Random Photo of the Week

Coca-Cola's unique delivery system in Kudle Beach, Gokarna. This guy hiked more than 1 km to drop this crate off at a restaurant at the top of the cliff. Now that's striving to reach every customer! I wonder if Pepsi can contend....

It's Wordle Time!!!!

Check out the word cloud of all our posts since Christmas....enjoy!

Here is the link to another version on Wordle...fun, fun!!!! :)

Random Photo of the Week

Dyed thread drying in the sun that will soon be spun into some fabulous sarees. We took this picture during a recent field visit to Koppal. This area of the town was known for its saree making, and you could hear the looms running inside almost every house on the block.

There Goes the Sun

Today there was an amazing solar eclipse that could be viewed throughout India. Although watched the peak (i.e. "Ring of Fire") on TV during our lunch break, the local watchman also let us see it in person by peering through a soot-laden piece of glass. We'd have to admit that it was pretty cool, although we were also surprised that even though the light outside was different than it normally would have been in the afternoon, it was not nearly as dark as we thought it would be.

Here's some interesting myths that have kept a lot of Indians indoors today. There were scientists on the news dispelling all these crazy ideas, but I am sure that it will still take some time for the general public to truly ignore them. Here is a good review of the general myths and facts:

Myth 1: You should not go out during the eclipse, as exposure to the rays of sun can make you go insane.
Fact: You can go out during the eclipse and the rays of sun felt on this day are the same as any other day, except that they are blocked by the moon, either partially or totally. The only precaution that you need to take is to view the sun through special filters and not through naked eyes.

Myth 2: You should not have food during the eclipse.
Fact: You can safely eat food during the eclipse and there is nothing that can interfere with the digestion process.

Myth 3: Pregnant women must stay indoors during eclipse as exposure to sun can affect the womb and the infant.
Fact: Pregnant women can safely travel during eclipse and undertake any sojourn but they must take care not to look up at the sun with naked eyes.

Myth 4: Eclipses are harbingers of calamities and epidemics.
Fact: A solar eclipse occurs when the moon comes in between the sun and the earth. So, there is no other natural disaster that is waiting to happen.

Myth 5: Pregnant women must not deliver babies during eclipse as the baby born on this day is bound to be affected by bad omen.
Fact: It is absolutely safe for pregnant women to deliver babies during eclipse and there is no bad omen that is waiting to pounce on the new born.

Myth 6: Those who are holding a knife or axe or any other sharp instrument during the eclipse will cut themselves.
Fact: There is a possibility that this could happen because the eclipse could reduce visibility, but the chances are quite slim.

Happy Pongal!!!

Jan 14 is the designated day to celebrate Pongal/Makara Sankranthi in India, which means that today is a holiday! Makara Sankranti/Pongal celebrates the resumption of the sun's 'journey northwards' where the days get longer. We can attest to that because the sun is noticeably more intense and a lot hotter during the day.

The holiday is also traditionally celebrated at harvest time, by thanking the sun god, rain and the farm animals that have helped in the harvest. In Tamil Nadu (neighboring state to us) the celebrations are for three days. The first day, Bhogi, is dedicated to burning all old and unwanted things that people own. People make huge bonfires to burn away the old and ring in the new season/year per se. On the second day, Pongal, milk and rice are cooked together in a pot and allowed to overflow, symbolizing that prosperity will overflow in life. The last day, is called Matta Pongal, and this is when the farm animals (typically cattle) are washed and decorated in thanks to them. Often there are races and other such events to celebrate the day.

The fact that this day is still celebrated in some way throughout the country signifies that agriculture is still such a huge part of the social and cultural fabric of life here. It would be interesting to research how many centuries old this festival might be and how harvests are celebrated in other parts of the world.

At home we celebrated by eating lots of yummy food, napping, watching movies, and writing a blog post! Nice celebration indeed!!! Pongal -o-Pongal!!!

Here is a picture of rangoli created by our neighbor.

The advent of the internet in my life.....

One of the comments that I got from my last entry was that it would have been cool if I had had a blog when I first moved to the U.S. that documented the process of my acclimatization to American culture and life. It got me thinking instead on how the internet has changed so much since when I first moved to the U.S. (I hope you’re appreciating how I avoid putting dates and years down ;)).

Anyhoo....I remember the first time my dad explained what the Internet was. He said it was this vast library that could pretty much answer any question I had. In my mind I envisioned something very Harry Potter-esque....an ancient library with books as far as the eye could see....with really long ladders to access them. If you are wondering about the details of what I envisioned more than a decade ago, it’s because I have photographic memory of certain details in my life, plus what else could you expect after all the British novels we read as kids.

