Final Blog

I'm home now and posting my final Kerala, India experience blog. Thank you all for spending the past few weeks with me. It was a incredibly moving experience. Now to distribute the Sarees, Lunges, Elephants, and Scarves....

An Exciting Trip Home

I had the window seat on the flight from Dubai to JFK...in a 3 seat row--argh! I only got up when my seatmates did so three potty breaks in a fourteen hour trip--sorry kidneys :(  The plane was an hour late leaving Dubai which ate up my buffer between flights. I managed to get to the front of the line to get through customs and pick up my checked luggage by some fast walking. What I forgot is that my nice overnight stay in Dubai meant my bags were first on the plane...and last off. I made it to my connecting flight in time to wave goodbye--bye, bye. I wasn't crushed, I knew there would be other flights home, what I didn't know was that because I had booked through Emirates, Jet Blue said I had to make my new arrangements through them via phone. I was back in the states and could use my cell again--Yay. A half hour in the queue: deedeedee deedee deedum deedee--music to make me scream (I did cuss at it a couple times); and finally a live person. He made all the arrangements and got me on a Delta flight later that evening. My daughter was already in Chicago having gotten the pick up time wrong--can't fault her enthusiasm to see me--but it had me more stressed worrying about getting her a hotel room to stay the night.

Now for the air trains. Airtrains at JFK go between several terminals and city stations---I've learned. First; I arrived in Terminal 4 and had to get to Terminal 5, thank you for the instructions and directions information desk! Next to JetBlue, who couldn't help me after waiting in line for a few airport minutes. Then waiting on hold for Emirates while taking the airtrain to Terminal 7 for the Emirates partner American Airlines. Then leaving Terminal 7 because it wasn't the right one---thanks airport security for adding to my stress and sore feet (even with the airtrains there is a considerable amount of walking--JFK is HUGE!). When Emirates answered I planted myself until the call was completed. The 800 number I was given is routed to Dubai, so no call backs if we were disconnected. He recommended a flight on AA but there was no way I could have made the connection--I'd have to recheck all my bags, get back through security, and then to whichever gate. So on to Terminal 2 or 3--both of which house Delta flights. The problem is I had Terminal 8 on the brain and so that's where I went until I actually got to the check-in desk for AA and slapped myself in the head.

I found out that the airtrains don't just run between the terminals, they go out to satellite stations to hook up with real trains. Fifteen minutes after boarding I was back at my starting point at Terminal 8 and waiting for the airtrain heading in the right direction. A cursory inspection of the route map looked like Terminal 1 followed immediately after 8, but a more indepth look revealed that it's not an oval afterall, it's a loop with a long tail. Arriving at Terminal 2/3, I opted for trying 3--they are not together---argh. I chose right! I couldn't check in with the auto kiosk because I wasn't in the system--don't cry--and was redirected to the 'special assist kiosk.' My reservation was in the system and I was able to manually check in. I was rewarded with the knowledge that while Emirates allows 2 bags free, Delta charges. I wasn't going to cry, I wasn't going to laugh, I was just going to hand over my credit card; when wonder of wonders, the agent said Emirates had already taken care of the fee. I had been disappointed over the hotel voucher, the delayed flight, and the long telephone wait--but all was now forgiven. Thank you Emirates' representative for being considerate and providing good customer service.

After a gate change and finding out that I didn't have an assigned seat, the flight was delayed. Abigail had thoughtfully done the leg work in finding a reasonably priced hotel near O'Hare (well Kyle did and she forwarded the info :). One call later and I knew she could comfortably wait at the hotel until my flight landed (and it turns out, take a bubble bath in the oversized tub). I had woken up in Dubai at 4:45am their time and didn't sleep on the planes. Dubai is one hour behind Trivandrum, India which was 11.5 hours ahead of Chicago, and New York City is one hour ahead of Chicago. My head hurts trying to think of how many hours I remained awake until we arrived at the hotel. Even then I needed to eat and while waiting for pizza to arrive, Abigail and I went through all the goodies I'd purchased, dividing them up so they'd be easier to distribute. One meal, nice hot shower, and an amazingly comfortable bed put me to sleep for all of 4 hours. Funny thing though, Abigail drove back home and I was able to sleep the entire way...guess it's all about who you trust.

