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goodnewsjamaica · 6 years

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Jamaica Ya Man! Travels to The Land of Bob Marley

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Jamaica Ya Man! Travels to The Land of Bob Marley

Negril, with the longest, continuous stretch of white sand beach in Jamaica, is where the ganja cookie crumbles at a laid-back pace. My husband and I flew into Jamaica’s Montego Bay airport and drove to Negril, about two hours away. Adult-only hotels are tucked into rocky overlooks. Nudist beaches make suntans seamless. Smooth sands give silently beneath bare feet for miles and miles. The white velvet spreads into the ocean where fish dart around in the warm, clear waters. Music drifts down the beach like ganja smoke filling the lungs. Euphoric Negril is a playground of the true lover.

We stayed in the Charela Inn, that is situated right on the beach – one that the owner and hotelier Daniel Grizzle has zealously safeguarded. Together with his wife (now deceased) the couple forced the Government to shelve plans to mine peat in the Great Morass area in the 1980s, which, according to scientists, would have ruined the legendary seven-mile beach and turned the area into a desert.

The Charela Inn itself is very attractive and in the center of all action. Each room has either a private patio or a private balcony. Our room overlooked the freshwater pool. The white sand and crystal-clear waters of Negril’s beach, which made it to underwater photographer Tanya Burnett-Palmer’s Top 10 List for CNN Travel, were just steps away.

The best snorkeling spots for beginners are offshore and not accessible from the beach. As someone who cannot swim, I was worried as I scrambled into Captain Mike’s glass-bottom boat. We zoomed to the middle of the [sea] where the live corals sway and Captain Mike led me gently into the waters. As we floated together, he pointed out brain corals and sea urchins. Angelfish, boxfish and goatfish nibbled at my fingers as they ate the breadcrumbs offered to them.

I could have snorkeled for hours enjoying the stunning underwater landscape made by the coral in a rainbow of colors. Some of the most common coral and reef species include green- and purple-base anemone, red cauliflower-, flowerpot-, star- and bubble coral.

Is Life a Jerk for the Vegetarian?

Much to the delight of my vegetarian husband, we discovered that Rastafarian food is Ital or vegetarian, with lots of green vegetables, no milk, no meat and no salt. Perfect at breakfast is ackee, a fruit that obligingly pops open when it is ripe. Ackee looks and tastes like bhurjee or soft scrambled eggs when cooked with onions and tomatoes. Collard greens look-alike callaloo, and doughnut look-alike “festival bread” or dumplings complete the breakfast.

An experience in color and flavor is created by combining bright orange squash, with yellow curried ackee, and yellow plantain. Scallion, thyme, garlic, onion, pimento, tomato and curry powder are all common seasonings in Rastafarian food.

For meat-lovers, jerk-seasoned grilled chicken, pork and fish are served with a spicy sauce. Fish prepared escovitch-style is seasoned, fried and marinated with a peppery, vinegar-based dressing made colorful with julienned bell peppers, carrots and onions. Goat and other meats are curried too. Beans cooked with coconut milk and vegetables are served with rice. Standard sides include steamed plantains, yams, sweet potato and breadfruit.

Fruits are plentiful in this tropical paradise. We sampled a variety of mangoes at the local market. In addition to a local one called “Julie” there were East Indian varieties. Sadly, a mango called “Bombay,” which we were told was the sweetest of them all, was not available. Nesberry, familiar to us as sapota or chickoo, also made a delightful snack.

Red Stripe beer, brewed in Jamaica, and rum are the alcoholic beverages of choice on the island. A number of souvenir shops offer rum tastings. “The locals have small shots of rum through out the day,” said the shop assistant at one, where we stopped for a sample. Soursop, a member of the sitaphal or custard apple family, added tang and smoothness to a cocktail with rum and coconut cream. We washed our day down with chilled coconut water sipped from the shell and sugarcane juice freshly squeezed by the roadside.

MONTEGO BAY

We drove back from Negril to Montego Bay where we stayed in “Polkerris,” a well-appointed and luxurious bed-and-breakfast, owned by the Bennetts. Jeremy Bennett came to Jamaica in 1962, fell in love with the island and his partner Clarissa, whom he married in 1970. Needless to say, he never left. The Bennetts host guests in their beautiful country house, which is just a ten-minute stroll from the restaurants and clubs of the Gloucester Avenue Hip Strip, Doctor’s Cave Beach and the Aqua Sol Theme Park. As a guest put it, you really will feel like you are visiting your rich relatives in Jamaica.

Tale of the East Indian and the Rastafarian

The National Museum West in downtown Montego Bay is a treasure trove of information about the history and culture of Jamaica. With respect to the Rastafarian story however, the Museum tells an incomplete tale.

Classified as both a new religious- and social movement, the Rastafari culture developed in Jamaica during the 1930s when Ras (Chief) Tafari was crowned the King of Ethiopia. The Indian cultural influence on the Rastafarian movement is undeniable. A Kingston couple Laxmi Mansingh and Professor Ajai Mansingh outline the connection between the Rastas and the Indian culture in Home Away From Home: 150 years of Indian presence in Jamaica. The Rastas are vegetarian, family-loving people, who worship the Goddess Kali. They wear their hair like the sadhus of India (devotees of Lord Shiva) and like them, smoke marijuana, which the Rastas also call ganja.

The first Rasta, Leonard P. Howell, took the spiritual name “Gong Guru” or Gongunguru Maragh (Gangunguru Maharaj), say Stephen Davis and Helen Lee in their book The First Rasta: Leonard Howell and The Rise of Rastafarianism. The name Gongunguru is a combination of three Hindi words – gyan (wisdom), gun (virtue), and guru (teacher). Howell started a community called the “Pinnacle,” which was especially known for the cultivation of cannabis, which has religious significance for the Rastafarians.

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In the early to mid-nineteenth century, the British recruited Indians – from the tribes in the hills of Eastern India and from the Central provinces of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh – into the sugar colonies. For the indentured black population, the new Indian laborers seemed kindred spirits; their struggles had the empathy of the Rasta. Solidarity was soon established between the communities, both of which were brutalized economically and politically. The Rastafarian culture appears to be a result of the synthesis of these cultural interactions.

The Jamaican dancehall music – which also reflects the merging of East Indian and West Indian influences – is based on themes of survival, suffering and struggle, that inner-city black Jamaicans face on a daily basis, albeit in a more aggressive idiom than the Rasta-inspired reggae. Songs such as “Suhani Gyul” bring a smile to one’s lips as they seek their inspiration from old Bollywood songs and produce a Chutney remix – Arti & Zoelah’s Wine Up on Me.

The Jamaican motto is: Out of Many, One People; unfortunately, both Indo-Jamaicans and Rastafarians downplay each other’s influence, as they look outside the borders of Jamaica towards their mother countries – India and Africa.

Interestingly Edwards, the black security guard outside Ivans Bar, who after careful consideration, decided we were Indian, went on to share that his great-grandfather was Indian. He proceeded to tell us the story of Bahubali and so immersed was he in the whys and wherefores of the movie that when our taxi came Edwards was very disappointed to see his audience leave.

How to Speak like a Jamaican

English is the official language of Jamaica, but the majority speaks a form of English Creole or “Patois” (pr. patwa). Patois was derived out of a need to communicate between peoples who did not share a common language, the English masters and the slaves.

Here are standard greetings that can be heard around the island:

Waa gwaan? – What’s going on?

Waddup” – What’s up?

Yo – Hey!

One love – An expression of unity, love and respect for all. One love, my brudder. One love, Sistreen!

From the time Christopher Columbus first set foot on Jamaica on May 6th, 1494, the island has seen increasing traffic year after year. All-inclusive hotels attract tourists in large numbers. “Enjoy the white beaches and chilled attitude before the island is run over completely,” says our driver Phillips as we head back to the airport, “Fo you can be shore that is coming.”

Yaw so nice, Jamaica!

~To book your room at the Polkerris in Montego Bay, please visit: www.montegobayinn.com.

~Guha Shankar’s book “Imagining India(ns): Cultural Performances and Diaspora Politics in Jamaica” provided good insight.

~Phillips, our fabulous driver in Montego Bay, can meet you at the airport and drive you around. He can be reached on Whatsapp at 1 (876) 447-0904.

By: Ritu Marwah

Original Article Found Here

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etaxigo · 4 years

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India Travel Tips for International Travellers

India is an incredible country with picturesque beauty, beautiful mountain channels, lush green forests, snow-capped mountains, true-blue rivers, crowded beaches, drop-dead gorgeous places, easy on the eye tradition, world-famous hot food and so forth. Beyond the shadow of a doubt, India is a place that may cool the temperature of your soul down. Planning a travel trip to India, Surely this article helpful for all international visitors. Travelling in India you must know a few Travel tips. Before heading into India, like any other place, there are a few important things you need to keep a close eye on. But where to start off? Nothing is to worry about in this case. Putting the following tips into practice would win you a tour of India. Also, keeping these low downs would take much of your tightness from you.

Packing Your Bag - India Travel Tips

You might have discovered a Spanish proverb, "Over the very long travel trip in India, even a straw weighs heavy". To make the most out of it, think about applying the proverb. Pack your bag and it is recommended to not take luggage. In the event you have luggage personally, do not worry about that. There are a small number of companies who give their services of shipping to India.

