India is like gettin water from a water hose. Theres too much water and too much pressure. Either you get overwhelmed and get out of the way...or find a way to drink the water.
Southern Indian food is like chips and salsa. You really can't stop with 5 chips, you'll stop when the bag is empty. Never waste the flavorful gravies. Get more paratha or iddli and clean the plate.
...and this is why Indian women have curves.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
9/11/11
Who is calling me so earlying in the morning? "Shit! I'm late for my train! It's 4:55!". My train is leaving in 5 minutes. I also accidentally turned off my alarm at 4:20 instead of pressing snooze. The front desk guy was calling my room to wake me up.
I threw my hand washed clothes that were drying, into my bag and bolted out the door while thanking the front desk attendant for calling my room to wake me up. I brushed my teeth as I walked down the road to the train station. Luckily the train station is only a 5 minute walk
from where I was staying.
There was a 3 person "Q" and when I got to the window, I was told that I missed the train. It was 5:10, but my phone said 5:04am. The phone I bought in town was set with the wrong time.
Oh well, I wasn't meant to get on the train. I bought a ticket for the next train at 7:30am.
I stuck around the train station thinking that it would be a good time to people watch. I walked around the families sleeping and saw the policemen with their clubs waking up the men sleeping on the floor at 5:15am.
I decided it would be more comfortable for me to go back to the hotel and hopefully I could sleep for another hour. When I got back ot the hotel, they had already taken the sheets off of my bed. I sat in the lobby talking to the front desk attendant about himself as well as showing him pictures that I carry with me. While in Korea, I ordered over 100 pictures to be printed. I now carry pictures to show people where I am from and where I've been. If I like the person, I will give them a picture to keep.
The front desk guy is 24 years old and is dating a girl that is 19. They first met when she was 16 and he was 21. He's hoping to get married to her within the next year or two. He is Muslim, along with the owner of the hotel and the other front desk guy during the day.
The front desk guy and I talked about me getting married as well. Seems to be a common topic of conversation I've had with people the past few days. They really want to know why I am travelling alone and why I don't have a family.
I also started to realize that there were a large percentage of Muslim staying at the hotel. The day before, I saw a large Muslim group of people with children. The chilren were afraid to talk to me but they loved staring. I saw them again early in the morning. I smiled and waved at the kids but no response. I made a funny face and one of the women in her Burka sat closer to me and asked me where I'm from, the kids finally smiled and giggled and weren't afraid.
I looked through the newspaper and noticed it was the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. I took pictures of the newspapers which I thought would be cool for people back home to see.
I arrived back at the train station 15 minutes before my train was scheduled to leave. I wasn't sure where to catch my train. A man helped me figure out the train system, which platform to get on, where to get information, etc. It was nice to have someone show me where to get the answers so I can do it on my own next time.
When I got on the train, I noticed there weren't any people on the train. For my first train ride in India, I'm pretty lucky to get on a train at its starting point. I noticed a woman siting on the floor even though there were lots of seats available. I prefer the floor as well but sitting on the floor in the train? Her eyes seems concerned. I walked past her once and saw her piecing some cardboard together as if it were a puzzle.
Sometimes I think about where I am from and look around me and realize that I am really far from home. The reality of the fan, the crying baby, the whistle blown by a train employee to let the train conductor know its time to keep moving are those subtlies that reminded me today that I'm far from home.
On my train ride, I saw lots of rice paddies, coconut trees, and rubber trees. I arrived in Kottayam and took an auto the the Public Boat that would take me to Allepey.
I try my best to respect cultures when I am travelling. I've hardly shown my calves, hardly shown my arms. I've been wearing pants and long sleve shirts everyday since I've arrived. While on the boat waiting to depart Kottayam for Allepey, 2 French girls got on the boat. One of the girls took her cardigan off and was in her tank top, with her bra straps showing, and cleavage showing. Everyone was looking at her and so was I. How could she be so naive to think its ok to be so revealing in the countryside. Maybe in Mumbai or Dehli its ok, I'm not sure, but definitely not here.
On the boat ride, I saw people bathing, washing their clothes, fishing along the backwaters, and celebrating - Sree Narayanaguou's birthday. There were yellow and orange streamers everywhere, parades and music being played to honor him. From what I understand he's a guru India. The rice paddies that I saw along the backwaters are special. The rice paddies are under sea level which is uncommon.