Dubai

So I purposely looked for air travel that would give me a long layover in Dubai opposed to doing multiple flights (which cost more). After the initial panic about a hotel room, and the dubious thought of carting my carryons around and spending the night awake at the airport (which I have done in the past--ugh), I arrived at The Dream Palace. My taxi ride was interesting in that I rode with the Ladies Taxi service. Pleasant enough people and given my propensity for supporting the underdog (in a patriachical society), I asked them to also pick me up in the morning (which they apparently forgot about--thanks Jassmina).

Dubai is tall and interestingly shaped buildings--lots of them. There are two commerce centers; one around the city center and the other near The Palm. I have lots of pictures taken from the Metro and some from my sore footed walk around and around and around. It's hard to be safe when you're constantly looking up so I was a bit slow going. Back on the Metro to the Mall of the Emirates. It seemed poetic to visit given that I've been to the Mall of America. Prices are enormous compared to India. Although I expected it I still kept being caught at figuring the exchange wrong. So I now have some figurines that cost 13USD that are worth maybe 5. Oh well, it was all about the experience. Turns out that the airport duty free was actually cheaper than the stores at the Mall--yes I did buy more stuff--and got to wander around more---poor feeties.

 

Bye!

Saw the majority of the group off at midnight. Almost missed them because I thought they were leaving at 12:30 am. Got to say my goodbyes to those from other schools and see you around campus to those from my school. All packed and ready to go but not sure of the weight. Took both bags to the exercise room because it has a scale--turns out it didn't agree with the airline scale. Breakfast with the few left and then a quick trip in a cab to the airport in plenty of time to depart. My first layover--a long one--was in Dubai. Emirates grants free hotel and food vouchers when you have long layovers unfortunately you have to register for the service when you book (my bad). Luckily I found a great 3 star hotel with the awesome help of Travel Tours at the Dubai airport. My options were 313USD; 212USD; or 84USD--and that only with some major finagling by the tour guy--who also recommended staying off the tour buses and just riding the Metro since all I wanted to do was see and be. It all added up to what I probably would have spent anyway, so thank you to the helpful hotel registration people who assisted and directed me away from their businesses--really they did this with smiles on their faces and handshakes all around. Guess I looked like a straggler because I really was one.

Leaving

After a couple days spent back at the Laurie Baker Center with some interesting speakers and some site visits in the afternoons we have come to our final day. Our farewell dinner was attended by several members of Costford and the LBC. It was very nice to see Sajan and Shialaja along with their daughters and mom again. I flitted from table to table because I wanted to be able to spend a final few minutes with each---of course I took my plate with me, the food was very good!

It seems so odd that we have reached this last day. I picked up my new glasses and walked around a bit before coming back to pack and attend the dinner. Most of the group is headed to the airport to catch an early morning flight. There are only three of us to share breakfast before two more of us head out; one to spend another week here doing research (our instructor) and one to head to the airport (me). Our final group member is here for a couple more days. She's traveled quite a bit on her own and she's remaining here at this hotel where the staff know her. I almost wish I had thought to book a longer stay as well--especially when I hear that temperatures at home are -7 F!

It's sad to be going but it will be good to sleep in my own bed. It will take awhile to unpack given the need for the new full-size suitcase to cart all my goodies home. But classes start on Tuesday so it's right back into it for me. Two more writing assignments for this class and all will be done, except of course for the wonderfully awesome and amazing memories of these past three weeks.

Did I mention that I finally got my postcards mailed? After almost the full three weeks looking for a post-office and only finding them when they were closed or had long lines when we were short of time, the driver took us to one that's open 24 hours a day and only about 2 kilometers from the hotel--ARGH! It would be nice if they sold stamps somewhere besides the post office but it also would have been nice to know that this place existed several weeks ago. So anyone expecting a post card from me from India--it's on its way ;p~

More Elephants

The nature preserve was a bit of an adventure but not because of any wild animals. We were up at 5am to be in line by 5:30--which we almost made. A man selling masala tea off a cart saved the day by providing me with a little bit of caffeine while we waited. We were actually waiting on the bus in the line to get into the nature preserve. Where we were actually headed was the lake so we could catch a boat to motor around and see if any wild animals were around.

