The Blizzard of 2010

This was the sight that greeted us this morning at my folks place. We expect we got a little over 2 feet, at least.

The backyard

The snow drift by the neighbor's house

My family put up a valiant effort to liberate us (and the cars) ... but frankly, when no one from the city has come to clear the street, I'm not sure we'll be able to get out even with the clean driveway. Are snow plowed streets another victim of budget cuts?

But who cares right? We're warm inside* and have plenty of food (thanks to our milk and bread run during the beginning of the storm) ... we're all on vacation anyway right? So let's hear it for puzzles, games of cards, and Wii battles!

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* I would just like to point out to our friends back in India, that yes, Allen is wearing a T-shirt indoors despite all the snow outside ... Gosh we love central heating and insulation!

Christmas Miracle(S)!

I'd say it was pretty much a miracle that we were even home for Christmas at all! We're both still floored that we're here -- really really here for Christmas this year.

But so many exciting things have happened since we got back to the States: so many ups, downs, and full-out miracles that I had to share.

Firstly, of course, was Richard and Mary's wedding - without which we would not have been home for the holidays! What an absolutely wonderful excuse to come back; "You mean we get to come see our families for the holidays AND get to participate in this really important day for the family!?" .... win win, as far as we were concerned.

The handsome couple

It really meant the world to us that we were able to see their nuptials in person. Better still was all the time we had before and after the wedding to mix and mingle with Mary's family. Mary and Richard just seemed so happy together ... we can already tell that she'll be a great addition to the family*

I had a hard time choosing which pictures I should post from the wedding ... but figured the ones showing how much everyone was enjoying themselves would be the best. And the winners from "the-most-fun-at-a-reception" are our nephews Joseph and William ... give 'em a hand folks!

"Look, Mom, I'm having a great time!"

The second Christmas miracle was all the fun of Christmas morning, including a visit from Santa Claus!

BELIEVE!

The toys that made the biggest splash this year were two ROBOT DINOSAURS that could roar, stomp and walk by themselves. Seriously cool!**


And who could forget the greatest Christmas miracle of all... SNOW ON CHRISTMAS!

Got you Daddy!

I'm dreaming of a White Christmas...

But ... umm.... wait a sec. Weren't we flying to NJ that afternoon?

Ooops!

Which brings me to our final Christmas miracle... despite being delayed 2 hours and Allen having the beginnings of strep throat (poor baby!) ... We made it to NJ safe and sound. In fact, we were pleasantly surprised by all the workers at the Asheville airport - despite the delays and the poor weather everyone was cheerful and doing their best to get everyone home for Christmas***

So I hope that wherever you were, that your Christmas was as happily surprising as ours was!

Merry Christmas, Everybody!
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*Nice pick, Rich!
** Some of you may be aware of my completely normal obsession with robots
*** Maybe the last real miracle was getting out of the airport without seeing tempers flair or fights break out

Seasons Greetings and Happy Holidays Everyone!

We've been trying to come up with a good idea for our annual holiday greeting. In the past we've used photos from Santacon and our travels around this time of the year. This year, we got our idea from a local photographer who does portraits in his stall on the side of the road. We've always chuckled about how serious everyone looks in portraits - but, it is just different culture. From their point of view, a "good" photo is one where you're acting serious and not goofy. So here below is our attempt to recreate our own pucca (right) hindustani portrait. Sparkly sweater and all....

So from our family to yours... whether you're celebrating religious or secular holidays... whether you're lighting the menorah or the kinara, whether you're waiting for Santa or watching the ball drop... we hope that you have a wonderful, joy filled time with your family and friends this holiday season.

Much love and respect,

Nikki and Allen

P.S. Here are some of the outtakes from our photo session at home today. I hope you appreciate all the detritus in the background... including Allen's old Halloween costume, which sometimes also operates as a sheet.

Bomb Blast in Banaras: We're OK, so don't worry

News just broke that there was a bomb blast during the Aarti ceremony at the Dashashwamedh Ghat this evening. Thankfully, neither of us was anywhere near the site. From what we can tell* several people were hurt in a "low-intensity" blast.

I'm very distressed by the idea that they (the unknown they) would target something like the Aarti, which attracts both Indian and foreign pilgrims alike. It is by far Banaras's biggest tourist attraction.... the Broadway show of Hindu religion, maybe would be a good way of describing. I've never been to the Aarti, but we had planned on going together sometime because Allen says there is musical accompaniment - and maybe an opportunity for more research.

Who knows if we'll go back. I guess a lot depends on what the fall out is....

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* I know we complain about 24 hour news channels in the States, but seriously, it doesn't come anywhere close to how crazy and disorienting it is to watch Indian news channels --- especially when something serious is going on.

I'll be home for Christmas...

A present of a Christmas tree from home*

What a crazy couple of weeks! Whew! I mean, as wonderful and exciting as some of our ups and downs have been... I'll be honest, I'm sort of looking forward to things settling down again.