I should also of course mention the first time I browsed the internet. I was a teeny bopper, and the first thing I thought of looking up was this boy band that I was crazy about, who had the unfortunate name of Boyzone. In my naïveté I just typed that in, only to be barraged with a ton of porn sites which I frantically tried to close before my dad came by. Later that day I was talking to a friend about email, and he suggested as I should go to this site named Hotmail, to get an account... in the back of my head I knew there was no way in hell I was even going to attempt typing that! Eeish! I had already been through enough! My first email account was on Rocketmail.

In the Grips of Culture Shock

When I first moved to the U.S., I remember taking an invaluable class is cross-cultural communication, and part of the course involved studying concepts such as culture shock and the processes behind it. I thought I would share some of the titbits that I found helpful, and which I figure have helped Adam in someway... However, first imagine that I’m layering this post with tons of caveats on the lack of accurate scientific and philosophical references to these theories, cause I don’t remember them from the class. Ready? Ok!

One of the things about culture shock, is that it takes about six months just to settle in. You think it’s happening within the first two weeks, but it’s not. Initially things seem new and exciting, and most of us have love-hate moments, but all in all we just try to fit in and are more or less like flies on the wall – observing. But further into the experience, which comes from actually living (and not just travelling) in a new country, is when we have to confront the difference in our value systems, norms, and behaviour. It almost seems like an ‘us’ versus ‘them’ situation, and this is when it’s most challenging. At this phase we also tend of romanticise and think highly of things that we left behind compared to the situation we are in. However, if we can persevere through this phase, the experience gets a lot better, and we sorta become hybrids. We take on new norms that we value and discard those that we don’t from the new culture, and merge it with those we already have. It’s a really neat process...like the emergence of a new you, a little bit of this and that...which did not exist before – Indian yes-no head bobble with the American accent! I feel that the person going through it becomes more open, tolerant, and really starts to enjoy their experiences in the not-so-new culture. This goes on until you come across the next challenge in terms of values, and then you somehow make your peace and move on and on and on.

The other really neat concept in terms of communication was the difference between (stereotypically) Asians and Americans. Here is a diagram to illustrate with an explanation following it.



The explanation through an example is as follows (again, based on how I remember it). When an Asian meets an American, the American seems really open, gregarious, and willing to share pretty much every detail of their life, such as their boyfriends, parents being divorced, number of shots they had last night before getting blitzed, etc. They might even suggest to the Asian that they should come over to their house some time for dinner or a party, etc. Details that seem very personal to the Asian and which they would share only with the closest of their friends. However, to the American this is the norm and it doesn’t signify a close friendship. In fact, they might see the Asian the next day and not even say hello. As you can imagine this can seem very confusing to the Asian, who cannot seem to understand what it all means. So to tie the diagram in, the American has a more porous outer circle, however, their inner circle is tight knit. So you might know random facts about them, but it doesn’t necessarily signify a close relationship.

Now, the reverse happens to the Asian. The outer circle is the harder one to crack. So when you first meet them they might seem quiet and disinterested to the American – not sharing many details and the conversion might just not add up to much. However, once you crack this circle you are golden, and are really a part of the inner circle. This is when an invitation home is personal, and it means you are really part of the tribe.

So while this concept stereotypes beyond each individuals personality, it’s a good measuring stick when you are in a new culture and things are confounding. Needless to say both sides take time to really establish close relations with each other; initial interactions can sometimes seem misleading.

I feel like I initially started off like the Asian when I first got the U.S., and I’ve migrated a bit towards the American paradigm, but in general seem reserved when I meet someone new. I’ve noticed the same with the interactions when Adam and my father met. I remember asking my father why he was so reserved and quiet. He mentioned not knowing what to say, and also not knowing how open he could be with his viewpoints or thoughts. Adam would wonder why my dad seemed distant and disinterested while he openly talked about politics or sports. With the opportunity to spend more time together, I feel their relationship has grown to open discussions, jokes, and looking out for each other....but I don’t think it’ll ever take the garb of an pure American or Asian son-in-law and father-in-law relationship....it’s hybrid, and each will have to make peace with that and move on.