There are two tickets: one to get through the front gates, the second to get through the boat ramp gates. We had the first but not the second...yet. The instructor and our van driver grabbed the 3 thinnest people off the van and headed through the front gate before they opened. Rickshaw drivers were waiting to rush people to the front of the line for boat tickets. Our group of 4 reportedly had a very interesting race with other rickshaws for several kilometers, then they had to run the final 500 meters. They made it--whew--and managed to buy the last 16 tickets for the first boat flotilla. If you don't get the first boat you have to wait until it gets back from the 1 hour cruise---yeck!

We didn't see much on the cruise except birds, and birds, and more birds. However their was some excitement when someone spotted some elephants. I couldn't see them but a classmate with an awesome camera captured them--yay! We also saw some water buffalo, and maybe some boars? The lake is manmade and many trees and rocks still line the waters and shore...from a distance I could believe they moved :)

After are excitement we checked out of the hotel and headed back down the mountain...Thiruvananthrapuram (Trivandrum) here we come!

Elephants and Spices

Today was the long dreaded ride up the mountain to Thekkady. I did not throw up. Yay! Because of my body's reaction the one time I had to ride in the very back of the van, I am now allotted the seat immediately behind the driver. This means the coldest air from the AC hits my face and I don't have to deal with as much vibration. The erractic motion from the driver weaving in and out of traffic and the constant start/stop are the same no matter where anyone sits in the van. Today I also made use of the ginger gum our instructor had and took extra of the Stugeron (motion sickness meds). I was sleepy but not any more so than my seat mate with the really hard head. I know it's hard from the couple times it slammed into my shoulder. It had to be uncomfortable for him, and he always appologized, but I gave him my travel pillow--it just seemed like he needed it more (for cushion if nothing else! ;).

We did stop a couple times, which helped a lot. Once for breakfast, once for tea, and once just to look at the scenery. Once we'd checked into our hotel room (and ate some lunch) we were off to view a spice plantation and see some elephants. Yes, I rode the elephant, but we actually went on a walk about on a trail in the woods and I communed with her the entire time. I thanked her for allowing us to ride on her back and she peed and pooped. I'm not sure if that was her response or just the function of the moment. It was a wonderful experience.

We finished the evening with an amazing martial arts performance where swords, metal bands, metal poles, acrobats, and fire combined to make an hour pass by in only a few minutes. I was on my feet alot shouting and clapping after each performance. Dinner finished out the night with a short stop to pick up some cashews from a Kudumbarshee micro-enterprise that sells to tourists (and looks like every other mom and pop business on the street).

Off to bed for now with an early wake up (5am) to go to a nature preserve before heading out of the mountains and back to Trivandrum. Night all.

Costford

We got to hear some more presentations about the work being done by Costford and Kudumbarshee and see some more micro-enterprises. I got a pair of sandals made from the stem of the beetlenut tree with coconut fiber uppers and rubber soles from the rubber tree. I like to buy stuff from the micro-enterprises, it's supporting a worthwhile cause....much better than paying someone who's selling products 3 or more times removed from the actual producers at a major mark-up in price.

Good news: in the afternoon we walked around Thrissur--big shopping area with the downtown filled with lots of small, mom and pop type stores. I found an adaptor for my camera and was able to download pictures. Now I just need to figure out how to upload them to this blog. I'll try not to post too many food shots.

Conference Day

Conference Day….not as exciting as it sounds. We rushed to get out of the hotel to travel what was supposed to be a half hour ride in the van. Didn’t work out that way. The site wasn’t one either our instructor or our driver knew, so we drove close to the area and then the driver started canvassing the auto-riskshaw drivers to see if anyone could direct us. Several directions later we arrived at our destination only 1.5 hours later. Apparently they had started late so we were actually only 15 minutes late. The first few talks weren’t really what I’m used to from different conferences I’ve attended around the US. We’ll diplomatically leave it at that, although one gentleman stood out from the crowd. He started life very poor and wanted to make a difference. He went to school and studied medicine. After obtaining his MD he went back to provide health care to those he views as marginalized by the Indian administration.

Lunch was okay, not as good as at LBC but not bad either. The afternoon talks were more interesting and a few presenters managed to present interesting topics and present them well. Unfortunately the majority seemed very impressed by their own importance and the sound of their own voices. Two who stood out were a former CEO of an American Company who, as a youth, had worked with Mother Theresa. After 10+ years of running a company she realized that the only contribution she was making to the world was a paycheck for her employees. She quit and used her life savings to start a school among those marginalized by society. What impressed me most about this lady was not her accomplishments but her ability to take the slings of one of her fellow presenters who was giving an alternative opinion of schooling. He was radical and his ideology flawed. While his philosophy might work in extremely small populations of students, hers applied to the masses. She remarked after one of his slams on her methods that his had validity and that she enjoyed listening to his views. He was less than forthcoming with any type of reciprocation….he pretty much liked his own ideas too much to give any credence to any others to the point of rudeness. So kudos to her and *bleck* to him.

