FAREWELL TO INDIA..FOR NOW

Today is our last day in India...We leave very late or very early, depending on how you view 2:35 a.m. Last night we had a farewell dinner, in which I and 3 friends sported our newly purchased saris. It was a blast to have the hotel staff come to our rooms and help us dress, and I think they enjoyed our Beatles renditions as well. It was a bit like prom, without the guys along. We had to say good-bye to many newly made friends of the USIEFI staff and begin saying good-bye to one of the most remarkable people I met here, our tour guide and general life-saver, Gagan. It was bittersweet, as most people are beginning to think about the jobs they have waiting for them on Monday, and yet realizing how many friendships we have cultivated in these past few weeks. Living in a university town has made me more used to this type of leave taking than some others, but it's still not the most pleasant part of travel.

This morning I went with 3 friends to visit the Gandhi Museum in Delhi. It was inspiring and humbling, and his message to the right is one of the messages I'd like to close my blog with, because I think it says it all.

The second message, in lieu of a Hindu deity story (I'm going to wait until I get back to the states to award contest awards, so there is still time) is a severe oversimplification of Hindu philosophy that I think speaks to the value of travel, to seeing the "us" in others, and affirming that unity. Yesterday at our debriefing session an eloquent art historian told this quite beautifullly.

In the beginning, there was nothing. Then there was a rhythm, and the rhythm was an ocean. Everything came from that ocean, all flora, all fauna, everything. Our only salvation is to get back to the ocean. The day I realize there is no difference between you or I, and that god is within each of us equally, that day I can say I've got my salvation. That is the one truth. We all come from the same source, and will return to the same ocean. You make take as long as you want to reach salvation, and take any path you like, such as yoga, or intelluctualism, or service, or devotion. It's up to you. However, the only truth is that we are all equal and god is equally within us all.

Thank you for taking this journey with me. I have posted some last photos (see link below), and will post more video when I return to the states.

NAMASTE

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39413808@N05/sets/72157621835832689/

THE TAJ MAHAL

When I sat in my 7th grade geography class so many years ago in small town Iowa, I remember seeing a picture of the Taj Mahal in our textbook, and wondering what it must be like, who built it, where the country was, and being mystified by its beauty. I didn't have the imagination to think I would ever see it in person, but I was never very good at looking in to the future. I must say, however, the real thing did not dissapoint, and the privledge of the moment was not lost on me. I wish I could thank my parents for all they did to make it possible for me to have had the opportunity.

Pictures are a much better way for me to relay the Taj Mahal, so here’s the website to the photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39413808@N05/sets/72157621960123350/
BTW: There are photos for 4 separate edifices/complexes. They are separated in the set by MONKEYS, so when you see a monkey, the site is changing.The first batch is of Fatehpur Sikri, built in the 2nd half of the 16th century by Akbar the Great (actually Akbar means great, so he’s Great Squared). This was the capital of the Mughal Empire for about 10 years. This is a World Heritage Site.

The second building you probably recognize….The Taj Mahal was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as the final resting place for his favorite Queen Mumtaz. It took 22 years to complete and 22,000 workers.
The third building is Itmad-uh-daula’s Tomb, also sometimes known as Baby Taj. It is built entirely of marble as well, and built in 1628. Although the scale of this is far less grand than the Taj Mahal, the exterior of this building is far more ornate, with semi precious stoned inlayed all over the building. GORGEOUS.

The fourth building is Agra Fort, also built by Akbar the Great, although work continued on it for 2 more generations. Here one son imprisoned his father, the current king, so he could take over his job, but he built his dad a lovely white jail with a great view of the Taj Mahal in which to spend the last 8 or so years of his life, so it wasn't all bad.
We came to Jaipur last night via train, and will be seeing the Pink City, as it is known, for the next 2 days. It’s less humid here, so that’s a welcome relief. Enjoy the pictures, and I hope everyone who has the urge to see this place someday will.

Back to Hindu Deity work... First, I hope everyone is working on the God/Goddess contest entries; thanks to AK for her entry; I concur with the arms idea. I've failed to write about one of the big 3, Lord Brahma, except to explain why there are few temples dedicated to his honor, so let's talk his virtues for a change. Brahma is the creator of the world and all living things, and wisely thought to create a beautiful woman, known as Saraswati (a personal favorite we've discussed before). Sarasvati was shy, and grew tired of Brahma's constant gaze, so she tried to hide from him. But each way she turned, Brahams sprouted a head so he could always watch her. Now THAT'S over protective. In addition to his 4 heads, he sports 4 arms which are busy grooming his 4 long beards. He carries no weapon, but he does keep a carafe of water with him, which symbolizes the source of life. Brahma is also keeper of the holy Vedas, and each of his faces is thought to represent one of them.. Although he has 4 faces, you can usually only see 3, since one is watching what's going on behind him. Tricky fellow...teachers could use that extra set of eyes....

TOP 10-20 FOODS, FOOD GROUPS, OR MEALS IN INDIA

Here it is....not short and sweet, perhaps, but long and sweet and salty and sour and spicy, and all of it delicious. India has one of the most regionally distintive, delicious, complex, sophisticated, incredible cuisines in the world, and when I ate my last masala dosa (in country) this morning, I was satiated but left wanting just one more dosa.. I think I shall have to try to learn how to make that delicious shell. On to the list...

YOGURT: ELIXIR of the Gods and savior of my g.i. track. These folks have found new and delicious ways to make this most healthy pro-biotic tempting and addictive. Check out the picture to the left to see the incredible variety of choices for yogurt goodness at one of our hotel’s breakfast buffets. My motto for yogurt consumption was/is “eat early, eat often.” I was able to eat much more highly spiced (cayenne and pepper variety of spice) food than normal because I learned the Indian trick of tempering the heat of a dish with a big dollop of "curd" as it's called here.
MASALA DOSA: Ok, maybe there is an order of sorts to this list, because after yogurt. I sought out this South Indian dish whenever I needed a fall-back delicious treat. Many of the hotels served great ones via room service, and, along with my dear mango lassi, it was a savory meal. For the unlucky, Masala Dosa (always in caps, to signify serious importance) is a thin crepe of sorts (sorry, P, I know this is your specialty and is NOT a crepe, but I’m trying to relate this to the uniformed) which is filled with a well spiced potato filling…. I can’t say enough about it, except that I think I missed the boat not encouraging my South Indian friend P to start a Dosa shop while she was still in Iowa City.
MANGO LASSI: Manna from heaven…. I’ve loved the yogurt/mango drink for years, but had to make my own in Iowa City and rely on the hope that there would be decent mangoes to be had. Here it is omnipresent on menus, and for that, India, I thank you.
MANGOES: King, queen, and ace of the fruit world. Here, however, there is a new level of mango love for me, because there are so many varieties, and it is used in chutneys, salads, drinks, and just about everything else. There was a mango festival outside of Delhi that some of us were hoping to eat our way through, but no time for the hungry during that part of our trip.
10 Course Tasting menu at VEDA. I wrote about this before, so I hope you were paying attention…. If you happen to live in Delhi, make your reservation today. Don’t miss the kulfi, the almond ice cream that has no equal, or anything else on the menu, for that manner. Good company enhanced my meal, but I would have eaten alone there, for the mutton, the shrimp, the flash fried okra, the exquisite tamarind sauce… .
Lunch at DAKSHIN, South Indian restaurant in Chennai. Again, a good friend and fellow good cook greatly enhanced my enjoyment, but I would travel far to taste the 12 banana mini pancake again, as well as some other dishes.
ALL TROPICAL FRUITS: especially the holy trinity of pineapple, mango, and coconut. God knew what she was doing when she created the weather for these to grow in.

