Tuesday, April 21, 2009
India in a nutshell.
This was a journal entry I am using for the sake of time. Hope it’s of some redeeming value and not just a rant…
Crickets, roosters, birds, cars in the distance, something resembling a gunshot, far off chants, the murmur of voices, fish splashing, boats on water, running water, the wind weaving amongst the palm leaves are all sounds of this morning here on the Backwaters outside the small town of Alleppey. All this as the stillness that was, has been brought to life as the sunrises over rice fields that are back dropped by mist-hidden palms. Across the water are more palms standing tall as children make their way to school.
Kerela (the province), in the midst of a rather male dominated India has emerged as a matrilineal society where not only are women educated and literate to the same degree as men (91% literacy in Kerela versus the 48.3% in the rest of India) but as its title goes—everything is passed through the mother. This may not seem like anything to fascinating but you have to remember that this is a country where there are still an unsettling number of cases of female infanticide.
An elder women just past our boat, her cloths worn dirty by numerous days of use. She pulled a stick from a palm tree and proceeded to pick at and clean her teeth. It looks as though this is an enjoyed part of here morning routine.
Kerela referred to as the Venice of the East, is known by its residents as “Gods Own Country,” and I think we are quickly discovering why. After a doted on flight from Chennai to Kochi, the newly paved streets and relative to Chennai, manageable, were a welcomed change from my only memories of India from our past visits here. The people have been nothing but friendly. Seriously people seem genuine, gracious and this radiates through their magnificent smiles and twinkling eyes. When we boarded the “houseboat” (I cringe each time I say that word…I think it is a form of denial, I hate admitting that I’ve spent my time in India house boating—but I’m pretty confident that its on its way to being so much more than just that) we were adorned with leis of jasmine, handed fresh coconut juice straight from a coconut and a plate of fried plantains. My guilt of this experience is more or less a continuation of what I feel about Semester at Sea in general. My privilege allows me to “cruise” this world, leaving my comfort zone only when desired, while in the mean time I am able to live extravagantly. Then I proceed to consider myself cultured for seeing people live differently than myself. But I’m searching for a way to come to terms with this gap in standards of living. After all these kids we pass bathing in the murky water, the couple who paddled by in their wood carved, rice filled canoe radiated complete satisfaction. Maybe they know something that I don’t, in fact it’s pretty evident they do. My goal is to learn from the smiles, actions and interactions I have in the coming days. With the hope that it will not only make my time on the ship better (I’ve struggled finding a place I feel myself, which has left me unhappy—a feeling that then perpetuates guilt as I am after all, GOING AROUND THE WORLD) and ultimately something I can carry with me for the rest of my life. I am hopeful for sure and feel good about things as these next few days are due to be meditative by nature.
Meditative it was. Our days on the house boat were lovely. Our only really task was to be ready to eat three amazing meals a day prepared for us by our cook Apachy.
In old Fort Kochi, the boys and I spent a night and day exploring this old fishing town…
I was eager to jump out of bed at the earliest hour that seemed reasonable today. For our stay last night at the Taj Mahal, a rather low-end-home stay, sans a/c or mosquito netting, left something to be desired…most notably a good nights sleep. I was delegated to a mat the floor due to the fact that I was the one who finally gave into staying here as our friendly but rather pushy taxi driver Salim declared it a respectable place on the terms that it was family run, “ They have child, good people!” he assured us. The boys sleep on twin beds that were a precious 3 feet closer to the fan, that although it was just circulating the muggy air, it was a hot commodity and more for the assurance that it was “trying” to make our sleep more comfortable, that actually doing anything. But alas, we made it through. And despite how I might sound my moral is high, I am sticking to the A.P.I (assume positive intent) that our Executive Dean Les McCabe has so adamantly stuck in out brains. Because after all, I am in India!
I am sitting now on a rock piling watching Fort Kochi come to life as crows flock around the lungi (skirt wraps) adorned men as they bring in their fishing nets that have been collecting fish from these murky brown waters all night long. They sky is becoming a hint of orange as we await the sun and another warm day on the Southwestern coast of India. We are going to go research a yoga class for today as well as map out our route for ferrying into the new town to sari shop, see a movie and ultimately make our way to the International airport of Kochi. So farewell as I embark on another uncomfortable sweaty day on crowed streets with dirty feet but forever grateful for this experience made worthwhile by the smiling and wonderful people that we meet.
16:22pm
Now, we’ve managed to make it this far through the day, still alive and shopping strong…At least the boys are. I am quickly expiring. I’ve just attempted to tuck myself away in a coffee shop “COFFEE BEANZ” that the boys and I found as a nice refuge last night with its blasting air conditioning. We also migrated to one earlier today in a different part of town. SO as I come in here this afternoon, my first moment of solitude (if you can call it that, this is India after all) and I am recognized not only by the employees here from yesterday but also by a man who saw Peter, Mike and I at the other location this morning AND the man who runs the adjoining bookstore. They all flock and greet me. I wish I could be more excited to see them or receptive in the least, but I am not. I am hot, tired and agitated. I do my best to give them a smile but quickly defer conversation by pulling out my journal and pen. And here I am.