So what's been going on, you ask? Well, shortly after getting the sad news that Allen's grandmother had passed away we found out shortly there after that Allen's brother is getting married (yeah!) --- in like 3 weeks (yeah!... wait, what?)

Weddings are so exciting - but they are even more exciting when you're working on a time crunch! (giggle) Thankfully we're not in command central (sorry Jane!) ... but we still had some serious logistics to work out if we were gonna wing coming back to the States for the nuptials. Rough guess is that Allen had about 4-5 panic attacks while trying to sort out our itinerary back to the States ("16 hour layover in Mumbai, you've got to be kidding me!", "38 hours from Delhi to Asheville with 5 different layovers, no thanks!", "OMG! The prices keep rising every time I check! ACK!")

Thankfully after hearing Allen say yesterday, "Oops, I think I just bought the tickets for the itinerary that I happened to have open right now, I hope that is OK" ... we now have tickets to come home for almost 2 and a half weeks!!! Wedding and the first part of Christmas with the Roda clan and then the second half of Christmas and New Year's with the Candelore crew.

We're so happy and excited .... and quite honestly, getting more and more homesick as each day till our departure inches closer.

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* Just for a sense of scale... this is where our little tree is ... next to our filtered water cooler on top of the fridge.

A Tribute to an Amazing Grandma

Dear Friends,

We are sad to acknowledge the passing of one spectacular Grandma, Olive Perrigo Roda - known to her loved ones as Mutti - may she rest in peace, she will be missed by many.

As a tribute to her and the lives she touched during her nearly 104 years with us, we decided to put up some videos of happy memories. The first is Mutti at 102 yrs old reciting the story of "Little Dame Krump." (which we posted last year). The second is a song that Allen wrote for her 100th birthday party back in 2006, "My favorite Centenarian." (we've pasted the text of it below)

The Story of Little Dame Krump from Nikki on Vimeo.

Come on down the mountian Mutti Roda from Nikki on Vimeo.

My Favorite Centenarian

Mutti Roda is my favorite Centenarian

There’s none other I like more than her

That’s why I wrote this little love song

So you ain’t gotta ask me what fer!

Olive Perrigo was born up in Rochester

To Huldah Hawley and Henry Lemuel

When she was 10, they moved off to Pittsford

Them Perrigos ain’t nobody’s fool!

Mutti went to school when she was too young

But that’s just because she was too smart

She fooled the teacher in that one room school house

And she got herself a head start!

Oh Come on Down the Mtn. Mutti Roda

Oh Come on Down the Mtn. Mutti Dear.

Can’t you see that your whole family loves you.

And we’re all so Very glad you’re here!

Break 1

When Mutti started college at Mt. Holyoke

It was nearly 1924

When she was done she went back to that one room school house

Where she had been a student not long before

Now one day Olive Perrigo was teaching English

But the next day they made her teach Biology

When she often saw birds she couldn’t recognize

She’d say that looks like a female to me.

Now Mutti’d been teachin’ nearly five years

When one summer she went on a trip

It was up there at Lake Ontario

That she met her future husband Dick

Oh Come on Down the Mtn. Mutti Roda

Oh Come on Down the Mtn. Mutti Dear.

Can’t you see that your whole family loves you.

And we’re all so Very glad you’re here!

Break 2

Mutti Perrigo soon became a Roda

Boy I sure am glad she did

I wonder what would’ve happened to me

If she ain’t never had no kids

Fortunately they had a son named Peter

But I sure like to call him Dad.

They had a couple girls named Lynn and Trudy

I reckon they didn’t turn out half bad!

Now Her Children They had all done grown up

When Mutti moved in 1964

She and Dick had had enough of Snowy Pittsford

And didn’t want to be there no more.

Oh Come on Down the Mtn. Mutti Roda

Oh Come on Down the Mtn. Mutti Dear.

Can’t you see that your whole family loves you.

And we’re all so Very glad you’re here!

Break 3

So Dick and Mutti they moved down to Asheville

Where they were destined to stay

Lord knows it’s nice up here in the Blue Ridge

Who’d want it any other way!

Well that about sums up my little story

About the oldest woman that I know

I’m always so excited when I see her

And always so very sad to go!

Photographic evidence that Nikki has ridden a bike in Banaras

The other excitement from today was that Allen and I took a bike ride to Banaras Hindu University. The ride is only about 1.5 miles from our house, but to get to the campus - which is like a little paradise in this crazy city - you have to go through several large intersections. The ride isn't dangerous per se* but because of all the traffic, and horn honking, and hazards in the unpaved roads ... well, let's just say it can be a little bit intense.

Riding a bicycle around town is nowhere near as cool as driving a scooter - but beggars can't be choosers.

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* Depends on whether you're asking Allen or Nikki

Buying raw milk from urban cows in Banaras

So every morning after yoga class we walk to one of the gullies near Assi and pick up our milk from the local dhudh-walla (milk man).