I arrived in Allepey and was very hungry. I had my first meal alone in a restaurant. I was really nervous. I walked into one restaurant and didn't see any free seats so I walked out and walked along the road closed to the KSRTC-Allepey Bus Station. I walked into a restaurant where everything was brown. The people, the walls, the tables, literally everything was brown. There was a menu on the wall that was in Malayalam but I noticed when people sat down, the instantly got a plate a food. It was lunch time-most restaurants serve the same food. For 50 ruppees I could eat as much food as I want. I don't think they wanted to serve me but I sat down, stayed sitting and waved them down a few times. When I got my food, the people around me were watching me intently to see how I would eat. The rice was really hot- too hot for me to handle the rice with my hands but I didn't wait for the rice to cool down because I had an audience waiting for me to eat. I felt like I had to impress the people with my hand twirling of the rice skills and the flicking food with the thumb into my mouth action.
I took 2 more buses on my way to Amma's place.
When I first arrived at Amma's, I had to walk down a narrow discrete alley that was muddy from the rain. Another guy was walking with me that is from Northen India and has worked at this Ashram(a place where spiritual seekers and aspirants live or visit) for 5 years. I checked into the International office, went to my room and walked around. A white woman from Melbourne Australia, named Sita, dressed in her sari and a mark between her eyebrows showed me around. I met her on the elevator. We first started speaking because I asked her about the small clicker that she had in her hand. The clicker is used for her to count how many times she says her personal mantra(a sacred formula or prayer which is contantly repeated throughout the day). We walked towards a room with over 1000 people sitting down. At the front of the large open room was a stage where Amma was giving her hugs to people. She had been sitting down giving hugs since 11am. It was now 7:30 and she was nowhere close to being finished. We walked passed a line of people waiting to receive a hug from Amma so that Sita could bow and honor her. She showed me where to have dinner and she left me to find her child. It's common for many people to bring their children.
Before going to bed I also picked up some Ayurvedic medicine to help with the congestion I have had for 3 weeks now. Ayurvedic medicine tastes so much better than Chinese medicine. The cough syrup I have is so delicous and the poweder I am takin to coat my throat is also tasty.
Today is the 10th Anniversary of the September 11th attacks. Don't forget all of the people, not just on September 11th, whose lives were effected by these attacks in the US, Afghanistan, Iraq, and other places around the world. Don't forget about the other people.
I threw my hand washed clothes that were drying, into my bag and bolted out the door while thanking the front desk attendant for calling my room to wake me up. I brushed my teeth as I walked down the road to the train station. Luckily the train station is only a 5 minute walk
from where I was staying.
There was a 3 person "Q" and when I got to the window, I was told that I missed the train. It was 5:10, but my phone said 5:04am. The phone I bought in town was set with the wrong time.
Oh well, I wasn't meant to get on the train. I bought a ticket for the next train at 7:30am.
I stuck around the train station thinking that it would be a good time to people watch. I walked around the families sleeping and saw the policemen with their clubs waking up the men sleeping on the floor at 5:15am.
I decided it would be more comfortable for me to go back to the hotel and hopefully I could sleep for another hour. When I got back ot the hotel, they had already taken the sheets off of my bed. I sat in the lobby talking to the front desk attendant about himself as well as showing him pictures that I carry with me. While in Korea, I ordered over 100 pictures to be printed. I now carry pictures to show people where I am from and where I've been. If I like the person, I will give them a picture to keep.
The front desk guy is 24 years old and is dating a girl that is 19. They first met when she was 16 and he was 21. He's hoping to get married to her within the next year or two. He is Muslim, along with the owner of the hotel and the other front desk guy during the day.
The front desk guy and I talked about me getting married as well. Seems to be a common topic of conversation I've had with people the past few days. They really want to know why I am travelling alone and why I don't have a family.
I also started to realize that there were a large percentage of Muslim staying at the hotel. The day before, I saw a large Muslim group of people with children. The chilren were afraid to talk to me but they loved staring. I saw them again early in the morning. I smiled and waved at the kids but no response. I made a funny face and one of the women in her Burka sat closer to me and asked me where I'm from, the kids finally smiled and giggled and weren't afraid.
I looked through the newspaper and noticed it was the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. I took pictures of the newspapers which I thought would be cool for people back home to see.