Yesterday a houseboat, today a ferry ride: It’s all about the water.

Just kidding, I like water…3 liters a day. Yesterday morning we were up bright and early to drive to Aleppy. The tour van driver is a wonder. He knows all the short cuts, he got us there 2 hours earlier than anticipated and they weren’t even ready with our lunch. Of course the public bus driver strike did help a little given that there were hardly any buses on the route. It’s funny how the unions work here. The state runs all the city buses but they hire drivers through several different unions. If only one union is striking the other unions continue life as usual. Either they don’t care about solidarity through union cohesion or their system is a lot different than the US’s—I could be wrong about this. The drivers were upset—perhaps rightly so—that the state was mucking with their pension.

We arrived at the houseboat—incredible thing—about noon and set up for a leisurely motoring around the ‘Venice of India,’ otherwise known as the backwaters. The backwaters are channels between massive rice fields. We got to see a floating duck regalia and to see ducks being herded—both are a sight to see. People live along the narrow expanses of land between the channels and get to work/school via boat, although we did see a auto-rickshaw so some are connected to roadways. We slept 3 to a room and while it was a little crowded it was still fun. The staff turned the AC on full blast and by 1:30 am we were freezing. I couldn’t figure out how to shut it off, apparently there was a remote, or alternately a button. Go figure they’d tell me the morning after! I didn’t want to wake everyone else up to turn on a light….little did I know everyone was half awake anyway. I had to go searching for coffee in the morning since it is not the usual morning drink….I haven’t figured that out yet. They heat milk and then pour instant coffee into it for us. It works but I looked forwarded to drip coffee from freshly ground beans.

Today we traveled to Fort Kochi. It is on an island attached via bridge to the mainland. There are many churches and one ancient synagogue at the end of the lane through Jew Town. I kid you not that is the name of the area. It’s on all the shop signs even though there is only one official Jew left in town. Sarah Cohen still hand tats doilies with menorahs on them—even into her nineties. A ferry ride across to Kochi proper and we met up with another group from Iowa also studying sustainable housing. I like our group better. We attended a local dance performance put on in our honor---wonderful but we had to leave immediately after to catch the last ferry back to Fort Kochi at 9:20pm—and we still hadn’t had supper! My stomach was growling and so were a few others so we decided to stop on the way back to the hotel. After waiting too long with no menus or recognition other than having seated us, we decided another restaurant might work better. Several restaurants were already closed for the night so we threw ourselves on the mercy of the Harbor House. They had just closed the kitchen but re-opened it for us. I am so glad. Even though the prices were high according to other places we’ve eaten, it was the best tasting beef fillet I’ve ever had—yes a little insensitive in a Hindu culture but no one at our table was of the faith. Everyone else said that their food was the best they’d ever had of that particular dish. So I highly recommend the The Harbor Hotel restaurant to anyone traveling through Fort Kochi, Kerala, India.

Kudumbashree

Women matter. Just in case any of you had any doubts. The organization called Kudumbashree was devised as a social experiment in 1998. It was and still is a huge success. It offers choices (a most precious commodity) to struggling women in the form of limited financial assistance, skills counseling and training, and management oversight/administration. We were given a presentation by several members from the Trivandrum office and then got to go out and see some of the micro-enterprises that they have helped into existence. These are really micro--very small, with one self-employed dairy unit lady with 5 cows providing her an income of Rs 300/day/cow (roughly 900 USD/month), which moves her from poverty to middle class in this economy. We also met some ladies who run a business turning recycled paper into jewelry and other art. There are 5 women in this business and all make around Rs 100/day...still in the low income group but not poverty stricken--besides they have the fulfillment of earning a living and enjoying their work. We also met some ladies who own and run a baby food processing plant (albeit a very small one), which specializes in a recipe for pre-schoolers devised by nutritionists. All in all a very interesting day. Tomorrow we head for Kumarakom and stay on a houseboat, just a short 4-5 hour drive on India's most excellent roadways.....eeeeeeee, wish me luck! ;)

