Miryalaguda Wedding

We were invited to attend the wedding of Sudha's (she is the wife of Dr. Sharma) nephew in the town of Miryalaguda, which is about 150 km to the south of Hyderabad. Indian marriage ceremonies are legendary for the extent to which ritual and tradition play an elaborate part. We traveled to Hyderabad from our home in an auto rickshaw, which took about one hour in the heavy afternoon traffic, and arrived at the home of Dr. Sharma's sister and brother-in-law where Evan did his part to disturb the calm (he launched a plastic bowling pin from the top of the stairs into some dinner plates).

A bus had been chartered to take the groom and his party from Hyderabad into the countryside where we would meet the family of the bride. The "village" (population 200,000) of Miryalaguda is the home of the bride and is traditionally where all the festivitities will take place. She is residing with her parents there, but will be returning in about two days time with the exhausted groom and his party. It is custom for the groom to return with his bride back to his family's home before sunrise on the day after the cermony is complete. We barely made it...

The ceremony was conducted in two parts - the first of which was short and sweet on Saturday evening. Upon arriving by bus, the bride's family greeted us at the door (actually, the parents of the bride came on the bus to bless us and adorn us with the first of many tikkas) and feed us after our long journey of heavy monsoon rains accented by traditional Indian songs. The accompanying music was fantastic - an interesting double percussion "tabla" is played with a a pair of sticks, and a variation of a clarinet - a long, slender, reeded woodwind.

The Saturday evening ceremony was capped by a traditional coming together of the two families in which the bride and groom faced each other while surrounded by their families. They then proceeded to beckon the other to step forward, attempting to get the other one to move first in an interesting game of chicken. I have attempted to capture some of this on the video below. This was of course followed by a huge south Indian meal consisting of dal (spiced lentils), chutneys (mango, coconut), idli (rice flour cakes), vada (deep fried donut-shaped rings made from rice flour), and samba (sauce-like tomato and onion mixture).

On Sunday the real ceremony began. The puja (prayer ceremonies) began in earnest in the afternoon. Offerings and blessings were made in what seemed like thousands of different ways - each with the choreographed assistance of elders and brahmen as well as family who provided ample supply of various leafs, seeds, powders, pastes, flowers, incense, fruit, nuts, ornaments, or any other natural object necessary for puja. There were small fires for promises made to the fire god that was managed with a large beetle leaf. It was really something to see.

The final "tying of the knot" occured somewhere around 11PM - this is the actual tying of a large cermonial necklace around the bride by the groom and vice versa. This was preceeded by the bride being carried out to the groom in a large wicker basket by her uncles as well as the washing of the feet of the groom by the parents of the bride. There was a lot of symbology to represent the passing of responsibility from the parents to the groom's family.

Before your nerves twitch about eastern notions of gender equality, you should know that I have found Indian women to be exceptionally well educated and confident about sharing ideas in the public domain. In most ways they are as liberated as the western counterparts, and in some ways, more so!

Afterwards there was a large meal and then - more puja. And then - more puja. Did I mention - more puja. At about 6AM the puja was completed (I had to work this morning at 8:30) and we boarded the bus back to Hyderabad. The room was strewn with sleeping bodies from a long night's worth of puja. But it was worth every minute.

SEE THE MIRYALAGUDA SLIDESHOW BY CLICKING HERE!

Sweet Home Secunderabad

The flight on Kingfisher Airlines (Kingfisher is a giant brand in India, kind of like Virgin does music, airlines, etc. - Kingfisher does beer, bottled water, travel, etc.) landed in Hyderabad on schedule on Saturday August 20th. I was greeted by Mr. G.S. Reddy, my mentor teacher (he is the other PGT, or post-graduate teacher, in Physics at our school - Kendriya Vidyalaya Tirumalagiri) who was holding a bouquet and a placard that read "Patrick J. Kaplo". This has become my name at the school, always read in full.

"Mr. Patrick J. Kaplo Sir, would you join is for tea?"

"Yes Sir, we do know your name, it is Patrick J. Kaplo, sir."

This is a far cry from being addressed back home at CHS where unscrupulous characters (read Kirk Romein here) might call me by unmentionable names.

Hyderabad simply means the home (abad) of Hyder. The abad suffix clings to names here like ville or town does back in the US. We actually live in Secunderabad - the sister or twin city of Hyderabad. The combined population of this area is six million people. I will write more about the history of this region at a later time.

