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Written by Trisha
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Thursday, 18 December 2008 |
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we certainly haven't experienced snow in india, but the rains have provided us with a couple of good n' soggy days. according to the Hindu Times, the reservors are full, so that's promising! we got caught in our first heavy rain storm in rameswaram, and the best part about it, was that we were already wet! inspired by the hundreds of pilgrims taking a ceremonious dip in the sea in their full saris and dotis, we swam for the our first time in india! the bay water was so warm and shallow that it felt more like a bath. we floated around amongst colorful fishing boats and nets and whatever else floats or sinks in that water. after one full day of rain we were wading through the city in chin deep, brown water. it made us really appreciate our storm drain system! we took refuge from the rain in a hindu temple that is visited by hindu people from all over india. it was animated and colorful and cavernous!! all the hindu people were filled with a crazy excitement as they were running through the temple chanting, burning incense, and bathing (and drinking) in the 22 water tanks throughout the temple. in one of the quieter temple passageways, away from the buzz of worship, abel and i were shocked to find an elephant! this huge and beautiful elephant was standing in a small caged room, swatting itself wtih a banana leaf to keep the flies away. i learned later that this elephant was 49 years old and was brought from the jungle to live in this temple. i was disturbed to see such a powerful, and communal animal, alone in a cage. it didn't seem like very sacred treatment to me. ii haven't really mentioned all the heartbreaking realities of india yet. as you can imagine, there are infinately many injustices here. abel and i struggle with them every moment of every day. from the devestation of the natural environment to the extreme poverty, underemployment, ever present child labor and the silent oppression of women. india is balancing between despair and hope. there is so much spirit, and determination in the people, but the struggle for survival and human dignity continues every day. globalization is elevating only a small percentage of the population here while the streets fill with beggars of all ages. being here really shakes at my humanity. it makes me feel so blessed that i do have the power to choose and change my condition in life. i can't help but see myself in the eyes of one of these 17yr. old married mothers who will forever be a housewife, or compare my own upbringing to those of so many small children who chase abel and i asking for a school pen. we visited the ghandi memorial museum today to learn more about the indian struggle for independence and the nonviolence resistance movement led by the great mahatma. ghandiji's life and example of truth are such an inspiration. he was anything but silent or still in demanding the kind of world he wished to see. i encourage us all to continue doing the same in all the ways we do best! |
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Written by Trisha
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Saturday, 13 December 2008 |
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evenings in pondicherry are magical. these past few days (aligned with the full moon in december) a festival has been taking place throughout this region, during which thousands of hindus make a barefoot pilgrimage to a healing mountain in thiruvanamalai. the market places are crowded with red and yellow saris. to honor shiva's lingam of light and fire, households burn small candle pathways from their doorsteps, leading into their homes. tiny flames illumate intricate chalk designs, placed each morning in the entry way of each home. fireworks and processions electrify the streets! still one of the coolest (ongoing) pondicherry rituals is an evening stroll along the promenade. the streets are closed off to all motorized vehicles, and hourds of families and friends enjoy a walk along the Bay of Bengal. it's pure enjoyment, free from the noise pollution that typically congests the streets! yesterday we explored pondy in style! we rented cruiser bicycles from the hostel where we stay. this was an excellent way to get around (as long as we remembered to keep to the left side of the road and stay alert to obstacles like HUGE water buffalo grazing on piles of trash). during our bicycle adventure we discovered a nearby beach and watched a game of cricket, zig-zagged through town, and eventually met a group of children huddled around a game board, playing a game they called "karram ball" or something like that. its similar to a game of pool, but you shoot with your fingers, sinking small wooden discs into corner pockets. there's more to it of course, and we basically followed the lead of these young karram ball professionals. when we did something right they would cheer "what a man!" these children live next to the sea and they were eager to share stories about the "cyclone" or tsunami that hit in 2006. they were also so inquisitve about U.S. politics (they are fan's of Obama) and wanted to hear our thoughts on global warming. one boy, nicknamed "white" by the kids in his village, suggested planting billions of trees!! it's hopeful to hear this young man's vision for bettering our world. today we leave pondy, and travel by sleeper train towards rameswaram! the journey continues... |
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Written by Abel
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Thursday, 11 December 2008 |
 Vanakkam means hello in the Tamil language, spoken throughout the state of Tamil Nadu, where we are now. We are learning simple words (hello, thank you, goodbye, yes, no, a little) that go a long way in making a connection with the locals. We have been in India for one week and have finally immersed ourselves completely in the non-english speaking areas of India. It's absolutely wild to look around and see everything written in this beautiful swirly script that we can't read, or to have women so eager to talk that they are all giddy and talking to me at once, in a language that i can't understand. Fortunately, the non verbals go a long way here as well. and abel and i are using this head bobbling thing quite naturally now.