It seems to be actually quite typical for a family to keep several cows and sell the milk... I know of at least three or four collections of cows around our house. The reason that we go to this place as opposed to one closer to us is that this family came highly recommended because their cows eat grains rather than garbage in the road.

Breakfast!

The milk man ties the cow up to the wall and ties her legs and tail so she doesn't move too much while he milks her. Then he asks for our little liter milk bucket (in Allen's hand in the picture below) and then he milks the cow straight into our bucket.

It is some seriously fresh milk. We then take it home, strain it, boil it for several minutes and then it is ready to drink or use to make other milk products. So far we've made fabulously creamy yogurt and paneer. We'll hopefully be learning how to make ghee (clarified butter) this week.... and cheese once we find a source of butter milk!

Instrument Modifications

The other day we went to a really fun instrument store called Sadhna where the owner Ram Asre Morya is experimenting with lots of musical instruments. He has worked with woodworkers and tabla makers to come up with viable designs, including:

Two-headed tablas, where there are heads on both the top and bottom of the drum. This is so a performer can have two different tunings on each head -- its like having two daya in one!

Tabla-Naal hybrids, for the super multitasker ... just kidding. But Ram suggested that there is growing demand for this instrument as more people are hearing about it ... It is still in the works as he plans to make a new model with ball bearings so that the tabla can spin inside the naal independently making it easier to tune.

And variations on the electric Indian banjo, which were adapted from a Japanese banjo.

Now, when I heard electric Indian banjo, I must admit I got pretty excited as an American banjo enthusiast. However, it is more like a cross between an autoharp and a harmonium - and doesn't really resemble a banjo in any way. To play it you press keys with your left hand and strum with your right - sort of like a pedal steel without the pedals or the finger picks. Here's a little clip of me messing around on it.

Good times!!!

The Banarasi* Initiation Rite

First - many apologies for being on radio silence for so long. A LOT has been going on ... but between being so busy and then an internet black out over the last week I haven't been able to post.

So what, you may ask is the Banarasi Initiation Rite? I don't remember who told us this, whether they were local or from out of town, but the story goes that you haven't really lived in Banaras until you've slipped on cow dung and fallen on your butt. There really is so much cow dung everywhere that you'd expect this to happen literally all the time ... but really it just makes for interesting pedestrian traffic as everyone is doing there best to avoid the stuff.

Well, a couple of days ago I was at our local urban dairy** watching the milk man as he was literally milking the cow into my little steel milk bucket --- that's right, I carry my raw milk home in a milk bucket. Anyway, I'm there admiring his work, watching the mother cow who was, while being milked, grooming her overly excited calf. I guess the calf was pumped because she had just been fed before my milk bucket entered the fray. So there we all are - a happy picture of an agricultural scene in very urban Banaras - when the calf in her giddiness slips on a puddle of urine in the uneven road, takes a spill in some - you guessed it, cow dung - and splashes me with the whole mix.

Now, the fact that I didn't fall I think is inconsequential - I'm still claiming this as my official Banarasi Initiation.

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* I'm going to try to start referring to Varanasi as Banaras going forward in our blog posts just because ... well, that's what everyone around here calls it.

** I swear (I think) that I'll be able to get a post about this soon.

Two Indias: It is not (just) about religion but economics power...

Last year when we were in Lucknow, I started a tag called "Two Lucknows" to point out some of the wealth disparities that were treated as so common place... inequalities that made me feel uncomfortable, but I wanted to understand the reasons for why they seemed so endemic.

Allen happened to have a conversation with a Banarasi weaver. His story (which I've asked Allen to write below) reminds me that so much of these inequalities we see are the result of someone with more political and economic power being able to exploit someone less well off... This type of extortion doesn't recognize religion so much as opportunity. "Oh, you really need this loan now -- well, I'll only be able to process the paper work if ...."

Here's Allen's account below:

Today I met an 80 year old weaver and asked him if he felt tensions were increased between Hindu shop-owners and Muslim weavers because of religion - particularly after partition. He said that it was nothing like that. It was just rich people cheating poor people and it had nothing to do with religion - and then he gave several examples of the ways in which the Government tries to help poor people (both Hindu and Muslim) and how somehow the money they set aside for the poor never actually reaches them....

He also talked about corruption in the banks and the police and everywhere else. He says that all total he has lost about 1,500,000 rupees over the last ten years because store owners simply did not pay him for the materials they took from him. There was a sharp decline in the market overall, so store owners were struggling to pay their bills. I am extrapolating from this, but my guess is that the easiest bill for them to NOT pay would be their I.O.U's to the weavers who supplied their materials. They'd pay off the banks and electric companies first....

I asked him if he could get a lawyer and he said that the lawyers cost money and these are all rich people they can bribe anyone for anything - he won't get anywhere that way. Then he went to the example of the Bank. He took out a loan from a bank once. 15% interest. But in order to get the loan for 100,000 rupees he had to bribe the official 3,000. So he had to first save up money to take out a loan.