I arrived back at the train station 15 minutes before my train was scheduled to leave. I wasn't sure where to catch my train. A man helped me figure out the train system, which platform to get on, where to get information, etc. It was nice to have someone show me where to get the answers so I can do it on my own next time.
When I got on the train, I noticed there weren't any people on the train. For my first train ride in India, I'm pretty lucky to get on a train at its starting point. I noticed a woman siting on the floor even though there were lots of seats available. I prefer the floor as well but sitting on the floor in the train? Her eyes seems concerned. I walked past her once and saw her piecing some cardboard together as if it were a puzzle.
Sometimes I think about where I am from and look around me and realize that I am really far from home. The reality of the fan, the crying baby, the whistle blown by a train employee to let the train conductor know its time to keep moving are those subtlies that reminded me today that I'm far from home.
On my train ride, I saw lots of rice paddies, coconut trees, and rubber trees. I arrived in Kottayam and took an auto the the Public Boat that would take me to Allepey.
I try my best to respect cultures when I am travelling. I've hardly shown my calves, hardly shown my arms. I've been wearing pants and long sleve shirts everyday since I've arrived. While on the boat waiting to depart Kottayam for Allepey, 2 French girls got on the boat. One of the girls took her cardigan off and was in her tank top, with her bra straps showing, and cleavage showing. Everyone was looking at her and so was I. How could she be so naive to think its ok to be so revealing in the countryside. Maybe in Mumbai or Dehli its ok, I'm not sure, but definitely not here.
On the boat ride, I saw people bathing, washing their clothes, fishing along the backwaters, and celebrating - Sree Narayanaguou's birthday. There were yellow and orange streamers everywhere, parades and music being played to honor him. From what I understand he's a guru India. The rice paddies that I saw along the backwaters are special. The rice paddies are under sea level which is uncommon.
I arrived in Allepey and was very hungry. I had my first meal alone in a restaurant. I was really nervous. I walked into one restaurant and didn't see any free seats so I walked out and walked along the road closed to the KSRTC-Allepey Bus Station. I walked into a restaurant where everything was brown. The people, the walls, the tables, literally everything was brown. There was a menu on the wall that was in Malayalam but I noticed when people sat down, the instantly got a plate a food. It was lunch time-most restaurants serve the same food. For 50 ruppees I could eat as much food as I want. I don't think they wanted to serve me but I sat down, stayed sitting and waved them down a few times. When I got my food, the people around me were watching me intently to see how I would eat. The rice was really hot- too hot for me to handle the rice with my hands but I didn't wait for the rice to cool down because I had an audience waiting for me to eat. I felt like I had to impress the people with my hand twirling of the rice skills and the flicking food with the thumb into my mouth action.
I took 2 more buses on my way to Amma's place.
When I first arrived at Amma's, I had to walk down a narrow discrete alley that was muddy from the rain. Another guy was walking with me that is from Northen India and has worked at this Ashram(a place where spiritual seekers and aspirants live or visit) for 5 years. I checked into the International office, went to my room and walked around. A white woman from Melbourne Australia, named Sita, dressed in her sari and a mark between her eyebrows showed me around. I met her on the elevator. We first started speaking because I asked her about the small clicker that she had in her hand. The clicker is used for her to count how many times she says her personal mantra(a sacred formula or prayer which is contantly repeated throughout the day). We walked towards a room with over 1000 people sitting down. At the front of the large open room was a stage where Amma was giving her hugs to people. She had been sitting down giving hugs since 11am. It was now 7:30 and she was nowhere close to being finished. We walked passed a line of people waiting to receive a hug from Amma so that Sita could bow and honor her. She showed me where to have dinner and she left me to find her child. It's common for many people to bring their children.
Before going to bed I also picked up some Ayurvedic medicine to help with the congestion I have had for 3 weeks now. Ayurvedic medicine tastes so much better than Chinese medicine. The cough syrup I have is so delicous and the poweder I am takin to coat my throat is also tasty.
Today is the 10th Anniversary of the September 11th attacks. Don't forget all of the people, not just on September 11th, whose lives were effected by these attacks in the US, Afghanistan, Iraq, and other places around the world. Don't forget about the other people.
And your good name is?
My name is Lorraine....or Rain( with a hand gesture like rain). "And your good name is?" is a common way for Indians to ask for your name. It's endearing isn't it?