Directly after that, there are a couple of things that you should carry with you such as clothes, shoes, credit cards, personal care products, drugs, chargers, padlocks, etc.. Virtually everything can be found in India, so don't worry if you want to pack less. Credit cards are accepted except remote areas so that you have no need to take much money all the time with you. Having said that, always take another bag for dirty clothes.

In-Depth Hunt Is Important - India Travel Tips

Having said that, India is a large country and you need months to see all of the places. Plan your travel trip in India before packing your rucksack. Put on your thinking cap and then weigh up what lights your fire, which places you and how much time you've got, then make your travel trip up. Visit India for minimum of 10 days and if you've got no time checks, that will hit the nail on the head.

Another element that requires huge attention is the weather conditions. Even though India is a huge country, weather changes radically. On the flip side, you visit another corner and can experience 45C and you'll be spotting snow-capped mountains in places. Thus, keep a close eye on the weather upgrades before planning the excursion and do in-depth research. Some places like Tamil Nadu receive the number of rainfall each year so look out for the weather forecast from the local government and see these places during the season. Directly after that, heath is a significant factor as well. Before planning your travel trip in India, talk to your doctor and inform them about where you're heading and your span of remain out there. Ask for the medications and vaccinations. If you are on medications, pack your medicines along with your luggage so you don't face any difficulty getting them about there.

Accommodation - India Travel Tips

Well, India is a huge country with a population of 1.36 billion people. And lodging is the first and foremost thing that you must fix your gaze. Budget accommodation can be a major mess. Book a budget hostel before your arrival.

Big cities like Delhi, Mumbai, etc. provide the thumbs up to pocket-friendly hostels. You will witness plenty of people out there in hostels if you're gregarious. It is recommended to attend a hostel instead of the hotel. Off you go!

Staying Healthy - India Travel Tips

There are no 2 ways about the fact that true wealth is health. Since India is a country heath remains a problem. Plenty of illness cases have been reported from the foreigner travellers backpacking in India. Wash your hands several times so as to keep germs. Keep yourself hydrated and drink bottled water. Don't drink tap water. Eat freshly cooked meals and never eat food that is available to dust and flies. This way you can steer clear of Delhi-belly.

If your belly is not used to have too much spice, prevent eating food. As Indian food is spice packed, chances are there that you would endure Delhi-belly. Try out fresh lime soda and lassi to assist your body keep hydrated. If you've got a headache or feel light--led or feeling green in the gills, you might be beaten from the heat fatigue. Dioralyte rehydration sachets, readily available at all pharmacies, will make you feel much better. Use mosquito repellents during night and evening time.

Transport - India Travel Tips

Use public transport instead of using taxis or auto-rickshaws. Travelling around India is simple as you can depend on trains, flights and buses. Do not use personal transportation as taxi drivers tend to make more cash in the kind of fair in the event they come to know that you are a foreigner. for travelling in metro cities use eTaxiGo for online cab booking, a reliable taxi service provider in India. While travelling in public transport, keep a close eye on your pockets and luggage since there are many thieves out there at bus stops and train stations.

Be Conscious of Frauds and Pickpockets

Keep an adequate amount of money on you all the time. Do not travel with the quantity of money. Plus, don't cough up too much cash to beggars since this can make the scammers and touts chase you immediately. It is multum in parvo to keep an adequate sum of money. Directly after that, it is crucial to place the cash in distinct places of the human body. This is due to the reason you eliminate money from 1 pocket, then you will have the ability to find it from another place. Never ever accept a free ride out of any particular person whom you're unaware of. This can be sometimes a scamming trick. Thus, prevent rides if the man who's offering it looks sophisticated. Insurance can't be left by you out of the. No ifs, and, or buts about it.

Dress Adequately - India Travel Tips

You need to follow the dress codes during your stay especially while visiting holy places like temples, mosques, shrines, etc. Getting your shoes off and covering your mind. You want to dress modestly while visiting India. And if you are a female backpacker, pay your chest and other body parts before getting in. People do stare in India. The truth hurts. So get yourself prepared to be gawped by lots of people passing by.

That is not very common in big cities. You may wear whatever you want in big cities but that is not true with remote areas villages. Additionally, people in India are quite much friendly and hospitable. They do not hesitate in asking questions about yourself and about the place you're going to. However, that's their way of showing hospitality and affection. It will be a great idea if you appreciated and dress just like the natives.

Traffic is Insane - India Travel Tips

Traffic in India is extremely barmy. What else would you expect from a country with a population of 1.36 billion people? There's thumping at great traffic down the streets and you'll be committing your ears and that is enough to ruin your mood, for certain. Populous cities like Delhi and Mumbai have roads full of people, particularly. To make your case, you have to plan.

That means, keeping a close existence on the time checks will get the job done for you. It is strongly recommended to leave your hostel at least an hour before time if you are travelling through public transport to prevent being late. Another essential thing you must pin your hopes on is the map. Yes, you have to keep a map of this place you're paying on a call to get the idea of the right and shortest route to follow. It's a really famous proverb"Haste Makes Waste". Look at implementing it. Keep yourself fresh and keep a few minutes in your hand to save from any loss in haste. Be careful when walking the roads that are crowded and do not show anyone that it's your first visit to India.

Enjoy The Moment, Forget About The Rest

People in India spill on the streets and hang their hats in shopping malls and markets particularly in the evening. Thus, don't lose your cool and be relaxed. I just love purchasing and forget about this crowd.

Be geared up to be surrounded by a bunch of people at shopping marts or other tourist attractions. This is due to the reason that they get excited about meeting with people from outside the country and get the photo. That is sensational, isn't it?

Do Not Wear Too Much Gold

It is recommended not to wear too much silver or gold jewellery. This wants to chase you and will pave the way for scams. The gold or diamond can emphasize you and make you stick out from the audience. Can you leave insurance out of the? Absolutely not. Also, don't hand over your luggage like a suitcase or handbag. Read the full article

#indiatraveladvice #indiatravelguide #IndiaTravelTips #internationaltraveltips #suggestionsfortouristsinindia #thingstoknowbeforegoingtoindia

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hannahwayward-blog · 7 years

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Four Days in Kochi: The End of India

The flight from Bangalore to Kochi on Monday afternoon was easy - just a little under an hour - but I’ve never been on a plane that smelled so strongly of body odor, so it was a bit brutal. The airport in Kochi is kind of adorable, much like the town of Fort Kochi itself. Rather than the crumbling palaces of Kolkata or the modern, angular buildings in Bangalore, Kochi has an almost Mediterranean feel. During my hour and a half bus ride from the airport into town, I saw plenty of the red tiled roofs and bright green palm trees that give Kochi its quaint, beachy vibe.

This is the problem with getting so behind on blogging - I have only a vague idea of what I did on Monday afternoon, but I’m fairly certain it involved a long nap after Bangalore’s back-to-back late nights. I settled into my bed and breakfast, which was conveniently located right in the middle of Fort Kochi’s modest downtown area, then I don’t think I did much of anything except sleep. The reasoning behind my visit to Fort Kochi, which is a bit off the beaten path, especially during the brutal summer months of monsoon, is that my sister is interning there this summer through a DukeEngage program, similar to what I did in Kolkata. After my three hour snooze, I walked down to her homestay, to which she had invited me for dinner.

Monday was Eid, so the family that runs her homestay was in full celebration mode. Over a delicious, vegetarian meal involving some sort of tortilla-like bread and a saucey potato paste, I got to know Sajir, the host, as well as the site coordinators and the other 11 students with whom my sister is living this summer. While we waited for dinner to be ready, we played a rollicking game of cards that I think was called “Mao,” and I taught them “Do You Want to Buy a Duck.” After dinner, we played “Contact” for a bit before I walked back to my hotel and slept even more. This trip has really been extreme in terms of alternating between lots of sleep and very, very little, and I definitely don’t bounce back from the late nights like I used to.

Kochi was a stark change from Kolkata: the streets were narrow and empty after dark and without the constant thrum of street salesmen and food stalls. The stores were all actual stores - no garage-door holes in the wall - and the few areas with stalls had large tables full of their goods as opposed to the sidewalk displays of the big cities. Fort Kochi had much more of a small town feel that was appreciated after so many days in big cities. The weather, however, was reminiscent of Kolkata’s insane heat that I’d briefly escaped in Bangalore. Each day the forecasts promised rain, but instead, the heat index climbed well above 100. Once again, I was a sweaty mess, but the ocean air made me feel less grimy at the end of the day than Kolkata’s smog.

On Tuesday, I slept until almost noon, then wandered around the small downtown to get my bearings. I visited St. Francis church, which is where Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama was originally buried before his remains were brought home, and marveled at the grave stones from the 1600s when Kochi was still a Dutch colony. I also walked along the beach for a bit, but was getting eaten alive by mosquitoes, and tried to go to a church that was closed. A little frustrated, I decided that hey, this is my vacation, and ended up spending the rest of the afternoon reading and writing from the comfort of my hotel’s second floor terrace. Curled up on the divan (a cursory Google search could not confirm the spelling of that but you get the idea), I wrote my final Kolkata blog post and my Bangalore post and read on my Kindle while the blessed rain finally poured down outside, cooling the day off significantly.

