I am in Kovalom right now, but a few days before, I was in a small village called Kumarakom. It is worth mentioning because any of you romantics out there should go with your love one and spend some time in pure tranquility. It was a little too tranquil for a single traveler, but I am glad to have had the experience. It was a place where I learned to be alone and although I had a hard time (found myself to be a little bit boring), it was a good experience, nonetheless. I guess not all experiences have to be awesome to be good experiences.

Kumarakom is backwater country which means peaceful waterways and I guess somewhat like the swamps in Louisiana. There is a big lake called Lake Vebanad which stretches from Cochi to Allapuzha. I know that means nothing to you--it is a BIG lake. Rahim claims it is the biggest lake in Asia, but being the Asian gambler that I am (not really--but competitive), I have challenged that notion and will get back to him with an answer. Dad, do you have any thoughts about this?

Anyway, the popular thing to do in this area is to take a houseboat for a day or two and travese down the quiet waters of Allapuzha. It looked AMAZING. The houseboats are made with coir and wood and are absolutely beautiful to see. Some of them are big--2-3 bedrooms and the whole idea is to laze around, sleep under the stars, and eat super delicous local meals. It is probably the most EXPENSIVE thing to do in India--6000rp plus which is like $120+ but well worth it if you are with your significant other.

Instead of the houseboat, I went for an early a.m. canoe ride to go bird watching. I didn't see too many birds, but heard them all around me. I joked with the guide that the birds were somewhere else and what I heard was just a tape recording. In any case, I loved the ride and spent a relaxing a.m. talking to the guide and writing in my journal. Pics to show in a few days when I find a usb connection...

Spent two nights in Kumarakom and then one night in Kanyakumari. Kanyakumari is the southern tip of India, where the Bay of Bengal meets the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. It is not a place to spend too much time in, but I went to see the sunset and the sunrise. The sunrise was good, but I was more in awe with the people who were there to watch the sunrise. This is another place of pilgrimage, so people from all over India were there to witness the beginning of a new day. The colors were brilliant--women in beautiful red saris, children with smiles as bright as the sun, and the men..well they were happy too. NOthing against the men, but I am TIRED of the stares and the constant same questions..Where are you from? Japan? Konnichiwa? You come alone? Where are you staying? Can I have a picture with you?

Anyway, after seeing the sunrise and the Temple, I went to see the Gandhi memorial which moved me unexpectedly. Gandhi's ashes were spread over the waters here, as well as many other sacred places in India (not sure where, but will find out). There was an inscription on one of the walls that was beatiful:
"I am writing this at the cape, in front of the sea where three waters meet and furnish a sight unequalled in the world. For this is no port of call for vessels, like the goddess, the water around are virgin. Mahatma Gandhi
11-15-37

It meant alot seeing Kanyakumari and then reading his quote.

Good night!

Life is good. I am very warm right now from a day in the sun and a Kingfisher beer. Beer is so good after a day of doing nothing or even after a day of doing something. Today was a day of doing nothing.
I just had a nice dinner of white snapper (?) --never heard of white snapper- and that Kingfisher beer I told you about. I watched the sunset from an open air restaurant where traffic moved left to right, right to left--people selling maps of India, drum sets (small drum sets), cigarettes, shoes, sarongs--you name it, India has it--no problem. I was there to watch the sunset, but the traffic was heavy and I got a glimpse here and there.
Life is good. Oh, I already said that. I miss home, I miss the familiar, but the unfamiliar has been an eye-opening, heart-opening experience. I love this country and the people in it. Even the people who keep trying to sell me the world. A map of India...it was tempting, but I will hang up the copy I have in my National Geographic.
I am typing away, as five other people are typing away. What has their experience been like? ARe they as content as me? I am sure they are because they are typing ferviously. Bang, bang on the keyboard--get those letters out before the power goes out, or the computer decides to quit. I just saved this part of my entry as I have lost so many!!!
Save, save.
Wow, glad I saved because the connection just died. NO problem says the owner. Not for me, but for others?
I am in Kovalam..the last of my journey in Kerala and then it is back to the chaos of the city. Kovalam is a great place..beaches and the town..it is known for handloomed cotton fabric which is mostly white and worn by the men in a sarong type outfit called Kaily (sp?) in their language, Malayalam, or Dhoti in Hindi. The outfit is so cool--a long sarong outfit that is then pulled up and tucked in to make a mini-sarong? Okay, I will take a pic. of this tomorrow to better describe it. But the men look so comfortable and natural wearing this type of cloth in this warm weather climate. I've seen in all--the Kaily with a dress top (business man), t-shirt (beach man), patterned top (unusual fashion? Doesn't match but still looks pretty good). It's funny how pattern on pattern doesn't always match but sometimes it just looks right.