MURG TIKKA: Score one for North India! This delectable chicken in curry is always a good idea.
PAPPADUM: This bread-like wonder deserves capital letters. Called pappad in the North, there are several versions, some with cumin seeds or other spices in the black lentil “dough’, others plain. Whichever you get, they are a crispy, tasty treat, often used for scooping up other culinary treats. I think it's made with rice flour, but it could be wheat, or perhaps chick pea flour? P, HELP!
TANDOORI: I didn’t see much of this, but hope to get some at a well known tandoori restaurant in Delhi yet today. It may mean I get less sleep before a 2:30 a.m. departure, but so be it. I had some tandoori chicken a couple of different times in a couple of cities, and it was all good.
RUNNER BEAN DISH IN KOCHIN: Can’t describe it.
FLASH FRIED OKRA: WOW, but still, can’t describe it.

UTTAPUM: a crispy rice and lentil flour dosa *(snack) that is fried but not oily... Go figure. I get this confused with pappadum; one is crispy and spicy and made with a black lentil flour and sometimes baked and other times fried, the other is definitely fried, but not spiced and very crispy, and white. I'll have to come back to get these two distinguished, I think. The important thing is, I know which is which when I see them on my plate.

MASALA: The Hindi word for spices defines what I like best about Indian cooking and eating: The incredible mix and variety of spices available here. It's great fun to make a curry by mixing up 7-8 spices in a grinder, so don't miss the fun if you've yet to experiment with the likes of coriander, cumin, tumeric, mustard seeds, cardamom seeds, cinnamon, clove, etc.

LADOOS: A great word for my favorite food group, sweets. Yesterday in Jaipur we went to LMB, famous for lots of good food, but particularly its sweets. Their sweets involves lots of nuts, dried fruits, and tropical fruits, accompanied by sugar and cream, so what's not to like?

I could go on and on, but that would just make you hungrier, so shut off your computer and go find a local Indian restuarant and experience the real deal. Better yet, get a cookbook and make your own feast. Madhur Jaffery has the best Indian cookbooks on the market in the U.S. on both Indian food in general and, a particular favorite of mine, South Indian snack foods. She has made it easy to be successful, so explore this most delicious of cuisines in your kitchen soon.

A QUIZ AND A CONTEST

Heh, all you competitive types out there, it's time for a contest and a quiz. (Gets me in practice for Halloween.) Following is a quiz to do a comprehension check on your Hindu Deity knowledge, which, if you read all the way to the end of my blogs, you will be able to answer quite handily. Let me know how many you can answer; don't send me the answers, please! You can refer to past blogs to jog your memory!
Part TWO: CONTEST: I've been providing the stories thus far, but, now it's your turn. Here's the prompt:

If you could be one Hindu God or Goddess for a day, who would it be, why would you choose that goddess or god, and what would you do? Be sure to consider (research, perhaps?) what special powers the god holds, as well as their particular job in the cosmos,and answer all 3 parts of the prompt. Post your contest answer in the comments below in the next week and I'll award a winner (real prize, you know me!) when I return to the states. Good luck, and let your creative juices flow!
Now for the quiz:

1. Who’s usually seen with 3 heads, although he really has 4, and used to have 5?
2. Who’s usually sporting a cobra as part of his attire?
3. Who are the 3 gods in the Trimurti?

4. Who are their consorts?

5. Which god is considered the creator?

6. Which is the destoyer?

7. Whose nickname could have been TIGER MOM?
8. Which god is prayed to for clearing all obstacles, and good beginnings?
9. Which goddess is associated with prosperity, and consequently many businesses bear her name in the title?
10. Which god has few temples dedicated to him as a result of his bluffing?
11. Who sports a necklace of human skulls and is usually seen with blood dripping from her tongue, although she’s really nice once you get to know her?
12. Who is the goddess of education?
13. Whose vehicle is a tiger?
14. Whose vehicle is a mouse?
15. Which god has 10 incarnations or avatars? (BONUS: Which are the 3 most auspicious?)
16. Which god has this month dedicated to him, and his followers can (sometimes) be seen dressed in orange with horizontal lines drawn on their forehead?
17. The followers of this god sometimes sport a footprint drawn on their forehead.

18. Who is the goddess at the top of this blog (see clip art) and what does her iconography tell about her attributes?

OUT OF CHAOS, ORDER

Following is an essay I wrote as part of a group report of our trip. It's a little longer than most blogs, and more formal in nature, so you might want to take it in small doses. I put a great god story at the end if you want to skip to that! BTW, I have posted lots of new pics, and here's the FLICR URL to take you to several sets: http://www.flickr.com/photos/39413808@N05/sets/72157621776442737/

“Every 10 kilometers in India the taste of water and the language changes.”
As we observed the daily verbal interactions of the Indian population, it became quickly apparent that languages are no exception to the complex plurality that is India. Because language is the transmitter of culture, what then does that say about India at large….are there many cultures, or one, or, the ultimate Indian conundrum, many AND one? In a country where the Urdu speaking (Muslim) population has more in common linguistically with its neighbor Pakistan than the rest of India, how does India remain united?
In an attempt to reach a conclusion, let us consider three pieces of the linguistic puzzle:
1. regional language diversity
2. Indian English, and
3. the paralinguistic
It is not an overstatement to say India has an unparalleled diversity in its linguistic identity. Hindi, the national language of India, is spoken by roughly half a billion people, but there are 23 official languages, and 1,600 dialects. We often saw signs written in 3 languages, people switching with great ease from their mother tongues to English to a third or fourth language, and a churches offering 5 masses daily: one in Hindi, one each in Tamil and Malayalam (in a neighborhood where many southern Indians settled), one in English, and one in Bengali, as a nod to the local language of the area. Schools we visited also reflect the nation’s intricacy linguistic tapestry, with some offering English as the medium of instruction, others beginning instruction in the local language, while still others offered dual language programs. Coming from a country that is still struggling with accepting the fact that it has a second language, I found this flexibility admirable.

