Photos

Documenting my adventure through pictures

Recently added photos are indicted by *NEW* in the title of each photo and photo set.

I did not cut off heads when I took pictures; click on each photo so it will open to full size.
My photos have been grouped in themes to better tell the story about the trip. I have it set so that the images automatically advance. To read a descriptions just place you mouse over each photo. You can also double click the photos so they can open to full size with the captions.

The Dating & IPV project is underway...

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Kevitha & Dr. Shanti share a l Kevitha & Dr. Shanti share a laugh Dr. Shanti took a short break to share a laugh with Kevitha before the final focus group practice session with males. This was our last chance to catch any issues and become comfortable with leading groups before we begin actual data collection in two days. ~Aug 11, 2014	Post- discussion thoughts... Six males between the ages of 18 and 24 attended our practice session in which they discussed their beliefs about dating, violence against women, and relationship expectations. ~Aug 11, 2014
Truths and questions After the focus group and survey was completed, we all had tea and sweets. Here we are discussing the questions and their thoughts on sharing their opinions about dating and relationships. ~Aug 11, 2014	Getting started Over a two day period we trained young women from Mysore to lead the focus groups for this study because 1) I won't be here long enough to do it myself, 2) participants probably won't respond well to an outsider, and 3) this is part of global community building and technical assistance development. PHRI and SF staff are also participating so they can use focus group methods in future research. ~August 2, 2014
What is dating? The debates we have around the word sex in my American research is the same type of debate around the word dating. There is no one definition of what dating means. Also, talking about premarital dating seems to create the same level of discomfort that we would have about sex. Here we are going back and forth about how to get to the meaning of the word in Kannanda (main language of the region). ~August 2, 2014	Dr. Bhavana tells it like it is Dr. Bhavana is a PHRI physician that goes out with the mobile clinics. She works with the HIV testing and health education program for pregnant women. She had great insights into how to ask certain questions in ways that will not embarrass or make women uncomfortable.
Chatting after tea Of course we took 15 minutes for tea mid morning. ~August 2, 2014	Get on the floor The second day focused on focus group mediation. When Poornima told me they would move the tables for the practice sessions I was confused. I found out that the focus groups will have to be conducted on the floor; women especially will find that more comfortable. Sitting at the table is formal and not how people typically have conversations. ~August 2, 2014
Focus Group faciliators in action The facilitators lead a practice session that turned out to be really intense- between the question topics, language barriers, and feedback they had a lot to manage. Here Savitha asks a question about a question in the middle of her facilitation session. ~August 2, 2014	Dealing with difficult situations PHRI staff served as our "practice" participants. We told a couple to make things difficult- ask hard questions, be disruptive, challenge the facilitators. They did their job a little too well! ~August 2, 2014
Awarding of Certificates Attendees received a certificate upon completion of the focus group methods training. Mrs. Poornima Jay (left) presented on behalf of PHRI, and Dr. Shanthi Vasanthagopalan (right) presented on behalf of the Samruddhi Foundation. ~August 2, 2014	Final Group Photo ~August 2, 2014