I woke up at 5. I'm pretty sure it's from the jet lag from being in Korea for 6 weeks. When I woke up I could hear someone singing over a speaker. Theres a mosque next door to the hotel. The sounds weren't too pleasant. I'm sure once I get to a city with bigger mosques, I will have more of an appreciation for the prayers recited over speakers. I also was itchy. Not sure if it's from mosquitos or bed bugs but a bug is leaving red-larger than quarter sized- spots on my skin. I forced myself to go back to bed.
I woke up at 8am found out through text message that Monolita, a couch surfer, was inviting me to her home for an Onam feast with her family. I made plans to go to her place by 11. When I arrived at her home, the ladies were still cooking. I wasn't sure what to do with myself so I just sat in the living room. I was asked to come observe in the kitchen and also help Matthew, Monolita's husband, cut banana leaves for the feast. After about 30 minutes, Cory, a woman from Kentucky came to join the feast. We helped Matthew replace the old flowers with new flowers on the Pookalam, the flowr carpet that the family had made the day before.
Our feast began with each dish being placed on the banana leaves. Each dish has a certain spot on the leaf. The curries were at the top and the chutnies, banana chips and fried plantains were placed on the left side and rice in the center of the leaf.
We ended our meal with a desert that Matthew's mom made. I don't know what was in it but we also crushed fried chips and banana. There's a Korean phrase that translates to- If I was eating with another person and they died, I wouldn't notice because the food is so delicious. Yes, thats how I felt about the desert. I tried a desert that Monolita's mom brought from Calcutta. I didn't like it so much but I finished all of it the help of water. I am still thankful for trying something new.
I caught a bus ride back to my hotel and relaxed the rest of the afternoon trying to come up with a plan for the next few days.
I gave a dollar bill to the front desk attendant and gave him a picture I took at Taroko Gorge in Taiwan. When he finished helping customers, he told me that all he could think about is the dollar bill I gave him. He was really excited about the dollar bill. It's amazing how much we take for granted the value and the symbolism of a dollar bill. For so many people around the world, a US Dollar has a much greater value than its monetary value.
I made last minute plans to stay in Ernakulum for another night and met up with one of the twins, Sajith and his friend, Krishna. I ate at a vegetarian restaurant/bakery with them and I made plans to come back and visit Fort Kochi and Mattancherry before heading east to Munnar.
I woke up at 5. I'm pretty sure it's from the jet lag from being in Korea for 6 weeks. When I woke up I could hear someone singing over a speaker. Theres a mosque next door to the hotel. The sounds weren't too pleasant. I'm sure once I get to a city with bigger mosques, I will have more of an appreciation for the prayers recited over speakers. I also was itchy. Not sure if it's from mosquitos or bed bugs but a bug is leaving red-larger than quarter sized- spots on my skin. I forced myself to go back to bed.
I woke up at 8am found out through text message that Monolita, a couch surfer, was inviting me to her home for an Onam feast with her family. I made plans to go to her place by 11. When I arrived at her home, the ladies were still cooking. I wasn't sure what to do with myself so I just sat in the living room. I was asked to come observe in the kitchen and also help Matthew, Monolita's husband, cut banana leaves for the feast. After about 30 minutes, Cory, a woman from Kentucky came to join the feast. We helped Matthew replace the old flowers with new flowers on the Pookalam, the flowr carpet that the family had made the day before.
Our feast began with each dish being placed on the banana leaves. Each dish has a certain spot on the leaf. The curries were at the top and the chutnies, banana chips and fried plantains were placed on the left side and rice in the center of the leaf.
We ended our meal with a desert that Matthew's mom made. I don't know what was in it but we also crushed fried chips and banana. There's a Korean phrase that translates to- If I was eating with another person and they died, I wouldn't notice because the food is so delicious. Yes, thats how I felt about the desert. I tried a desert that Monolita's mom brought from Calcutta. I didn't like it so much but I finished all of it the help of water. I am still thankful for trying something new.
I caught a bus ride back to my hotel and relaxed the rest of the afternoon trying to come up with a plan for the next few days.
I gave a dollar bill to the front desk attendant and gave him a picture I took at Taroko Gorge in Taiwan. When he finished helping customers, he told me that all he could think about is the dollar bill I gave him. He was really excited about the dollar bill. It's amazing how much we take for granted the value and the symbolism of a dollar bill. For so many people around the world, a US Dollar has a much greater value than its monetary value.