Then he and Nandan went on to share so many stories about corrupt officials and police that the conversation steered away from where it had started, but I thought it was very interesting to hear first hand about the sort of thing I had previously only understood to exist in the abstract.

Diwali Year 2! Still sort of dangerous!

Don't get me wrong - there are a ton of things to LOVE about this holiday! All the houses decorated in lights; all the amazing food and sweets; all the excuses to give gifts of appreciation to loved ones ... I mean, it is like Fourth of July, Christmas, and New Year's all bundled up into one holiday, like I suggested last year (and just like last year we had some really noteworthy experiences with fireworks!).

This year was pretty neat because instead of just sort of making up what we were suppose to do, this time we had a pukka khas program (a proper special plan) because we were able to tag along with the family we were staying with.

As with most stories of this nature - things started out WONDERFULLY!

We got to help prepare the house for the arrival of Ram back to Ayodya by placing butter lamps in every single room.

We were welcome to join the family as they did special pujas at, best guess was at least 9 different temples ... and of course at the sacred Ganga. I have a totally new and profound understanding of the sacred geography of Banaras: within a 50 meter walk from our house we must have passed close to 30 different temples to various Gods and saints. On an evening like Diwali they were much easier to spot because each was marked with the special butter lamps that marked this occasion.

After dinner we were invited to go to a bara admi ka ghar (big man's house) to watch him blow up 110,000 rupees worth of fireworks (almost $2,500).

[Editors note: I can't even begin to express to you how frustrating it was to be at the house of a politician - for Mayawati's party even! - and know that he was putting on this show, which he apparently does every year, just to show off how big and important he is. We had a pretty depressing conversation with our host after the fact about how all politician's are goons, but its better to have one in office that you know personally. (sigh)]

Unsuspecting Spectators

The array of patanke (fireworks) he had was pretty impressive. But what struck me was how his men (servants? lackies?) were doing everything possible to make sure they all went off properly.

Like this man (in the background of this photo), who is holding lit fireworks in his hand shaking them around to make them go off faster. Best not to ask too many questions about this one.

So what, I wondered did $2,500 worth of fireworks really look like? Well, you know those fancy fireworks you see at the Macy's Fireworks displays in NY? Apparently they come in boxes you lite ....

Who knew?

But do you know what happens when those boxes are defective and the fireworks don't explode in the air but in the box? People run for it.... like this:

Diwali Fireworks Gone Wrong from Nikki on Vimeo.

You can see in the video everyone running away from the fireworks and huddling in a corner of the roof. At the end Allen is showing off his (brand new gift) shirt which had just had two holes singed into it by fiery embers. We left shortly after this video was taken.

But really, there is something surreal about the use of fireworks at Diwali. Maybe I'm just being organizational-ist but these sort of home-spun fireworks shows make the streets feel more like a warzone than a space of celebration. Kids plant bombs in the street and everyone runs for cover holding their ears... like in this video:

These bombs (literally, this is what they are called) were so powerful that you could feel the aftershock of the explosion on your chest. Crowds of onlookers would gasp in collective terror when a bicycle, motorcycle, rickshaw, or car ever got to close to a lit one of these... can you imagine what would happen if it exploded under a car...?

Just to be clear, I have never been, nor do I ever want to be in a warzone, but the whole experience just struck me as odd. Everyone is out there to have fun and enjoy themselves, but really ends up spending most of the time running and ducking for cover. Banaras, with its narrow streets and short buildings (where your neighbor's roof is a short hop away) also lends itself to strange spectacles like this one, where the fireworks don't even clear the building they have been set off next to:

But, I should also note, this isn't really the end of the fireworks ... this is just the beginning! Diwali marks the unofficial start of the Hindu wedding season, with its indispensable fireworks and insanely loud wedding bands. Oh yes, there will be more...

So after getting singed by fireworks and thankfully making it home without being hit by anymore fireworks, what did we do to celebrate? We obviously lit more fireworks off our roof!

HAPPY DIWALI EVERYONE!

Dhanteras!

Yesterday was dhanteras. It is an auspicious day to buy metals. All the pot and pan makers were swamped with business. The bank was packed and had the rates for gold printed out and posted on every table. There are so many holidays here it is somewhat hard to keep track of all of them.....

Valima in Lucknow

The valima, or wedding reception, happened a few days after the Nikah in Lucknow's Baradari (a palatial complex of sorts). It was gorgeously decorated.

When we arrived we had Chaat - which we usually don't eat unless we are at weddings or very fancy places...

YUM!

Then we met the happy couple and took some obligatory photos. It turns out that the reception mostly consisted of people coming taking pictures with the couple, eating and then leaving. There wasn't really an "event" per se. NOTE: I totally know that the bride is capable of smiling and caught her in several unguarded moments doing just that! It seems, however, that her sensibilities to keep a straight during photos held.