All Tunafish Sandwiches are Not the Same

Today we heard from the chief of the Kerala desk for one of India's main papers, the Hindu. He discussed how through technology India is able to have 1st world media in a 3rd world country. It seems that Indians love the news, for every large town there are several papers written in several languages. All tell the same story but with different insight. It's good to hear different sides of a story so you can make up your own mind rather than being spoon fed someone else's opinions. We also got to hear from a local film critic about the film industry in Kerala....wait for it....wait for it.....Mollywood! The local language is Mallallam, so locally produced films (independent and alternative) are coined as Mollywood--watch out Bollywood and Hollywood :).

We got to tour another home built by Laurie Baker, one of his first built around 1986. It took four years to build mainly because work would halt until the owner could afford to continue. We all know by now that Laurie Baker had an affinity for the poor. This gentleman was in the military and approached Laurie to build for him. He and his wife have lived in the home for 26 years and raised two daughters there. They were gracious enough to open their home and let us wander at will. Laurie had built on an open kitchen plan--which is not the norm for traditional Indian homes, so another adjacent (and small, dark, and separated from the main flow of the home) was added.

Now for the adventures in tuna fish! After we returned to the hotel I decided not to go out to eat and ordered from room service. I read through the menu and saw that they served tuna fish sandwiches with waffers. Yay! An easy meal with no spices. hahahahahaha. The sandwich was primarily red onions and black pepper. There was some tuna but no mayonnaise to hold it all together. It is a testament to my hunger that I ate almost all of it along with the waffers (potato chips ;). Good thing I'm not sharing a bed....I think my mouth is still on fire!

Rest Day!

Nowhere to go, no place to be, and our second assignment due at 10pm….so I took a nap. A group of us headed to Pothys, a multilevel department store with a grocers in the lowest level. I found several shirt/dresses that I liked, as well as yet another suitcase. When will I learn to bring at least one checked bag so that I won’t be compelled to buy yet another to carry home souvenirs and gifts! I don’t save any money and waste time looking. I like this one though so I may actually use it again—it’s leaf green and my favorite color for baggage J! Dinner out on the town and back to the hotel to finish my homework. All in all a nice relaxing day.

Sajan and Shailaja’s house

We started off the day learning about influences on architecture from client, function, and physical environment to approaches to design. It seems everything should help to determine what type of building is placed on a plot of land: the site, the access, setbacks, and cluster planning. We also learned about the traditional responses to climate: verandahs, roof form and material, and the use of gables.

Later we got to see how well Sajan and Shailaja incorporated Laurie Baker’s philosophy into their home. Their home is on the top of a hill, is built on an open floor design, is built of wood, bamboo, and mud…with reclaimed wood. How the mud stays in place makes no sense to me, since I'm told there is little to no clay--it's just dirt. The windows follow the lattice work of the Padmanabhapuram palace which slant outwards and contain no glass. Amazing how pleasant such an open house can feel. I sat in the top room and wished I could stay a while. We had coconut milk from the husk, then shared some of the meat. Shailaja’s mother cut up the coconuts to reveal the meat….different texture than I’ve ever had before.

As we were leaving I was last to head down the hill with Indu and Sajan. I turned to say something and managed to trip over my own two feet. In my defense it was a rocky road and steep hill. The irony of it was that I’d just been speaking with Sajan about medical care in India and how I hoped none of us would need to find out! I was laughing so hard at myself that if I’d truly been hurt, I wouldn’t have felt it. A nice big colorful bruise is all that remains—that and a good story!

Day 6

It’s all about the fishing—the life and livelihood of coastal fisherfolk. John Kurien filled us in on all things fishy. Turns out the fishermen hold the majority for highest percentage of the Kerala population—makes sense since it spans the southwestern part of the sub-continent along the Arabian Sea and is not a wide state. So every Keralite political group must have a representative from the fisherfolk if they want their candidate to be elected. Nice way to make sure that the needs of the many don't fall on deaf ears....or be completely ignored.