Better save this, save, save like the memories in my little head. If I didn't write in my journal, if I didn't write on this internet site, would I still remember the experiences? I should hope so. If I didn't take that picture, will it still be burned into my memory. I hope so. Sometimes I think that by taking the picture, I miss the moment.
A dilemma for a photographer, indeed.

I expected to meet alot of foreigners here, but I keep meeting locals. The foreigners stay with their friends, or if they are alone, they want to stay that way. It's been strange that way, but nothing to think too hard about. There are alot of Englishmen/women here that are soaking up the sun and escaping the dreary winter. I am doing the same, although seeing Steve's picture of the Boston snow made me smile and cooled off my sunburn. Thanks Steve!! Even though that snowball was directed at me.

When I get back from Boston, I am going on an eating binge of pasta, kimchee jigae, more pasta, real Chinese food, sushi, tonkatsu, salads, and more salads. The food here is so delicious, but I crave the familiar!!

I can't believe it, but I ran out of film a few towns ago. I have been buying Kodak here and check the expiration (which is good), but just hope that it hasn't been sitting in a hot shipping yard forever and the color is lost. Oh well, poor planning on my part.

Time to digress...next entry

Today started early so I could catch the sunrise and fog lifting. It was pitch black when Rahim and I made our way to Top Station, but the day broke so quickly, we never quite made it up the hill in time to see the drama. In any case, it was a great way to start the day and I have a few photos to share with you.

Spent the a.m. at the tea museum where I got to see how the tea leaves were processed. All tea starts off as green tea, but if the leaves are fermented, it becomes black tea. Then the tea goes through a crushing and heating processs to make RTD tea (ready to drink). The tea of choice at all the stalls is a tea made with RTD tea, hot milk (freshly delivered daily!), and your choice of spice (i.e. cardamon, ginger, masala). I'm a big fan of the ginger tea and have watched two sunsets drinking it!

After the tea museum, I stopped by a fabric dyeing facility that was setup by TATA tea to help employ persons with disabilities. They produce silks and linens that are made from natural dyes, and when I stopped by, the women had just made a batch of indigo. They sometimes block print on the fabric using a Japanese technique called shibori. The work is so labor intensive, as every step of the way is done by hand.

It's off to Kumarakom tomorrow, about 4 hours from here, and home to a bird sanctuary.

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I am in tea country right now--a beautiful, hilly, luscious green area filled with tea plantations. Life here is quite idyllic, a far cry from the chaos of Delhi and even Madurai. I arrived yesterday and will stay until Jan. 22. Today was great fun. Set off to photograph at 7:30am but realized it was too bright, so I spent the day meandering through the hills, photographed a few women who were at work picking tea leaves, and then went to a beautiful lookout point called Top Station. Rode a horse, almost fell off the horse because I asked the guide if I could ride instead of stroll along (big mistake), ate fresh pineapple, tangerines, and roasted corn on the cob (very different from the western style). With the spices on it, it tasted like beef jerky. Lunch was 30rps (less than a dollar) and was thali style (sauces, pickles and rice on the banana leaf, eating with your right hand). I spent the afternoon reading in the sun and then went to a lookout point to watch the sunset. I am thoroughly content and ready for an early wake up (5:30am) to photograph tea country at its finest hour. Missing home...really, I am.