NEW PICS Public Health Research Institute

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PHRI's Perena Women's Clinic	Outside the clinic
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Dr. V at work	Clinic staff taking a break
Dr. V on a brief break	Posing with Dr. V
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Celebrating together PHRI really seems like a family. Everyone comes together to support each other both in and outside the office. Here several team members met at the office to go to Mangela's housewarming together (see photos below). Several others met up at the event after arriving separately with their family members. ~Aug 15, 2014	PHRI Banquet On August 6th, PHRI hosted a banquet to acknowledge and thank their many supporters. The staff looked so beautiful that night in their matching saris. Unfortunately, I was unable to take many photos that night as I was video taping Dr. Purnima Madhivana's keynote address. ~Aug 6, 2014
Arriving at the rural health Arriving at the rural health camp PHRI conducts Health Camps in rural communities; this one took us 2.5 hours outside Mysore. They bring everything needed including tables, chairs, mats, water, screens, scales, recording books, medicines..... And there were 10 of us in the truck! ~August 6, 2014	Organizing the Health Camp The camp is held inside the village daycare building. Daycare is for children 5 years of age and under. It is right in front of the community, along the main road. But it was not in use that day. ~August 6, 2014
Setting up the exam room Inside the daycare the PHRI staff set up the room for examining the women and drawing their blood. Dr. Bhavana will also talk to them about their upcoming pregnancies, prenatal care and how to deal with emergencies in here. ~August 6, 2014	Group education class Seated on the left is a mother carefully watching everything being done. She came with her daughter because 10 years ago a similar program was available to help pregnant women. After a miscarriage occurred, everyone refused to go back to the clinic as they associated the loss with something the staff did. The PHRI staff is familiar with these communities and were able to address this long held fear of "outside" health workers. ~August 6, 2014
NEW Gathering the demographics After the group education session, a PHRI counselor gathers their demographic and health information. They also weigh and measure the women. This information is collected again after the women give birth and when the babies are six months old. ~August 6, 2014	Labor & Birth Kit This woman holds her kit containing materials for an emergency labor and birth. Often these women are far from hospitals or other health centers. So PHRI provides them with basic prenatal medicines, blood tests and resources for giving birth. This girl had been very resistant, and had to be convinced to come to the clinic. Her pregnant sister- in- law also came after much discussion. She did everything but still appeared resistant after her examination. ~August 6, 2014 ~August 6, 2014
Post Consultatation Chat The women gather to talk with others when their exam has been completed. If they were from another camp area they will all be driven back home together. ~August 6, 2014	Gossip session These women came just to see what was going on. The woman in the brown cardigan and orange/ blue saree (2nd from right) married her daughter off at 17 because she did not want her to go off to school where she could pick someone who is wrong for her or get into trouble. Her 23 year old son stopped school at the 4th grade to work in the fields. He won't marry for 2 years so he can keep getting more work experience. ~August 6, 2014 ~August 6, 2014
Married at 12 with 3 children This woman was clearly the leader of the group of those just hanging out. She did not know her age but is estimated to be in her early 50s. Her father had her married off at 12 when her period started out of fear something would happen to her if she did not have a husband to protect her. She had 6 children but only three lived past the first year. Her 2 daughters are married and her only adult son is mentally ill. ~Aug 6, 2014 ~August 6, 2014	Women age quick This woman guessed she was between 35 and 40 years old; we figured she is in her early to mid 40s. The women here generally look about 20 years older than they are due to their difficult lives. Her children are 26, 25, and 24. She is her husband's second wife and seems to be better off than the other women. This is most likely because they own land. Her daughter and step daughter are both educated nurses in the cities (Bangalore & Mysore). ~Aug 6, 2014 ~August 6, 2014
Still talking... Here Kavita, the Lab Manager, looks on as we continue to gossip on the daycare porch. The woman in the lower right (red sari with blue blouse) had 4 children; only two are currently alive. One died during childhood. Not long after giving birth to a child, another daughter died of an unknown illness- but the symptoms sounded HIV/ AIDS- related. ~Aug 6, 2014 ~August 6, 2014	Stories in the camp Walking around the village you were able to speak to women so interested in sharing their story. This woman, in her early 20s, is unable to work because a drunk neighbor broke into her house, beat her up, and broke her hip one night. The mother of the 6- month old baby she is holding works while she cares for the children. This baby has no name as children here often die less than a year after their birth; he will be named after a year has passed. ~Aug 6, 2014 ~August 6, 2014
Photo opportunity This woman just wanted her picture to be taken with Purnima. She was one of the first women we met. Only after she openly engaged with us did the other women sitting with her began to warm up and laugh about having their pictures taken. ~Aug 6, 2014	Talking over the fence This home had several young girls and children. All were too shy to talk except the matriarch. This grandmother asked Purnima how many children she had. To her reply of one the woman said "I had to have 9 to have 3". This means for every 3 children she gave birth to, two would died within their first year of life. ~Aug 6, 2014 ~August 6, 2014
Laundry Day Several women were doing laundry outside their home or by the water pump that day. The girl is 5 years old and helping with laundry. The school is far so the mother allowed her to stay home that day because her feet hurt. Although her mother warmed up after a few questions from Purnima, the little girl was too shy to even look at us. ~August 6, 2014	House and animal shelter This is one of the government build homes located toward the back of the community- but it is fairly typical in terms of standard and size. The blue tarp area is where their animals' are sheltered. ~Aug 6, 2014
Heart of the Tribal Camp This tribe was one of the first the Indian government moved from the forests as part of their relocation programs. Built over forty years ago, these are very basic houses and buildings- none have washrooms, electricity or running water to this day. Government rations (e.g. rice) provided for each family are stored in this building. ~Aug 6, 2014 ~August 6, 2014	Baby Swing This is a typical "swing" that women would put their baby in while working outside. I think about all the expensive, fancy bouncy and rocking contraptions new mothers in North America fuss over when I see this. ~August 6, 2014
Posing at the pump This boy followed me everywhere to get his picture taken- he just loved to look at the screen shot after each pose. This is the community water pump everyone uses to get water for cooking, washing, bathing- everything. ~August 6, 2014	Children of the Tobacco Fields With no bathrooms or outhouses available, I could not hold out for 8 hours and had to go somewhere. They directed us to the tobacco fields as it is one of the most private areas. Unlike everyone else who had to go, I did not venture too far due to my "Children of the Corn" movie fears and the possibility of critter visitors (e.g. rats, feral dogs). That is why you can see the road posts so close behind me. ~August 6, 2014
PHRI Camp Team wrapping up! It is the end of a long day, and we still have to drive 2.5 hours home. But everyone is in good spirits and able to smile for the photo!	Finding PHRI PHRI- my research base site- is a 20 minute walk from my apartment. The route takes me past a small shopping district, mansions, a major city garden and schools. I am no longer fazed by the livestock walking past me on the roads. Once you reach this sign you've made it through the crazy traffic circle- that I still do not understand and continue to fear walking through.
Walking into the house When you first walk up you don't realize that there is a house inside. But once you go through the gates you're on the driveway that is filled with the PHRI staff members' scooters and motorcycles.	Upper porch At the top of the stairs you take off your shoes. No one wears their shoes inside the house. It is really nice out front but people are so busy working you rarely see anyone relaxing here.
Center of the house This is the center of the house where tea is served and guests sit. The surrounding rooms are always filled with PHRI staff working on computers, preparing to leave for community clinics or meeting with guests.

