Getting the Picture - No pun intended

I, like hundreds of thousands of people who own a camera, have used it to capture pictures of family, friends, pets, vacations, before and after pictures of "you name it", graduations, first steps, new cars, accidents, etc. I have even taken my camera to the hardware store to aid me in describing a home repair issue I was trying to solve on my own. While it may seem like the camera was in use all the time, the reality was the opposite. It was a very common occurrence to have the following flurry of questions take place before any of the above events. "Have you seen the camera? Who used it last? Where could it be? What did we use it for last? Why isn't it with all of the other camera junk? What type of batteries does it take again? Where is the charger?"......you get the picture? (no pun intended).

When the opportunity to move to India first presented itself, I packed the camera to capture images of my trip to take back to my family; glimpses of what our new life would be like living in a land that we never dreamed of living in......using the images captured by the camera to explain the wonder and mystery that unveiled itself to my eyes during that 13 day visit.

The camera used on that trip fell victim to a theft in the US.....so when making a decision to purchase a new camera, I opted to spend a bit more money to upgrade from our previous model, to one that provided more features and a higher pixel quality.....but still priced within my budget. I justified the purchase, in my mind, noting that I would be taking many photographs to share with my family during the process of looking for a place to live.....which I did.....I took over 1500 photographs of the various apartments I visited. I also used it to purchase furniture; although many of the furniture showrooms prevented me from taking pictures fearful that I would have their piece copied by someone else.

It was around this time that I started this blog.....in October 2008.....taking pictures and and sharing my experience in words for those back home.....a means of keeping in touch even though the phone was always handy. It is true that pictures convey much more than words could ever tell of a particular event or experience.

Naturally, Linda and I thought that it would be a great idea to purchase a camera as a gift to Preston for his 15th birthday. It was much less expensive than mine, but certainly adequate for its intended purpose. Providing an outlet for him.....something to amuse him.....a way of expressing himself....after all, his parents were turning his comfortable life upside down...... making him leave family and friends behind, and moving him halfway around the world. I was also hoping that it would become a hobby that the two of us could share together, much like fishing.

Photography has certainly replaced our hobby of fishing.....it has evolved into much more than I ever could have imagined. I have also learned that, like fishing, Preston has a natural talent......some of the pictures that he has taken are simply amazing. It has even provided us both with the opportunity to be competitive....not only between the two of us.....we recently submitted several of our photographs in a Photography Competition for expatriates living in India.

There were over 350 entries in four categories....and while neither of us had a photograph selected by the judges of the competition, one of us did find ourselves on stage.....again, Preston has outdone his father and walked away with "the biggest fish"! While this was only the second year of the event, Preston received an Honorable Mention Award for being the youngest ever contestant.

Over the past year, much has changed in our lives.....a new city, a new lifestyle, a new adventure, new experiences, different food, different smells, different weather and a new hobby. One other thing has changed.....no flurry of questions about an under utilized camera.....do you "get the picture"? Both Preston and I will submit entries next year....and hope for the best!

Sign's of the time......The interesting and the humorous

Throughout India, you are bound to see a sign that will catch your eye and the words or creative license that the owner or sign maker has taken may just elicit a smile or chuckle.....or may leave you pondering the question of "what in the world were they thinking"?

Here are five such signs; just a few of the ones that I have most recently discovered. There are countless more that I have seen but did not take the time to photograph.

I have decided to begin collecting them...on film of course.

Now for the first sign........

I have read the story of Snow White......and read it once again just to make sure that I had the story straight.......so, perhaps this "SALOON" is owned by seven "vertically challenged" little people.....or perhaps, it is the wicked queen who was trying to kill Snow White....Maybe the prince is the proprietor of the saloon......High Ho, High Ho.....or were those dwarfs singing Jai Ho all this time?
Picture this......

Ladies and gentlemen, you can use this room to get "drassed" in......growing up in the southern United States, there is what is known as a "Southern Drawl"....an accent that is very common and stretches words and typically extends the word when spoken.......this photo was taken in Northern India (Mussoorie)......not Alabama! by the way......could someone put some "RAANCH DRASSING" in a care package for us????......it is very difficult to find.

We are halfway through the pictures......and the combination of offerings at this Barber shop just caught me as being humorous....

