for the love of clothes

i don't know that i have experienced in full the relationship that is love/hate. but that all changed when i met the DUPATTA. the dupatta is the scarf, the shawl, the wrap, the long hanging piece of fabric that completes the entire salwar kameez outfit. presenting yourself without the dupatta draped around your neck would be like showing up for an interview without your suit pants on. the salwar kameez is the typical attire for northern indian women while in the south you see more women wearing sari's. the pants [salwar] have room for two, maybe three and are beyond comfortable. plus, you can wear them in any color of the rainbow and not look like a popsicle stick. it's cool if everyone else is doing it, right? and i quote " No respectful lady would go out in public without a Dupatta and silk drawers"...oh my.

the love: this little pieces of cloth is more than amazing in so many ways, it is versatile to the max and it comes in handy when i least expect it to. so far the dupatta has served as:

- a SCARF [duh] to cover what girls have and boys don't - it's the truth.
- a "lights out" mechanism while trying to fall asleep on the overnight train to mumbai -
- a gimmick for carrying too many figs to fit in my palms - exhibit a
- a semi-structural draping to protect my face from the sun -
- towel usage when yours is forgotten at home -
- opened up wide for use as a blanket on a cold ride with the windows down -
- protection device from bugs & grass while napping -

the uses or misuses

the hate: hate is such a stout word. when it comes down to it i suppose there is less animosity towards the dupatta than i thought. the thing is, i associate it with a scarf and a scarf keeps your neck warm in frigid weather. you should want to wear a scarf. the last place anyone wants a long piece of fabric around is their neck. especially when one is hot or tangled or fighting for freedom from a thirty lb. backpack and the dupatta has somehow wrapped itself in knots. yes, then you want to rid yourself of the thing, but alas you put it where it is supposed to be and carry on. maybe it's like someone coming to my home county and taking the laces out of the running shoes. maybe.

cookery.

so much of experiencing the culture is the indulging of the local food.

there is amazing variety you get with each new place you dwell in and curb your appetite. on our project trip our project leader confessed that he gets most excited about the food as he travels throughout this country, and it sure does change from state to state here. i didn't see one chapati [wheat tortilla type bread multi-tasking utensil] while down south in tamil nadu. and ate more mounds of rice than i consume in a year back home, even as i took only moderate portions of the starch. actually, the indian menu was a rather small anxiety that came up when i found out that i would be living here for an extended period of time. indian food has made its way around the block and is relished by many, many i know. now, i would go to moderate lengths to say i am an adventurous eater and will try just about anything once. though upon arriving and eating homemade indian food i just couldn't move myself to go back for seconds, ever. it was the "soft" consistency that got to me, the mushy-ness, if you will. though the flavors and spice were welcomed. with a few months under my belt i've grown accustomed to this style of cooking and have come to love a few dishes. i will no doubt be bringing home some recipes to my american kitchen. however, i do hear that they just "don't quite taste the same" when food is cooked out of it's own home roots. we will see!

...it can be a little odd taking pictures of food, but once you eat a delicious meal and there is nothing but a blank plate you always wish you had snapped a shot of the art that is food...

{plates too large for normal food consumption}

{sauce.sauce.chutney.paper-thin goodness}

{dihe, subjee, dal and poppers!}

{a breakfast schmamwich pre train boarding}

{veggies of too many kinds}


mmm.mmm. delicious.

"There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only
who is foreign."

{women in their saris in front of india gate}

i just returned from a three week journey that took us all across india. the homecoming, as i have discussed before is such a beautiful thing. and for the the to semi-prompt to do list:

respond to the racked up electronic mail
hear familiar voices from across the ocean
stretch the legs with trail runs & yoga
process with words and pictures a plenty
snuggle in my cocoon bed
devour more books
and last but not least-relay a few musing thoughts on this little blog