NEW PICS Day Trips & Treks...

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Welcome to the Golden Temple The Golden Temple is a beautiful Buddhist temple site about two hours outside of Mysore. Several Buddhist temples and communities are built throughout India as the country welcomed them when they were pushed out of China. ~ August 31, 2014	Several Buildings There were at least four temples on the grounds. This was about the third largest and the first we saw upon entering. We arrived during prayers. ~ August 31, 2014
Side view of central temple	Temple art adoring the buildings The artwork throughout was beautiful. ~ August 31, 2014
Main temple This appeared to be the main temple with the largest statues and number of monks praying inside. Also, the youngest boys were within this temple during prayers. ~ August 31, 2014	Praying in the main temple Check out the size of the statues in comparison to the monks praying. ~ August 31, 2014
Main temple statues ~ August 31, 2014	Main temple prayer rituals ~ August 31, 2014
Central Temple prayers The temples seemed to be divided by the number of monks able to fit in each. The fewer the monks inside, the more likely they were to pay attention to the tourists huddled at the door during prayers. ~ August 31, 2014	Small temple entrance ~ August 31, 2014
Golden Temple Court yard Upon arriving at the temple grounds you arrive at the main court yard which serves as the central dorms. ~ August 31, 2014	Prayers are over The monks streamed out as soon as prayers ended. They all left the various temple buildings at the same time. ~ August 31, 2014
Pre Teen Monks These boys walked by the temple. I couldn't resist taking their photos as they reminded me of teens I would see in Markham.	Monks deep in thought The monks were clearly used to seeing tourists. They carried on with their daily activities and conversations paying no attention to the throngs of people passing through their home space.
Young monk I wish I could have spoken to one of the monks to understand the ways in which they enter this life. This young boy was playing like any four year old in the court yard. I wondered what choice was given to become a monk for these young children.	083114_Forest.jpg
Elephants at work These elephants are used along the forest area roads to help clear brush.	More elephants on the road
Dosas in action Mysore- the entire state of Kannataka- is known for its dosas. They are something like a potato crepe. That is not the best description as they are really delicious and not as simple. To see them being made is a sight to see!	Dosa making is an art You can't just buy dosas anywhere. There is a real art to making them. Locally I often had to wait until after 7pm to order them from Empire as that is when the man who made them would arrive.
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Starting trip with temple visit Dr. Indira starts any trip or long travel with a visit to the temple. This one is located in the center of Mysore and has been around since she was a little girl- although it has grown over the years. Very beautiful! The celebrated god at this temple is Anjaneya, also known as Maruti. ~September 4, 2014	NEW Welcome & Prayers This is inside the smaller of the two temples. I was blessed, shared in the drinking of the water, and given a gift of flowers and fruit. I did not ring the bell when I entered (didn't know I could but wished I did). But I did walk around each temple building once as is ritual. ~September 4, 2014
Welcome & Prayers This is the main god for this temple. ~September 4, 2014	Memorial to the Forest Rangers This day I went out to visit the Rajiv Gandhi National Park forest. Forest seems like a strange term to me as it was where the monkeys, tigers and elephants lived. But once you are there, it looks like a forest in Canada or northern U.S. rather than a tropical jungle or the Everglades. ~September 4, 2014
Cactus Tree This cactus tree is also located on the Forest Conservator Office's land. It is about three stories tall. ~September 4, 2014	Rajiv Gandhi National Park So the Rajiv Gandhi National Park is a tiger reserve- but I didn't get to see any. Apparently there were plenty out that day- along with elephants. But due to the heavy rains in the area all week the safaris were closed. Rangers who did go out told us that there were a lot around- I am suppose to go back again next year to see them! ~September 4, 2014
Forest Patrol Motorbike This is how the rangers get around some parts of the forest. Otherwise they use jeeps. More commonly, though, they walk all day; many walk 13 km in a day. The entire preserve crosses three states and is one of the largest in India. ~September 4, 2014	Small ant hill Because of the rains, the ant hills were only 4 or 5 feet high. Apparently, once it gets warm and dry, they will double in size in a matter of hours. ~September 4, 2014
Guest House This guest house was built in 1928 as an elephant look out. The bottom used to be open as elephants will just walk through and take what they want. Now it is a guest house. A Swedish Sociologist was staying there when we visited- he was good friends with many people Dr. Indira and Shanti knew. The global village is getting smaller! ~September 4, 2014	Tribal Community To me this was the "bush". But these are homes of relocated tribal communities. They were once settled deeper in the forest. The government offers tribes homes, monthly rations, and one year of supplies if they move into these more closely regulated communities. It has not worked out as life is not always better in these contexts. Most of the houses do not have running water or toilets. And they are forced to change their entire way of life. ~September 4, 2014
End of the line This was where our safari was suppose to begin- but too much rain had fallen in the forest that week. ~September 4, 2014	Langur monkey I did see langur monkeys! They sat only for a momment for the picture then swung off deeper into the forest. There are some monkey's in Mysore, but they seem so "regular" to me at this point. The langur monkeys were a treat. ~September 4, 2014
Oh, Deer! This was very Canadian for me. THere were deer everywhere in the forest. I can't imagine seeing them alongside elephants and tigers, though. Several fawn were out as well. This one is getting fed. ~September 4, 2014	Female Forest Ranger! This ranger was at the gate when we were leaving and asked for a ride to Hansur- a small city we pass on the way home. It is where the forest ranger quarters are. There are homes for men in the forest, but the three female rangers live in the quarters behind the Forest Conservator's Office. She was really friendly and cheerful. She looks so serious here! ~September 4, 2014