Nikki and her sahelis (girlfriends). These girls were kind of ridiculous. They spent the better part of the evening chasing Nikki around and trying to shove food in her mouth. Which reminds me that there is a special verb in Hindi (thoosna) which means to shove something in someone else's mouth. So Grammatically, "Khana thoosti hui Larkiya" means "the food shoving in the mouth girls" which I think is an accurate and amusing description of Nikki's Sahelis.

Another funny tid-bit was there were two buffets for dinner. One vegetarian and one non-vegetarian. Interestingly, there were no vegetables on the non-veg side at all. And from what we can tell, we were the only guests who ate from both sides. It's either meat or no meat. All or nothing. No omnivorous dilemmas here.

After dinner, we had sweet paan. Here's the wedding paan wala with his well decorated stall

Happy Paan Eaters!!

Nikah in Ridauli Town

I was wonderfully blessed with the opportunity to witness a Nikah or Muslim Wedding. My tabla teacher's younger brother was getting married, and I got to go with all the family to the bride's home town of Ridauli - about 2 1/2 hours by car from Lucknow.

In traditional Hindustani fashion, I was told to be ready by 2pm and we left around 4:30. We got there around 7pm and had some pre-wedding snacks while preparations were made. While going out to get some bottled water (just in case) a friend and I learned that in Ridauli they only have electricity from 10 to 6. Some days it's 10 to 6 during the day, and other days it is 10 to 6 during the night. We were, fortunately, on the "night" schedule which meant that some time around 10 pm or so they would be able to turn on some fans. It was very hot in the rural school house that had been remade into a Wedding house.

Alas, Nikki was unable to attend - she wasn't feeling well - and it was probably for the best, given the heat.

The event consisted of a few parts. First, the Groom was covered with a veil of flowers.

Then, he was brought to the front to sit on the stage where the Maulvi (or priest) sat beside him and read some passages from the Qur'an, and then asked him whether or not he agreed to marry his bride.

He said yes, papers were signed by him and several witnesses, and there was much rejoicing. Men waited while women ate - and then it was our turn. Apparently the bride had been asked the same thing by another Maulvi in a different room. They were now married - even though they had never once seen each other face to face. Hooray!

After several hours and everyone had eaten, the bride was brought forward to meet her new husband for the first time. The groom's mother first said some prayers and then covered both their heads with a cloth. Underneath this communal veil, the each lifted their respective veils - hers of silk and his of flowers - and looked at each other's reflection in a hand mirror that was resting on the Holy Qur'an. This was the first time they saw each other - and even then it was through a reflection in a mirror (and they were already married!)

It just kind of blew my mind. It was such a powerful moment to be a part of. I felt honored that I had been invited to witness it.

Afterwards, the bride went back to the woman's space where some more rites happened for several more hours; it was the official leaving of her family. At around 4am she slowly began to get into a well decorated car with female members of the groom's family. There was much weeping. In some ways it felt like the bride had died. It felt almost like a funeral the weeping was so intense.

Shortly after they left, the rest of us packed up the bus and took off. I got back home around 7:30 in the morning - exhausted.

Back of a Motorcycle

I've been riding around on the back of a motorcycle a lot lately. At least twice in the past few days. And both times I have ended up carrying either very large or very heavy things with me while navigating the city streets. I've also been trying to take some video clips of what it is like to ride on the back of a motorcycle in Banaras. Here are a few short clips of driving around.

On the main Roads:

Motorcycle Ride in Banaras 1 from Nikki on Vimeo.

Through the Market called Dal Mandi:

Motorcycle Ride in Banaras 2 from Nikki on Vimeo.

Now imagine riding back through Dal Mandi with all of THESE boxes. It was quite tricky and countless people in the market thought we were a bit crazy to try because all the low hanging wires meant that I couldn't just plop them on my lap. We kept bumping into things (as I am sure you can imagine) but since the boxes were empty and we were going EXTREMELY slow it didn't seem to matter much.

Finally, these two logs probably weigh about 60 pounds each. Balancing them on my lap (without crushing my thighs when we went over every single bump in the road) was still another feat.

It really is kind of crazy/fun the sorts of things I keep managing to get myself into.

Valmiki Jayanthi or Reason 19,473,629,394,769,320 to Always Carry a Camera in India

So while Allen and I were on our way home from visiting my former Hindi tutor and newest pen pal we literally were engulfed by a parade for Valmiki Jayanthi - a celebration for the birthday of Valmiki, the poet credited with writing the Ramayana*.

The whole pantheon was represented, by children, of course: Valmiki with this fluffy white beard, Ram and Lakshman with their bows, Hanuman clearing the way... the multiple wedding bands blaring music (with their diesel generators to power the speakers)... and, no less importantly, children running around handing out prasad to passers by...