I have never been to a BARBER, for any of these....perhaps you dont find the same humor....by the way....in one year I have not seen an Indian, male or female with "Bleached Blonde Hair"......

The next sign caught my eyes in an alley way that Linda and I were walking through one morning in Mussoorie.

All this time, I thought that the cause of ROAD RAGE was the lack of courtesy of another driver.....some act that a particular driver does to another that would cause them to get so upset and to develop such anger.....however, the secret was revealed. The true source of Road Rage is when the owner of a car parks his/her car in the GAR RAGE......so please......everything on the road will return to normal and friendly if you simply park your car on the side of the street.....the only other thing I can think of.......in the US there is a fish named "GAR".......do you think he has a very nasty GAR FISH that is enraged behind the doors?...We may never know.
This last and final picture still has me scratching my head trying to figure out if this is some special code....or perhaps it is a dental office run by "identical twins"......or it is a Dentist Office that caters to stutterers......Dr. Ag g g g arrwall, could you please fit me for my BR R R aces?" Maybe......it is that the temperature of the office is kept so cold that everyone is freezing....BRRRRRRRR it is cold in there....so cold the doctors decided that instead of purchasing a sign with the correct spellings, they spelled it like people are used to hearing them speak due to the freezing temperatures.......just look at this sign and see if you can figure it out.

Or could it be a special code.....?

I am open to hearing everyone interpretations of these signs....help me out!

What say you?

It's all about location....making a living in INCREDIBLE India!

Low overhead......controlling expenses......great location! These are the magic ingredients to a successful business in India....well everywhere I guess.

However, Indian businessmen and women have perfected how to successfully run a business most of the time without even having a roof over their heads.

Chaat vendors are everywhere.....there are cart wallah's that will serve you omelet's, gulab jamun, jalebi, ground nuts, popcorn, fried aloo patties and wedges, tea....anything that can be cooked with a portable stove and pots and pans.....you name it and there is someone serving food at a busy location..serving the needs of many.

The overhead is low.....no electricity....many times, no rent....portable carts, barber chairs on the side of the road with a mirror tied to the grates of an iron fence.....no running water, NO RENT, no lease.....you get the picture.

In India, they have basically taken the concept of the suburban lemonade stand in the good old USA to a new level! I almost forgot, there are juice wallah's, sugar cane juice, lychee, mangoe, fresh lime.....if it can be made into a juice that suits the Indian palette......somebody is selling it on a street corner.

Some of these street food wallah's are very famous.....have been in the same location for years.....have developed a reputation, loyal customers, regulars.....but if business drops off at one location, they simply move to another.

The owners vary in age as well.......just like the many offerings of food, drink and goods, the age varies as well. Linda and I came upon a young boy who was selling various items from the cart in the picture......the cart was open as we walked by, but one would typically see the owner either standing nearby or crouched inside....this one was empty and no one seemed to be around.....then Linda spotted a young boy sitting on the railing at the edge of the road across from the cart and in the cool of the shade. When I asked the question out loud, "I wonder where the owner is?", Linda turned and said...."this must be him."......I asked and it was.....and I asked for his picture. He looks to be about 11 years old, maybe younger.Then there was the young man offering views of Camel Rock through his telescope....and various other sites around Mussoorie.....for 20 rupees he gave us a tour of all of the landmarks......then excused himself to run about 30 yards to attend to some other passersby that wanted tea at his tea house.....then came back to us....and offered us the opportunity to take our photograph in some authentic Indian clothing worn in the area.....a very enterprising young man in his mid twenties.One the way to the airport we were running ahead of schedule and the driver who was taking us to the airport asked if we would like to stop for tea. He explained that this particular place had the best tea and people stop from all over just to have this man's tea......it was obviously his favorite place, but I did not commit.