LOVE hearing from you all!! I have had spotty internet access and sometimes in the middle of typing the power goes out. This is the first time the internet is good and I am able to upload pixs!! There are pixs attached to some of the old entries...
I am loving my time here and am convinced that India is a place EVERYONE should visit at least once in their lifetime. You will learn so much about yourself, your place in the world, and how as different as we may live from others, the human spirit is so much the same.
Well, I am definately on vacation here because I've adopted the mindset of the people around me. The favorite phrase used by everyone is "no problem." ON my ride from Thekkady to Munnar, I shared with Rahim, the driver, that I had high hopes of photographing a wedding and a funeral. His answer was "No problem." As we passed through a small town at 1pm in the afternoon on a Thursday, Rahim suddenly stopped the car and said, "There's a funeral here." I couldn't believe my luck. But, I had heard that a) funerals are not photographed and b)women do not participate in the procession. We hung around and spoke to a few people about my intent, and news spread that this crazy foreigner wanted to take pictures of the funeral of a 80+ yr. old woman. The grandson of the deceased spoke some English and said, "No problem."

The procession was a beautiful event to witness. It was somewhat joyous and celebratory, which is very unlike a western funeral. All of the men were wearing white, which is typical Kerala style, so the mood was quite nice. I mentioned this to someone and his reply was that people are sad when someone dies young, but since she lived a full life, the family was content.
The woman was quite petite and beautifully adorned. She was carried in an open wooden carriage that was decorated with strings of colorful flowers. As the procession began, the flowers were scattered on the street, making a colorful path to follow. We walked along the hectic street, through the town, and then down a quiet pathway with palm trees in the distant. The walk was about 2km total.
The deceased was brought to the plot where she was wrapped in cloth. A small opening was made by her mouth so that the sons could feed her rice before placing her in the earth. After she was set down, family members ceremoniously helped with the burial by tossing the first handful of sand on her. Bags of clothes, jewels, etc. were added to the plot. The woman had three sons, and to my good fortune, one of the sons was a photographer. As Rahim put it, "He understood your disease" which is why I was able to document the occasion.

Today I went on a free trip organized by the tourist office of Madurai to witness Jallikkattu, or the taming of the bulls. It was absolutely insane. The best way to describe the crowd is to picture Lansdowne Street after the Red Sox beat the Yankees. So imagine a narrow street filled with men, and then these temporary 3 tiered bamboo structures on each side of the street for the spectators to watch. A bull is released from a small makeshift entrance and the sea of people clear a path for him to run down the street while at the same time, they are trying to grab onto or mount the bull because the winner is the one who stays on him the longest. REcord times were around 10-15 secs. The excitement occurs when the bull DOESN'T proceed down the "path" and turns into the crowd. AT one point today, their was major excitement as this one bull turned back towards the entrance and then circled around attacking the crowd. A huge group fell like dominos but luckily no one was hurt. Yesterday, several people were injured and two people died at Jallikkattu.

The winners are thrown prizes from above (where the judges are standing) which include such odd prizes such as silver jugs, cookbooks, lawn chairs, and tvs. A few times, the winner was not able to catch the prize which started a fight among the crowd.

I'm off to Kerala tomorrow, a state that is supposed to be quite scenic and there is a wildlife park called Periyar which is where I will be staying for a few days.

I am very homesick today and miss you all!

I'm back after a longer hiatus. Hello cold Boston! Sorry to hear that you are suffering in 9degree weather. Meanwhile I am suffering in this heat. =) =)

To continue my story from earlier...

I was invited to visit Kannan's professors at their home two days ago which was a really insightful experience into Tamil culture. Because it was Pongol, most families were home celebrating. Pongol is a big harvest celebration in Tamil nadu that welcomes the new year (known as Thai). As Dr. Kathuribai explained it, the Tamil's worship all elements and Pongol first gives thanks to the sun god and then the animals, and lastly the farmers for providing the people food. Pongol means "boil over" and on the second day, the rice is cooked in a big pot sweetened with jaggery (from sugar cane--it's so yummy!) and once it boils over, it is customary to yell "Pongol O Pongol" Oh, I found some good info about pongol online which I have included below:

"Pongol brings people together to share and give thanks and to have fun. Social and economic differences are forgotten, and everyone—rich and poor, landowner and peasant—comes together for a time of thanksgiving and friendship...."
"Pongol is most often celebrated for three days: Boghi Pongol, Surya Pongol, and Mattu Pongol. Several customs and ceremonies are associated with each of these days.

Boghi Pongol: A day of cleansing
The first day of Pongol, Boghi Pongol, is the day that people make things right and complete. They buy gifts for relatives and pay off debts to ensure a fresh start. In a symbolic washing away of sins, they scrub their homes from top to bottom and sweep the streets and roads. Farmers clean out their barns, and businesspeople clean their shops, factories, and offices. Orthodox, or very traditional, Hindus also bathe in the Ganges River to wash away their sins.