I made last minute plans to stay in Ernakulum for another night and met up with one of the twins, Sajith and his friend, Krishna. I ate at a vegetarian restaurant/bakery with them and I made plans to come back and visit Fort Kochi and Mattancherry before heading east to Munnar.
Onam Festival in Kerala
Onam festival is only celebrated in the state of Kerala. I was very lucky to arrive in Kerala before the festival began.
The first day of Onam, I headed back towards Thrikakkara temple to celebrate Onam festival. I caught a bus on MG Road, transferred and finally made it to the temple. I didn't have a cell phone at the time so a policeman let me borrow his cell phone to call Sreejith. I was rushed past alteast 500 people waiting to eat. It's great meeting people who are helping out with events!
I ate inside a hall with about 300 chairs and long tables. I was herded in like cattle and sat down in a snug fit with hardly any arm room to eat. A banana leaf with different traditional foods including curries were places on my banana leave along with rice. I had never eaten food so flavorful before. My mouth and stomach were burning from such intense flavors. After I finished eating I went to a room with about 10 water taps to wash my right hand and my face.
I pretty much did the same thing I did the day before at the temple. I took a look at the elephants, listened to music and talked to people at the temple. I was able to take a picture with an elephant. I drew a large crowd and people were taking pictures of me with the elephants. I even took pictures with people next to the elephants. I'm pretty sure I was just as much the main attraction as was the elephant.
I was exhausted and decided to head back to Ernakulum. I decided to have one more Onam feast with the twins and their friend before going back to the hotel.
At night, I went to a special event in a park that included performances from different groups. It was boring and didn't really keep my attention. I could tell most people around me felt the same way too. And ofcourse it doesn't help that I don't speak the statel language.
Here are some new words I have learned:
mundu-white traditional cloth wrap men wear
Kaavi Lungies- Orange cloth wrap for men
Pookalam-carpets with flowers
Traditional instruments- Chillu, Miudangam, Edakka
Pappadam-crispy bread
Purda, Burka- black Muslim women's gown
Jubba-white Muslim mens clothes
Pyjama-white
Black clothes-Hindu men fasting...its not a new word but now I know who is wearing black
The first day of Onam, I headed back towards Thrikakkara temple to celebrate Onam festival. I caught a bus on MG Road, transferred and finally made it to the temple. I didn't have a cell phone at the time so a policeman let me borrow his cell phone to call Sreejith. I was rushed past alteast 500 people waiting to eat. It's great meeting people who are helping out with events!
I ate inside a hall with about 300 chairs and long tables. I was herded in like cattle and sat down in a snug fit with hardly any arm room to eat. A banana leaf with different traditional foods including curries were places on my banana leave along with rice. I had never eaten food so flavorful before. My mouth and stomach were burning from such intense flavors. After I finished eating I went to a room with about 10 water taps to wash my right hand and my face.
I pretty much did the same thing I did the day before at the temple. I took a look at the elephants, listened to music and talked to people at the temple. I was able to take a picture with an elephant. I drew a large crowd and people were taking pictures of me with the elephants. I even took pictures with people next to the elephants. I'm pretty sure I was just as much the main attraction as was the elephant.
I was exhausted and decided to head back to Ernakulum. I decided to have one more Onam feast with the twins and their friend before going back to the hotel.
At night, I went to a special event in a park that included performances from different groups. It was boring and didn't really keep my attention. I could tell most people around me felt the same way too. And ofcourse it doesn't help that I don't speak the statel language.
Here are some new words I have learned:
mundu-white traditional cloth wrap men wear
Kaavi Lungies- Orange cloth wrap for men
Pookalam-carpets with flowers
Traditional instruments- Chillu, Miudangam, Edakka
Pappadam-crispy bread
Purda, Burka- black Muslim women's gown
Jubba-white Muslim mens clothes
Pyjama-white
Black clothes-Hindu men fasting...its not a new word but now I know who is wearing black
Monday, September 12, 2011
First Day in India
I started my first full day in India by going to the train station with Rob to watch him get his train ticket. The queue was long but the steady pace got us to the front of the line in 15 minutes. He bought a ticket for a 4 hour train ticket south. The cost was 17 ruppees- about 30 cents. From there we went to a vegetarian restaurant to have breakfast, we checked our email and we said our goodbyes. I'm sure I will go visit him in a few days at the place where he is staying.