The imminent question in response to all these languages is how do Indians who travel from region to region communicate with one another? Although India has legitimate complaints about several aspects of the British colonial rule and the missionaries in the south, they did offer one gift that has proved invaluable: English as a unifying force for the country. The fact that this incredibly diverse country has a common language appears to unite the country in a way other cultural aspects may not. The levels of English proficiency one hears from city to city and person to person vary, but in the places we traveled we found there was usually someone who spoke enough English to facilitate communication. Furthermore, because English is still the hegemon of languages, it seems a propitious choice as the national language of unity. Indeed, Dr. Assema Sinha of the University of Wisconsin listed the fact that India is an English speaking country as one of the main reasons the country has seen the dramatic economic growth rate of the last 15 years.
During our time here, I did some informal field work on the dialectical differences between American English and Indian English. I observed interesting variants at both the semantic and syntactic level. In addition to the troublesome v/w phonemic distinction, there is a use of the present progressive in Indian English that is not allowed in American English (“Some of you are having it!”), and the occasional lexical item that is amusing to American ears and recognizable as a British import (“I told him he would jolly well follow our rules…..”) I also observed several pronunciation differences and styles between the 2 Englishes that sometimes provided us an exercise in careful listening. Dr. Suresh, Chennai archeologist and local historian, describes the Indian way of thinking regarding accents as follows: “Indians can only understand each other if we speak very quickly. We enjoy the up and down of the sound. Because we learn English after our mother tongue, we mix things up a bit, and our accents are different by region, but nobody cares.”

As Professor Goswami of Delhi told us, there is no substitute for experience. As I did further field study on the particularly Indian paralinguistic phenomenon known to outsiders as the head bobble, that experience served to further confuse and amuse me. The head bobble, for those who haven’t had the pleasure of observing it, looks part like the person is wagging her/his head, part like they are tracing a graceful figure 8. It is a very agreeable head gesture, idiosyncratic in its use, and very difficult to decipher. I noticed early in our trip when I asked a question, I often received a response in the form of a head bobble. Was that a yes, or a no, or somewhere in between? Intrigued by the use of this paralinguistic phenomenon, I began to document its use. There was the obvious yes, and then no, and the uniquely Indian response, always accompanied by a head bobble: “I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter, everything’s fine.” I would get a head bobble when I asked “Is ___ possible?” or “Can I _______?” It was used to signal pleasure, agreement, emphatic agreement (more animated bobbling), deferment, acceptance to a proposition, encouragement, mild displeasure, and so much more. The head bobble unaccompanied by words can be well nigh impossible for the outsider to comprehend, which, in the end, I concluded may say a lot about the Indian polite response to impossible requests through deflection via inscrutability. It is yet another unifier for the country, as I observed during our travels many interactions where there were more head bobbles than words.

So what’s the conclusion? Does India more resemble the Tower of Babble or The United Nations without the simultaneous translations? Perhaps a little of both. To borrow the meaning of a symbol of India, the swastika, perhaps out of the (linguistic) chaos comes order.

For Hindu deity work, let’s turn to Kali. Kali, called the “Black One” is said to have shot from Durga’s forehead when the goddess was in a protective rage, so she takes the form of Durga at her most terrifying. (To me that seems a redundancy, but whatever.) She has four arms, a third red eye, and a belt made of human hands. In one hand she carries the head of a demon, in 2 others, her weapons of destruction -- a sickle and a sword. To complete the ensemble she wears a necklace made of skulls. She sends fairly clear visual messages regarding her fierceness level, doesn’t she? She is the goddess of time, although she’s often mistaken as the goddess of death because of her black and dark appearance (wonder why anyone would make that connection???) She is thought to end our illusions and free us from the cycle of karma by bring us liberation from our bodies. She is responsible for making sure that all things die in order to continue the cycle of life, but she also works part-time at making sure everyone gets the measles and mumps so their bodies can be stronger to fight other germs. Apparently she hadn’t heard of vaccinations.

TURNING THE WHEEL OF LAW

Yesterday afternoon we visited Sarnoth, or Deer Park as it is known to some, the place where the Buddha gave his first sermon, called “Turning the Wheel of Law”. In that sacred spot he talked about 3 things:
Following the middle path (moderation in all things)
the 4 noble truths
1. life is suffering
2. there are reasons for the suffering
3. freedom from suffering is possible
4. follow the 8-fold path to liberate yourself from suffering
The 8 fold path
1. Right speech
2. Right action
3. Right means of livelihood
4. Right effort
5. Right meditation
6. Right minded
7. Right resolution
8. Right point of view
The first 3 involve physical control, the next 3 mental balance, and the last 2 intellectual development. I have to say that even typing these wonderful sentiments make me feel like a huge failure as a human being, so I wonder why Buddhists appear so happy all the time instead of hugely depressed. Seriously, there was a great calm about the place, with monks meditating on the grassy lawn, and lovely green gardens and trees lining the walks. BTW, all the Buddhists in the reading group, PLEASE respond with any corrections or additions to my very basic retelling of the sermon; BJ and S, I expect you to be my editors on all things Buddhist. We also visited the oldest MODERN Buddhist temple in India (made in 1931) about 1 K from Sarnoth. It is the oldest one because Muslim invaders destroyed all the temples with each of their invasions, as well as the British. Not so nice… We saw a famous 3rd century sculpture of Buddha at the Sarnoth Museum which emanated a peaceful yet powerful calm. It was a peaceful afternoon and I wished my friend B.J. could have walked with me and enhanced my enjoyment of the experience. All these religions seem to co-exist fairly peacefully, although there was a bombing of the sacred Golden Temple by Muslim extremists, and the occasional conflict which scarcity of resources helps foment around the world. This park is the summer home of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and he made an excellent choice in digs. Inside the modern temple were beautiful paintings of the life of Siddartha/Buddha, and I will post photos of most of them today *(if electricity is having a good day in Varanasi). I leave you with the wishes from the sign I saw when leaving the temple:

