Bangalore Truck

I never got tired to looking at the paint jobs on trucks in Bangalore.

What do you do when a Cow is in the Road?

SWERVE!!!

Thanksgiving

Molly is a fellow IBMer and Cheesehead. She and Sarah, posing in front of our door, are celebrating Thanksgiving in Bangalore.

Beggar

Usually you will be asked for money when walking along a street in India, though I was suddenly surrounded by several school girls with palms extended when I entered a museum. Begging isn't limited to the poor. When your car is stopped in traffic, you are likely to be approached by vendors selling fruit, magazines, or facial tissue. Here I was struck by the age of the man looking for money. NOTE: I have added the head shot since I saw the same man a couple weeks later at the same intersection.

Dining at the Maurya

I noticed that the walls between diners at the restaurant had large holes in them. These holes made this interesting picture possible. The Maurya in Delhi is a sister hotel to the Windsor, our home for the first 5 weeks we were in Bangalore.

Dancers at the Oberoi

Every night the hotel featured dancers and music for the guests. They performed on the roof top by the pool. This was shot from our balcony.

Navratri

These smashed white pumpkins are decorated with vermilion powder as an offering to the gods. Since the gods were good to the people during the year, this is their offering back.

Dandiya III

This was my favorite video clip because everyone seemed to be having such a good time. Though they were a little far away I think you can see the large circle of dancers by their sticks!

Rain!!

I thought the rain would be done after monsoon season. In fact, this rain is much harder, and, at least this week, much more often. During monsoon season it would rain for about 10 minutes a day. These rains come several times a day and as you can see, get quite heavy at times.

Danny Diarrhea

While at the Forum Mall, we noticed this mascot pushing a toilet bowl cleaner. If you use this cleaner you will avoid Danny Diarrhea.

Cochin Streets

Here are some shots of the streets in Cochin. I especially like the one with the doors and the woman in her salwar kameez.

Ganesh Celebration

Here ar esome of the children in the neighborhood performing their songs or dances.





Little Nandu is trying to copy her friend's dance. If there is reincarnation, little Nandu has Ethel Merman's lungs...she likes to scream outside with her brother for fun!

Ganesh Celebration

Ganesh Chaturthi

The celebration of Lord Ganesh's birthday is a very big celebration for Hindus. Our neighbors held a block party to celebrate the beginning of the 5-11 day festival.

Goats of Cochin

I didn't see any cows on the island. Maybe the streets are too narrow. I did see lots of goats! I like goats!

Have a seat!

Many walls around businesses and large homes have glass embedded on top of the security walls.

Playing at Lalbagh Gardens

The first two pictures show kids playing soccer (football) in a field that has not been mowed. I have seen no public soccer fields laid out for kids to use. I watched these kids kick the ball through the tall grass. The length of grass can be gauged by looking at their feet. It is hard to kick a ball smoothly and accurately under these conditions. But you don't miss what you never had.




There is not a lot of public money available for park amenities. Here kids make do with the natural slipperiness of this 3 billion year old rock formation. They were having as much fun as kids on a playground slide in the U.S.

More work outside the house

Well, I seem to be fascinated by people working here. The man is clipping by hand, the grass "hair-plugs" I featured on an earlier post. Then he moved to trim the lawn in general. There are no power mowers, electric trimmers, gas leaf blowers. etc. Everything is done by hand. The women are sweeping up the "lawn" in front of our house.

Things that make you go Hmmmm

This is truer than I first realized. The hot water tanks are tiny. They must only hold about 10 gallons. Supposedly the water reheats in 10 minutes and there are "35 minutes of hot water available." The BIG LIE.
I think this is India's answer to Kohler!!

Cows

Finally, I have a picture of some cows to show you. Notice how they are using the cross walk! On the way home, we had to swerve into another lane as 3 cows were lying down in our lane. I thought I would see cows everywhere. Not so. I don't see them in the central part of town. I see them more as we head to the outskirts of town. These cows belong to someone in that they are not strays. However, you do see cows eating garbage right along with the stray dogs, I have read that cows ingest plastic bags and other non-edibles. This can't do much for milk production!