Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Dasara


While there seem to be festivals almost every week (different religions, many gods), the first big one that I witnessed was Dasara. As you can see in these photos, EVERYTHING was decorated and blessed -- doors, elevators, cars, bicycles, water coolers, computers, file cabinets! My office and apartment building held poojas (ceremonies) where they chanted and prayed, offered food on makeshift altars, and broke fruit around doorways and under vehicle wheels -- for good luck. I like how decorations in India are organic -- flowers and leaves -- rather than plastic.

Friday, November 23, 2007

Mysore


My second day trip out of Bangalore was to Mysore (a 3-hour drive away), which is known for its yoga gurus and some good sights, as captured in these photos. (I didn't do any yoga - the courses there require something like a monthlong commitment - it's no joke!) We weren't allowed to take photos inside Mysore Palace, which is a shame, as it is filled with bright, colorful, shiny things, including a huge ceiling mural that combines images of Indian and Western astrology.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Ramanagaran


My first daytrip out of Bangalore was to Ramanagaram, famous as the area where the Bollywood classic, Sholay, was filmed! I traveled with an outdoors club of mostly young Indian professionals. I was the only foreigner, of course, but everyone spoke very good English and were very friendly. I had to take a bit of a leap of faith as our first activity was rappeling down a high rockface (they kept us safe, don't worry!). We also did some bouldering (low rock climbing) and trekking to take in the views. Here are some more photos of the scenery for you to enjoy.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

I'm alive and well in India!


After almost 3 months in Bangalore, I finally got an internet connection at home. (The joke here is that when people say Bangalore is "wired," they're referring to the random wires hanging all over the place!) I started working the day after I got here, so haven't traveled for fun much yet. But for work I've visited schools in different parts of southern India, including this class under a tree in Bellary. Here are a few more photos of schools (with insightful comments from yours truly) -- Enjoy!