Architect P.B. Sajan spoke about the choice of building materials and that we need to balance building demand with building consumption. The Laurie Baker Center focus is on sustainable housing at a cost effective price. The components of a building are the foundation, the superstructure, finishing, and other miscellaneous incidentals. The only local renewable building materials are wood, bamboo, and seashells. I would add mud to that since a lot of their houses have a mud component either through cobbing, mud bricks, or compression. For those who don’t know bamboo has the same tensile strength as steel, does not take as much energy to produce, is safer for the environment, doesn’t cost as much, and doesn’t corrode (so says the US Navy). Too bad it’s not available in the mid-west!

The Three People I've Met Today

Today I met three very interesting people. The first was Professor Shailaja Nair, who taught us about Costford's approach to slum eradication. It is different from many countries' way of dealing with the problem of squalid housing. Instead of tearing down the dilapitated structures and putting up new that are beyond the financial reach of the residents--thereby taking their homes and forcibly relocating them. Costford, and the State of Kerala, are working with the residents to build sustainable housing that is only available to them. Once they take possession of the new home it belongs to them to do with as they choose. It is wonderful to hear that instead of viewing slums and their residents as a problem, these wonderful and wise people are reinforcing their humanity.

Mr. R.D. Padmakumar taught us about the life cycle of sustainable building projects: feasibility, design, construction and operation, reuse and refurbishment, and demolition and recycling. There is also balance in these projects between intervention (policy, planning, design, implementation), efficiency (monetary, social, and environmental costs), economies of scale, and the impacts of construction. He explained the importance of buildings as an expression of the local culture and climate. They should be expressive of the arts and crafts of the individual and the community. Sustainable housing starts with the method of the architect and the use of local labor.

In the center of Trivandrum, a railway station was built using local clays and mud. The area that resulted from the extraction of these materials lay directly behind the station, 60cm below the surface of the surrounding area. A sewage overflow pond lay next to it. It was not being used by anyone and ignored by the city at large. Squattors set up homes cobbled together from the detrius of society in the remains of the extraction pit. The third person I met today was Chandrika. She is married and has four children. Her husband is a rickshaw driver. They live in the extraction pit but they are no longer squattors living on unclaimed land. They live in their own home, built with local labor using local materials and a minimalist approach. It is built for the local climate and in harmony with the environment. It is one of several within a stacked apartment building on a foundation raised above the level of the overflow pond. Her family supplied the finishing touches and the rooms are whitewashed in pastel pink and pastel yellow. It is not a large home for six people but she holds the deed.

Confluence of Three Major Bodies of Water

The tip of the Indian sub-continent juts out into the confluence of the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, and the Bay of Bengal. We took a ten minute ferry ride out to the island that dribbles off the tip. It is considered a holy site because a wise man sat there for three days. I didn’t catch the significance of the feat but can always Google it later since I was wise enough to buy post-cards with the name of the place! We waited in line for two and a half hours, ten minute boat ride, and thirty minute walk around. Interesting sight and fun to be at that exact point but almost as bad as the favorite rides at the amusement park. The big difference of course is where we were and who we were with. The people in line with us were pushy and polite. Pushing when we allowed more than one person length between us and the next person in line (they are not a culture that understands the U.S. thirty inch bubble) and then polite and friendly when I would talk with them. I truly didn’t even notice how long we waited. Every time I looked at my watch I was surprised how much time had passed. It may have been the longest line in the world but it turned out to also be the most pleasant.

I almost forgot the fun eating experiences we’ve had the past couple days: eating off banana leaves with our fingers! Yes I have pictures—you knew I would—I even have a video. Messy? Why yes it was. Tasty? You bet! Spicy? A little—sometimes a lot. How much fun was it to sit at a table with other adults and spoon rice, curry, and whatever else was put before me into my mouth? A lot! Watching my tablemate chew on leaves and beetle nut? Priceless! –it does not taste so good and it doesn’t go down easy. Tonight we had some free time and went shopping. We ate out at a restaurant along the Mahatma Ghandi Road and watched the traffic zooming by. We were glad to be indoors and off the streets--there are some crazy scary drivers here!