We were whisked away from the busy airport to meet the building owner, Mr. Bhanogee Rao, at our new home which is a flat on the third floor. It is a new construction, directly behind the home of my exchange partner Dr. TAV Sharma, and has turned out to be a very comfortable place to live. We have marble floors throughout, two bedrooms, and three bathrooms, a kitchen, and large open dining and sitting area. When I asked Mr. Rao about an additional room with a ornately screened door attached to the sitting area, he smiled and spoke to his assistant in Telagu, the regional language of Andrha Pradesh (the state we are in), smiled, and then replied that this was the "meditation" room. I had arrived in the east. The Puju Room, or meditation room, is typical in Hindu homes and serves as a place of offering or tribute to the ancestoral past. We have used it for burning sandalwood incense.

Our neighborhood is awesome. The people are really friendly to us (insanely curious, actually), and often invite us into their homes for tea. Their are 15 or so small shops at the end of our narrow lane, including a bakery, stationary store, a few produce markets, a barber shop, and a sweet shop. The owners of the sweet shop have quickly come to know us as we visit the shop for freshly made Indian sweets almost every night. Although the average shop owner only knows a bit of English (way more than the Telagu I can use!), a flurry of hand gestures and a game of charades can usually get us what we need.

In short, we have an awesome new home for the next 5 months, random cows in the street included.

Note the double entrance in the corner of the room - one for practical use, and the second (double door) is a traditional Hindu architectural element promoting the flow of wealth into the family. Litchfield School District look out!

View from the balcony and clothes drying space during monsoon rains.

Blessings on doorways. Of course the swastika symbol has an entirely different meaning in India than it does in the west.

Kitchen with propane stove.

Our bedroom

Evan's Room

Delhi

Delhi is hot, smelly, crowded, and fun. If you can stand it, it has a lot to offer. We had the good fortune of being in Delhi on the 60th Anniversary of India's Independance in order to attend the Fulbright India Orientation held at the USEFI (United States Educational Foundation India) headquarters. The orientation was interesting and informative and the eight US teachers were in attendance (name/from/to) - Eddie Grannis (San Fransisco, California / Ahmedebad, Gujarat), Paul Amstutz (Yosemite, California / Bangalore, Karnataka) , Sarah Schmidt (Portland, Maine / Chennai, Tamil Nadu), Erin McGraw (Rutland, Vermont / Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh), Tim Daponte (Houston, Texas / New Delhi), Ashanti Branch (Oakland, California / Chennai, Tamil Nadu), Rodney Kleber (Northhampton, Massachusetts / Pune, Maharashtra), and myself - Patrick Kaplo (Manchester, New Hampshire / Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh). Leading the conference was Dr. Jane Schukoske, USEFI Execuive Director and USEFI program officers Ms. Varrtika Mudaliar and Dr. Garish Kaul. We heard from keynote speakers Mr. Adnan Siddiqi, Cultural Affairs Officer US Embassy, New Delhi and Dr. U.N. Singh, Joint Commisioner of all Central Government Schools (Kendriya Vidyalaya) in India, the largest school system in the world.

India's capital city is just bustling with everything - cars, motorscycles (2-wheelers as they are called here), auto rickshaws (3-wheelers or "autos" as they are called here), pedestrians, and last but not least, random cows roaming the streets. We spent the day after orientation visiting the Red Fort, which has a long and storied history in India and is most notably the site of the Independance address given by India's first PM Jawarharlal Nehru. I have copied the opening remarks here:

"Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long supressed, finds utterance. It is fitting that at this solemn moment we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.

At the dawn of history India started on her unending quest, and trackless centuries are filled with her striving and the grandeur of her success and her failures. Through good and ill fortune alike she has never lost sight of that quest or forgotten the ideals which gave her strength. We end today a period of ill fortune and India discovers herself again. The achievement we celebrate today is but a step, an opening of opportunity, to the greater triumphs and achievements that await us. Are we brave enough and wise enough to grasp this opportunity and accept the challenge of the future?"

Full text here: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1947nehru1.html

We also visited Chandni Chowk - the narrow and bustling labarynth of bazaars in the old city, which was quite a spectacal. The human density is astounding and the area is teeming with activity - jewelry makers, tailors, and food vendors making our favorite Indian sweet "goolab jamun" (although the butter/honey/flake of baklava-like "kaja" in concentric ellipses is a close second).


Later on that afternoon we visited the National Museum - which houses some of India's significant national treasures and ancient history. The auto (rickshaw) drivers in Delhi are a tough bunch to deal with - their meters suddenly become inoperable once they see that you are not Indian. It took quite a few interactions (OK - like 10 on the way back) to get a rate that was only twice or three times the actual metered fare.