On this day, people also put old clothes, mats, rugs, and other items to be discarded on a bonfire made from wood and dried cow dung. Girls dance around the bonfire, which is said to represent the appearance of the sun. They sing songs in praise of the gods, springtime, and the new harvest. Boys beat drums made of water buffalo hides throughout the night as the bonfire is kept burning.

Surya Pongol: A new beginning
The second day of Pongol is the main celebration, and it is the only day declared a public holiday. This is the day for making the rice dish pongol and for offering thanks for the harvest to the sun god, Surya; hence the name Surya Pongol
On Surya Pongol, each family rises early, bathes, and puts on new clothes. Many people take a sesame-oil bath. Then they go to an open courtyard in front of the house or to a sun room or garden facing east and in full sun. This is where the pongol-cooking ceremony will take place. Prior to the ceremony, a special area has been prepared. The women in the family sweep the ground or floor, and decorate it with colorful designs and patterns called kolam.

The cooking begins by putting a new, decorated clay pot on the fire, filled with cow's milk or coconut milk. An adult member of the family, often the male head of the house, cooks the pongol, while the other family members watch or help. When the milk comes to a boil, a family member puts three handfuls of newly harvested rice into the pot in a special ritual. Then the rest of the rice is put into the pot. Other ingredients are then added, such as jaggery (raw brown sugar) or katkandu (sugar candy), beans, sesame seeds, dried coconut, raisins, cashew nuts, and cardamom (a spice).

As the pongol continues to cook, the milk boils up and spills over the sides of the pot. This is the most exciting part of the ceremony. When the milk boils over, everyone shouts, "Pongolo, Pongol!" several times. Sometimes they light firecrackers or blow horns or conch shells to announce that the pot has boiled over. The boiling over is a symbol of abundance and prosperity. All day on the streets, people greet one other with the question, "Is it boiled?" or "Has the milk boiled over?" They answer, "Yes, it is" or "Yes, it has."

When the meal is ready, the first serving is put on a banana leaf, and the family prays to thank the sun god, Surya, who is said to love offerings of flavored rice. Then the meal is served directly from the pot and eaten with fruits, like banana and mango. It will later be shared with neighbors, friends, and relatives, because sharing is an important part of the celebration. Gifts are often exchanged after the meal.

In cities, people spend the evening going to exhibits, concerts, or plays and visiting relatives and friends. Traditional events like ox-cart races are held in villages. Other games, music, and plays are also popular. Many people travel home to be with their extended families during Pongol. It is considered unlucky, however, to travel far during the days of the festival, so once home, people stay at home with their families or at least within the city or community. Many Indians send Pongol cards or write letters for the holiday.

Mattu Pongol: Decorating the cattle
Cows, bulls, water buffalo, and oxen get special treatment during Pongol to show they are appreciated for helping with planting and harvesting the rice crop. The third day of Pongol—Mattu Pongol—is devoted to these cattle, or mattu. Cattle are never killed for their meat and are always respected and treated like family members. These animals provide milk and manure, which, when mixed with water, is often used as a disinfectant. They also help with transporting crops, plowing, and harvesting.

On the morning of Mattu Pongol, cows and bulls are bathed and their horns are cleaned, polished, and painted with red saffron or bright blue or gold colorings. The tips of the horns are sometimes covered with shining metal caps. Multicolored beads, tinkling bells, feathers, ribbons, ties, streamers, sheafs of corn, and flower garlands may be tied around their necks. Their hooves may also be painted bright blue or gold, and jangling silver ankle bracelets may be fastened about their lower legs.