Kanyakumari, Tamilnadu

After the palace we arrived at our hotel in the heart of Kanyakumari. The town is located at the southern tip of the Indian sub-continent. It is crowded with tourists who come to see the sunset and sunrise, and also to visit the island which drips into the convergence of three great bodies of water: the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, and the Bay of Bengal. Poverty is evident here. People sleep on the streets, a mother picks lice from her daughter’s hair, vendors place their goods on sheets. There are also stalls selling coffee and tea, figurines, necklaces, saris, and spices. The smells of the spices compete with unwashed bodies and garbage. It is cleaner than I expected with the garbage tucked in nooks and crannies. I bought saris and a figurine for friends and family. I can bargain and it is fun but the needs of the vendors weighs on me. I know that their asking price is very low for someone from the US but high for locals. It is a dance of respect to haggle out a price that reflects the value of the goods with the self-respect of the buyer and seller. I looked at the goods and ask how much. I am offered a price. Hmmm I say, I will give you this much. Too low, too low, I cannot sell for less than this. I say I will buy four, what deal will you give me? Wait, wait he says and leaves to get the owner. The owner says if we had a shop and many workers this would cost this much. I say this is not a shop with many workers, this is what I will pay. He says I cannot sell for so low a price. I say, I will buy four, make me a deal. This much he says, this much I will pay I say. Everyone is happy. The salesman wraps my purchases and I pay him. The owner leaves and I give the salesman a tip. I have maybe provided him a job for another day and also the price of a cup of coffee. I like doing business this way.

Padmanabhapuram Palace

The kings of old Kerala were not an ostentatious lot. The palace is relatively small built of stone, brick, and very intricately carved wood. It is built for a hot environment with accoutrements slotted, louvered, and carved to accommodate air flow. Artisan carpenter’s work is seen throughout, still beautifully preserved over the four hundred year span of the palace’s existence. The audience chamber is small and designed for progression through and past the king’s chair—which is slightly ornate but hardly a throne. The museum on the grounds holds statues that used to reside in the several courtyards and some of the contents of the old armory. The British confiscated much of the goods from the palace but there was still a little left for us to view. There was also a private temple on the grounds, which was not open to the public. An aerial view might place it right in the center of the complex.

Leaving the palace there was a vendor who cut off the tops of husked coconuts. Fresh coconut milk is delicious and refreshing. After drinking the milk, he would take the coconut back and cut it in half to reveal the meat….very tasty too.

Bringing in the New Year

New Year’s Eve spent on Covella Beach. It is a long, wide beach fronted by many resort hotels and a couple light houses. Fishing boats are pulled above the high tide mark and people wade between them to dip their toes in the salty water. Many people are there to share the turn of the year even though the Indian New Year does not arrive until late January or early February. I’m told though that it is a sober event and our New Year is spent in revelry—with much alcohol consumed. There were performances and a buffet—both interesting and delicious. The fireworks though were stupendous. It seemed every resort along the beach was shooting off their own—sometimes, scarily, right on the patio where we were standing. The fireworks started about 15 minutes before midnight and continued for a long time (I got a little bored and went back inside after a half hour). Seeing 5 or so different fireworks displays at once was very fun.

I’m not sure how close Covella Beach is to our hotel was since it took 45+ minutes to get there but lots of stop and go driving….sometimes very quick stops and goes. Driving (or rather being driven) in India involves seeing the sights—many the same—with intense moments of panic. Dogs, cows, goats, people, motorbikes, cars, buses, all share the same space and move sometimes without signaled intent. About the only other road traffic the bus driver seems concerned with are the cows. Sacred animals to one third of the people here, I don’t know if there is a proscription against harming them. Some people do eat them and they are certainly milked. Coffee and tea are served with heated milk and food sauces are made from buttered milk. Luckily I love milk….mmmmmm, rich and creamy J.

Purpose of Being Here

Thought I should write a little something about what brings me over to India. This morning we went to the Laurie Baker Center. The Center is to celebrate the works of Lawrence Baker, an Englishman who came to India, became an architect, met Ghandi, and showed that it was possible to build sustainable low-cost housing. His organization, Costford (Centre of Science and Technology for Rural Development), begun in 1985, is non-profit, mainly unsubsidized, has achieved over 25,000 houses built and over 6,000 public and commercial buildings. The majority of houses were built in environmentally weak areas. Houses were built for low-income, mid-income, and high-income groups. Laurie Baker’s vision of architecture was at odds with the traditional, conservative Indian view of building. Many postulated that his buildings would not last more than a few years—45 years later they still retain all the same qualities as when they were built.

Later in the day we went to the Center for Development Studies to view some of these buildings. We toured the campus and went up in the seven story library building, which had an awesome view of the city of Thiruvananthapuram where our hotel is located. We could see the ocean on one side and the mountains on the other.