Shopping and cow racing...

Hi there!

Well, Jan has flown by. The lady I worked with decided to leave at the end of Dec meaning it's been just me and R who works part time since then. On the 14-16th Jan was the Tamil harvest festival of Pongal which is a big celebration and warrents one or three new outfits for each Tamil and their family.

To prepare for that, on the 8th, me, R and A who works in the tailor section of Nandini headed up to Chennai for a full day of shopping. Mostly we shop in Pondy as it's much closer but for certain items (sarees, punjabi material, mens t-shirts and shirts, jeans etc) it's much more cost effective to spend the day in Chennai. We tend to go there once every 3-4 months and this was my first time.

We set off at 6am in our taxi, stopping just once at around 8.30 for breakfast. Once we were in Chennai it took quite a while to head through the city to our first destination. The traffic was so busy! By 10am we were at the first shop, a huge place selling sarees, material, tops etc. We went in and with our price range in mind started to pick stuff out.

 

 

2 hours later we stumbled out of there into the bright hot midday sun leaden down with huge bags of Indian ladies clothing and several thousand rupees lighter.

 

Next we went to a textile area known as Old Washermenpet, this is where the sweatshop export rejects end up. Huge sacks of clothing are bought by the kilo and sold off at bargain prices. Often these places are just rooms full of piles of clothing where you have to check each item for stains, defective stitching etc, I saw plenty of recognised brands from home.

 

It's not something I feel totally comfortable with, especially since Auroville is meant to be a progressive, ecologically sound place but it's the trade off for supply and demand and is very big business here in India. Demand is big at Nandini especially amongst the Tamil community but to tailor make everything to people's needs would take too much time, labour etc and wouldn't be cost effective. Already a mens shirt costs 400rs which is an adults monthly contribution, add to the fact that they want shorts, a t-shirt, underwear maybe even a pair of trousers at the same time and you end up with a co-operative that isn't self sustaining. Anyway, I still don't feel right about it and didnt feel right about taking photos at those places either.

 

I did get a pic from the t-shirt shop however:

 

 

By 7pm we were done and with the taxi groaning under the weight of our bags and sacks of clothing we made our way home, getting back and unloading the car at 11pm. Phew!

 

The next day we did our best to get all the new stock priced and put in with the old stock ready for the onslaught of the Pongal shopping frenzy.

 

Sure enough the Friday and Saturday were manic, especially with just two of us. We closed on the final day of Pongal, the Thursday as did many other businesses which freed me, C and K up to attend the celebrations in Kuilapalayam, a nearby village. The main event being the cow race, which I saw during my first visit to India 6 years ago.

 

We arrived at 10am just as the market area was setting up - we had a look at the wares, mostly super cheap plasticy toys, plastic and stainless steel homewares and food stands.

 

 

Then we headed to the village square area and watched the place gradually fill up with people of all ages and races. People lined every available space on roofs, balconies, in trees etc. Kids clutching their new cheap plasticy toy, ladies in their finest sarees and punjabis with beautiful flowers in their hair, men in their jeans and shirts, hair slick and shiney with oil and baggy clothed backpacked tourists, camera in hand waiting for the spectacle. We recognised quite a few Aurovillians too, mostly those with kids, which was nice for K to have some partners in mischief.

 

 

Candy floss seller - a regular sight along the beach in Pondy:

 Bag seller, a regular sight everywhere you find tourists: 

 

Then came the cows, each one lead through the throng to a huge cheer by their owners/entourage. Nearly all were painted/decorated with baloons, bananas, flowers, bells etc

 

 

 

 

 

The only undecorated cow :)

 

Once most of the cows had passed by, C turned to me and said, "it's a shame that they're not having the usual banana fight", just as the first banana got thrown. It's not as bad as it sounds as the local bananas are tiny but they tend to spatter on impact. I got a rough film of the madness which you can see here: Pongal Banana Fight

 

Apologies for the poor quality, but you hopefully get the idea...

 

A shot of the usually empty square:

 

I'm ending today with a film of the race itself. Again apologies for the shakiness but maybe it just adds to the overall effect ;)

Cow Race!