I wanted to get dinner with my sister, but my breakfast of small biscuits and snack of a candy bar somehow didn’t tide me over, so I ended up having a delicious, local fish dinner at a restaurant downtown. The dish is called meen moily, and involves fresh fish and rice in a sauce of zestily spiced yellow curry with plenty of veggies. After clearing my plate, I met my sister at her homestay and accompanied her and her housemates to dinner at a Thai place. Too full from my Keralan cuisine, I watched with a bit of disgust as they gorged themselves on every variety of momo and then walked with them to an art cafe near my hotel, where they all ate huge brownies and I felt slightly nauseous. I went home and, after reading all afternoon and all through dinner, I stayed up past midnight to finish the fifth Game of Thrones book.

Maybe because I stayed up so late, or maybe because of the deluge earlier that day, I had to deal with some uninvited guests that arrived shortly after midnight. At the risk of giving too much information, I was on the toilet when I heard a loud rustling above me, and turned only to see a HUMONGOUS cockroach fly toward me. I contemplated killing him myself, but he seemed bent on attacking me and wouldn’t stay still long enough to be smushed, so I went down and asked for help from the front desk attendant. Of course, when he came back up, we couldn’t find the rascal, so he armed me with a large bottle of spray and left me to fend for myself. Shortly after, the rustling started up again in the bathroom, but I had sprayed an offensive barrier around the door frame to dissuade the enemy from crossing into my bedroom. It seemed to have worked, and he was already in bad shape as he staggered through the doorway. A couple quick sprays finished the job, and I used the large paintbrush and dustpan the attendant had given me to put the corpse into the garbage can. Relieved, I got back in bed and continued to read.

Fifteen or twenty minutes later, I heard the telltale rustling again - but this time from right beside my bed! I looked down and saw another huge cockroach walking toward my nightstand. A chase ensued, and he ran under my nightstand, under my bed, then under my dresser, where I finally got him with the spray. I put his body in the trash can with his fallen comrade, but by then my room smelled so strongly of toxic spray that I was sneezing and coughing. I couldn’t open the door, though, because I was afraid more roaches would get in, and the windows didn’t open either. I decided that, if I died, I was at least going to die without the unwelcome company of the creepy crawlies, and finished my book (finally!) in peace before falling asleep.

After such a relaxing day on Tuesday (not including the chemical warfare I raged at night), I decided to be a good tourist on Wednesday and see as much of Kochi as I could. After a “quick” breakfast of toast downtown (India time), I decided to walk along the perimeter of the peninsula to Bazaar Road and Jew Town, two of the historic areas of the city. Although it involved a lot of fending off autorick drivers downtown who assured me they had the “best price, madam, fifty rupees only, two hour tour,” I was able to walk relatively peacefully. My first stop was Fort Hotel, where I booked a massage for the following morning at my sister’s recommendation, and chatted for a bit with a high school girl and her friend’s mom, who was Indian and chaperoning a group’s post-graduation vacation.

From there, I made my first cultural stop of the day at the Mattancherry Palace, which was built by the Portuguese, sometime in the early 17th century I believe, to appease the local Indian ruler. Different from Kolkata’s large concrete palaces, this building had long, low-ceilinged rooms with dark wood beams spanning the ceilings and seemed to be built of some more natural material. While the exhibit inside was a little underwhelming, I did see some interesting artifacts from the early colonization of Kochi (then Cochin) and from the ruling family’s daily life, including elaborate gowns, a palanquin, and a number of swords and daggers.

I left the palace and walked along Bazaar road, passing all the shops and doing my best to politely ignore (that phrase still feels oxymoronic) the hawkers, until I got to Jew Town. I learned while I was in Kochi that the area was home to one of the very early Jewish settlements, with the community’s history tracing back to something like 550 AD. Jew Town was cute, and I made my way through the small, shop-lined streets to the synagogue. Of course, I had arrived just after 1:00, and like most things in the warmer areas, the temple was closed between 1:00 and 3:00 PM. With almost two hours to kill, I sat in a nearby bookshop and enjoyed a fresh ginger lime soda while reading my next book, “The Girls.” Once I felt I’d overstayed my welcome, I walked back to Bazaar Road and had a bizarre snack of “chips and salsa,” which consisted of Dorito-esque chips and a very Indian-tasting version of salsa, and some more chips. This still left me with an hour until 3:00, so I walked to an antique shop and got a tour from one of the staff, a sweet lady named Dini who told me all about her daughter Didi and her husband, who had passed away a few years back. After getting the full tour of the antique store, which boasted all sorts of imports and also had an altar at which the staff prayed (it was odd), I had almost passed the full two hours. I walked for, like, a mile in search of a public restroom, convinced a guy at a flooring store to let me use theirs, and then was granted entry to the synagogue right at 3:00.

The synagogue was a little surreal, and not just because of its age. The floor was set with something like 11,000 tiles, each of which had been hand painted. Although they all had generally the same blue floral pattern, no two were identical. The ceiling of the modest room was hung with mismatched chandeliers, and there was an altar in the middle of the room. Wooden benches lined two sides of the room, with the Torah at the back and an entrance and foyer, full of commemorative plaques, at the front.

I was glad I’d waited and had gotten to see it, but I was getting pretty tired and my feet were hurting, so I headed back East toward downtown.After stopping at an ATM for some cash, I visited one last cultural site, the Santa Cruz Basilica, which was right behind my hotel. This place was also surreal, and reminded me of the church in Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet film, full of neon and LED lights and gaudy decorations. Pictures will follow, but the ceiling was elaborately muraled and every column had a glass-encased statue of some saint or Jesus at varying ages. There was also a small grotto-type thing outside dedicated to the patron saint of Portugal or something, which was also full of busy fabrics and loud colors and centered around a brightly painted statue.

In Kochi, I largely avoided much attention, aside from the autorick drivers competing for my business, but was approached in the Basilica by a group of Indian men, probably in their 40s, asking if I’d take a picture for them, then asking if I’d take a picture with them. Ugh. I tried to politely decline (not sure if better or worse than politly ignoring) but then felt like I had to leave. I was mostly ready to be home anyhow, so I schlepped back to the hostel to read for a bit. The power was out, so I walked down the street to what became my new favorite coffee shop (more on Oy’s later) and had a smoothie before walking to my sister’s house to pay her another visit. She had a birthday dinner that evening, so I just hung out while she worked on some visa paperwork before heading to dinner solo.

I ate at a rooftop place downtown, Rasa, that was a bit ritzy, but most of the local places, at which I would’ve preferred to eat, were closed because it was after 9:00. I had a weird, but good, green-sauced biryani, and once again ate to the point of nausea. Indian food is such a blessing and a curse - I love it, but I eat too much, and then feel sick for hours afterward. Clearly self-control is not my forte when it comes to eating all of the local cuisine. I stayed up reading for a bit but called it a fairly early night.

Thursday was my last day in Kochi, but my flight to Bangalore, through which I was flying to get to Doha then Paris, wasn’t until 10:30 PM, so I had a full day to explore. I had another quick breakfast of toast, and then went to Fort Hochi Hotel for my ayurvedic Keralan massage. While it was well-executed, I’ve decided that I’m more of a Swedish massage girl. The strokes were far too light and quick for my tastes, but I appreciate that I got the real Keralan experience. Of note is the fact that the type of massage requires complete nudity, which was a first for me. The masseuse was a young girl and very professional, so it didn’t feel the slightest bit odd, but it was definitely weird when she asked me to fully disrobe. The massage was a relaxing 60 minutes, at the end of which I showered and headed back downtown.

At this point, I’m not gonna lie, I was feeling a bit worn down. Being in India, as I’ve said in almost every post so far, is exhausting. Less so in Kochi, but the constant attention that comes with being a petite, Caucasian woman quickly gets old. I felt that I’d done all of the touristy things that Fort Kochi offered and didn’t have time to take a day trip anywhere. I also had checked out of my hotel, so after a brisk beach walk and a quick, very local (read: no utensils) meal of fish and rice at a little shop called Uncle’s, I ended up spending a large part of the afternoon at Oy’s Cafe. Oy’s is owned by a British lady and an Indian man, who met when she visited Kochi last year, and, in her words, “the rest is history.” It’s no secret that I love local coffee shops (I practically lived at Francesca’s in Durham and frequented Tryst in DC), and this place had what I’m sure the local beach bums would call a “killer vibe.” With handmade bamboo furniture, boldly patterned pillows, and eccentric photos and quotes on the walls, Oy’s street sign correctly describes it as the perfect backdrop for an Instagram photo. I’d had a mango and ginger smoothie the day before, so this time I got a blended coffee and set to work on finishing “The Girls.”

Oy’s seems to be kind of a hub for young travelers, and I saw the same group of French kids that I’d seen the previous afternoon. This time, two of them came over to ask me about a place to stay, and we ended up chatting for a while. I recommended the hotel that I’d just checked out of, and then we talked about travel and Kochi and India in general. After reading for a while and finishing my coffee, I went back to my hotel to charge my laptop for a bit on the terrace, and it the girls had checked in and were sitting there as well. It turns out their original hotel smelled of mildew, so I spent the next hour or so with Jeanne, Orvine (I think… she said her American friends just call her “O”), and Sarah. They’re all classmates studying business in Paris, but only Sarah is actually from the city. One of the other girls is from Bordeaux, and one is from a suburb of Paris. They had come to India to work with a business in Tamil Nadu, which marked Jeanne and O’s second visit to that area, and were now spending a few weeks traveling after the conclusion of their project. Despite my shame that their English was so good and my French is so bad, I really enjoyed getting to know them.