Then the cattle are led out into the streets to music and drumming. Young men sometimes race one another's cattle. People walk through the neighborhoods, admiring the beautiful animals. After an offering of pongol is made to the sun god, cattle are fed the pongol and stalks of sugarcane. They are given a day of rest and freedom to roam where they please." --The Gale Group copyright 2000

Yesterday, I had the great fortune to attend a pongol celebration in a small village because the professors' neighbor, a veterinarian, was invited to have breakfast with his customer. The farm was in a beautiful lush area with the mountains as a backdrop and we arrived in time to see the cattle being fed. The cattle are fed first and then the people sit down to eat. There were three brothers at this farm, and the eldest brother hosted the Pongol. WE sat down on a tarp with a banana leaf in front of us and then the men came around with pots of food that was displayed so beautiful on the banana leaf. Iam getting hungry again just thinking about it. There was pongol, coconut chutney, another type of rice with a curry type sauce on it, idly (steamed rice cake), and a chutney that was out of this world!! They were all laughing at me because I was devouring the food. Your right hand is your utensil which was a challenge for me being a lefty and with eating the saucy delights.

AFter everyone was served, the men sat down to eat. On a daily basis, the women prepare the food, feed the men, children, and then sit down to eat last. It was really nice to celebrate Pongol with this family who were so hospitable.

It's early Monday am and I had a restless night of sleeping because of the 'squitos that chose to nibble on me. They seem to like the western diet because all of the foreigners here show signs of bug bites!

My time in Madurai has been a great experience from the start. On my flight from Chennai to Madurai, I sat next to a guy named Raju who was visiting his family for Pongol from...BOSTON! Crazy, crazy. He is a filmmaker and businessman extraordinaire who travels alot to Chennai to make movies (second largest film industry after Mumbai) and Dubai for his software technology company. He has lived in the US for 18 years and has settled in Somerville with his wife, who is a professional dancer. WE had such a blast talking about films and food (he loves Korean food and goes to the two joints across from Reliable all the time) and plan to meet up in Boston sometime.
In fact, I will plan a movie/dinner night for all of us to hang out and see his last film.

When we arrived to Madurai, my ride was not there which could have been a problem. Madurai's airport is very laid back--nothing like the big cities where as soon as you exit, the taxi and rickshaw drivers swarm--but everyone at the airport was there to pick someone up. Lucky for me, Raju was able to give me a ride to my hotel. I got a night tour of Madurai which was a quiet ride for a few minutes while we were on the outskirts of the city. As we approached the town, the first thing you notice are strips of flourescent lights all around. They use these "office" lights to light up the homes, bridges, town, and stores which make an interesting visual when coming into the city. I will need to photograph this before leaving!

The next day, I called a contact given to me by Kannan (friend from Boston from Madurai who I met through STeve--thank you!!). Dr. Ramasamy and Dr. Kathuribai are professors in engineering and botany, respectively, who Kannan knew during university. According to Dr. Kathuribai, he was just an okay student =). Just kidding. He was an amazing student and is like a son to them so they were more than happy to welcome me to Madurai.

oh brother, i can't believe what i just saw next to me...off to take a short break..

It's funny how some of the best experiences are unplanned and very simple. Yesterday was a great day in that sense. My layover in Chennai was 8 hours so I decided to spend the day walking around. Instead of taking the auto rickshaw (250rp around $5), I opted for the train (6rp) which was pretty close to the airport. After paying the foreigner price for rickshaw rides, I needed a break from ambiguous pricing and was happy to pay a set price for the train. Anyway, there was a carved out path to the train station which clearly wasn't the right way in, but was definately more fun! As much as possible, I want the local experience...=) So, this "path" basically meant crossing the train tracks and jumping onto the station platform. Once on the platform, I met some young girls who were on their way to school. They were beautifully dressed with fresh flowers in their hair and wearing lots of ornate gold jewelry. They were standing under a sign that said "Ladies cart" and when the train arrived, I boarded on with them where there were two compartments dedicated for women only. It was GREAT!!! All of us were crowded in, some sitting on the floor, some on the seats, and the rest of standing and at each stop, there was a great commotion of getting on/off the train. There were two young boys riding in the ladies cart, so I couldn't resist and teased them about being there!
Commerce is everywhere!!! Even on the trains, there are women merchants who weave through the crowds, hopping on and off the trains, in order to sell their goods. They were selling jewelry, sugar cane, cameras, popcorn, drinks, etc.
I had the best time on the train going to and from the airport! BTW, even though i bought a train ticket, no one came around to collect it...my souvenir.

Pics. to come once i find a computer w/usb...

I just wrote a long entry which is now lost due to a failing computer!
It was so nice to login and see your entries. I love hearing what is going on with you so keep me posted.

