"Fishing Fleet"

Passenger List of Eligible British Ladies known as the Fishing Fleet

Young eligible English ladies of marrying age, daughters of wealthy Britisher’s living in India, who traveled back and forth from England to India, were known as the “Fishing Fleet”.

While what I have read about them is quite interesting, this entry is about one of India’s actual fishing fleet that dot the coast of this incredible country.



The history of boat building dates back in the Indian region to as early as 2040 B.C. as evidenced by artifacts uncovered of the Harappan civilization that thrived in what is now southern Pakistan and western India.

This Indus Valley civilization was so advanced that they not only built docks and warehouses, but there is evidence that they conducted trade via ocean going vessels to faraway places.



For nearly 4200 years, from 2500 B.C. to 1700 A.D., India was considered the “Proud Mistress of the Eastern Sea’s” until the European powers took control of Indian shipping and the East India Company prevented the construction of large ships which were competitors to the English ships of the 18th century. Until then, boat building was undertaken in nearly 200 ports along India’s 6000 kilometer coast.

My trip to the port in Vizag gave me a glimpse of some of today’s boat building activities, where future vessels in Vizag’s fishing fleet were being constructed.
The construction yard was void of many of the modern tools and equipment that one might find in other boat yards in the western world. The boat yard also serves as home to many as well; living and working in the same place, in crude conditions is the way of life for those in fishing communities.



Boat Builders home in the shadows of the vessels

The wood being used in the construction of the fleet appeared to be crudely cut and riddled with flaws and would not be considered acceptable to use in other parts of the world where blemishes would be a clear sign of poor workmanship.



Eventually a thick skin of fiberglass will cover the flaws and gaps that exist between the planks and make it more seaworthy. A final coat of colorful paint will be applied to further enhance its beauty and provide it with a unique identity among the many boats that grace the port.



The boat builders were as interested in me as I was of them……they stopped working and yelled down at me in Hindi, and while I did not understand the words they used, the body language of the foreman of the crew indicated that he wanted me to take their picture.



There were as many as 5 boats being built, all in various stages of construction; some nearly complete while others resembled the skeletons of upside down whales……….the keel serving as the spine and the ribs reaching outward and upward toward the sky.


Scientist reconstructing skeleton of a Blue Whale in a museum

I am sure that the commissioning of a boat in India does not include a bottle of champagne being broken on the bow…….but it would surely involve a puja.



Shortly afterwards, the colorful addition to the Vizag fishing fleet will provide a captain and his crew the means to make a living in the waters of the Bay of Bengal.

Invisible.......a Poem

INVISIBLE

I look for her twice daily as I make my way to and from work
There are times that I wonder if she is only visible to me
When she disappears and I wonder where she has gone
Only to reappear to the same spot she has claimed as her home
Always draped in black her body rarely takes form
When sleeping, curled against the wall she could be anything but human
These are the times when there is no sign of life
No movement; an inanimate object co existing with the chaos around her
She does not beg like others at the corner
Is she less needy than they
Her head is always covered, her face always hidden by the shadows
Yet she sits and stares watching life on the thin pad that doubles as her bed
Her sandals neatly placed before her in contrast to the litter tossed carelessly about
She seems content and not ailing
Although she has moved from the wall to the center of the walk
Does she remain invisible to all but me

Street Scene's.....Mehendi

Mehendi is the practice of painting the hands and feet of the bride as part of the wedding ceremony.

This ancient art form is still alive and well and flourishes where any talented entrepreneur sets up his shop.......

Linda and I had just finished dinner and as we were making our way back to our car, we stumbled upon these two artist and their customer busy at work creating this work of art on the sidewalk.

It was amazing just watching them work. I can barely draw a straight line with a ruler......God just did not bless me with the artistic talent that he has given to others.

I politely asked the young woman if I could take her picture and she obviously obliged.

Linda has expressed a desire to have this done one day.......perhaps when Parker gets here!

I will be sure to take some pictures of her when this happens.

I a not sure what the cost is to have this done.......but it is certainly an art form unique to South Asia.....and not something one sees taking place on the sidewalk in any city in the US.

Enjoy!

Road Trip! Hitching a Ride.

A week ago I had another visit to the property in Jaipur.....another long day of leaving at 7:00am and not returning until approximately 11:pm.