Each of the French girls had bought an anklet in Kochi, which seemed to be a local trend, so I went out in search of one in the couple hours I had left before my bus. After buying an anklet and some postcards, I went back to Oy’s (yes, again), and had a chocolate peanut butter banana smoothie, which was amazing, and finished up my book. Sad to leave Kochi, but also admittedly ready to leave India, I caught the 7:00 PM bus to the airport and arrived around 8:45, with plenty of time to spare before my flight.

Although we were supposed to leave at 10:30, the flight didn’t depart until after 11:00 PM, which was fine, since I had a four hour cushion in Bangalore. Upon my Bangalore arrival, however, I was greeted by a surprisingly long customs line. After changing into a fresh set of clothes and rechecking my pack, I waited at customs for almost an hour before a quick exit interview. With the hour I had before my flight, I had one last spicy Indian take on chicken soup. I had put myself on liquid restriction and had a window seat for the 3:40 AM four hour flight, and don’t even think I got a glimpse of India fading away before I fell asleep on the plane.

This is already a long post, and I’ve said most of what I can say about India. It’s rich and loud and mouth-watering and exhausting. I can also say with confidence that I’ll be back, and am almost certain that I’ll spend time living there as an expat someday. But until then, India will live in my dreams as a hazy, half-imagined country where nature and industry both collide and collude. India, ami tomake bhalobhashi, accha?

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dionetaofavalon · 7 years

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Book review: The Devourers

I recently finished The Devourers by Indra Das. It’s a good book, it deserves an audience, and I’m pretty sure a huge chunk of that audience hangs out on Tumblr.

Here’s the summary on the back of the book:

“On a cool evening in Kolkata, India, college professor Alok encounters a mysterious stranger who reveals part of an extraordinary story. Tantalized by the man’s unfinished tale, Alok will do anything to hear its conclusion. So Alok agrees, at the stranger’s behest, to transcribe a collection of battered notebooks, weathered parchments, and once-living skins. From these documents spills the chronicle of a race of people at once more than human yet kin to beasts, ruled by instincts and desires blood-deep and ages-old---and the lone woman who dares defy them.”

cw: rape

And if we were to tag it: #Indian author; #India Indian; #folklore; #myth; #Indian folklore; #Norse folklore; #shape-shifters; #werewolves; #but not really; #soul eaters; #potential cannibalism; #depending on how you want to define things; #tw:rape; #m/m sex; #bisexual characters; #non-binary characters; #gender-bending; #genre bending; #fiction; #fantasy; #dark fantasy; #horror; #can go in any one; #interesting story; #well-wrought; #good book

The more thorough review is under the cut---spoiler alert:

The book begins outside a Baul performance in Kolkata, where Alok stands, observing. A stranger walks up, and after a few cursory pleasantries, announces he’s half-werewolf. Then he immerses Alok in a story.

The way the stranger relates the story, and a second one, is literally mesmerizing---Alok feels as though he’s experiencing it first hand. He also feels as if he’s coming off a high, of sorts, once the story ends. Partly to re-experience this sensation, partly out of boredom and loneliness, and partly because he’s kind of attracted to the stranger, Alok agrees to transcribe some notebooks.

The notebooks come in two sets: one a male narrator, Fenris, and one a female narrator, Cyrah. It’s immediately obvious how these two relate to each other (Fenris dedicates his scroll to Cyrah, for one), but how the first two oral stories fit in becomes apparent only later.

The stranger does not entirely lie when he says he’s half-werewolf, but the term is so inaccurate that it might as well be a falsehood. The stranger is the product of Fenris, a shape-shifter, and Cyrah, a human, via rape.

And the book itself never wavers on that point, though Fenris does. He wants to create a baby, and he’s chosen Cyrah. He will impregnate her whether she likes it or not. She ‘agrees’ in that she chooses not to get beaten, and she demands payment (she’s a prostitute, which the book treats simply as being the way she’s played the cards she’s been dealt). That she ‘agrees’ and he pays her confuses Fenris, but the book is clear: it’s rape.

Fenris’s tale is rather short, but Cyrah’s is much longer, comprising a good third of the book. She relates her version of her first encounter with Fenris, as well as the rape, but continues much further than that: Fenris had arrived with two companions, Makedon and Gevaudan (a Northman, a Greek, and a Frenchman), but Makedon objected to Fenris’s actions and motives regarding Cyrah, leading Gevaudan to kill Makedon. Fenris and Gevaudan split up, though Gevaudan, being in love with Fenris, didn’t really want to. Cyrah meets Gevaudan, and together they track down Fenris, Gevaudan withholding his motives and Cyrah not entirely sure about hers.

Cyrah and Gevaudan become friends, which marks Gevaudan as a pariah. Not that it makes much difference to him, since falling in love is also taboo among their kind.

The way The Devourers deals with shapeshifting creatures is about as original as you can get. They have two souls; they feed off the souls and bodies of humans; they live extremely long lives; they can molt into a different human body if they wish---so they’re shape-changers in that respect too; and their beast form is its own thing. Their second selves, as they call them, are animalistic, but not ‘wolf’ or ‘tiger’ or whatever else. Their second selves are huge, hermaphroditic, fast, terrifying, and have incredible senses.

However, there isn’t one form taken by second selves. Fenris is wolf-like, but some shape-shifters from the Sundarbans are more tiger-like. Broadly speaking. Some discussion in the book itself wonders whether human mythologies arose due to encounters with shape-shifters, or if shape-shifters adjusted their forms to align with the cultural beliefs of local humans. Fenris thinks human beliefs influenced beast-forms, but during the Durga Puja, the stranger points out art of mythic stories and concludes that Indian gods and demons must have been shapeshifters, and humans invented divine and/or supernatural beings to explain them.

(Das, being Indian, spends most of his time with Indian myths, legends, and beliefs, though he dips into Norse stuff---some of it obscure---and a little Greek.)

Additionally, the depictions of same-sex attraction are well-executed. Alok is definitely not straight, nor is the stranger, but the book eschews labels. A lot of times that annoys me: I’m bisexual and I like words that tell the world---if there’s a word for you, then you’re real, and so often ‘no labels’ is used to efface. In this book’s case, it works. One, no one has to say Alok is bi/pansexual, as it’s clearly shown in between the lines, especially in his interactions with the stranger. Two, Alok seems to have a traditional family, and you find out his fiancee had issues with some of the things he liked and wanted---rejection can make coming to terms with yourself difficult, and part of this story is about Alok finding his comfort zone regarding his own sense of self. Three, how humans see sex and relationships is different from how shapeshifters see sex and relationships, so human terms don’t really apply (even with Gevaudan, whom it’s tempting to label straight-up gay).

Also, Alok and the stranger have sex. I’m more forgiving of ‘no labels’ when you actually show what may-or-may-not need the label.

The book deals with gender, too. As stated above, the shapeshifters are hermaphroditic in their second selves. And since they can molt, they can change the gender of their human self. The stranger admits that his final molt will probably take the form of Cyrah. With Alok, one of his fiancee’s problems was that she didn’t like that he wanted to wear lipstick. More than that, he wants to wear women’s clothes. I didn’t get the sense that he’s transgender (at no point did ‘he’ seems an inappropriate pronoun), but he’d rather have a sari.

The Devourers is well-written, with a developed style---although this is Das’s debut novel, he’s obviously been writing for a while (I’m a snob when it comes to technique, sue me). Characterization is good, especially with characters like Fenris, who’s ‘empathetic’ in the story-telling sense of three-dimensional, with clear, understandable motives; but he’s not sympathetic.

I mentioned this was the spoiler-review, by which I meant I discuss details, but I haven’t summarized the story anymore than the back of the book does---there’s plenty to discover for any interested reader. As I said initially, this is a good book, and it deserves an audience.

#book review #The Devourers #author: Indra Das #dioneta reviews stuff #dioneta review books #LGBTQIA media #LGBTQIA #nominated for a Lambda #sci-fi/fantasy/horror #genre fiction #sort of #Indian author #male author #debut novel #my stuff

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latitudelongitudegratitudein · 7 years

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A COLLECTION OF MISSED CONNECTIONS

About 4 months ago a guy friend of mine sent me a screenshot of an add on the missed connection section on craigslist and asked if I had been grocery shopping the night before. This is what the add read:

You were the tall brunette with the near perfect body that farted in the bread section last night. I was the tall guy next to you that looked over and asked, “Was that you?” You quickly replied “No … Wasn’t me!” You almost seemed insulted I would ask. As the stink grew you continued to deny your flatulence, but it was evident. I tried to get rid of the stench by waving 2 loafs of ciabatta bread. You proceeded to storm off in an angry manner. You are beautiful and even if you are a liar and fart like a Clydesdale, I’d love to meet up sometime.