... but sadly, I have no pictures. So, for once, just take my word that it was really awesome and such a perfectly Indian moment**.
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* We're still trying to plow through the 1990 television serial version of the Ramayana. We're on disk 8 of 20 ... but I'm confident we'll make it through by the end of our time in India.

** By which I mean, that neither of us had any idea that today was Valmiki Jayanthi until we were overtaken by the parade

Who wants Tabla?

Dear friends and family,

Since I am researching tabla making, it would only make sense that I try to get my friends here some more business.

So if you know anyone who wants to buy some drums from India, please send them my way. I will promise to hook them up and vouch for the quality of the instrument myself.

After shipping, I can send a top quality tabla set to a US address for between 200 and 300 dollars depending on whether or not the person wants a case to go with it and how quickly they want it.

I don't know how many people want Indian drums, but I thought I might at least ask.

Best,

Allen

I saw this video and had to Blog it.

My only issue with it is the choice of soundtrack. Thoughts?

And then there was SUN!

The clouds have parted for the last week or so and this is the view that greets me every morning! Man, this is awesome!

Have to take advantage of these views while they last because we're expecting more rain next week.

Verdict!

The verdict came in. The High court decided to split the area up and give the central most disputed area to a Hindu party and another part to a Muslim part. A third part is being given to another Hindu sect, whose role in this I do not fully understand.

It has already been decided that the case will be appealed to the Supreme Court, so as far as I can tell nothing has happened or will. But the massive police presence certainly gave everyone the impression that something would happen.

We'll see tomorrow. But for now, I am happy that things seem to remain peaceful. I would have no problem if the Supreme Court decided to wait several years before making its ultimate decision.

Monkeys on Patrol!

Professional Monkey Security forces are guarding the Common Wealth Games in Delhi - fending off athletes from the "bad" monkeys.

Preparing for Lockdown

Saw three buses filled with Police/Soldiers today going down the road as I went out to get my provisions for the next few days (Dates, Pomegranates, Soda Water, and Sweets). If I'm gonna be trapped I might as well get a treat for it, right? The Ayodhya decision that was supposed to come last friday will come out tomorrow at 330pm local time - about 6am on the East Coast.

No one knows what's going to happen, but everyone seems to be preparing for the worst. I'll keep you posted.

Allen

New Name for the Blog

Hey All,

I changed the name for our blog today because I thought Portuguese didn't makes sense for us in India. The Roda Nama literally means "the writings of Roda" and follows in the great tradition of various Emperors such as Babur and Akbar who kept diaries.

Not that I think we're royalty. Ahum (cough) but it's nice to know we have some thing in common with Emperors.

Ramlila - Videos!!!

Today I went to check out the Ramlila in Ramnagar.

I have never seen so many people in one place in my life. A friend said he thought up to 500,000 people might come. I'd say he wasn't too far off the mark.

Here are some Videos:

This is probably 1/3 of what the crowd becomes after nightfall.

This is the climactic moment when Ram breaks Shiva's Bow. Watch out for the sound there is a huge explosion part way through. Even if you have it on mute you can tell by the sudden camera shaking - caught me off guard.

Autorickshaw Driving Lesson

Yes You Read Right!

Today I drove an Autorickshaw. It was on my list of things to do before I left India and now there is a big fat check mark next to it.

WIN!

For those who care, they are most certainly manual transmission with the clutch on the handle.

Good Times!

Commonwealth Games India's Tragicomedy

Oh the Commonwealth Games. Here it seems to be a source of amusement for everyone. They gather around and laugh at the news reports of rampant corruption 100s of millions of dollars worth of rupees stolen in the construction of this or that, which falls apart or crumbles because of shoddy workmanship. Understaffed facilities that are unhygienic, ceilings that cave in, bridges that collapse over major highways. Just as a test of security, an Australian film crew carried a bomb into the main stadium just to see if they could. no one noticed. Needless to say, it is no surprise to anyone that many of the star athletes have already decided not to participate. And with last week's attack on a tour bus in Delhi, I imagine a large number of spectators have already cancelled their trips as well. Oh, and don't forget the flooding - not that the government is responsible for the rains.

Yes, here in India this seems to be a comedy as everyone knew this would happen. They knew their government was corrupt and that the wealthy people involved in making these contracts would steal as much as they could from the tax payers in the process. So now, as the catastrophe unfolds, they laugh. And I laugh with them and weep for them; it is a tragic comedy of epic proportions.

However, what I hadn't thought about is how quickly the rest of the world is going to compare China's Olympic success with India's complete failure. For the rest of the world this shame is less amusing and more disturbing. The fragility of the Indian infrastructure has been exposed to the world in a way that I think it hadn't previously. What I don't think anyone here is ready to admit is that the negative effects of this fiasco are going to linger in International opinion for a long, long time. It's hilarious, right?