NEW PICS Out & about around Mysore...

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The Mysore Palace! I finally made it to the Mysore Palace for the night lighting. The last possible Sunday I was in the city I made sure we showed up on time. The previous Sundays we were either busy or lost track of time in the bar. But I made it! - September 7, 2014	Gathering Place It is a popular destination even for local families. They provide seats throughout the grounds, and children are running around on the grass at night. - September 7, 2014
Lighting is expensive We were told the lights were on from 7pm to 9pm. Fortunately we arrived just after 7pm as they came off at 7:45pm. Apparently, it has become expensive to keep the thousands of lights on and it only stays on for a short time every Sunday night as a cost saving measure. - September 7, 2014	Mysore Palace at night It is a spectacular sight to see. There is the large outer "gate" then the inner palace. Beautiful! - September 7, 2014
Engineering College Complex This is a new sports complex at the engineering college in Mysore. - September 7, 2014	Door to door service This is a fruit seller that was at Dr. Indira's home. - September 7, 2014
Wedding Celebration Across from Dr. Indira's house her neighbors' were setting up for a wedding celebration. This is a newer home that was built with a very "American" look. - September 7, 2014	The booming system... This auto-rickshaw as decked out with the speaker box mounted in the back. It brought back memories to when the guys would fill their entire trunk with a speaker box and amplifier. - September 6, 2014
Everything but the kitchen sink... I saw men balancing all kinds of items on motorcycles. Here is it just two large speakers and a bag of rice. But I saw one man with at least 20 chairs on each side held by a bamboo stick, four large bags of rice, and at least 10 poles. - September 6, 2014	Industry everywhere This was taken from the balcony of the PHRI clinic in the city. The furniture was being made on the side of the street- it was really well made, with the most simple of tools.
Morning ride to PHRI This is from inside a typical auto I take from the apartment to work. I found that I do not have to haggle my fare when I wear my sari or Kurtas- so long as my hair is pulled back. ~September 1, 2014	Outside PHRI I'm looking like a real Mysore girl here. This is just outside PHRI before starting work ~September 1, 2014
Vikram Hospital Canteen This is the Vikram Hospital Canteen/ cafeteria; Shirali posed so it's not obvious I'm taking pictures. It is where I usually go for lunch when at work. The food here is all vegetarian, but they offer lots of options. I typically get a pizza- made with corn, jalapeno pepper, NO tomato sauce- or roti with masala, and two sweet lime juice for a total of 80 rupees (which is 99 cents)! ~September 1, 2014	Green Hotel We went to brunch at the Green Hotel to celebrate Vania's last weekend in Mysore. Formerly known as the Chittaranjan Palace, the Green Hotel was built for Mysore's princesses. Now restored as a small hotel, it is famous for its extensive gardens, with formal lawns. ~Aug 17, 2014
Main Building Entrance The hotel now has 31 rooms for guests. But there is also a large bakery, restaurant, and cafe on site. ~Aug 17, 2014	Green Hotel Gardens The Green Hotel is now a heritage site run by a charity in the UK. Viewed as a model of sustainable tourism, all profits are distributed to charitable and environmental projects in India. You can see the legacy of colonialism through the workers' uniforms. Check out the man in the green jacket and white pants. ~Aug 17, 2014
Green Hotel Gates The garden was beautiful. Just outside the gates was one of the busiest streets in Mysore. But it all fades away when you enter the peaceful grounds. ~Aug 17, 2014	Mysore Silk Store entry Here Fazila, Sathya, Shirali and I pose in front of the Mysore Silk Factory's retail store entrance. We were excited that there was a 10% discount to recognize the Gods Lakshmi and Ganesh's celebrations being held that month. Goddess Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth and prosperity while Lord Ganesha is considered the God of intelligence. You need both for making a decision to buy a Mysore silk. ~Aug 8, 2014
Governm't approved Mysore Silk Mysore is famous for its silk- their saris are considered a prize. Everyone was very impressed that I was going to buy one and I realized why once I went there. These are hand woven silks in factories that the government oversees. This is because there is a lot of fraud in the silk industry. Several locals told me about being scammed themselves. Buying a government authorized silk ensured I receive a document indicating its authenticity. ~Aug 8, 2014	Fazila walking me through Thank goodness I had Fazila with me. She was able to help me sort through the saris quickly and narrow down my choices. The cost of the silk increases according to the thickness or intricacies of the trimming. The trimming around my sari is actually threading made of gold. As you can see, I don't have a thick trim, nor is it double sided. So I'm on the lower end of the sari prices. ~Aug 8, 2014