 

Me and C are gearing up for a night away this coming Sunday when we head off to Bangalore whilst C's mum has K overnight for the first time. We're going to a gig featuring artists from UK label Twisted Records (Shpongle, Hallucinogen, Younger Brother and Prometheus). We're seen them all bar Prometheus before in London and at festivals but to see them here in India should be interesting, I'm especially interested to see how modern India does nightlife, surely it can't be like UK nightlife...can it??? Anyway, it'll be fun. A night out together is a very rare thing indeed and it's our 7 year anniversary the following week so it seems fitting we see artists we danced to when we first got together.

 

More soon.

 

Laura

ॐ

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy new year!

Wishing you all a happy new year!

I really love Sundays, I currently work Tues-Sat so Sunday is the only full day I get with my family. Today I didn't wake up until 7.40 - what bliss!

 

It's the day that the doors all get flung open, the dusty floors get swept and washed to some upbeat music (today it was Blood Sugar Sex Magic by the Chilli Peppers) and the rugs get washed of the red earth that clings to everything. Then the day is ours, some films, snacks, maybe some time spent gardening, sometimes we go out for lunch. It's just so nice to have no obligations for one day. I always feel so happy once the house has been scrubbed of it's weekly dirt. Many people here employ an 'amma' - an Indian woman cleaner to keep their houses, laundry etc in order but I prefer to do that work myself.

 

C is currently digging out front, we're putting in more grass for now and K is playing with his lego collection which got bigger over the festive season.

We had a wonderfully different tropical Christmas. The day dawned at 6am and K followed not long after. The snack we left out for Father Christmas had to be put on a dish in a dish of water to prevent the ants from getting to it before he did!

 

Then it was time for opening a few presents before breakfast. Some from Father Christmas and a new lego set from us which C also had fun building.

 

A very different Christmas morning view:

 

Then breakfast followed by a few more presents and a celebratory glass of wine for me and C with 'Now That's What I Call Christmas' playing on the laptop. 

 

New scooter:

 

 and Hot Wheel track from C's mum:



 

 Us 3

 

Then it was off to a Swedish Christmas brunch with some extended family of C's mum's partner. It was really nice especially as K is friends with the other two boys - the eldest is in the class above him at Kindergarten. We left full of goodwill and the most amazing pumpkin pie and spent the afternoon watching a film feeling stuffed and, of course, opening a few more presents including a couple of brilliant sets of books from my Uncle and Grandma:

 

 

In the evening we went to the Youth Centre for their Dosai night which was a nice way to finish off the day.

 

On the 28th, the Youth Centre hosted it's annual Christmas Fair - this year entitled Fair Extrordinaire. K got his face painted:

 

 

 Whilst C tested his strength...

 

 ...and went on the 'Rowdy ride'.

 

K met up with his new friend A and they spent a happy few hours running about. 

 

 Fresh handmade pizza from the pizza oven

 

Capoeira

 

 Indian dance performance

 

 Tightrope walking

Climbing at dusk

 

It was a lovely day, bringing together the community and I was even chosen to help judge the junior  cake competition (was a very yummy job).

 

Next up it was New Years Eve, we went to a fancy restaurant in Pondy called Rendezvous for dinner, then came back to AV and went to a lovely chilled party for a few hours before getting K home to bed at 11ish (bit late but it was a special occasion). Then me and C climbed onto our roof and saw in the new year under the stars with fireworks going off in the distance around us, lovely.

 

All in all a very busy couple of weeks, especially with K being off school and us still working. He's goes back tomorrow and we can get back into some kind of rhythm. The Tamil harvest festival of Pongal is coming in a couple of weeks so it will get busy at my work as the major Hindu holidays warrant a new set of clothes for all the family.

 

Wishing you all a happy new 2014.

 

Laura xx

 

 

 

 

Season's Greetings!

Wow, time flies when you're having fun I guess! A week long bout of flu not included! It's been crazy busy the past few weeks. I started working full time so have lost another morning (Sat - boo!) and two afternoons a week. Still volunteering as permits still not sorted but we have a back up plan to get visa extensions in case it's still not sorted by the end of Jan when our original visas run out.

 

Other than that we're getting into the whole 'playdate' thing. The parents here seem to be big on filling their kids' days so there tends to be playdates arranged in the afternoons, normally straight after kindergarden at 1pm as well as meeting at the main playground at 5pm for a last hour of play. For a somewhat introverted person like myself it's a bit exhausting but then it's good to get out, meet other parents and it's not really for my benefit but for my rather extroverted son. So far K has made a few friends and now we have a two week holiday so can spend a bit more time making plans.