Ayodhya Redux

Sorry to those who were worried that I didn't post anything on September 24th when nothing happened. Basically, on the 23rd the governement decided to postpone the announcement until the 28th supposedly to give the parties a chance to work it out for themselves. Many Indians, as well as myself, found this to be tremendously annoying as they had already cancelled schools planned to close business, etc. Karnataka made the 24th and 25th state holidays so that everyone could stay home and hide from the potential riots. So now, after closing for those days, they will prepare themselves to close again on the 28th - though I expect that the announcement will be delayed again for one reason or another.

Frankly, I think this is about the worst time the Government could have POSSIBLY chosen for addressing this issue to the public. 1) The country is in the international spotlight for its complete and utter failure at the Commonwealth Games, and 2) This is the festival season in which all over India local theater groups are reenacting the story of Ram's life and adventures. the religious fervor surrounding RAM in particular makes this a terrible time to talk about whether or not a Mosque should be re-built on the mythical birthplace of this Deity. Why would you talk about this now? It would be like trying to address a topic sensitive to Christians during Advent, or a topic sensitive to Jews during Passover. Bad Idea.

In a related note, I am planning on attending a Ramlila performance tonight will hopefully have some pictures and/or video for you later. Or maybe my plans will fall through. This is India after all and expectations are best not had at all.

Rain, rain go away...

So I'm not exactly exaggerating when I report that it has been raining in Mussoorie since I arrived here almost 3 weeks ago. The rain has been unprecedented: monsoon rainfall this year broke a 44-year old record by registering 3013.3 mm so far. The subsequent flooding has caused landslides, roadblocks, and other such havoc. They are reporting that the Tehri dam (down the mountain from where I am thankfully) are threatening flooding in Uttarakhand (where Mussoorie is) and Uttar Pradesh (where Lucknow and Varanasi are). As of about 5 days ago, because roads have been destroyed and train lines have stopped running, Uttarakhand is completely cut off from the rest of India. There is no way in or out. The state has already been promised 500 crore rupees (over 100 million dollars - I think) by the central government, which considering the Common Wealth Games debacle - hell, the NYTimes is even reporting this! - seems pretty generous (assume that statement as cynical as you like). Hopefully, soon Allen will be able to report on what the fallout from the CWG has been from the Indian perspective (wink, wink, nudge, nudge Allen).

Shocking Refrigerator

In my last post I alluded to getting electrocuted every time I touched my refrigerator and how I wasn't too fond of it. The truth is, I was only occasionally getting electrocuted, but nevertheless I didn't enjoy it. Fridges draw a fair amount of power you know. Anyhow, the electrician came and discovered that not only the refrigerator, but every electrical device in the entire upstairs of the building was drawing (and emitting) electrical current (especially powerful when barefoot and/or wet), but only doing so when the lights were on in my bedroom.

It turns out, after much investigation, that the problem was being caused by a faulty powerstrip that I bought last summer in Lucknow - shortly after I moved in. Somewhere inside it there was a bad connection and things that were not supposed to be touching each other were. The electrician was going to fix the powerstrip, but I told him that even if he did fix it I wouldn't trust it and would not use it. So I gave it to him as a gift for saving me from repeated although intermittent and inexplicable electrocutions. Here's a picture of my hero with his spoils:

Hazing at BHU

Ragging, or hazing as it is called back in the states, is a huge problem here in India. Last year a handicapped student was videotaped by his assailants while being stripped naked and beaten before being thrown out of his dorm into the street. The assailants then immediately circulated the video to fellow students at BHU. The victim was forced to withdraw from school, but when the video began circulating in his home town he came back to try and press more charges. Yesterday (almost a year later) arrests were made:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/10-BHU-students-charged-with-ragging/articleshow/4837013.cms

Settling in

Victories.

the other night I was invited to go see a tabla solo performance. It was absolutely pouring rain, cats and dogs, and I wasn't sure where I was going. I took a rickshaw and held my umbrella out over the driver. he got me as far down the main road as he could, and then it was up to me to navigate the Gullis, (alleys). It was dark and now the alleys were rivers. What was neat though was that if I had tried this two weeks ago I probably would have been irritated and terrified of the filthy water, but this night it was more like an adventure. It was fun. I asked people all along the way and always got welcomed smiles and responses like "you know hindi?!"

Part way there I met a small boy with a huge backpack on his shoulders. He said that he would show me how to get there, so I held the umbrella over his head and the flashlight as we waded through ankle deep streams over large cobblestone blocks. We rounded a few corners when the road went down hill a ways. At the bottom, there was a lake easily 3 or 4 feet deep. I asked my 8 year old guide if there was another way to get there and he said "Come on." On the way we passed by his house and he ran in quickly to drop off his bag and then proceeded to take me the rest of the way to the concert - which wasn't that far at that point. When I got there, I thanked him and was so presently surprised that he didn't ask me for money or anything - I think he just really liked the fact that I talked to him. Now I feel like I am starting to "get" this place. It isn't intimidating any more. I can go anywhere find anything, just by asking. Yes it is confusing and filled with twists and turns, but people are always willing to help and it is nice that I have had so many experiences that have not directly resulted in requests for money. It is nice to feel like a human and not a walking wallet (as is usually the case in tourist India).