We enjoyed our time in Delhi and in the north of India overall, but after traveling for the better part of two weeks and rarely staying in the same hotel for more than one night, we were ready to go "home". We got an early start on Saturday morning (August 18th) for the final leg of the beginning of this journey.

SEE THE DELHI SLIDESHOW BY CLICKING HERE!

Samode Palace - Rajasthan

Staying in Samode, about one hour outside of Jaipur in Rajasthan, was an experience in itself. Situated in the rocky hills is this outstanding "heritage hotel" - elegantly restored to the offer guests a small taste of royalty - Maharaja style. We typically don't stay in hotels like this, but it seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so we took it. After all, despite the high rates, we still couldn't spend a night in Manhatten for what we paid.

The hotel's sprawling grounds are built into the hillside, not long aster entering the walled village of Samode. The narrow and hilly streets were unusual from what we had seen previously in India.

We stayed in one of the royal suites - offered to prestigious guests during the days of the Maharajas (the royal families still live in Jaipur). When we arrived our luggage was efficiently carried up the stairs by no less than eight attendants! A room boy brought cool drinks and remained on call for anything we needed. The room had marbled everything, elegant tapestries and rugs, a four-posted bed with sheer curtains, and the largest marble bathtub I had ever seen in my life (so big in fact, that if you wanted to actually take a bath, you would need to wait for a good 20 minutes or so just to fill it up enough). There was an attached foyer and sitting room, as well as a small balcony overlooking the hillside. Guest could also use the public sitting rooms, with absolutely stunning frescoes and lavish furniture in the styles of Rajasthan.

In the evening, Rajput singers, musicians, and puppeteers would come to the Samode Palace to entertain the guests. Check out my crudely edited video...

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PHOTO SLIDESHOW FROM SAMODE

Jaipur - The Royal City

I really like Rajasthan. It is in the west of India bordering Pakistan and is largely dominated by the arid and rocky landscape of the Great Thar Desert. Seeing a camel in Rajasthan is about as common as seeing a Ford in the US, which of course makes it really exotic for someone like me. The men traditionaly grow absolutely huge mustaches (this is a traditional sign of age status, perhaps) and sometimes curl them at the ends, although we really didn't see much of it. They are also adorned with oftentimes colorful turbans to keep cool. This is different from the Sikhs who wear turbans as religious requirements to cover the hair at all times (I have Sikh students in my classes in Andhra Pradesh).

Insterestingly, Rajasthan seems like one of the few places where the men can sometimes be more colorful in their dress. All over India it seems like women, regardless of status, wear the most exquisite saris and salwar kameez in a dizzying array of colors. There is something absolutely stunning about the way the sari functions so efficiently - I have seen women adjust it to cover the head during hot sun or light rain, completely cover their heads and faces when street pollution is high, or just the way the extra fabrics flow in the breeze to create a fantastic visual effect.

Interestingly the students in my school are more often from the north of India than the south. When I asked my mentor teacher, Mr. G.S. Reddy about this, he quickly responded that the north has historically often been invaded from Persia, China, etc. and therefore has required large warrior castes. The south, insulated on three sides by the oceans and by large distances along the Deccan peninsula from northern states has had less of a need for these castes. The Rajputs from Rajasthan are no exception and are proud of their long history of not being conquered by the Persian invaders from present day Afghanistan and Iran. Apparently, when faced with certain defeat in battle, Rajput warriors donned saffron robes and rode to certain death into the face of the enemy while the women and children would throw themselves into funeral pyres to avoid the shame of capture. This form of mass suicide was called jauhar.

Also from Rajasthan are many Jains - an interesting group which vows a respect for all life - including insects, worms, etc. This prevents them from eating certain foods, like tubers, which can kill insects when uprooted.

We arrived in Jaipur, the royal city of Maharajas, and capitol of Rajasthan, by eveningtime. We decided to splurge on an insanely swanky hotel outside of the city in a hill village called Samode. The hotel was formerly the residence of the Prime Minister of Rajasthan and was nothing short of the most luxurious hotel I have ever stayed in (Conde Naste nice). Jaipur is a city of contrasts - made rich in the past from the semi-precious jewel trade and jewelry markets - but it has also been tapped by the extravegant lifestyles of the royal families. Rajasthan itself, especially the countryside near Samode, was very poor. Indian educational statistics put literacy rates at about 60% - a massive improvement from just 8% when India gained independance in 1947.

Our Rajasthan experience began in earnest on the 14th, when we took an elephant ride up the ramparts of the Amer Fort - the once hilltop fortress palace of the Maharaja. We then spent the day visiting a 15th-century Hindu Temple and the Royal Palace and celestial observatory of the Maharaja Jai Singh. The observatory was of course a highlight given the precision with which one was able to tell time and date from taking measurements from the sky. One of the sundials was accurate to within 5 seconds.

