mosaic road

I Learned Something New

There are so many very cute babies in India and I thought I would explain about the black dots on their faces. I had no idea what they meant and had never come across it before. They are put on the baby to ward off bad and dark spirits. The parents mark their baby in this fashion to make it look ugly so the evil eyes are not attracted to it. It's another interesting aspect of Indian culture.

A Superior Seaview

My daughter is in Morocco, taking a tour of the country but prior to this we had a beach weekend together. When I started to look at accommodation she made one request. She wanted a sea view. I managed to provide her with the crashing Atlantic waves right outside our window. I had been recommended Jacks Apartments more than once and the view and the price did not disappoint. We could open the shutters and casement window and almost feel the sea spray .

 

Tuk Tuk Travel

My main form of transportation on my recent India sojourn was by tuk tuk,  the local name for a three wheeler auto rickshaw. Think of a wheezing eggbeater on three wheels threading its way through choking traffic. As you sit jammed three abreast in the back seat you can put your hand out and touch the vehicle beside you or converse with the occupants of the other passing vehicles as the roads are just like car parks moving at snail pace. Big decorative stickers often adorn the front window of these tuk tuks begging the question, how does the driver see the traffic ( and wandering cows) around him clearly ??? The driver is meant to turn the meter on at your journey's onset but all too often, just as in Morocco, the meter is conveniently out of action !!! Both cost and safety is all in the lap of the gods .

Bangle Buying

Wandering the back streets of Mysore reveals much colour and activity. I came across a door to door sales lady with her bevy of bangles. She was surrounded by keen buyers bargaining. The jewel colours of the rows of bangles glinted so beautifully in the morning sun. I did buy but deliberated ridiculously over colours and size as the choice was just too great and too gorgeous.

Discerning Housewives

Age old situation !!! I see it here in Morocco and I saw it in India and I lived it in Australia. Women, mothers , wives, whatever role they take, have to shop and prepare meals. Mostly in Australia I shopped in the supermarket but here and in India the discerning cooks are out in the local markets and buying from the street barrows. They cast their eyes very seriously over the produce and only but top quality.

When You Want a Pink Goat

For the Sankranti Festival everyone dresses up , even the animals . This man had washed and scrubbed his goat in the river and had pink pigment powder in a bag to sprinkle over its back and head. Definitely a goat fashion statement !

Something From My Childhood

Milo was 'invented' in Australia in 1934 for Nestle. I saw this vintage advertising on big double warehouse doors in a town out of Mysore in India . This super food energy drink certainly has a presence all over the world !! I grew up with it, loved it on ice cream !!! I wonder if the kids in the photo have ever tried it ??

Awash with Flowers

Everything is to do with flowers in India, that is what fills it with such colour and beauty. I did not see the flower farms but wandered the flower markets and saw the endless deliveries.....flowers by the absolute bushel pour into the markets.

Mysore Market before the Mayhem

It's great to visit a market when it's in full swing but it's also great to go early when the stall holders are just waiting for the onslaught of early morning shoppers...the calm before the storm, so to speak ! The vendors here were all just enjoying a bit of breathing space before the crush of customers fills the market aisles.

 

Percussion at the Bus Stop

There's nothing like a jam session at a bus stop and I came across this man singing and playing. The stringed instrument reminded me of a lutar, a Moroccan instrument, but I think this is called a tanpura. The four strings are played in a continuous cycle, a repetitive loop, not changing at all throughout musical performance. The brass rings worn on the hand make a jingle bell sound.