India does this thing to me where I completely forget about the fact that I have another life across the globe.
Hence major lack of blog postage.
So.
Important things as of the last few weeks.
Ganesh Festival.
A realization I've made:
India will forever and always outdo any country ever in the amount, duration, intensity, devotion, and insanity of festivals.
Ever.
4th of July does not have ANYTHING on Ganesha. Seriously.
Over 50,000 idols of Ganesh are submerged in the lake in Hyderabad over a period of like 10 days. It is the most incredible thing I've ever seen.
We went to see the tallest idol in the city. Some 50 something feet tall. Outrageous. See the crowds? And this was not even a busy day.
Watching the Ganeshas being lowered into the lake by about 100 different cranes stationed around it was something in itself. Every size Ganesh, too.
Ones so tiny little proud-looking toddlers in shiny festival outfits could grasp tightly in their hands ontop of fathers' shoulders.
Ones so large that it took giant trucks and twenty men to attach the crane and guide it into the water.
Ganesh in the form of different gods, with different materials, in different colors.
So.
Many.
Ganesh.
He must be darn happy to see such devotion, eh?
Naturey things:
So lately I've been feeling homesick, out of place, out of touch, out of energy, what have you.
And I think these last few days I've found what I was missing in life.
Nature.
Trees.
Bugs.
Flowers.
Like-minded people doing like minded activities.
That sort of thing.
So, I went to the People's Biodiversity Festival.
And met wonderful people, ate delicious organic food, watched tribal dances, learned an incredible amount of information about India's food security and the insanity that is GM food.
(Don't get me started. Seriously.)
And then just yesterday I went on a biodiversity lecture/walk combo event on campus. And again, met wonderful people, saw some amazing plants and insects and lakes and landscapes. Also learned some more depressing things, about loss of biodiversity, eutrophication and pollution of campus lakes (and Hyderabad lakes), lack of waste management. But such is life when you care about these kind of issues. Sometimes you have to learn sad things.
On a better note, have I mentioned that campus is one of the most beautiful places in the world? I literally study in a forest. And it's awesome.
And to top off my week of things to remind me of the kinds of activities that make me happy, we attended a spoken word evening by a lake around a campfire.
Complete with guitar and poetry and songs and lovely people.
I just LOVE lovely people. I will strive to be more lovely.
Hence major lack of blog postage.
So.
Important things as of the last few weeks.
Ganesh Festival.
A realization I've made:
India will forever and always outdo any country ever in the amount, duration, intensity, devotion, and insanity of festivals.
Ever.
4th of July does not have ANYTHING on Ganesha. Seriously.
Over 50,000 idols of Ganesh are submerged in the lake in Hyderabad over a period of like 10 days. It is the most incredible thing I've ever seen.
We went to see the tallest idol in the city. Some 50 something feet tall. Outrageous. See the crowds? And this was not even a busy day.
Watching the Ganeshas being lowered into the lake by about 100 different cranes stationed around it was something in itself. Every size Ganesh, too.
Ones so tiny little proud-looking toddlers in shiny festival outfits could grasp tightly in their hands ontop of fathers' shoulders.
Ones so large that it took giant trucks and twenty men to attach the crane and guide it into the water.
Ganesh in the form of different gods, with different materials, in different colors.
So.
Many.
Ganesh.
He must be darn happy to see such devotion, eh?
Naturey things:
So lately I've been feeling homesick, out of place, out of touch, out of energy, what have you.
And I think these last few days I've found what I was missing in life.
Nature.
Trees.
Bugs.
Flowers.
Like-minded people doing like minded activities.
That sort of thing.
So, I went to the People's Biodiversity Festival.
And met wonderful people, ate delicious organic food, watched tribal dances, learned an incredible amount of information about India's food security and the insanity that is GM food.
(Don't get me started. Seriously.)
And then just yesterday I went on a biodiversity lecture/walk combo event on campus. And again, met wonderful people, saw some amazing plants and insects and lakes and landscapes. Also learned some more depressing things, about loss of biodiversity, eutrophication and pollution of campus lakes (and Hyderabad lakes), lack of waste management. But such is life when you care about these kind of issues. Sometimes you have to learn sad things.
On a better note, have I mentioned that campus is one of the most beautiful places in the world? I literally study in a forest. And it's awesome.
And to top off my week of things to remind me of the kinds of activities that make me happy, we attended a spoken word evening by a lake around a campfire.
Complete with guitar and poetry and songs and lovely people.
I just LOVE lovely people. I will strive to be more lovely.
No comments:
Post a Comment