SEE THE JAIPUR SLIDESHOW BY CLICKING HERE!

Fatehpur Sikri

About 1 hour's drive from Agra is the abandoned capital city of the great Mughal Emperor Akbar in the 16th Century. Part of a line of seven Mughal rulers of India in the middle ages, Akbar is easily considered the most successful due to his ability to compromise among the many social and religious factions of India. He took three wives - one Muslim (from Persia), one Christian (from Goa, a Portuguese trading colony on the west coast of India), and one Hindu from the south of India. Unlike most of the other Mughal rulers, he was able to functionally include much of this diversity in his administration of northern India - which brought peace and stability during his 16 year reign from this capital city.

Although the city remained in use after his death, it was eventually abandoned due to water scarcity problems.

Our trip to Fatehpur Sikri (translates to "City of Victory") was a difficult one as all four of us were experiencing some form of discomfort due to the transition (food, environment, pollution, etc.). It was incredibly hot out (at least 90F or higher) and after visiting Fatehpur Sikri we would continue to drive for 5 additional hours to the royal city of Jaipur in the state of Rajasthan.

Fatehpur was an interesting place and I "made a offering" at the white marbled Mosque in order to participate in a small prayer ceremony. It involved shedding my shoes (of course) and donning a kufie (Islamic prayer cap worn by men) and spreading a large tapestry in the central sanctum of the mosque. Afterwards I threw rose petals over the tapestry (I was instructed to do this despite not sharing any common language) as prayers from the Koran were being recited by the men behind me. It was a neat experience.

Check out the insane lattice work (done in MARBLE!) inside the mosque here - I can't imagine the painstaking work required to do this. This corridor is just outside the prayer room which I was not appropriate to photograph.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FATEHPUR SIKRI SLIDESHOW

Agra, Taj Mahal

The Taj recently gained additional noteriety by being selected as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Getting to Agra is an experience in itself, but as we learned, well worth the sacrifice.

Nothing can put it into words - it is simply the most beautiful piece of artwork I have ever seen. Constructed out of a nearly translucent white marble, all of the decorations are not painted (even though they appear to be frescos), rather they are inlaid with precious and semi precious jewels. It was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the mid 17th century to memorialize his favorite wife who died during her 14th childbirth. The structure took just 22 years to construct by an estimated 20,000 workers.

The builders used geometric principles to create significant illusary features of the building - the horizon is line is low to create a nearly completely blue sky backdrop to the Taj, inscriptions of the Koran are increased in size as they climb higher away from the viewer with precise rations to eliminate the reduction in text size, etc, etc.

The Taj Mahal is flanked on the east and west by mosques (majhid), however since all mosques must face the East towards Mecca, the second "faux" mosque exists only to maintain perfect symmetry. The Taj is identical when viewed from all four sides. The four minarets are angled slightly away from the main structure to improve it's impressive appeal, as well as for safety in case the minarets were to fall.

Since I could not fit all the pictures reasonably onto this entry, I've linked to a web slideshow (courtesy of Flickr). Click below and you can also click on the center info button to get more info on each image.

CLICK HERE FOR AGRA SLIDESHOW!

URL: http://www.flickr.com/photos/43788174@N00/sets/72157601608978740/show/

Namaste! India, finally.

We arrived into Delhi late in the evening on August 11. As we descended, the warm glow from the city lights informed us that we had almost arrived. I grew a bit anxious, knowing that I was going to be really out of my comfort zone in a few minutes. I would not be dissappointed.

Complete sensory overstimilation - Sounds: incredibely loud and bustling. Indian drivers use horns at least once a minute (we averaged our driver's use to be significantly higher over a 20 minute data sample). Smells: foods that I had never seen or heard of before are prepared by street vendors. Some on carts shout the names of the food as they move with the ebb and flow of humanity on the street, which is useless to me since I do not speak Hindi. The pollution problem on the street level is astounding - as a matter of fact we could smell it at least 5 minutes before we landed. Sights - the sarees, salwar kameez, kurtas, dotis - are all so colorful and interesting to look at. Soon after we have left the airport we quickly become social anomolies - my blonde son and wife are stared at, sometimes open mouthed. People outright stop what they are doing and just watch. Gazing seems to lack the taboo status it has in the US! Sometimes people will follow us in small groups, closing the distance behind us over time as they become more comfortable.