As we reached the small village and were at the stoplight, he asked again, and then Linda asked.....so I gave in and said "Sure, as long as you have some with us and you let me pay".......I asked how much: "5 rupees per cup.".....and a 20 rupee bill was handed to him......then reality set in and I said to both Linda and Preston...."what in the world have we just done?" You can see from the picture that this isn't MCDONALD'S or even close to STARBUCKS.....while we were waiting, I hopped out of the car to take this picture and then returned just before he delivered 4 cups of tea in real glass cups......and we started sipping and agreeing with him that the tea was exceptionally good.......and hot.....when asked what makes his tea so special....."Sir, it is the milk.....he has his own cows and buffalo's that he milks.....it must be what he feeds them.....WATER BUFFALO'S.....never in my life have I had milk from a water buffalo.....but I am thankful it was in piping hot tea and not in a glass all by itself.And finally, an entrepreneur close to my heart.....one of the keys to having a successful hotel is having a great location with a constant flow of customers...next to what we consider a "demand generator".....as Preston and I were leaving the George Everest Estate which was laying in ruin at the top of one of the peaks of a Himalayan foothill, offering some of the most incredible views......I spotted the sign on the side of this structure....proclaiming that he had "ROOMS AVAILABLE" in several languages..........this is just the reason why it is a necessary requirement to always have your camera with you.....not many people would have believed me if I would have simply told the story!

By the way......at night.......he has more than 5 STARS!

Linda had her hands full!

If you have read the previous blog entry "At the Wheel"..some of you may have wondered why there was no mention or photographs of Linda making pottery.....

She was certainly at the party......and she was unable to make pottery because she had her hands full.Along with the couple with the pottery wheel, our friend hired two gentlemen who are artists in their own right.....

Yes, after my turn at the potter's wheel, I caught up with Linda who was having the "art" of Mehndi applied to her hands.

As you may recall from an earlier blog entry of mine, Mehndi, is the application of henna as a temporary form of skin decoration.....in Asia, this typically is done for the bride and her wedding party.......or it is applied at festival time as well.This is not the first time that Linda has had Mehndi.....but it was the first time she had it applied to her hands and arms.....the first time was just above her ankle....

So, as you can see from the pictures of Linda's hands, there was no way for her to wrap her hands around some wet clay and create a masterpiece of her own.The gentlemen who apply the Mehndi are truly talented and are extremely quick......it is amazing to see them at work and how quickly they create the patterns.

I urged Linda to purchase the material and begin practicing.....so when we return to the States in December, she can apply Mehndi to some of the girls in our family at Christmas time......we shall see!Enjoy the photo's!

At the Wheel in India

I am sure that the title of this entry may have you thinking that this was going to be an article about driving in India.....sorry to have "thrown" you off.....no pun intended!

The practice and art of making clay pottery in India dates back several centuries.
Many of the early styles of making pottery was done manually by hand.....before the invention of the potter's wheel.

There is much debate on when the potter's wheel was invented....one school of thought places the date at 6000 years B.C. while another set of scholars places the date closer to 2400 B.C.

Whatever the date, not much has changed in India.....the use of manual wheels is still alive.Until this weekend, the only type of potters wheel I have ever seen have been electric..... one such demonstration took place in Linda's cousin's pottery shop in Evergreen, Alabama.

I have explained many times, that India never fails to provide someone with the opportunity to experience something unique.....or an opportunity to learn or witness something new......after all, it is an incredible place!

Now picture this......a potters wheel made of stone......several holes along the outer edge used for the placement of the tip of a stick......an aged man squatting at the edge...stick in hands, and with his years of experience he sends the wheel spinning....then his skilled hands begin working their on the mound of clay that was placed in the center of the wheel......Such is the practice in all of the rural parts of India, where I understand that each community has such a potter with the skills to transform clay into various vessels used in the village by thse who live there.

This weekend however, the potter and his wife were in the driveway of the New Delhi home of one of our friends....who had hired the potter and his wife for her daughter's 8th Birthday Party.

Not only was this a huge hit with all of the young girls who were being coached by this "master of clay", but he had the parents mesmerized by this primitive art form being brought to life in front of our eyes.

When the children had their turns, he urged the parents to participate as well......I had originally refused and decidedly took pictures of Preston trying his had at forming the clay while the wheel was set spinning.

I must admit, watching Preston at work made the act seem too easy to continue sitting on the sidelines.....but much to my dismay, the potter handed me the "stick" and using both sign language and Hindi, he instructed me to try my hand at spinning the wheel......I was a good sport...and did my best, but after two attempts, I eagerly handed him the baton and asked him to please save me the embarrassment of continuing to try and master the wheel.
It was only moments before he had the wheel spinning perfectly and he assisted me in the forming of my clay pot......
Now this may not seem like the most exciting "India Activity" to participate in.....especially when you could trek the Himalaya's.....but it was a cultural experience nonetheless.....and unique it it's own way.

