We returned from our first "tour" to the territory of Kerala on Saturday. Kerala is a gorgeous, spice-laden state directly West of Tamil Nadu. It is mountainous and cool. It's so fun to get away and "play tourist." We enjoyed the following luxuries:
Trekking- This is no easy hike! After waking at 5 a.m. we hopped on a bamboo raft that took us across a river and into the jungle. During the trip we saw the rare black monkeys (they look like they have afros), snakes, wild boar, wild dog, and lotsandlotsandlots of leeches. Really big, gross leeches. The greatest sighting was actually a near-trauma: as we waded through the brush, my friend Sarah shrieked- a huge scorprion was crawling up her foot! We had apparently all walked past the behemouth without noticing. It's rare to see a scorpion of that size and we were very lucky (except Sarah). While walking we asked our guide about his scariest trekking moment. Apparently, he was leading a few English couples into the forest one morning. The group was suddenly stampeded by a herd of elephants. While running into the brush one "fat" English woman stumbled and fell. Our guide was bitten as he tried to help her and then trampled by an elephant. He was knocked unconscious, coming to 30 min. later and 2 km. downriver, where he was approached by a fisherman. He instructed the fisherman to find the English people (who were all OK) and was eventually taken to the hospital. Today, his "elbow is powder" and leg "steel." Radical, dude.
Traditional Keralan martial arts demonstration- The Indian martial arts are amazing, and Kerala is no exception. They use a variety of weapons and employ religious prayer and ritual throughout. Fire jumping, stick fighting, yoga, and hand-to-hand combat are included. I was enthralled!
Rive boating- Since Kerala is on the ocean and swampy boating is both a necessity and a pastime. We got to enjoy the luxury of houseboating the Kerala "backwaters." This is a favorite destination of heads-of-state. The spacious and comfortable boats float lazily around the peaceful bird reserve, offering beds for overnight stay and lots of snacks. It was so relaxing!
Kathakali Performance- Kathakali is a traditional Indian dance form. You've probably seen pictures of it before: the men have painted faces, bulging eyes, and very elaborate costumes. The whole thing is based on facial movement. I had no idea someone could contort like that! It was fascinating and very entertaining. Look it up!
Italian food- Yes, yes I know, but there is only so much Indian food I can take before I develop what we call "iddili belly" (iddili is a rice bread they serve here). We consulted the guide books and found a genuine Italian restaurant, where I enjoyed the most amazing gnocchi in Asia. We ate ourselves silly, and on the way home 5 of us paid for it dearly, vomiting on the side of the road and compensating the unfortunate autorickshaw driver dearly. I was fine. :)
So much happened during the week that I would like to include, but my internet time is almost up. We have two more weeks of classtime, then take another tour (Bangalore), then our month-long independent study period. Believe it or not, this week is the halfway point of my study abroad experience...
Until next time!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Hello, how are you, niinka caavukiyaama?
It's been almost two weeks since I last wrote. I have mostly been around Madurai, developing a bit of a routine, yet this is bound to change since formal classes end in 3 weeks. After we finish formal classes we will begin our independent field research. What will you research, Emily? I still have no idea! There is so much here that interests, confuses and delights me, I have no clue how to pick a single topic...
One highlight of the last two weeks was our trip to Kodaikkannal. Kodai is a popular tourist destination far up in the Indian mountains. It was gorgeous (I have attached some pictures) and such a nice respite from the city. The air in the mountains was clean and cool (versus polluted and hot) and our schedule was relatively free. We did visit a coffee research plant that offers adivse to local farmers. Beware of the Indian tour: you will probaly be walked through every minute aspect of the organization, introduced to a multitude of employees, and may be invited to the guide's house for tea afterward... We also visited an agricultural field that contained bananas, oranges, gooseberries, eucalyptus, and avocado. The oranges were the best I've ever tasted! The field was an incredible place, with a 3,000 year-old stone tomb and a temple complex at the very top. We spent a long time sitting on the edge of a rock cliff, enjoying the lush view and eating oranges.
For those of you who contributed monetarily to this academic experience, don't fret! I do not regularly sit on cliffs and eat oranges. In fact, I am SO busy! I have at least 3 classes a day, usually followed by some sort of field trip (we have visited temples for my Religion class and multiple villages and NGO's for my Socio/Political course). After class I attend yoga and get home late to eat dinner and chat with my family. Around 10:00 my host family goes to bed, giving me some quiet time to study. But by that point my brain is usually mush from all the stimulus and information I packed in during the day... This trip is a test of willpower, time management and balance!
We are leaving to visit the South Indian state of Kerala next week. It is the first of three "tours" we will takes, and I am so excited! In the schedule is river boating, elephant-riding, and ocean-viewing, so it's sure to be amazing!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Vannakaam!
If "settling in" means getting used to always being lost/confused then I am proud to say that I've settled in quite nicely! It's been just over a week since I met my host family and moved to Maduari. In this week I've seen a countryside temple dedicated to the God Shiva, a sacred tree Grove called Avanyyar, the huge Meenakshi Temple here in Madurai, cows, horses, pigs, sheep, rich people, poor people, trash, carts, buses nearly toppled over with people hanging off the sides, and my own life flash before my eyes (riding a bicycle to school). I'm loving every minute of it!