I lounged around in the morning time- knowing that if I started too early, I would be exhausted early. I made a hand drawn map to get myself around Ernakulum with the front desk attendant at the hotel where I'm staying. I'm paying 430 ruppees to stay in a room with a fan, a bathroom, twin size bed and a tv that doesn't work. On the handrawn map, there were directions to the main shopping road, MG Road(Mohatma Gandhi Road) and directions towards the water and the Boat Jetty(Ferry). The front desk guy looked at the daily newspaper to find events for me. He found an event at a temple called Thrikakkara Temple that he wasn't familiar with but I wrote the name of the temple down anyway.
I walked towards MG Road, past all of the shops with many different kinds of saris and traditional Indian clothes being sold. On my way towards the Boat Jetty, I stopped by a big tent that was holding different vendors selling everything from vegetables to jewelry, cooked food, fans, bedding and clothes-literally everything you could ask for. I got my hand stamped by a woman on the street and continued my walk towards the Boat Jetty.
I saw a few men with animals painted all over their body so I went up to them and asked if I could take a picture of them. They were very kind and insisted on me taking many pictures and a picture with them.
I bought a drink from a vendor and asked for directions to Thrikakkara Temple. I got on a bus but was told I was on the wrong bus, so I got off. I jumped on another bus then transferred maybe 5 minutes later to another bus stop to get on ANOTHER bus. The writing on the bus wasn't in English so I had to ask for help from people around me. I finally got on the correct bus and it took me about 45 minutes to get to the temple. I sat in the front with all of the women and the men sat in the back of the bus.
When I first arrived at the temple, I could see elephants being washed in the distance. I walked towards the elephants and took pictures and then decided to walk around the Hindu temple. Really, the Hindu temple is very humble looking and not detailed like a buddhist temple or a catholic church.
A guy my age came to talk to me and so did his brother, his friend, and two kids followed. The boy who came up to me is a twin with one of the other boys. They were very kind to talk to me and show me around ALL day long around the temple. I stayed at the temple from 2:30-8:00 watching the different events go on. I watched a parade of elephants walk slowly from one side of the temple to the other side which included traditional music played by men in their mundus(white cloth skirt wrap for men).
I also went inside the temple. I had to take my shoes off at the rectangular wall around the temple. I entered and took a right around a gold marking post on the ground and a left to the center of the temple to see the God, Vamanan I was watching the women as they looked at the statue. Their eyes were drawn in as they pressed their hands together over their chest. They looked as if they were really seeing God. Near Vamanan, I could see a man inside laying flowers over the statue. I left and walked back in the same directions past the entrance, to the Northwest corner to a door, continued walking to the North East Corner to look at a door then through the East Door.
The walking wasn't over yet. I had to walk around the perimeter of the temple but first I stopped at the pond with holy water to take pictures of 4 boys dressed in their Mundus. The boy flexing his muscles in one of the pictures was on the main elephant carrying Siva.
Everyone was so kind at the festival. So many people were smiling at me and were very welcoming.
I took the 8pm bus back to Ernakulum South to get some rest after a long day of walking, taking buses, and celebrating the Onam festival at Thrikakkara Temple.
I lounged around in the morning time- knowing that if I started too early, I would be exhausted early. I made a hand drawn map to get myself around Ernakulum with the front desk attendant at the hotel where I'm staying. I'm paying 430 ruppees to stay in a room with a fan, a bathroom, twin size bed and a tv that doesn't work. On the handrawn map, there were directions to the main shopping road, MG Road(Mohatma Gandhi Road) and directions towards the water and the Boat Jetty(Ferry). The front desk guy looked at the daily newspaper to find events for me. He found an event at a temple called Thrikakkara Temple that he wasn't familiar with but I wrote the name of the temple down anyway.
I walked towards MG Road, past all of the shops with many different kinds of saris and traditional Indian clothes being sold. On my way towards the Boat Jetty, I stopped by a big tent that was holding different vendors selling everything from vegetables to jewelry, cooked food, fans, bedding and clothes-literally everything you could ask for. I got my hand stamped by a woman on the street and continued my walk towards the Boat Jetty.
I saw a few men with animals painted all over their body so I went up to them and asked if I could take a picture of them. They were very kind and insisted on me taking many pictures and a picture with them.
