on the roof

The other night, I went up to the roof of the clinic I'm staying in to hang some laundry to dry. The 4th floor is also affectionately known as the Penthouse. There is one patient room up there, but mostly it's a flat roof. There are clotheslines all over for hanging laundry to dry. There is a small washing machine on the roof, and numerous buckets for washing the clothes. I don't think anyone has a clothes dryer; everyone hangs clothes outside of windows, or the front porch, or wherever they can, even in the best of neighborhoods. Another energy efficient technique the Indians use. (I got "scolded" for doing my own laundry by the lady who sweeps the house. She said Lakshmi does the laundry. It is a bit difficult for me, but I think it is both pride in one's work, and job security that I don't do my own.) After the laundry dries, they leave stacks, something like my mother used to leave after the family's laundry was done and folded, and everyone picks up their own clothes -- on a bench on the roof. I wonder what they do during monsoon season?

That same night, for the 1st time since coming to India, I saw stars! I recognized Orion. The patch that was visible was not too large; it seemed to be a break in the clouds that was quite beautiful. In the city, I don't know if I forgot to look up, or if the skies were hazy or cloudy, or if there was too much light -- probably some combination of the above -- so I didn't see stars like I often do in my own backyard. A couple days later, in the early morning, I saw the sunrise.

Another thing that takes place on the roof is traditional vedic ceremonies which the pandit performs. A brick firepit is built right near the middle of the rooftop with laundry hanging on a couple of sides and people watching from the other 2 sides. No one minds a multipurpose room here; in fact, most rooms I've seen have many purposes.

I have also observed the cooks having their meals up here, sitting right on the roof. This seems to be common. At Smriti's home, they have had the same wonderful cook for 16 years and she is like part of the family in many ways. after everyone else had eaten, she took her meals sitting on the floor of the kitchen in her lovely saris. Although it might seem quite odd to us, it seems to feel quite natural to them (both the sitting on the floor part, and the fact that there are servants who do a lot of the work of running a household). Smriti's family said that it is difficult now to get cooks because so many go abroad for better wages. They feel lucky to have one they love, and who loves them. She works 7 days a week. Six days she starts at 8:30 am, and on Sundays she comes later in the morning after church. Usually she leaves in the early evening, I think. I wasn't often around at the time when she left. the evening meal is consumed around 8:30. For the most part, I think she prepared it in advance and it gets warmed up when it's time to eat.