I had no idea that such section even existed on Craigslist. Basically,if you meet someone, get some feelings and you don’t get a chance to say anything you can post an add on craigslist; In the hopes the other person sees the add, contacts you and you live happily ever after. Unfortunately, the night before I was working and not farting at some grocery store. I figured I had lost my chance of finding true love, I didn’t meet the one guy who could handle a flatulent Clydesdale.

However in India I had many missed connections with boys.

I want to start by saying the last thing I came here for was to find a guy, I am (was) on a break from boys. I even put a song called “Time to be Alone” on my India Playlist. I came here to focus my attention volunteering, on myself and travel al little. But life had other plans and lessons for me.

When you travel the unexpected happens and well there you are laughing at the irony. I spent months telling my therapist that most men, or at least in LA where superficial, egotistical, selfish jerks who only wanted one night stands (Maybe not all but a good 70%).

“How am I going to find a nice one, Michelle?! They are all the same”.

Michelle, who has been granted with the patience of a saint, looked me in the eye the way a school teacher looks at a spastic 7 year old, took a deep breath and said something really wise (She always does) Maybe something about not generalizing. I was not paying attention so I couldn’t tell you what she said.

I probably told her “ Yeah, I know Michelle.”

I could only think “Fuck, I am are screwed for sure. Good luck finding this fucking nice guy”.

I traveled 8,150.95 miles to learn a very important fact: There’s plenty of nice guys out there. They are everywhere in the world.

I don’t know how much God loves math but I met 10 …. 10 out of 10 very nice guys with whom I had “Missed connections” with ( No guys, I did not make out with all 10 of them!) Only 9, just kidding! I know that’s what you are thinking, I know I could have been capable in the past but no, I am just telling you this story tell you what I learned from them.

( I just made out with 1)

#1 Germany

We shall call him Marx, in the honor of Karl Marx. I met him on my 4th day in India, he is really cute, quiet and chill.

I usually don’t go for that type, they are “too nice”; When he looked at me I wanted to smile and hide at the same time.We talked and hung out with our other friends and then one day we kinda had a date. Not planned but dates and things just happen here.

I had to go run errands and he offered to come with me, then he suggested a walk, we went for candy ( He paid for it, the full $20 rupees haha) and then tricked me into a dinner.

He was really really fucking nice and it made me cringe to have someone so interested in my life and stuff. We had Chai tea like 10 times and then he said he would like to have Chai’s with me for a long time. I wanted to pour the scalding Chai on my face to make it disappear but I just smiled like an idiot.

Nothing happened between us. We hung out a couple times more before he left for Sikkim ( He invited me but I went to Bangalore for the wedding) and when he came back, he found out my new room number and went to knock on my door to hang out one last time before he left.

What did I learn: I learned to relx. Even though I don’t always show it, when I am remotely interested in a guy I suffer from Chronophobia, fear of passing time. Millions of questions pop into my mind the first one being What if he just wants to fuck me? (like in LA) What if he tries to kiss me? What if I like it? What if I don’t? What if he wants to hold my hand? What if? What if? What if?.

With him I learned to relax, I stopped freaking out and lived in the moment. I accepted the fact that yeah, he might have been attracted to me but he also liked drinking gallons of Chai Tea in my company because I’m really cool and Chai is awesome. Thanks Marx.

#2 Chile

“Pablo Neruda”

We became really good friends, he had a girlfriend, we backpacked India and shared many beds.

Now, nothing happened. We got really close, as close as only backpackers can become after experiencing everything together. He was super nice and told me I looked beautiful a couple of times ( Not trying to get anything from me, just a geniuine compliment). It felt strange.

He is good looking, funny, cool and … nice. Did I feel a little anxiety about sharing a bed with him after going for drinks, yes. Was there a brief moment where we shared a strange connection, yes. Did we act on it. No (I’m proud of both of us).

Instead of acting on it we looked at each other, laughed at the ridiculousness of the moment and went to sleep. Towards the end of the trip we had a conversation and he said he had never cheated on his girlfriend, that he had been tempted a couple of times … “ Very recently, Actually” (Oops!) He said :

“If you are with someone because you love them, you are with them wherever you are and that’s it. If you want to fool around with many others, then you break up. I want to be with my girlfriend.”

I learned form Pablo that there are decent guys out there, decent guys that are good looking, funny and cool. Through him I learned that as humans we are all tempted but we always have a choice. We choose to act on impulse or pause.

I am not proud to say in the past I have kissed guys, guys who are someone’s boyfriend. I had no remorse, I have always been a person who acts on impulse and I never gave a shit… I am learning to pause.

Thanks Pablo!

#3 Argentina

EL CHE

We met in our backpacking trip, we only hung out for a couple of days. I was traveling with 5 more people by then and we had activities planned out for everyday.

He dropped his plans and joined us, we rented scooters and drove to a few villages. I had no clue there was any interest from his part until I said I was going to Town to do some jewelry shopping and he offered to come. ( I also thought, he might be gay) He wasn’t.

We talked and turned out to be really smart, cool, nice and reserved. Passionate about many things but about food, he spoke of how much he liked cooking and that I should go visit him in Argentina and he would cook for me. Then he looked at me “weird” and I saw it for a second like the “like” look, it was totally unexpected and I was confused more than anything.

After an hour in Town, the girls arrived and we all went for dinner together. He left that night.

I learned from him that sometimes we don’t pay attention and pass on smart, nice guys that are interested in us. That maybe not all guys will come up to you and flirt. I learned to pay attention to the quiet guys too.

#4 INDIA

Karan

That is his real name, he was a really nice Indian bro I met.

Long story short, I was told a guy hurt 2 of the puppies that lived outside Mother house ( We played with them and I knew those puppies). I went to take a look and both of them had, had their arms broken by a fucking guy …. Like why?

Juliette (another volunteer) and I picked up the dogs and started walking on the way to the vet canine, or so we were told. We walked for like 30 minutes trying to find the clinic, the puppies where whimpering and we could tell they where in too much pain. I didn’t know why I was carrying a stray dog, I didn’t know what was going to happen, I didn’t know if the area was safe, and for a moment I thought the one I was carrying might die. The people on the street don’t understand how people can care for animals so they laugh and look at you weird.

I tried my best but when I thought my puppy was dying I felt the tears streaming down my face. I know I am a loser and the thought of having her die on my arms made me want to faint. I didn’t , instead we found Karan who took us to the vet and waited 5 hours for the doctor to look at the dogs.

The dogs are okay now, the vet probably felt bad for us and didn’t charge us and Karan wanted to spend more time with me and see me again.

Indian men are not my cup of tea when it comes to looks but he was the good looking kind an all, but I didn’t feel it. He invited me to bars and concerts and well I was not too interested in those activities in Kolkata.

I learned there are guys out there that care about the same things as you do ( Like puppies) and that are good and willing to help strangers.

P.S The puppies are okay now!

#5 INDIA II

Good Night, “Nasheeli Ankay”

This was a very quick missed connection with another Indian guy, whose name I don’t remember. We where in the hostel lobby, I picked up a book, eyeing the pages to see if seemed interesting. This guy introduced himself and started telling me about it.. In Hindi. After I clarified I wasn’t Indian he re-introduced himself and told me about the book.

He was very passionate and if I were a complete Sapiosexual I might have found it super hot. Even though he wasn’t my type at all he was super nice though so I paid attention to him, then when he talked a little and I excused myself to go to my room. I was exhausted.

Before I left he asked if I knew what “Nasheeli Ankay” meant in Hindi and I guessed good night. He laughed and told me you should google it, it’s what you have.

I thought he couldn’t possibly know about my venereal diseases ( Kidding!) I smiled and said good night.

I googled it and I found this in a blog:

“It does mean intoxicating eyes. that means your eyes are so beautiful that I could get lst in them. like when people drink booze, they get soo lost in it they become drunk. kinda the same concept”

Maybe he was drunk haha. Maybe that’s why my eyes seemed extra glassy to him or something

I learned from him that: Compliments still make me a little uncomfortable haha and I learned that it doesn’t matter I am not interested in someone, I should never be mean, rude or arrogant. I have said some very nasty things to guys in bars that have tried talking to me. No one deserves to be treated like shit, no matter how the look like, dress like or talk about. They deserve attention and to be treated politely. Maybe they turn out to be really cool, maybe you end up becoming friends with them.

Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. Im trying not to.

#6 MEXICO

VOLDEMORT, The one who shall note be named.

You probably know who he is already. I have known Voldemort since I was 13, I had a crush on him for about 12 years. He is the guy my family would like me to marry, his family would like me to marry him too. ( He lives in a different City btws)

Problem? He never showed any interest, for pride reasons neither did I. At 18 we kissed and it was not good and I was a bitch after -_- hehe and then at 21, on a very honest, drunk moment on NYE I told him I had always liked him.

He told me he had always liked me too but sometimes I was a bitch and a little finicky. I laughed and we kissed. He said maybe one day he would come visit me in LA and I said “Cool”.

One year later he moved to Thailand for his MBA. It has been about 4 years. Guess what Country is 2 hours away from Thailand …India. I talked to him before going to India and said I might go to Thailand ( I have always wanted to see Thailand and well, two birds with one stone).

I planned the trip with one of my friends to spend NYE in Thailand and talked to him before so he would recommend a hotel etc. He offered his house and I said yes.

We went the trip was super cool, Thailand is beautiful, the food was amazing but this post isn’t about the place.

Voldemort was really nice, he did everything right and behaved like a gentleman but I realized I was no longer attracted to him, and unlike The Beauty and The Beast there was nothing there. It had vanished, at least from my part but I feel from his too.

We spoke and a few things he said where kind of a turn off because we think and see life differetly like the fact he works as the manager of a restaurant and hates it ( I know I work in the service Industry) but it’s because I have auditions and shorts to shoot. He does it because it pays okay and he can travel.

His concept of traveling in Asia and Pakistan include lots of partying, too much alcohol and women. Not a lot about getting to see the cool things about other Countries.

He has no plans for his future, no inspiration or aspirations. He seldom talks to his family since he left and drinks probably 4 days out of the week. I don’t think we want the same things in life and well, that’s life. I was not disappointed or anything, the trip was great regardless and it was cool because we had been friends before anything happened.

#7 FRANCE

NAPOLEON

This is a very short story , he was super cute and not into me at all. In the beginning I was kind of annoyed. Like, Why? Then I remembered that I was not there for the guys and not everyone has to be into you. You get over it, you did nothing wrong, there is a reason for everything.

#8 SPAIN

Pablo

The one I did make out with and had a 14 hour date. I learned from Pablo that I can be myself in a date and survive. Of course didn’t show the psycho parts, those come later once they guy is hooked ;) No but seriously, I was able to share personal things about me. I didn’t die.

I learned he had our wedding planned out, and all guys talk shit at some point. It’s part of the game and it is important to find the humor in it.

Lastly, I didn’t feel awkward when I told him I wouldn’t sleep with him. It didn’t matter how “Romantic” it sounded, our last night in India together etc. Yes, it was nice and if I had felt like doing it I probably would have ( I listen to myself more now) but I wasn’t feeling it. I told him, he understood. He texts me till this day.

#9 BELGIUM

I met this guy on new years, we started talking and we hit it off. He said some nice shit and I thought “ Huh … interesting”, I mean I was in Thailand and it has been soooooo long since I have had a casual encounter with a stranger. Maybe about 2 years.

I was tempted, really. I could either give him the look and grab his beautiful face or I could pause my thoughts and talk to him a little longer. Surprisingly, I choose the latter.

Later I realized that he was a little desperate to just hook up with anyone, I wasn’t and so I left.

I realized I have learned to respect myself and my body ( Not that casual hook ups are wrong) I think it’s just better when there is at least a connection and not just desperation.

#10 POLAND

The same night I met the guy from Belgium I met a Polish bro. I was on my way back from the bathroom when someone put a hand on my arm, I turned an there he was. The guy who had helped me start the scooter when I had trouble with it earlier that day.

Not a looker, but a very nice bro. We talked for a while but I was sleepy and ready to go home. After half an hour I told him I was leaving and it had been nice meeting him. I could have stayed and talked because of guilt, but I didn’t feel bad I wasn’t interested in him, I had been nice to him and I was really tired.

I learned that you can still be polite and“reject” people in ways the don’t feel rejected or hurt.

Thanks to this 10 bros, my faith in the opposite sex has been restored. I believe there are many decent guys out there and they are everywhere in the world. Im thankful I learned from this really nice ones, I no longer believe that they are all vain, superficial, cheaters who just want to get laid.

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nvsrworld · 7 years

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Mr. Goutam Karmakar, Research Scholar of Durgapur.

It all started with a call and mail from a research scholar from West Bengal on 21st January with the following mail: “Sir I am going to make a request to you. I am Goutam Karmakar from West Bengal, India. I am doing phd on Indian English Poetry from NIT Durgapur, India. I am surveying the ongoing literary trends of contemporary Indian writers (Indian Poets writing in English ) across the globe. For that I want to take an interview of you sir. Will you give me that opportunity? I will be highly obliged to you. And sir can you please give me your contact number? Yours faithfully Goutam Karmakar” I was indeed delighted to receive this from an unknown and unheard Research Scholar and the matters moved fast and here is a SUNDAY STORY in ENVIUS THOUGHTS in https://nvsr.wordpress.com and I am sure my esteemed viewers from more than two hundred countries will enjoy.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIFACETED AND MULTILINGUAL STUDIES 1st December 2016 Website: http://www.ijmms.in Email: [email protected] Page 1 Top Officer-cum-poet and translator: An interview with N.V.Subbaraman by Goutam Karmakar

Sir I am going to make a request to you. I am Goutam Karmakar from West Bengal, India.

I am doing phd on Indian English Poetry from NIT Durgapur, India. I am surveying the ongoing literary trends of contemporary Indian writers (Indian Poets writing in English ) across the globe. For that I want to take an interview of you sir. Will you give me that opportunity? I will be highly obliged to you. And sir can you please give me your contact number?

Yours faithfully Goutam Karmakar

Goutam Karmakar Research Scholar, Dept. of Humanities and Social Sciences, National Institute of Technology, Durgapur West Bengal, India

Here is a photocopy of the Interview. Readable copy in bigger fonts is given after this photo copy for your more comfortable read.

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ABOUT N.V.SUBBARAMAN

N V Subbaraman- the interviewed

Born on July 31st 1941 in Tamilnadu, N V Subbaraman has established himself as one of the emerging poetic voices in the arena of Indian English Poetry. His mother tongue is Telugu. Having been born, brought up, educated and employed for long and living in Tamilnadu he knows Tamil well in addition to his mother tongue, English, Hindi and Sanskrit to an extent. He is a graduate in Mathematics and a Fellow in Insurance. He has served the premier Public Sector Undertaking Life Insurance Corporation of India for four decades, served as a part of his Central office, in the States of Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan. He has retired in 2001 as Deputy Zonal Manager and post retirement served as a Director in an HR Training Organization and as a Managing Director of a company. Even when he was in service he used to write prose and verse for several magazines and readers will find details as they go down. Since the age of seventy, he has given up all his gainful employment and concentrating only on literary activities. He is a bilingual poet in Tamil and English. He is also a communicator, writer, speaker, and a trainer. Being a small time writer he has thirty seven published books to his credit. He is a translator from English to Tamil and vice versa. Totally he has to my credit translated works numbering 16 in prose and verse.

He is a Blogger-keeping ENVIUS THOUGHTS in https://nvsr.wordpress.com where he posts an English poem original or translated every day from Monday to Saturday and a Sunday story right from 28/2/2015 till this day without a single break. He is a Haikuist and has written more than 1000 Haiku poems strictly in 5-7-5 pattern, with first and third line rhyming.

He has eleven awards for his literary activities including the latest KAVI NILAVU and to be awarded UWA ADMIRABLE ACHIEVER AWARD 2016/17 by the United Writers Association of Indian Association formed to kindle the light of love and compassion among all nations and whenever possible. He is greatly attached to Saint Tamil Poet Thiruvalluvar, Mahatma Gandhi and Tamil national poet Mahakavi Subramaniya Bharathi. He is a simpleton, out and out a humanist and a universalist keeping strictly to certain principles of life. He wrote long back and he holds to that. His poetic principle is very simple as he often says: I know no God no religion no philosophy! I know no Bible no Quran no Dhammapada no Mahabharatha no Ramayana! I follow and practice “Help ever, hurt never” “Love all, Serve all” “Be kind, be friendly!” That is all what I know on earth and That is all what I need to practice!

In an encounter N.V.Subbaraman has unlocked his heart before Goutam Karmakar where he has given all the answers about his personal life and creative process and his readers will be highly pleased to know the insight of this great poet and translator.

TEXT OF THE INTERVIEW

Q1. GOUTAM KARMAKAR: Sir please allow me to start the interview by asking you about your childhood days, schooling and college days. So tell your readers about all these.

