Hampi

I’ve never cared much for museums. I try to enjoy looking at all of the interesting items in glass cases, and while I do manage to find many of them to be quite beautiful and sometimes even fascinating, they don’t captivate me. What I really, really like is walking around in the actual places where people have lived life. I like to see the remains of the places where they have lived and worked, shopped and worshiped, danced and sang. I like to be able to see and touch and stumble upon what must have been the every day life of some other person in some other time. The stone remains that were scattered around Hampi, crumbled or fully standing, sparked my imagination in just these ways. They allowed me to feel some small kinship to people and experiences that have come and gone.

We managed to find our way to Hampi during the off-season, so it often felt like we had the place to ourselves. Many foreigners don’t take the time to go off the beaten track to visit Hampi, and Indian tourists don’t see this as the most ideal time to travel around, largely concerned about it being the rainy season. We were delighted with the weather, however, experiencing only two brief rain showers and mostly sun with the usual humidity. We managed three “half-days” of touring around, usually making it back to our hotel around 3pm for lots of reading, relaxing, and cricket on TV (much to JP’s joy, the Asia Cup is taking place now!!).

The sights were incredible. Everywhere there were the typical Karnataka hills, comprised of multi-sized and shaped boulders, looking as though they could topple at any moment. The skies were deep blue, and the land was filled with sugar cane, banana plantations, coconut groves, and rice paddies. At every turn there seemed to be more cattle, and more goats. We drove through numerous villages seemingly untouched by the waves of technology that beat on the larger cities. Life seemed simple, but we knew it must be hard.

The temples were built from stone- often granite, and generally sported all sorts of intricate carvings and curiosities, including a stone chariot whose wheels were actually able to turn at one time! Some buildings showed signs of the various conquests and invasions that had taken place, visible in the different kinds of architecture that showed up in one building. We enjoyed poking around and studying each new site, and we felt like we could take our time.

Perhaps these pictures will begin to demonstrate the beauty of Hampi as well as the mystery of life gone by that lingers all around it. As always, there is much more that could be shared about our travels, but for me, this was the beginning point and overarching theme during our days away.

A wedding recap

Katy and I just got back from a little break. We visited the ruins of Hampi in Northern Karnataka. Interestingly enough, this land was also called the “Land of Monkeys!” While, this week was full of great new sights and sounds for both Katy and me, I thought I should try and capture for you a little bit more from the previous wedding week and leave Hampi for the next entry.

For James’ wedding, a lot of wedding invitations had been sent but like in most places of the world, you do not really know how many people will end up actually showing up. Our initial estimates put us around 960-1000 people. The actual count at the wedding put the numbers around 1250-1300. Also, most people in India aren’t able to attend the wedding because of how early it usually is (4:30 PM) and show up for the reception. This wedding was again unusual in that, the wedding itself was performed in a packed house. We had elements of a wedding here in India that are quite similar to a wedding in the US. The bride wore a white bridal gown complete with a veil and a train. The groom and his men wore suits. The bride did change into a more colorful sari for the reception. The difference here was also when the rings were exchanged, James put a gold chain around Anita’s neck. In India, more than rings, its the necklace that denotes a married woman. And to just make things a little more interesting, instead of a bridal march, my brother James sang to his bride as she walked down the aisle with her father. He also was so excited during his vows that when the question was asked if he would take this woman to be his wife… blah blah blah, his response was…”Yea.” At which point the pastor said…”No yeah.. is it a yes or a no?” So all in all, it was a “small” cozy affair.

When you have so many things going on at the same time, there is bound to be some chaos. The chaotic parts of most weddings in India happen during the “dead zones.” The dead zone for this wedding was the time between the wedding at the reception. During this time, the couple head out to a studio and get some professional portraits done. Our dead zone was filled with a band that came from S.Tamil Nadu. This was a pretty unusual band. They were mostly clarinet players but had a couple of traditional drummers as well. The beauty of these drummers were that they were exhibition drummers. They danced while they drummed and they did not beat the drums the traditional way. I have shot some video that I will upload onto the site when I get back to the US of this phenomenonal optical illusion. Sufficeth to say… it looked like the drums were being beaten with a long orange ribbon.

The band kept the audience pretty much glued to the seat but once they were done, I had to wait for an excruciatingly long 10 minutes or so while the groom and his new bride drove through rush-hour Bangalore traffic to head home. They finally did make it… we had plans of ushering them into the hall while guys were strategically placed down the center aisle with “confetti poppers.” These long canisters would explode when you twisted them… and shower confetti upon those under it. Well, as you could expect, some went off in spectacular fashion and some were absolute duds. Either way, people were sufficiently impressed. I was the emcee for the evening and I wanted to have a really short program because it was after the program that people could go eat and also come up and meet the couple on stage (and have their picture taken). The latter part of the program could take anywhere from 3 to 4 hours. Fortunately, the couple did show up and the program went by without too many hiccups and then the procession began. We did not get to eat till 11:30ish or so at night. The food was a delightful blend of south and north Indian cuisines. It was a buffet serving both veg and non-veg food followed by ice-cream.

