peacocks and party lights

i now have peacocks on my palms, and flowers down my index fingers.
my friend invited me to a mehendi ceremony for a woman in her building who was getting married.
it was lovely, and in a strange way, relaxing.
(it was also really nice to be surrounded almost entirely by women, as most of the time im out-numbered at least 10-1).
the bride was beautiful, and had endured four hours of henna paste applied from fingertips to elbows and toes to knees in an amazingly intricate and detailed design.
aside from the baby, most everyone there was sitting, talking, eating, or dancing with not-quite-dry henna on their palms which was interesting (every finger was different) and sort of dangerous at the same time (little girls running with hands outstretched in close proximity of gorgeous saris, and try picking up a camera or cup without full use of your fingertips and thumbs).
incredible, amazing and serene.

fest

quick trip to the southern vaterland:


5 fast days of planes and trains, cookies and cooking, and the comforts of a home not quite so far away, yet in some ways the absolute opposite of the world i live in now.

hit or miss?

global trade.

theobroma christmas stollen. stollen is a traditional christmas bread. usually hard to find in good quality in the states, and hard to avoid in germany. unlike fruitcake, its drier, yeasty, and not overwhelmingly sweet. to make one properly takes a lot of time and energy, and just the right ingredients, so sometimes the store-bought ones are more reliable.
at the beginning of the month, they showed up at theobroma, looking fairly legit. to be seasonal (and have a little taste of christmas) i picked up a few small ones and gave them away, saving one to take to germany, to the fussiest stollen critic i know. the verdict was 'not bad'. kind of overly sweet, and the marzipan inside was double the size that it needed to be, but overall, A for effort. for that, and the novelty of hausgemacht stollen in india, it was a hit.


thank you theobroma, for trying.

daylight nightmares

diwali is kind of amazingly beautiful and terrifying at the same time.

at eye level and above, imagine hanging lanterns, lots of lights, fireworks everywhere, crowds of people dressed for the holiday, festival tents at all the major temples.
at street level, more fireworks, dogs running crazy because of the noise, quiet little oil lamps outside of doors, fruit and nuts and sweets to buy, sparklers that spin just a few inches of the pavement, and little kids with noise-maker pistols.

running on marine drive at the beginning of the week was a treat, and a challenge, because while focused on the amazing fireworks all over the sky, i sort of forgot that a lot of them also originate on the pavement, and if not careful, quite close to your feet. also, at least in most places, all the trash is left behind. which makes for some amazing rubbish piles until the rubbish sweeper comes along.

yes, its pretty. but sadly, the air is possibly the worst ive experienced here, and the noise is incredible. for the first time, waking up to daylight was almost scary, because for a moment, it was hardly clear if the light was from the explosions that i fell asleep to, or actually the sun.

it was nice just to stay in.
and also nice to go out in the middle of it all. kind of like running around in a video game.

these ladies went out:

im not sure if its holiday dress, or out to zenzi for ladies night (the picture does not do justice), but the outfits were as glittery as the rockets.

and then there were none

the aftermath.
and again the scene in the north. more hauntingly, beautifully captured here.

paper elephants

it was surreal.
this was the scene downtown. safe and ive heard relatively calm. my pictures don't do it much justice.
(i came across these pictures from the beach in juhu, which are much much better).

calm before the storm

this weekend will be a different story.

sweet indulgence

in search of modak.
it is ganesha's favorite thing to eat.
this delicious sounding snack has eluded me so far, but is supposed to be a staple around this festival time in mumbai.


there is a recipe here, that id love to try to make, maybe next year if i have a kitchen. but until then, the plan is to visit every mithai shop in town.

update: maharashtrian thali ended with this the other day. it was every bit delicious as it sounds.

independence day

how to have a celebration of independence*

wake up late with a runny nose and a powerpoint hangover.
(apparently missing all the morning parades, cue ravi sound effect here)
watch/listen to the flag raising ceremony next door.
remember the lovely care package and lovely dinner from the night before.
have imported hersheys kisses for lunch.
skip the field trip to the suburbs.
take a quick walk between garlanded buildings.
witness a green energy bike gang on marine drive.
ensure caffeination with italian coffee.
outfitted in a new obama t-shirt.
go back to the powerpoint and try to enjoy a day of working at home.
briefly lament that its a dry day.
have gelato for dinner and miso soup for dessert.
and more powerpoint for an after dinner snack.

*Indian style, 15 August.

happy holi

after being told repeatedly by people to ‘stay inside’ during holi, i was lucky enough to get an invite to play, and not miss a festival id been really hoping to see. and better than hanging out of the hostel window hoping to glimpse some action was actually getting decked out in some more-or-less disposable clothes, meeting new friends and a whole bunch of neighborhood kids in a frenzy of color and water. i don’t think theres really anything like this in the states, or europe, color and water aside. we tried (as an American, a European, and an Indian, to try to think of an example, and the conclusion was that there was really none, maybe new years?, maybe sports, think world cup scale comradery and celebration, if everyone was supporting the same winning team… the beauty of the festival was not only the amazing visual display occurring all over the city, but that it seemed to be so inclusive among everyone we met along the way.











ironically, 22 march, 2008 was also ‘world water day’, something i think the WHO came up with to advocate and promote the conservation of this highly abused resource.

from http://www.idswater.co.in/water/india/News/2489/newsrelease_content.html:

"World Water Day 2008 (March 22) calls attention to the critical need to protect and sustain water resources and “highlights the significance of cooperation and importance of an integrated approach to water resource management of water at both international and local levels,” according to the World Water Day web site (www.worldwaterday.org). This global appreciation of water also recognizes the fact that all consumer products use water as an ingredient or in production, including foods and beverages. Bottled water companies have an outstanding commitment to environmental stewardship and responsible use of resources to produce a healthy packaged beverage. And, recognizing that water is necessary for life, the industry brings to people bottled water with consistent safety, quality, good taste, and convenience."

holiday weekend