Random Thoughts

RELIGION was something I hadn’t expected in India.  I mean, I know every country has religion, but I wasn’t prepared for the PERVASIVENESS of it in India.  Religion is EVERYWHERE there – it is in the way people dress, the way they eat, the way they relate to one another, the way they worship, the way they celebrate, it is even in their politics.  Religion is an integral part of life there in a much more “real” sense than I see in America. And religion in India is SO DIVERSE.  There are many, many different faiths represented throughout the country – Hindu (the majority religion of the country), Muslim, Buddhist, Jain, Sikh, Bahai, Christian, Catholic, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Parsi…  And it seems, at least to this outside observer, that the different religions coexist in harmony.  There do not appear to be overt attempts at convincing others that one religion is “right” and therefore “better” and others should convert to it.  It seems to be acce...

We have never had ayurvedic treatment.  But when our friend Abhishek told us that we could score super long massages in India for cheap, we were down with it.  I mean, you had me at "super long massages", let alone the "FOR CHEAP" part!!!  So when we got to Varkala (in Kerala, India, where this treatment is famous) we asked about where to make an appointment.  Turns out, because tourist season has ended, many places are closed for the season.  Luckily, a few are still open, so we popped into one our driver recommended called Ayur Clinic to ask about making an appointment for the following day. The lady at the desk asked what our medical issues are.  Ummm, none really...  I mean, like, sometimes I get sore (point to random spot) here, and he gets stiff (point to spot) around here...  Turns out ayurvedic is more related to medical treatment/healing than just relaxation massage.  But hey, we can roll with that, as long as there is MASSAGE thr...

So, the other thing in Mumbai that I was excited to see were the DABBAWALLAS!!  We almost didn't get to see them, because our main day in Mumbai was a Sunday, and they don't work on Sunday.  But I told the guide I realllllllllllllly wanted to see them, so we found time to take a peek before heading to the airport! Two dabbawallas ready to sort lunches Dabbawallas are one of a kind, the only ones in the world I think.  They are basically a LUNCH DELIVERY SYSTEM, but it is very intricate!!!  Every work day the dabbawallas stop at people's homes (I am gonna go out on a limb here and just gender this up, because I think the genders I will pick are right in this instance about 98% of the time...) - they stop at houses and pick up the hot lunches that MEN'S WIVES have cooked for them.  Indian people have different versions of "lunch boxes" than we are used to in America.  Theirs are called tiffin boxes and they are super cool metal multi-compartment round ...

Mumbai, you mysterious city you, because of you I will never look at spices the same way again!  We got to go to a market and watch how spices are made.  I mean- really MADE.  It was incredible!!!  The local women all have their own "secret spice recipes" handed down from their mothers.  They collect all of ingredients they need - some sort of red pepper (there are many different varities), which kind of garlic, pepper, onion, tumeric, ginger, and on and on...  They bring it all to a shop like the one we went to, where men ROAST IT all (with a bit of oil) in a big open metal pot over a fire.  Then they lay out the roasted spices on a burlap bag and put them in a long queue for GRINDING.  Only, it is not grinding really, I guess it is mashing, or masticating.  Young men take the huge amounts of roasted ingredients, dump them in a hopper, and they fall into very old machines that have large, heavy pieces that pound down over and over a...