Although I cannot describe the street-level instensity, this video attempts to do just that. It was taken from the car as we were approaching Agra, in Utter Pradesh (state), home of the great Taj Mahal.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam suprised us with cold. We blasted out of Boston on a hot summer evening and were pretty much focused on the heat that we would experience in India. The layover in Holland was more of a convenience to break up the long flights into more manageable pieces. It didn't get over 65 while we were there and was more often in the 50's all day.

Regardless, we bought a few heavier outfits for the kids and had a blast! Highlights included a trip to the Rijksmuseum where we saw some Rembrandt and Vermeer and a tour along the Leidesplein and many canals in a boat. The real highlight for me was just walking around - it's a beautiful city with a rich heritage (literally) and lives up to it's reputation for being a tolerant society in just about every respect.


The Dutch LOVE their bicycles and it seems like the junkier the bike, the better. You wouldn't find any fancy suspension systems or even shifting elements for that matter - pretty much brakes, a single gear (including awesome pedal brakes you had when you were a kid), a bell-ringer (critical for negotiating pedestrian traffic). and maybe a basket in the front. I also saw the smallest car in the world.

Jessie and Eli climb the Dutch "knee knocker" stairs. Amsterdam was largely constructed as a port town with waterfront space at a premium, there was no room for normal stairs, apparently. Ann Frank discussed these in her diary (we're going to visit the Ann Frank house when we return in later December).

View down some of the many bridges that cross the canals in Amsterdam.

Dad and the kids on the tour. Evan called out EVERY bridge we went under with something like this - "Look Daddy - ANOTHER one!" There are 1200 bridges in Amsterdam,

The corner at our flat at the interersection of Keizersgracht (king's canal} and Browersgracht (brewer's canal)

Cheese, anyone?

Visit to Beantown

The first thing I gave Dr. Sharma upon meeting in Washington was a Boston Red Sox hat and T-shirt - it should be noted that I have done what I can in order to set him upon the right foot here! Donning his new cap, Dr. Sharma and I visited Boston together starting at the Museum of Science (where else?) We then walked the city's Freedom Trail, ate at Faneuil Hall and enjoyed a few street performances, and discussed some of the city's many historical points of interest.

Enjoying lunch at Faneuil Hall

Holocaust Memorial

North Church - Memorial to fallen soldiers in Iraq

North End - Festival of St. Agrippina

North End - Festival of St. Agrippina

Paul Revere

Discussing the Declaration of Independance

Bernard Gould Shaw Memorial, Civil War Relief, African-American Regiment

Orientation Finale

Thursday is the final day of the orientation - we have spent hours discussing things like root cultural differences, classroom and school policy differences, expectations and grading, etc. It has been an enjoyable three days, but I am off before the formal closure of program in order to get my final visa from the Indian Consulate in New York City. It's hard to believe that I need to make such a trip for a single document in the information age, but I am out of time, and must get closure on this.

I will meet Dr. Sharma in Manchester at the airport on Friday afternoon if all goes well.

The final meal includes a cultural sharing piece from all the visiting countries. I had to leave to catch a flight, but not before I was ornamented with a "tikka" - a fine powder of tumeric and sandalwood used to signify a focal point in the frontal lobe.

Wheels in Motion

After over one year of extensive application and preparation work, the butterflies of anticipation finally set in as I rode the elevator to meet my exchange partner. Ananda Vardhana Telapakalle Sharma turns out to be an instant friend at the door of the hotel room we will share together (that's one way to make fast friends!). Within seconds we are sharing laughs and the formalities and introductions are behind us - we are so similar and yet still different.

The Fulbright Exchange Orientation is set at the Crowne Plaza in Alexandria, Virginia, just outside Washington DC. I had arrived one day early in order to take care of some visa and passport issues which had unfortunately come up at the last second. On the bright side of things, I get to be the only US teacher among the eight teachers from India for this first day as they begin to assimilate into life in America. There are many questions to answer and I enjoy this opportunity to be the first to present our culture. I find myself explaining the finer details of salad croutons, the function of parking meters, and acceptable procedure for safe street crossing. I realize that these differences will be mine to experience when I arrive in Delhi.

The most striking scene is the hotel lobby that is packed with hundreds of foreign teachers and visitors. There are many langauges being spoken, a variety of colorful dress, and people of many nations. I find myself being exceptionally proud of our Government for the first time in a while.

After a morning appointment at the passport office, I spend the afternoon sightseeing with our Indian Teachers. The US partner teachers join us by this evening for the more formal reception banquet.

Fatima, Sheela, and Aprajita in front of the US Capitol Building

Dr. Sharma at the Lincoln Memorial

Dr. Sharma and I at the reception banquet - flags of US and India

Most of the crew have arrived