Early Morning Boat Ride on the Ganges

VERY early….4:45 a.m. early. The sun is still sleeping, but we’re not. We have a guide and boat and a date with Mother Ganga. We’re sailing down the river in order to see all the religious ways this holiest of cities wakes up.Varanasi is the epicenter of 3 of India’s religions, Buddhism, Jainism, and Hinduism. As such it is a pilgrimage destination for millions of people each year. Varanasi, also known as Benares, is treated as an embodied divine, and millions view it as their cultural destiny. The River Ganges is viewed as a divine spirit as well, similar to the symbiotic yet divine attitude of First Nations toward nature. The river is a unifying force of this very religiously diverse area, and is a national deity. 3-4 THOUSAND people a day have a “living relationship” with the river. Hindus believe in the power of DARSHAN, eye to eye contact with a god, and so they desire to see, to bathe in, and be one with Mother Ganga.
As we descended the ghats (literally steps in Hindi) there were some early bird Shiviites performing their morning puja with incense and the holy lamps and bells. See short video clip attached for the real deal.
As we began our journey, we learned from our guide that there are 84 such ghats (series of steps leading to the river) along the shores of Mother Ganga in the city of Varanasi. Above the ghats are an assortment of palaces (from the Moghuls, or other rich people who wanted their private place to approach the river), Hindu temples, Jain temples, and all other things imaginable. There are 5 particularly important ghats, and some are solely cremation ghats. The River Ganges is the holiest of rivers, in the holiest of cities, so several thousand pilgrims (and many cows) arrive here daily to bathe in the river, perform a ritual by taking some water from the river and sprinkling small drops at one of the 3,000 Hindu shrines or temples in the city. The cows are just along for the ride, however; I’ve not seen any cows taking a dip. (See pic to the left.) As a side note, it’s worth mentioning that this city, which is 38% Muslim (as opposed to the 11% nationally), also has 1,400 Muslim shrines and mosques, 12 churches, 3 Jain temples, 9 Buddhist temples, and 5 Sikh temples. Varanasi, also known as Benares, is the United Nations of religious cites. In addition, this is Lord Shiva’s city (can’t remember how this became his hometown) and this is Shiva month, so there are extra people in town. Rather like a Big 10 Football Saturday in Iowa City, with the traffic and out-of-towners. However, it’s much calmer than other cities we’ve been in, and I think perhaps all the sacred cows roaming the streets does something to calm the traffic….a bit.We got off the boat when we arrived at the cremation ghat, with all its wood piles and places for the closest relative to get his head shaved. We walked behind the scenes, as it were, to the alley behind the ghats, and saw shops for buying shrouds, shops for buying the bamboo stretchers for bodies, and a great garam masala shop. Of the 3, I just bought the garam masala. There were shrines or temples at every turn, with people performing pujas at each. Many people take a water vessel to the river, fill it, and then go from shrine to shrine in the city sprinkling a drop or two on each. I thought the stations of the cross were a big deal as a kid, but this level of devotion makes it pale in comparison. We visited the area of one of the most holy of the Hindu temples, a Shiva Temple, and were only allowed access to the outside, which still entailed a severe frisking by armed guards at the entrance. It is heavily guarded after a terrorist bombing a few years back.
We got back on the boats and floated back down the river, this time to larger crowds who were performing morning pujas as well as others daily living chores such as laundry, bathing, and all their body function needs. The pollution of the Ganges is a huge problem, and later that morning we visited a man who is heading up local efforts to clean it up. He told a tale of politics, bureaucracy and broken promises which was perplexing, to say the least. He is a hydrolic engineer by training who has identified a 3 point plan for cleaning the river which includes stopping industrial waste, stopping human sewage from entering the river (all the sewage of Varanasi currently is directly dumped into the river) and natural treatment plants so the water can be reused. I’ve been drinking bottled water since I got to India, but I stayed very clear of Mother Ganga’s “water”. Interestingly, later that day we had a local guide, a university professor religion, who gave us his opinion about this man’s efforts, or lack of efforts. He described him as a money machine who has gotten millions and done very little to nothing. I think we need to talk to a third person to get yet another opinion! It was a very instructive morning, and nothing substitutes for the experience of seeing all the varied activities that draw so many to this holy water.

Oh, Kolkata!

As our bus pulled up in front of our hotel, the dark clouds unburdened themselves with firm resolve. Basically, it started raining cats and dogs. We sat in the bus, looked at the crowds hovering under the awnings and the traffic slowed in respect to the wet onslaught, and we all took a deep breath. We were in Kalkuta, the city we’d been warned about, the city of intense heat, intense traffic, and intense population, the city whose name has been jokingly said to be a synonym for chaos. After spending a brief 3 days here, I’m not sure that guy was joking. It’s been a overwhelming, stressful, at times troubling few days, trying to emotionally balance the scent of the jasmine oil in the lobby of our opulent hotel with the stench of the rotting garbage one smells when walking down many extremely crowded streets. Apparently the stalls on the sidewalks are all illegal, but allowed because of police kickbacks, the result of which is that walking the sidewalks of Kolkata is much like walking a gauntlet, with hawkers of wares and beggars constantly assaulting you every step of the very crowded sidewalk. (Did I mention it was extremely crowded?) I’ve been in throngs of hawkers before where I was the object of their pleading (“Mam, just five minutes in my store, PLEASE?”), the old Silk Market of Beijing (pre-Olympic clean up) and the local market née wildhouse behind the Zócalo in Mexico City, but this is quite different. For starters, there are vehicles of every kind in the mix. There is seldom room in the small side streets for anyone to actually access the sidewalks, so to start with, you’re on the street. There are auto rickshaws, motorcycles, the occasional automobile (ALWAYS honking the horn, BTW) and several hundred pedestrians trying to make their way up or down the street. It was like the ultimate multi-tasking assignment: walk down the “street”, fend off the vendors, keep your belongings close, watch for traffic of all manner from both directions, ignore the beggars who are pinching your arm or stepping on your feet on purpose, and try not to lose the other people you are walking with. I have to gird my loins (mentally) every time I leave the jasmine oil smell and the black wrought iron gate of our hotel, and I find I’m irritated at myself for my timidity. That’s until I check in with other Americans who seem quite adaptable, and they are equally paled by the experience. I hope you get the picture, because I was never comfortable enough walking to pull out my camera and snap a photo.
Perhaps this is as good a time as any to write about begging. I don’t have a lot to say, except that people who live here don’t agree on what to do either, so I’m certainly not going to make sense of it in my short time here. I have heard very compassionate people say they firmly believe begging is a business here, and there are reports to that effect. There are some governmental initiatives to take beggars off the streets and give them jobs, but one report I heard said they don’t remain on the jobs but prefer to return to begging. I struggle to see parents (and often, by all accounts, the long arm of organized crime) using children to beg when it seems quite wrong to me. Perhaps I just don’t have the cultural tools to make sense of it, but yesterday when a little boy was following me, pinching my arm and stepping on my feet, I can honestly say I wanted to take him firmly in hand and find his mom and dad and reform that practice within that family immediately. I felt equal parts sad and indignant, and quickly went into teacher think (“…This child needs a core virtue plan and a note home to his parents.”) …Were it so easy to fix....
Finally, yesterday afternoon we visited the Missionaries of Charity. For those of you who might not know, this is a religious society founded by Mother Teresa, whose main aim is to serve the sick, poor, need, and discarded of society. The society now has houses on every continent and in most of the countries of the world. At the house in Kalkuta, Mother Theresa’s home base, there was a crowded museum, a chapel with a mass going on, and her small room where she slept and died. Seeing her few possessions and reading about her incredible life of service was humbling and awe inspiring. A colleague here says there is a recently published book about the inexplicable power some people have to galvanize and move thousands of people, and I assume she’s one of the prime examples. It was a cleansing, uplifting experience after the troubling walk through the street. How she was able to find the courage to continue to serve the “poorest of the Poor” is certainly beyond my comprehension.