We had our out-of-station guests stay in 3 different guest houses around Bangalore and for the better part of the week, I was shuttling people back and forth. My job continued in that vein till the last of our guests were loaded onto their trains headed home. I am glad I can drive in India but driving a decent sized van through some of the narrowest streets in the city really fine tuned my driving skills. I did scrape the vehicle against a couple of things every now and then but for the most part, life was good! I graduated with flying colors. It was quite an exhausting week for all of us but it was definitely one that was filled with memories that we will relive for a long time.

James and Anita will return from their honeymoon on Monday and then we’ll begin to open the rest of their gifts which right now occupy half of our apartment!:)

A few photo highlights from the wedding weekend

Saris for the relatives

Katy’s gift of the black sari and glass bangles

The glass bangles make a wonderful sound clinking together and it is apparently soothing for the baby

The mother-to-be and the groom-to-be share a candid moment after breakfast

Making the dough for the parathas (a layered bread)

Ben and Nathaniel enjoy some delicious parathas

Tata loves his tootsie pop

Our evening cultural entertainment (Classical clarinet music from S. Tamil Nadu)

Feeding breakfast to the masses

JP and the great ushers at the wedding

James and Anita exchanging rings

Prayer at the reception

Exchanging garlands made of jasmine flowers

JP and some of his boys

The guys from Ebenezer School in Chennai

A family portrait

Katy and Jp’s little cousin

We have so much more to share… both stories and photos. We’ll keep you updated as the summer keeps unfolding. The wedding was an absolute treat. The bride and groom were ravishing, the guests loving, and the food absolutely endless and delicious. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. We can’t wait to share more with you.  We will be out of Bangalore till Saturday visiting the ruins of Hampi.   We are not sure if we will have internet access there but we’ll keep you posted when we can!

The Changing Landscape

Well… the craziness has been racheted a couple of notches with the arrival of my grandparents. My dad and I took our vehicle to the railway station at 5:45 AM to pick them up. They brought with them 2 cooks from the village along with another boy who will help with some of the prep work and the cleanup afterward. The vessels are beginning to fill up the entry way to our home. Tomorrow morning, the uncles, aunts and cousins will begin to make their entrance and life will continue to get busier. We will be setting up tents in our little outdoor area to feed everybody who will be here.

About half the garlic in the kitchen!

We are also expecting 2 students from Northwestern College in Iowa. They will be spending close to 7 weeks working with the staff here in India but they really wanted to be included in the wedding festivities, so I have included them in our ushering staff. One of the funnier moments happened when I was prepping the ushers last night during our wedding rehearsal. After going through protocols for parking, receiving lines, food, etc. etc., one of the ushers asked me…”Umm.. Jp… how many people are you guys expecting?” I wasn’t sure if he was nervous, so I told him gently, “Around a 1000.” His response was… “Oh good! 1000 is easily manageable!” You gotta love that attitude!

I also just got back from a last second meeting with my friends from England and the Isle of Man. It is always a treat to re-connect with people in Bangalore. This was a group that was volunteering in India in 2003-04, about the time when I returned to India after my studies. We split up after that year and today, we got to meet up and catch up on good times. They all got to meet Katy as well. Great treat!

On a side note… while I am adjusting nicely to the cultural change, the one part that has not quite come back to me is becoming quite obvious. I don’t like to use the horn on either the motorcycle or the car… this concerns most of my Indian friends. Hopefully, I’ll get that in my repertoire soon enough.

Let’s hear it for Rice!

A couple of months back, in the early stages of my pregnancy, I was not into food all that much– SHOCKING for those of you who know me well. I was nervous about how I’d feel about the food once we got to India because I had developed quite the aversion to rice, and rice is very much a staple food here. Today was the big test.

Somewhere during the 5th to 7th month of a woman’s pregnancy, there is a tradition in some of the villages, and it is mainly about rice. The mommy-to-be is dressed in a black sari, adorned in special bangles, and fed many kinds of rice. It has something to do with the fact that pregnant women generally have cravings for different kinds of food/flavors, and these rices should help satisfy the cravings.

JP’s Aunt Kasthuri decided it would be her gift to me (and to all of us, really) to make this special meal for me. She even bought me a beautiful black sari, but I couldn’t wear it today because the blouse is still being stitched. (I’ve heard there are three sets of bangles as well!) So this morning I spent a few hours at the gold store with James and his parents buying the wedding necklace (mangal sutra) for Anita and looking at wedding bands for James. Then it was time to head home for the big feast.

Our rice feast included: Tamarind Rice, Tomato Rice, Coconut Rice, Lemon Rice, Curry Powder Rice, Sweet Pongal Rice, Curd Rice, and some chips, mangoes, and two special chutneys on the side. I’m happy and thankful to say that each and every bit of our lunch was fantastically delicious. It was really fun to try all the different varieties and discuss which one was everyone’s favorite. I’m not positive, but I think mine might have been the Lemon Rice. It was a very tough competition. Aunt Kasthuri is a great cook!

Manic Saturdays

Yesterday was a long day considering we began our day at 12:50 AM or so. We got home around 3 AM and after the customary meet and greet, Katy and I crashed and crashed hard. I don’t like to sleep in too much if I can avoid it and so we were both ready by 9 AM.