I bought a drink from a vendor and asked for directions to Thrikakkara Temple. I got on a bus but was told I was on the wrong bus, so I got off. I jumped on another bus then transferred maybe 5 minutes later to another bus stop to get on ANOTHER bus. The writing on the bus wasn't in English so I had to ask for help from people around me. I finally got on the correct bus and it took me about 45 minutes to get to the temple. I sat in the front with all of the women and the men sat in the back of the bus.
When I first arrived at the temple, I could see elephants being washed in the distance. I walked towards the elephants and took pictures and then decided to walk around the Hindu temple. Really, the Hindu temple is very humble looking and not detailed like a buddhist temple or a catholic church.
A guy my age came to talk to me and so did his brother, his friend, and two kids followed. The boy who came up to me is a twin with one of the other boys. They were very kind to talk to me and show me around ALL day long around the temple. I stayed at the temple from 2:30-8:00 watching the different events go on. I watched a parade of elephants walk slowly from one side of the temple to the other side which included traditional music played by men in their mundus(white cloth skirt wrap for men).
I also went inside the temple. I had to take my shoes off at the rectangular wall around the temple. I entered and took a right around a gold marking post on the ground and a left to the center of the temple to see the God, Vamanan I was watching the women as they looked at the statue. Their eyes were drawn in as they pressed their hands together over their chest. They looked as if they were really seeing God. Near Vamanan, I could see a man inside laying flowers over the statue. I left and walked back in the same directions past the entrance, to the Northwest corner to a door, continued walking to the North East Corner to look at a door then through the East Door.
The walking wasn't over yet. I had to walk around the perimeter of the temple but first I stopped at the pond with holy water to take pictures of 4 boys dressed in their Mundus. The boy flexing his muscles in one of the pictures was on the main elephant carrying Siva.
Everyone was so kind at the festival. So many people were smiling at me and were very welcoming.
I took the 8pm bus back to Ernakulum South to get some rest after a long day of walking, taking buses, and celebrating the Onam festival at Thrikakkara Temple.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Moving on to another country...
I left Gangwha-do around 7:30 pm to start my journey to the airport. Left Korea around 12:20 and slept through the night on the cold plane. Luckily I had the three seats for most of the night to myself so I was able to lay in a fetal position and try to cover my neck and my feet because I was cold with my cambodian scarf. The turbulence was a little bad on the way to Kuala Lumpar. An australian girl that was sitting behind me would often move and sit on the aisle seat in my row. She was a little scared of the turbulence, but so was I. I just grabbed her hand to tell her everything was going to be ok. Me assuring her was comforting for me just as much as it might have been for her.
I arrived in KL at 5am and with my luck, I met a nice guy that works at the British Consulate in Kathmandu. He and I will meet up in a few months. I always love the ackward body language before you speak to someone that you really want to talk to. You look behind them but are trying to look at them, you catch them looking at you, but you don't want to acknowledge that they are looking at you. He noticed my Korean snacks and from there we were instant friends for.... 10 minutes. Unfortunately, I had to leave the transfer line and exit customs to get my bag. Thanks to facebook and email, I have another friend now that I can meet up with again and someone who is knowledgeable about travelling in India. Yeah!
After exiting customs at 5:30am, I waited around until 12pm at the .....Starbucks(a guilty confessional)....and checked my email and people watched. If only I could take pictures of EVERY person I would like to. I loved seeing the Muslim women in their big black gowns and getting a sneak peak of their fashionable denim jeans as they walked past me. Or the Muslim men in their white clothes and their white hats.
My flight left around 3:20 for Kochi. There's no other way to put it but I was scared shitless when I first got on the plane. What the hell was I thinking when I decided to go to India alone? I'm crazy! I searched and searched hoping there would be another Western foreigner on the flight that I could take a bus or auto rickshaw with to find a place to stay. But a nice smile from the man next to me was a comforting and welcoming smile from an Indian that I needed to assure me that I would be ok. His name is Pradeish. Pradeish works in KL and is going home for the first time in a year to to attend an engagement party for his brother that is 30. His brother's marriage is arranged, and most likely Pradeish's marriage will be arranged too. Afterall, he's 27. His time is coming.
He explained to me that Indian people do not have family names like me. His last name is his father's first name. Interesting, eh? He also explained to me the time difference. If its 10am in Idia, It's 11:30pm in Texas. why is it off by 30 minutes? It has something to do with Japan, the British and the 1980s. If I remember to, I'll google and search for the explanation.