In Hindu deity news, it’s Shiva Month! When we were walking along Mother Ganga (otherwise boringly referred to as the River Ganges) we happened onto a group of Shiva worshippers who were making a pilgrimage via busses to several Shiva temples during this auspicious time. They were dressed in orange (Shiva’s color), and bathing in the river (don’t worry, P, I didn’t even dip my toe in, per your wise recommendation). They were a motley crew that had taken a month and a half off their jobs to perform this feat to honor their favorite god. So let’s talk Shiva. He is one of the oldest gods, and plays many roles. He is a devout mediator and yogi, a cosmic dancer, and is the god of destruction, transformation, and regeneration. I’m glad to hear he includes the last 2 parts of his job description, or I would be inclined to think that destruction piece is something he should work on. Snakes and deer are often associated with Shiva because they are able to shed their skin or antlers. Shiva usually sports a trident, the 3 tines which represent the creation, protection, and destruction of the universe. He’s not all business, however, because he’s also seen with a drum. Remember also he’s one of the BIG 3. Between all that meditating and yoga and destroying and regenerating, he’s a very busy Hindude.

You're Gonna Learn to Love Us!

Peace begins with a smile.
Mother Theresa

We’ve all heard the term Ugly American used to refer to the stereotypical demanding, loud, money tossing, culturally insensitive (OK, enough, right?) caricature. It hurts, but we’ve all seen examples of parts of that non-existent person. Part of my mission on this trip is to create positive vibes towards America (it’s a long road back from the Bush years), and I believe strongly in the short, people-to-people exchanges such as these I’ve had as a way to get the vibe started.
*A friendly wave from our bus to some laborers in the back of a pick-up
*A cab ride that involves singing and joking with the cab driver
*A two minute interaction with a curious stranger in a cue for the ATM
*Tea with a friendly tailor while sharing family photos and chat
*Joking with wait staff at our hotels, and sharing tea from America (there’s the tea again!)
*Sharing a roof and a laugh during a monsoon downpour

I know these seem like small, unimportant exchanges, but we can’t all be Hillary (as much as I might like to be!). The USIEFI people have done an excellent job of setting up interaction opportunities for us, but the smaller chance interactions can be powerful as well, because many of the Indians I’m interacting with daily aren’t going to meet Hillary anyway. Indians have been immediately friendly and curious about their pale visitors, and frequently give us a shout out to Obama (POTUS, if you’re secretly reading this blog, take a bow) and give a heart-warming thumbs up to America in general. To that I say, right back at ya!
On a grander scale, I think of these chance opportunities for spreading international good will, (EVERYONE asks if we are Americans, but most of them already know, wonder how???) one person’s efforts to inch toward respectful co-existence and understanding. Call me an idealist, but I don’t care! Everyone sing along…”…I’m as corny as Kansas in August, high as a flag on the Fourth of July….” There is a prize for the person who first lets me know the name of that song and from whence it came.

For Hindu deities, it’s back to the basics: one of the 3 gods, VISHNU. Vishnu’s biggest job is to balance good and evil forces in the world, not an easy task. He is the protector, so when things fall into chaos, Vishnu intervenes and justice prevails.. (remember the story about Brahma the bluffer? Vishnu had to straighten him out) Vishnu has many forms: he can be himself, a blue four-armed god (why would you want to take any other forms, I ask you), but sometimes he takes other forms. There are 10 incarnations, or avatars, total, and the most famous are Rama, Krishna, and Buddha. Vishnu is often depicted sleeping in the coils of a giant snake floating on an ocean. Not my choice of sleeping accommodations, but it seems to work for him. In future blogs we’ll look at each of these 3 famous avatars.

CHALK TALK

I’m on the plane to Kolkata, and just finished reading a special issue of India Today (July 27, 2009) dedicated to education in India. Every time I see one of those issues on American newstands, I groan and wince to see what pundits (usually NOT educators) have to say about what we’re doing and what they’d like us to do differently, and what’s our fault in general. However, the article did provide a window for some stark statistics:
-In 2007, HALF of the children in government schools couldn’t read or write even after attending school for 4-5 years.
-9.19% of rural India’s primary to high secondary schools had a SINGLE CLASSROOM in 2007-08 -There is a 40% SHORTAGE of trained faculty in higher education institutions in India.

In our brief stay in India, USIEF has scheduled several schools visits, but we have seen a fraction even too small to calculate of the schools in India. The system is complex, as there are many types and levels of schools. There are government (both aided and nonaided) schools, and private schools (called public, a la the British). There are schools that use the native language as the instruction medium, and those who use English. There both state and federal curriculums, and as far as I can tell, the decision on which to use is left to the schools. (not sure, but I’ve asked a couple of times and gotten the same answer, so….). We’ve heard scholars of education, teachers in the field (WORD UP!), and local and federal educational boards of review discuss various initiatives and the daunting task of educating such a huge populace in the 21st century with limited resources. I have been impressed with the many pockets of promise in several of the schools, from a keen emphasis on activity based learning, to attempts to make classrooms more student based and less lecture and rote learning. I’m glad I don’t have the job of trying to sort it all out, frankly, but I applaud my Indian colleagues’ collective efforts and wish them well. The children we saw on our school visits were uniformly eager to learn, respectful, and engaged. As the educators in the crowd know, that’s a good starting set for learning.
There is a national dialogue about the need to expand beyond every child’s aspiration to become either an engineer or doctor, as well as initiatives such as mobile science labs to lead science education towards a more hands-on, activity based model. There is another current national debate about whether to eliminate the country wide exams after 10th standard (sophomore year). The students seem to fall on the side of eliminating them, as they are quite stressful, and are following by a test in 12th standard, while others seem to vary on what to do with the huge bureaucracy involved with the administration, and still others think more accountability is needed in education, not less. The debate is achingly familiar.
The challenges are great, the teachers are passionate and dedicated, and the children, when they are in their seats (there is a high absenteeism rate in rural areas for many reasons) are focused and serious about their opportunity, at a level that all of the educators in the group (all of us!) felt their American counterparts are not. There is an acknowledgment that to progress as a country, the education of their youth is a key component. I left each school grateful for all the many components in my teaching assignment that I take for granted, including such mundane things like materials galore, quality professional development, and a local and state government that usually has children at the forefront of their decisions. Politics has crept, no, leapt, into the education world in India, and teachers have legitimate concerns about mandates that are created by non-educators. That part sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
We also have visited 4 madrassas, and it’s been good to see progressive agendas, including more programs for girls only, and also to understand that most madrassas, contrary to Western media spin, are quite similar in their mission to the religious private schools of the U.S.: a quality basic education with the inclusion of study about their religion. There were nonMuslims enrolled in some madrassas because their parents knew it was a superior education, so while I’m aware that there are a few radical, anti-Western, terrorist encouraging madrassas in the world, I think it’s very important to remember that the percentage is quite, quite small. I whole heartedly agree with President Obama that the Muslim world deserves our respect as we seek dialogue that will move everyone closer to peaceful co-existence. See the picture to the right of a bunch of boys pushing and shoving their way to the front of the group for a camera shot. The universality of that interaction will not be lost on anyone who's been around a group of boys ANYWHERE….
I’d like to refer back to the goddess Sarasvati today, the god of education. You will remember that she is Brahma’s consort, and a great musician and scholar, and has the coolest vehicle of any god with her swan. Instead of another story about her, take a look at this picture. My friend P gave me this wonderful statue of Sarasvati when she came to visit, and I put it by my bedside that evening. When I came back to my room the next afternoon, housekeeping had properly set up Sarasvati with the doily and flower petals. The next day I pulled Ganesha out of my bag, and voila, another mini-shrine with petals and coolness. Yesterday I got Hanuman and Lord Shiva out of my bag (gifts for a couple of you lucky people!) and now I have a parade of pretty on our front table. I’m thinking of purchasing more statues just to see what their limit is….