N V Subbaraman: Thanks a plenty Goutam. It is always a pleasure to think of our childhood days up to the stage of education. “We look before and after And pine for what is not! Our sincerest laughter With some pain is fraught Our sweetest songs are those That tell of saddest thought.” These are the finest words from the greatest poet PB Shelley whom I love in admiration and respect deeply for long. I was born in a family of ‘humble means’ but ‘noble origin’. My grandfather was one of the leading advocates of those days say more than a century ago- –who used to charge more than Rs.1000 for an hour’s sitting in the court. At the same time he will appear for free for social and religious causes! He was a freedom fighter and naturally did not attend to his legal profession seriously and hence our ‘humble means’! From age 1 to 20, I lived in a small 300 sq.feet house- with mud flooring, no well, no electric power, and no toilet! We were three brothers and our parents in that house at a rent of Rs. 9/-a month. My father was a teacher- belonged to the noblest of the callings- and his students used to say “think of Shri Viswanatha Iyer in your examination hall, you will do extremely well”! I had my schooling in a municipal school up to 7th standard and then in a private school for 7th to 11th standard- for Secondary School Leaving Certificate. Then I studied my Pre University Class and B Sc degree course in Alagappa College. From birth to degree final, I studied in a place called Karaikudi- in one of the southern districts. Since we could not afford 2+2 annas for our college bus, I walked daily up and down 10 miles barefooted and with a dhothi and shirt on whether it was raining or shining! I used to play hockey in college and cricket with tennis ball outside the college. One important thing in my life was my giving up of the habit of drinking coffee/tea on 14th January 1961-Makara Sankaranthi day- at the age of 19 as a college student at the instance of a great spiritual leader known as Kanchi Jagadguru Paramacharya Shri Chandra Sekarendra saraswathy. I continue to be a teetotaler till this day! Peculiarly, I started learning English alphabets from my 7th standard only as per the then Government’s policy! I cannot claim myself to be very intelligent but sure I was sufficiently industrious. My father used to teach me English and Mathematics at home. I was a member of the Scouts movement in my school days and my first Tamil poem on the Movement was published in a Scouts monthly Magazine in 1955 when I was in my 8th standard. I felt extremely happy that in my final year degree course I gave a talk in my college Mathematics Association Meeting under the title “MATHEMATICS IN SHAKESPERE”! I am still proud of the fact that my English article titled “PHILOSOPHER OR SCIENTIST” was published in my college annual Magazine. Poverty did not deter me from aiming high and indeed I look back with pardonable pride of those carefree days. During the morning and evening walks with my father, and daily visit to temple I could muster a lot of will power with which I could make a mark in my official career and literary world. I am afraid I am talking too much on this topic and let me move on to the next! Q2. GOUTAM KARMAKAR: Did your childhood memories leave any impression on your writings? Are you still missing your childhood days? N V Subbaraman: Yes they do; happy impressions that get reflected in my poems and other writings on nature, disciplined life, spiritual attainments and so on, till this day when I am going to be a centenarian in another 24 years! We do miss those happy go lucky days but it is inevitable!

Q3. GOUTAM KARMAKAR: Sir, when did you start writing poetry? What are the immediate reasons for writing poetry?

N V Subbaraman: As referred earlier my first Tamil poem was written when I was 13 years old studying in 8th standard. My first English poem “Marvel is Thy Creation” was written on 7/5/76 when I was 35 years of age, in a place called Karur where I was sent for a month on official deputation. Another poem “In Fanciful Imagination” was written while sitting on the banks of Ambazari Lake in Nagpur where I had been on an official visit in the year 1980- at my age of 39. I cannot adduce any particular reason for writing poetry –may be some inspiration provided by and guided by the Lord Almighty on whom I immensely believe.

Q4. GOUTAM KARMAKAR: What is your definition of poetry? What are the salient poetic features of your poetry which make you different from other contemporary Indian Poets writing in English?

N V Subbaraman: I believe in the definition given by one of the greatest English poets William Wordsworth to whom ‘a peaceful mind is the key to opening emotions. Only then is he able to recreate a precious sensation: He avers: “I have said that Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility”. Yes; we experience a lot of feelings and emotions-day in and day out-from the cradle to the grave- good and bad, pain and bliss, joy and sorrow and so on. Not that we are immersed in these emotions forever and at all times. When you are sitting free sometimes irrespective of that particular age and stage, you get some inspiration from an unknown source and write something in your mind and then put it in black and white and a poem is born! . I don’t claim myself to be a poet extraordinary; I also write some verses. My wife when she was alive till a couple of years ago, a keen observer of me, used to say that my “poems are like nursery rhymes”! Yes I believe that my hallmark is that. In one of the seminars which I attended at Bangalore, I pointed out that ‘any writing-prose or verse in any language-must be pure and simple and the reader must be in a position to understand and appreciate on his own without the help of a dictionary or a language teacher’. There are poets and poets in the literary world and I am also one such-fortunately by HIS grace recognized as a poet just as you, Goutam, have done now and mentally are with me though thousands of miles away from me physically! Yes. Indian poets writing in English are Indian poets writing in English!!! I cannot become a Shelley or Keats, a Milton or Shakespeare- nor a Sarojini Naidu or Rabindranath Tagore! I am I am- N V Subbaraman!

Q5. GOUTAM KARMAKAR: You are a bilingual writer. So tell me in which language do you prefer to write more and why? At the time of composing poems in English do you translate your native thoughts into English or directly write in English?

N V Subbaraman: Yes, I am. I don’t feel much of a difference in writing in English or Tamil or English and Tamil. I equally write in both the languages. Thoughts are thoughts- born in mind by the grace of the Goddess of Learning Sri Saraswathi and I normally write direct. I feel there is not much of a difference between ‘native thought’ and ‘foreign thought’!

Q6. GK: Till date you have published 14 books. So can you please tell us about your journey as a writer? Have you ever faced ‘writer’s block’ while composing poems?

N V Subbaraman: Sorry it is 37 written and published more than 30 and the rest are in different stages of publication! Journey of course was by no means smooth and easy. In the present day publishing area, marketing becomes difficult in the case of self-publication. Hence I leave it to professional publishers known and unknown to me. I am able to see the question mark on your face Goutamany ROYALTY! No, I get only the satisfaction that my book has been published!!! Thank God I am not a professional writer depending on this for my daily bread and milk. If by chance any little amount comes to me, that I have made it a point to donate 50% to one organization called SEVALAYA near Chennai which runs an orphanage and Old Age Home. “Writer’s Block!” Yes at times and we overcome it-many a time easily and sometimes with difficulty and efforts.

Q7. GOUTAM KARMAKAR: What are the sources of inspiration behind your writing? Can you tell us the names of your favorite writers and books?

N V Subbaraman: Yes, great poets of ancient days to modern days inspire me. Kindly visit my Blog ‘ENVIUS THOUGHTS’ in https://nvsr.wordpress.com and a particular poem from the archives titled “THROUGH THE NOBLE WINGS OF POETRY”. That will explain my position better. Why? I quote it here and now: Born are the great All over the world All through the ages Spreading the message of peace and amity Leading people to friendship and fraternity Injecting joy and hope in mankind! Afflicted with agony and penury more in mind Depicting Animosity and compassion, betrayal and protection Bad and good, pain and pleasure Cruelty and kindness, hatred and love Defeat and victory, failure and success Birth and death, poverty and prosperity Cowardice and valor, diffidence and confidence Despair and hope, fear and courage Sorrow and joy, vices and virtues Vacillation and firmness- pairs of opposites! Animals and birds, worms and insects Hills and dales, fields and deserts Plants and trees, flowers and fruits Sun and moon, stars and planets Summer and winter, Autumn and Spring Art and culture, religion and society! Myriad phases of life and world! Gifted poets- ancient-medieval and modern With Marvelous mysticism and mythical meanderings Powerful pen and pleasing prowess Significant style and varied vision Transcending Caste and creed, class and color Giving message – message for the world World peace and universal brotherhood THROUGH THE NOBLE WINGS OF POETRY! Dead may be, yet immortal they are Robert Browning and Rabindranath Tagore Wordsworth and Omarkayyam of yore Yeats and Keats, Eliot and Milton Shelly and Shakespeare, Dante and Tennyson Sarojini Naidu and scores of class Living legends Daisaku Ikeda and dozens of today! Valmiki and Vyasa, Kalidas and Kabirdas Barthruhari and Battadri, Surdas and Tulsi Bharathi Dasan and Kanna Dasan, Kamban and Bharathi Nannayya and Thikkanna, Vemana and Pothana Thyagayya and Shyama Sastri Annamacharya and Muthuswami Dikshithar Mythili Saran and Sumitra Nandan And those countless noble anons! To them We bow our heads in respect and reverence Sure for the world to find its deliverance! On the books I read! A defect and bad habit with me is that I don’t have any extra book reading habit?! I used to say and write-” I used to read till my college days my academic books. On entering LIC books that were required to attend my professional examinations viz up to Fellowship level and the manuals and circulars required for running the administration. Post retirement rarely here and there, now and then! Only my constant read from my age 8 or so till now is the daily newspaper THE HINDU”.

Q8. GOUTAM KARMAKAR: What are the subject matters of your three volumes of poetry written in English? Kindly illustrate a bit- the capital theme of each volume.

N V Subbaraman: Unless it is my translation work, my original writing of prose or verse in English or Tamil, always revolve around, nature, human nature, happenings in and around me, spiritual matters here and there aimed at grooming the children and the youth-future pillars of the Nation.

Q9. GOUTAM KARMAKAR: Why have you composed Haiku? Are you influenced by some Haiku writers?

N V Subbaraman: These are the fast food days. No time for the man to stand and stare!!!!! Where is the time for him to read epics like literature of Paradise Lost or Regained, Maha Bharatha or Ramayana? I took a fancy for the HAIKU poems as ‘BREVITY IS THE SOUL OF WISDOM” it is said. I was also inspired by a Poets Association organized and run by one Dr. Fakhruddin from Bangalore and their monthly publication the POETS INTERNATIONAL, largely devoted to Haiku genre of the poetry. My long association with them made me a Haikuist; I attended a few of Seminars and I presented my entire paper in HAIKU poems in one year. I must acknowledge the appreciation made by one Japanese Haiku poet which made me take greater interest. In his own words Dr.Kazuyosi said: “………………..The poet Subbaraman’s haiku are exactly haiku originating in Japan. But in Japan, there is no concept of rhyme; thus his rhymed haiku surpass Japanese haiku in beauty of both contents and the form- the form of his haiku is worth esteeming very highly…………”

Q10. GOUTAM KARMAKAR: You have engaged yourself in translation works. Have you felt any difficulties in translating from Tamil to English? Do you feel any satisfaction in translation work in comparison of composing own poems?