Currently I am in Chennai (southern India) for a long layover which allows me the chance to catch my breath and reconnect by email. I am off to Madurai for the Pongol festival (harvest festival) in southern India. The plane ride from Delhi is 2 1/2 hours and the weather, atmosphere, people, language here is completely different from the north. I am happy as a clam in 85F plus weather after a cold week up north. (cold for Delhi which is around 30F.)

There is so much to share with you and in just one week, I have had so many enriching experiences that I will need a few days to recount them all. There are photos to share too once I find an internet cafe with an usb connection. Most of the internet cafes use machines that look like they have fallen from the sky. In fact, I accidently tapped the last computer with my foot and the power turned off. I remembered Fonzy's technique in Happy Days and kicked the computer again which restarted the machine. =) Hee, hee.

This is short, I know, to tell you that I am alive and well and may in fact come back a few pounds heavier because the food here is so yummy and priced really well... Okay, it's damn cheap! Lunch today cost me $1 which mostly went towards my $.60 pepsi. Hey dosa loving Rudy--the dosas here are out of this world. The super thin lentil wafer holds a nice texture of potato, spices,and other veggies that is so delicious!

Mom and Dad--Shahrokh and Ira are in Delhi for a few days, so we got a chance to meet up for lunch. They had a wonderful visit to Kolkata where they attended a 5 day wedding ceremony.

Will write more tonight...

It's so nice to get messages from y'all (Texas talk) as it feels like you are with me on this adventure! I have been up for over 24 hours and actually feel pretty good. It must be all the excitement of being in a new place! The hotel I am staying at is super cheap ($12/night) which means that it is lively at all times of the night. I layed awake listening to the chatter of guests arriving late, slamming doors, phones ringing, cars honking, more chatter, and THEN when all was still, the pidgeons started talking to each other! I will refrain from posting a picture of the alley this hotel is in (although I got a great shot from above) for fear of putting my parents into shock! Despite the "rustic" conditions, the hotel staff are very hospitable.

I left the hotel this a.m. for a morning stroll, walked around the block once and returned to my room. I had been told what to expect, but nothing would have prepared me for the experience! As you walk along, the smells, the sounds, the sights, the amount of people, cars, pushcarts, animals, mopeds, taxis, etc,etc coming towards you is mind boggling. Added to the chaos was the fact that all eyes were on me. Do I really look that strange?? =) Okay, okay, I know the answer... After a few minutes at the hotel to figure out what I was going to do (and to hear that Sharon was in critical condition), it was off to the streets again, this time with more of a purpose.

About the pics...

Just around the block from the place where I am staying is the lovely international hotel Suzi! Can you believe it is even spelled the same way? The other shot was taken at the Delhi train station where I hung out awhile to soak in the activity.

Tomorrow I'm off to Haridwar by train (4 hour ride) to check out one of Hinduism's most sacred cities in India. In Haridwar, the Ganges river emerges from the Himalaya where the water is still crystal clear (unlike the other sacred point in Benares). Haridwar is also the location where one of the largest religious gathering takes place every 12 years called Kumbh Mela. The next festival in Haridwar is 2010. "According to Hindu creation myths, the god s and demons once fought a great battle for a kumbh or pitcher containing the nectar of immortality. Vishnu got hold of the container and spirited it away, but in flight four drops of nectar spilt on the earth--at Allahabad, Haridwar, Nasik, and Ujjain. Every three years, one of the four sites chosen by the holy drops takes its turn throwing the fantastical event." --lonely planet guide

On that note, good night or in your case TGIF!

It hit me as soon as I exited the plane. The smell of something burning permeated the air and once outside, the smog was a dense cloud over the city.

I was fortunate to have a ride arranged to the city and enjoyed a quick journey of race car driving similar to the experience of riding on a Fung Wah bus. (BTW, if you ever decide to take the Fung Wah to NYC, DO NOT sit up front!) The only difference is that the car I was in was soo small that one wrong move....anyway, I arrived at the hotel safely and will write again soon.

Turning 35, off to India--here is what I did to celebrate!

Done! It took me a few hours, but here it is. This is where you can read about my adventures/misadventures and send me notes. I would love to hear from you as I am just an email away. Big thanks to Heather for telling me about live journal.. Now, if I can just get this pic. uploaded.