3 gods and a Competition

We awoke early today in order to be at the Sri Kapaleeswarar temple for the beginning pujas of the day. (BTW, that long name is yet another name for Lord Shiva; the Hindus are a tricky lot!) It was a peaceful and interesting experience. We saw worshippers of Shiva, marked with 3 horizontal lines on their forehand, sitting around the temple and also bringing flower garlands such as those at the right. As you can see from the picture, the temple is as colorful and full of deity iconography as any stained glass window in a cathedral, and similar in splendor. I asked our guide why I hadn’t seen or heard of any temples dedicated to Brahma (he’s one of the 3 main gods of Hinduism, remember) and he told me a great story in reply that will serve as today's deity story, as it involves all 3 of the main gods.
It seems Lord Brahma is a bit of a storyteller (secretly Irish?) and sometimes he went too far, which was not always appreciated, to say the least. One day Brahma and Vishnu were talking about who was a more superior god (they were quite the competitive trio) and a pillar of fire arose. Brahma decided to become a swan and fly to the top to investigate, while Vishnu decided to become a boar and go to the bottom of the pillar. At one point during his flight Brahma saw a flower petal, and asked about its origins. It said it had been falling from the top of the pillar for over 1,000,000 years. Brahma got the idea that he could “bluff” Vishnu by telling he had gone to the top of the pillar and brought a flower petal from the top. However, the moment he spinned that story, the pillar turned into Shiva, and he called him out for his untruthfulness to Vishnu. In fact, Shiva got so mad that he took off one of the 5 heads of Brahma, which is why he only has 4 (although in most pictures you can really only see 3; don’t ask me why, it’s not my story or religion). It gets even better because Brahma’s head was stuck to Shiva’s hand, because Shiva shouldn’t have taken a head of a Brahmin (Lord Brahma, could this get more confusing???). Shiva put a curse on Brahma and said because of his deceitful ways he would have no temples dedicated exclusively to him, although actually there are 2 or 3 somewhere in the country.

WHEW! All of this story as a way to explain why I haven’t seen any temples dedicated to Brahma. Moral of the story? Don’t mess with Shiva, and be careful to what extent you’re prepared to stretch the truth in order to win a competition.

Here's to the ladies who lunch

Yesterday my dear friend and former colleague P took a five hour train ride from Bangalore over to Chennai to spend the day with me. That alone qualifies her for Hanuman friend status, I think. We had a wonderful day filled with great food, great shopping, and best of all, great conversation. See the following FLICR post to get a visual journey of the day: http://www.flickr.com/photos/39413808@N05/sets/72157621616992193/

We began with an autorickshaw ride to a very fancy South Indian restaurant, DAKSHIN. We were greeted at the door by my buddy Ganesha, and then the eating began. We started with pappadum, that great Indian snack/chip/catch all for the 3 chutneys (P told me it was not a bread!). That followed with the highlight of the meal for me, a delicious banana pancake dosa. The recipe is pretty simple, if you live where you can get 12 different kinds of bananas. Simply mash 12 different kinds of raw bananas, add a little sugar and rice flour and fry in ghee, that Indian cholestoral builder. It was beyond scrumptious, the sweetest rendition of bananas I've come across. The chef made appam tableside, a South Indian puffy "bread" steamed in a covered pan with no oil. We had crab and mutton for our main dishes, and were too full for dessert, which is saying something for me to not even consider the menu, as those of you who have eaten with me can attest to.

After lunch we went to a wonderful sari store and joined the crowd for sari viewing and purchasing. I've never seen such gorgeous cloth in my life, nor am I likely to again, unless I head back to another sari shop before I leave India! We ran across some sari material that was new to me, the Kolkotta wild looking prints with handstitching on the top, and a light silk sari from P's hometown of Bangalore, so I had to buy some purely to be supportive of her town's economy. We shopped a few jewelry stores successfully, (actually successfully for me) and finally ended our day back at my hotel, where P gave me an inservice on the art of proper sari wear. I can't say I'm able to do it without her, but it was fun to do it with her, as was everything we did during the day. Friends are indeed a treasure, so thanks, P, and I look forward to your "homecoming" to Iowa City in the spring.