Inside the concert was held in honor of Ganesh for whom there is a 6 day festival held primarily in Maharashtra. Apparently, the Marathi community of Banaras was sponsoring this event. One thing I did learn is that when they say that it will start at 730, they really mean about 9. When I was leaving at 11pm they told me that there was still another act and invited me to return the next day as well. I asked the nice gentleman what time it would start tomorrow, he said 730. I said, like today? He said. Yes. :)

The concert itself was really good. It was better than most concerts I saw in Lucknow and just as good as many of the concerts I have seen in New York. It was in a small hall so they didn't overblast the microphones as they seemed to do every time I saw live music in Lucknow.

The next day was also great filled with fun conversations at the Tabla Makers' shop and more discussions about music performance with players.

Of course, I knew it couldn't last forever as I woke up this morning with a stomach bug, and forgot that if I touch my refrigerator door barefoot I will get an electric shock. Oh well, now I'm forced to make time to read (and wear sandals)!

The Bandh

Great Piece in the New York Times today about strikes and protests in India. With the Ayodhya decision pending it seems particularly relevant and also reminds me of our wonderful vacation in Darjeeling.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/15/world/asia/15strike.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

Kashi Vishvanath Temple

A visiting scholar of architecture and art history is staying here at the guesthouse for 2.5 days. She invited me to tag along to go visit some of the temples and mosques that she was interested in seeing for her research so I thought to myself, why not? When will I ever learn more about this?

the Gyanvapi Mosque and the Kashi Vishvanath Temple are in the same place. There are two doors that go into the compound. One for foreigners and another for everyone else. Or at least that is what it seemed like. We were not allowed in "Door number 1"

We had been told that this was an example of Hindus and Muslims going to the same site to worship and how no one seemed to have a problem with this. I was interested to see this site of potential harmonious public worship especially in light of the pending Ayodhya decision.

In order to get into the temple, we had to declare our Hindu faith in front of several police officers and write down our names and passport numbers in a book. When the first officer asked me if I was a Hindu, a second one replied "he speaks Hindi doesn't he", a third one then asked "WHY do you speak Hindi" I quickly said, "to study religion." only I almost used the Urdu word for religion which would have quickly gotten me thrown out for sure.

I really don't like lying, even to police officers.

that said, it was obvious to all that we were simply tourists when the guy across the tiny alleyway only 3 feet from the police officers was busy selling us drastically over priced offerings and teaching us how to go to the temple and what to do so that we didn't get "caught". As long you pay enough money it is very easy to convince the police that you are whatever religion you need to be that day.

When we get into the temple, it is a zoo. throngs of people are pushing this way and that way to get their Darshan or "divine sight." for many people we could sense the sincere devotion, but the pandits looked at us, knew we didn't know what to do, and began demanding donations by flashing 100 rupee notes at us (at this time I conveniently forgot all my Hindi and didn't understand anything they were saying). One pandit was even talking on his cell phone while blessing us and demanding money - all at the same time!.

One common practice of Hindu devotion is to bring offerings of food to the Gods, which are then blessed and distributed to one's friends and family. We had our little bag of nuts, raisins, coconut, etc. that we were using as our offering, although we almost lost it when Zirawat was attacked by a red faced monkey (everyone knows them to be much more aggressive than the black faced monkeys, albeit smaller in stature). Fortunately she was not clawed or bitten, but was quite startled.

These animals while seemingly cute are remarkably aggressive and surprisingly dangerous. A few years back the deputy mayor of Delhi was killed by them.

As for the peaceful harmony of Hindus and Muslims worshipping together, I haven't seen this many rifles up close since I (foolishly) went to Kashmir back in 2000 to go hiking. The place was surrounded by more than a hundred armed officers and soldiers. The Mosque was surrounded by 6 foot high Iron fence that was topped with razor wire. One felt as if the mosque was in jail or caged like a dangerous animal. I wish that I could have shared some photos with you, but alas that was most certainly forbidden. After being frisked three times on my way in, I felt nothing of the peaceful side by side worshipping experience that had been described to me before hand. I was unnerved by the guns and commercialism that followed my every step through the space. I have no desire to go back.

Eid Mubarak Ho!

For those who don't know Eid is officially the end of Ramadan when everyone stops fasting and eats sweets. If you ever wondered about the Islamic Crescent Moon and Star imagery. It's because after fasting for a month everyone is waiting to see this thin sliver of a moon come out.


This year it was perhaps a little thicker than previous year's because everyone expected it last night, but it didn't come out until tonight. You can just see it poking out above the trees.

Here is a picture that really captures how Babu experiences the Eid Fireworks on the rooftop: