Tasks to April 3rd

Task I: characteristical ‘table’ of persons (basing on diary-entry no. 1)

narrator

//appearance

//state of mind

• careful: is very concerned about thieves

//background

• just arrived in Bombay/India
• comes from England: “of course I’m still on English time”
• lives in the women’s dormitory of the ‘Society Of Missionaries’ hostel

//aims & wishes

“neighbour-woman” in the dormitory

//appearance

• looks like a ghost
• “tied her hair in one dropping plait”
• “paper-white” & “vaporous” & “thin”

//state of mind

• hates Indian food: “I wouldn’t touch it for anything”
• lost hope

//background

• has been in India for 30 years
• quite christian views and mentality

//aims & wishes

Miss Tietz

//appearance

//state of mind

//background

• Swiss
• camewith the Christian Sisterhood to India
• looking after ‘Society Of Missionaries’ hostel for about ten years
• looking after the kitchen

//aims & wishes

Task II: short biography of the unkempt European

My name is Lars Fall, I’m from Finnland, spend my youth-time in a little province near Helsinki. In the age of 22 I started studying medicine in Helsinki. I guess I never was someone ’special’, everybody wanted to be with. I did the normal things – things just everybody did: having a good time, evolving oneself and being interested in the world.

And then that one day came. The day, I heard about the great appeal on doctors, to board the ship to the ‘glorious India’. ‘Glorious India’ – European trained men are yet rare in this country. This was my chance! – at least I thought so back this time. So I finished my last year at the university, abandonned my ‘European’ life, left my wife Emelie and entered the “Anna” – direct course to India!

This might have been probably worst step I’ve ever took in my whole life. I’m too ashamed of describing everyting starting at that stage. So just read this extract of my diary and visualize everything yourself!

“So here I am now… I guess I finally reached gutter. I remember so well… it’s almost as it was yesterday, awaiting the ‘great’ India, awaiting the scenic landscapes and the unlimited possibilities for men like me, for doctors like me. What the **** came over me that I really believed in all those slogans? Was I really that stupid to believe Indians would consult a European doctor? Yes, I think I was. Shit.

I wish I’d kept my old-fashioned life in Europe and never bought that ticket. Just this moment I could sit in my surgery or spend my time with Emelie – I really left her. Left her, only to finance this goddamn trip.

It’s so pathetic. A monkey is living on my shoulder, paying me off by lousing my matted hair. I hate this country. I even don’t know in which town I right now. Still Bombay?

I’m so confused, I guess the sun wasn’t that ‘healthy’ as promised. Yeah, I hate this country.

I wonder what would have happened, if this stupid guy didn’t steal all my money, my baggage and my medical gear… I could’ve started the surgery I wanted to maintain. I might be the ‘famous’ doctor from Europe and all the women adore me. Maybe those people are simply too traditional, too religios to believe in medical achievements.

I hate this country, it’s so goddamn hot.”