Mysore silk sales reps Saris are just laid out on tables in front of you. Once you feel the sari you know why they are so special and expensive. This was taken in the larger sari display room. Before entering here there are guards and a series of payment booths with bullet proof glass. You pass your payment through one of the partition holes to one man doing the cash. The a guard hands you your sari, with certificate and government payment papers. ~Aug 8, 2014	Typical Tourist shot With my bag in hand, I gather more evidence that I am an owner of an authentic Mysore Silk by posing by the front gates. The guards stationed behind me were two of many that were located on the grounds. We had to confirm that we were going to the retail store before they let us go in. ~Aug 8, 2014
Public Housing by Mysore Silk I could tell the government built homes when traveling through the state and city. As in North America, they are the ones that look exactly the same, boxes stacked beside it each other with a basic architectural design. But this one- across from the Mysore Silk Factory- was definitely the most colorful complex I had seen. ~Aug 8, 2014	Shopping continues Next Sathya navigated the traffic that brought us into Devaraja Market. There is no where to park so he simply dropped us off and told us to call when we were ready. I'm surprised he was able to find a space to pull over; cars were coming from every direction and you can't just take your time getting sorted out. This was clearly a place to keep up with the pace. ~Aug 8, 2014
Devaraja Market chaos The rhythmic chaos of Devaraja Market is so exciting. Again, the photos do not do it justice. It is just crowds and noise, but no one pushing or arguing to get through. I liked the energy. ~Aug 8, 2014	Traffic police I loved how relaxed the traffic police are here. There are constant violations occurring- or at least I think so. But these men and women just seem cool and calm. They seem to intervene when something major arises. This traffic officer was whistling to let drivers know when they could enter the Devaraja Market traffic circle or stop for pedestrians. ~Aug 8, 2014
Fabrics galore Fazila rushed us through the crowds to a small shop where we purchased the gold fabric to match my sari's trim and lining. We also got the sari petticoat to wear underneath, and fall to attach to the sari bottom. Clearly, there is a lot more to this process than simply wrapping a cloth around your body! There was a small attic second floor where even more stock was kept. ~Aug 8, 2014	Blouse Tailor tucked away Finally, the blouses for the saris have been ordered. These are custom made; that's another crazy story. It is tucked away in a small alley entrance barely visible from outside. But people seem to know the place- it is constantly busy. They mainly just take orders and sew the blouse tassels here. The blouse and falls sewing takes place at other locations. How do I know? Because they lost my sari and the owner had to ride his scooter to various tailors' homes looking for it. ~Aug 8, 2014
Rural Millionaires' row On the way back from the rural health camp we turned down this nearly invisible dirt road- I was thinking there is no AAA out here so this detour better be safe. We went to see the well hidden community of tribe known for "dabbling" in the illegal trading of animal parts and smuggling exotic animals. As a result, there is clearly a lot of money in this community. ~Aug 6, 2014	More shots of the homes Many of their houses are ornate and clearly displayed the owners' wealth. They had gold and silver gates, and were painted using bright colors that I did not see on other houses in the area. You could see inside that there was modern furniture and very large screen TVs. I will say that some bordered on gaudy displays of wealth. ~Aug 6, 2014
Ladies just maxing & relaxing The people sitting outside were clearly wondering what a bus with tables, chairs, water jugs, and health equipment piled on the roof, and filled with 9 women plus a male driver were doing in their small community. But once we admired their home's exteriors they seemed more welcoming. ~Aug 6, 2014	Chocolate Boys posing These "chocolate boys" (aka sweet boys or players) were more than willing to have their photos taken. We had to reverse the truck so that I could get a "proper" shot of them on their motorbikes and in their western clothing. Clearly, they were not concerned about outsiders gawking! ~August 6, 2014
Fruit stand marketing On our way to the conduct health camps in the rural communities we pass dozens of fruit stands. The marketing strategies these men used- this was the most common way the fruits were displayed. These pyramids of lemons, limes, oranges and other fruits were perfectly symmetrical. ~August 6, 2014	Family of four on a scooter This was a shot taken from inside my auto rickshaw ~ August 5, 2014