 

The garden is coming along, we have been enjoying our first tomato and lettuce harvest,

 

as well as the greens from our garlic plants which add a lovely subtle garlic taste to a salad.

 

We've taken a bit of a step back from the garden as other areas of our lives get more demanding but what with the scattered monsoon rains and everything being quite well established after 3 months of growth it's been lower maintenance anyway.

 

I just finished a five week course on Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (just Saturday mornings). I'm much less stressed anyway but thought it a good chance to refresh myself and I've learned a few good methods including Loving Kindness Meditation. There is often interesting courses available here, especially now as the tourist season has just started so I look forward to doing some more in the new year.

 

I now have a set of wheels for getting about on. It's a TVS XL moped, a very popular bike here. It's a good first bike as it doesn't have gears - just an accelerator and brake. It's so useful as things are rather spread out here and cycling in the heat on long distances is a bit exhausting. I'm happy with it.

 

 

Have been struggling to get in my usual festive mood. I think the cold weather really helps that cosy wintery feeling. The locals complain it's cold here now, currently 30 degrees and a mere 20 tonight - brrrrrrrrr! I did want to celebrate Christmas though, K is of an age where it's a magical time so we made a paper tree and decorated it with K's Grandma one afternoon as well as hanging up his stocking and making paper chains.

 

 

 I did spend Christmas day here on my first visit to India 6 years ago but we were childless and on holiday in Goa so it was a different thing altogether! Still no oven so no roast dinner but am hoping to stock up on cheese, crackers and nibbles and might even find an imported bottle of Baileys somewhere in Pondy - a girl can hope! We'll be having brunch with some extended family and then the day's our own - we'll see where it takes us... :)

 

Yesterday there was an open day at K's kindergarden including an end of year performance by the four classes. The theme was the five elements (Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Ether/Spirit). K's class did an Earth dance and it was just wonderful. It's the first performance we've been to, I'm sure those of you with children understand that big, big feeling when watching your kids perform. Lovely. Very proud mama.

 

 The whole school:

 

Looking a bit grumpy here bless him...

 

Inside his classroom:

 

 

The entrance to the kindergarten:

 

Special kolam for the open day:

 

These bowls of flowers are refreshed daily at the entrance:

 

He just came home today, his last day until the new year, with a goodie bag including this photo, his t-shirt from his performance, paints, an apple and a couple balloons. Just love this photo, have framed it already.

 

Anyway, that's us pretty much up to date, sorry it's been so long since the last update. The boys are out running errands so had a quick moment to myself. If I don't 'see' you before, hope you all have a lovely festive season.

 

Sending love, especially to my family and friends at this time.

 

Laura, C and K xxxxxx

Reasons to be cheerful...

...part 3...no, not Ian Dury but a fitting title for today's post.

I've noticed that since moving here, I am more aware of all these tiny moments of joy or peace that make up the day.

It can be something small like the feeling shortly before K's bedtime when we're all fed, washed, the house is tidied and the calm of evening descends or when receiving our daily half litre of milk fresh from the local village and delivered by a smiling old guy on a moped, (churn of milk strapped to the back) who pours it straight into a saucepan for boiling. The bamboo lined, sun dappled cycle ride to K's kindergarten, smiling often and being smiled at by strangers and waking up at dawn to the sound of unfamiliar, tropical birds.

Today, K, the sisters from our community and another boy (a friend of the girls and in K's class) played in the community. They'd spend time at the girls house, race about on the cycles, spend some time at our house and then back out. The community was filled with the sound of noisy, laughing, joyful children and it made me so happy. If ever there was justification for our move, then this was it and when you add on all the other moments of total awareness and thankfulness, it's really something. Don't get me wrong, it's not all perfect but the good, far, far outweighs the bad. When we arrived K really struggled with the change and I honestly never thought it would get better. He still has his difficult moments but it is getting better all the time.

This feeling is summed up for me in the track 'You Set The Scene' by Love (track here if you're interested - Love (I was at this gig <3)):

"You go through changes, it may seem strange
Is this what you're put here for?
You think you're happy and you are happy
That's what you're happy for."

and:

"This is the time and life that I am living
And I'll face each day with a smile
For the time that I've been given's such a little while
And the things that I must do consist of more than style
There are places that I am going."