Ruins of Mahabalipuram

The ruins of Mahabalipuram, sometimes called the “Angor Wat” of India, is a cite more than 2,000 years old that was the former home of such upscale tenants as the Romans and the Greeks. In this area archeologists found coins marked with Augustus, Marcus Aurelius, and Constantine the Great, so you timeline people out there can do the math. The guide let us hold some antique coins with the faces of those people on it, and I thought of my colleague and friend A., who would have also treasured (and better understood) the significance of the coins. I tried to channel A. during this whole visit, actually, so thanks to A for her ongoing historical inspiration! The Romans and Greeks came with their gold, silver, and copper to trade for the residents’ cardamom, pepper, and other things I couldn’t write down fast enough. If you ask me, the Romans and Greeks came out ahead of the residents of the area, but that’s just a cook’s perspective.
We had the honor to have as our guide one Dr. Suresh, who is a noted archeologist of this area. He explained that scholars have studied the purpose of this site for a very long time, and the most likely scenario is that these buildings were built as models, prototypes of future buildings, a place where the king would come and choose what he liked. Rather like a spec home only smaller, I’m guessing. It was the vision of one man, Pallaba, who ruled most of south India from the 3rd to 9th century. His nickname was “The Great Wrestler”….WWF fan, I suppose. There are over 100 impressive ruins in this area, and they divide into 4 types.
The first type is a monolith, which is anything made out of a single stone. What you are seeing to the right is an example. This particular statue is one of Lord Shiva as half man, half woman. That guy can do ANYTHING! Anyway, there are 12 differences between the 2 sides, so take a look and start counting. The second type was a small temple structure, and the third was this incredible bas relief you see here. There are several scenes from the Gita in this relief, including Krishna holding up a hill with one finger of his left hand, and a little “naughty cat” to boot. I thought niece B. and daughter A. would especially love the statue of the naughty cat, who is imitating Arjuna doing penance, who is sculpted a little above the cat and to the left as you look at the big scene. The fourth type is a cave temple, an entire temple carved out of a single piece of stone. Columns, relief, standing space, all carved out of one huge piece of stone… It was an intense day (cool by Chennai standards, they say, but nonetheless HOT), but very stimulating and exciting as well. We had a great typical South Indian lunch of thali, a group of small dishes with fantastic puffy bread and more chutney than you know what to do with. We ended the afternoon with a command performance of shadow puppetry of the area by a local master, and the story was again from the Ramayana, and featured one of my favs, Hamuman, keeping Lord Rama out of trouble, flying through the sky, growing and shrinking, and wrestling other monkeys. You gotta love that set of skills!
The Hindu deity today must be the goddess DURGA, who is Parvati’s ferocious incarnation. Her Darth Vader, if you will. It seems when people come to see her, she prefers them to pay homage by cutting their heads off. Keeps the conversation short, I would imagine. If you look carefully at this photo you’ll see the guest getting ready to do the deed. However, I felt at ease with this idea because she’s only ferocious when her children are in danger, rather like one Tiger Mom I know all too well!

Kochi: Land of the Coconut

Final notes on Kochi, as we have moved on the Chennai, India's 3rd largest city, this morning. The last couple of days we had some incredible experiences in this (relatively) peaceful coastal paradise. See this FLICKR batch of photos to follow the brief notes below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5nnatVlBBA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfjXvBy0ZNM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTQmmoxKszI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMxHaFBbXi0
FLICKR URL:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39413808@N05/sets/72157621592546562/
Actually, the first four are links to very short clips on Youtube I recently uploaded. Back to Kochi...
CHINESE FISHING NETS: We took a field trip to see the Chinese fishing nets, which are one of the most common photos one sees of this area. The Chinese came to Kerala in the 14th century for trade and left behind enormouse fishing nets that are still used today. They are used from a dock on a pulley system that consists of ropes and rocks. I have a short video of me getting a chance to heave-ho, and when I get a minute to post it, I'll include the link in my next posting.

KATHAKALI DANCING: Kathakali means "story-play" and with painted faces and vivid costumes, characters depict Indian epic stories accompanied with a percussionist and a singer. We witnessed their slow, silent 1.5 hour of make up preparation, where they slowly metamorphisized to larger-than-life characters. I have some great video footage of the climax of the short scene we saw (the REAL Kathakali lasts all evening from 4 p.m. until 7 a.m. THE NEXT DAY!), and I'll post that as well as time allows. It was somewhat like Kabuki, somewhat like Balinese dancers, and actually its own uniquely moving experience.

MONSOONS: At the open air market, the sky opened on us with a swift sheet of rain. Luckily we were in the tarp covered fish market, but the roof quickly filled, swayed, and dumped its contents squarely on our heads. We took refuge under a less than perfect roof at the entrace, where many men (professional porch sitters without the porch, it seemed to me) sat in their regional colored dhoti (think man skirt) and found us a most amusing way to pass the time until the rain lightened enough to walk in it. The drainage system, if there is one you could construct for such a downpour, is woefully inadequate, and nature's wet call is sure, swift, and sustained.

SPICES: The spices that enticed Vasco de Gama several hundred years ago called my name as we walked through the streets. I bought about 4 ounces of pepper for about a dollar, which, if any of you have bought pepper in the States lately, is just too cheap to take seriously. They should charge you to smell as you walk down the street, seriously.

KERALA LIFE STYLE: There are things to learn from this part of India on how to live the good life. Yoga, and ayurveda have their roots in this part of India, and their life expectancy is literally off the charts. In fact, their demographers had to create a new term to deal with the fact that so many of their old population was outside the norm of the rest of India. (They arrived at young-old (50-65) and Old-old (65-up).) Researchers attribute this increased life expectancy to 3 factors: 1. manual labor as a youth (does detassling count?), 2. pure vegetarian diet, and 3. good prompt medical care. I say they are to be commended and studied.
As we moved into the new Taj (this one in Chennai called the Taj Connemara, perhaps the most posh Taj yet) I thought of some things I'm quickly becoming accustomed to. Here's a few...

1. crazy traffic and the challenge of crossing the street without lights, pauses in traffic, or any regard at all for the pedestrian.
2. yogurt at every meal, along with the holy trinity of tropical fruits: the mango, the pineapple, and the coconut
3. posh accomodations, including being called by name by hotel staff (although it's a little reminscent of The Graduate), attendants carrying umbrellas over your head as you saunter from the hotel to the upscale private bus, garlands of flowers, fresh juice and a greeting posse when we arrive, and a minimum of 20 choices of yummy food to eat at each breakfast and lunch. It's been tough, but I find I'm adjusting!

For today's Hindu deity, we turn to Hanuman, also known as the monkey king. He has super powers of being able to expand to the size of a mountain or shrink himself to the size of a fly, which proved quite useful when he helped his BFF, Lord Rama during his great battle with Lord Ravana, as chronicled in the epic Ramayana. In addition to being strong and clever (he once had to carry an entire mountain to an ailing friend because he was unsure which herbs would heal him best), he is also a loyal and faithful friend. On top of that, he may be the cutest Hindu deity of all with the head of a monkey and a muscular human body!