Talwalkers Gym I have a one month membership for the local gym, Talwalkers; it is on the top floor of this building 3 blocks from my apartment. It is only about the size of a very large classroom with an open air roof deck. It is like a large apartment building gym but nice. You have to bring your shoes- no running shoes from outside on the floors! ~August 5, 2014	Riding the motor rickshaws I broke down and have started taking auto rickshaws (called autos) when I want to get somewhere quick. I just close my eyes and know my parents have a copy of my will. They are easier to catch than an actual automobile cab- which you rarely see. I need to improve my negotiation skills- the PHRI guard gets them to charge me 30 rupees. They always charge me 40 rupees when I do it on my own. ~August 1, 2014
Wash man takes over Every fence, tree and free hanging space near PHRI is covered with white towels and sheets. This is because there is a man who washes several hotels' linen. Although he uses any gate or fence available, no one seems to be bothered by the white linen that hangs on every fence and post in the area. ~August 1, 2014	Nomads set up tent city My walk to work takes me past a group of seven or eight tents which I found out belong to a family of nomads. They recently set up their camp and will probably be here couple of months before they move on. They are right on the edge of the road- I worry about the cars whizzing by. I have yet to see anyone appear to be even a little bit curious about who they are and what they are doing- except, of course, me. ~August 1, 2014
Defying stereotypes- public washroom I had to take this shot of the woman's washroom stall in the Bangalore Airport. It was what my mother would call "model home clean". It may have helped that a cleaning woman was stationed within the bathroom and it was 4am. About the whole narrative about toilet paper in India- at least in Mysore they use the hose hanging on the side. I was told that just using toilet paper would feel dirty. This is why the seat is always up at PHRI even though there are primarily only women there. ~July 26	McDonalds is everywhere This was one of five McDonald's I saw on my way from Bangalore to Mysore. Note the motorcycle rickshaws and oxen out front. Who would have thought? Well, there is a Baskin- Robbins, Dominos and Pizza Hut a block from my apartment. ~July 26
The Lake Park This Karanji Kere, a small lake inside the city that is a favorite spot of "romantic couples". About 2 miles from my apartment, the lake is right near Mysore University's back entrance. It is a popular spot for mornings and afternoons to walks. Unfortunately, this day I was not prepared to be doing the 3k around the in long pants and echo sneakers I was wearing. That is for a workout outfit day and running shoes. ~July 27 ~July 27	Lake Park Gate This is the exit from the Lake. I notice there are a lot more men out than women, but I'm thinking it has to do with the broader gender imbalance. Women seem comfortable being out, and I see all types of women walking or riding around. That will be something for another blog. ~July 27
Animals, animals, everywhere! Yes, there are cows on the street. There a lots of dogs, too. But they seem to just mix in with the entire scene. They don't seem to bother with people and people don't seem to bother them. Here you see the cow sleeping on the sidewalk with chickens, roosters and dogs running by. Walking back from the lake this morning I heard a dog cry out and thought of my own dog Kumar ;( I'm also realizing how spoiled he is- it wouldn't last 5 minutes living a Mysore dog's life. ~July 27	Taylor Swift image of beauty I found out why so many cows are just walking around. This was historically a rural area and most families have been here for generations. So although the city has grown, many have not changed their farming lifestyle. They live in this built up city, but still keep livestock. They freely roam or are tied to light posts as the entire city is essentially open "farm land". One man was herding his cattle down the road while on a motorcycle. ~July 29, 2014
Digging a building foundation It was a national holiday to recognize Eid (although this region is mainly Hindu). These men and women still had to work. They actually dig the foundation ditches by hand and move the dirt with baskets. Here you see them handing off the dirt from the ditch to be carried out. ~July 29, 2014	Who is wearing the hardhat? Finally, the dirt is lifted from below and handed to another woman who carries it to the pile just loaded against the hut where two families live. I was told they are probably squatters. But what I love is that the man in the dress pants and shirt- who did nothing more than spend the afternoon watching the workers- is the only one wearing a hard hat! ~July 29, 2014