The mode of transportation was by car this time....not the usual quick flight of an hour......but a trip by car that takes no less that 4.5 hours.

This is my preferred mode of transportation, because of the sites that avail themselves.....but sometimes, the need to effectively utilize time does not allow for this, and the plane is necessary.

There are some incredible sites that one can witness while driving anywhere on any road in India.

The "Truck Art" is amazing......Preston enjoys "collecting" pictures of truck art as well.

And then.....the Indians have taking the term "Hitching a Ride" to a new level......In this picture you can count six people hanging on the outside of this Jeep....what you can't see is how many people are packed inside.....I am not exaggerating when I tell you there were at least 10 people inside.....traveling about 40 km/h down the highway.

Experiencing India by car is an amazing journey all it's own. A word of advice is to always have your camera ready.....anything is possible.

BeeArtworks.......in "A" Block Vasant Vihar

Preston and I stumbled upon a park in "A" Block of Vasant Vihar which has been transformed into a beautiful flower garden by the New Delhi Horticultural Department......how I wish they would do the same to the park next to our house!

This park was filled with several varieties of flowers, and between he and I we shot several hundred pictures......just hoping to capture something fantastic....

So after reviewing the 321 photographs that I shot, I thought that I would share five of my favorites of flowers that were being visited by bees. Although I enjoy taking pictures of flowers, it is always fun to capture something unique.

The ones I selected are far from National Geographic material, but nevertheless, they are fun to look at....and were fun to take.

Now...to explain the title.....I look at photography as an "art form"...but my sister, Betty, is the true artist of the family. Just recently, she has taken her talent to a new level and has started to offer her work to willing buyers....and her paintings,ceramics or other works always include a small "bee" as her signature; something she uses as a "twist" of her first initial...."B". BeeArtworks is how she "markets" herself.

So this is my version of BeeArtworks.....India style! Her talent far surpasses mine.....I can't seem to make anything happen with a paint brush and canvas......so perhaps with a camera I might be able to develop some talent.....I am just trying to be as artistically talented as my big sister! There is no harm in that...is there?

Enjoy!

Swati and Himanshu's Wedding.....

Before we arrived in India, Linda and I had both read during the "researching" phase of our India Adventure, that attending an Indian wedding is an incredible experience and .....chances were good that we would be invited to attend one while we were living in India. That premise held true, and this past Thursday we attended our first Indian wedding.

I was honored when Amit, our GM for Technical Services and Engineering, presented me with the invitation to attend his sister's wedding. As a matter of fact, I was so excited, that I couldn't wait to return home to announce to Linda and Preston that we had been invited....

Although I am not an "expert" on Indian weddings, I will impart what little I do know, to give all of you back home reading the blog a sense of how things differ from the traditional "western" wedding.

Weddings in India take place on days that are considered "auspicious" by the priest or "pandit"....These are days that are considered to be "special" according to Hindu tradition.

Recently there was an article in the paper that over 20,000 weddings had taken place in New Delhi alone......on one day in February. There are over 165 such days in the Hindu calender.....and we can HEAR weddings taking place from our apartment. Yes...hear them.

Swati and Himanshu's wedding was no different.....the Swagat Barat, or Grooms Procession, takes place with much fanfare.....there are fireworks and a band to announce his arrival.....he is dressed in clothes befitting a "maharajah" and traditionally arrives on horseback or on an elephant.....

Fireworks, the band.....dancing family......it truly reminded Linda and I of a mini Mardi Gras parade......

Once he arrives, there is a small greeting ceremony that is conducted by the Brides family.....welcoming the grooms family...once the groom arrives, he sits on a stage and waits for his bride to join him......she sits on his right until the ceremony is complete. And yes, there is the exchange of the the "garland of flowers".......remember my "inadvertent" wedding to Jeshri, my Indian wife...

The food is elaborate......the clothing is gorgeous.....and the wedding ceremony for the family doesn't end until about 3:00 in the morning. Yes.....it lasts approximately 6 hours......we unfortunately couldn't stay for the entire ceremony as the wedding took place on a school night......but....it was an honor to be invited and a part of our adventure that will remain a highlight of our experience here in India.