School Visit in Kochi

Today we visited Chinmaya Vidyalaya School in Kochi, Kerala. The state of Kerala is remarkable in several respects, but one often quoted statistic is a literacy rate of 91%, well above the national rate of 55%. The obvious question is: how do they do it? Several factors have made this coastal state what is it educationally, including an early missionary presence from the Portuguese, with missionaries who allowed both genders to attend school and provided the schools for them to attend. In addition, a strong state government based on Communist precepts which removed barriers of learning from certain classes of children, and a matriarchal culture which kept the needs of children at the center are given as factors for this success. Families in Kerala spend more on education than on food each year! They have a very impressive live birth rate, low mortality rate, and, at age 72, a life expectancy far beyond the national norm. All of these benefits are the result of a highly educated populace, and our field trip today to Chinmaya Vidyalaya School gave us some insight into how it’s done well. This school is a privately funded school, based on the teachings on a Swami. It was a remarkable morning. We were greeted by student with flower garlands and given a red mark on our foreheads to sharpen our “third eye” and focus our energy. We then attended a faculty meeting, which had both special celebration elements for our behalf, but several regular agenda items, impressive items. The session was opened with a song by some of the teachers in which asked each other to “….let me take to my body assurance of thy comradeship, my friend.” I said it was impressive! Next the local sunshine committee (every school’s got one!) read out some riddles about particular staff members and teachers shouted out answers. Door prizes were given, which made me want to shout out a name, but alas, I knew no one… Next their yoga teacher (yes, they keep a yoga teacher on staff to practice pranayama breathing with the students, chanting, and some simple asanas!) led us in some breathing exercises to relax and focus our minds. They then shared their school banner which stated their school’s mission: We can, will, and should forge ahead with a smile. Although I have great respect for my current principal’s purposeful, focused, productive meetings, I think she would agree we could pick up some sweet pointers from these gals. On top of which these teachers looked like movie stars in their Kerala special occasion saris of cream color with gold accents. BTW, there are pictures of this and many other pics of the school on my newest FLICKR post:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39413808@N05/sets/72157621377292687/
As impressive as the meeting was, seeing the classrooms and speaking with the children proved to be even more remarkable. There was a evident respect for the teachers by all students, and very up to date child-centered pedagogical strategies were evident in several areas, from their hands-on, inquiry based science activity I saw in a 4th grade classroom, to their character education. Their character education consists, in part, of chanting and yogic breathing at the lower levels, and then, in the high school, a several-year study of the Geetha, one of the great epic stories of the Hindus. The teachers were obviously passionate about their work, the students in all classrooms I visited were orderly, engaged, and curious, and it was inspirational to see such a well run school, even though I have the privilege of teaching in one myself. I visited a vocal music choral class, which sang a song of peace with staff instrumental accompaniment. I responded by teaching them a song of peace, Dona Nobis Pacem, and they were quick studies and very good singers. It was very interesting to see how quickly they learned by ear, how suggestible they were to my idiosyncratic directing, and, most remarkable, how quickly they added ornamentation to the original melody. I’m including a very short clip of their singing, so you can get a taste. It was moving to share music back and forth, and the faculty did an impromptu improvisation piece, which they also used as a learning tool when they asked students to provide clapping for the taal (cycle of beats in Indian classical music). I asked the P.E. teacher if I could see a cricket game during our time, and he got together a group very quickly. You can see I got my turn at bat, or whatever it’s called. BTW, our morning snacks included the milk of a tender coconut (apparently the young coconuts with still soft shells are the only ones from which you can drink the milk) delicious samosas, and some delicious chai. It certainly made our vending machines look embarrassing! I left with a great respect for this school’s work, gratitude for my colleagues with whom I attempt to do similar work, and gratitude to the Department of Education for providing such a rich people-to-people experience for all involved.
Today’s Hindu deity must be Sarasvati, the goddess of education and the arts. The photo of her you see was taken just inside the school. Sarasvati was the wife of Lord Brahma, but according to some legends (there are several accounts, of course!) they had a disastrous marriage, and Brahma kicked her out. Sarasvati decided she was ok with being was an independent woman, and consequently developed as a thinker and gifted creator. Musicians, artists, writers, and students are all part of her family and under her care. She is usually depicted with an instrument, the veena, and a book, and a white swan. I really dig this no-apologies, getting-on-with-my-life woman of the arts.

My Sari-Godmother

We arrived in Kochi (also written as Cochin, the former British spelling) a beautiful coastal town in the state of Kerala, which means land of the coconuts. The first evening I got my first view of what a monsoon looks and sounds like, both wind and rain, and it’s quite a show. Luckily, I was on the protected balcony of the very plush Taj Hotel.
However, the sights and sounds of the monsoon rains are nothing in comparison to the visual spectacle available at a local sari shop, Jayalakshmi. My friend P. called her sister-in-law in Kochi, who swept me up at the hotel and led me with quiet confidence and grace through the experience of perusing, choosing, and purchasing a sari in a town that is famous for their quality and beauty.
See the photo to the right for the view I had when I first entered: dozens of people waiting for their orders to be filled and sent to the delivery desk, 3 floors of the vibrant colored silk saris, with several draped over the balcony for special effect, and the friendly and familiar buzz of hundreds of women engaged in serious beauty commerce. We began on the 3rd floor, where the region’s particular cream and gold colored saris are, but we didn’t find anything in the dozens we were shown that intrigued us sufficiently to interrupt the hunt. Next we went to the second floor where there are floor to ceiling shelves filled with saris of incredible beauty. We sat on short legged chairs in front of a low long table of sorts. Above the table a bit was a floor that the saleswomen walked on, with the shelves full of saris behind them. My sari-godmother directed them in general in the local language, Malayalam, as to my color preferences and general wishes, and that was all the encouragement my team of attendants needed. They pulled out from the shelves saris of stunning patterns and color combinations, and opened them for my inspection. My job was to pretend I was royalty and reject or give a favorable glance to those I might consider. When I showed serious interest in a particular sari, 3 young women descended from their stage area with the material in question, all 6.5 yards of it, and proceeded to fold and wrap it around my body so I could get a better sense of how it would look on. At first I felt rather silly, but grew accustomed to the level of service very quickly. Once I decided on a sari (actually, to be truthful, on 2 of them) I was whisked down another floor to get the correctly colored petticoat to go beneath it. Finally we paid at the cashier, then proceeded to the delivery at the front door. It was so very friendly of this relative of a friend to spend 2 hours with me (2 hours which went by very quickly in such pleasurable circumstances) and being there with a local made it both easy and more enjoyable. I’m finding this impressive Indian hospitality in every city I’ve visited, and I look forward to more close encounters of the friendly kind very soon. Here is the link to some pictures of Kochi and the sari shop.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39413808@N05/sets/72157621376294673/

BUT, I cannot fail to introduce another Hindu deity today, for it is lovely Lakshmi, goddess of wealth, happiness, and BEAUTY. Lakshmi was so beautiful after she emerged from an ocean of milk (don't ask) that all the gods fell in love with her. In the end Lakshmi became Vishnu's consort, and she can be seen at his side often massaging his feet. Now that's love. When she's not busy rubbing Vishnu's feet, her 4 arms are busy with lotus flowers, gifts of prosperity ($$$) and the holy Ohm symbol. She should always be depicted wearing a sari, because the ones I've seen only add to the beauty of these gorgeous women.