A Housewarming in Mysore

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Welcome to Manjula's new home Housewarmings are rare in Mysore as people don't usually move. Individuals are often raised in the house their parents were born, and eventually raise their own families in a home that has been in the family for several generations. Of course, this depends on the gender of the child. Boys would stay in the family home, and start a family there. Girls would move into their husbands home with his family- unless they buy a new house! ~Aug 15, 2014	Viewing the new home Manjula (a PHRI Outreach Worker) and her husband own this home; she invited entire PHRI staff to join the celebrations. Over 600 people attended the day long celebration. The entrance to her new two level home is decorated with flowers and banana leaves. Manjula 's family will soon live on the top floor and the bottom flat will be rented out. ~Aug 15, 2014
Blessings and praise Buying a new home is a major event and it is celebrated by inviting family, friends and extended circles to view the home, witness the house blessing and share in a meal. This was taken in the living room area of the top floor apartment. ~Aug 15, 2014	The proud homeowner! Here Manjula poses with Purnima in the first floor living room. On the floor is . It is made from rice that has been ground into powder and colored. Then men and women come in and lay out this design by shaking the colored powder from their hands, followed by laying out a flower border. ~Aug 15, 2014
A place for the Gods These are designed to give the 108 gods a place to stay when they come into the home. So it welcomes the gods, and brings favorable blessings. ~Aug 15, 2014	The Prayer Room Every home I have been in has a prayer room. They vary in size but range from a small closet to a small bedroom. In this case, it was about 1/4 the size of each of the two bedrooms in the home. It is very telling that a significant amount of square footage is dedicated to this purpose; in North America this would be viewed as valuable closest space. ~Aug 15, 2014
Looking down at the celebration Looking down from the second floor porch you can see the two tents- one for serving meals and the other for meeting up with friends or family. I asked if a permit was required to set up the tents on the two fields beside the house. The quizzical look on her face gave me my answer. ~Aug 15, 2014	Caterers in outdoor kitchen area Beside the house another make shift tent of blankets and large clothes was erected. It was here that the food for the celebration was being prepared and cooked. A benefit of the outdoor space was that the cooks could remain cool. Those preparing and serving the food were from the Brahman caste. Brahman cooks are valued because members of all castes may eat the food that they prepare. ~Aug 15, 2014
My first sari! This was my first time wearing a sari- very comfortable and easy to wear. But there was drama getting it together that day. First, the tailor did not have my blouse ready, then lost the sari. Afterward, I had to have two women wrap and pin me in. But I'm glad I wore it (along with a bindi) as it was clear that it appropriate for kind of gathering. ~Aug 15, 2014	Dressed in their best Everyone dresses up for a housewarming. It is an event almost as significant as a wedding (this is why I was running around to get my sari blouse completed that morning)! These two wore beautiful, age appropriate outfits. Girls typically wear these brightly colored top and skirt sets. Once they reach menarche, they can start wearing saris as they are then considered of age to be entering adulthood. ~Aug 15, 2014
Kevita and Bavanah Here Kavita and Bavnah share a laugh. Their young sons were fascinated by how I behaved in the food tent. I hesitated to use my fingers because I am still not used to it. Also, there is an order to eating the food I am still trying to learn so I was copying everyone else. They found it funny. But they also had lots of questions about where I was from and what I was doing there.~Aug 15, 2014	Laughing with Poornima The housewarmings are really events that bring together family and friends to celebrate the new home, get blessings and share in a meal. But most of the time is spent just talking and catching up with people you have not seen in a long time. Everyone was warm and welcoming. ~Aug 15, 2014
Vania & Shirali Here Vania (a MPH student from Berkley studying TB & Diabetes), and Shirali (a Post- Doc new to FIU, from MIT and Berkley studying BV) sit in front of the food tent. ~Aug 15, 2014	Waiters- a Chippendales variation? These men, of the Brahman caste, were our servers. Brahman also prepared the food and oversaw the blessings because they are viewed as the "priestly" caste. For this reason, they are considered the highest ranking of the four social classes. This comes from a historical belief that they inherently have greater ritual purity than other castes and they alone are able to performing certain vital religious tasks. ~Aug 15, 2014
Rushing the food tent In the previous photos people are milling around and talking casually. This whole friendly atmosphere changed when it came to meal seating. This shows the mad dash to the food tent that occurred each time a sitting appeared to be ending. We waited through three sittings before seats were secured for us. Although there were at least couple of hundred people at the housewarming, there was more than enough food. ~Aug 15, 2014	Laying out the table cover A large roll of paper was rolled across the tables as a form of table cloth. It was a similar approach to what is done in Chinese restaurants when they lay out plastic sheets and serve the food on top. Then when the meal is over, they just rolled up the entire table and took it out the refuse area. ~Aug15, 2014
Handing out our dinner platters Then we were each given a banana leaf that served as our plates. ~Aug 15, 2014	Washing our dinner platter We each received a cup with water to wash our banana leaf plate. You simply poured the water on the leaf, washed it around on your leaf, then shook the water off. ~Aug 15, 2014
Food service Then the food is served by the men from buckets. It was a very "family style" meal that encouraged talking and interaction. ~Aug 15, 2014	My dinner plate! For all those foodies out there that take pictures of their meals- here it is! Everything was delicious. Payasa, papad, curry, salt, sweets (pickles, janmoon, jilebee), banana, bajii, etc. ~Aug 15, 2014
Slowly learning to eat with fingers I am slowly learning how to eat with my fingers. It not simply grabbing your food- you have to use your finger tips and bend them in a certain way so you can pick up and properly get the food in your mouth. My messy banana leaf and food that fell on my sari is evidence I am not there yet. ~Aug 15, 2014	Organic Milk After the meal, the banana leaves are dumped in a pile in an open field area. The cows then eat the leaves and food that sticks to it. They were able to sort out any paper and non- edible objects that slipped in easily. As Purnima pointed out, this is an example of real organic milk in action. ~Aug 15, 2014
Old Style Motorbikes There were mainly motorbikes parked at the gathering; they always outnumber outnumber cars and trucks. These two were classic motorbikes, a rarity, as compared to the more common scooters and dirtbikes. ~Aug 15, 2014