As a result of indian hospitality and the OM (operation mobilization India) community in Bangalore, our transition into India has been fairly smooth. That said, its also incredibly humbling to step into such an unfamiliar world, and learning how things work here inevitably has its awkward moments. I think it was our 3rd day in Bangalore, and in India for that matter, when we found ourselves pretty disoriented during a rickshaw ride. we were staying in the outskirts of the city at that time, so a trip into town was something like 20km. on our way home from the train station, we hopped in a rickshaw and told the driver the name of the area where we were staying. he smiled and head bobbled, so we took that as an indication of understanding. but as we sped along, squeezing into the smallest of spaces between cows and buses, it appeared he had no idea where we were going. hmmm, what to do? fortunately, we wrote down important phone numbers and town names before leaving that day and our driver was kind (and humble) enough to stop and ask to borrow a cell phone for directions...India is crazy enough, but being lost in India is nuts! that has certainly not been the only time we have completely relied on the support and advice of indians during this journey. Thanks to our friend Tyler, we were able to participate quickly in the real Indian culture. in bangalore we were invited into homes for chai tea and stories. We played games with the curious and loving children in the Blessing home orphanage and were serenaded by the children at the Dalit Education Center (pre K - 6th grade). The children everywhere greet us in a chorus of "hello Uncle" "hello Auntie." and like children everywhere, they are eager to play and sing songs and laugh with ease.
Within a few days Bangalore began to feel more like home and we were able to manage our way around the huge city. But, being country folk at heart, we were ready to get out of the busy city for a while. we mastered the somewhat onerous task of purchasing a train ticket, (its difficult at first, but the system is actually pretty well dialed) and we set out on another journey. The train ride was excellent! We left at 6:30am and enjoyed watching the sunrise on the rice paddies, fruit trees and farmers tending miles of agricultural land. Smells of chai and masala dosas filled the train and we indulged in these comforts.
after a day of travel we arrived in mamallapurum, a fishing village along the indian ocean. this town hosts many ancient rock carvings and temples and red-faced monkeys!! it's a hot spot for many international travelers, but we had plenty of interaction with the local community as well. one of my favorite places there, mamala bhavan, is this restaurant that serves thali's (rice and an assortment of dhal, chutney, and sauces) on banana leaf plates. the local people get excited to show us the proper way to mix the rice and demonstrate how to eat with our hand, using the our thumb to shovel piles of spicy goodness into our mouths! its a pretty adventurous way to eat and we are beginning to really enjoy it, after a good handwashing or anti bacterial lather, of course. we spent this morning at a bird sanctuary in vedantangal, marveling at the thousands of water birds from all over the world who gather there to nest, eat, and breed. It's like a metropolis for the migratory birds; noisy, diverse, and densly populated. after a LONG day of travel by bus, bus, and more bus we have arrived in Pondicherry. More stories from pondy to come...
xoxo! trisha sorrel
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the indian head bobble... |
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Written by Trisha
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Wednesday, 03 December 2008 |
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in every conversation with the indians, however consequential, there is one common non-verbal gesture...the head bobble. it's amazing and it's everywhere! rather than a side-to-side gesture like our non-verbal "no," their heads rock freely on their necks, chins swooping right and left towards the sky. this swiveling head dance bears much significance here. it is an affirmation, acknowledgement, a sympathy or a suggestion. many of its meanings remain unknown to us. but one thing is certain, this head bobble has contagious qualitiies. we find ourselves studying it and trying to practice it when it seems safe or appropriate (head bobble). perhaps you can u tube this phenomenon and behold its wonders for yourself. our journey begins in bangaluru (formerly bangalore). the origin of this name is "town or baked beans," today, however, this burgeoning city is referred to as the silicon valley of india. it is a bustling and westernized IT hub, hosting a dizzying choas of streets and small bridges, slums and middle class homes, mosques and churches and hindu temples. we have (thankfully) been driven around by the drivers of the om (operation mobilization india) program and those of tyler's friends whom we been spending time with here. indian roads lack any kind of order (gross understatement). when lane lines are visible, they don't apply. indians drive on the opposite side of the vehicle, but almost any side of the road. hoards of motorcycles, people, buses, rickshaws, hand driven bicyces and horse driven carts face off at intersections. it is an absolute wonder how this system works, even flows, when we are used to such an orderly system of roads and traffic regulations. the indians say that would never work here due to the challenges of the narrow dirt roads, ridden with potholes and all the activities in the streets. so the horns bleat incessantly and indians relinquish their need for a space barrier between themselves and fast moving objects. india is a vastly intruiguing world!! we are having so much fun being immersed in it. xoxo! trisha sorrel |
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Written by Abel
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Tuesday, 02 December 2008 |
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here we go!..
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summertime and the livin' is easy |
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Written by Abel
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Monday, 07 July 2008 |
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Hi friends, Well its turning out to be a fantastic summer, and its only just begun! Abel and I left for our the yosemite backcountry during a full moon on the solstice, and returned a week later feeling happy, calm, and physically stronger. It was an awesome adventure, experiencing the kind of beauty i can't find words for, only poetry. perhaps this poem will convey a little of what i've been feeling these days... enjoy, trisha sorrel June bedtime stories a million little wings articulating the degrees of summer beside a mountain lake a lonely frog beckons his lady she anticipates the intervals between cricket chirps wishing she may, wishing she might will the butterscotch breath of the jeffrey pines, sailing cloud boats through a sea of blue, carry his call too? secret acts of rebellion breed in june just look at the manzanita trees resisting their aged skins a loud crackle and a cool burst of lime |
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