Just perfect (and no apologies for indulgently quoting lyrics at you - this track sums things up better than I can - haha!)


So, just a little post this evening, just a reminder for me really to take pleasure from all the little things in life because they add up to so much.

Laura.

Hi there!

Hi, time for a bit of an update. I have to wait for the perfect moment to write as our lives here are filled with busy-ness.

Things have been going really well, K is settling into kindergarten after a difficult first few weeks. It was quite a big change for him after only going to nursery twice a week in the UK but he seems so happy and settled now and he is getting on well with the other children in the community too, they often spend the afternoons cycling up and down the main path and exploring/playing games.

Since the beginning of Oct when K started kindergarten, C and I have been working as volunteers. C is working in the Pour Tous kitchen - which is linked to the food co-op of the same name - so people can get ready made lunches at the same time as getting their groceries. He's enjoying it as in the UK he worked in a number of kitchens but never had the freedom to make what he wanted and I know he's also learning lots which is useful for cooking at home!

I'm working in the same area at the clothing co-op called Nandini. It works on the same basis as Pour Tous, to become a member you contribute a certain amount of mony each month and the idea is that you take what you need and if you go over your allocated funds then it's not a problem as it should balance out over the year if you take less at other times. It's a nice place to work and I get to meet many people which is invaluable as a newcomer to AV. It also look as though I will be taken on with a full maintenence once I am officially a Newcomer which is a great start. All the service based jobs within AV are paid on a maintenence, full or half depending on the hours worked. As well as getting money into our account (money isn't used within AV, rather everyone has an account with a four digit number and you give the number when 'paying' for things in shops/restaurants etc), a maintenence covers money towards the health fund, the AV contribution (everyone pays a monthly contribution of around £30 to Auroville in general), a little towards our Pour Tous account and towards meals at the Solar Kitchen. Also once I receive this, K will receive some money for clothing/meals etc which is a great help.

So we're pretty busy, but happy at the same time. We all have our afternoons free together at the moment as we're both just volunteering part time for now. We're spending quite some time on our garden which is doing really well. Our tomato plants are flowering, the basil and lemongrass is flourishing and we have planted a pineapple, ginger, garlic, coriander, spring onions and lettuce in pots and troughs on the balcony. I want to get some more herbs planted and I really want to try growing cucumbers at some point. Hopefully today I'll be getting a potted lemon tree for the balcony which I'm excited about. We're also getting the front of the house looking nice, slowly it's looking less like a building site although it's hard work as the soil needs totally digging up and reworking with compost and a little sand. It's worth it though. :)

The beginning of Nov marked Diwali here so there was much celebration and fireworks. We went to a fireworks 'display' on Friday the 1st which was very different to a British display. Instead of a display of carefully choreographed fireworks watched from a distance, the children all lined up and received a big handful of sparklers and assorted fireworks and then gathered in a relatively small space and just lit them. It was chaotic and I just know that something like that would never happen in the UK (health and safety nightmare!) but nobody got hurt and everyone had a great time. Here's a few pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

The following day we were awoken to the sound of fireworks going off all around. It continued all day and well into the night. In the evening C and I climbed onto the roof and watched the fireworks going off. The sky above Pondy just 8km away glowed so I can only imagine how they celebrated their festival of lights - maybe next year we'll brave the chaos and go.

Art outside the old Pour Tous shop for Diwali made from coloured powder.

 

and a kolam outside the new Pour Tous being made - just beautiful.

 

  We finally got a little rain a few days later, here's K enjoying the novely. It didn't last but for one day I enjoyed wearing a cardigan and socks for the first time in two months. It also softened up the ground so the gardening has been a little easier.

 

 

Here's the birds sheltering on our window sill.

 

A few days ago we went to my first Indian wedding, a colleague working in the same area as me and C got marrried and as is customary, everyone gets invited. We went along for the evening celebrations. Here we are dressed up and ready to go (K's photo taking skills are very good)

 

 and the hall before it filled up

 

K was given some candy floss which kept him entertained

 

and it got a bit loud

 

The bride and groom arriving

 

The musicians leading the procession

 

We didn't stay for the whole evening but it was fun to go along and offer our congratulations to the happy couple.

 

 

That's about it for now, it's lunch time and K needs picking up from kindergarten in half an hour. More soon and as always, thanks for reading.

 

Laura.