Here are a few other things to note from the pictures.....Notice the intricate henna artwork on the brides hands......somewhere incorporated into the design are the letters from the alphabet that make up her husbands name......she is supposed to try and identify them......the henna artwork is a symbol of fertility......

The jewelry is given to the bride by her family...it is her dowry of sorts.....part of the ceremony takes place under the arch...where the bride and groom walk around a ceremonial fire 7 times each reciting certain things....this is the part we couldn't stay for......She will wear the red bangles on her arm for one year indicating that she is a newly married bride.

Like weddings in the US...it is a very special and festive occasion, but the entire week is filled with activities.....both the bride and groom, after 7 days of activities and a ceremony that lasts until 3:00am, must be exhausted and ready for things to be over.....

If you are invited to a wedding, you can ask other people to attend with you.......it is common...yes we could have invited some friends to join us....people that neither party knows......they adopt the philosophy that the more people the merrier.....this does not happen in the US.....attendance is sometime very strictly controlled....sometimes children are eliminated all together....and never could you bring someone...unannounced.

India is INCREDIBLE...and I hope that we are once again honored with another invitation to a wedding while we are here.

In the last picture....from left to right....Amit's Mother (the brides mother), Amit's wife, Swati(the Bride), Amit, and Amit's Father

Enjoy the pictures!

....more Holi fun!

It seems like everyone gets excited about Holi!

The excitement unfolded right before our eyes, and Linda and I enjoyed the views from the balcony of our apartment.

Holi gets started very early......first with the Security Guards, then Ramesh and his friend Surrender...and then as the neighborhood children woke up, they joined in the fun with water guns, and water balloons.......wetting each other down before the colorful powder began to hit....we could hear the drums from a nearby band playing somewhere near the house.....it was very festive.

Linda and I had fun....even though we just watched the excitement from the comfort and cleanliness of the house......but, when one of the neighborhood kids saw me up on the balcony taking pictures, he did his best to hit me with a water balloon.......but he missed!

The pictures are of Ramesh, Surrender and the Guards, and one of the dogs in the neighborhood that didn't escape the fun.

Preston's Technicolor "Holi" Day

Well it seems like all over the world, there is some sort of celebration of the beginning of Spring......in the US, color is infused into Easter in the form of dying eggs.......in India, you dye your body.....well you don't, your friends and strangers do it for you.

So goes the celebration in India called "Holi".

Preston was picked up in a taxi by a group of his friends at 9:00am,and after a 500 rupee ride to somewhere in Delhi, Preston's Holi celebration started.

That's right, we had no clue as to where I son was going with 4 other teenager's in this city of 17 million people, but we knew that he would not come back the same way he left us.....clean, well somewhat clean. We did speak to Parker and he thought we were crazy to let Preston go off, and not know where he was going. Of course, he proclaimed that we would have "never let him do that at 15 years old". And he is probably right.....but neither Linda nor I knew what to expect and we decidedly chose to celebrate our first Holi.....as spectators.

However, we did give Preston certain instructions....Be careful, don't drink anything strange...only water, stay with your friends, call us occasionally and let us know you are OK, keep up with your money, have fun and one more final "be careful".
If the pictures didn't paint (no pun intended) a clear picture, as I am writing this blog, he just emerged from the shower......and he proudly came to show me the Q-tips......black from his left ear, red from his right......It appears that he had fun!

Holi is not your typical celebration, as you may have gathered....and Preston came back in one piece, and didn't drink anything strange......yes, there is a drink that is traditionally served at Holi which is called BHANG.

Bhang is a type of tea.....sounds innocent doesn't it....here is the recipe..... There's also a Hot Buttered Version as well!

Flavoured Bhang - Ingredients

2 cups water
2 ounces marijuana (fresh leaves and flowers of a female plant preferred)
4 cups warm milk
2 tablespoons blanched and chopped almonds
1/8 teaspoon garam masala (a mixture of cloves, cinnamon, and cardamon)
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/2 to 1 teaspoon rosewater
1 cup sugar

DID YOU NOTE THE SECOND INGREDIENT??????

When Linda reached him by phone, Preston's explained that he was at the British High Commission (Embassy) with his friend George.....and that he only had 20 rupees and needed a ride home.

