Looking for something cultural to do our first Sunday, I reached out to a local friend who turned me on to a Craft Bazaar. We hopped into an auto-rickshaw and arrived just as the fair was opening. It was staged on the grounds of an art center, and featured fabric makers, painters, potters, embroiderers, weavers, wood and metal artists and Rajasthan Manganiyar folk singers.
The singers were expressive and enthusiastic in their presentation, including making sure we saw their bowl for tips!
Back at the flat: if I told you how loud the birds are here in the morning and evening, you might not believe me. Tonight, as Susan Elena and I walked home from practice, in one section of the park the birds were so loud I couldn't here what she was saying. They seem to mass and socialize there around 6 pm and 6 am every day. I came home from the early am class the other morning , and there was a avian kerfuffle going on at the window just below mine. I captured this video from below ...you're welcome, Popsi!
...and then raced up to see if I could capture it from above. The scene had quieted down, and this loving scene is what I found:
During my last trip, I fell head over heels at the sights, sounds, colors, texture, and aroma of food here. Lots of great explorations from that visit, so here's a link to that post when you are done here: Food Glorious Food, Part 1
Food Glorious Food, Part 2 continues with what is one of the true delights of our flat: the kind and talented Swati and her magic silver box of spices. She shops for fresh ingredients from the veggie vendors near by, cooks up a storm, and presents us with a lovely mid-day healthy veg feast, all while dressed in a sari.
After a three-hour practice or an intense morning class, coming home to this is a welcome site...today's delights, clockwise from the bowl of fruit: dal makhani (lentils), bhindi (okra), shakarakandi (sweet potatoes), and parathas.
[As an aside, I've just discovered a new thing about the blog software...if you are on the actual blog page (brown background), you can click on the photos to see them in full size and just hit the arrow key to go back and forth through them. If you receive this as an email, click on the blue 'title' and it will take you to the actual blog site Sometimes for layout, I use a smaller photo, but you can always see it full size in the manner described above.]
With plenty of leftovers for dinner, we rarely need to venture out during a "school night", but on Saturdays and Sundays, we do explore a bit more beyond our 5 block radius. A must do: Vaishali, a garden oasis tucked in behind a diner-like front on the very busy Ferguson College road. The dosas here are not only delicious and filling, but an excellent photo opp!
Other sights and sounds...the pollution and traffic is one of the factors one has to learn to manage.
The "scarf over the mouth and nose" technique is better than nothing, but in the auto rickshaws, the open-air, three-wheeled taxis that are ubiquitous, necessary,and inexpensive, having something more substantial is essential. Shout out to the "I Can Breathe" company:
In the oasis that is the park adjacent to our building is a pavilion in which many activities take place, but one morning, as I did my laps before practice, I heard some "om-ing" and then an interesting class began...laughing yoga1 Just the few moments of this had me grinning the rest of the way around the park!
One of my finds:
Ganesh...meet Ganesh!
Back at the flat: if I told you how loud the birds are here in the morning and evening, you might not believe me. Tonight, as Susan Elena and I walked home from practice, in one section of the park the birds were so loud I couldn't here what she was saying. They seem to mass and socialize there around 6 pm and 6 am every day. I came home from the early am class the other morning , and there was a avian kerfuffle going on at the window just below mine. I captured this video from below ...you're welcome, Popsi!
...and then raced up to see if I could capture it from above. The scene had quieted down, and this loving scene is what I found:
During my last trip, I fell head over heels at the sights, sounds, colors, texture, and aroma of food here. Lots of great explorations from that visit, so here's a link to that post when you are done here: Food Glorious Food, Part 1
Food Glorious Food, Part 2 continues with what is one of the true delights of our flat: the kind and talented Swati and her magic silver box of spices. She shops for fresh ingredients from the veggie vendors near by, cooks up a storm, and presents us with a lovely mid-day healthy veg feast, all while dressed in a sari.
After a three-hour practice or an intense morning class, coming home to this is a welcome site...today's delights, clockwise from the bowl of fruit: dal makhani (lentils), bhindi (okra), shakarakandi (sweet potatoes), and parathas.
[As an aside, I've just discovered a new thing about the blog software...if you are on the actual blog page (brown background), you can click on the photos to see them in full size and just hit the arrow key to go back and forth through them. If you receive this as an email, click on the blue 'title' and it will take you to the actual blog site Sometimes for layout, I use a smaller photo, but you can always see it full size in the manner described above.]
With plenty of leftovers for dinner, we rarely need to venture out during a "school night", but on Saturdays and Sundays, we do explore a bit more beyond our 5 block radius. A must do: Vaishali, a garden oasis tucked in behind a diner-like front on the very busy Ferguson College road. The dosas here are not only delicious and filling, but an excellent photo opp!
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| Susan Elena's very excited about her lunch! |
The "scarf over the mouth and nose" technique is better than nothing, but in the auto rickshaws, the open-air, three-wheeled taxis that are ubiquitous, necessary,and inexpensive, having something more substantial is essential. Shout out to the "I Can Breathe" company:
In the oasis that is the park adjacent to our building is a pavilion in which many activities take place, but one morning, as I did my laps before practice, I heard some "om-ing" and then an interesting class began...laughing yoga1 Just the few moments of this had me grinning the rest of the way around the park!
i would love to hear more about the craft bazaar and any other things i should check out this trip. hugs rosie!
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