Down time

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Welcome to Urban Oasis This is the entrance to the hotel apartment- Urban Oasis. Normally there are men sitting on motorcycles waiting for the bank across the road or talking to the apartment guard. They ran out of view when the camera came out. ~ August 2, 2014	More of my bedroom The television gets over 150 channels- I finally figured out how it works. Although I rarely watch it, I've notice that music videos are big here. Despite the message that women should be covered and not wear tight clothing (see my upcoming blog about my shopping experience) the videos feature women dressed and dancing like in an American video. Also, men clearly in their 40s & 50s are the stars of many these "hip" videos that partner them with much younger women. ~July 26, 2014
My Kitchen & Lounge This is the room I first walk into. Not much cooking going on here- just boiling water for coffee and keeping my biryani warm in the microwave. No one wears shoes inside- Canadian style! ~July 26, 2014	Bathroom It took me 4 days to figure out the hot water. Until then I filled the wash bucket with water in the morning and rinsed with lukewarm water throughout the day. Wanting to defrost the mirror one evening, I hit one of the wall switches expecting a fan to go on. Nothing- except a flashing red light on the hot water tank in the shower. Duhhhh... this is the British system! ~July 26, 2014
Outside view of my building This is what it looked like when I first pulled up. My bedroom is three floors above the beige canopy. Behind me in this shot is a bank and what would be viewed as middle class houses. ~July 26, 2014	Front entry This is just past the guard house and entry into the apartment building. Very modern feel and relaxed. ~July 26, 2014
Breakfast Space Every morning I go down for breakfast at Urban Oasis. It is a calm, relaxing outdoor space on the side of the building.	Family style seating Generally, the other guests are very nice and we talk casually during breakfast. But this is also the space where I get the most stares- particularly from Indians. Apparently, they cannot figure out who I am and what I am doing there because of my language, accent and appearance.
Morning ladies This is Marguerite (L) and Mala (R). They make breakfast for the guests every morning. On this particular day they came upstairs to wrap my sari. They didn't stop there- they went through my jewelry to pick out the right earrings, bracelet and necklace. I love these ladies! ~September 1, 2014	Breakfast
Breakfast	Dinner in the room So when I don't eat at a restaurant or someone's home I typically go to Pearl. This large biryani, soup and bottled Mango Lassi is less than $2.50 USD. They used to try to steer me toward the fried chicken and french fries assuming I wanted "American" food. People have been shocked that I am used to the level of spice and pepper used here- I was raised in a Guyanese home! This food is very similar to what I grew up with. ~Aug 15, 2014
Walking back from groccery store No, I am not buying food to cook. Just lots of water and coffee from "Loyal World" grocery a block away; it's like a three story mini Super Walmart. You can just look at the roads to understand why heels- even my version of flats "wedges"- would be hazardous here. Sidewalks are basically nonexistent, and are often over taken by animals, branches and broken cobblestone. But it is not horribly dirty- not any more than South Beach's streets- just dusty. ~July 26, 2014	View from my bedroom window There is not much to see but there are two families living in that little hut in the lower left corner. The man in the green shirt was repairing a part of the wall and tin ceiling. Two toddlers played precariously close to those ditches; they are less than 3 meters from their front door. In the grassy area on the other side of the wall, cows casually walk through to graze. ~July 26, 2014
Walking Home This was a common sight- livestock being herded through the city streets. The lamb and goats were so cute. Sad to know they were being raised only for their eventual slaughter.