaak, so i was introduced to them and they brought me some water and i sat quietly on a sofa minding my business. at one point, one of the women there started saying something to me in pahari and i explained that i couldn't understand so she gestured to her pussy and then to the corridor with the sex rooms and then shrugged her shoulders, and i was just like, no thank you, i don't need to have sex tonight. and other than that they just kinda minded their business and also occasionally teased me and i must say that i felt as comfortable and at home there as i have anywhere on this trip, which was interesting but not altogether surprising.

On Jun 8, 2022, at 10:26, David E. Ford Jr. via groups.io <ottoemezz@...> wrote:

?definitely wouldn't be mad?

On Jun 8, 2022, at 04:42, Joe Steinberger <joe@...> wrote:

?

Prediction - you will be back there working as the chef/handyman by Friday.??

On Tue, Jun 7, 2022 at 12:32 AM David E. Ford Jr. <ottoemezz@...> wrote:

at the moment i am preparing to start on a new phase of my weird travels here in which i will spend perhaps two months in a tent in the mountains here (here is the indian state of himachal pradesh) doing a sort of retreat thst will include hindi/pahari (this is the local language, closely related to punjabi) immersion, so i can actually fucking talk to people who aren't like tourists from delhi. in this part of himachal (in mandi district, near the kangra border) i have befriended a restaurateur called kapoor who is the same age as we are. he helped me out a lot when i was up here in january and he is the one who found me land where i could set up my tent and is introducing me to all the people around so they all know me and like me and won't wonder what the fuck some weird moustachioed white man is doing traipsing around the jungle nearby, providing me with some materials like a small cook stove and gas canister and showing me how to make some dal dishes & chapatis. we really have come to genuinely like each other very much and his whole family also have embraced me, offering me places to stay all around the region free of charge and just generally helping me get by out here and not get into trouble (seriously, anywhere you are in the world, one local friend is more fucking valuable than a goddamned platinum amex). this brings me to sahil, who is kapoors 21-year old son. so kapoors family is a prosperous one for this region.? they own two restaurants now and are clearly well known and respected.? and sahil is a cool guy who was sent to an english medium school and fancy college in chandigarh, and he drives a brand new mahindra thar, which is basically a fancy luxury jeep that's jacked up real high. and he really only thinks about sex with women basically all of th time. this kid really loves me and i'm not even sure what it's about but he wants to take me everywhere and tells me things like "i simply love you" and tells me how handsome i am (stg). so yesterday, we were doing some things and he asks me "do you want to have a girl tonight?" and he has asked me questions like this before and i am always at pains to explain that that isn't how i operate, like i don't wake up and think "today i want to have sex with a woman" or, equally important, "today i do not want to have sex with a woman," but it seems difficult for him to come to terms with.? so i try to explain and he says "there is a girl i want to have sex with tonight" and will i come along with him and hang out or whatever and i'm like fine yes i'll do whatever.? then he asked to borrow a little cash, which is normal for us because i have to carry cash around but he often orders things online for me.? so anyway we go out and we're walking up this dark narrow forested path and he is telling me to keep quiet and it is only then that it dawns on me that we are going to a brothel. so we're approaching the place and he's coaching me a little just that i have to keep very quiet and if anyone asks if i want a girl just say no, not tonight, my wife is waiting for me or something.? as though i have to tell a falsehood to get out of paid sex. and we arrive at the place and there is one older man sitting on a stool at the entrance, presumably as like a guard, though his aspect wasn't in any way threatening, and then inside it's just all women.? and here in this case the most accurate thing to say is it was like a novel, because i'd never actually been in a place like that before but i have certainly encountered them in books.? several older women ranging from maybe late-30s to 60s, presumably all with a sex work background, running the place, attending to tasks, or just hanging out and chatting. none of the women there speaks any english, and my hindi is weeeeaaaak, so i was introduced to them and they brought me some water and i sat quietly on a sofa minding my business. at one point, one of the women there started saying something to me in pahari and i explained that i couldn't understand so she gestured to her pussy and then to the corridor with the sex rooms and then shrugged her shoulders, and i was just like, no thank you, i don't need to have sex tonight. and other than that they just kinda minded their business and also occasionally teased me and i must say that i felt as comfortable and at home there as i have anywhere on this trip, which was interesting but not altogether surprising.