N V Subbaraman: Yes, Goutam, very relevant and important question to a translating poet and writer. India is a vast and diverse country with its rich heritage, culture, religions, languages, literature, scholars, writers, poets and so on. They are indeed great treasures beyond values for the present and posterity. In a multi lingual society and the states on linguistic basis, regionalism takes its own toll on many aspects and one important impact is on the literary works of great cultural and artistic value. Due to political and other reasons there is a vast gap in connecting the people. The cause for the gap is narrow regionalism leading to parochialism. It should therefore, be the foremost duty of the broad and nationalistic minded patriots to create opportunities for the people of religions and regions, languages and cultures to move freely and absorb the greatness from others. Translation of the rich literary works of each language into other languages of India and English is a sure way of bridging the gap. Emphasizing on the importance of TRANSLATION in bridging the gap great National Poet Subrahmanya Bharathiyar says: Transliteration: Thaemadhurath thamizoasai ulagamelaam Paravum vagai seydhal vaeNdum Piranaattu nallaringar saaththirangkaL Thamizmoziyir peyarththal vaeNdum Thiramaana pulamaiyenil veLinaattoar Atdhai vaNakkam seydhal vaeNdum. While translated to English Tamil’s mellifluous sounds Must reach the world’s utmost bounds. Translation too we must produce From foreign classics for our use. Our genuine greatness and skills and wisdom The world will recognize and salute hands down. But then translation is a fine art and science; competent persons for translation from one language to other language/s are to be spotted, sufficient recognition given and motivated to pursue the art of translation. Translation is not simply finding the equivalent words. It is indeed trans- creation; the translator must get into the heart and soul of the original creator and come out with his version presenting the mind of the creator. It has to be done through print and electronic media. From that angle, educational Institutions should make it a point and policy to prescribe the translated literature in the curriculum at all levels. As extracurricular studies, parents, social service organizations and schools must popularize translated arts and literature. It may not be too much to suggest literary competitions may be floated at many levels on translated literary pieces for all ages, educational standards, rural, urban groups and so on as the competitions have the motivating ability. I have equal charm and pleasure in creating the originals and also trans-creating the others!

Q11. GOUTAM KARMAKAR: By profession you were a deputy zonal manager of Life Insurance Corporation of India. So how do you make up your mind to write poetry altogether? Have your experience there helped you in writing?

N V Subbaraman: As explained in the top while saying something about myself, you will find an answer to this question too! It is not verse alone I write; I have also produced some good prose in Tamil and several articles in English. Experience is the best Master and in any field helps a writer in his pursuit; I am not an exception.

Q12. GOUTAM KARMAKAR: Why have you translated Tagore’s Gitanjali into Tamil? Have you read the Bengali version of Gitanjali?

N V Subbaraman: Gitanjali of Rabindranath Tagore which won a Nobel for him, indeed, is an invaluable treasure for the humanity. I loved it right from my young days. When I had some time at my command post retirement, I ventured into full scale translation and I could fairly succeed and the translation has been received well by the learned. Sorry I know no Bengali. Tagore himself has given his Gitanjali in English and my Tamil translation is based on that version.

Q13. GOUTAM KARMAKAR: Why have you translated the Japanese poet Daisaku Ikeda from English to Tamil? Is it an attempt on your part to enrich the Tamil people about the global writing?

N V Subbaraman: I have answered in a detailed manner for the question number 10 above and that thought is the reason for translating Japanese Poet Dr. Daisaku Ikedas English poems into Tamil. Here is a Women’s College in Chennai after Dr. Daisaku Ikeda’s Soka Gokai’s International and the Secretary of the college, a good friend of mine requested me to translate Dr. Ikeda’s poems into Tamil and I did it. He himself published and gave copies to all the students and staff more than a thousand in number. In the process you are right that Tamil people are enriched from the global writing. Q14. GOUTAM KARMAKAR: Your writing proves you as a postcolonial poet. Do you agree with me? Does your poem characterize any particular trait? N V Subbaraman: Physically yes present day poet; mind set may be colonial and post colonial! Reading a prose or verse must elevate the reader mentally, intellectually and spiritually with a positive and noble message. The writer owes it to himself and the society of readers. Any writing sans a message according to me is no writing at all. Q15. GOUTAM KARMAKAR: What is the theme of your ‘Universe-A Chariot on the Move’? Have you added any flavor to this epic while translating? N V Subbaraman: It is the story of the Universe- beautifully penned by my Tamil poet frienddealing with Mother Earth and sky, stars and planets. Sun and Moon, Space and air, water and fire- five natural elements on which all living beings – humans and animals, plants and trees thrive. Translation I have already referred to as trans-creation. Naturally flavors added! VOLUME-III, ISSUE-XII ISSN (Online): 2350-0476 ISSN (Print): 2394-207X IMPACT FACTOR: 4.205 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIFACETED AND MULTILINGUAL STUDIES 1st December 2016 Website: http://www.ijmms.in Email: [email protected] Page 10 Q16. GOUTAM KARMAKAR: Do you think a poet as social reformer? What are the contemporary social issues have you tried to show in your works? N V Subbaraman: To certain extent any poet or writer has to be a social reformer! His readers must get a positive message for leading a better and more humane life and living. I don’t claim to be a social reformer but by the messages some may be made to be a better human being that helps for the formation of a better society. Social issues I want to show are global warming, environmental protection, caring for nature, neighborhood cleanliness and so on. Q17. GOUTAM KARMAKAR: What are your future projects? Can your readers expect any fiction from you? N V Subbaraman: After spending three fourths of a century, it is not possible to take up any special projects as such! To continue with regular literary activities, it is deemed to be an achievement! May be compiling another anthology of my poems in English and Tamil, continuing my Blog without a break are worth attempting. No idea of creation of any fiction as of now.

Q18. GOUTAM KARMAKAR: What is the future of Indian English poetry according to you? Poetry and poets are now marginalized a bit as everyone is fascinated with fictions, plays and short stories. What can be the solution and suggestions on your part for improving the situation better?

N V Subbaraman: According to me, it is quite bright- as bright as it has been in the past! Poetry and poets have their own sterling role to play in the literary world. My confidence is born out of the responses I get for my YOUNG POET- an e journal. In the last International Multilingual Poets Meet that I have referred to earlier, there was an invited Poet Delegate young 17 year old twelfth standard student of a local school in Chennai Miss S. Nivetha ho was an attraction of the senior poets and Madam Pankajam Iyengar, convener, said that future is bright for the poetry world. Her poem titled FRIENDSHIP-virtues and values was well received by all the delegates-content, form and presentation excellent. Though Fictions, plays and short stories have their own value, poetry has its own charm and beauty. Parents, schools and literary organizations have to encourage children from young age to appreciate poetry and to try their hands on poetry writing.

Q19. GOUTAM KARMAKAR: Are you aware of contemporary Indian English writing? Who are your favorite Indian English writers whose work you want to read many a time?

N V Subbaraman: Yes in the course of my experience in the last few decades. There are too many to point out a few!

Q20. GOUTAM KARMAKAR: How will you want to be remembered as a poet or as a great translator and why? Where lies the ‘Indianness’ in your work?

N V Subbaraman: If I am worth remembering, society will remember me as a poet, writer and translator. As of now I am happy that I am recognized as such and being invited to participate in the Poets Meet and seminars. A seventh class student was telling me on the other day that “Uncle, one day your poems also may find a place in our school text books”. I am quite content with my work at the present. Probably you as a young research scholar may see how I am remembered in the future. I am born, brought up, educated and living as an Indian! My INDIANNESS is in all my thoughts, words and deeds! Yet I am a universalist- a member of the VASUDEYVA KUTUMBAKAM- the entire world is my home and people are my kith and kin as my Rig veda has taught me.

Q21. GOUTAM KARMAKAR: A lot of new poets are coming in this genre. What will be your advice to them? And what is your message for your readers and for the human beings?

N V Subbaraman: Your apprehension about future of poets and poetry is unfounded from this very question; yes “a lot of new poets are coming in this genre” They are the hopes of the future. No advice from me but I venture to suggest that they take to poetry very seriously with all possible interest and enthusiasm; read a lot of poets and their work, form their own theme in which their interest lies, try their hand in giving a poetic shape to their thoughts, if not satisfied let them correct several times, send for publication, if rejected let them not get frustrated or disappointed. Improve upon the same and write new ones. Let them create the habit of writing in a note book and not in sheets of individual papers that will not be kept safe. Poetry may not get financial benefits but will give a broader vision of life and widen their catholicity and gives a satisfaction that money and wealth cannot give.

Q22 GOUTAM KARMAKAR: Thank You for sharing your views before your readers.

N V Subbaraman: I am indeed very happy that I could interact with you in detail. I thank you for the nice opportunity provided. I wish you Godspeed in all your endeavors.

IJMMS INTERVIEW Mr. Goutam Karmakar, Research Scholar of Durgapur. It all started with a call and mail from a research scholar from West Bengal on 21st January with the following mail:

#God&039;s Creation #Influence #Life&039;s Value #Prayer #Strength of mind #welfare #Writing

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