After breakfast, all our friends and relatives began to pour into our home in Bangalore. Our energy levels began to sky-rocket helped mainly by conversations going on in every corner of the house. Varied conversations from the usual “how are you?”‘ to conversations about our baby, about James’ wedding, the rehearsal, food, etc. etc. Katy and the girls went clothes shopping in the late morning. This was essential because Katy and I had nothing else to wear except what we wore on the plane ride. After a great lunch, there was a small bridal shower for James’ bride-to-be Anita at the church, so all the ladies left for that in the afternoon.

James and I then had a few more wedding invitations to distribute but in India, if you can hand-deliver wedding invitations, that is really the preferred way of inviting people. We took our trusty motorcycle, the stack of wedding invitations and launched into Bangalore. The city is constantly evolving. We had to remember homes of people that we had not seen in years. While we did not hit them all, we did manage a 95% success rate, which is high considering all the variables. I also got to meet my friend Joshua who I hadn’t seen in 12 years. Interestingly enough, the last time I saw Joshua was the night I boarded my first ever flight to come to the United States (back in 1996). We also got to meet some of our Sunday school teachers, friends, and family friends… lots of nostalgic moments. This was really good but it does wear you out.

Needless to say, we had another great night of sleep. I woke up to some good news today. Air France called. Our luggage has finally made it and the cab that will deliver it to our home is here! That is a huge relief!

All is well in Bangalore

Good news!  We arrived safely in Bangalore around 12:30am this morning, just 30 minutes behind schedule.  We flew into the new Bengaluru (Bangalore) International Airport, which is quite a bit further from JP’s home for those of you who’ve made the trip before.  It was right around 3:30am that we found ourselves home and falling into bed.  It was a short night, but we don’t generally arrive at a time that allows for any sleeping before the day begins, so we were thankful.

The trip was relatively uneventful, all things considered.  The itinerary was Grand Rapids to Cincinnati to Paris to Bangalore.  Our Cincinnati flight was late in leaving the ground, which concerned us because we only had an hour in Paris to make our connecting flight.  Air France took good care of us, though, and had an airline rep waiting for the Bangalore folks right off the plane.  We got to take a special vehicle through the road system of the Paris airport (practically right out there on the tarmac!!), and go immediately to security check.  We still did a bit of running in order to be the very last two passengers to board the plane in Paris.  Whew!  And, wouldn’t you know, we were in the very last two back seats of the plane!!  We liked our seats, however, and had a very enjoyable flight to Bangalore.  Kudos to Air France!!

Our luggage did not arrive with us due to our quick turn over, and they filled out some pretty intricate paperwork at the Bangalore airport to locate and identify our luggage when it comes in tonight.  We should have our luggage in hand by mid-afternoon tomorrow.  Just goes to show why you should pack some clothes and toiletries in your cabin baggage.  Just goes to show, we’re not very savvy world travelers.  Even after showering this morning, we’re still wearing the same clothes, and trust me– my hair is hugely frizzy!

However, we really can’t complain.  We’re safe.  We’re with our India family now.  And, the bridegroom has just arrived home as well!  These will be busy and exciting days!!

Oh, and I can’t help but share this very interesting moment.  JP and I had just settled into the immigration line this morning, when JP said, “Hey Kate, is that a Hope sweatshirt?!”  And indeed, it was!  We happened to be standing in line next to a girl from Liverpool, England (who had been on our flight from Paris it seems) who had been at Hope College the previous May for a student teaching opportunity.  Come to think of it, I think that was the first time I’ve seen a Hope sweatshirt in Bangalore.

I love this little world that we live in!!

Keep checking in.  We’ll do our best to keep you updated.  Here’s a little snap of us ready to leave Grand Rapids.  Aren’t we cute?

Getting ready

How is this for a before and after shot? I had not gotten my hair cut in 3 months. This was not some weird experiment but rather a smart move on my part. I usually get my hair cut every 6 weeks or so. The last time I got it cut, it was the middle of March after my time in the Philippines and India. Instead of getting it cut in the beginning of May, I decided to wait it out till June. My reasoning being that, if I did get it cut in May, I’d have to get it cut before my India trip. Plus, I was curious to see what my hair would look like… so here it is…

Anyway, I have a few minutes before our day long meetings, so I decided to write a few lines in what will probably be our last entry from the US for a while.   Katy and I leave for India on Thursday afternoon.   We will be flying through Europe and will be flying into the new Bangalore International Airport.

We will have lots more to report when we land.  We kick start our trip with a wedding.  My brother James is getting married on June 20, so we expect lots of running around, lots of people (we expect over a 1000 people at the wedding), and lots of chaos…   so you can expect lots of photos!:) We will be doing a lot of traveling all over India…   should be fun!

Please do keep checking back with us.  We will try to keep you posted on all that we will be doing.   Look forward to posting from Bangalore.   Do keep us in your prayers.

P.S.  I am almost done with a new favorite book of mine… Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry.  Great read if you are looking for a summer read.