Traveling in India (2022)
Daisy and Anne Marie traveled to India for the 2022 Sicoga Meeting, and visited some hosts in India before the Meeting started.
A street in Jaipur
At first glance, nothing special to see, until Rajsa is joining me on the balcony, and little by little this street view is opening up; suddenly I am in a poetic Indian movie, where the houses become inhabited by real persons …
The house in front is inhabited by a family of 13. Different generations living together. On the first floor a women walks on the terrace. She is a more conservative family member, since she has her head covered.
A red cloth over a plant provokes a whole story about the holy basil. Was he sleeping, or did the red cloth had anything to do with the marriage with the gods?
A small boy is paying with a cricket bat, and Rajsa asks him if he’s practicing that way for the exam he will have somewhat later at school.
The man on the street is outside the house and compound, since women are cleaning up the house, a chore easier if he’s not around.
The house next door, has a long list of Hindi words on the front wall, indicating the different people living here. The aryuvedic doctor, who passed away is still mentioned, next to his children.
On the street, a women with a metal recipient with milk, on her way to the temple.
Some men on their way to their work.
The sound of the garbage car resounds in the neighboring street. People getting down on the street with the garbage to deliver it to. A women with a silver ankle bracelet, is on her way too.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Hamsa is starting to prepare breakfast. Exotic flavours and fragances. Tumeric, coriander and red chili, always present in the spice box, ready to be added in a dish. Lentils in different colours and with different names in Hindi, just for texture in this case. And for us, coffee from Karnataka.
Steel thali, steel bowls, …. waiting to be put on the table.
A street in Jaipur, a house in a street in Jaipur, … comes to life.
India comes to life.
Some other impressions, in the company of other Servas hosts.