The only other westerner on the flight was sitting a row behind me to the left. Rob is an Australian with like minded philosophies of living and enjoying life. I was first nervous to speak to him too but he asked to borrow my pen to fill out his immigration forms. Whew, the pressure to speak to him was off my shoulders. He's coming back to India for his second time to go stay in a community in Kerala where a woman that everyone calls "Amma"(mother in Hindi) who gives people hugs, she sings and makes everyone feel better. Here's the website if you're interested in reading more about Matha Amrithanandamayi and her cause- www.amritapuri.org. He will stay there for maybe 6 months and probably tour around India with her. Rob really is an amazing person and is receiving the positive energy back that he puts out around him. I hope I get to visit him and Amma through my journey in Kerala.
So far the meals have been amazing and I'm getting used to the challenge of eating with my right hand. I had a smoke with Rob and I wasn't sure if I should hold my chai with my right hand...and my cigarette. Ah, I will learn. And the head wobble. I have already found the wobble very comforting and endearing. My goal is by the end of my trip in India to master the head wobble.
Peace and Love from Ernakulum, Kerala.
My pal, Pradeish from the flight. We're at the Ernakulum South Railway Station.
The line the day before Onam at the Railway station.
For some reason Restaurants are called Hotels...
I arrived in KL at 5am and with my luck, I met a nice guy that works at the British Consulate in Kathmandu. He and I will meet up in a few months. I always love the ackward body language before you speak to someone that you really want to talk to. You look behind them but are trying to look at them, you catch them looking at you, but you don't want to acknowledge that they are looking at you. He noticed my Korean snacks and from there we were instant friends for.... 10 minutes. Unfortunately, I had to leave the transfer line and exit customs to get my bag. Thanks to facebook and email, I have another friend now that I can meet up with again and someone who is knowledgeable about travelling in India. Yeah!
After exiting customs at 5:30am, I waited around until 12pm at the .....Starbucks(a guilty confessional)....and checked my email and people watched. If only I could take pictures of EVERY person I would like to. I loved seeing the Muslim women in their big black gowns and getting a sneak peak of their fashionable denim jeans as they walked past me. Or the Muslim men in their white clothes and their white hats.
My flight left around 3:20 for Kochi. There's no other way to put it but I was scared shitless when I first got on the plane. What the hell was I thinking when I decided to go to India alone? I'm crazy! I searched and searched hoping there would be another Western foreigner on the flight that I could take a bus or auto rickshaw with to find a place to stay. But a nice smile from the man next to me was a comforting and welcoming smile from an Indian that I needed to assure me that I would be ok. His name is Pradeish. Pradeish works in KL and is going home for the first time in a year to to attend an engagement party for his brother that is 30. His brother's marriage is arranged, and most likely Pradeish's marriage will be arranged too. Afterall, he's 27. His time is coming.
He explained to me that Indian people do not have family names like me. His last name is his father's first name. Interesting, eh? He also explained to me the time difference. If its 10am in Idia, It's 11:30pm in Texas. why is it off by 30 minutes? It has something to do with Japan, the British and the 1980s. If I remember to, I'll google and search for the explanation.
The only other westerner on the flight was sitting a row behind me to the left. Rob is an Australian with like minded philosophies of living and enjoying life. I was first nervous to speak to him too but he asked to borrow my pen to fill out his immigration forms. Whew, the pressure to speak to him was off my shoulders. He's coming back to India for his second time to go stay in a community in Kerala where a woman that everyone calls "Amma"(mother in Hindi) who gives people hugs, she sings and makes everyone feel better. Here's the website if you're interested in reading more about Matha Amrithanandamayi and her cause- www.amritapuri.org. He will stay there for maybe 6 months and probably tour around India with her. Rob really is an amazing person and is receiving the positive energy back that he puts out around him. I hope I get to visit him and Amma through my journey in Kerala.
So far the meals have been amazing and I'm getting used to the challenge of eating with my right hand. I had a smoke with Rob and I wasn't sure if I should hold my chai with my right hand...and my cigarette. Ah, I will learn. And the head wobble. I have already found the wobble very comforting and endearing. My goal is by the end of my trip in India to master the head wobble.
Peace and Love from Ernakulum, Kerala.
Global Village
Already in India but here's a post of my videos from GV.
Yes, I made these awesome videos!!
Yes, I made these awesome videos!!
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