11.29.2006....Block Prints and Garba

Not the most inspiring title, but accurate.

Block Printing in Old Ahmedabad

Today we made our way into old city Ahmedabad (ooooOOOoooh). Well I shouldn't mock it as it was the seen of some of the worst violence during the 2002 riots. However, it is relatively peaceful nowadays because there seems to be highly dependent chains of labor, particularly for textiles.

One piece of this chain is block printing.

Through a contact of mummy's (by the name of Kokali) we were introduced to a master block printer. He was a very polite man who had inherited his shop from his father before him. He also had stacks and stacks and stacks of very old wood print blocks.

We stayed and watched for over an hour as the printer of the shop laid out a print for a customer:

First select the print block...

Lay the print block....



And set the print...


Then repeat numerous times.

Watching this extremely labor and time consuming process gave me a sense of awe with how much is put in to making one simple cushion cover or sari. Remember this is only one step...you have the cloth weaver, dyers and tailors too.

We picked up a few items from the store and after a nearly 3 hour visit, and made our way home.

Going to the Garba

A friend of the folks had a son get married and they arranged a garba the night before the reception.

I had heard much about these events and was really looking forward to it. I got all spiffed up to dance too.

Unfortunately this was not the blow-out even that I had expected.

Mummy said proper garba's have hundreds if not thousands of attendees who are dancing everywhere. There just weren't enough people.

Of those who did dance it was pleasant to watch. I never felt the mood strike me to dance despite many, many please from others. I suppose I won no graces this night.

The most interesting part of the event was watching house maid and house mistress alike dance side by side throughout the evening. It gave a sense of a great equalizing effect.

Watching the garba action...

Taking a break...

Only a few more days now until we leave for Delhi and Surnish will be joining us on Tuesday.

Peace,

A Pink American

11.27.2006...Mocha

This evening I went with the folks and some other family to Mocha...a great place for coffee, desert, hookah (we did not partake) and chit chat.

I ordered nutella crepes and encouraged the ordering of creme brulee and apple cinnamon crepes. All of these items were o-kay, but I wouldn't put them in any contest with their European predecessors.

Additionally, I ordered a New Orleans Blue Blend coffee (au-lait). I thought it would be perfect for the french-inspired deserts.

When I got the coffee cup I was like: "Oh my god, this is the biggest coffee cup I've ever seen!"

Seriously, I've never taken coffee from a cup this big. I think that I'll take photos back to Starbucks and demand an explanation for such wimpy coffee cups in the US. After all if the US can't claim the biggest coffee cups in the world, then...well, I don't want to think of the shame.

Because drinking from a giant coffee cup is akin to walking around in clown shoes (unnecessarily of course) I had to have photos take for their pure comic value. By the way, the woman in the background is chachji (father's-younger sister) to Surnish.

While neither drunk nor sleepy, I still managed to pose as if I were...I think that this look originated from the delay in having the snap taken because mummy was laughing so much and the fact that my lips were melting on the scalding coffee.

Ah this is better...Blue Eyes and a Bindi...

Over half way there finished....

Getting the last drop...

In the end the excessive amount of sugar and coffee wore me out. I plan on sleeping very soundly tonight.

Peace,

A Pink American

11.26.2006...NY News

This is not India related and normally I don't like to just regurgitate news, but this one was exceptionally irritating to read.

NY Police Kill Man on Wedding Day

What is so compelling about this piece is that it is reported that the police were trying to stop something they 'thought' was about to happen.

For the number of bullets shot and the fact that these men turned out to be unarmed was particularly disturbing.

Likely, as with case of many police abuse injustices of this extreme nature in recent years, their behavior will be acquitted.

Seriously, how can people anywhere in the US (as there have been incidents in recent years in Georgia, Oakland, LA, and Florida to name a couple off the top of my head), trust these enforcers of the law?

They are touted as protectors of the peace, but seriously that isn't their job as much as it is to enforce the law and HUGE part of that in America entails the focusing on punitive actions rather than remedial or rehabilitative. I'm just be honest here.

I am not against cops as people. They are just regular folks trying to do their job under the guidelines given then. I just take issue with any group to appears to routinely and actively condone, covers-up or deny incidents of power abuse and lethal miscalculations. The typical rationale is that it is a hard job (which it can be) and they need some leeway to execute their duties. When this leeway turns into killing people in the anticipation they were about to be part of a crime....well it seems that Federal level attitudes are trickling down to the local levels.

Peace (and I wish there really was more of it),

A Pink American