So anyways....those are my insights that seemed to help me out....and it might be interesting to some of you...would love to hear back on what you think....especially if you have any feedback that is scathing or nice ;)

Random Photo of the Week

There is more than one funny spelling on the sign of this Indian Chinese restaurant in Shimla. Can you spot them? Winner will get a special prize sent all the way from Bangalore (which is super-special unless, of course, you are reading this from Bangalore)!

Burgermania!

Finally, yes I finally had a hamburger in India. In all my time here, it my first beef hamburger ever in the land of holy cow...and it tasted great. I have been craving a "real" burger for sometime, but everytime we went to a restaurant that advertised the American staple, it was always made out of chicken or vegetables. But, last week when we went to one of our new favorite restaurants in Bangalore, Herbs and Spice on 80 ft road, the chef agreed to cook our special request. My mouth definitely watered as I sank my teeth into the surprisingly large pepper-infused burger with lettuce, tomato, cheese, onions, and spicy mustard on a whole wheat sesame seed bun. The side of finger chips (aka french fries) along with a cold beer really hit the spot too, and I could not have asked for anything more that night. Of course, it wasn't the greatest burger that I ever had (that title still goes to Thurman's Cafe in C'bus), but I will definitely be going back there to get my fix sometime soon.

Travelling in style in Bengga-loray?! (cute Italian accent)

This weekend my mom, Adam, and I decided to spend Sunday morning at Lalbagh, which is the most well known botanical garden in Bangalore. They have a huge lake that you can walk around and see tons of birds, animals, flowers, and trees. We saw a variety of birds catching fish,some beautiful trees that were completely in bloom, and more (BTW, February is when most of the trees are supposed to be in full-bloom so be prepared for a new post in about a month). On the way back, we decided to stop by the nursery that pretty much sells all varieties of plants that you might ever want for your garden. Since my parents recently moved to an apartment, we thought it would be nice to get a few plants. However, if you have walked through this nursery, you know that temptation lies every way you look. We bought four bougainvilleas which are flowering plants and of colors that ranged from fuchsia to sunset orange. Other additions included two varieties of jasmine, a beetle leaf creeper, herbs, and a special variety of night-flowering jasmine locally called parijatha. This is also a flowering plant with the white petals on a bright orange stem, and it smells just as amazing as it looks! We also bought some empty pots, and we finally planted an herb garden in our balcony! Hopefully we’ll be eating a bunch of fresh homemade pesto soon ;)

Okay back to the story....being so enamoured with our selection, we failed to think about how we would even take them back given that we had taken an auto-rickshaw to get there. My mom is ever the optimist and was sure we’d find a way. Luckily for us, the local women who worked in the nursery were extremely enterprising and figured out all the logistics. Not only did they replant all our selections, they also helped us find a tempo (which is sorta like a cargo auto) to take the plants home. This was all arranged within half an hour and it was definitely well worth the tip! Adam and I decided that instead of travelling back in a regular auto while my mom went along with the plants and the driver, we would ride in the back of our rented open-air auto with all the plants. Now this sorta ride is typical for day labourers or people who live in villages whose only mode of transportation is to pile onto a cargo-auto like sardines in a box, but definitely not the norm for people that “look” like us. Needless to say it was very amusing to watch people’s reactions of us sitting in the back as we cruised through the city. We got many stares, smiles and waves...and a good back massage especially over the speed bumps. It felt like we were sitting on a massage chair where everything just vibrates in a not-so-comfortable way. Adam took the chance at attempting to sing some Hindustani music which needs lots of note elongations...like Gopa-la-ah-ah-aha-aha-aha :). All in all it was a great experience, and here are some pictures of our Sunday randomness.

Random Photo of the Week

Presenting..... Kigelia pinnata aka the Sausage Tree from our walk in Lalbagh this weekend! :) - V

On the ground running in 20.10

Yesterday I continued my annual tradition of doing some sort of exercise on the 1st day of January to start the year off on the right foot The mandatory 6am college swim practice in 1998 has since turned into a voluntary run that often takes place much later in the day (i.e., 5pm). This year, I decided for the first time to tie in a theme from the upcoming year and settled on running 20.10 kilometers (hooray for moving to India and following the metric system, which made the run much shorter). If you read Vidya's post on running a few weeks ago, then you would know that most of our runs involve circling our apartment complex, where about 3 laps equal a kilometer. Thanks to my ipod, the 1.5+ hour run that took me around the building 60 times was not nearly as painful and boring as I thought it would be.

On another note, I woke up this morning to the news that OSU beat Oregon in the Rose Bowl...Go Bucks!