Kerala

Arianna and I spent three days in Kerala, one of the two southernmost states in India. We were in a part of the state called the backwaters, where a network of rivers and estuaries meet the ocean. We stayed in a beach resort on a long, narrow island. To one side was the ocean, and on the other side were all the rivers and small canals. Our resort itself was built with little canals, fed by the backwaters, running through it. We stayed in a traditional style hut, with a coconut thatched roof and a tree growing in it.








One of our mornings there, we went in a canoe on a boat tour of the backwaters. We sailed for a while on the main river, up the narrow canals through fishing villages, and back.


Chinese fishing nets






Mangrove trees




Pepper plant



Kingfisher




All of the doorsteps around town in Kerala were decorated for a festival, Onam, that was just concluding.


We went into the nearby town, Ft Cochi, one night while in Kerala. We saw Kathakali dancing and ate amazing fresh fish (bought directly from the fisherman and fried right there).

The Kathakali dancers were mesmerizing. Its a mindblowing form of dance. The dancers convey so much with their facial expressions and with a series of 24 hand gestures (you can see some of the various gestures in the Kathakali lexicon on the wall in the photo). There are no words, but the expressions and gestures convey the story to audiences. The dances intepret parts of the Ramayana, the Mahabrata, and the Vedas.

As impressive as the intricacy of the dance is that performances typically last 12 hours long, from sunset to sunrise! Talk about stamina.

Work and Home

Some pictures from work and from the hotel I lived in...

I worked out a deal with the guys there to eat with them. The meal always consisted of rice, daal (lentils), and a vegetable (usually eggplant, okra, potato, cauliflower, or bitter gourd). When eating in the hotel, I ate with my hands, as is still common in many homes and restaurants. I actually enjoyed eating with my hands. We always get to taste, smell, and see our food, but rarely do we get a tactile experience as well.


View from the hotel window


Guys who worked in the hotel



This is on my daily walk to work. This neighborhood (Lower Parel) is traditionally a lot of industrial buildings (mostly textile mills), but is now being gentrified with lots of high end condos going in. After my train ride, I walked through this alley...


....past this park...


...through this narrow passageway...



...and through this warehouse...


...before finally arriving at my office. After the walk, my office place was truly like worlds colliding. The office was indistinguishable from any office in the U.S. After walking through an urban jungle, I arrived in an air conditioned, cubicled office place. What a trip.

My coworkers, Vig and Tahira


Akshay, Jeremy, and Prajna


and Me, Akshay and Jeremy

Dadar Flower Market

These pictures are from the Dadar Flower Market, which is a wholesale flower market that happens in the very early morning (4 to 7 am). I went there one morning and was blown away by the colors and the bustle of commerce. The wholesalers sell them to smaller buyers, who then take them to all different parts of the city. Many are destined to be sold just outside of temples, where Hindus buy them to leave as offerings at the various temple shrines. Others are bought for weddings. And still others go to smaller shops.


















Bonus picture! These fruit are called a chikoo. Its bright orange on the inside and very sweet and starchy.