So unique, that Linda and I even thought that this would be a fun thing to do at an "Adult" party......who knows, after some adult beverages, the clay objects may become quite creative.

Enjoy the photographs of Preston and I .....at the wheel in India!My masterpiece!

Trekking the Himalaya's - Preston's Adventure

Preston and the group before they left....Linda in the background with the school nurse who took temperatures

After weeks of preparation...purchasing a backpack, having a friend of ours ship a sleeping bag from the US that would be sufficient for the temperatures of the mountains.....shopping for hiking boots at several stores.....a compass, a "headlight" flashlight.....rain gear and a nice warm jacket.....he was prepared. Oh...I almost forgot.....Sunflower Seeds.....and while he had a very large bag....he strategically put a small amount into a "zip lock" sandwich bag, so that he could ration them with his buddies.....he didn't mind sharing, but he wanted to make sure that he portioned them out so that they would last 6 days......Shrewd Kid!

While Linda was a bit nervous about Preston's adventure......I was simply envious. What a great experience for him at the age of 15....

It has been some time, but I was trying to remember what was going through my head at the age of 15.....more than likely it had something to do with driving, sports or the opposite sex.

By the age of 15, I had seen the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee....but no snow.....and here, my son was getting an opportunity to trek the Himalaya's. WOW!The night before I put it in perspective for him.....he was about to embark on something no one else in our family had ever done.....in fact, he was only the second person in our family that had ever seen the Himalaya's other than in a picture in a Geography Book in School, a National Geographic Magazine, or in a movie or documentary on TV......History making! Something he could share with his kids and grandchildren....his reply....."Really??? That's Cool".

The Trek was arranged by the school.....something they refer too as a "Mini Course" which is meant to serve the purpose of allowing students to experience the wonders of India firsthand.....approximately 30 such trips were offered to the students, to rank as their first choice.....etc. They all didn't involve a 50+km hike in the Himalaya's; some were performing service related projects in villages, traveling to other areas of the country to experience something different, to exploring Delhi.

One of the main concerns that the school had, in lieu of the recent illnesses and Swine Flu Scare, was having a child in a remote area of the country who would become ill....as a precaution, the school sent out an announcement the day before, indicating that each student attending a trip, such as Preston's, would have to undergo a temperature screening before boarding the bus.....if they had an above normal reading, they would not be allowed to go on the trip.

Now, Linda was not the only one that had anxiety related to the trip.....there was a minor complication in that Preston was still in the recovery phase of me giving him the "crud" that I had picked up....and had infected my boss with on his visit, and our faithful driver Ramesh. Preston still had a nasty cough that we were sending him off with......but the poor guy must have checked his temperature 3 times that night......he did not want to miss this trip and be stuck in Delhi.....Oh, there is one other thing that could have kept him back.....his grades.....but, all A's and B's...one C.....I wish they would arrange a trip like this every semester for this reason alone! What a motivation....I think I would have made straight A's for a trip like this (well maybe)!

Saturday afternoon, Linda and I were there to send him off....all the way to the bus.....and as usual, he did not want me to document the event by taking his picture....as I was embarrassing him in front of his friends. Interestingly enough.....I think there was only one other set of parents, besides Linda and I to see their kids off.....Linda thought it was somewhat strange.....so did I for that matter......but such are the way things are.....

Linda was worried that her "baby" would be freezing and made sure that he had warm clothes.....we were both worried that he would have blisters....because, despite our insistence that he wear his hiking boots a few weeks before, every chance he had, to break them in....he didn't.The itinerary was challenging....a 6 day trek.....in the remote parts of the Himalaya's.....no bathrooms, no showers, this was the real deal..on the third or 4th day....after the most brutal trek, all of the kids had an option to hike an additional 1000 feet.....which took them to 13,500 feet......I told Linda that he would make the climb....she thought he would be too exhausted. Now, in one of my earlier blog entries.....I put this in perspective.....this was only 1000 feet below the highest peak in Colorado, where we once lived.....Way above the tree line and much higher than he had ever hiked in his entire life. Way cool!

My story end's here......he was off and although he has shared some details of the trip with us.....that is his story to tell....one day....