Where to begin? My host family is a typical middle-class Indian family. The father, who I called Annan (brother) is an Advocate (lawyer) and the family owns several homes that they rent out. The children, Kogil and Sruthi, are incredibly studious- they have school six days a week followed by two-hours of "tuition" (tutoring) every day, and then homework! The whole family speaks some degree of English with the kids being the best. I have formed a great relationship with Chitra, my host mother. Speaking to one another is like floating down a river of gramatically mis-aligned English and Tamil, but if we just keep talking we can usually get the point across. Luckily, most people here speak English and Tamil itself is littered with English words (thanks, Brits!) so I haven't had much of a problem. My Tamil is getting better by the day, though!
My brain is expanding like a wet sponge. Every Indian I've encountered is more than happy to converse about everything taboo in the States: politics and religion. Hinduism is such an integral part of life here but any learned person can as readily quote Jesus Christ or Buddha. I have had so many rewarding conversations and am learning a great deal about the Indian lifestyle and spirituality!
Yesterday was Ganesh's birthday, the huge elephant God that dots the doors of every house in Madurai. Celebrations took place at Meenakshi Temple, the namesake of my blog. The Temple is in the very center of the city and provides it's greatest pride. It is a massive temple that is painted very brightly and contains a multitude of rooms, statues, prayer spaces and it's own market. Frankly, it feels like the Disneyland of temples, and I much prefer the quiet rural places of worship. However, there are always weddings and familial celebrations at Meenakshi. I love seeing the beautiful Indian brides with their henna tattoos, shy smiles, and downturned eyes. Marriage is one of the most important events for any Indian family and the happiness of the parents and attendees is palpable. Marriages here are arranged by the parents and caste-reliant- in fact, caste is alive an thriving here! The intersection of class and caste, which are very different, is a point in a lot of my societal studies.
I have attached some pictures of the rural temple, Grove, and my host family. I will post again in about a week, so let me know if you have any questions!
Pakkalaam!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Last Night @ Hotel in Thanjavore
Hello everyone! This is my last night in the hotel w/ internet access, so I thought I'd update really fast. I'm not able to post pictures yet, but I've got some really good ones, just you wait!
We have spent this week taking orientation/classes at a hotel in Thanjavore, Tamil Nadu. It's a gorgeous place with marble floors and plants everywhere and a pool outside and tons of foreigners. Needless to say, I keep reminding myself that this is a luxury, not a reality! Although...they have been feeding us a ton of spicy, delicious Indian food, so much that I'm never hungry and looked forward to eating normally with my host family. But lo and behold, they informed us today that the amount we're currently consuming is paltry compared to our host mother's cooking. And they called Americans bad! Did I mention the stigma here against food waste?? I may choose not to update you on the whole food situation....
In other news, today is Krishna's (the Hindu God) birthday! I think he was born somewhere in 600 B.C., but he doesn't look a day over! Still blue, flute-wielding, nymph seducing, butter-stealing, bull-riding Krishna. We travelled to the Hindu temple in Darasarum to see some of the amazing sculptures and carvings of the deity. The temple was magnificent, with ancient Brahman (Hindu religious wise-men) and incredible volcanic sculptures. The Hindu religion has a rule and a symbol for absolutely everything, from love ties between the Gods/Goddesses to the importance of certain directional cues. It's myths were fashioned out of Greek mythology (really, to combat the growing popularity of Buddhism in 600 A.D.) so they're all love and deceipt and heaven and hell. Fascinating!! It's like one long mystical soap opera.
Well, I have to go repack my stuff. We leave for Madurai tomorrow afternoon, where we will stay in aother hotel for the night and meet our host families the following day. I'm so excited and a little nervous. I hope my host siblings, Kogil and Struthi, will like the "Sour Patch Kids" I brought them!
Tamil sentence of the day:
"I want tea, but not milk."
"Ennuka tea veenum, aanaa paal veenaam."
Ha! That's all I know, really.
Emily
We have spent this week taking orientation/classes at a hotel in Thanjavore, Tamil Nadu. It's a gorgeous place with marble floors and plants everywhere and a pool outside and tons of foreigners. Needless to say, I keep reminding myself that this is a luxury, not a reality! Although...they have been feeding us a ton of spicy, delicious Indian food, so much that I'm never hungry and looked forward to eating normally with my host family. But lo and behold, they informed us today that the amount we're currently consuming is paltry compared to our host mother's cooking. And they called Americans bad! Did I mention the stigma here against food waste?? I may choose not to update you on the whole food situation....
In other news, today is Krishna's (the Hindu God) birthday! I think he was born somewhere in 600 B.C., but he doesn't look a day over! Still blue, flute-wielding, nymph seducing, butter-stealing, bull-riding Krishna. We travelled to the Hindu temple in Darasarum to see some of the amazing sculptures and carvings of the deity. The temple was magnificent, with ancient Brahman (Hindu religious wise-men) and incredible volcanic sculptures. The Hindu religion has a rule and a symbol for absolutely everything, from love ties between the Gods/Goddesses to the importance of certain directional cues. It's myths were fashioned out of Greek mythology (really, to combat the growing popularity of Buddhism in 600 A.D.) so they're all love and deceipt and heaven and hell. Fascinating!! It's like one long mystical soap opera.
Well, I have to go repack my stuff. We leave for Madurai tomorrow afternoon, where we will stay in aother hotel for the night and meet our host families the following day. I'm so excited and a little nervous. I hope my host siblings, Kogil and Struthi, will like the "Sour Patch Kids" I brought them!
Tamil sentence of the day:
"I want tea, but not milk."
"Ennuka tea veenum, aanaa paal veenaam."
Ha! That's all I know, really.
Emily
Monday, August 3, 2009
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