Crickets, roosters, birds, cars in the distance, something resembling a gunshot, far off chants, the murmur of voices, fish splashing, boats on water, running water, the wind weaving amongst the palm leaves are all sounds of this morning here on the Backwaters outside the small town of Alleppey. All this as the stillness that was, has been brought to life as the sunrises over rice fields that are back dropped by mist-hidden palms. Across the water are more palms standing tall as children make their way to school.
Kerela (the province), in the midst of a rather male dominated India has emerged as a matrilineal society where not only are women educated and literate to the same degree as men (91% literacy in Kerela versus the 48.3% in the rest of India) but as its title goes—everything is passed through the mother. This may not seem like anything to fascinating but you have to remember that this is a country where there are still an unsettling number of cases of female infanticide.
An elder women just past our boat, her cloths worn dirty by numerous days of use. She pulled a stick from a palm tree and proceeded to pick at and clean her teeth. It looks as though this is an enjoyed part of here morning routine.
Kerela referred to as the Venice of the East, is known by its residents as “Gods Own Country,” and I think we are quickly discovering why. After a doted on flight from Chennai to Kochi, the newly paved streets and relative to Chennai, manageable, were a welcomed change from my only memories of India from our past visits here. The people have been nothing but friendly. Seriously people seem genuine, gracious and this radiates through their magnificent smiles and twinkling eyes. When we boarded the “houseboat” (I cringe each time I say that word…I think it is a form of denial, I hate admitting that I’ve spent my time in India house boating—but I’m pretty confident that its on its way to being so much more than just that) we were adorned with leis of jasmine, handed fresh coconut juice straight from a coconut and a plate of fried plantains. My guilt of this experience is more or less a continuation of what I feel about Semester at Sea in general. My privilege allows me to “cruise” this world, leaving my comfort zone only when desired, while in the mean time I am able to live extravagantly. Then I proceed to consider myself cultured for seeing people live differently than myself. But I’m searching for a way to come to terms with this gap in standards of living. After all these kids we pass bathing in the murky water, the couple who paddled by in their wood carved, rice filled canoe radiated complete satisfaction. Maybe they know something that I don’t, in fact it’s pretty evident they do. My goal is to learn from the smiles, actions and interactions I have in the coming days. With the hope that it will not only make my time on the ship better (I’ve struggled finding a place I feel myself, which has left me unhappy—a feeling that then perpetuates guilt as I am after all, GOING AROUND THE WORLD) and ultimately something I can carry with me for the rest of my life. I am hopeful for sure and feel good about things as these next few days are due to be meditative by nature.
Meditative it was. Our days on the house boat were lovely. Our only really task was to be ready to eat three amazing meals a day prepared for us by our cook Apachy.
In old Fort Kochi, the boys and I spent a night and day exploring this old fishing town…
I was eager to jump out of bed at the earliest hour that seemed reasonable today. For our stay last night at the Taj Mahal, a rather low-end-home stay, sans a/c or mosquito netting, left something to be desired…most notably a good nights sleep. I was delegated to a mat the floor due to the fact that I was the one who finally gave into staying here as our friendly but rather pushy taxi driver Salim declared it a respectable place on the terms that it was family run, “ They have child, good people!” he assured us. The boys sleep on twin beds that were a precious 3 feet closer to the fan, that although it was just circulating the muggy air, it was a hot commodity and more for the assurance that it was “trying” to make our sleep more comfortable, that actually doing anything. But alas, we made it through. And despite how I might sound my moral is high, I am sticking to the A.P.I (assume positive intent) that our Executive Dean Les McCabe has so adamantly stuck in out brains. Because after all, I am in India!
I am sitting now on a rock piling watching Fort Kochi come to life as crows flock around the lungi (skirt wraps) adorned men as they bring in their fishing nets that have been collecting fish from these murky brown waters all night long. They sky is becoming a hint of orange as we await the sun and another warm day on the Southwestern coast of India. We are going to go research a yoga class for today as well as map out our route for ferrying into the new town to sari shop, see a movie and ultimately make our way to the International airport of Kochi. So farewell as I embark on another uncomfortable sweaty day on crowed streets with dirty feet but forever grateful for this experience made worthwhile by the smiling and wonderful people that we meet.
16:22pm
Now, we’ve managed to make it this far through the day, still alive and shopping strong…At least the boys are. I am quickly expiring. I’ve just attempted to tuck myself away in a coffee shop “COFFEE BEANZ” that the boys and I found as a nice refuge last night with its blasting air conditioning. We also migrated to one earlier today in a different part of town. SO as I come in here this afternoon, my first moment of solitude (if you can call it that, this is India after all) and I am recognized not only by the employees here from yesterday but also by a man who saw Peter, Mike and I at the other location this morning AND the man who runs the adjoining bookstore. They all flock and greet me. I wish I could be more excited to see them or receptive in the least, but I am not. I am hot, tired and agitated. I do my best to give them a smile but quickly defer conversation by pulling out my journal and pen. And here I am.
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