But I do have some parting words......we met him later in the week as his group passed through Mussoorie.....we arranged through the school and the Trekking Guide Company to have him dropped off so we could extend his visit in the hills.

The first thing Linda and I asked....."Any blister's?"...."Nope, not a one". His hiking boots......while not inexpensive, paid off and were worth every rupee....and the hike to the highest point.....he made it it to the top....so I guessed correctly!He also looked amazingly good when after not having a shower for 6 days.....quite good actually.....

I have only included one of the several pictures I took before we sent him off....the remaining four(of the almost 800 that he took)pictures are his......during the trek......

I hope you enjoy!

Mussoorie Landmark - an opportunity literally laying in ruin

India....while incredibly fascinating and wonderful......will at times cause frustrations......

I am not talking of the frustrations caused by the minor inconveniences of living here.....those differences comparing living in India to the U.S.; those are issues I have accepted and actually embraced quite some time ago.....and I am proud to say, so has my family. We don't complain about such things......we are enjoying life here in India.

Of course, there are the HUGE issues of poverty, lack of infrastructure (although improving everyday), bureaucracy and corruption......and other social issues and ills.

So why.....with all of these huge issues to deal with am I choosing to express my frustrations about an old house, laying in ruin on top of a mountain?

It is certainly not because I am insensitive to all of the much larger issues.....I am.....my head almost explodes at times when I see the corruption in the government......my heart gets twisted and is in pain when I get a soft knock at my window from someone in need.......my stomach gets tied up in knot's when I watch a limbless man, with no shirt, in the heat of Delhi, pushing a plate filled with what may amount to $1 US in change, with his forehead while he makes his way along a dirty unpaved street....

I could share more such stories.....but I think you get the picture...I am grounded in "reality".
So....why?....what's the big deal about an old house when there are so many other bigger issues to deal with.

Well, there is no "big deal" actually.....until recently, I didn't even know much about the life of George Everest.....or how the tallest mountain in the Himalaya's was named for him, what his accomplishment's were.....or where he lived for goodness sake. A year ago, I couldn't even point out to you where Mussoorie, India was on a map.....or even that such a place existed.

But it does.....like many other places in India; monuments, fort's, tomb's, and other such places of historical significance, that have withstood the test of time.....but are laying in various states of ruin....or disappear as an afterthought in pursuit of progress...

There is much more to India than the Taj Mahal......so much more.

While the pressing issues I mentioned above are very real and extremely challenging to deal with....AND are a tremendous financial burden to the country......I also believe that it is important to preserve the past......the country's heritage......the culture that makes it unique and fascinating.....the history that has shaped the country into what it is today......How can a country, plagued with so many social issues afford to allocate funds for preservation when there are people starving?

Wouldn't this be socially irresponsible?

I am not sure of the answers to the questions I pose to all of you who read this blog entry.....but it is frustrating to see what I consider "NATIONAL TREASURES" being allowed to fall apart.

One could easily argue that the investment in preserving these national treasures would pay huge dividends......much more than one can imagine.....

I suggest that India has an opportunity to focus on preservation....showcasing that India is much more than the Taj Mahal......and it will be a benefit to the people of this great country.....and to me......I would be able to stop pulling my hair out.Now that I am off the soap box......I welcome comments from everyone....tell me how you feel about this issue......or one that may be bothering you.

I would like to hear the perspective from all of my readers from India......please give me your perspective......for those of you in the US or in Europe......imagine for a moment if Independence Hall in Philadelphia was allowed to crumble in front of our eyes......or the Arc de Triomphe.....or any other iconic monument that means so much to the country.....

I look forward to your comments.

By the way......the views from the George Everest Estate are amazing.....but would you expect anything less? He was in charge of surveying the country....measuring the peaks......he had an insider's knowledge of where to locate his house.....truly magnificent....

SUGGESTION: to catch an incredible sunset, I suggest that you leave Mussoorie at 4:00pm, like Preston and I did.....you will have time for the hike to the site, some time to take photographs and walk through the house.....and then time to locate a perfect spot to sit and watch the beauty unfold before your eyes.

We didn't make it to watch the sunrise, which I am told is equally incredible.....but I will guarantee you that on my next trip.....I will make my way to the top early one morning to witness it.