Ramesh, our driver was off today, so it was my turn to drive in Delhi once again.....so I did get to have some fun on Holi also.

I brought some old sheets to drape over the car seat, and retrieved him for the drive back home......in one piece, but covered in FUN!

Have a very HAPPY HOLI...wherever you are.....personally, I cannot wait until next year.....stay tuned for the pictures!

Morning Shower......

I make it a point to always have my camera with me. The camera and I are inseparable on the weekends; a trip to the store, a walk in the neighborhood, on the way to the school, and on and on......

The same holds true every morning on the way to work and in the evening when I return.....

The reason is simple....to capture and share life in India as it unfolds around us. India...where the UNCOMMON is COMMON.

This morning as Ramesh had come to a stop in the line to pay the toll......I looked to my left and captured one such moment of everyday life here in India......the morning shower!

While it is common to see people bathing along the roadside.... anywhere, at anytime of the day......I have never seen it done in this manner....

Enjoy!

Delhi Landmark - Qutub Minar

As incredible as India is, it is remarkable that there is so much literally right in our backyard.

With the intention of preparing for Parker's upcoming visit, we have decided to embark on several exploratory trips to plan what will surely be an action packed adventure for him.

This week, Preston and I discovered Qutub Minar......a New Delhi landmark since the year 1193 A.D.

That right......1193 and built on the site of 27 former Hindu and Jain Temples that were destroyed by the first Sultan of Delhi; Qutub-Ud-Din who managed to only reach the first level before his death.

The Qutub Minar is part of a vast complex of other monuments of historical importance....and is a must see landmark on a visit to New Delhi.

The last picture I included is the beginning of a second tower, which was supoosed to be twice the height of the Qutub Minar, but the Sultan died and it was never finished.

Here are some interesting facts and 5 of the 354 photographs that we took at the site......

Interesting & Fun Facts about Qutab Minar

Qutab Minar is the tallest brick minaret in the world.

The height of Qutub Minar is 72.5 m. or 238 feet tall.
There are 379 stairs inside the tower, which lead to the top.

The foundation of the tower was laid down by Qutubu’d - Din Aibak in 1193 AD.

The purpose behind the construction of Minar was for the use of mu'azzin (crier) to give calls for prayer.

The next three stories were added by Shamsu'd-Din Iltutmish, the son - in - law of Qutubu’d - Din Aibak.
The fifth and the last storey were constructed by Firuz Shah Tughlaq.

Some say it was damaged twice by lightning and subsequently repaired in the 1300's.....some say it was from earthquakes.

The Minar contains numerous inscriptions in Arabic and Nagari characters, which narrate its history.

Qutab Minar is made up of red and buff sandstone, containing intricate carvings and verses from the Holy Quran.

Enjoy.

Market-ing 101 - A Visit to I.N.A. Market, New Delhi

Markets come in all shapes and sizes in Delhi.....a complete range...simple to sophisticated......those frequented by locals where very few expatriates shop, to those that specifically carry items that expats are familiar with from their home countries.

There are markets that specialize.....the fabric market, the spice market, the meat market, the produce market, the book market, the bike market.....any commodity that can be sold, there are markets (clusters of shops) or simply a street, that have concentrations of vendors hawking the same or similar items.

And then there is I.N.A. Market......which has a bit of it all. A few weeks ago, on the way back from our visit to Safdarjung Tomb, Preston and I stopped for his first visit.

I had previously visited this market, once to purchase the "Tongue Cleaner's" I brought back for Erika, and some cashew nuts for the plane trip......and once for a visit to the I.N.A Meat Market..... the open air, non-refrigerated, fly infested, pick out a chicken from the cage and have it butchered while you wait, fish and shrimp and......and the "aroma's" and the combination of melted ice and other liquids all making their way into the crude drainage that exists.......you get the picture?

Yet, I.N.A. is considered one of the best places to shop.....and I do recommend it.....and a visit or two......the experience is unforgettable.

Linda has been on several trips with other friends.....here are some of the sights.......and look at those shrimp/prawns.....huge....probably 2 shrimp/prawns per pound.

This is a definite visiting place for Parker when he joins us for his visit in a few months......this will be his training grounds for shopping, bargaining, and getting a good feel for the other places we will be visiting when he arrives.

Enjoy the photos!